WAY

Abstract

A cap including a top wall (25) defining an opening (36) and a cylindrical snap tube (30) hanging from the top wall. The tube includes threads (34) designed to engage with external threads on a bottle neck. The threads on the tube and the threads on the bottle neck pass over each other when the cap is snapped onto the bottle during manufacturing. The tube includes a resistance hole (42) and a guide hole (70). The resistance hole and the guide hole house a forcing element (50) on a projection (80) of the bottle and allow the cap to be unscrewed. The walls (44, 46) of the resistance hole are preferably symmetrical.

Description

COVER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Numerous personal care products are sold in plastic bottles. Examples of such products include shower gels and shampoos. While the convenience of single-bottled shower gels or hair care products is for consumers, plastic bottles are generally discarded after a single use and sometimes end up in landfills. Although plastic bottles are sometimes recycled, both transportation to the recycling facility and the recycling process itself consume energy. Therefore, it would be preferable if the packaging were reused rather than discarded after a single use. Although some commercially available bottles could theoretically be reused by consumers, the ease of doing so generally leaves something to be desired. For example, it may be difficult for a consumer to remove the cap enough to facilitate access to the body of the bottle. This creates a significant impediment to the goal of waste minimization and plastic use. Therefore, there has been a need for a bottle having a cap that can be easily removed by the consumer. In addition, it is important that the consumer be able to easily reattach the cap to the bottle once the container has been refilled. While it is certainly desirable for the consumer to have easy access to the interior of the bottle, the bottle cannot be designed such that the cap separates from the bottle too easily. Otherwise, the product will be released from the container at inopportune times, such as during transportation. Also, the goal of an easily separable cap must be balanced with a competing goal, primarily ease of placing the cap on the bottle during manufacture and minimizing present production costs. U.S. Jackel Patent No. 8,365,933 describes a closure system including a pressure lid that can be pressed onto a mouth where two interacting elements are changed by or over one another due to their flexibility. The lid can only be removed with difficulty in the strictly axial / vertical direction by applying a certain force, but can be removed by a rotational movement that is said to be significantly easier to perform than the axial removal movement. The lid includes a recess in a cylindrical pressure tube that engages with a forcing element on the protrusion of the container. The sides of the recess are designed such that the gradient at a point on one side is smaller than the gradient at the same point on the other side. WO 2017 / 108697 describes a screw - on / press - on cap (22) and a bottle in combination with the cap. The cap includes an upper wall defining an opening and a cylindrical pressure tube (30) hanging from the upper wall. The tube includes threads designed to engage with the external threads at a neck of the bottle. The tube includes a strength cavity (42) and a guide cavity (79). U.S. Patent No. 4,456,137 describes interruptions in the threads of the bottle and cap. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to an improved screw - on / press - on cap that does not suffer from some of the disadvantages of prior caps. It can be easily and conveniently adjusted to pressure during the IVIA / a / ZUZÓ / UU 14 14 manufacturing, which is also easily opened by consumers. It is very durable, as can be seen in the standard industry drop test. The invention also relates to a package comprising the lid, for example, a bottle in combination with the lid. The base of the lid of the invention includes an upper wall defining an opening and a cylindrical pressure tube hanging from the upper wall and extending vertically / axially to a lower end of the tube. The cylindrical pressure tube includes threads, preferably on an inner wall, designed to engage with threads, preferably external, on a neck of the bottle. The base of the lid is press-fitted onto the neck of the bottle such that the thread(s) of the cylindrical pressure tube pass(es) over and temporarily secure(s) beneath the thread(s) of the neck of the container. Although the threads may be arranged such that they are internal to the pressure tube and external to the neck of the bottle, or external to the pressure tube and internal to the neck of the container, the invention will be described using the internal thread of the pressure tube / external thread of the neck of the bottle modality. The cylindrical pressure tube of the lid includes at least one resistance recess and at least one guide recess in its lower end. The resistance and guide recesses play roles in the unscrewing of the lid so that it can be easily removed for filling. The resistance recess includes first and second opposing walls defined by the cylindrical pressure tube. Preferably the gradients of the walls are essentially the same at each point extending to the same vertical axial height. That is, preferably the first and second walls of the resistance recess are essentially symmetric. Alternatively, the walls of the resistance recess have gradients where the gradient of one of the walls is smaller at least at one point than the gradient in the other wall at a point extending to the same axial / vertical height. The use of first and second symmetric resistance walls is advantageous in that they are easier to manufacture than walls with different angles. When the lid is closed, a forcing element of the container is at least partially received within the resistance cavity. In the embodiment with symmetric walls of the resistance cavity, the threads on the pressure tube and the coupling threads on the neck of the bottle are positioned at an angle that facilitates turning of the lid in the opening direction from the closed position and inhibits turning of the lid in the opposite direction from the closed position. Alternatively, in the embodiment with an asymmetric cavity, the wall of the resistance cavity with the highest gradient contacts a wall of the forcing element with an inclined gradient, which resists turning of the lid in one direction (without opening / closing / securing the lid), usually the direction clockwise. In both modalities, when the lid is rotated in the opposite direction, or for opening / unscrewing / removing the lid, the contact between the opposite wall of the resistance cavity and the forcing element forces the lid slightly upwards. In the case of the asymmetric resistance cavity, such an opposite wall will have a smoother gradient compared to the wall found in the closing direction. Similarly, the wall of the forcing element that contacts the wall of the resistance cavity in the opening direction will have a smoother gradient than the opposite wall of the forcing element. In the case of the symmetric walls of the resistance cavity, the gradients of each wall of the resistance cavity will be the same and the gradients of the front and back walls of the forcing element can also be the same. During this initial rotation, the thread on the pressure cylinder tube remains below the thread of the container neck as the lid travels axially upward relative to the container neck. The presence of the container neck thread above the pressure tube thread holds the lid associated with the container at this point and prevents its premature withdrawal. The axial movement results from the fact that the threads are inclined; the net result of the inclined rotational movement is axial movement. In the additional rotation of the cap in the direction opposite to the clockwise or unscrewing / opening direction, the forcing element in the bottle finds the rear end of the resistance hole followed by the lower edge of the pressure tube and then enters the guide hole. During the rotation of the cap in the unscrewing / opening direction, the guide hole first extends upward from the lower end to allow the cylindrical pressure tube to lower relative to the neck of the container while the coupling threads on the cylindrical pressure tube of the cap and the neck of the container contact each other but maintain their positions with the thread of the bottle above the thread of the pressure tube.After that, with the threads of the cylindrical pressure tube and the neck still in coupling, as the lid is rotated further in the direction of unscrewing / opening / removing the lid, the guide hole includes a gradually descending gradient towards the lower end of the cylindrical pressure tube.. The guide groove's descending gradient, and the resulting relative upward movement of the lid consistent with the coupling thread gradients at the container neck and rim, provides guidance and offers minimal resistance to turn the lid in the unscrewing / opening direction. The consumer can continue turning the lid with minimal resistance, whereby the lid is eventually removed. The presence of the guide groove also facilitates the reverse process where the consumer turns the lid in the closing direction, usually clockwise, after having filled the bottle. It is believed that without the guide groove, the lower part of the pressure tube would inhibit the coupling of the threads when screwing the lid. Eventually, the lid unscrews to a point where there is an interruption in one or both of the threads, which allows the threads to pass between each other and release the lid from the bottle. The forcing element does not need to touch the walls of the guide cavity; the guide cavity provides space for the movement of the forcing element as the cap rotates consistent with the angle of the threads of the pressure tube and the neck of the bottle. The cap may include a closure element that contacts and / or covers the upper wall of the base of the cap to seal the opening of the cap, but that can be removed from the opening to dispense the product. Preferably the closure element remains associated with the base of the cap when removed to dispense the product, for example, as a result of a hinge or other connection. The lower edge of the pressure tube extending between the resistance cavity and the guide cavity is preferably at least 2 mm and up to 5 mm, especially 2 to 4 mm, in length so as to maximize the durability of the cap, including promoting a good fit, a comfortably airtight fit of the cap on the bottle during a prolonged period of use. IVIA / a / ¿U¿O / UUl414 The cap of the invention allows ensuring the placement of a cap on the neck of the bottle during manufacture, even an easy removal of the cap from, and re - application of the cap to, the bottle by the consumer, thus encouraging the removal of the cap to refill the container. The cap is durable, for example, it is resistant to wear and breakage. The symmetric modality of the walls of the resistance cavity is easier to manufacture than the previous asymmetric version. It will be apparent that changes such as the threading / unthreading directions and the locations of the threads may require adjustments in the locations and shape of the resistance and guide holes. For a more complete understanding of the foregoing and other features and advantages of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description of preferred embodiments and to the appended drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the bottle and cap of the invention with the cap in cross-section. Figure 2 is a front elevational view of a bottle of the invention with a portion of the neck cut away and showing the base of the cap above it in cross-section with the closure cover removed. Figure 3 is a top perspective view of a cap according to the invention in the open position. Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of the lid of Figure 3. Figure 5 is a side elevation of the package of the invention with the lid partially rotated in the direction of unscrewing / opening / removing the lid and with portions of the lid separated to reveal the cylindrical pressure tube. Figure 6 is a side elevation view of an upper portion of the container with portions of the lid separated and with the lid in the fully closed position. Figure 7 is a side elevation view of the lid with separated portions. Figure 8 is a side elevation view of an upper portion of the container with portions of the lid separated and with the lid in the fully closed position for the embodiment where the resistance cavity has symmetric walls. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The lid 22 is seated on the bottle 20 (Figures 5, 6 and 8). The lid 22 includes a lid base 24 connected to the closure cover 26 by the hinge 28, although other possible arrangements will be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art. The lid base 24 includes a generally cylindrical pressure tube 30, seen better in Figures 1 and 2, descendingly hanging from the upper wall 25. The cylindrical pressure tube 30 is positioned to engage the neck 32 of the bottle 20. The inner wall of the cylindrical pressure tube 30 includes one or more internal threads 34, which project inwardly. The lid base 24 includes a distribution opening 36 centrally located within the upper wall 25. Although the opening 36 is illustrated and described as being centrally located, it may be offset if desired. Structure may be provided above and / or below the opening 36 for MA / a / ¿U¿O / UUl414 helps with pouring or sealing, such as the ring 38. When the base of the lid 24 is placed on the bottle 20, the opening 36 is in communication with the interior of the bottle 20 through the interior of the pressure tube 30 and the outer wall of the base of the lid 23. The closure cover 26 includes a stopper 40 to assist in sealing the lid and ultimately the bottle. The neck 32 of the bottle 20 includes an external threaded protrusion 60. As can be better seen in Figures 5 to 7, the cylindrical pressure tube 30 includes a resistance cavity 42 extending upward from the edge or lower end 43. The edge 43 typically extends perpendicular to the axis extending downward from the tube. A second resistance cavity 42a may be present 180° removed from the resistance cavity 42, as seen in Figure 1. The resistance cavity 42 includes two walls 44, 46 formed in the cylindrical pressure tube 30. As will be discussed below, in one modality the walls of the resistance cavity are symmetric. Additionally, as particularly seen in Figures 6 and 7, the walls are asymmetric. In the latter modality, the shape of the walls 44, 46 will depend on the direction in which the lid is desired to be rotated to release it from the bottle so that it can be removed. Typically, the caps are unscrewed / opened / removed by turning counterclockwise. For the purpose of the present description, unscrewing / opening counterclockwise will be assumed. However, it will be apparent that a different direction could be used if desired, and the shapes of the walls 44, 46, and 104, 106 described below, and the location of the guide hole 70 will be adjusted accordingly. As best seen in Figure 6, when the cap is in the closed position, the resistance hole 42 receives at least part of the forcing element 50, which is a protrusion permanently associated with the spout 80 of the bottle. During the rotation of unscrewing / opening, the rear wall of the resistance cavity, illustrated as 44 in the embodiment shown in Figure 7, includes at its lower end 45 a gradient that is more gradual than that of the opposite wall 46 (front) of the cavity; the gradient at the lower end of the wall 46 of the resistance cavity is steeper or inclined. The forcing element 50 also includes two side walls 54, 52 of different gradients. According to a preferred modality, as illustrated in Figure 8, the walls of the resistance cavity can also be symmetric or essentially symmetric. The resistance cavity 102 includes a front wall 104 and a rear wall 106. These walls are symmetric, mirror images of each other, such that the gradients of the walls are the same at each point extending to the same vertical axial height. Similarly, the walls 110 and 112 of the forcing element 108 are symmetric or essentially symmetric. The symmetric wall mode of the cavity (Figure 8) operates in the same manner as described for the asymmetric wall mode of the cavity, except that neither the wall of cavity 104 nor 106 includes an inclined gradient that prevents the rotation of the lid. Preferably, this mode is mainly based on the angles of the threads on the pressure tube and the neck of the bottle to substantially prevent or impede the rotation of the lid in the closing direction of the position shown in Figure 8. IVIA / a / ZUZÓ / UU 14 14 (This part seems to be some kind of non - meaningful or misspelled text and might need further clarification. For now, it's left as is in the translation.) For the asymmetric mode shown in Figure 6, starting from the initially closed position shown in the figure, if the lid is rotated in the clockwise direction as the consumer rotates it, an inclined gradient of the side wall 52 of the forcing element gives rise to an inclined gradient in the wall 46 of the resistance cavity and prevents rotation. On the other hand, in the rotation of the lid in the counterclockwise direction from the initially closed position, the side wall 54 of the forcing element having a smoother gradient gives rise to the wall 44 of the resistance cavity which has a smoother gradient in its lower half, for example, at 45, near its base.The effect of this contact between walls with smoother gradients is that, instead of preventing rotation, which occurs with steeper gradients, the forcing element 50 forces the walls of the resistance cavity and the hanging cylindrical pressure tube 30 slightly upward. The rotation of the lid in the opening direction results in an upward axial movement resulting from the angles of the threads of the pressure tube and the neck of the bottle. For the symmetric mode of Figure 8, similarly, in the rotation of the lid in the counterclockwise direction from the initially closed position, the side wall 11 of the forcing element 108 having a smoother gradient gives to the wall 106 of the resistance cavity which has a smooth gradient at least in its lower half, for example, at 45, near its base. The effect of contact between the walls of the smooth gradients is that, instead of the prevention of rotation, which occurs with the steeper gradients in the mode of Figure 6, the forcing element 108 forces the walls of the resistance cavity and the cylindrical pressure tube 30 hanging slightly upward. Again, here, the continuous rotation in the opening direction brings with it an axially upward component resulting from the angles of the threads of the pressure tube and the neck of the bottle. The smoothest, smallest gradient at 45 (Figure 7) of the wall 44 of the resistance cavity, and the wall gradient 106 are similar to or identical to the gradients of the corresponding side walls 54, 11 of the container's forcing element, which give the walls 44, 106 of the resistance cavity during unscrewing / opening. The wall gradient of 44 in section 45 is within the range of plus 10 degrees and minus 10 degrees from that of the wall 54. The wall gradient 106 at least where it will contact the forcing element 108 is within the range of plus 10 degrees and minus 10 degrees from that of the wall 11. In this way, if the wall 54 is at 45 degrees, the wall 44 in section 45 is within the range from 35 degrees to 55 degrees. In this way, if the wall 11 is at 45 degrees, the wall gradient 106 where it will contact the wall 11 is within the range from 35 degrees to 55 degrees.Each of the walls 44, 106, and 11, 54 is within the range of between 30 and 85 degrees. The wall gradient of 44 in section 45, and the wall gradient of 106 at the point where it contacts the forcing element, are measured relative to a horizontal line drawn through the edge section 56. The gradients of the walls 54, 11 are measured at the point where they first contact the walls 44, 106 respectively upon rotation and are measured with respect to a horizontal line crossing the contact points with the walls 44, 106, the line being parallel to, or coincident with, the section 56 of the lower edge.. The additional rotation in the counterclockwise direction of the lid 22 during the For the consumer to remove the lid 14, the forcing element 50 or 108 will disengage the wall 44 or 106 of the resistance cavity, and the upper part 58 of the forcing element will contact the section 56 of the lower edge 43 of the pressure cylinder tube. Even during further counterclockwise unscrewing / opening rotation of the lid 22, the upper part 58 of the forcing element 50 or 108 finds the guide groove 70, as observed for example in Figures 7 and 8. The guide groove 70 includes a wall 72 extending upward in a gradient within the range of 90 and 135 degrees to a horizontal line drawn through the section 56 of the lower edge and then a wall 74 extending downward in a less severe gradient within the range of 0 to 10 degrees, especially 4 to 10 degrees, relative to a horizontal line drawn through the intersection 75 of the wall 74 (Figure 5) and the lower part 43 of the tube.The upper wall 58 of the forcing elements 50 and 108 preferably does not touch the first and second guiding walls during rotation. Preferably, the guiding groove allows the free rotation of a pressure tube 30 consistent with the separation of the threads of the pressure tube and the neck of the bottle during which the forcing element 50 or 108 is housed within the space of the guiding groove.. The distance between the resistance hole 42 or 102 and the guiding groove 70 is measured along the lower edge section 56 from the point where the wall 44 or 106 joins the lower edge or end 43 of the pressure tube to the point where the wall of the guiding groove 70 begins to rise at the start of the wall 72. The distance between the resistance hole and the guiding groove in the unscrewing / opening direction is preferably at least 3 mm. The distance is typically from 2 mm to 5 mm, especially from 2 mm to 4 mm. The presence of the guide hole in addition to the resistance hole also facilitates the rotation of the lid in the closing direction, which is generally opposite to the clockwise direction. When the lid is rotated in the closing direction, clockwise direction, at point 75 (Figure 5), the forcing element 50 or 108 will be below the gradually upwardly inclined wall 74 of the guide hole 70, then the downwardly inclined, more inclined, wall 72 will contact the edge 43 in section 56 and finally will be placed between the walls 44 or 106 and 46 or 104 of the resistance hole in the closed position, as shown in Figures 6 and 8. In operation, during the manufacture of the package, the lid 22 is pressure - fitted onto the neck 32 (for example, Figure 2) of the bottle 20 by the lid 22 being axially pressed downward (or the bottle 20 being axially pressed upward, or both). Since the bottle body and the lid are made of a flexible material and / or due to the presence of one or more cavities in the tube allowing the cylindrical pressure tube 30 to expand resiliently radially, the internal thread 34 on the cylindrical pressure tube passes over the external thread 60 on the neck of the container and the lid is pressure - fitted onto the neck. In this way, the lid is securely attached to the container and a substantial amount of effort would be required for the consumer or another external force to separate them using a strictly vertical or upward axial movement. Alternatively, the lid 22 can be initially applied to the container 20 by turning, to engage the threads. In normal use, the product is distributed with the cover 26 removed from the opening 36. The cover 26 is then closed so that the plug 40 seals the opening when the product is not in use. IVIA / a / ¿U¿O / UU14 14 When the bottle is substantially empty of shampoo, shower gel, lotion or other product originally contained therein, the consumer removes the cap 22 from the package to facilitate its refilling and reuse. To initiate removal of the cap, the consumer turns it, typically in the counterclockwise direction, starting from the position shown in Figure 6 or Figure 8 where the forcing element 50 or 108 is at least partially housed within the recess 42 or 102. The forcing element 50 or 108 forces the cap 22 slightly upward during rotation of the cap as described above.As the lid rotates, the thread 34 of the pressure tube remains below the thread 60 of the neck of the container, at least until the forcing element reaches a position below the second wall 72 of the guide recess, preferably until the forcing element reaches a position beyond the position below the second wall of the guide recess. That is, the threads maintain their relative axial positions until the forcing element reaches such positions, at which point one or more interruptions in the threads allow them to pass each other and release the lid of the bottle. During rotation, the angle of the threads of the pressure tube and the neck of the bottle results in an axial upward component for the movement of the lid. Returning more specifically to the interaction between the forcing element and the pressure tube, after passing through the resistance hole, the forcing element 50 or 108 then encounters the section 56 of the lower edge 43 of the cylindrical pressure tube and then further rotation of the lid / pressure tube brings the forcing element below the wall 72 extending upward of the guide hole 70. The latter allows the cylindrical pressure tube to axially lower itself towards the neck of the container and houses the forcing element such that it does not interfere with the rotation of the pressure tube. The thread 34 of the cylindrical pressure tube remains below the thread 60 of the bottle while the lid is still retained on the bottle and the consumer can continue to use normal rotation to unscrew the lid from the neck of the container. Figure 5 shows the forcing element 50 within the hole 70. The forcing element 108 would similarly be housed within the hole 70.Preferably, the forcing element 50, 108 does not touch the first and second walls of the guide cavity but is housed within the cavity as the pressure tube / cap rotates. Alternatively, this unscrewing rotation can optionally be further facilitated by the upper part 58 of the forcing element contacting the downwardly extending wall 74 of the guide cavity 70. The optional contact of the upper part 58 with the downwardly extending wall 74 can lift the cylindrical pressure tube of the cap to support the normal unscrewing action of the cap, whereby the cap is easily removed. The separation of the threads of the pressure tube and the neck of the bottle is similar to the wall gradient 74, mainly 0 to 10 degrees, especially 4 to 10 degrees.. At some point during the opening rotation, preferably after the forcing element is beyond a location below the second wall of the guide cavity, the interruptions in one or both of the threads of the pressure tube and the threads of the bottle neck will allow the thread of the pressure tube to pass the thread of the bottle neck, whereby the cap is released from the bottle. Typically this will occur at a greater rotation in the opening direction than the position shown for the forcing element 50 in Figure 5, for example, the forcing element 50 will be closer to, preferably beyond, the point 75. The removal is also facilitated by the flexible material of which the cap is made. IVIA / a / ¿U¿O / UUl414 With the cap removed, the consumer will then fill the bottle with shampoo or other product. Then he applies the cap to the bottle again either by pressing the cap axially downward onto the neck of the bottle in a direction similar to that used in manufacturing, or by screwing the cap back onto the neck of the bottle. If he chooses the latter, the edge 43 moving clockwise of the tube 30 optionally contacts the upper part 58 of the forcing element (50 or 108). When it reaches the point 75 (Figure 5), it is preferably below the gradually ascending wall 74 which allows the tube to move down relative to the neck of the bottle consistent with the normal downward screwing of a cap. At this point, the threads have engaged. The front and / or upper wall of the forcing element is then preferably below the wall 72 of the guide recess 70 that houses the elevation of the tube 30 relative to the neck 32 of the bottle and the upper part 58 of the forcing element 50 or 108 then optionally contacts the section 56 of the rim 43. On further rotation of the pressurized tube, the forcing element reaches the wall 44 or 106 of the resistance recess and the tube 30 moves downward as the forcing element 50 or 108 lodges within the recess 42. As the consumer turns the closed cap, the internal thread 34 of the tube 30 remains in position below the external thread 60 on the neck 32 of the bottle, thus keeping the cap attached to the bottle. In the asymmetric option, as shown for example in Figure 6, when the wall 52 of the forcing element encounters the inclined wall 46 of the resistance cavity 42, the lid cannot rotate further. In the symmetric option, as shown in Figure 8, the angle of the threads tends to prevent further rotation once the wall 112 of the forcing element encounters the front wall 104 of the resistance cavity. If additional protection against rotation in the closing direction is desired when the forcing element 108 reaches this point, additional locking mechanisms such as a tooth on the lid that engages a detent in the neck of the bottle or spout can be provided. Although threads, pressure buttons and other protrusions are generally illustrated herein as being internal to the pressure tube and external to the bottle neck, if desired this may be reversed so that the protrusion(s) will be external to the pressure tube and internal to the bottle neck. As used herein, the “threads” include traditional bottle neck type threads, pressure buttons and other protrusions that function similar to threads. Preferably, pressure buttons will be used for the “threads” of the pressure tube and more traditional bottle neck threads will be used for the bottle neck. When it is said herein that the gradient of each of the walls of the resistance cavity at each axial height is essentially the same or that the walls are essentially symmetric, it means that at each axial height the angle of the wall with respect to the pressure tube edge is within 10% of the angle at the same axial height of the opposite wall of the resistance cavity. Preferably the angle of the wall is within 5% of the angle of the opposite wall of the cavity, more particularly within 1%, most preferably within 0.5% and even more preferably the angles are the same at each axial height. The exact height and shape of the resistance cavity can be influenced by the material of which the ΜΛ / a / ZUZÓ / UU 1414 cap, especially the pressure tube is made and thus can be adjusted after the plastic components are tested. The lid can be placed securely and economically on the neck of the container by strictly vertical / axial placement in the bottle during manufacture, while providing the consumer with the ability to easily rotate the lid for removal and reapplication to the bottle, promoting refilling of the container. The lid 22 can also be applied to the container during manufacture by rotating it to engage the threads. References to upward or downward movement in the present assume that the container 20 is resting on its base (not shown) at its end opposite the lid. The lid can be made of polypropylene or polyethylene or similar polymeric materials, and the bottle can be molded of polyethylene or polypropylene or high density PET. The lid is designed to be durable, resisting breakage and normal use when opening and closing the lid and even when throwing it away. Personal care products include products for application to the skin, scalp or mouth, such as shampoo, shower gel, skin lotions, etc. Of course, it should be understood that the specific forms of the invention illustrated and described herein are intended to be representative only since certain changes can be made herein without departing from the clear teachings of the description. In accordance with the foregoing, reference should be made to the appended claims below to determine the full scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A cap (22) characterized in that it comprises: a. an upper wall (25) defining an opening (36); b. a cylindrical pressure tube (30) hanging from the upper wall and extending axially to a lower end; c. the cylindrical pressure tube (30) including at least one resistance hole (42) at its lower end (43); d. the cylindrical pressure tube (30) further including at least one thread (34); e. the cylindrical pressure tube defining opposing, first and second, walls of the resistance hole; and f. the lower end of the cylindrical pressure tube being formed to include a guide hole (70) consistent with lowering the thread (34) of the cylindrical pressure tube relative to a neck of the bottle.the cap being configured such that the guide recess (70) includes a first wall (72) of the guide recess having an upward gradient and a second wall (74) of the guide recess having a downward gradient, whereby in a direction of rotation of the cap opening, the first wall (72) of the guide recess allows the cylindrical pressure tube (30) to descend axially towards the neck of the bottle having a forcing element and the second wall (74) of the guide recess being consistent with the cylindrical pressure tube of the cap rising relative to the bottle and the thread (34) maintaining its axial position relative to a thread in a neck of the bottle to which the cap is being applied when the forcing element contacts one of said walls of the resistance recess at least until the forcing element reaches a position below the second wall (74) of the guide recess, and wherein the walls, first and second, of the resistance recess have gradients,and where the gradients of the first and second walls of the resistance void are essentially the same at any point extending to the same axial height.

2. The lid (22) according to claim 1, further characterized in that it additionally includes a closing cover (26) for closing the opening, the closing cover (26) being hinged to a base (24) of the lid.

3. The cover (22) according to claim 1 or 2, further characterized in that in the direction of rotation to unscrew the cover, after encountering the resistance recess (42), the forcing element is housed within the guide recess (70) and is below the first wall (72) of the guide recess and after the second wall (74) of the guide recess.

4. The cap (22) in accordance with any of the preceding claims, further characterized in that when the forcing element reaches a position below the first wall (72) of the guide cavity, the thread (34) of the cylindrical pressure tube and the thread of the bottle maintain their relative axial positions with the thread of the bottle above the thread (34) of the pressure tube.

5. The cover (22) in accordance with any of the preceding claims, further characterized in that the distance between the resistance recess (42) and the guide recess (70) in the unscrewing direction is at least 2mm.

6. The cover (22) according to claim 5, further characterized in that the distance between the resistance recess (42) and the guide recess (70) in the unscrewing direction is from 2mm to 5mm.

7. The cover (22) according to claim 6, further characterized in that the distance between the resistance hole (42) and the guide hole (70) in the unscrewing direction is from 2mm to 4mm.

8. The cover (22) in accordance with any of the preceding claims, further characterized in that the first wall of the guide recess (72) has a gradient from 90 to 135 degrees.

9. The cover (22) in accordance with any of the preceding claims, further characterized in that the second wall of the guide recess (74) has a gradient from 0 to 10 degrees.

10. A container comprising a combined lid according to claim 1 and a bottle (20), the bottle having a bottle neck (32), and at least one forcing element (50), the bottle neck having a thread (60), the at least one forcing element (50) of the bottle being adapted to be received at least partially within the resistance recess (42) of the cylindrical pressure tube (30) of the lid, characterized in that in a direction of rotation of the lid opening the first wall (72) of the guide recess allows the cylindrical pressure tube (30) to be axially lowered towards the forcing element (50) and the second wall (74) of the guide recess being consistent with the cylindrical pressure tube (30) of the lid being raised relative to the bottle,the thread (34) of the pressure tube and the thread (60) of the bottle neck maintaining their relative axial positions with the thread (60) of the bottle neck above the thread (34) of the pressure tube when the forcing element (50) contacts the wall of the resistance hole at least until the forcing element (50) reaches a position below the second wall (74) of the guide hole.

11. The container according to claim 10 further characterized in that it additionally comprises an interruption in one or more of the thread (34) of the pressure tube and the thread (60) of the bottle and wherein after the forcing element (11) reaches a position below the second wall (74) of the guide hole, the thread (34) of the cylindrical pressure tube passes the thread (60) of the bottle through one or more interruptions, thereby releasing the cap (22) of the bottle (20).

12. The lid in accordance with any of claims 1 to 9, further characterized in that the pressure thread (34) is on an inner wall thereof.

13. The container according to any of claims 10 to 12, further characterized in that the pressure thread (34) is on an inner wall thereof and the thread (60) of the bottle neck is external to the neck (32) of the bottle.

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