Patent ID: 7207453

Claim:
A closure for application to a neck of a container for liquids, wherein the container neck has a first inner surface, a second outer surface, and a third upper surface, the closure comprising: a substantially circular first portion having an outer periphery from which a substantially cylindrical second portion projects, the first portion having a lower surface, the second portion being substantially orthogonal to the first portion and having an inner surface that faces the second outer surface of the neck of the container when the closure is applied thereto, a juncture between the first and second portions being substantially thicker than the rest of the closure; and a sealing system integrally formed with the closure, the sealing system comprising: a first sealing element projecting from the lower surface of the first portion and having a first side surface facing the second portion and positioned to be engaged by the container neck when the closure is applied thereto, the first sealing element being resiliently deformable by the neck; a second sealing element projecting from the juncture between the first and second portions and positioned to be directly contacted by and compressed against the third upper surface of the container neck when the closure is applied thereto, the second sealing element comprising an annular ring that resists reduction in diameter of the second sealing element caused by internal pressure exerted on the first portion and thereby exerts a bending moment on the first portion opposite to that caused by the internal pressure in order to limit outward bulging of the first portion of the closure; and a third sealing element projecting from the inner surface of the second portion and having a lower surface facing away from the first portion, the lower surface of the third sealing element being positioned to be contacted by the container neck when the closure is applied thereto, the third sealing element being resiliently deformable by the neck.