Captive closure with stabilised opening angle

Abstract

The invention relates to a closure consisting of a screw cap (10) with a tamperproof strip (3). The screw cap has at least one cylindrical cap casing (2) with an inner thread and a circumferential tamperproof strip at the lower open end of the cap casing, said tamperproof strip being connected to the lower edge of the cap casing along easily tearable weakness lines (13, 14), wherein the tamperproof strip remains captively connected to the cap casing after a tearing process along the weakness lines by means of holding strips (15, 16). The aim of the invention is to design a captive screw cap with a tamperproof strip in such a manner that after the screw cap has been unscrewed and released from the bottleneck opening, the screw cap is folded away or tilted into a position in which the screw cap does not interfere with the additional use of the bottle or with pouring or drinking out of the bottle and can remain there without additional measures. According to the invention, this is achieved in that the holding strips are formed by two weakness lines, each of which is interrupted at least once in the circumferential direction and which partly overlap in the circumferential direction and run at an axial distance to each other at least in the overlap region. The separating web (11, 12) of each of the two weakness lines is bridged by the respective other weakness line preferably at an axial distance.

1 . A closure comprising:
 a screw cap ( 10 ) with a tamper-evident band ( 3 ), the closure having at least one cylindrical cap skirt ( 2 ) having a female thread and a peripherally extending tamper-evident band ( 3 ) at the lower open end of the cap skirt ( 2 ),   the tamper-evident band being connected along easily tearable weakening lines ( 13 ,  14 ) to the lower rim of the cap skirt,   wherein after tearing along the weakening lines the tamper-evident band ( 3 ) remains non-detachably connected to the cap skirt ( 2 ) by way of holding bands ( 15 ,  16 ),   wherein the closure has a closure lower part having a peripherally extending flange, the peripherally extending flange being connectable to the surface of a carton pack in sealed relationship and a cylindrical pouring spout portion, the cylindrical pouring spout portion having a central axis, the pouring spout portion adjoining the flange, the pouring spout portion having an upper outer and a lower inner opening,   wherein the female thread of the screw cap can be screwed onto a male thread on the pouring spout portion,   wherein the closure has a cutting ring arranged in the pouring spout portion, the cutting ring having at its lower rim at least one axially inwardly projecting cutting edge,   wherein the closure has an axial lift and entrainment device on the cutting ring and the screw cap, the axial lift and entrainment device including an entrainment means mounted at the inside of the screw cap and an axial lift device which upon rotation of the screw cap in the opening direction moves the cutting ring axially in the direction of the lower opening and in the peripheral direction and thereby produces an at least partially circularly extending cut in the container surface.   
     
     
         2 . A closure according to  claim 1 , wherein the cutting ring has a second male thread on its outside in opposite relationship to the male thread of the pouring spout portion and which engages with a second female thread on the inside of the pouring spout portion. 
     
     
         3 . A closure according to  claim 2 , wherein the second female thread and the second male thread are of a greater pitch than the female thread of the screw cap and the male thread of the pouring spout portion. 
     
     
         4 . A closure according to  claim 3 , wherein the factor between the different pitches is at least 1.5. 
     
     
         5 . A closure according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the entrainment means of the screw cap are in the form of a lift cam with an edge which is inclined relative to the closure axis and an element of the cutting ring is in the form of a cam follower, and   mutually radially overlapping guide elements are provided on the outside of the cutting ring and on the inside of the pouring spout portion,   wherein at the beginning of an opening rotational movement of the screw cap the guide elements permit only an axial movement of the cutting ring, and it is only after a predetermined axial position of the cutting ring is reached that the guide elements allow entrainment of the cutting ring in the peripheral direction and limit further axial movement.   
     
     
         6 . A closure according to  claim 1 , characterised in that the holding bands ( 15 ,  16 ) are formed by two weakening lines ( 13 ,  14 ),
 the two weakening lines being respectively interrupted at least once in the peripheral direction,   the two weakening lines partially overlapping in the peripheral direction,   the two weakening lines extending at an axial spacing relative to each other at least in the overlap region,   wherein the separating strips ( 11 ,  12 ) of both weakening lines ( 13 ,  14 ) are bridged over by the respective other weakening line ( 14 ,  13 ).   
     
     
         7 . A closure according to  claim 6 , characterised in that each weakening line has precisely one separating strip and the center points of the separating strips ( 11 ,  12 ) are in diametrically opposite relationship. 
     
     
         8 . A closure according to  claim 6 , characterised in that the separating strip ( 11 ) of the upper weakening line ( 13 ) extends over a peripheral angle f between 10° and 75° 
     
     
         9 . A closure according to  claim 6 , characterised in that the separating strip ( 12 ) of the lower weakening line ( 14 ) extends over a peripheral angle between 120° and 200°. 
     
     
         10 . A closure according to  claim 6 , characterised in that the width measured in the axial direction of the upper separating strip ( 11 ) remaining on the cap skirt ( 2 ) is at least half the width of the intact tamper-evident band ( 3 ). 
     
     
         11 . A closure according to  claim 6 , characterised in that the width measured in the axial direction of the upper separating strip ( 11 ) remaining on the cap skirt ( 2 ) is at least 1.5 mm and less than 5 mm. 
     
     
         12 . A closure according to  claim 6 , characterised in that the separating strip ( 11 ) of the upper weakening line has a radial thickening at least at its free lower rim. 
     
     
         13 . A closure according to  claim 6 , characterised in that the tamper-evident band ( 3 ) is in the form of a flexband having a radially outer part and a folded-over radially inner part. 
     
     
         14 . A closure according to  claim 6 , characterised in that the minimum spacing of the weakening lines ( 13 ,  14 ) is greater than 1.5 mm. 
     
     
         15 . A closure according to  claim 6 , characterised in that the outside diameter of the pouring spout portion above a pilferproof ring ( 21 ), the inside diameter of the tamper-evident band ( 3 ) and the width and the peripheral extent of the upper separating strip ( 11 ) are so matched to each other that after an opening rotation of the screw cap and subsequent tipping of the screw cap ( 10 ) upon twisting of the holding bands ( 15 ,  16 ) together with the separating strip ( 11 ) the free lower edge of the separating strip ( 11   a ) comes into engagement with the pouring spout portion and when a tipping angle of more than 90° is moved beyond a dead center point so that thereafter the outside of the separating strip ( 11 ) comes into contact with the outside of the pouring spout portion and the screw cap ( 10 ) is stabilized in that position of being tipped through more than 90°. 
     
     
         16 . A closure according to  claim 15 , characterised in that the outside diameter of the pouring spout portion in a region above the pilferproof ring ( 21 ) in which the tamper-evident band ( 3 ) of the closure is arranged is by at most 2.5 mm smaller than the nominal inside diameter of the tamper-evident band ( 3 ). 
     
     
         17 . A closure according to  claim 15 , characterised in that the pilferproof ring ( 21 ) has a profile defined by a lower flank ( 22 ), the profile extending in an axial section at at least 80° relative to the pouring spout axis, a region of maximum diameter ( 23 ) and an upper flank ( 24 ) which extends at an angle of inclination less than 90° relative to the pouring spout portion axis and beneath the thread ( 25 ) of the pouring spout portion transitions into the outer pouring spout portion diameter, wherein the upper flank ( 24 ) or a portion of the pouring spout portion above the upper flank ( 24 ) of the profile of the pilferproof ring ( 21 ) goes at least into or as far as an axial position which is reached at a maximum folded-over position of the screw cap from the lower edge ( 11   a ) of the upper separating strip is of a larger outside diameter than the pouring spout portion without thread profile. 
     
     
         18 . A combination according to  claim 17 , characterised in that the difference in the outside diameter (D) of the upper flank or the portion disposed thereabove and the diameter (d) of the pouring spout portion without a thread profile is at least 0.1 mm. 
     
     
         19 . A combination according to  claim 17 , characterised in that the pilferproof ring ( 21 ) is of a triangular or trapezoidal profile, the base of which is defined by an axis-parallel line on the cylindrical outside surface of the container neck and the bottom flank of which includes an angle greater than 80° with the axis ( 50 ) of the pouring spout portion, wherein the upper flank of the profile includes an angle less than 40° with the axis ( 50 ) of the pouring spout portion.