Drinking fitment

Abstract

A low-cost sportscap (2) has a nozzle (6) defining a drinking orifice. The nozzle is assembled from below into an outer shell (4) which is moulded as one piece and includes an overcap (16) and a base (14). A foil annulus (8) is used to seal a coupling part (50) of the nozzle to the outer shell (4) and also preferably to provide a mechanism by means of which the closure can be assembled to a container neck (10). A primary ex-factory seal is created by a valve (42) inside the overcap engaging with the drinking orifice. This can be resealed by the user when the overcap (16) is attached to the base by hinge means (32).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001]The present invention relates to drinking fitments or drinking bottle closures of the type known as sports caps or sipper caps that are designed to allow a consumer to drink “on the go” from a container to which the cap is fitted.[0002]Such closures have a base which fits to the neck of a container. The base provides an outer shell to hold a nozzle or mouthpiece that defines a drinking orifice. The mouthpiece is shaped to be received within the consumer's mouth and drinking takes place by a combination of sucking on the mouthpiece and squeezing the bottle.BACKGROUND ART [0003]There are a number of considerations which are significant in the design of such closures. These include ex-factory sealing and resealing of the container; the cost and weight of the closure and container; the cost, complexity and efficiency of the mould needed to make the closure; coverage of the mouthpiece when not in use; tamper evidence; and littering issues and choking hazards created...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0022]Alto failed to produce a low cost sports cap. By using two simple parts that are easily assembled and held together by the foil sealing step, the invention simultaneously offers solutions to all the design considerations discussed in paragraph [0003] above. By making the base and overcap in one piece, a reliable leak-free seal is ensured without requiring an accurate mould.

[0023]Elimination of a screw-threaded base and internal valve seal mean that the base of the closure of the invention is much easier to mould and can be relatively light weight. Further weight savings can be provided by eliminating the screw threaded neck of the container.

[0024]The tamper band around the overcap is preferably only partially removable to prevent littering. Since the overcap is preferably retained by hinge means so that the drinking orifice can be resealed, littering issues are minimised.

[0025]The sportscap of the invention can be moulded from Polyethylene (PE), Polypropylene (PP) including OPP, or compostable plastics grown from crops such as PLA (polylactic acid). It is also possible to make the nozzle from PET. This is not currently possible with the prior art designs where the nozzles are currently moulded as part of a base. PET is too brittle to remove a base from a mould without rotating the base out of the mould, which costs a lot in capital and cycle time. These material suggestions are not intended to preclude the use of other plastics not listed, or another plastic such as nylon, or PVC or others for the nozzle.

Problems solved by technology

These include ex-factory sealing and resealing of the container; the cost and weight of the closure and container; the cost, complexity and efficiency of the mould needed to make the closure; coverage of the mouthpiece when not in use; tamper evidence; and littering issues and choking hazards created by small removable parts.

Although this closure can be resealed by the consumer, this leaves the mouthpiece exposed.

There are also considerable problems with such closures as consumers tend to open the drinking valve by pulling on it with their teeth.

This also encourages consumers to chew the mouthpiece resulting in damage.

Reuse of a damaged closure can result in the risk of the nozzle becoming detached and creating a choking hazard.

Tamper evidence systems which lock the base to the neck of the bottle therefore inhibit consumers from reusing the container.

This first type of closure is relatively heavy and because of its complex design and construction is expensive to produce as three separate mouldings are required and a two-stage assembly step.

This design also results in discarded / lost overcaps.

These features make the moulds more expensive and less efficient and increase the cost of the moulded parts.

As before, the base has an internal valve and is screwed onto the bottleneck, thus prohibiting any weight savings in the container or closure.

The mould is relatively complex and therefore expensive to produce.

This adds to the cycle time of the moulding operation and makes it relatively inefficient.

Reliable tamper evidence on the overcap closure is difficult with this type of design.

However the strip is not physically connected to the overcap as in previous tamper evidence designs.

The tear-off strip also creates a littering issue.

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