Plastic cap and container construction

• US 4,162,736 A
• Filed: 11/16/1977
• Issued: 07/31/1979
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Portola Packaging Incorporated (Silgan Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Three Sisters Ranch Enterprises
• Inventors: Faulstich, George W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Norton, Donald F.
• Application Number:
  US05/852,189
• Time in Patent Office: 622 Days
• Field of Search: 215/256, 215/31, 215/320, 215/321
• US Class Current: 215/256
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2401/25 Non-metallic tear-off strips
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2401/35 Vertical or axial lines of weakness
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 41/485 with integral internal sealing means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 215/901 Tamper-resistant structure

Abstract

A plastic container neck has an inside substantially vertical sealing surface, a top groove, a very smooth second sealing surface of less diameter than the first sealing surface, a lower groove and a vertical stretch. The outside of the neck has a vertical surface, a horizontal, inwardly-extending shoulder, an indented second vertical surface of lesser diameter than the first vertical surface and an external bead, and a third vertical surface. The container has a substantially uniform wall thickness. The second sealing surface has an "injection finish" obtained by use of a blow pin in the mold. The cap has lower internal beads interrupted in a plurality of gaps, permitting stretching of the cap to seat on the neck. Thickenings on the interior of the cap outer skirt paralleling the spiral groove of the skirt from the bottom edge of the skirt to the horizontal groove to facilitate tearing the skirt.

Claims

1. A cap having a central top disk, a thin-walled substantially cylindrical outer skirt of substantially uniform thickness depending from the periphery of said disk, said outer skirt being scored and weakened in a circumferential first line spaced downwardly from the top of said outer skirt and in a spiral second line joining said first line and extending down to the bottom edge of said outer skirt, a tab attached to the bottom edge of said outer skirt adjacent said second line, an upper internal circumferential bead on said outer skirt between said first line and said disk, a lower internal second bead on said outer skirt below but adjacent said first line, said second bead being interrupted in a series of gaps spaced around the circumference of said outer skirt, a thickening of said outer skirt immediately paralleling and on one side of said second line, a second thickening of said outer skirt immediately paralleling said second line and on the side of said second line opposite said first-mentioned thickening, an externally projecting finger hold on said outer skirt positioned immediately above the intersection of said first and second lines.

2. A cap according to claim 1 which further comprises a short inner skirt depending from said top disk spaced inward from said outer skirt.

3. In combination a cap according to claim 2 and a container formed of thin-walled, blow-molded plastic material having a cylindrical neck, said neck having an inturned top flange with a flat, horizontal lip, said flange terminating in an internal first substantially vertical sealing surface, a groove below said first sealing surface, an internal, smooth second vertical surface below said groove, said second surface being of lesser diameter than said first surface, a first external neck bead, a second external neck bead on the exterior of said neck vertically spaced from said first bead, each of said neck beads having a substantially horizontal shoulder on its lower edge, said inner skirt sealing against said first and second sealing surfaces, said lip sealing against the underside of said disk, said first and second beads of said cap seating under the horizontal shoulders of said first and second neck beads, respectively.

4. The combination of claim 3 in which said second bead has a first interruption about as wide as second line at said second line and said second bead extends in first and second stretches to either side of said first interruption and said stretches terminating in second and third interruptions remote from said first interruption.

5. A cap according to claim 1 in which said second bead has a first interruption about as wide as said second line at said second line and said second bead extending in first and second stretches to either side of said first interruption and said stretches terminate in second and third interruptions remote from said first interruption.