CONTAINER-CLOSURE ASSEMBLY

Abstract: A container-closure assembly comprises a container with a neck portion (20), a sealing surface (22) and engagement means (23), and an annular sealing member (25) having a first sealing portion in contact with the sealing surface (22) and neck engagement means (40) adapted to cooperate with the engagement means (23) on the neck (20) to prevent relative rotation between the neck (20) and the sealing member (25). A valve member has a sealing surface (35) in sealing contact with a second sealing portion of the sealing member (25), the valve member and the sealing member (20) having cooperating engagement profiles (36,37) in the region, respectively, of the valve member sealing surface (35) and the second sealing portion means are provided for holding the valve member to the neck (20) of the container

Description: The invention relates to container-closure assemblies, and particularly to such assemblies incorporating a valve element, for example a non-refillable fitment, which is held captive on the container. It is known from our British Patent No. 1 589 321 to provide a container-closure assembly comprising:- (i) a container with a neck portion having an annular bead formed exteriorly thereof and a sealing surface; (ii) an annular sealing member having a first surface in contact with said sealing surface; (iii) a valve member having a threaded portion, a surface in sealing contact with a second surface of the annular sealing member and an annular recess between the threaded portion and the said surface; and (iv) an outer metal cap an upper portion of which is threadedly attached to the threaded portion of the valve member and a lower skirt portion of which, attached to the upper skirt portion by frangible bridges, is engaged with the annular recess of the valve member and under the annular bead of the curtain neck portion. British Patent Specification No. 1 589 321 describes a preferred embodiment in which the sealing member is a washer of silicone rubber, and in which projections are provided from the sealing surface of the container and from the contact surface of the valve member, which projections cooperate to hinder relative rotation of the container and the valve member. Silicone rubber has been used extensively to provide sealing washers in this type of application, but it has disadvantages notably because it is a difficult material to handle mechanically because of its resilience and tendency to block, and because of its high cost. According to the invention there is provided a container-closure assembly comprising a container with a neck portion, a sealing surface, and engagement means in the region of the sealing surface, an annular sealing member having a first sealing portion in contact with said sealing surface and neck engagement means adapted to cooperate with the engagement means on the neck to prevent relative rotation between the container and the sealing member, a valve member having a sealing surface in sealing contact with a second sealing portion of the annular sealing member, the valve member and the annular sealing member having cooperating engagement profiles in the region, respectively, of the valve member sealing surface and the second sealing portion, and means for holding the valve member to the neck of the container. The neck engagement means and engagement profile on the annular sealing member may lie outside the first and second sealing portions respectively, or alternatively, the engagement means and engagement profile on the annular sealing member may lie inside the first and second sealing portions respectively. The engagement means of the neck and the engagement profile on the valve member may likewise be outside or inside the respective sealing surfaces. The engagement means on the neck and the neck engagement means on the annular sealing member preferably extend around the neck and member respectively. The engagement means on the neck may comprise a multiplicity of peripheral recesses and the neck engagement means on the annular sealing member may comprise a multiplicity of projections adapted to engage the recesses. The recesses are preferably defined by surfaces having no portion from which a normal lies perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the neck. The engagement profiles on the annular sealing member and the valve member may comprise sets of teeth. The teeth may be triangular in profile. The annular sealing member is preferably of polymeric material, for example, polyethylene. One or both sealing portions of the annular sealing member may include annular sealing ribs. The annular sealing member may include a skirt adapted to engage the neck. By way of example, one embodiment of a container-closure assembly according to the invention will now be described, together with a prior art container-closure assembly, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:- Figure 1 is a sectional view of a prior art container closure assembly; Figure 2 is a sectional view of part of a container closure assembly according to the invention; Figure 2a is a sectional view along the lines X-X in Figure 2; Figure 3 is a plan view of a sealing washer; Figure 4 is a sectional view along the lines A-A in Figure 3; and Figure 5 is an underneath plan view of the sealing washer of Figures 3 and 4. Figure 1 illustrates a prior art container-closure assembly known from our UK Patent No. 1 589 321. The assembly of Figure 1 includes a bottle 1 having a neck including an annular bead 18. The neck of the bottle has a rim 12 in which teeth 13 are formed. On the rim 12 lies a sealing washer 14 of silicone rubber, and above the washer 14 is located a flange 5 of a lower portion 3 of a non-refillable valve fitment 4 and a wall 6 of an upper portion 7 of the fitment 4. Teeth 11 are provided in the wall 6, and the sealing washer 14 contacts both the flange 5 and the wall 6 of the fitment 4. The non-refillable valve fitment 4 has a screw-threaded portion 8 in the upper portion 7 thereof. The valve fitment 4 has an annular recess 10. The container-closure assembly is constructed by placing the valve fitment 4 and sealing washer 14 onto the filled container, and then a plain shell of a cap 15 is loosely mounted over the assembly. Pressure is applied to compress a sealing wad on to the top of the fitment 4 and to compress the sealing washer 14 between the flange and wall 6 of the fitment 4 and the rim 12 of the bottle 1. Whilst top pressure is being applied, rollers on an appropriate thread-rolling or spinning machine conform the upper part of the skirt of the shell 15 into conformity with the screw thread 8, roll a portion of the skirt into the annular recess 10, and tuck the lowermost edge 17 of the skirt beneath the annular bead 18. The cap 15 has a line of weakening 16 in well known fashion comprising alternate slits and bridges. The workings of the valve fitment are well known and will not be described herein, the workings not forming part of the present invention. Figures 2 to 5 illustrate part of a container-closure assembly according to the invention, parts not illustrated such as the full profile of the valve fitment, and the surrounding shell being substantially the same as in Figure 1. Figure 2 is a sectional view of part of a container-closure assembly according to the invention. Figure 2 shows a neck 20 of a container such as a bottle, the neck 20 having a rim 21 having an upper sealing surface 22 and peripheral engagement means in the form of alternate recesses and projections 23. As can be seen from Figure 2, the external profile of the projections 23 follows the natural contour of the rim 21 and recesses are formed in the outer periphery during the moulding of the container. Figure 2a shows the profile of one of the projections 23, Figure 2a being a sectional view along the lines X-X in Figure 2. In the particular embodiment shown, there are 20 projections 23 and 20 recesses therebetween but it would be appreciated that a different number of projections and recesses may be present. Against the rim 21 is held an annular sealing washer 25 of polyethylene, although it will be appreciated that other materials are capable of providing appropriate characteristics of flexibility and strength. The sealing washer 25 has a skirt 26 adapted to fit inside the neck 20 and three lower annular sealing ribs, 27, 28, 29 which are pressed against the sealing surface 22 of the rim 21 of the container. The outer rim of the sealing washer 25 has on its underside an annular rim 30 having a sloping inside surface 31 from which a multiplicity of spaced apart projections 40 extend. The projections 40 will be described more fully with reference to Figures 4 and 5, the projections 40 in use engaging in the recesses between the projections 23 on the container rim 21. In this way, the sealing washer provides both a seal between the washer 25 and the rim 21 and also prevents relative rotation between the washer 25 and the neck 20 of the container. The upper surface of the annular sealing washer 25 is provided also with annular sealing ribs 32, 33 and 34, the outer rib 34 sealing against a lower surface 35 of an annular wall 36 of an upper portion of a non-refillable valve fitment of the type described with reference to Figure 1. The wall 36 is equivalent to the wall 6 of the fitment described with reference to Figure 1. The ribs 32 and 33 seal against a flange, not shown in Figure 2, of a lower portion of the valve fitment equivalent to the lower portion 3 shown in Figure 1. The flange is referred to by numeral 5 in Figure 1. The lower portion of the valve fitment fits snugly within the skirt 26 of the washer 25, and the skirt includes an annular sealing rib 41 for sealing against the fitment lower portion The lower portion of the wall 36 at its outer periphery and the outer periphery of the upper portion of the sealing washer 25 are provided with mutually cooperating engagement profiles in the form of triangular projections, a projection 37 of the sealing washer 25 being shown in Figure 2 lying in the recess between projections in the wall 36. The projections 37 will be described in more detail with reference to Figure 3 and 4 and the projections in the wall 36 are of equal number, spacing and size to the projections 37 of the washer 25. While the triangular projections are employed in this particular embodiment it will be appreciated that other profiles may be used. It will be appreciated that in an assembled container-closure held together in the way described with reference to Figure 1 the washer 25 will provide a seal between the neck 20 of the container and the non-refillable valve fitment as well as providing for non-rotation between the valve fitment and the container. Figure 3, 4 and 5 show in detail the sealing washer 25. Figure 3 is a plan view in which the sealing ribs 32, 33 and 34 can clearly be seen as can the twenty projections 37. It will be appreciated that a different number of projections 37 could be included. Figure 4 is a sectional view along the lines A-A in Figure 3 and illustrates in detail the profiles of the skirt 26. The triangular profile of the projections 37 is clearly shown and the profile of a projection 40 extending from the sloping surface 31 on the underside of the sealing washer 25. Figure 5 shows further details of the underside of the sealing washer 25, notably the shape of the projections 40 and the annular sealing ribs 27, 28 and 29. As can be seen from Figures 4 and 5, the projections 40 are shaped to engage the recesses between the projections at the outer periphery of the rim 21 of the container 20. Twenty projections 40 are shown in Figure 5 but it will be appreciated that a different number may be employed. It will be appreciated that the foregoing description is by way of example only and that alterations and modifications to the embodiment described may be made within the scope of the invention. For example, the projections and recesses on the fitment, the washer 25 and the neck 20 may be on their radially inward rather than the radially outward portions.

Claims: A container-closure assembly comprising a container (1) with a neck portion (20), a sealing surface (22) and engagement means (23) in the region of the sealing surface, an annular sealing member (25) having a first sealing portion in contact with said sealing surface and neck engagement means (40) adapted to cooperate with the engagement means on the neck to prevent relative rotation between the container and the sealing member, a valve member (4) having a sealing surface (35) in sealing contact with a second sealing portion of the annular sealing member, the valve member and the annular sealing member having cooperating engagement profiles (36, 37) in the region, respectively, of the valve member sealing surface (35) and the second sealing portion, and means (15, 10, 17) for holding the valve member to the neck of the container. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the neck engagement means (40) and engagement profile (37) on the annular sealing member (25) lie outside the first and second sealing portions respectively and the engagement means (23) of the neck and the engagement profile (36) on the valve member lie outside the respective sealing surfaces (22, 35). An assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the neck engagement means (40) and engagement profile (37) on the annular sealing member (25) lie inside the first and second sealing portions respectively and the engagement means (23) of the neck and the engagement profile (36) on the valve member lie inside the respective sealing surfaces (22, 35). An assembly as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the engagement means (23) on the neck and the neck engagement means (40) on the annular sealing member (25) extend around the neck and member respectively. An assembly as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the engagement means (23) on the neck comprise a multiplicity of peripheral recesses and the neck engagement means (40) on the annular sealing member (25) comprise a multiplicity of projections adapted to engage the recesses. An assembly as claimed in claim 5 wherein the recesses are defined by surfaces having no portion from which a normal lies perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the neck (20). An assembly as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the engagement profiles (37, 36) on the annular sealing member (25) and the valve member (4) extend around the sealing member and the valve member respectively. An assembly as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the engagement profiles (37, 36) on the annular sealing member (25) and the valve member (4) comprise sets of teeth. An assembly as claimed in claim 8 wherein the teeth are triangular in profile. An assembly as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the annular sealing member (25) is of polymeric material. An assembly as claimed in any preceding claim wherein one or both sealing portions of the annular sealing member (25) include annular sealing ribs (27, 28, 29; 32, 33, 34). An assembly as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the annular sealing member (25) includes a skirt (26) adapted to engage the neck.

Inventors: HOPLEY, ERIC TREVOR
Applicants: CMB FOODCAN PLC
Application year: 1987
Main classification: B65D53
IPC codes: B65D53