Container and Closure Resealable Bottle Cap With Push Pull Closure

1. Technical Field

This device relates to tamper indicating closures for containers and the like requiring a push pull resealable tamper evident spout.

2. Description of Prior Art

Prior art closures of this type may be seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,104,008, 5,105,967, 4,940,003, 4,801,032, 4,589,561, 4,561,553, 4,500,016, 4,469,253, 3,902,621 and 4,084,716 and 4,053,077 and U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,034,882, 3,980,195, 3,963,139, 3,902,921, 3,682,345, 3,504,818.

A dual tamper evident resealable closure for bottles that requires a dual tamper evident configuration defining a first tamper evident ring on the closure adjacent the neck portion of the bottle to indicate registering tampering of the enclosure of the closure and a second tamper evident configuration on a push pull resealable pour spout having an opening therein which is partially closed by a second top having a secondary opening therein and a plug spaced thereabove by upward angled legs formed integral with the closure.

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-section through a portion of the resealable bottle cap with the push pull pour spout in a closed position;

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-section through a portion of the resealable bottle cap with the push pull top in an open position;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the resealable bottle cap;

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the resealable bottle cap; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the cap portion of the resealable bottle cap with a portion of a first tamper evident ring partially released therefrom.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3 of the drawings, a resealable bottle cap 10 can be seen having a push pull secondary closure 11 thereon and comprising a top portion 12 with an integral depending annular flange 13 extending therefrom. A plurality of circumferentially spaced frangible elements 14 extend from the lower edge of the depending flange 13 to a broken away tamper evident ring 15 integrally molded with the closure. The annular ring 15 is of a larger diameter than the annular flange 13 of the closure and the ring 15 has a plurality of circumferentially spaced inwardly facing angular projection 16.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 4 of the drawings it will be seen that the angular projections 16 are circumferentially spaced about the inner surface of said ring 15 and are positioned so that they incline in a counter clockwise direction. The ring 15 has a pull tear tab 17 thereon that extends outwardly from the ring 15 overlapping a portion thereof. A frangible element 18 is secured to the free end of the tear tab 17 securing same to the remaining portion of the ring 15. The tear tab 17 allows the rings 15 to be selectively removed from the annular flange 13. Referring now to FIG. 1 of the drawings, it will be seen that an opening 18A is formed in the center of the top portion 12 of the cap 10 with an upstanding cylindrical pour spout 19 positioned in registry with the opening 18. The upper end of the pour spout 19 having a secondary top portion 20 thereon which is apertured at 21. A plug 22 is positioned on the secondary top portion 20 in spaced relation to the aperture 21 by a plurality of circumferentially spaced angularly arranged legs 23. A push pull top cap 24 is positioned on the upstanding cylindrical pour spout 19 having a top portion 25 with a central opening 26 therein which registers with the plug 22 to form a secondary closure when the top portion 24 is in closed position as illustrated in FIG. 1 and resting on the secondary top 20 of the upstanding cylindrical pour spout 19. It will be seen that the top cap 24 has a depending cylindrical body member 27 with a plurality of annularly spaced frangible elements 28 connected on its lower perimeter edge to a secondary ring 29. The cylindrical body member 27 has a pair of vertically spaced inturned annular flanges 30 which slideably engage the outer surface of the upstanding cylindrical pour spout 19. The secondary ring 29 also has an internal annular flange 31 which is slideably engaged at the exterior of the upstanding cylindrical pour spout 19. The upstanding cylindrical pour spout 19 has two outwardly annular flanges 32 and 33 respectively on the exterior of the upstanding cylindrical pour spout 19. The flange 32 being oppositely disposed with respect to the secondary top 20 and the out-turned flanged 33 positioned therebelow, above the top 12 of the cap 10 and being oppositely disposed and between the annular flanges 32 and 33 on the cylindrical body member 27.

In assembled form illustrated in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 of the drawings the secondary ring 29 joined by the frangible elements 28 to the cylindrical body member 27 of the top cap 24 is incapable of moving upwardly due to the interengagement of the inturned flange 31 thereon with the out-turned flange 33 on the cylindrical pour spout 19 and the cylindrical body member 27 of the top cap 24 is encapable of vertical movement such as necessary to move the apertured top 24 thereabove the plug 22 until sufficient force is applied to the top cap 24 to break away the frangible elements 28 whereby the top cap 24 can move to the position illustrated in FIG. 2 wherein the opening 26 therein moves upwardly and away from the plug 22. The inturned annular flanges 30 on the cylindrical body member 27 cannot move above the out-turned annular flange 32 on the the upstanding cylinder pour spout 19 so that the push pull top cap of the bottle cap is child safe as it is not removable therefrom.

Referring to FIG. 4 of the drawings, it will be seen that the ring 15 has one of the frangible elements 14 positioned inwardly of a split at 34 therein with the hereinbefore described tear tabs 17 extending from the opposite end of the ring 15.

An annular sealing flange 35 depends from the inside surface of the top portion 12 opposite a bottle neck 36 shown in broken lines in FIGS. 2 and 3 of the drawings. A single spiral rib 37 extends around the inside surface of the depending annular flange 13 just above the annular ring 15 and terminates opposite annular sealing flange 35 in spaced relation to the top portion 12. The spiral thread 37 forms a frictional engagement with a registering spiral thread 38 on the hereinbefore described bottle neck 36.

Referring to FIG. 3 of the drawings, a side elevation of the resealable tamper evident bottle cap 10 with push pull closure 11 may be seen in its assembled condition as hereinbefore described and disclosed in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings illustrating an outside ribbed surface 38 on the depending annular flange 13.

The bottle neck 36 shown in broken lines in FIGS. 2 and 3 of the drawings has a plurality of ratchet sections 39 arranged for interlocking registration with the angular projection 16 on the annular ring 15 when the cap 10 is rotated clockwise and moved downwardly to position the annular ring 15 and the ratchet sections 39 in side by side relation as is well known within the art. The annular ring 15 is flexible so that when the inward forcing angular projection 16 therein moves in position adjacent the ratchet sections 39 rotation of the closure with the annular ring will cause the ring 15 to move outwardly and slide over the ratchet sections 39 due to their configuration and the circumferentially spaced inwardly facing angular portion 16.

To remove the cap 10 from the bottle neck 36, a counter clockwise rotation of the cap is required which will accordingly engage the respective angular portion 16 and the selected ratchet sections 39 breaking the frangible elements 14 from the annular depending flange 15 hereinbefore described. Alternately, the pull tab 17 can be forced outwardly from the cap 10 initially breaking the frangible element 18 and then sequentially breaking additional frangible elements 14 as required and illustrated in FIG. 5 of the drawings.

It will thus be seen that a resealable bottle cap of the invention with a push pull closure and a threaded tamper evident flexible plastic closure has been illustrated and described and though one embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein, therefore