NON-METAL AND HYBRID BOTTLE CROWNS WITH OPENER ASSEMBLY

• US 20170361998A1
• Filed: 06/20/2017
• Published: 12/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: World Bottling Cap, LLC
• Original Assignee: World Bottling Cap, LLC
• Inventors: Frishman, Abe
• Granted Patent: US 11,046,479 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 17/4012 for opening partially by means of a tearing tab
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 41/04 Threaded or like caps or cap-like covers secured by rotation
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 41/42 made of relatively-stiff metallic material, e.g. crown caps
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 51/245 provided with decoration, information or contents indicating devices, labels B65D81/366 takes precedence

Abstract

A crown for a bottle or other container has a top portion and an annular skirt that descends contiguously from the top portion. An opener assembly and an arrangement of frangible scoring lines on the crown allow for ease of opening the bottle or container. Corrugated embodiments provide material strengthening for a reduced gauge crown. Embodiments include entire crowns formed of non-metal materials, metal crowns having non-metal opener assemblies, and metal crowns having opener assemblies that are partially metal and partially non-metal. Unique techniques for attachment of such various opener assemblies are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A frangible crown for a container opening, the crown comprising:

a crown body comprising;

a top portion;

an annular skirt having an annular side wall descending from the top portion and terminating at a bottom annular edge;

a frangible scoring arrangement comprising;

a curvilinear first score line extending in a first continuous radial direction from the top portion to the bottom edge of the skirt; and

a curvilinear second score line comprising;

an upper radial segment extending in the first continuous radial direction from the top portion to the annular sidewall of the skirt, and

a lower annular segment extending circumferentially along the annular side wall of the skirt from the upper radial segment to an endpoint substantially spaced from the bottom annular edge of the skirt;

an opener assembly attached to an attachment portion of the top portion and configured to break the top portion at one or more of the first and second score lines, the opener assembly comprising a non-metal ring pull and non-metal pull tab connected to the non-metal ring pull; and

an attachment device coupling the non-metal pull tab to the attachment portion, the attachment device comprising;

a smooth engaging surface, and

a plurality of engaging features protruding from the smooth engaging surface downward towards the non-metal pull tab,

wherein the protruding engaging features dig into the non-metal pull tab to attach the opener assembly to the attachment portion, the protruding engaging features providing a frictional engagement of the attachment device to the non-metal pull tab higher than a frictional engagement of the smooth engaging surface alone to the non-metal pull tab.

2. The frangible crown of claim 1, wherein the attachment device is a rivet that is non-integral with the crown body or opener assembly, the non-integral rivet comprising the downward protruding engaging features positioned on at least one horizontal engaging surface of the rivet such that the engaging features frictionally engage the pull tab of the opener assembly when the rivet is compressed to attached the opener assembly to the attachment portion.

3. The frangible crown of claim 1, wherein the attachment device is a rivet formed integral with the attachment portion of the crown body, the integral rivet comprising the engaging features positioned along at least a portion of an elongated sidewall of the rivet such that the engaging features protrude downward towards the non-metal pull tab and frictionally engage the pull tab of the opener assembly when the rivet is compressed to attached the opener assembly to the attachment portion.

4. The frangible crown of claim 1, wherein the rivet is a non-metal rivet formed integral with the non-metal pull tab, and the attachment portion of the crown body comprises a hole configured to receive the non-metal rivet when the non-metal rivet is used to attached the opener assembly to the attachment portion.

5. The frangible crown of claim 1, further comprising a recessed portion downwardly formed in the top portion and configured to receive at least a portion of the opener assembly therein.

6. The frangible crown of claim 1, wherein the crown body further comprises an underside opposite the top portion, and one or more of the score lines of the frangible scoring arrangement is formed on the underside of the crown body.

7. The frangible crown of claim 1, wherein the frangible scoring arrangement further comprises an arcuate third score line extending around the attachment portion and connecting beginning ends of the first and second score lines.

9. The frangible crown of claim 1, wherein the non-metal pull tab comprises a metal grommet for use with the attachment device coupling the non-metal pull tab to the attachment portion.

8. The frangible crown of claim 8, wherein the frangible scoring arrangement further comprises a linear fourth score radially extend from the arcuate third score line in a second continuous radial direction substantially opposite to the first radial direction.

10. A frangible crown for a container opening, the crown comprising:

a crown body comprising;

a top portion;

an annular skirt having an annular side wall descending from the top portion and terminating at a bottom annular edge;

a frangible scoring arrangement comprising;

a curvilinear first score line extending in a first continuous radial direction from the top portion to the bottom edge of the skirt; and

a curvilinear second score line comprising;

an upper radial segment extending in the first continuous radial direction from the top portion to the annular sidewall of the skirt, and

a lower annular segment extending circumferentially along the annular side wall of the skirt from the upper radial segment to an endpoint substantially spaced from the bottom annular edge of the skirt;

an opener assembly attached to an attachment portion of the top portion and configured to break the top portion at one or more of the first and second score lines, the opener assembly comprising;

a non-metal ring pull having a molded connecting portion, and

a metal pull tab having a connecting end formed with engaging features,

wherein the connecting portion is molded so as to engage the engaging features of the connecting end; and

an attachment device coupling the metal pull tab to the attachment portion.

11. The frangible crown of claim 10, wherein the engaging features on the metal pull tab is selected from the group consisting of:

one or more vertically extending barbs on each of upper and lower surfaces of the connecting end of the metal pull tab to secure the connecting end within the molded connecting portion of the non-metal ring pull;

one or more horizontally extending barbs on each of upper and lower surfaces of the connecting end of the metal pull tab to secure the connecting end within the molded connecting portion of the non-metal ring pull;

one or more vertically extending steps on each of upper and lower surfaces of the connecting end of the metal pull tab to secure the connecting end within the molded connecting portion of the non-metal ring pull; and

one or more holes formed through the connecting end of the metal pull tab and configured to receive corresponding parts of the molded connecting portion on and through the one or more holes to secure the connecting end to the molded connecting portion of the non-metal ring pull.

12. The frangible crown of claim 10, wherein the attachment device is a rivet formed integral with the attachment portion of the crown body, the integral rivet comprising engaging the metal pull tab of the opener assembly when the rivet is compressed to attached the opener assembly to the attachment portion.

13. The frangible crown of claim 10, wherein the frangible scoring arrangement further comprises an arcuate third score line extending around the attachment portion and connecting beginning ends of the first and second score lines.

14. The frangible score line arrangement of claim 13, wherein the frangible scoring arrangement further comprises a linear fourth score radially extending from the arcuate third score line in a second continuous radial direction substantially opposite to the first radial direction.

15. A frangible crown for a container opening, the crown comprising:

a top portion;

an annular skirt having an annular side wall descending from the top portion and terminating at a bottom annular edge;

an opener assembly comprising;

a metal pull tab having a first end formed with engaging features;

a non-metal ring pull having a connecting portion molded about the engaging features of the metal pull tab, and

wherein the metal pull tab further having a second end integrally formed with an attachment portion of the annular sidewall such that the second end and the attachment portion of the annular sidewall are formed as a single unitary piece rather than two separate pieces joined together by an attachment means;

a recessed portion inwardly formed in the top portion and configured to receive the non- metal ring pull therein

a frangible scoring arrangement comprising;

a curvilinear first score line extending in a first continuous radial direction from the recessed portion along the annular sidewall to the bottom edge of the skirt; and

a curvilinear second score line comprising;

an upper radial segment extending in the first continuous radial direction from the annular sidewall to an intermediate portion of the skirt, and

a lower annular segment extending circumferentially along the intermediate portion of the skirt from the upper radial segment to an endpoint substantially spaced from the bottom annular edge of the skirt.

16. The frangible crown of claim 15, further comprising a boss upwardly formed from the top portion and configured to be received within the ring pull of the opener assembly.

17. The frangible crown of claim 16, wherein the boss is circular and concentrically formed within the recessed portion.

18. The frangible crown of claim 16, wherein a top of the boss is substantially level with the top portion of the crown.

19. The frangible crown of claim 15, wherein the engaging features on the metal pull tab is selected from the group consisting of:

one or more vertically extending barbs on each of upper and lower surfaces of the first end of the metal pull tab to secure the first end within the molded connecting portion of the non-metal ring pull;

one or more horizontally extending barbs on each of upper and lower surfaces of the first end of the metal pull tab to secure the first end within the molded connecting portion of the non-metal ring pull;

one or more vertically extending steps on each of upper and lower surfaces of the first end of the metal pull tab to secure the first end within the molded connecting portion of the non-metal ring pull; and

one or more holes formed through the first end of the metal pull tab and configured to receive corresponding parts of the molded connecting portion on and through the one or more holes to secure the connecting end to the molded connecting portion of the non-metal ring pull.

20. The frangible crown of claim 15, wherein the crown body further comprises an underside opposite the top portion, and one or more of the score lines of the frangible scoring arrangement is formed on the underside of the crown body.