Cap with tamper evident seal for containers, container comprising said cap and preform for producing said container

Abstract

There is described a container (1) with a thread (5) for a screw closing cap (3). The container has a neck (1A) with a lower shoulder (1X) that extends from the external surface (1Z) of the neck, on which the thread (5) is formed toward the inside.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD[0001]The present invention relates to plastic containers, in particular plastic bottles for natural mineral water, or plastic bottles for sparkling mineral water and also for other beverages.STATE OF THE ART[0002]The use of plastic bottles for packaging mineral water or other beverages is very widespread. Plastic bottles are normally provided with a screw cap, or capsule, which is engaged to the bottle and which has a tamper evident seal or security band that is broken when the bottle is opened for the first time and provides the consumer with a guarantee of the integrity of the bottle content at the time of purchase.[0003]Modern large bottling plants fill tens of thousands of bottles per day, and in some cases hundreds of thousands of bottles and consequently they consume a large number of this type of container. There is constant search for new ways of reducing the weight of each bottle and of each cap, firstly to reduce production costs and secondly to also reduce...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0010]In this way the collar or annular ridge normally provided on the neck of the container, between the thread and the body of the container, is omitted. This results in a reduction of the plastic material required to produce the container, both because the neck can be shorter, and because the plastic material forming the projecting collar is no longer necessary.

[0015]According to a different aspect, the invention provides for a screw cap for a container comprising a lateral wall and an internal thread formed on an internal surface of the lateral wall, characterized in that the lateral wall comprises a security element configured to be irreversibly altered when the screw cap is removed from the container. The security element is permanently altered, for example deformed or broken, when the cap is unscrewed, as a result of interference with the external thread of the container, for example a bottle. A tamper evident seal is thus obtained without the need to use an additional band on the cap and related collars on the bottle. A reduction of the length or height of the end portion or neck of the bottle of around 6-7 mm, typically around 6.5 mm, is also obtained. In this area, the thickness of the plastic material is around 1 mm. This results in a substantial saving of plastic material, with considerable reduction of costs and environmental impact.

Problems solved by technology

Modern large bottling plants fill tens of thousands of bottles per day, and in some cases hundreds of thousands of bottles and consequently they consume a large number of this type of container.

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