IP Library Granted Patent US 12,258,182
Granted Patent B2
US 12,258,182 · App. 17/640,372 · Granted Mar 25, 2025

Closure assembly for a container and container having a closure assembly

Inventors: Angelo Sorbara (Rubiera, IT); Rocco De Paola (Modena, IT); Franco Cani (Asti, IT); Pietro Martini (Parma, IT); Tiziano Viani (Bibbiano, IT)
Assignee: TETRA LAVAL HOLDINGS & FINANCE S.A.
B65D41/3447B65D55/16B65D2401/20
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,258,182
App. No.
17/640,372
Granted
Mar 25, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

There is described a closure assembly for a container filled or fillable with a pourable product. The closure assembly comprises a lid, a first ring member, a second ring member, a coupling element connected to the lid and one of the first ring member and the second ring member, at least one rupturable first coupling bridge connecting the first ring member and the second ring member to one another; and at least one rupturable second coupling bridge connecting the second ring member and the lid to one another.

Claims (54)

1. A closure assembly for a container filled or fillable with a pourable product, the closure assembly being manipulatable from an initial state to a manipulated state;

the closure assembly comprises:

a lid;

a first ring member;

a second ring member;

a coupling element connected to the lid and to one of the first ring member and the second ring member;

at least one rupturable first coupling bridge connecting the first ring member and the second ring member to one another in the initial state of the closure assembly, the at least one rupturable first coupling bridge being rupturable as the closure assembly is manipulated to the manipulated stated so that the at least one rupturable first coupling bridge is ruptured and the first and second ring members are completely disconnected from each other; and

at least one rupturable second coupling bridge connecting the second ring member and the lid to one another in the initial state of the closure assembly, the at least one rupturable second coupling bridge being rupturable as the closure assembly is manipulated to the manipulated stated so that the lid and the second ring member are no longer connected to each other by way of the at least one rupturable second coupling bridge while the lid remains connected to the one of the first ring member and the second ring member by way of the coupling element.

2. The closure assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the first coupling bridge is designed to rupture at a force being equal or larger than a first rupturing force and the second coupling bridge is designed to rupture at a force being equal or larger than a second rupturing force;

wherein the first rupturing force is smaller than the second rupturing force.

3. The closure assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the second ring member is interposed between the lid and the first ring member.

4. The closure assembly according to claim 1 , wherein at least the first ring member is designed as a tamper-evidence element.

5. The closure assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the closure assembly is controllable in

the initial state with the first coupling bridge and the second coupling bridge being connected respectively to the first ring member and the second ring member and to the second ring member and the lid; and

the manipulated state at which the first coupling bridge and the second coupling bridge are ruptured;

wherein the closure assembly further comprises:

a first rupturing device configured to actuate a non-reversible rupturing of the first coupling bridge during control of the closure assembly from the initial state to the manipulated state; and

a second rupturing device configured to actuate a non-reversible rupturing of the second coupling bridge during control of the closure assembly from the initial state to the manipulated state.

6. The closure assembly according to claim 5 , wherein the closure assembly is also controllable in an intermediate state in which the first coupling bridge is ruptured and the second coupling bridge is connected to the second ring member and the lid;

wherein the first rupturing device is configured to actuate the non-reversible rupturing of the first coupling bridge during control of the closure assembly from the initial state to the intermediate state; and

the second rupturing device is configured to actuate the non-reversible rupturing of the second coupling bridge during control of the closure assembly from the intermediate state to the manipulated state.

7. The closure assembly according to claim 5 , wherein the lid is controllable between at least a first operative configuration in which the lid is coaxial to the first ring member and/or the second ring member and a second operative configuration in which the lid is transversally arranged to the first ring member and/or the second ring member;

wherein the lid is in the first operative configuration when the closure assembly is in the initial state;

wherein the first rupturing device and the second rupturing device are configured such that the first coupling bridge ruptures prior to the second coupling bridge during control of the lid from the first operative configuration to the second operative configuration.

8. The closure assembly according to claim 5 , and further comprising a collar delimiting a pouring outlet;

wherein the first ring member and the second ring member are coupled to and surround the collar.

9. The closure assembly according to claim 8 , wherein the lid comprises an inner threaded portion and the collar comprises an outer threaded portion;

wherein the inner threaded portion and the outer threaded portion are configured to allow for selectively fastening and loosening the lid on the collar.

10. The closure assembly according to claim 1 , and further comprising a cutting device configured to rupture and/or pierce and/or cut and/or open a separation membrane of the container.

11. The closure assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the connecting element is connected to the lid and the second ring member.

12. A container for a pourable product comprising at least one main body being filled or being fillable with the pourable product and at least one closure assembly according to claim 1 and being coupled to the main body.

13. The closure assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the first ring member and the second ring member are coaxial both: i) before the at least one rupturable first coupling bridge and the at least one rupturable second coupling bridge are ruptured; and ii) after the at least one rupturable first coupling bridge and the at least one rupturable second coupling bridge are ruptured.

14. A closure assembly for a container filled or fillable with a pourable product, the closure assembly being manipulatable from an initial state to a manipulated state, the closure assembly comprising:

a lid;

a pair of ring-shaped members;

a coupling element connecting the lid to one of the ring-shaped members;

the pair of ring-shaped members including a first rotatable ring-shaped member and a second rotatable ring-shaped member;

at least one rupturable first coupling bridge connecting the first ring-shaped member and the second ring-shaped member to one another in the initial state of the closure assembly, the at least one rupturable first coupling bridge being rupturable as the closure assembly is manipulated to the manipulated stated so that the at least one rupturable first coupling bridge is ruptured and the first ring-shaped member is rotatable relative to the second ring-shaped member; and

the first ring-shaped member and the second ring-shaped member being configured to remain ring-shaped after the at least one rupturable first coupling bridge is ruptured.

15. The closure assembly according to claim 14 , further comprising at least one rupturable second coupling bridge connecting the second ring-shaped member and the lid to one another in the initial state of the closure assembly, the at least one rupturable second coupling bridge being rupturable as the closure assembly is manipulated to the manipulated stated so that the lid and the second ring-shaped member are no longer connected to each other by way of the at least one rupturable second coupling bridge while the lid remains connected to the one of the ring-shaped members by way of the coupling element, the first and second ring-shaped members being configured to remain ring-shaped after the at least one rupturable second coupling bridge is ruptured.

16. The closure assembly according to claim 14 , wherein the first ring-shaped member and the second ring-shaped member are coaxial both: i) before the at least one rupturable first coupling bridge and the at least one rupturable second coupling bridge are ruptured; and ii) after the at least one rupturable first coupling bridge and the at least one rupturable second coupling bridge are ruptured.

17. The closure assembly according to claim 14 , and further comprising a cutting device configured to rupture and/or pierce and/or cut and/or open a separation membrane of the container.

18. The closure assembly according to claim 14 , and further comprising a collar delimiting a pouring outlet;

wherein the first ring-shaped member and the second ring-shaped member are coupled to and surround the collar;

wherein the lid comprises an inner threaded portion and the collar comprises an outer threaded portion;

wherein the inner threaded portion and the outer threaded portion are configured to allow for selectively fastening and loosening the lid on the collar, by respectively screwing and unscrewing action.

19. A container for a pourable product comprising at least one main body being filled or being fillable with the pourable product and at least one closure assembly according to claim 14 and being coupled to the main body.

20. A closure assembly for a container filled or fillable with a pourable product, the closure assembly comprising:

a lid;

a first ring-shaped member;

a second ring-shaped member in overlying relation to the first ring-shaped member, the lid being in overlying relation to the second ring-shaped member;

at least one rupturable first coupling bridge connecting the first ring-shaped member and the second ring-shaped member to one another, the at least one rupturable first coupling bridge being rupturable so that the first ring-shaped member and the second ring-shaped member are disconnected from one another; and

at least one rupturable second coupling bridge connecting the second ring-shaped member and the lid to one another, the at least one rupturable second coupling bridge being rupturable so that the lid is movable away from the overlying relation to the second ring-shaped member while the second ring-shaped member remains in the overlying relation to the first ring-shaped member; and

the lid being connected to the second ring-shaped member by a coupling element, the coupling element connecting the lid and the second ring-shaped member to each other before the at least one rupturable second coupling bridge is ruptured, after the at least one rupturable second coupling bridge is ruptured and while the lid is being moved away from the overlying relation to the second ring-shaped member.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 19, 2025
From: SORBARA, ANGELO; DE PAOLA, ROCCO; CANI, FRANCO; MARTINI, PIETRO; VIANI, TIZIANO
To: TETRA LAVAL HOLDINGS & FINANCE S.A.
Reel/Frame 070262/0485 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 4, 2022
From: SORBARA, ANGELO; DE PAOLA, ROCCO; CANI, FRANCO; MARTINI, PIETRO; VIANI, TIZIANO
To: TETRA LAVAL HOLDINGS & FINANCE S.A.
Reel/Frame 059167/0553 →
Priority Claims (1)
EP 19200328 · Sep 30, 2019 · regional
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220363447A1 · Nov 17, 2022
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