Jaw seals for container closure assemblies

Abstract

A container closure assembly comprising a threaded closure with a sealing plug ( 24 ) and a sealing skirt ( 20 ) pinching a container lip ( 5 ). The skirt and the plug comprise sealing ribs ( 21, 22, 26, 27 ) that engage the lip of the container The ribs are located at substantially equal longitudinal distances from the base ( 3 ) of the closure.

1 . A container closure assembly comprising:
 a container neck having side walls defining an opening at one end thereof and a lip extending around the opening;   a closure for said neck, the closure having a base portion and a threaded skirt portion;   a first screw thread on the neck;   a second screw thread on an inner surface of the threaded skirt of the closure;   said first and second screw threads being configured to enable a user to secure, remove and resecure the closure into a sealing position on the neck by rotation of the cap on the neck;   a sealing plug extending from said base portion of the closure inside and substantially concentric with said threaded skirt portion of the closure, wherein the sealing plug comprises two or more longitudinally spaced circumferential sealing ribs on an outer surface of said sealing plug for engagement with an inner surface of the container neck proximate to said lip when the closure is secured on the container neck; and   a sealing skirt extending from said base portion of the closure intermediate said sealing plug and said threaded skirt portion of the closure and substantially concentric with said sealing plug and said threaded skirt portion of the closure, wherein the sealing skirt comprises two or more longitudinally spaced circumferential sealing ribs on an inner surface of said sealing skirt for engagement with an outer surface of the container neck proximate to said lip when the closure is secured on the container neck;   wherein in use two of said sealing ribs on the sealing plug are located at substantially the same longitudinal distances from the base portion of the closure as two of the circumferential sealing ribs on the sealing skirt, whereby the lip of the container neck is pinched between the sealing ribs on the closure plug and the sealing skirt at two or more longitudinally spaced locations when the closure is in the secured position on the container neck.   
   
   
       2 . A container closure assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the sealing ribs has a substantially triangular cross-section. 
   
   
       3 . A container closure assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the sealing ribs has a height in the range of 10 to 250 micrometers. 
   
   
       4 . A container closure assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the container lip is rounded in longitudinal cross-section. 
   
   
       5 . A container closure assembly according to  claim 4 , wherein at least one of the circumferential sealing ribs on the sealing plug and the sealing skirt forms a pinch across the said rounded container lip. 
   
   
       6 . A container closure assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the sealing plug and the sealing skirt extend substantially equal heights above the base of the closure. 
   
   
       7 . A container closure assembly according to  claim 6 , wherein the sealing plug and the sealing skirt are profiled so as to define a symmetrical jaw for gripping the container neck. 
   
   
       8 . A container closure assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein respective lower ends of the sealing skirt and the sealing plug distal from the base of the closure are profiled to provide further circumferential sealing ribs on each of the sealing skirt and the sealing plug for gripping the neck of the closure. 
   
   
       9 . A container closure assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the closure can be secured and resecured on the container neck by a single smooth rotation through 360° or less, preferably through 180° or less, and more preferably through about 90°. 
   
   
       10 . A container closure assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the first and second threads are multiple start threads. 
   
   
       11 . A container closure assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the first and second threads are substantially continuous helical threads. 
   
   
       12 . A container closure assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the container and closure further comprise complementary locking elements on the container neck and the closure that block or resist unscrewing of the closure from the fully secured position on the container neck until a predetermined minimum opening torque is applied. 
   
   
       13 . A container closure assembly according to  claim 12 , wherein said complementary locking elements comprise first and second locking projections on the container neck and the threaded closure skirt, and either said first locking projection is located longitudinally overlapping with and radially spaced from an upper end of a first thread segment, or said second locking projection is located longitudinally overlapping with and radially spaced from a lower end of a second thread segment, whereby the said first or second locking projection defines an extension of the thread path defined by the thread segments on the neck or the closure. 
   
   
       14 . A container closure assembly according to  claim 1 , further comprising a projecting stop surface on one of the container neck and the closure skirt for abutment against a second stop or a thread on the other of the container neck or the closure to block over-tightening of the closure beyond a predetermined angular sealing position of the closure on the container neck. 
   
   
       15 . A container closure assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the torque required to secure the closure in a sealing position on the container neck is from about 0.7 Nm to about 0.9 Nm. 
   
   
       16 . A container closure assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the assembly achieves a sealing pressure around at least one circumferential surface between the container neck and the closure at the fully closed position of at least about 7 MPa (1000 psi). 
   
   
       17 . A beverage container comprising a container closure assembly according to  claim 1 . 
   
   
       18 . A beverage container according to  claim 17  which is a carbonated beverage container.