Closure for a container

Abstract

A closure (1) for a container having a neck (10) with a pouring orifice, comprises a fixed part (2) attachable to the neck (10); a detachable part (3) connected with the fixed part (2) and configured to be detached from it upon first opening of the closure The fixed part (2) has first and second type reference decorations (21, 22) arranged thereon, the detachable part (3) has first and second type checking decorations (31, 32) arranged thereon. The second type reference decorations (22) comprise a reference portion (23) identifying a production lot and differ from the first type reference decorations (21) in the reference portion (23), the second type checking decorations (32) comprise a checking portion (33) identifying a production lot and differ from the first type checking decorations (31) in the checking portion (33). The reference portion (23) and the checking portion (33) identify a unique production lot.

Description

[0001] TITLE: “Closure for a container”.

[0002] DESCRIPTION

[0003] TECHNICAL FIELD

[0004] The present invention relates to a closure for a container, particularly of the tamper-evident type, and a method for checking authenticity of the closure. The closure and the method of the present invention have specific application in bottles designed to hold fine liquids, such as alcoholic beverages.

[0005] Background art

[0006] In the technical field are known safety closures, also known as tamper-evident closures, that comprise tamper-evident means configured to provide evidence of first opening of the closure. In particular, known closures comprise a main part, such as a sleeve to be attached to the neck of a container, and a seal attached to the sleeve by means of frangible members designed to separate the seal from the sleeve upon first opening of the closure. In this way, it is possible to clearly give evidence of the first opening in order to prevent the tampering of the content of the container.

[0007] However, the known safety closures provide no indication to the consumer about the genuineness of the bottle contents. In more detail, the known closures do not allow for an effective verification of the authenticity of the closure and, therefore, of the bottle. Indeed, since the widespread use of these closures in the technical field, counterfeiters have been able to reassemble the detached components to create a seemingly authentic closure that has not yet been opened.

[0008] In order to overcome this tampering, in the prior art, closures have been provided with a tamper-evident seal, which is removable upon first opening and is provided with tracer elements, known as taggants. Such taggants, when authenticity is checked, determine a response signal higher than a predetermined threshold. If the closure is tampered and seal is modified or replaced, it will no provide the expected signal, thus indicating tampering. An example of such closures is shown in document IT MI20130719.

[0009] In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, another solution has been provided in the state of the art, relating to closures with safety seals comprising two or more parts with different spans, where the specific combination of number of parts and span refers to a specific production lot, and is not known to counterfeiters. An example of these closures is shown in document C02021012056.

[0010] However, these known closures cannot effectively prevent or hinder the reassembly of their components so to prevent tampering. The state of the art therefore requires a solution that better prevents tampering and, in particular, makes it more difficult to reassemble components of the closure once the closure has been opened.

[0011] Other known solutions are disclosed in US 2022 / 388744, CN 108438506 and EP 3523212.

[0012] US 2022 / 388744 discloses a closure with a fixed part and a removable part. The fixed part has a barcode pattern and the removable part has visible letters, where the barcode pattern and the visible letters identify a lot of production. This solution, however, does not prevent tampering of the closures by counterfeiters.

[0013] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a closure alternative to the known closures and capable of overcoming the aforementioned prior art drawbacks.

[0015] In particular, the object of the present invention is to provide a closure that makes it more difficult or prevents the reassembly of the closure’s components after the first opening, while at the same time allowing an efficient and optimized authenticity check.

[0016] Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for checking the authenticity of a closure according to the present invention. The technical purpose and object are substantially fulfilled by closure and a method that comprise the technical features disclosed in one or more of the accompanying claims.

[0017] Advantages of the invention

[0018] In the context of several closures opened and piled up for a tampering operation, the closure of the present inventions has the advantageous effect of making it harder to correctly reassemble the parts or components of each individual closure once they have been opened, due to the presence of a reference code and a checking code arranged on the closures according to a specific logic.

[0019] Advantageously, these codes are not visible at first sight, as they are integrated into the decorations of the closures, thus hindering the reassembly of the components in the correct manner. In more detail, if a closure according to the present invention is reassembled using different parts from different other closures, the checking code will not match with the reference code, thus providing evidence that the closure has been tampered. In this case, when the authenticity of the closure is checked by means of the method of the present invention, it is immediately apparent that parts from different closures have been mixed and that the closure has been tampered.

[0020] Further advantageously, when a large number of closures are piled up together, the time required to match each individual part or component of the closure according to the specific logic is incredibly long, thus discouraging tampering of the closure.

[0021] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0022] The features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of a possible practical embodiment thereof, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0023] - Figure la is a schematic representation of a side view of a closure according to the present invention;

[0024] - Figure lb is a schematic representation of a top perspective view of the closure of Figure la;

[0025] - Figure 2 shows a schematic example of a reference decorations and checking decorations to be arranged on the closure of Figure la.

[0026] DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] With particular reference to the accompanying figures, 1 refers to a closure for a container, for example a bottle for alcoholic beverages, having a neck 10 with a pouring orifice. It should be noted that the neck 10 can be intended as the neck of the bottle, or a pourer mounted on the neck of the bottle.

[0028] The closure 1 comprises a fixed part 2 configured to be attached to the neck 10 of the container. Preferably, the fixed part 2 is firmly attached to the neck 10, where the wording “firmly attached” is to be intended that the fixed part 2 has to remain attached to the neck 10 of the container upon first opening of the closure 1. According to one embodiment, the fixed part 2 can be removable from the neck 10 for example for recycling purposes.

[0029] The closure 1 also comprises a detachable part 3, which is connected to the fixed part 2 and configured to be detached from the fixed part 2 upon first opening of the closure and to be removably attached to the fixed part 2 for opening and closing the pouring orifice of the container.

[0030] According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the fixed part 2 comprises a sleeve 2a of tubular shape, which extends along a longitudinal direction X- X and has a side wall having an outer side surface 2b. In the following, reference is made to the sleeve 2a as it is the preferred embodiment of the present invention. However, the technical features disclosed below are to be intended for any type of fixed part 2 as above defined. The sleeve 2a has reference decorations 20 arranged thereon, on the outer side surface 2b of the sleeve 2a, preferably along a circumferential direction. The reference decorations 20 comprise first type reference decorations 21 and second type reference decorations 22. The latter comprise a reference portion 23 that identifies a production lot. The second type reference decorations 22 hence differ from the first type reference decorations 21 in the reference portion 23, as shown in figures la, lb and 2.

[0031] Analogously, the detachable part 3 has checking decorations 30 arranged thereon. The checking decorations 30 comprise first type checking decorations 31 and second type checking decorations 32. The latter comprise a checking portion 33 that identifies a production lot. The second type checking decorations 32 differ from the first type checking decorations 31 in the checking portion 33 as shown in figures la, lb and 2.

[0032] The checking portion 33 and the reference portion 23 identify a unique production lot. It should be noted that the reference portion and the checking portion thus act as coding portions, or codes, for an authenticity check. Indeed, by checking the production lot identified by these portions it is possible to verify the authenticity of the closure 1, as better explained hereinafter.

[0033] The reference decorations 20 and the checking decorations 30 can applied on the sleeve 2a and the detachable part 3 during or after the process of plastic molding / sheet metal is performed, based on the material of the closure (plastic or aluminum).

[0034] According to the preferred embodiment, the detachable part 3 comprises tamper-evident means 6 that are configured to break upon first opening to allow the detaching of the detachable part 3 from the sleeve 2a.

[0035] In more detail, according to an aspect, the detachable part 3 comprises a cap 4 configured to close the pouring orifice of the container, which is removably connected to the sleeve 2a. The cap 4 comprises a side wall having an outer side surface 4a, parallel to the longitudinal direction X-X, and a top surface 4b, transversal to the longitudinal direction X-X.

[0036] The cap 4 is connected to the sleeve 2a by means of the tamper-evident means 6. With further detail, the tamper-evident means 6 comprise frangible portions 7 configured to break upon first opening of the closure 1. In this case, the checking decorations 30 are arranged on the cap 4. In more detail, the checking decorations 30 are arranged on the side surface 4a of the cap 4 and / or on the top surface 4b of the cap 4. The frangible portions 7 may be weakening lines or a plurality of angularly spaced bridges.

[0037] According to another aspect, the tamper-evident means 6 of the detachable part 3 comprise a tamper-evident seal 5 comprising a side wall having a side surface 5a and removably connected to the sleeve 2a and configured to be detached from the sleeve 2a to provide evidence of first opening of the closure 1. In more detail, the tamper-evident means 6 also comprise frangible portions 7 to connect the seal 5 to the sleeve 2a. In this case, the checking decorations 30 are arranged on the seal 5. In more detail, the checking decorations 30 are arranged on the side surface 5a of the seal 5.

[0038] According to a preferred aspect of the invention, shown in figure la and lb, the detachable part 3 comprises both the cap 4 and the seal 5, which is interposed between the cap 4 and the sleeve 2a. In this case, the seal 5 is connected by means of the frangible portions 7 to the cap 4 and to the sleeve 2a and is configured to separate at least in part from the sleeve 2a and from the cap 4 upon first opening. In this preferred case, the checking decorations 30 are arranged on the side surface 5a of the seal 5 and / or on the side surface 4a and / or on the top surface 4b of the cap 4.

[0039] According to a preferred embodiment, the reference decorations 20 comprise at least two first type reference decorations 21 and at least one second type reference decoration 22 arranged between two first type reference decorations 21. It should be noted that for any number of first type and second type reference decorations 21, 22, each second type reference decorations 22 is to be intended as interposed between two first type reference decorations 21. It should also be noted that, for a plurality of second type reference decorations 22, each of them comprises a corresponding reference portion 23. The reference portions 23 are preferably identical to each other.

[0040] Analogously, the checking decorations 30 comprise at least two first type checking decorations 31 and at least one second type checking decoration 32 arranged between two first type checking decorations 31. It should be noted that for any number of first type and second type checking decorations 31, 32, each second type checking decorations 32 is to be intended as interposed between two first type checking decorations 31. It should also be noted that, for a plurality of second type checking decorations 32, each of them comprises a corresponding checking portion 33. The checking portions 33 are preferably identical to each other.

[0041] According to the preferred embodiment, each first type and second type reference decoration 21, 22 are spaced from each other reference decoration 20, preferably along the circumferential direction, and each first type and second type checking decoration 31, 32 are spaced from each other checking decoration 30 along the circumferential direction, when arranged on the side surface 4a of the cap 4 and / or on the side surface 5a of the seal 5, or along a radial direction R-R, transversal to the longitudinal direction X-X, when arranged on the top surface 4b of the cap 4.

[0042] According to a preferred aspect, the checking decorations 30 and the reference decorations 20 comprise one or more of text elements, graphic elements, numeric elements, or part of text elements, graphic elements, numeric elements, in one or more colors. It should be noted that, when both cap 4 and seal 5 are present, the checking decorations 30 may be arranged partially on the cap 4 and partially on the seal 5. Optionally, the reference portion 23 and the checking portion 33 comprise one or more of additional text elements, graphic elements, numeric elements at least partially superimposed to the text elements, graphic elements, numeric elements of first type reference decorations 21 and first type checking decoration 31, respectively.

[0043] Alternatively, the reference portion 23 and the checking portion 33 comprise one or more of additional text elements, graphic elements, numeric elements substituting at least a part of the text elements, graphic elements, numeric elements of the first type reference decorations 21 and the first type checking decoration 31, respectively.

[0044] In a preferred aspect, the reference portion 23 and the checking portion 33 are related to one or more of year, month, week, quarter, semester of the identified production lot. For example, the reference portion 23 and the checking portion 33 may comprise a 3 -digit code or a 4-digit code relating to the quarter and year of production of the lot, which is superimposed to the respective first type decorations or which substitutes a part of the text elements, graphic elements, numeric elements of the respective first type decorations.

[0045] Preferably, the reference portion 23 of the second type reference decorations 22 comprises a similar or substantially identical combination of colors and text elements, graphic elements, and numeric elements of the checking portion 33 of the second type checking decorations 32. In the context of the description, “similar or substantially identical” means that the two portions are identical except for minor differences, such as the font of the text element or color.

[0046] Alternatively, the reference portion 23 may be different from the checking portion, in order to increase the difficulty of matching and reassembling the closure’s components after first opening.

[0047] According to an embodiment of the invention, not shown, the closure 1 comprises tracer elements, known as taggants, arranged at the reference portion 23 and at the checking portion 33. In more detail, the closure 1 may comprise a coating applied to the closure 1 and comprising the tracer elements at the reference and checking portions 23, 33, or an intermediate layer attached to the sleeve 2a and to the cap 4 and / or to the seal 5 on the internal side of the closure 1, with the tracer elements arranged at the reference and checking portions 23, 33. Advantageously, the tracer elements are configured to determine a signal, above a respective threshold, that is detectable by a device. In this way, it is possible to further facilitate the authenticity check of the closure 1 by combining the visual aspect given by the reference and checking portions 23, 33, with the presence of detectable elements, i.e., the taggants. In alternative embodiments, instead of taggants, the closure 1 may comprise electrical or electronic elements which are detectable by the device, and which perform substantially the same function as the taggants.

[0048] According to an embodiment, when the is seal 5 is comprised, it may comprise a ring removably attached to the sleeve 2a, and eventually to the cap 4, by means of the frangible portions 7. Optionally, the ring of the seal 5 comprises one or more parts 51 extending along a circumferential portion of the ring with a respective span.

[0049] According to an aspect of the embodiment, not shown, the ring comprises at least two parts of equal or different spans. Optionally, at least one part of the ring has a span which is different from the span of at least another part. Any combination of number of parts and span is to be intended included in the present description.

[0050] According to an embodiment, the closure 1 is made of plastic material. In this embodiment, the closure 1 is decorated with reference decorations 20 and checking decorations 30 by means one of the following techniques: screen printing, UV litho printing, pad printing, flexographic printing, digital printing. It should be noted that any other printing technique allowing to print or impress a specific pattern to the closure is to be intended included in the above list.

[0051] In more detail, the closure 1 may be decorated by pressing a blank, for example a stencil, on the closure’s surface. The blank may comprise ink thereon according to a pattern defined by reference decorations 20 and checking decorations 30, as shown for example in figure 2, or printing means configured to impress the pattern on the closure 1 by partially deform the outer surface of the closure 1.

[0052] According to an alternative embodiment, the closure 1 is made of aluminum. In this embodiment, the closure 1 is decorated with reference decorations 20 and checking decorations 30 by means one of the following techniques: UV printing, screen printing, digital printing, sublimation printing, or any other technique that allows to print on the aluminium. If necessary, the closure 1 may be coated with a layer of primer before decoration.

[0053] Another object of the present invention is a method for checking authenticity of the closure 1 of the present invention.

[0054] According to a preferred embodiment, the method may be carried out by means of a device for checking authenticity, not shown, which is configured to acquire reference decorations 20 and checking decorations 30.

[0055] The method thus preferably comprises the step of providing such device for checking authenticity.

[0056] The method comprises the step of identifying first and second type reference decorations 21, 22 on the fixed part 2 of the closure 1.

[0057] The method thus comprises the step of identifying the reference portion 23 of the second type reference decorations 22. In more detail, this step foresees the identification of the production lot identified by the reference portion 23.

[0058] The method comprises the step of identifying first and second type checking decorations 31, 32 on the detachable part 3 of the closure 1. The method comprises then the step of identifying the checking portion 33 of the second type checking decorations 32. In more detail, this step foresees the identification of the production lot identified by the checking portion 33.

[0059] Then, the method comprises the step of checking the authenticity of the closure 1 by comparing the production lot identified by the reference portion 23 with the production lot identified by the checking portion 33. A positive outcome of the comparing is obtained when the two lots coincide, while a negative outcome is obtained when the two lots differ.

[0060] When a positive outcome is achieved, the method envisages to establish the authenticity of the closure. On contrary, when a negative outcome is achieved, the method envisages to establish the tampering of the closure 1.

[0061] According to the preferred embodiment, the step of checking authenticity comprising the sub-step of acquiring by means of the device for checking authenticity, which is configured to acquire the reference and checking portions 23, 33, the checking portion 33 from the detachable part 3 and the reference portion 23 from the fixed part 2.

[0062] The step of checking thus preferably comprises the sub-step of comparing by means of the device the production lots identified by the reference and checking portions 23, 33.

[0063] Preferably, the step of checking also comprises the sub -step of generating by means of the device an authenticity signal for a positive outcome of the comparison, or a tampering signal for a negative outcome of the comparison.

[0064] It should be noted that the signal may be generated on the basis of elaboration of the images acquires, or as a function of concentration of taggants arranged at the reference and checking portions 23, 33, or as a function of signal generated by the electrical or electronic elements arranged at the reference and checking portions 23, 33, or on the basis of any other known technique of the state of the art.

[0065] Advantageously, the method of the present invention allows to perform an authenticity check on the closure by personnel, such as inspectors responsible for the verification of bottles to be placed on the market.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A closure (1) for a container having a neck (10) with a pouring orifice, the closure (1) comprising:- a fixed part (2) configured to be attached to the neck of the container;- a detachable part (3) connected with the fixed part (2) and configured to be detached from the fixed part (2) upon first opening of the closure, wherein the fixed part (2) has reference decorations (20) arranged thereon and comprising first type reference decorations (21) and second type reference decorations (22), where the second type reference decorations (22) comprise a reference portion (23) identifying a production lot, and differ from the first type reference decorations (21) in the reference portion (23), and the detachable part (3) has checking decorations (30) arranged thereon and comprising first type checking decorations (31) and second type checking decorations (32), where the second type checking decorations (32) comprise a checking portion (33) identifying a production lot, and differ from the first type checking decorations (31) in the checking portion (33), and wherein the reference portion (23) and the checking portion (33) identify a unique production lot.

2. The closure (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein:- the reference decorations (20) comprise at least two first type reference decorations (21) and at least one second type reference decoration (22) arranged between two first type reference decorations (21), and- the checking decorations (30) comprise at least two first type checking decorations (31) and at least one second type checking decoration (32) arranged between two first type checking decorations (31).

3. The closure (1) as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the checking decorations (30) and the reference decorations (20) comprise one or more of text elements, graphic elements, numeric elements, or part of text elements, graphic elements, numeric elements, in one or more colors.

4. The closure (1) as claimed in claim 3, wherein the reference portion (23) of the second type reference decorations (22) comprises a similar or substantially identical combination of colors and text elements, graphic elements, and numeric elements of the checking portion (33) of the second type checking decorations (32).

5. The closure (1) as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the reference portion (23) and the checking portion (33) are related to one or more of year, month, week, quarter, semester of the identified production lot.

6. The closure (1) as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the fixed part (2) comprises a sleeve (2a) and the detachable part (3) comprises a cap (4) configured to close the pouring orifice of the container, the detachable part (3) comprising tamper- evident means (6) connecting the cap (4) with the sleeve (2a).

7. The closure (1) as claimed in claim 6, wherein the tamper-evident means (6) comprise frangible portions (7) connecting the cap (4) to the sleeve (2a) and configured to break upon first opening, the checking decorations (30) being arranged at least on the cap (4).

8. The closure (1) as claimed in claim 6 or 7, wherein the tamper-evident means (6) comprise a tamper-evident seal (5) interposed between the cap (4) and the sleeve (2a), and frangible portions (7) connecting the tamper-evident seal (5) to the cap (4) and to the sleeve (2a) and configured to break upon first opening to separate at least part the seal (5) from the cap (4) and the sleeve (2a), the checking decoration (30) being arranged at least on the seal (5).

9. The closure (1) as claimed in claim 8, wherein:- each reference decoration (20) is arranged on a side surface (2b) of the sleeve (2a) and is spaced along a circumferential direction from each other reference decoration (20) on the side surface (2b) of the sleeve (2a),- each checking decoration (30) is arranged on a side surface (4a, 5a) of the cap (4) and / or of the seal (5), and / or on a top surface (4b) of the cap (4), each checking decoration (30) being spaced along the circumferential direction from each other checking decoration (30) when arranged on the respective side surface (4a, 5a) of the cap (4) and / or of the seal (5), or along a radial direction (R-R) when arranged on the top surface (4b) of the cap (4).

10. The closure (1) as claimed in claim 8 or 9, wherein the seal (5) is a ring removably attached to the sleeve (2a) and to the cap (4) by means of the frangible portions (7), the ring comprising one or more parts extending along a circumferential portion of the ring of a respective span.

11. A method for checking authenticity of a closure (1) as claimed in any claims 1 to 10,the method comprising:- identifying first and second type reference decorations (21, 22) on the fixed part (2) of the closure (1),- identifying the reference portion (23) of the second type reference decorations (22),- identifying first and second type checking decorations (31, 32) on the detachable part(3) of the closure (1),- identifying the checking portion (33) of the second type checking decorations (32),- checking the authenticity of the closure by comparing the production lot identified by the reference portion (23) with the production lot identified by the checking portion (33), wherein the step of checking comprises: if a positive outcome is obtained from the comparison, establishing the authenticity of the closure (1), if a negative outcome is obtained from the comparison, establishing the tampering of the closure (1).

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, comprising the step of:- providing a device for checking authenticity configured to acquire the checking portion and the reference portion; wherein the step of checking comprises the sub steps:- acquiring by means of the device for checking authenticity the checking portion (33) from the detachable part (3) and the reference portion (23) from the fixed part (2);- comparing by means of the device for checking authenticity the production lots identified by the reference portion (23) and checking portion (33);- generating by means of the device for checking authenticity an authenticity signal for a positive outcome of the comparison, or- generating by means of the device for checking authenticity a tampering signal for a negative outcome of the comparison.

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