Closure arrangement for pharmaceutical bottles

A closure arrangement for pharmaceutical bottles contains a stopper closing the bottle mouth, and a closure cap mounted over the bottle mouth and a closure cap. The stopper is adapted to be pierced with a hollow needle for extracting a medicament located in the bottle. The closure cap is provided with a tear-off disc which is located above the stopper and is removable upon opening the closure. The tear-off disc is produced from plastic material in one piece with the closure cap and is retained thereat by means of a weakening line. Between the tear-off disc and the stopper there is provided a spacer which does not extend beyond the outline of the tear-off disc. The spacer is formed in one piece with the tear-off disc and/or with the stopper. The closure cap can be one-handedly pressed in the direction toward the bottle, whereby the tear-off disc is separated from the closure cap and the stopper is free for insertion of a hollow needle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to a closure arrangement for pharmaceutical 
bottles, which closure arrangement comprises a stopper which closes the 
bottle mouth and can be pierced by means of a hollow needle for extracting 
medicaments from the bottle, and a closure cap enclosing a welt ring, 
formed at the bottle around the bottle mouth, and the stopper, and which 
closure cap comprises a tear-off disc which is located above the stopper, 
limited by a weakening line and removable upon opening the closure. 
2. Description of Background and Revelant Information 
A closure arrangement of the above-mentioned type is known from German 
Patent No. 1,207,043. This closure arrangement consists of a combination 
of a cap which is mounted at the bottle, and of a rubber stopper which 
pierceably closes the pharmaceutical bottle. The cap comprises an upper 
structural member with an inner part and with an outer part. The inner and 
outer parts are connected with each other by breakable bridge parts. The 
inner part is connected to a cover member which can be pressed away from 
the bottle by means of thumb pressure, in order to thereby fracture the 
bridge parts and to release and remove the inner part of the cap from the 
outer part. The rubber stopper beneath the inner part of the cap is 
thereupon free to be pierced by a hollow needle. A disadvantage of this 
closure arrangement is seen in the fact that the cover member must be 
removed from the bottle by thumb pressure, whereby the root portion of the 
finger-nail is undesirably strained. Furthermore, there exists the risk of 
injury at the locations of fracture of the bridge parts formed of metal. A 
further economical disadvantage is thereby given in that too many 
components are required for the closure arrangement, namely a part which 
is flangeable onto the bottle, a cover member connected therewith and a 
rubber stopper. For flanging the cap onto the bottle and for the 
connection of the inner part with the cover member there are required 
complicated special devices. The production costs of the cap components 
made of metal are also relatively high. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The object of the present invention is to provide a closure arrangement of 
the above-mentioned type which is economically advantageous and in which 
the tear-off disc can be one-handedly removed in a safe, convenient and 
rapid manner. 
This object is achieved in that the closure cap is formed of plastic 
material in one piece with the tear-off disc, that the closure cap in the 
unopened condition of the closure is mounted at the welt ring of the 
bottle to be displaceable by pressing in the direction toward the bottle, 
and that a spacer is provided between the tear-off disc retained by means 
of the weakening line at the closure cap of the unopened closure, and the 
stopper located therebelow, such spacer not extending beyond the outline 
of the tear-off disc. This closure arrangement is economically 
advantageous. For example, the closure cap together with the tear-off disc 
is economically produced, advantageously from plastic material, in a 
one-step process. The closure cap, with the closure in the unopened 
condition, can be safely and conveniently one-handedly pressed upon the 
bottle in the direction toward the bottle. The tear-off disc is thereby 
separated from the closure cap and clears the stopper for the extraction 
of a medicament located in the bottle by means of a hollow needle which 
can be pierced through the stopper. With this closure cap there is no risk 
of injury. 
The spacer can be advantageously formed in one piece with the tear-off disc 
and/or with the stopper. This measure renders possible that the closure 
arrangement consists only of two economically advantageous components, 
namely of the closure cap and of the stopper. 
The spacer can be formed in one piece with the tear-off disc, and the end 
of the tear-off disc, such end facing the stopper, can thereby sealingly 
engage the stopper when the closure is unopened. This measure ensures that 
the surface of the stopper, which surface is provided for the extraction 
of a medicament located in the bottle, remains protected from impurities 
prior to removal of the tear-off disc. 
However, the tear-off disc can also be formed in one piece with the 
stopper, and the end of the stopper, such end facing the tear-off disc, 
can thereby sealingly engage the tear-off disc when the closure is still 
unopened. In this arrangement there is prevented, prior to removal of the 
tear-off disc, the infiltration of impurities to the surface of the 
stopper, which surface is provided for the extraction of the medicament 
located in the bottle by means of a hollow needle. 
The closure cap advantageously widens from the weakening line in a 
funnel-shaped manner in the direction away from the bottle. The handling 
of the closure cap is thereby facilitated because, upon pressing the 
closure cap, the tear-off disc separating from the closure cap does not 
obstruct the pressing operation. The tear-off disc remains in the rear of 
the funnel-shaped portion of the closure cap. 
The closure cap can comprise, at the inner side of its outer jacket region 
which extends beyond the welt ring, an annular latching bead which, with 
the closure unopened, grippingly engages on the rear of the edge of the 
welt ring and which edge is remote from the bottle mouth. The latching 
bead thus retains the unopened closure cap in simple manner at the bottle 
and renders possible simple mounting of the closure cap at the bottle. 
The closure cap can also comprise a second annular bead at the inner side 
of its outer jacket region extending beyond the welt ring. This second 
bead retains the pressed-in opened closure cap in this position. 
In order to be able to retain the stopper in the bottle mouth by the 
portions of the closure cap, which portions surround the tear-off disc, 
when the closure is in the unopened as well as in the open condition 
thereof, the spacer can be formed in one piece with the tear-off disc, 
whereby the end of the tear-off disc, such end facing the stopper, 
sealingly engages the stopper when the closure is unopened and the spacing 
between the latching bead and the second bead corresponds to the shortest 
distance between the portions of the closure cap, such portions 
surrounding the tear-off disc, and the stopper, when the closure is 
unopened. 
In order to be able to retain the stopper in the bottle mouth by the 
portions of the closure cap, which portions surround the tear-off disc, 
when the closure is in the unopened as well as in the open condition 
thereof, the spacer can also be formed in one piece with the stopper, 
whereby the end of the stopper, such end facing the tear-off disc, 
sealingly engages the tear-off disc when the closure is unopened and the 
spacing between the latching bead and the second bead corresponds to the 
shortest distance between the portions of the closure cap, such portions 
surrounding the tear-off disc, and the stopper, when the closure is 
unopened. 
The spacing between the latching bead and the second bead can correspond to 
the width of the welt ring. With this spacing between the two beads, the 
closure cap is more securely seated at the bottle when the closure is 
unopened.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
FIG. 1 shows a closure arrangement for a pharmaceutical bottle 1 which can 
be, for example, an injection bottle or a transfusion bottle. The bottle 1 
is closed by a stopper 2 made of rubber and inserted in the bottle mouth. 
The stopper can be pierced by means of a hollow needle and the medicament 
located in the bottle 1 can be extracted from the bottle 1 by the hollow 
needle. The stopper 2 is externally enclosed and protected by a closure 
cap 3. However, the closure cap 3 also surrounds a welt ring 4 formed at 
the bottle 1 around the bottle mouth. Above the stopper 2 there is located 
a tear-off disc 5 which, prior to opening the closure, is integrally 
connected to the closure cap 3 by means of a weakening line 6. The closure 
cap 3 and the tear-off disc 5 consist of plastic material, of 
polypropylene. 
Thus, the closure cap 3 includes a first portion having an interior surface 
adapted to extend around the bottle mouth and around the stopper 2 when 
the stopper is inserted within the bottle mouth, and a second portion 
including the tear-off disc 5 adapted to be positioned proximate a portion 
of the stopper 2 remote from the bottle mouth. The tear-off disc 5 is 
formed unitarily with the closure cap 3 and is delimited with respect to 
the first portion of the closure cap by the weakening line 6. 
The closure cap 3, with the closure unopened according to FIG. 1, is 
mounted at the welt ring 4 to be displaceable by pressing in the direction 
toward the bottle 1. At the top, the end of the tear-off disc 5, which end 
faces the stopper 2 and which tear-off disc 5 can be separated from the 
closure cap 3 by pressing, sealingly bears upon the stopper 2. By this 
measure there is prevented, prior to opening the bottle, contamination of 
the portion of the stopper 2 provided to be pierced. The annular latching 
bead 7 located behind, or below, an edge of the welt ring 4 and which edge 
is remote from the bottle mouth, secures the closure cap 3 at the bottle 1 
in the direction away from the bottle. In view of the configuration of the 
closure arrangement, the tear-off disc 5 is removable from the remainder 
of the closure arrangement upon rupture of the weakening line 6, and the 
first portion of the closure cap 3 is displaceable with respect to the 
second portion of the closure portion in a direction toward the bottle 1 
between an upper, unopened position, wherein the first portion is spaced 
from the stopper 2, and a lower, openable position, upon the rupture of 
the weakening line 6. 
Between the tear-off disc 5, retained at the closure cap 3 by means of the 
weakening line 6 when the closure is unopened, and the stopper 2 located 
therebelow, there is provided a spacer which does not extend beyond the 
outline of the tear-off disc 5. The spacer must not exceed the outline of 
the tear-off disc 5, in order that the spacer can slip through the 
aperture resulting in the closure cap 3 subsequent to removal of the 
tear-off disc 5. In the arrangement according to FIG. 1, the spacer is 
formed in one piece with the tear-off disc 5. 
In FIGS. 3 and 4 there is illustrated a further closure arrangement with 
the bottle 1. In this arrangement, the bottle 1 is likewise closed by a 
pierceable stopper 8 made of rubber. When the closure is still unopened, a 
closure cap 9 surrounds the welt ring 4 formed around the bottle mouth, 
and the stopper 8. The closure cap 9 is secured at the bottle 1 by the 
latching bead 7, located at the interior surface of the closure cap 
grippingly engaging on the rear, or lower edge, of the welt ring 4. In 
this arrangement with the closure unopened, the spacer located between the 
tear-off disc 10 and the stopper 8 is formed in one piece with the stopper 
8. However, it would also be possible to form the spacer to be part of the 
tear-off disc and part of the stopper, or to form the spacer to be 
independent of both. As depicted in FIG. 3, the extension of the stopper 
8, such extension serving as a spacer, sealingly bears upon the tear-off 
disc 10 and prevents a possible contamination of the portion of the 
stopper 8, which portion is provided to be pierced. The tear-off disc 10 
and the closure cap 9 are formed in one piece of plastic material. With 
the closure unopened, the tear-off disc 10 covering the stopper 8 is 
retained, as depicted in FIG. 3, at the closure cap 9 by means of the 
weakening line 11. 
The closure caps 3 and 9 depicted in FIGS. 1 through 4 widen in 
funnel-shaped manner from the respective weakening lines 6 and 11 in the 
direction away from the bottle 1. The closure caps 3 and 9 comprise a 
second annular bead at the inner side of their outer jacket region 
extending beyond the welt ring 4. With the closure unopened according to 
FIGS. 1 and 3, respectively, the spacing between the annular latching bead 
7 and the second, upper, bead 12 corresponds, in all Figures, with the 
shortest distance between the portions of respective closure caps 3 and 9 
such portions surrounding respective tear-off discs 5 and 10, and the 
associated stoppers 2 and 8, respectively. Furthermore, the spacing 
between the latching bead 7 and the second bead 12 corresponds with the 
width of the welt ring 4. The closure caps 3 and 9, with the closure 
unopened, are supported in the direction toward the bottle 1 not only at 
the respective stoppers 2 and 8, but also by means of the second bead 12 
at the edge of the welt ring 4, which edge faces the bottle mouth. 
The mode of operation of the illustrated closure arrangements is 
hereinafter described. If the stopper 2 of the bottle with the closure 
unopened and depicted in FIG. 1 is to be cleared for the insertion of a 
not illustrated hollow needle, then one presses the closure cap 3 with 
one's thumb as indicated by the arrows 13 in FIG. 2. One can also press 
the closure cap 3 against a firm object while holding the bottle in one 
hand. When the pressure is sufficiently great, the connection between the 
closure cap 3 and the tear-off disc 5 fractures along the weakening line 
6. The tear-off disc 5 therewith moves into the funnel-shaped extension of 
the closure cap 3 and bears upon the adjacent pressing surface as viewed 
in the direction of the arrows 13 after separation from the closure cap 3. 
Subsequent to removal of the tear-off disc 5 with one hand, the bottle 1 
is ready for the extraction of a medicament located in the bottle 1 by 
means of a hollow needle. The closure cap 3 thereby firmly retains the 
stopper 2 in the bottle mouth, because subsequent to the pressing-in of 
the closure cap 3, on the one hand, the second bead 12 grippingly engages 
on the rear of the edge of the welt ring 4 and which edge is remote from 
the bottle mouth, and latches in there and, on the other hand, the 
portions of the closure cap 3, such portions surrounding the tear-off disc 
5, bear upon the stopper 2. 
The opening process of the bottle 1 depicted in FIG. 3 and provided with a 
closure is accomplished in a similar manner. One presses the closure cap 9 
in the direction indicated by the arrows 14 in FIG. 4 until the tear-off 
disc 10 separates at the weakening line 11 from the closure cap 9. The 
extension of the stopper 8, which extension serves as a spacer, projects 
thereupon through the aperture cleared in the closure cap 9. Subsequently, 
the stopper 8 can be pierced with a hollow needle and the medicament 
located in the bottle 1 can be extracted. The stopper 8 is thereby secured 
in the bottle mouth by the portions of the closure cap 9 engaging thereat, 
because the closure cap, in turn, is retained at the bottle 1 by the 
second bead 12 latching behind the welt ring 4.