Beverage container closures

Abstract

A container for a carbonated beverage has an interrupted external screw thread surrounding its mouth opening engageable with an internal screw thread of a rotatable closure. The rotatable closure is in two parts and has a stiffened top member and a separate, rotatable depending rim to rotatably engage on the container and hold the top member in sealing engagement with the opening of the container. To prevent missiling on opening, pressure venting means such as slots extending through the closure may be provided. Alternatively, the rotatable closure may be configured to have a two stage opening movement. As the rotatable closure is made in two parts it has a low opening torque.

1 . The combination of a container for a carbonated beverage and a rotatable closure for the container, 
 the container comprising a body member having an opening at one end thereof, said opening having an annular periphery and defining an unrestricted mouth opening for the container,    the rotatable closure comprising a top member having a periphery and a separate depending rim, the rim being engageable with the periphery of the top member and being rotatable relative to the top member, and    the combination further comprising first external engagement means formed on said body member proximate to said opening and second engagement means formed internally of the rim of said rotatable closure, said first and second engagement means being engageable to allow said rotatable closure to be engaged on and removed from the container by rotating the rim of the rotatable closure relative to the opening of the container,    wherein the rotatable closure is selectively rotatable to a closed position that closes and seals said opening and being arranged, in said closed position, to withstand a pressure of and substantially maintain a pressurized state of the contents of the container when the container has been filled with a carbonated beverage,    wherein the top member of the rotatable closure comprises a substantially circular panel and a radially extending, circumferential portion extending around the outer circumference of said circular panel, and a first, inner annular rim, and a second, outer annular rim, each said rim depending downwardly from said circumferential portion,    said inner and outer rims being spaced to define therebetween a downwardly open annular channel extending around the circumferential portion of the top member, wherein the annular periphery of the container opening is received within said annular channel in the closed position of the rotatable closure to provide a seal at the top of the container opening, and,    in the closed position of the rotatable closure, the inner rim of the top member is engaged against an interior surface of the annular periphery of the container opening to provide a seal within the container opening, and    wherein the circular panel of the top member is stiffened to withstand the pressure of the contents of the container.    
     
     
         2 . A combination according to  claim 1 , wherein the circular panel is siffened by a plurality of stiffening ribs formed on an interior surface of the circular panel.  
     
     
         3 . A combination according to  claim 1 , wherein the annular periphery of the container opening is provided with an annular projection for receipt within, and engagement with, the annular channel of the top member in the closed position of the rotatable closure.  
     
     
         4 . A combination according to  claim 1 , wherein an internal surface of the separate depending rim carries an annular projection arranged to engage the second, outer annular rim of the top member in the closed position of the rotatable closure.  
     
     
         5 . A combination according to  claim 1 , wherein the material of the body member of the container and the material of the separate depending rim of the rotatable closure are the same.  
     
     
         6 . A combination according to  claim 1 , further comprising pressure venting means defined by at least one of said container and said rotatable closure for allowing pressure to be vented from the interior of the container upon rotation of the rim of said rotatable closure out of the closed position during opening of the container.  
     
     
         7 . A combination according to  claim 6 , wherein said pressure venting means comprise one or more slots extending through said rotatable closure.  
     
     
         8 . A combination according to  claim 6 , wherein said pressure venting means comprise one or more slots extending through said container.  
     
     
         9 . A combination according to  claim 6 , wherein said pressure venting means comprise means associated with said first and second engagement means for imparting a two stage opening movement of said rotatable closure relative to the opening of the container.  
     
     
         10 . A combination according to  claim 1 , wherein said unrestricted mouth opening for the container has a diameter which exceeds 30 millimeters.  
     
     
         11 . A combination according to  claim 10 , wherein said unrestricted mouth opening has a diameter exceeding 50 millimeters.  
     
     
         12 . A combination according to  claim 1 , wherein the top member of said rotatable closure is made of metal.  
     
     
         13 . A combination according to  claim 1 , wherein the top member of said rotatable closure is made of plastics material.  
     
     
         14 . A combination according to  claim 13 , wherein an oxygen scavenger has been combined with said plastics material.  
     
     
         15 . A combination according to  claim 1 , wherein the separate depending rim of the rotatable closure is made of a plastics material.  
     
     
         16 . A combination according to  claim 15 , wherein the body member of the container is made of a plastics material which is the same as the plastics material of the separate depending rim.  
     
     
         17 . A combination according to  claim 1 , wherein said rotatable closure is removable from the container by rotating the rim of the rotatable closure relative to the opening of the container, and wherein rotation of said closure through less than one complete revolution thereof is effective to enable its removal.  
     
     
         18 . A combination according to  claim 1 , wherein said first and second engagement means comprise lugs and/or stops provided on one of the rim and of the container, and corresponding recesses, guides and/or stops provided on the other of the container and of the rim.  
     
     
         19 . A combination according to  claim 1 , wherein said first engagement means comprises an external screw thread provided on said container around said opening.  
     
     
         20 . A combination according to  claim 19 , wherein said external screw thread on the container is interrupted.  
     
     
         21 . A combination according to  claim 19  or  claim 20 , wherein said second engagement means further comprises a plurality of lugs on the interior of the rim of said rotatable closure for engagement with said external screw thread.  
     
     
         22 . A combination according to  claim 19  or  claim 20 , wherein said second engagement means comprises an internal screw thread on the rim of said rotatable closure for engagement with said external screw thread.  
     
     
         23 . A combination according to  claim 1 , wherein said second engagement means comprise an internal screw thread on the rim of said rotatable closure.  
     
     
         24 . A combination according to  claim 23 , wherein said internal screw thread is interrupted.  
     
     
         25 . A combination according to  claim 23  or  claim 24 , wherein said screw thread varies in pitch.  
     
     
         26 . A container according to  claim 23 , wherein said first engagement means comprise a plurality of lugs provided on said container and spaced around said opening, said lugs being engageable with said internal screw thread.  
     
     
         27 . A combination according to  claim 6 , wherein said second engagement means are formed on an inner surface of said rim of the rotatable closure, and said pressure venting means are associated with said second engagement means.  
     
     
         28 . A combination according to  claim 6 , wherein said pressure venting means comprise one or more slots extending in said rim of the rotatable closure.  
     
     
         29 . A combination according to  claim 27  or  claim 28 , wherein said pressure venting means comprise means associated with said second engagement means and arranged to cause said rotatable closure to require a two stage opening movement.  
     
     
         30 . A combination according to  claim 27  and  claim 28 , wherein said pressure venting means comprise one or more anti-missiling stops associated with said second engagement means.  
     
     
         31 . The combination of a container for a carbonated beverage and a rotatable closure for the container, 
 the container comprising a body member fabricated from plastics material and having an opening at one end thereof, said opening having an annular periphery and defining an unrestricted mouth opening for the container,    the rotatable closure comprising a top member having a periphery and a separate depending rim, the rim being engageable with the periphery of the top member and being rotatable relative to the top member, and    the combination further comprising first external engagement means formed on said body member proximate to said opening and second engagement means formed internally of the rim of said rotatable closure, said first and second engagement means being engageable to allow said rotatable closure to be engaged on and removed from the container by rotating the rim of the rotatable closure relative to the opening of the container,    wherein the rotatable closure is selectively rotatable to a closed position that closes and seals said opening and being arranged, in said closed postion, to withstand a pressure of and substantially maintain a pressurized state of the contents of the container when the container has been filled with carbonated beverage,    wherein the top member of the rotatable closure comprises a substantially circular panel and a radially extending, circumferential portion extending around the outer circumference of said circular panel, and a first, inner annular rim, and a second, outer annular rim, each said rim depending downwardly from said circumferential portion,    said inner and outer rims being spaced to define therebetween a downwardly open annular channel extending around the circumferential portion of the top member, wherein the annular periphery of the container opening is received within said annular channel in the closed position of the rotatable closure to provide a seal at the top of the container opening, and,    in the closed position of the rotatable closure, the inner rim of the top member is engaged against an interior surface of the annular periphery of the container opening to provide a seal within the container opening,    and wherein pressure venting means are defined by at least one of said container and said rotatable closure, for allowing pressure to be vented from the interior of the container upon rotation of said rim of said rotatable closure out of said closed position during opening of the container.