Claims:1) A bottle closing device (10), said device comprising:
a cap (11);
a covering sleeve (20);
a diffuser (14) fitted on the neck portion of a bottle; and said covering sleeve (20) assembled to said diffuser (14);
said cap (11) having a flat upper portion (12) and a tubular side portion (13) depending therefrom;
said covering sleeve (20) having a substantially circular closed top sealing face end (36), an upper tubular portion (21) integrally connected to said top sealing face end (36) through plurality of bridges (50), and a lower tubular portion (22) connected to said upper tubular portion (21) along a breaking line (23) in a detachable manner;
said covering sleeve (20) assembled on said diffuser (14); characterized in that said covering sleeve (20) has a plurality of connecting bridges (24) internally provided along said breaking line (23) for integrating said upper (21) and lower `tubular portions (22);
said covering sleeve (20) also having a constraining means (25) internally provided at said lower tubular portion (22) thereof;
said upper tubular portion (21) having at least one opening (33) extending along an upper free circumferential edge (30) thereof;
wherein said lower portion (22) having an internal annular projection (31) below said constraining means (25) for engaging with a corresponding external projection (32) provided on said diffuser (14) ;
wherein a plurality of internal anti-rotational vertical lugs (51) are provided on inner side of said said lower tubular portion (22) of said covering sleeve (20) to prevent bottle rotation and a plurality of ‘V’ shaped grooves (52) are provided in-line with said vertical lugs (51) for ease of capping the bottle;
said covering sleeve (20) having a gripping and tearing lip (29) provided on upper tubular portion (21) for removing said upper portion (21) of said bottle closing device (10) in a tamper-evident manner;
said gripping and tearing lip (29) defined by a first (26) and second (27) weakening lines (26, 27) extending axially from said upper free cricumferential edge (30) and a third weakening line (28) connecting said first and second weakening lines and third weakening line (28) extending beyond at least one of said weakening lines (26, 27);
wherein said cap (11) having a predetermined number of multi-start inner threads (40) to facilitate a correct orientation and guidance on the corresponding outer threads (41) at the diffuser (14) for high speed capping operation to impart smooth ride thereof.

2) The bottle closing device (10) according to claim 1 wherein said constraining means (25) comprise a plurality of abutment portions made on said connecting bridges (24), said abutment portions protruding inside of said covering sleeve (20) to form a stopping abutment for said cap (11) for constraining the axial movement of said cap (11) with respect to said covering sleeve (20) after the assembly of said bottle closing device (10) on said diffuser (14) fitted on the bottle.

3) The bottle closing device (10) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said weakening lines (26, 27, 28) are made by means of a first, a second and a third slot respectively, which combinedly define said gripping and tearing lip (29).

4) The bottle closing device (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said third weakening line or slot is perpendicular to said first and second weakening lines or slots.

5) The bottle closing device (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said first weakening line (26) / slot extends axially upto said breaking line (23).

6) The bottle closing device (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said gripping and tearing lip (29) has a fin portion (35) extending axially upwardly up to the level of top sealing face end (36).

7) The bottle closing device (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said cap (11) has sixteen multi-start inner threads (40) to facilitate a correct orientation and guidance on the corresponding threads (41) of the diffuser (14).

8) The bottle closing device (10) according to any one of the preceding claims:
wherein said plurality of bridges (50) are five in numbers;
wherein said anti-rotational vertical lugs (51) are eight in numbers; and
wherein said ‘V’ shaped grooves (52) are eight in numbers. , Description:The present application is Patent of addition to the patent application number 1758/MUM/2012 dated 19.06.2012.

Field of Invention

The present invention relates to bottle closing devices, particularly tamper-evident bottle closing devices, more particularly, bottle closing devices used in expensive liquids, such as costly liquors.

Background of the invention

Various bottle closing devices generally made up of a cap assembly fitted on a bottle are currently known. These cap assemblies may either be made of a cap fitted on a dispenser or diffuser, and subsequently such cap assembly may be fitted on the mouth portion of the bottle or container or alternatively cap assembly may be directly fitted on the bottle. The cap has an inner thread suitable for being engaged, for opening and closing the bottle, with a corresponding thread provided on the outer surface of the dispenser. This latter is pressure-fixed in the opening of the bottle neck or, through known means on the bottle neck. Alternatively, the cap has internal threads for direct engagement with the external threads on the mouth/neck portion of the bottle. Furthermore, a further sleeve is generally provided for covering the cap, made of aluminium or plastic. Thus, the assembly of such bottle closing devices provides for a step of screwing the cap on the diffuser and subsequently inserting the cap/diffuser assembly into the covering sleeve which adheres to the cap achieving an embedding engagement with the same.

Generally, in the production lines, once assembled, the aforementioned closing devices are subsequently applied on the respective bottles. However, in order to reduce the number of components and thereby the cost of manufacturing and assembly of closure devices, it is preferred that the cap assemblies are directly fitted on the neck or mouth portion of liquor bottle.
In some cases it is possible that during the moving of the closing device, the covering sleeve and the cap disengage from each other thereby causing the slipping of the cap and of the diffuser connected thereto inside the covering sleeve.

This may cause the occurrence of defects in the assembly of the single closing device on the respective bottle and damage on the very device, determining a production drop and a cost increase.

In fact, in these cases the bottles not correctly assembled are discarded and possibly reintroduced into the production line in order to be subsequently closed by a new closing device.

Furthermore, it is worth to underlining that the closing devices currently known do not permit to guarantee the tamper-proof state of the bottles to which they are applied.

State of the Art

Indian patent IN48197 (Application No. 272/CHE/2007) granted to GUALA Closures S. p. A. Italy) discloses a tear-off anti-tamper seal able to be fitted to stopper-type closing members mounted on the open end of the neck of a bottle and indicating, when torn, that the container has been opened for the first time. It comprises a tubular body with an annular top flange directed towards the inside of the body and a sleeve portion extending longitudinally from the flange along the bottle neck, a circumferential weakening line formed on the sleeve portion, a pair of weakening lines extending axially along the sleeve portion and situated in the zone between top flange and circumferential weakening line, and a tear-off tongue fixed to the top flange in the zone between the axial weakening lines and projecting towards the inside of the tubular body. The axial weakening lines consist of a respective first cut and a second cut in the wall of the tubular body and the top flange; the first cut extending from a zone close to the free edge of the flange in the vicinity of the circumferential weakening line, the second cut extending from a zone close to the free edge of the flange as far as a point positioned on the sleeve portion at a level higher than that where the first cut terminates, relative to the circumferential weakening line.

However, because of the thin annular top flange provided in the closing member disclosed in the above disclosure, it is easy for a person intending to tamper with the expensive contents of the bottle, to slip-off the covering sleeve without being damaged, thus permitting the unscrewing of the cap and the ensuing opening of the bottle to alter the content of the very bottle. By this arrangement, there is also a probability of breakage of this annular top flange on applying high pressures during assembly of closure device on the bottle or container. This would also be facilitated also by the incisions provided on the annular top flange and by thin connecting elements. These could be tampered without detection by the purchaser of the bottle of expensive product.

Further, the Indian patent IN207928 (Application No. 1198/MAS/1998) granted to GUALA Closures S. p. A. Italy) discloses a security closure for a glass bottle, quickly fitted on the bottle and conveniently manipulated. It comprises a cap having internal threads with a predetermined large number of starts mating with external threads on the bottle; the cap being connected by means of a line of weakening to a sleeve axially and angularly restrained on the bottle; and lead-in means in the sleeve mating with matching lead-in means on the bottle to orient the cap and the sleeve angularly relative to the bottle when the cap and the sleeve are axially fitted on the bottle.

However, a cap having internal threads with a large number of starts mating with external threads on the bottle and lead-in means in the sleeve mating with matching lead-in means on the bottle disclosed according to this invention need a very complex operation and arrangement and thereby quite expensive to manufature.

Objects of the Invention

Some of the objects of the present disclosure, which at least one embodiment herein satisfies, are as follows:

An object of the present invention is that of overcoming the afore-mentioned drawbacks and in particular that of providing a bottle closing device capable of permitting a simple and safe capping of such bottles.

Another object of the present invention is to ensure that contents of the bottle cannot be replaced with spurious or low quality material, thereby giving it a tamper-proof configuration.

Yet another object of the present invention is to ensure that even at high pressures used during assembly of bottle closing device, the covering sleeve is not damaged.

Still another object of the invention is to facilitate a quick assembly of bottle closing device on the bottle by its simple configuration, thereby also reducing cost of manufacturing.

One more object of the invention is to provide a proper gripping of the glass bottle by the internal fine cap threads in order to give better protection against pilferage while it is intended to tamper with the bottle closing device by forcefully pulling it off completely from the bottle neck.

Still further object of the invention to give proper orientation and guidance during high speed capping operation.
Yet another object of the invention is to enable ease of opening of a top seal of the bottle closing device.

Still another object of the invention to prevent bottle rotation during high speed capping operation.

Still further object of the invention to facilitate ease of capping bottles during high speed capping operation.

These and other objects according to the present invention are achieved by providing a bottle closing device as outlined in claim 1.

Further features of the bottle closing device are subject of the dependent claims.

Other objects and advantages of the present disclosure will be more apparent from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying figures, which are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

Summary of the Invention

In accordance with the present disclosure, there is provided a bottle closing device (10), the device comprising:
a cap (11);
a covering sleeve (20);
a diffuser (14) fitted on the neck portion of a bottle; and the covering sleeve (20) assembled to the diffuser (14);
the cap (11) having a flat upper portion (12) and a tubular side portion (13) depending therefrom;
the covering sleeve (20) having a substantially circular closed top sealing face end (36), an upper tubular portion (21) integrally connected to the top sealing face end (36) through plurality of bridges (50), and a lower tubular portion (22) connected to the upper tubular portion (21) along a breaking line (23) in a detachable manner;
the covering sleeve (20) assembled on the diffuser (14); characterized in that the covering sleeve (20) has a plurality of connecting bridges (24) internally provided along the breaking line (23) for integrating the upper (21) and lower tubular portions (22);
the covering sleeve (20) also having a constraining means (25) internally provided at the lower tubular portion (22) thereof;
the upper tubular portion (21) having at least one opening (33) extending along an upper free circumferential edge (30) thereof;
wherein the lower portion (22) having an internal annular projection (31) below the constraining means (25) for engaging with a corresponding external projection (32) provided on the diffuser (14) ;
wherein a plurality of internal anti-rotational vertical lugs (51) are provided on inner side of the the lower tubular portion (22) of the covering sleeve (20) to prevent bottle rotation and a plurality of ‘V’ shaped grooves (52) are provided in-line with the vertical lugs (51) for ease of capping the bottle;
the covering sleeve (20) having a gripping and tearing lip (29) provided on upper tubular portion (21) for removing the upper portion (21) of the bottle closing device (10) in a tamper-evident manner;
the gripping and tearing lip (29) defined by a first (26) and second (27) weakening lines (26, 27) extending axially from the upper free cricumferential edge (30) and a third weakening line (28) connecting the first and second weakening lines and third weakening line (28) extending beyond at least one of the weakening lines (26, 27);
wherein the cap (11) having a predetermined number of multi-start inner threads (40) to facilitate a correct orientation and guidance on the corresponding outer threads (41) at the diffuser (14) for high speed capping operation to impart smooth ride thereof.

Additionally, the constraining means (25) comprise a plurality of abutment portions made on the connecting bridges (24), the abutment portions protruding inside of the covering sleeve (20) to form a stopping abutment for the cap (11) for constraining the axial movement of the cap (11) with respect to the covering sleeve (20) after the assembly of the bottle closing device (10) on the diffuser (14) fitted on the bottle.

Typically, the weakening lines (26, 27, 28) are made by means of a first, a second and a third slot respectively, which combinedly define the gripping and tearing lip (29).

Typically, the third weakening line or slot is perpendicular to the first and second weakening lines or slots.

Typically, the first weakening line (26) / slot extends axially upto the breaking line (23).

Typically, the gripping and tearing lip (29) has a fin portion (35) extending axially upwardly up to the level of top sealing face end (36).

Typically, the cap (11) has sixteen multi-start inner threads (40) to facilitate a correct orientation and guidance on the corresponding threads (41) of the diffuser (14).

Typically, the plurality of bridges (50) are five in numbers; the anti-rotational vertical lugs (51) are eight in numbers; and the ‘V’ shaped grooves (52) are eight in numbers.

Brief Description of the accompanying Drawings

The bottle closing device of the present disclosure will now be explained in more detail. The features and advantages of a bottle closing device according to the present invention shall become more clear from the following non-limiting and exemplifying description with reference to the attached schematic drawings wherein:

Figure 1 - is a side view of a bottle closing device according to the present invention;

Figure 2 - is a top view of the closing device of Figure 1;

Figure 3 - is a sectional partial view along line III-III of the closing device of Figure 1;

Figures 4a and 4b - are respectively a first and a second sectional partial view of the closing device of Figure 1, in a closing configuration subsequent to the first opening;

Figures 5a and 5b - are respectively a first and a second perspective view of a cap comprised in the closing device of Figure 1;

Figure 6 - is a side view of a covering sleeve comprised in the closing device of Figure 1;

Figure 7a - is a sectional partial view along line VII-VII of the covering sleeve of Figure 6;

Figure 7b - is a view of partial detail of the covering sleeve of Figure 7a;
Figure 8 - is a perspective view of the closing device of Figure 1.

Figure 9 - is a perspective view of the bottle closing device, in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 10 - is a cross section view along line K-K in figure 9.

Figure 11 - is an isometric view of the bottle closing device, in accordance with the embodiment of figure 9.

Detailed Description of the accompanying drawings

The bottle closing device will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings which do not limit the scope and ambit of the disclosure. The description provided is purely by way of examples and illustrations.

The bottle closing device herein and the various features and advantageous details thereof are explained with reference to the non-limiting embodiments in the following description. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques are omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments herein.

The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the embodiments herein may be practiced and to further enable those of skill in the art to practice the embodiments herein. Accordingly, the examples should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments herein.

The description herein after, of the specific embodiments of the bottle closing device will so fully reveal the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments.

It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the embodiments as described herein.

With reference to the figures, a bottle closing device is shown, which is indicated by 10 as a whole. Such a bottle closing device 10 comprises a cap 11, having a first flat upper portion 12 and a tubular side portion 13 depending from the upper portion, a diffuser 14 provided with at least one dripless pourer (not illustrated), and a covering sleeve 20. Alternatively, the diffuser 14 may be formed as a part of the bottle. The closing device 10 extends along an axial direction A as indicated in the figures.

The upper part of the diffuser 14 is arranged to be coupled - with the cap 11 and - the lower part of the diffuser is assembled to a bottle neck (not represented) by coupling or fitting the diffuser thereon, or the diffuser 14 may be formed on the bottle neck itself, as shown in these figures.

In particular, as can be observed in Figure 3, the tubular side portion 13 of the cap 11 is provided with an inner threads 40, suitable for being engaged with a corresponding thread 41 provided on upper portion of the diffuser 14. There are sixteen number of multi-start internal fine threads 40 are provided within cap 11 for proper gripping of the glass bottle neck and to give better protection on tampering the cap 11 of the bottle closing device 10 from the person attempting to forcefully pull the complete assembly of the cap 11 and covering sleeve 20. These multi-start threads also gives a correct orientation to enable a proper guidance during the capping operation at "high speeds" ( 275bpm) as the ride on the bottle neck is made much smoother then known thus far, because normally only four starts are given in the outer thread of the bottle necks at present.

The engagement between the thread 40 on the inner side portion 13 of the cap 11 and the thread 41 of the diffuser 14 results in closing of the cap 11 on the diffuser 14 and hence of the closing device 10 on the bottle neck.

Obviously, other types of coupling different from those described above and shown in the figures are also provided in the invention.

The covering sleeve 20 comprises an upper tubular portion 21 and a lower tubular portion 22 connected to each other along a breaking line 23 provided with a plurality of connecting bridges 24, which are, necessarily, lacerated during the first opening of the bottle.

The covering sleeve 20, when the closing device 10 is assembled, is coupled to the cap 11 so that the upper tubular portion 21 at least partially covers the side portion 13 of the cap 11.

In the particular illustrated embodiment, the side portion 13 of the cap 11 extends - at the lower part - beyond the breaking line 23, though it is possible to make a covering sleeve 20 so that the upper tubular portion 21 entirely covers the side portion 13 of the cap 11.

Furthermore, the upper tubular portion 21 of the covering sleeve 20 is closed at the top sealing face end (36). At the upper free cricumferential edge 30 of the aforementioned upper tubular portion 21 of the covering sleeve 20, at least one extending opening 33 is preferably provided. The upper tubular portion (21) is integrally connected to said top sealing face end (36) through a plurality of bridges (50) (as shown in figure-10). These plurality of bridges (50) facilitate ease of opening of the top sealing face end (36) from the covering sleeve 20. Preferabally number of bridges (50) may be five.
By virtue of the top sealing face end 36 of the covering sleeve 20 closed, there is little probability of breakage of the covering sleeve 20 even on applying high pressing forces required to be used while assembling bottle closing device 10 on the bottle.

According to the present invention, the covering sleeve 20 internally comprises means 25 for constraining the axial movement of the cap 11 with respect to the covering sleeve 20.

Thus, once the covering sleeve 20 is applied on the cap 11 and is coupled to the diffuser 14, the constraining means 25 stop the movement of the cap 11 with respect to the covering sleeve 20 along the axial direction A, ensuring stability of coupling between them.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, such constraining means 25 comprise a plurality of abutment portions 25 made on the plurality of connecting bridges 24; such abutment portions 25, in particular, protrude towards the inside of the covering sleeve 20 so as to form a stopping abutment for the cap 11.

Alternatively, the constraining means comprise an annular abutment portion (not illustrated) made on the inner surface of the covering sleeve 20 at the lower end of the cap 11.

Preferably, the abutment portions 25 are made at the lower tubular portion 22 of the covering sleeve 20, as can be observed in particular in Figure 7b.
Alternatively, should the upper tubular portion 21 of the covering sleeve 20 be made so as to entirely cover the side portion 13 of the cap 11, the abutment portions 25 can be made at the upper tubular portion 21.

Further, a plurality of internal anti-rotational vertical lugs (51) are provided on the inner side of said said lower tubular portion (22) of said covering sleeve (20) to prevent bottle rotation and plurality of ‘V’ shaped grooves (52) are provided in-line with said vertical lugs for ease of capping the bottle while running on high speed lines. The optimal number of anti-rotational vertical lugs (51) and vertical grooves may be eight in numbers. Shown in figure-10.

Advantageously, upper tubular portion 21 of covering sleeve 20 comprises a first weakening line 26 which extends axially for a first section, a second weakening line 27 placed side by side to first weakening line 26 which extends axially for a second section shorter with respect to first section, and a third weakening line 28 which connects the aforementioned first 26 and second 27 weakening lines and extending beyond at least one of them. By weakening line it is to be intended a portion of the sleeve configured so as to lacerate before the remaining portion of the very sleeve.

By the term “axially” it is to be intended the fact that the weakening lines are obtained along some generatrices of the side portion of the outer sleeve.
Preferably the weakening lines 26, 27 and 28 are made by means of respectively a first, a second and a third slot, which combinedly define a gripping and tearing lip 29. Such a gripping and tearing lip 29, as shown for example in Figure 1, can be provided – at the upper part – with a fin portion 35 extending axially upwardly up to the level of top sealing face end 36 to facilitate the holding of the lip 29.

Because of the fin portion 35 at a level of the top sealing face end 36 of the covering sleeve also, there is little chance of damage to the covering sleeve 20, when high forces are appl;ied for assembling bottle closing device 10 on the bottle. Alternatively, the weakening lines 26, 27 and 28 can be made, for example, by means of thinning of the upper tubular portion 21 of the covering sleeve 20.

As can be observed for example in Figure 1, the third slot is preferably perpendicular to the first slot 26 and to the second slot 27, but generally it can be transverse along any direction with respect thereto, thus making a kind of L-shaped portion for gripping and tearing the covering sleeve 20.

Preferably, the first 26 and second 27 slot extend axially downwardly starting from the upper free cricumferential edge 30 of upper tubular portion 21 of the covering sleeve 20. In such case, preferably, a third slot 28 is made at such upper free cricumferential edge 30.

Advantageously, the first slot 26 extends axially from the upper free cricumferential edge 30 up to the breaking line 23 without leaving any bridge of residue material on the upper tubular portion 21 of the covering sleeve 20.

Furthermore, in the particular embodiment illustrated in the attached figures, the lower tubular portion 22 of the covering sleeve 20 also comprises an internal annular projection 31 further below constraining means 25, suitable for being engaged with a corresponding external annular projection 32 made on the diffuser 14 when the closing device 10 is assembled on the bottle. Thus, following the first opening of the bottle, once the upper tubular portion 21 of the covering sleeve 20 has been removed, the lower tubular portion 22 remains coupled to the diffuser 14.

The description outlined above clearly shows the features of the bottle closing device subject of the present invention, as well as the relative advantages.

Actually, according to the present invention, the means for constraining the axial movement of the cap with respect to the covering sleeve allow mounting the closing device on a bottle in a simple and safe manner and ensuring the sealing of the assembly of the very bottle closing device. Such constraining means prevent the covering sleeve from being slipped off even only partially during the capping process, ensuring the correct mounting of the bottle closing device on the bottle.

Furthermore, the constraining means constrain the opening of the bottle to the breakage of the breaking line between the upper portion and the lower portion of the covering sleeve and to the subsequent removal of the very upper portion. Thus, the opening of the bottle is revealed.

According to the present invention, the gripping and tearing lip defined by the three slots can be easily pulled in order to break the connecting bridges along the breaking line and to remove the upper portion of the covering sleeve from the closing device. In fact, the third slot intersects the first and the second slot extending beyond at least one of them as observable in the attached figures; this weakens the upper portion of the covering sleeve, facilitating the breakage once the gripping and tearing lip has been gripped.

Lastly, it is clear that the bottle closing device as conceived can be subjected to numerous modifications and variants, all falling within the scope of the invention; furthermore, all details can be replaced by technically equivalent elements. In practice, the materials used, as well as the dimensions, may vary depending on the technical needs.

Technical Advantages & Economic Significance

The technical advantages of the bottle closing device include the following:

a) to provide a bottle closing device capable of permitting a simple and safe capping of such bottles,
b) to ensure that contents of the bottle cannot be replaced with spurious or low quality material, thereby giving it a tamper-proof configuration,
c) to ensure that even at high pressures used during assembly of bottle closing device, the covering sleeve is not damaged, and
d) to facilitate a quick assembly of bottle closing device on the bottle by its simple configuration, thereby also reducing cost of manufacturing,
e) to facilitate better protection against tampering by better gripping of the cap on the bottle neck, and
f) to give proper orientation and guidance during high speed capping operation by making the ride of the cap on the bottle neck smooth.

Throughout this specification the word “comprise”, or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising”, will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps, but not the exclusion of any other element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps. The use of the expression “at least” or “at least one” suggests the use of one or more elements or ingredients or quantities, as the use may be in the embodiment of the invention to achieve one or more of the desired objects or results.

Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like that has been included in this specification is solely for the purpose of providing a context for the invention. It is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the invention as it existed anywhere before the priority date of this application.

The numerical values mentioned for the various physical parameters, dimensions or quantities are only approximations and it is envisaged that the values higher/lower than the numerical values assigned to the parameters, dimensions or quantities fall within the scope of the disclosure, unless there is a statement in the specification specific to the contrary.