GB2117361A - Bottle closure assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to an assembly comprising the combination of a bottle (1) and a cap (4) arranged to screw on to the neck of the bottle. The bottle neck is formed with an annular ridge (2) and a projection (3) below the ridge and the cap has a ring 7 connected thereto via a frangible connection, the ring having backwardly projecting and inwardly inclined springy teeth (8). When the cap (4) is in place the teeth are below the ridge (2) and are ready to engage successively the projection (3). An attempt to unscrew the cap causes the teeth (8) to initially spring successively over the projection (3) and produce a series of sharp noises, and to subsequently engage the ridge so that further unscrewing of the cap will cause the frangible connection to be broken. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Bottle closure assembly The subject of this invention is a bottle closure assembly and particularly the combination of a bottle and cap capable of being fitted thereto.

In view of the practice which is becoming increasingly common in the spirit trade in some parts of the world of diluting spirits, usually imported spirits, of high quality by removal of part of the contents of bottles containing the high quality spirits and bearing the label of the high quality spirits and introducing into the bottle spirits of a lower quality it is becoming common practice to fit caps which are so designed that if the bottle is opened some indication is given that the bottle has been opened.The most common construction is providing the cap with a skirt connected to the main portion of the cap by frangible portions, the skirt being engaged with the bottle after the cap has been put in place in such a way that when the cap is unscrewed for the purpose of opening the bottle the skirt portion is broken off from the other portion of the cap thus providing an indication even after the cap has been replaced that the cap has been removed.

While it is true that a close examination of the bottle will show that the cap has been removed it is possible by careful replacement of the cap to cause the broken portions which previously connected the main portion of the cap to the skirt to match up so that it is not readily apparent that the bottle has been opened.

It would be of advantage if it were possible to provide an assembly of a bottle and cap such that unscrewing the cap gives an immediate audible indication that the cap is being removed whereby to deter any further attempt at unauthorized removal of the cap. It is an object of the present invention to provide an assembly of bottle and cap which operates in this fashion.

According to the invention the combination of a bottle and a cap comprises a bottle the outside of the neck of which is formed with an external screw thread and an annular ridge at a position below the screw thread and with at least one radial projection immediately below the ridge and a cap including a skirt portion formed with an internal screw thread arranged to fit the screw thread on the bottle neck and a ring attached by a frangible connection to the outer end of the skirt portion, said ring presenting springy teeth projecting backwardly into the interior of the skirt portion and inclined so that they all lie approximately on the surface of an imaginary cone coaxial with the cap and having its apex in the vicinity of the top of the cap, the arrangement of the combination being such that the internal diameter of the ring is greater than the diameter of the ridge and the diameter of the circle formed by the tips of the teeth is less than the diameter of the ridge so that when the cap is screwed on to the bottle neck and advances along the bottle neck the ring first moves over the ridge following which the teeth of the ring first flex over the ridge and then spring back so that their tips lie behind and below the ridge and are successively engageable with the radial projection on the bottle neck when the cap is initially rotated in the direction to unscrew it from the bottle neck whereby to produce a series of sharp sounds as the teeth spring successively over the radial projection.

The projection on the bottle neck may be wedge-shaped, having an upstanding face facing in the clockwise direction when the bottle is viewed looking on the top of the bottle and a sloping side leading up to the top of the upstanding face.

The toothed ring may be formed separately from the cap, being subsequently attached to the skirt of the cap by a number of spot welds, the spot welds providing the frangible connection between the ring and the skirt.

A practical embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 illustrates the neck portion of a bottle with a cap fitted thereto, Fig. 2 is a part section through the line 2-2 in Fig. 1 showing one of the projections on the bottle neck and Fig. 3 is a side view of the toothed ring.

In the drawings 1 denotes the neck of a bottle formed with an annular ridge 2 and with a projection 3 extending radially out from the bottle neck just below and connected to the ridge 2. For convenience in forming the projections of which there are two diametrally opposite one another they are formed on the parting line of the mould used in forming the bottle. 4 denotes a screw cap formed with a screw thread engaged with the screw thread 5 on the bottle neck and with a skirt 6 projecting beyond the ridge 2. 7 denotes a ring formed with springy teeth 8 which lie on the surface of a cone so that they are orientated to lean towards the axis of the ring 7.The ring 7 has an internal diameter greater than the diameter of the ridge 2 so that it fits readily over the ridge 2 on the bottle neck but the tips of the teeth are disposed in a circle of a diameter less than the overall diameter of the ridge 2.

In practice, when the bottle has been filled and the cap is being fitted to the bottle for the first time it is pushed on to the bottle neck so that the ring 7 moves ove the ridge 2. This then brings the screw thread in the cap into engagement with the screw thread 5 on the bottle neck and by screwing the cap into place the ring 7 moves further over the ridge 2 the teeth 8 moving outwardly and springing over the ridge 2 until they are clear of the ridge 2 whereupon they move back into position where they can engage the ridge 2 when the cap is moved axially when it is being withdrawn. While the cap is being screwed into position for the first time the teeth 8 ride up the sloping sides of the projections 3 and then slip back when they move beyond the steep sides of the projections 3 without damage to the teeth or the ring.When the cap is to be withdrawn for the first time it is rotated in the direction to unscrew it from the bottle neck. The teeth 8 thereupon come against the steep sides of the projections 3 and in being forced outwardly to clear the projection the teeth 3 produce a series of sharp sounds thus indicating that the bottle is being opened. This usually discourages any further unauthorized attempt at opening the bottle and leaves the cap undamaged. Continued unscrewing action on the cap moves the cap outwardly in an axial direction and the teeth ultimately come against the ridge 2 and being restrained by the ridge 2 the result is that further unscrewing action on the cap 4 causes the ring to break from the cap 4 at the welds. The ring then drops down along the bottle neck and even when the cap is replaced the gap between the ring and the cap can be readily seen. The combination of the invention thus provides for an audible warning being given that the bottle is being opened and a readily seen visual indication afterwards that the bottle has been opened. The audible effect is, of course, only present when the bottle is opened for the first time.

Claims (4)

Claims

1. A combination of a bottle and a cap which comprises a bottle the outside of the neck of which is formed with an external screw thread and an annular ridge at a position below the screw thread and with at least one radial projection immediately below the ridge and a cap including a skirt portion formed with an internal screw thread arranged to fit the screw thread on the bottle neck and a ring attached by a frangible connection to the outer end of the skirt portion, said ring presenting springy teeth projecting backwardly into the interior of the skirt portion and inclined so that they all lie approximately on the surface of an imaginary cone coaxial with the cap and having its apex in the vicinity of the top of the cap, the arrangement of the combination being such that the internal diameter of the ring is greater than the diameter of the ridge and the diameter of the circle formed by the tips of the teeth is less than the diameter of the ridge so that when the cap is screwed on to the bottle neck and advances along the bottle neck the ring first moves over the ridge following which the teeth of the ring first flex over the ridge and then spring back so that their tips lie behind and below the ridge and are successively engageable with the radial projection on the bottle neck when the cap is initially rotated in the direction to unscrew it from the bottle neck whereby to produce a series of sharp sounds as the teeth spring successively over the radial projection.

2. A combination as claimed in claim 1, in which the projection on the bottle neck is wedgeshaped, having an upstanding face facing in the clockwise direction when the bottle is viewed looking on the top of the bottle and a sloping side leading up to the top of the upstanding face.

3. A combination as claimed in claim 1, in which the toothed ring is formed separately from the cap and is then attached to the skirt of the cap by a number of spot welds, the spot welds providing the frangible connection between the ring and the skirt.

4. A combination of a bottle and a cap substantially as claimed in claim 1 and as described in the accompanying drawings.