WO2018078497A1

WO2018078497A1 - Sealing insert

Info

Publication number: WO2018078497A1
Application number: PCT/IB2017/056529
Authority: WO
Inventors: Federico MORSELLI; Antonino LO PICCOLO
Original assignee: Pelliconi and C SpA
Current assignee: Pelliconi and C SpA
Priority date: 2016-10-28
Filing date: 2017-10-20
Publication date: 2018-05-03
Anticipated expiration: 2019-04-28
Also published as: ES2856230T3; EP3532398B1; IT201600109434A1; EP3532398A1

Abstract

Described is a sealing insert (1) for use with metallic closure caps (3) of aluminium bottles (4) comprising: • - a bottom (9) with a first surface (12) designed to sealingly about a mouth (8) of a bottle (4) and a second surface (13), opposite the first surface (12), • - a sealing portion (10) designed to be elastically deformed and located on the periphery (11) of the bottom (9), wherein the sealing portion (10) comprises a first radially external lip (20A) and a second radially internal lip (20B) connected to each other, the first lip (20A) being defined by a first protrusion (21A) and the second lip (20B) being defined by a second protrusion (21B), the second protrusion (21B) protruding from the first surface (12) more than the first protrusion (21A).

Description

DESCRIPTION

SEALING INSERT

Technical field

This invention relates to a sealing insert, applicable to a cap, in particular of the so-called crown type.

Background art

The sealing insert is especially suited for use in caps for bottles of the aluminium type.

As is known, these aluminium bottles have a rounded edge in the upper part of the neck; the normal metallic closures (crown caps) suffer from problems of sealing at the upper edge.

In effect, the geometrical tolerances and the shape with a large radius of curvature of the upper edge of the neck are such that the sealing gasket does not couple perfectly with the neck of any type of aluminium bottle, thus determining an ineffective sealing over time.

A need strongly felt by firms packaging liquid products in aluminium bottles is that of having a closure device for the bottles, in particular of the crown type, which achieves an effective seal which is durable over time with any type of aluminium bottle currently on the market.

Disclosure of the invention

The aim of this invention is to satisfy the above-mentioned need, in particular to provide a sealing insert for a cap of aluminium bottles, in particular for a cap of the crown type, which achieves an effective seal which is durable over time. Brief description of the drawings

The technical features of the invention, with reference to the above aims, are clearly described in the claims below and its advantages are apparent from the detailed description which follows, with reference to the single accompanying drawing which illustrates a preferred, non-limiting example embodiment of the invention, and in which:

Figure 1 illustrates a cross-section of a sealing insert according to the invention;

Figure 2 illustrates an enlargement of a portion K of the insert of the previous drawing according to the invention;

Figure 3 illustrates a partial cross-section view of a closure cap according to the invention;

Figure 4 illustrates the closure cap of Figure 3 applied to an aluminium bottle.

Detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention

With reference to the accompanying drawings, the numeral 1 in Figure 1 denotes the closure insert in accordance with the invention.

The sealing insert 1 has axial symmetry.

The closure cap 3 comprises a metallic body, preferably made of aluminium, which has a housing 2 made in it.

The housing 2 of the closure cap 3 is delimited by a top inner surface 6 and by a lateral surface 7.

The closure cap 3 will hereinafter be referred to also as cap 3.

The cap 3 is illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, respectively, in a configuration wherein it is not applied to a bottle 4 and in a configuration wherein it is applied to the bottle. The cap 3 is of the crown type and is therefore suitable for closing bottles 4 (made of aluminium) with a neck without a thread. The bottle 4, illustrated partially in Figure 4 at the upper neck and limited to a portion, is designed for the cap 3 to be applied to it, and comprises a neck 5 and a mouth 8 designed to be sealingly closed by the cap 3.

According to the invention, the closure insert 1 comprises:

- a bottom 9 with a first surface 12 designed to sealingly about a mouth 8 of a bottle 4 and a second surface 13, opposite the first surface 12, a sealing portion 10 designed to elastically deform and located on the periphery 1 1 of the bottom 9.

According to another aspect, the sealing portion 10 comprises a first lip 20A radially outside and a second lip 20B radially inside connected together.

The first lip 20A and the second lip 20B are separated from each other by a separation region RS having a diameter R1 of between 22.8 mm and 25 mm.

More preferably, the diameter R1 is between 23 mm and 24.5 mm.

It should be noted that the diameters are compatible with the use on metallic bottles (preferably aluminium): in particular, it has been found experimentally that the diameters ensure a perfect centring on the neck of the bottle.

The first lip 20A is defined by a first protrusion 21 A and the second lip 20B is defined by a second protrusion 21 B, the second protrusion 21 B protruding from the first surface 12 more than the first protrusion 21 A. According to another aspect, as shown clearly in Figures 1 and 2, the first protrusion 21 A is formed by two surfaces, a first radially external straight surface 22 and a second radially internal curved surface 23.

According to another aspect, the second protrusion 21 B is formed by two surfaces, a first radially external curved surface 24 and a second radially internal straight surface 25.

According to another aspect, the second radially internal curved surface 23 of the first protrusion 21 A and the second radially internal curved surface 25 of the second protrusion 21 B are joined in a transition area in which they define a concave profile 26 downwards.

In other words, a concavity is defined in the transition area.

According to another aspect, a sum of a radial extension (that is, measured in radial direction X) of the first protrusion 21 A and of the second protrusion 21 B is between 1 mm and 2 mm (preferably between 1 .2 mm and 1 .9 mm).

According to another aspect, the second protrusion 21 B protrudes relative to the first surface 12 for a height of between 0.8 mm and 2 mm.

According to another aspect, the second protrusion 21 B protrudes relative to the first surface 12 for a height of between 0.8 mm and 1 .5 mm.

According to yet another aspect, the first protrusion 21 A protrudes with reference to the first surface 12 by height of between 55% and 90% relative to the height of the projection of the second protrusion 21 B with reference to the first surface 12.

According to yet another aspect, the first protrusion 21 A protrudes with reference to the first surface 12 by height of between 65% and 85% relative to the height of the projection of the second protrusion 21 B with reference to the first surface 12.

According to yet another aspect, the first protrusion 21 A protrudes with reference to the first surface 12 by height of between 70% and 80% relative to the height of the projection of the second protrusion 21 B with reference to the first surface 12.

According to yet another aspect, the first surface 12 of the bottom 9 is a curved surface.

According to yet another aspect, the second surface 13 of the bottom 9 is a curved surface.

It should be noted that the cap 3 (to which is applied the insert 1 ) comprises a metal body 27, having a bottom wall 28 and a side wall 29, and is provided with a plurality of corrugations 30 on the side wall 29 and a housing 2.

The sealing insert 1 is made preferably as a single part. Preferably, the sealing insert 1 is made from a polymer, chosen from the group including PP (polypropylene), PE (polyethylene) and composites thereof, or from PVC (polyvinyl chloride).

The sealing insert 1 is made preferably with a punch die comprising a cavity which is shaped to match the insert.

Advantageously, the profile of the sealing insert 1 can be made very easily on an industrial scale since it has straight and arcuate portions and, in geometrical terms, is relatively simple to construct.

A comparison of Figure 3, where the cap 3 is not applied to the neck 5 of the bottle 4, with Figure 4, where the cap 3 is applied to the neck 5 of the bottle 4, clearly shows the deformation which the sealing insert 1 undergoes when the cap 3 is applied to the neck 5 of the bottle 4 to close the mouth 8 of the latter.

In effect, when the cap 3 is applied on the neck 5 of the bottle 4, the insert 1 undergoes deformation as a result of the compressive action applied on it by the outer surface of the neck 5 of the bottle 4 and by the side surface 29 of the housing 2 of the cap 3.

In effect, as shown in Figure 4, when the cap 3 is applied on the neck 5 of the bottle 4, the radially external surface 25 of the second protrusion 21 B adheres to the inner side surface of the neck 5 of the bottle 4 whilst the radially internal surface 23 of the first protrusion 21 A adheres to the outer side surface of the neck 5 of the bottle 4 and the radially external surface 22 of the first protrusion adheres to the inner surface of the side wall 29 of the metallic body 27.

An advantage of this invention is that it provides a sealing insert 1 for use with metallic caps for containers, in particular for bottles 4, which is simple to manufacture and at the same time ensures an optimum seal, in particular on bottles made of metallic material (e.g. aluminium, steel).

It should be noted that the profile with a double protrusion (21 A; 21 B) and in particular the fact that the second protrusion 21 B protrudes relative to the first surface 12 of the bottom 9 more than the first protrusion 21 A ensures an optimum seal on the neck 4 of the aluminium bottle, which as is evident from Figure 4 is particularly rounded. The sealing insert 1 therefore guarantees the sealed closing of the bottle even in the presence of liquid under pressure.

Label R2 in Figure 1 indicates the diameter of maximum protrusion of the lip 20B and R3 indicates the internal diameter in which the lip 20B terminates.

Preferably, the diameter R2 is in the range of 22 mm +- 1 mm whilst the diameter R3 is in the range of 21 .5 mm +- 1 mm.

It should be noted, however, that R1 >R2>R3.

Claims

1. A sealing insert (1 ) for use with metallic closure caps (3) of aluminium bottles (4) comprising:

a bottom (9) with a first surface (12) designed to sealingly about a mouth (8) of a bottle (4) and a second surface (13), opposite the first surface (12),

- a sealing portion (10) designed to be elastically deformed and located on the periphery (1 1 ) of the bottom (9), the insert being characterised in that the sealing portion (10) comprises a first radially external lip (20A) and a second radially internal lip (20B) connected to each other, the first lip (20A) being defined by a first protrusion (21 A) and the second lip (20B) being defined by a second protrusion (21 B), the second protrusion (21 B) protruding from the first surface (12) more than the first protrusion (21 A) and the first lip (20A) and second lip (20B) separated from each other by a separation region (RS) having a diameter (R1 ) between 22.8 mm and 25 mm.

2. The sealing insert according to claim 1 , characterised in that the first protrusion (21 A) is formed by two surfaces, a first radially external rectilinear surface (22) and a second radially internal curved surface (23).

3. The sealing insert according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the second protrusion (21 B) is formed by two surfaces, a first radially external curved surface (24) and a second radially internal straight surface (25).

4. The sealing insert according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the second radially internal curved surface (23) of the first protrusion (21 A) and the second radially internal curved surface (25) of the second protrusion (21 B) are joined in a transition area in which they define a concave profile (26) downwards.

5. The sealing insert according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a sum of a radial extension of the first protrusion (21 A) and of the second protrusion (21 B) is between 1 mm and 2mm.

6. The sealing insert according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the second protrusion (21 B) protrudes relative to the first surface (12) for a height of between 0.8 mm and 2 mm.

7. The sealing insert according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the second protrusion (21 B) protrudes relative to the first surface (12) for a height of between 0.8 mm and 1 .5 mm.

8. The sealing insert according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first protrusion (21 A) protrudes with reference to the first surface (12) by a height of between 55% and 90% relative to the height of the projection of the second protrusion (21 b) with reference to the first surface (12).

9. The sealing insert according to the preceding claim, wherein the first protrusion (21 A) protrudes with reference to the first surface (12) by height of between 65% and 85% relative to the height of the projection of the second protrusion (21 b) with reference to the first surface (12).

10. The sealing insert according to the preceding claim, wherein the first protrusion (21 A) protrudes with reference to the first surface (12) by height of between 70% and 80% relative to the height of the projection of the second protrusion (21 b) with reference to the first surface (12).

11. The sealing insert according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first surface (12) of the bottom (9) is a curved surface.

12. The sealing insert according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the second surface (13) of the bottom (9) is a curved surface.

13. A closure cap (3) for bottles characterised in that it comprises a metallic body (27), having a bottom wall (28) and a side wall (29), provided with a plurality of corrugations (30) on the side wall (29) and a housing (2), and a sealing insert (1 ) according to any one of claims 1 to 10 insertable in the housing (2) of the metallic body (27).