Plugging device for a bottle, notably a scent bottle

A plugging device for bottles such as a scent bottle, includes a plug and a plunger. The plug has a bottom portion and a rib on the bottom portion with an edge. The plunger includes a body, a base wider than the body, and a shoulder connecting the base to the body. The plunger is adapted to mate with an opening in the neck of the bottle and is also adapted to be rigidly connected to the plug bottom. The plunger is made of a material different from that of the plug bottom. The base of the plunger is adapted to cooperate with the rib of the plug so as to rigidly connect the plunger to the plug. This is accomplished by applying heat to the rib and then folding the edge of the rib back against the shoulder so that this folded edge acts as an abutment for firmly holding the plunger in the plug. The rib may be composed of a thermo-meltable material.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
Description of the Prior Art 
The invention relates to a plugging device for a bottle, notably a scent 
bottle. 
The plugging of a bottle, notably a scent bottle, poses a number of 
problems which until now have not been satisfactorily solved. 
To be effective, the plugging of the bottle must be tight, expecially when 
the liquid kept in the bottle is highly volatile. 
In addition, the plugging device should be adapted for low cost production. 
Finally the plugging device must be safe, that is the devices manufactured 
must exhibit the required plugging qualities. 
It has been proposed to plug a bottle by driving, into a duct of the neck, 
an elongated body or finger or plunger which is part of the plug. At least 
one of the surfaces of the finger cooperates with the plugging and is 
preferably frustoconical. 
It is known that an efficient plugging is only obtained if the plunger is 
of a predetermined material (or family of materials). If the plug body is 
made of such predetermined materials, the plug and plunger assembly can be 
formed integrally, preferably by molding, which is the usual method of 
forming such devices. 
Should it not be possible to use such materials that can be easily molded, 
which is frequently the case because the plug body, in the field of 
perfumery, must comply with considerations of an aesthetic nature which 
cannot be satisfied easily by molded materials forming the plunger, then a 
problem arises as to how to assemble the plunger with the plug body. 
In order to solve this problem, the prior art has proposed providing the 
bottom of the plug body with a housing or shaft bounded by a rib, and 
forcibly driving the plunger via its base into the housing. But it has 
been found that it is not possible to always obtain assembly of the plug 
body and the plunger with assurance and that, in a mass production, some 
plugging devices were faulty. 
Moreover, when it is necessary to produce a plug which requires a large 
traction to be applied to the plug in order to separate it from the 
bottle, the friction resisting the pulling of the plug out of the plunger 
the above described assembly sometimes proves insufficiently resistant. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is an object of the present invention to remedy such disadvantages. The 
device which achieves this objective is a bottle plugging device, notably 
for a scent bottle, in which the plug comprises a finger or plunger, 
adapted to cooperate with an opening in the neck of the bottle for 
plugging the bottle and, maintained in the bottleneck by a rib projecting 
from the bottom of the plug. The plunger includes a base of cross section 
larger than the plunger body. The base is conjugated to the housing or 
shaft bounded by the rib. The device is assembled by folding back the rib 
portion protruding relative to the base when the latter is applied against 
the bottom of the plug body. The folding back is carried out against a 
shoulder formed by said base with the plunger body and the folded back 
portion thus provides an abutment for the base preventing the separation 
of the plunger from the plug body. 
In one embodiment, the rib has the configuration of a complete 
circumference of a circle. 
In another embodiment, the rib is formed by arcs of the same circumference, 
preferably two arcs, each of which covers a little less than half the 
circumference of a complete circle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
The plunger 11 of plug 16 is made of polypropylene, which is a material 
that permits obtaining a tight fit on bottle 15 by cooperation between its 
frustoconical body 12 and an opening or duct 13 formed in the neck 14 of a 
bottle 15 which is to be closed. Plug 16 is made of a material different 
from polypropylene, chosen by example for considerations of an aesthetic 
nature. A rib is formed on bottom 17 of plug 16 which, protrudes from 
inner face 18 of bottom 17. Rib 19 has a circular configuration, and is 
thin and, made of a thermo-meltable material. This material can be, for 
example, the same material that forms the bottom 17 of the plug and/or its 
body 12, such as nylon, cellulose acetate, etc. 
Body 12 of plunger 11 also comprises a base 21 with cylindrical circular 
outer surface 22 of a larger diameter that of the top portion 23 of 
plunger body 12, which is fixed to base 21, so as to form an annular 
shoulder 24. 
The diameter of cylindrical surface 22 and that of the inner surface 25 of 
rib 19 are such that base 21 can be introduced without difficulty into the 
housing or shaft 20 bounded by rib 19. The height of rib 19 is slightly 
greater than that of base 21. 
To assemble the device, a portion 27 of the rib, which protrudes relative 
to base 21 is folded back on shoulder 24 of base 21. This folding back of 
portion 27 is carried out by applying heat when rib 19 is composed of a 
thermo-meltable material. This heat is preferably produced by, an 
ultrasound tool. After cooling, which is almost immediate, the edge 28 of 
the rib forms an abutment which cooperates with the shoulder 24 of base 
21, thereby positively securing the plunger 11 against motion relative to 
the body of plug 16. An integral connection is thereby obtained which is 
better than that resulting hitherto from a force fitting of plug 16 and 
plunger 11. 
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the frustoconical body 31, of the 
plunger, is tubular, having a central cavity 32. The bottom 36 of the plug 
(FIG. 4) can be formed with a slight bulging 37 which is in register with 
and adopted to be received in the end 38 of the channel 32 opposite apex 
34. 
In a embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the rib 41 on the bottom of the plug has a 
closed circular configuration bounded by a cylindrical inner surface 42 
and a cylindrical outer surface 43. 
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the rib 44 on the bottom of the plug 
comprises two half ribs 45 and 46, each of which covers a little less than 
half a circumference of a circle. The inner surfaces 47 and 48 of the two 
half ribs are adopted to mates with the outer surface 22 or 49 of the 
plunger base 21 or 51. 
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 8, base 60 of plunger 61 is of square 
configuration. It comprises an outer face 62 perpendicular to longitudinal 
axis 63 of the plunger body 64, and side faces 65, 66, 67, 68. Base is 
adapted to mate with the rib 69, of plug 72 as seen in FIG. 9. Rib 69 
projects from the inner face 71 of plug 72 and defines a housing 73, of 
square transverse cross-section, and faces 74, 75, 76, 77. The connection 
between plunger 61 and plug 72 is provided by folding back the edge of rib 
69 against shoulder 78, provided by the face 79 of base 60, parallel to 
face 62. 
In the alternative embodiment shown in FIG. 10, rib 81 on the bottom of the 
plug comprises two portions 82 and 83, each formed by a dihedron, 
respectively 84, 85 and 86, 87. The folding back of the constituent walls 
of the dihedrons is thereby made easier. 
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 11, the plunger 91 has a base 92 of 
triangular configuration, bounded by an outer face 93 and three side 
faces, respectively 94, 95 and 96. A shoulder is provided at the periphery 
of face 97 parallel to face 93. Base 92 is adopted to mate with a 
cooperating rib in the shape of a prismatic sheath 98 on plug bottom 104 
as seen in FIG. 12. Sheath 98 comprises three faces 99, 101, 102 
perpendicular to the inner face 103 of the plug bottom 104. 
In the alternative embodiment shown in FIG. 13, the plug comprises a 
housing or shaft 105, of triangular configuration, adapted to cooperate 
with the plunger 91 of FIG. 11. Housing 105 is bounded by three tongues 
106, 107 and 108 depending from the plug bottom of the plug but not 
connected to each other.