Source: https://patents.google.com/patent/GB2482000A/en
Timestamp: 2020-07-12 20:37:51
Document Index: 349050

Matched Legal Cases: ['arts 3', 'art 4', 'arts 3', 'arts 3', 'arts 3', 'arts 3', 'arts 3', 'arts 3', 'art 4', 'arts 3', 'arts 3', 'arts 3', 'arts 3', 'art 3', 'arts 3', 'arts 3', 'arts 3', 'arts 3', 'arts 3', 'arts 3', 'arts 3', 'arts 3', 'arts 3', 'art 3', 'arts 3', 'arts 3', 'arts 3', 'arts 3', 'arts 3', 'arts 3', 'arts 3', 'arts 3', 'arts 3']

GB2482000A - Closure having Seal and Inner and Outer Components - Google Patents
Closure having Seal and Inner and Outer Components Download PDF
GB2482000A
GB2482000A GB201011800A GB201011800A GB2482000A GB 2482000 A GB2482000 A GB 2482000A GB 201011800 A GB201011800 A GB 201011800A GB 201011800 A GB201011800 A GB 201011800A GB 2482000 A GB2482000 A GB 2482000A
GB201011800A
GB201011800D0 (en
Anthony Henry Joseph Fraser
2010-07-14 Application filed by Threadless Closures Ltd filed Critical Threadless Closures Ltd
2010-07-14 Priority to GB201011800A priority Critical patent/GB2482000A/en
2010-08-25 Publication of GB201011800D0 publication Critical patent/GB201011800D0/en
2011-06-03 Priority claimed from JP2013512987A external-priority patent/JP2013530891A/en
2012-01-18 Publication of GB2482000A publication Critical patent/GB2482000A/en
238000000465 moulding Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 4
B65D2251/026—Grip means made of material having a high friction coefficient and preventing slippage during removal by hand, e.g. band, coating
A closure for a container 2 having a circular lip 2A comprises an inner component 1 having a collar 3 locating under the lip, a seal 6 extending from the collar and an outer component 4 fitting over the inner component for securing the collar under the lip. The seal may be flexible and integrally formed with the rigid inner component by two shot moulding. Also claimed, radial, spaced, movable parts (fig 3A) on ring (3B, fig 3) for tightly, frictionally engaging the lip under action of cam 4B on an outer component having a skirt 4A, axial movement of the outer component pressing the radial parts into engagement with the lip and rotation through less than 180 degrees securing the outer component to the inner component. Securing may be by multi start bayonet or threaded engagement 3A, 5A. Also claimed, a closure having an inner portion with an expandable and contractable portion for high friction engagement with the lip, pressed into engagement by axial and/or rotational movement of an outer portion.
This invention relates to a closure for a container, for example a container for housing a beverage or foodstuff. The invention is particularly concerned with closures for S containers having a lip and an opening and preferably no thread features on the exterior of the container.
The applicant has proposed a number of different types of closures for containers examples of which are described in W02006/000774, WO2007/091008 and W02007/057659 and the disclosure thereof is incorporated herein. These known closures comprise a cap that fits over a collar which fits around the exterior of a container beneath the lip of the container and a one-piece plastic crown' cap. Whilst these are satisfactory in many cases, the present invention provides improvements which simplify the construction of the closure and/or of the container whilst maintaining or improving its performance.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a closure for a container having a circular opening defining an axis and a lip around said opening, the closure comprising: an inner component having a collar portion for locating about the exterior of the container beneath the lip of the container and a sealing portion which, in use, extends from said collar portion over an upper surface of said lip; and an outer component for fitting over the inner component and interacting therewith for releasably securing the collar portion thereof under said lip.
The first aspect is thus able to provide a cap-on-collar closure in which the collar is combined with a sealing component 9and is preferably integrally formed therewith).
According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a closure for a container having a circular opening defining an axis, a lip around said opening and no thread features on the exterior thereof, the closure comprising an inner component having a first portion for fitting about the exterior of the container and engaging beneath said lip and an outer component having a skirt portion for locating about the first portion of the inner component, the first part of the inner component comprising a plurality of spaced apart radially moveable parts around its circumference pivotally joined at their lower ends by a structure extending around the entire circumference of said first part, the outer component having one or more cam features which, when the skirt portion of the outer component is fitted over the inner component and moved axially relative thereto, interact therewith in an axial direction so as to progressively press said radially moveable features into tight, frictional engagement with the exterior of the container beneath said lip, the outer component being releasably securable to the inner component by means of rotation relative thereto about said axis through no more than 180 degrees, said frictional engagement between the inner component and the exterior of the container enabling said relative rotation to be effected by a rotational force applied between the outer component and the container.
The second aspect is thus able to provide a closure which is installed by an axial movement to frictionally engage a collar portion with the container in combination with a relatively short twist to secure the closure to the container.
According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a closure for a container having an opening defining an axis and with an outwardly projecting lip around said opening, the closure comprising an inner member having an expandable/contractable portion for engaging an outer surface of said lip and an outer member for mounting over said inner member such that axial and/or rotational movement of the outer member relative to the inner member, when said inner member is fitted over said lip, is arranged to hold and/or press said expandable/contractable portion into secure engagement with the container beneath said lip, an inner surface of the inner member that contacts the container and/or the outer surface of the container being of a nature such as to provide a high friction engagement between the inner member and the container whereby relative rotation of the inner and outer members can be effected by a rotational force applied between the outer member and the container.
The third aspect is thus able to provide a cap-on-collar closure in which a high friction engagement between the collar and the container is provided in place of an ant-rotation feature.
The invention also relates to a closure of the type described above when fitted to a container so as to close the container opening. Preferred or optional features of the invention will be apparent from the subsidiary claims and the following description.
Directional terms, such as upper and lower, as used herein are to be understood to refer to refer to directions relative to a container standing on a horizontal surface with the axis passing through its opening being substantially vertical (unless the context clearly requires otherwise).
One of the advantages of the invention is that it enables a closure to be provided which does not need the external surface of the container to have thread features and/or anti-rotation features. This enables a container to have a lip-friendly' form, eg a smooth exterior. Such a smooth exterior is also highly desired for aesthetic reasons and such a neck finish in combination with a high performance closure is sought after in the trade. The invention also enables a closure to be provided which can be used with existing, standard containers or neck finishes so investment in tooling to manufacture a special form of neck finish can be avoided.
The container is typically formed of a plastics material, eg polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and formed by injection moulding followed by blow moulding, or may be formed of glass. Such containers are very well known.
The invention seeks to improve on known closures for bottles and for wide-mouth containers. A one-piece metal closure known as the crown cap' is well known for closing bottles, eg beer bottles. The invention seeks to provide a two-piece cap which can be used in place of the conventional crown cap. In addition, the invention seeks to provide a closure with a seal which is able to withstand the temperatures and pressures that arise when a beverage container, such as a beer bottle, is pasteurised. This is more challenging when a plastics closure is used rather than a metal one.
Cap-on-collar closures having three principal components (a cap, a collar and a seal and/or foil member) have also been described in the prior art. The invention also seeks to provide a two-piece closure for a wide-mouth container which is thus simpler in construction but performs as well (or better) than known arrangements.
The invention will now be further described, merely by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figures 1 and 2 are cross-sectional views of a first embodiment of a closure according to the invention when applied to a bottle neck, Figure 1 shows the parts thereof located over the opening but prior to securement thereto and Figure 2 shows the parts when the closure has been moved into secure engagement with the bottle neck; Figures 3A and 3B show a side view and a cross-sectional view (taken on line E-E of Fig 3A) of an inner component of the closure shown in Figures 1 and 2; Figures 4A and 4B show perspective views from above and beneath of the inner component of Figure 3; Figures 5A and 5B show a side view and a view from beneath of an outer component of the closure shown in Figures 1 and 2; Figures 6A and 6B show perspective views from above and beneath of the outer component of Figure 5; Figures 7 and 8 are cross-sectional views of a second embodiment of a closure according to the invention when applied to a container neck, Figure 7 shows the parts thereof located over the opening but prior to securement thereto and Figure 8 shows the parts when the closure has been moved into secure engagement with the container neck; Figures 9A and 96 show a side view and a cross-sectional view (taken on line A-A of Fig 9A) of an inner component of the closure shown in Figures 7 and 82; and Figures 1OA and lOB show perspective views from above and beneath of the inner component of Figure 9.
The closure shown in Figures 1-6 comprises an inner component having a collar portion for fitting about the exterior of a container 2, in this case a bottle neck having a container opening defining an axis A, and which has radially moveable parts 3 spaced around its circumference for engaging beneath a lip 2A of the container 2, and an outer component having a skirt part 4A for locating about the radially moveable parts 3 of the inner component.
The outer component 4 is designed to be located over the inner component 1 by substantially axial movement therebetween and comprises one or more cam surfaces 4B on its inner surface which engage the upper ends of the radially moveable parts 3 as the components are moved axially so as to progressively press the parts 3 inwards into tight frictional engagement with the exterior of the container beneath the lip 2A of the container 2. This camming action is due to the axial movement between the inner and outer components 1 and 4 and the further they are moved axially together, the greater the inward movement of the parts 3 until the parts 3 are moved into tight frictional engagement with the container (as shown in Figure 2).
The inner component is by this means effectively secured against rotation relative to the container so that the outer component can be rotated relative to the inner component simply by applying a rotational force between the outer component and the container. This is of great importance as it means that high speed capping heads can be used to apply the closures to containers without the need to directly hold the inner component to prevent it rotating on the container (which would also be very difficult when the inner component does not project beyond the outer component) and without the need to provide an anti-rotation feature (such as one or more inter-engaging projections and recesses) between the inner component and the container (which spoil the smooth exterior of the container and prevent standard containers being used).
This is also important to the end user as they can remove and re-apply the closure simply by applying the required forces to the outer component of the closure whilst holding the container (or whilst the container is otherwise held still) without any need to interact with the inner component.
The cam surfaces 4B may be provided by an annular portion of the outer component at the point where its diameter changes as shown in Figs 1 and 2. The cam surfaces 4B are thus at the point where the cap transitions from a smaller diameter (upper) portion to a larger diameter (lower) portion.
Once the outer component 4 has been moved axially over the inner component 1 so as to press the radially moveable parts 3 inwards, it is twisted relative to the inner component 1 about the axis A so as to engage securement means which releasably secure the inner and outer components together in this position. In the embodiment shown, the securement means comprises substantially upwardly facing surfaces 5A of inward projections 5 at the lower end of the skirt part 4A of the outer component and substantially downwardly facing surfaces 3A of the radially moveable parts 3. The surfaces 5A and 3A may provide a bayonet-form of engagement between the inner and outer components and/or a thread-like engagement therebetween.
In order to releasably secure the inner and outer components 1, 4 together in this manner, a relatively small twist or rotation therebetween is required. At the most, this is 360 degrees or less, preferably 180 degrees or less, 90 degrees or less and most preferably degrees or less (as will be described further below).
The bayonet or thread like engagement is preferably of the multi-start type. The inner and outer components may, for instance, be provided with eight sets of thread-like features around their circumference with four start points or nine sets of thread-like features and three start points. It will thus be appreciated that each thread path may thus extend over two or three adjacent thread-like features around the circumference of the inner component.
In the embodiment shown in Figs 1 and 2, the inner component 1 also comprises a flexible sealing portion 6 which extends over the opening in the bottle neck, over an upper surface of the container lip and extends down the exterior of the bottle neck. The flexible portion 6 is preferably integrally formed with the radially moveable parts, e.g. by a two-shot moulding process. The radially moveable parts are formed of a relatively rigid material, e.g. polyethylene terephtha late (PET), and the flexible portion of a relatively flexible material e.g. an elastomer. The function of the flexible sealing portion 6 will be described further below.
In the embodiment shown in Figs 1 and 2, the outer component 4 comprises a top part from which the skirt part depends and which extends across the upper surfaces of the lip 2A and across the container opening.
The inner component 1 will now be described in more detail with reference to Figures 3A and 3B.
As shown in these figures, the inner component comprises two principal parts: a collar portion which comprises a ring 3B with a plurality of radially moveable parts 3 upstanding from the ring 3B and circumferentially spaced around the ring 3B and a flexible sealing portion (described further below). Each of the moveable parts 3 has a rounded upper end 3C for engagement with the cam surfaces 4B described above and for engaging the underside of the container lip 2A. Preferably, the upper end 3A of the moveable parts 3 is shaped to substantially match the concave profile of the container on the underside of the lip 2A (as shown in Fig 2).
The outer face 3D of each of the moveable parts is substantially flat so as to be a snug fit within the skirt 4A of the outer component 4 when the closure is in an unsecured position (as shown in Fig 1). Each moveable part 3 also has a lower, substantially downwardly facing surface 3A as described above. This acts to retain the inner component 1 within the outer component 4 in the unsecured position (as shown in Figure 1) so the inner and outer components can be easily pre-assembled; the inner component 1 being a snap fit within the outer component 4 as they are brought together in the axial direction, the moveable parts 3 flexing as they pass over the inward projections 5 until they snap outwards so the lower surface 3A of the moveable part engages the upper surface 5A of the inward projections 5.
In the position shown in Fig 1, the surfaces 3A and 5A are substantially horizontal i.e. perpendicular to axis A. However when the inner and outer components are moved axially relative to each other to the position shown in Fig 2, the moveable parts 3 are flexed inward. The lower surface 3A of the moveable part is thus tilted inwards so as to be inclined to the horizontal. Accordingly, the upper surfaces 5A are preferably shaped so that when the outer component 4 is twisted to the secured position the surface 5A is similarly inclined to the surface 3A.
In addition, in many cases, is desirable for the engagement between the surfaces 3A and 5A, as the outer component 4 is rotated or twisted about axis A to a second position, for the inner and outer component to be drawn together axially whereby the outer component 4 is drawn down towards the upper surface of the container lip 2A and the moveable parts 3 drawn tightly upwards beneath the lip 2A of the container. The surfaces 3A, 5A are thus inclined in the circumferential direction in the manner of a screw thread to effect a tight securement of the closure to the container as the inner and outer components rotated relative to each other in a tightening or closing direction about axis A. As the outer component is rotated relative to the inner component, the outer component is drawn down so as to compress the flexible sealing portion of the inner component against the upper surface of the container lip and the moveable members 3 are pressed upwardly into secure engagement with the container beneath the container lip.
The ring 3B can be relatively slim in cross-section (compared to the moveable parts 3) and serves to maintain the circumferential spacing of the moveable parts 3. It also provides a pivot point about which the moveable parts 3 can flex in the radial direction. The parts 3 may also be pivotally joined at their lower ends by other structure than extends around the entire circumference of the component.
In the embodiment shown, the ring 3B projects beneath the skirt 4A of the outer component so is visible from the exterior (as shown in Fig 1 and 2). However, in other embodiments, the ring may be concealed by the skirt; at least when in a secured position corresponding to that shown in Fig 2.
An important feature of the collar portion of the inner component is that the upper ends of the moveable components that are free to flex radially inwards and outwards, this movement taking place about a pivot at or towards the lower end of the collar (in contrast to a collar which is located the other way up i.e. with the moveable parts extending downwards from a ring portion).
The function of the collar portion is somewhat similar to that of a collet chuck; the cam surfaces engage the arms of the collar and press them inwards and further axial movement therebetween moves the arms further inwards until they are tightly wedged against the exterior of the container (under the container lip) and the frictional engagement therebetween is sufficient to prevent the collar rotating about the container when rotational forces are applied between the closure and the container (to tighten and release the closure). The collar portion thus grips the container neck and effectively becomes part thereof as if the container neck itself was provided with the securement features carried by the collar by means of which the closure is secured to the container.
The other principal part of the inner component is the flexible sealing portion 6. In the embodiment shown, this is in the form of a cap with an upper end 6A extending across the upper end of the container 2 and an upper surface of the lip and a skirt portion extending down the outside of the bottle neck to the ring 3B of the collar.
The flexible portion 6 performs several functions. First, it acts as a sealing component in that it is sandwiched between the outer component 4 and the upper surface of the lip 2A of the container so as to provide a gasket seal therebetween. In the arrangement shown, it also extends across the mouth of the container and so closes the container opening. In addition the flexible portion lies between the substantially rigid nioveable parts 3 and the outer surfaces of the bottle neck and acts as a high friction component between these surfaces.
Thus, when the outer component is rotated relative to the inner component, the frictional engagement between the inner component and the container is greater than that between the inner and outer components.
The inner component is thus inhibited from rotating relative to the container without the need to provide anti-rotating features (which can spoil the outer appearance of the container) and without the need to extend the inner component beyond the outer component to the extent it can be gripped (to prevent rotation) by a user's hand.
It will be appreciated that the flexible nature of the flexible component, enables it to be flexed by the moveable parts as they are pressed inwards between the positions shown in Figs 1 and 2. Furthermore, when the closure is to be removed, the flexible nature of the flexible component assists in urging the moveable parts 3 back to their original outward positions.
As indicated above, the collar portion and the flexible sealing portion are preferably integrally formed. This can be achieved, for example, by a two-shot moulding technique in which the different materials are consecutively injected so they are integrally bonded or connected to each other. This also has the significant advantage that the closure comprises just two parts: the inner component and the outer component. In known cap-on-collar closures, it is usually necessary for the sealing component to be provided separately or secured in some manner to the underside of the outer component.
The outer component 4 will now be described in more detail with reference to Figures SA and B and Figures 6A and B. In the embodiment shown, the outer component is in the form of a cap with an upper portion 4C which extends over the upper surface of the lip 2A and extends across the opening of the container 2 and has a skirt portion 4A depending therefrom.
The skirt portion 4A is provided with inwardly extending projections 5 at or toward the lower end thereof. As described above, the upper surface 5A of each projection 5 is preferably inclined circumferentially so it acts as a screw thread and tilts radially inwards to an increasing extent along its circumferential length so as to match the inclination of the lower surface 3A of the rnoveable part 3 that it engages. This thread path may extend over two or three adjacent parts 3.
Also, as mentioned above, the closure is designed so that only a relatively small twist is required to move it from an unsecured (Fig 1) position to a secured (Fig 2) position. In the embodiment shown, a twist of only approximately 60 degrees is required. Accordingly, the inward projection 5 comprises six sections around the inner circumference of the skirt portion 4A as shown in Figures SB and 6B.
As indicated above, the outer component engages downwardly facing surfaces of the radially moveable parts so as to secure and/or tighten the inner and outer components together in the axial direction. This is an important feature as it enables both the inner and outer components to be relatively short in the axial direction so they can be formed to resemble a conventional cap-like closure. This also means that the threaded engagement between the inner and outer components comprises circumferentially spaced apart features (the surfaces 3A of the respective parts 3). This enables the threaded engagement therebetween to require only a relatively small rotation or twist (rather than several complete rotations as required by a continuous helical thread form). Furthermore, this provides a very compact and robust construction. The upwardly facing surfaces 5A of the outer component apply an upward force which is directly transmitted via surfaces 3A through parts 3 which have a rigid, strut-like form to the underside of the lip 2A.
The provision of a high friction contact between the inner component and the container is also an important feature. As described, this is facilitated by providing a high friction flexible component between the moveable parts 3 and the outer surface of the container. It is also enhanced by providing a large surface area of contact between these components which is due, at least in part, to the radially inner surfaces of the moveable parts 3 having a shape which matches that of the external surfaces of the container. The sealing surface may, for example, extend over an outer surface of the lip, the underside of the lip and/or the outer surface of the container beneath the lip.
This high friction engagement can also be provided in other ways. The collar component may be provided with a lining of high friction material (irrespective of whether this is connected to a sealing component that passes over the upper surface of the container lip) or the inner surface of the collar component could be provided with a roughened finish which is sufficient to increase the frictional engagement with the container to the required level. In another alternative, a high friction sleeve, eg of rubber, could be fitted around the container neck.
In addition, the flexible sealing component extends over the upper surface of the lip 2A and so provides a sealing member between the closure and the container. The provision of a single component that acts both as a collar for fitting around the exterior of the container and as a sealing component between the closure and the container, is also a significant feature of the invention.
As described, when the outer component is moved with respect to the inner component so as to press the moveable parts 3 inwards, this movement is primarily axial.
In other embodiments, this axial movement may be provided by means of a small twisting movement although it is the axial component that moves the cams downwards so as to press the parts 3 inwards. The twisting movement is preferably less than 360 degrees and more preferably less than 90 degrees or less than 60 degrees. This is in contrast to arrangements in which a small axial movement is a consequence of several complete rotations of the outer component relative to the inner component, eg as provided by a continuous helical threadpath.
Figures 7 -10 illustrate a second embodiment of a closure according to the invention. This is similar to that shown in Figures 1 -6 but modified for use with a container, such as a wide-mouth container, in which the outer wall of the container is generally vertical (or only slightly outwardly tapering) beneath the container lip (as opposed to a bottle neck having a divergent, frusto-conical surface beneath the lip as shown in Figs 1 and 2). Parts corresponding to those of the embodiment shown in Figs 1-6 are given the same reference number but with the addition of a' Figures 7 and 8 indicate that the diameter of the container opening can be relatively wide (eg for wide-mouth containers as described in W02006/000774 and W02007/091008), typically 50 mm or greater, or relatively narrow, such as a conventional 28mm bottle neck.
For convenience, Figures 9 and 10 show the inner component 1' being of a diameter for use with a bottle neck (as in Figs 1 -6) although it would be of larger diameter if used with a wide-mouth container.
The inner and outer components 1', 4' of the closure shown in Figs 7-10 are very similar to those of Figs 1 -6. The outer component 4' is essentially identical and the ring 3B' of the inner component is slightly shorter so that it does not project beyond the skirt 4A' of the outer component 4' when in the secured position (as shown in Fig 8). The upper end 3C' of the radially moveable parts 3 is also shaped so as to optimise the engagement with the under side of the container lip 2A'.
The closure shown in Figure 7 -10 operates in a very similar manner to that described above in relation to Fig 1 -6 although, in view of the different shape of the container neck, the moveable parts 3' do not fit as snugly against the external wall of the container 2' when in the inward position shown in Fig 8.
In further embodiments (not shown), in particular closures for widemouth containers, the inner and/or outer component may comprise a bore feature which projects though the mouth of the container into the interior thereof. The bore feature preferably comprise a relatively rigid component, eg formed of PET or metal, and may be integrally formed with the outer component or secured thereto. In a particularly advantageous arrangement, the outer component is able to rotate about the axis A relative to the bore feature. The outer component can this be rotated, eg to fasten or release the closure whilst the bore feature moves axially within the bore without rotating therein.
The bore feature may also be provided with an 0-ring seal which engages and seals with the interior of the container (or an upper surface of the container lip). A bore feature is disclosed in co-pending UK patent application No GB1009429.0 and the disclosure thereof is incorporated herein. This describes an 0-ring in the form of a toroid of an elastomer located in a groove or gland on the outer surface of a bore feature. It also describes an 0-ring which is part of a resilient member moulded to fit the underside of the bore feature. The resilient sealing portion described above may include such a member. Thus, if the outer member shown in Figure 2 projects into the bore of the container (rather than being flat) and the resilient sealing portion follows the underside of this feature (again, rather than being flat) the resilient component may be formed with a portion which simulates the function of an 0-ring to provide a seal with the interior of the container.
It should be noted that in embodiments employing an 0-ring seal as described above, the seal provided by the sandwiching of the flexible part of the inner component between the outer component and the upper surface of the container lip may no longer be required. In this case, the outer component need not engage and/or compress the flexible sealing component against the upper surface of the lip.
For the avoidance of doubt, the verb "comprise" as used herein has its normal dictionary meaning, ie to denote non-exclusive inclusion. The use of the word "comprise" (or any of its derivatives) does not therefore exclude the possibility of further features being included.
All of the features disclosed in this specification (including the accompanying claims, and drawings) may be combined in any combination (other that combinations where at least some of the features are mutually exclusive).
Each feature disclosed in this specification (including the accompanying claims and drawings) may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is just an example of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.
The invention is also not restricted to the details of the embodiments described herein. The invention extends to any novel concept, feature, or any novel combination of the features disclosed in this specification (including the accompanying claims and drawings).
CLAIMS1. A closure for a container having a circular opening defining an axis and a lip around said opening, the closure comprising: an inner component having a collar portion for locating about the exterior of the container beneath the lip of the container and a sealing portion which, in use, extends from said collar portion over an upper surface of said lip; and an outer component for fitting over the inner component and interacting therewith for releasably securing the collar portion thereof under said lip.
2. A closure as claimed in claim 2 in which the collar portion is relatively rigid and the sealing portion is relatively flexible.
3. A closure as claimed in claim 2 or 3 in which the collar portion and the sealing portion are integrally formed with each other, eg by a two-stage moulding process.
4. A closure as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 in which the outer component has a skirt part for locating about the collar portion of the inner component, the collar portion comprising a plurality of spaced apart radially moveable parts around its circumference pivotally joined at their lower ends by a structure extending around the entire circumference of the collar portion.
5. A closure as claimed in claim 4 in which the outer component has one or more cam features which, when the skirt part of the outer component is fitted over the collar portion of the inner component and moved axially relative thereto, interact therewith in an axial direction so as to progressively press said radially moveable features into a tight, frictional engagement with the exterior of the container beneath said lip.
6. A closure as claimed in any preceding claim in which the outer component is releasably secured to the inner component by rotation relative thereto about said axis through 180 degrees or less, and preferably 90 degrees or less.
7. A closure as claimed in claims 5 and 6 in which said sealing portion provides a high friction engagement between the inner component and the container whereby said relative rotation can be effected by a rotational force applied between the outer component and the container.
8. A closure as claimed in claim 6 or 7 in which outer component has a plurality of spaced apart substantially upwardly facing first surfaces around the inner circumference of the skirt part for engaging with substantially downwardly facing second surfaces of said radially moveable parts such that twisting of the outer component through no more than 180 degrees in a tightening direction relative to the inner component and consequent engagement of said first and second surfaces releasably secures the inner and outer components together in the axial direction.
9. A closure as claimed in claim 8 in which the said first and/or second surfaces are shaped or inclined such that said relative rotation between the first and second components also causes axial movement therebetween.
10. A closure for a container as claimed in claim 9 in which the outer component has a top part which overlies an upper surface of the container lip and said axial movement moves said top part into engagement with said upper surface, either directly or via a sealing component.
11 A closure as claimed in any preceding claim in which the sealing portion extends over said upper surface of the container lip and closes said opening.
12. A closure as claimed in any preceding claim having an 0-ring seal for providing a seal between the closure and an upper or interior surface of the container.
13. A closure as claimed in claim 12 in which the 0-ring seal comprises a toroid of elastomeric material which is part of said sealing portion.
14. A closure as claimed in claim 12 or 13 in which the 0-ring IS provided on a bore feature which, in use, projects through the opening into the interior of the container, the bore feature being part of the inner and/or the outer component.
15. A closure for a container having a circular opening defining an axis, a lip around said opening and no thread features on the exterior thereof, the closure comprising an inner component having a first portion for fitting about the exterior of the container and engaging beneath said lip and an outer component having a skirt portion for locating about the first portion of the inner component, the first part of the inner component comprising a plurality of spaced apart radially moveable parts around its circumference pivotally joined at their lower ends by a structure extending around the entire circumference of said first part, the outer component having one or more cam features which, when the skirt portion of the outer component is fitted over the inner component and moved axially relative thereto, interact therewith in an axial direction so as to progressively press said radially moveable features into tight, frictional engagement with the exterior of the container beneath said lip, the outer component being releasably securable to the inner component by means of rotation relative thereto about said axis through no more than 180 degrees, said frictional engagement between the inner component and the exterior of the container enabling said relative rotation to be effected by a rotational force applied between the outer component and the container.
16. A closure for a container as claimed in claim 15 in which an inner surface of said radially moveable parts provides a high friction engagement with the exterior of the container.
17. A closure for a container as claimed in claim 16 in which said radially moveable parts are formed of a relatively rigid material and said high friction engagement is provided by a layer of relatively flexible material.
18. A closure for a container as claimed in claim 17 in which said layer of relatively flexible material is part of a sealing component which, in use, extends over an upper surface of the container lip.
19. A closure for a container as claimed in claim 18 in which the sealing component is integrally formed with the inner component.
20. A closure for a container as claimed in any of claims 15 to 19 in which the outer component has a plurality of spaced apart substantially upwardly facing first surfaces around the inner circumference of the skirt part for engaging with substantially downwardly facing second surfaces of said radially moveable parts such that twisting of the outer component relative to the inner component through no more than 180 degrees and consequent engagement of said first and second surfaces releasably secures the inner and outer components together in the axial direction.
21. A closure for a container as claimed in claim 20 in which said first and/or second surfaces are shaped or inclined such that said relative rotation between the inner and outer components also causes axial movement therebetween.
22. A closure for a container as claimed in claim 21 in which the inner component has a top part which overlies an upper surface of the container lip and said axial movement moves said top part into engagement with an upper surface of the lip, either directly or via a sealing member.
23. A closure for a container having an opening defining an axis and with an outwardly projecting lip around said opening, the closure comprising an inner member having an expandable/contractable portion for engaging an outer surface of said lip and an outer member for mounting over said inner member such that axial and/or rotational movement of the outer member relative to the inner member, when said inner member is fitted over said lip, is arranged to hold and/or press said expandable/contractable portion into secure engagement with the container beneath said lip, an inner surface of the inner member that contacts the container and/or the outer surface of the container being of a nature such as to provide a high friction engagement between the inner member and the container whereby relative rotation of the inner and outer members can be effected by a rotational force applied between the outer member and the container.
24. A closure for a container having a circular opening defining an axis and a lip around said opening substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and/or as shown in one or more of the accompanying drawings.
25. A closure for a container as claimed in any preceding claim when fitted to a container to close the container opening.
GB201011800A 2010-07-14 2010-07-14 Closure having Seal and Inner and Outer Components Withdrawn GB2482000A (en)
GB201011800A GB2482000A (en) 2010-07-14 2010-07-14 Closure having Seal and Inner and Outer Components
JP2013512987A JP2013530891A (en) 2010-06-04 2011-06-03 Container seal
MX2012014133A MX2012014133A (en) 2010-06-04 2011-06-03 Closure for a container.
RU2012156698/12A RU2012156698A (en) 2010-06-04 2011-06-03 Container cover
PCT/GB2011/000846 WO2011151630A1 (en) 2010-06-04 2011-06-03 Closure for a container
KR1020137000183A KR20130087483A (en) 2010-06-04 2011-06-03 Closure for container
ARP110101923A AR081580A1 (en) 2010-06-04 2011-06-03 Closure for a container
BR112012030934A BR112012030934A2 (en) 2010-06-04 2011-06-03 container closure
US13/701,271 US20130068767A1 (en) 2010-06-04 2011-06-03 Closure For A Container
CA2801367A CA2801367A1 (en) 2010-06-04 2011-06-03 Closure for a container
NZ60498711A NZ604987A (en) 2010-06-04 2011-06-03 Closure for a container
AU2011260035A AU2011260035B2 (en) 2010-06-04 2011-06-03 Closure for a container
CN201180036139.6A CN103025620B (en) 2010-06-04 2011-06-03 For the sealer of container
EP11727733.5A EP2576374B1 (en) 2010-06-04 2011-06-03 Closure for a container
PCT/GB2011/001003 WO2012007707A2 (en) 2010-07-14 2011-07-04 Closure for a container
JP2013519142A JP2013533834A (en) 2010-07-14 2011-07-04 Container seal
CN2011800438260A CN103209901A (en) 2010-07-14 2011-07-04 Closure for a container
US13/809,443 US20130134123A1 (en) 2010-07-14 2011-07-04 Closure For A Container
EP11740969.8A EP2593377A1 (en) 2010-07-14 2011-07-04 Closure for a container
MX2013000512A MX2013000512A (en) 2010-07-14 2011-07-04 Closure for a container.
GB201111433A GB2482048A (en) 2010-07-14 2011-07-04 Closure for Threadless Container
EP11740968.0A EP2593376A2 (en) 2010-07-14 2011-07-04 Closure for a container
RU2013104303/12A RU2013104303A (en) 2010-07-14 2011-07-04 Container cover
CA 2805141 CA2805141A1 (en) 2010-07-14 2011-07-04 Closure for a container
KR1020137003684A KR20130033453A (en) 2010-07-14 2011-07-04 Closure for a container
PCT/GB2011/001004 WO2012007708A1 (en) 2010-07-14 2011-07-04 Closure for a container
BR112013000955A BR112013000955A2 (en) 2010-07-14 2011-07-04 lid for a container
AU2011278174A AU2011278174A1 (en) 2010-07-14 2011-07-04 Closure for a container
ARP110102514 AR087927A1 (en) 2010-07-14 2011-07-13 Closure for a container
ARP110102513 AR082164A1 (en) 2010-07-14 2011-07-13 Closure for a container
US14/934,858 US20160059999A1 (en) 2010-06-04 2015-11-06 Closure For A Container
GB201011800D0 GB201011800D0 (en) 2010-08-25
GB2482000A true GB2482000A (en) 2012-01-18
ID=42712334
GB201011800A Withdrawn GB2482000A (en) 2010-07-14 2010-07-14 Closure having Seal and Inner and Outer Components
GB201111433A Withdrawn GB2482048A (en) 2010-07-14 2011-07-04 Closure for Threadless Container
US (1) US20130134123A1 (en)
EP (2) EP2593376A2 (en)
JP (1) JP2013533834A (en)
KR (1) KR20130033453A (en)
CN (1) CN103209901A (en)
AR (2) AR082164A1 (en)
AU (1) AU2011278174A1 (en)
BR (1) BR112013000955A2 (en)
CA (1) CA2805141A1 (en)
GB (2) GB2482000A (en)
MX (1) MX2013000512A (en)
RU (1) RU2013104303A (en)
WO (2) WO2012007707A2 (en)
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2010-07-14 GB GB201011800A patent/GB2482000A/en not_active Withdrawn
2011-07-04 RU RU2013104303/12A patent/RU2013104303A/en not_active Application Discontinuation
2011-07-04 EP EP11740968.0A patent/EP2593376A2/en not_active Withdrawn
2011-07-04 JP JP2013519142A patent/JP2013533834A/en not_active Withdrawn
2011-07-04 KR KR1020137003684A patent/KR20130033453A/en not_active Application Discontinuation
2011-07-04 MX MX2013000512A patent/MX2013000512A/en not_active Application Discontinuation
2011-07-04 CN CN2011800438260A patent/CN103209901A/en not_active Application Discontinuation
2011-07-04 CA CA 2805141 patent/CA2805141A1/en not_active Abandoned
2011-07-04 US US13/809,443 patent/US20130134123A1/en not_active Abandoned
2011-07-04 AU AU2011278174A patent/AU2011278174A1/en not_active Abandoned
2011-07-04 BR BR112013000955A patent/BR112013000955A2/en not_active Application Discontinuation
2011-07-04 WO PCT/GB2011/001003 patent/WO2012007707A2/en active Application Filing
2011-07-04 GB GB201111433A patent/GB2482048A/en not_active Withdrawn
2011-07-04 EP EP11740969.8A patent/EP2593377A1/en not_active Withdrawn
2011-07-04 WO PCT/GB2011/001004 patent/WO2012007708A1/en active Application Filing
2011-07-13 AR ARP110102513 patent/AR082164A1/en unknown
2011-07-13 AR ARP110102514 patent/AR087927A1/en unknown
GB201011800D0 (en) 2010-08-25
CA2805141A1 (en) 2012-01-19
WO2012007708A1 (en) 2012-01-19
JP2013533834A (en) 2013-08-29
GB2482048A (en) 2012-01-18
WO2012007707A3 (en) 2012-03-08
CN103209901A (en) 2013-07-17
KR20130033453A (en) 2013-04-03
AR082164A1 (en) 2012-11-14
US20130134123A1 (en) 2013-05-30
AR087927A1 (en) 2014-04-30
EP2593377A1 (en) 2013-05-22
BR112013000955A2 (en) 2016-05-17
MX2013000512A (en) 2013-04-03
AU2011278174A1 (en) 2013-02-21
EP2593376A2 (en) 2013-05-22
GB201111433D0 (en) 2011-08-17
RU2013104303A (en) 2014-08-20
WO2012007707A2 (en) 2012-01-19
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EP0593396A1 (en) 1994-04-20 Tamper proof plastic closure
2015-05-06 WAP Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1)