Stopper for closing containers

Abstract

A stopper ( 100; 100′ ) for closing a container, comprising a main body ( 1; 1′ ) shaped so as to be removably housed and engaged in an opening of said container, and extending along a longitudinal axis (X) thereof between two opposed base surfaces ( 2, 3 ) which face the outside and the inside of the containers, respectively, when said main body ( 1; 1′ ) is housed and engaged in said opening, said stopper ( 100; 100′ ) comprising a barrier element ( 4; 4′ ) made from a material with high impermeability to gases and provided on a transverse surface portion ( 5 ) of said stopper ( 100; 100′ ) positioned transversely with respect to said longitudinal axis (X) so as to intercept the flow of gas through said stopper ( 100; 100′ ), said barrier element ( 4; 4′ ) being intended to reduce the passage of gas through said stopper ( 100 ), characterized in that said barrier element ( 4, 4′ ) comprises a plastic barrier layer ( 41; 43 ) made from polyisobutylene-based elastomers, preferably SIBS and/or TPV and/or TPU, or from aluminium and/or alloys thereof, or from tin and/or alloys thereof, or EVOH or PVDC.

1 . Stopper ( 100 ;  100 ′) for closing a container, comprising a main body ( 1 ;  1 ′) so shaped as to be removably housed and engaged in an opening of said container, and extending along a longitudinal axis (X) thereof between two opposed base surfaces ( 2 ,  3 ) which face an outside and an inside of the containers, respectively, when said main body ( 1 ;  1 ′) is housed and engaged in said opening, said stopper ( 100 ;  100 ′) comprising a barrier element ( 4 ;  4 ′) made from a material with high impermeability to gases and provided on a transverse surface portion ( 5 ) of said stopper ( 100 ;  100 ′) positioned transversely with respect to said longitudinal axis (X) so as to intercept the flow of gas through said stopper ( 100 ;
   100 ′), said barrier element ( 4 ;  4 ′) being configured to reduce the passage of gas through said stopper ( 100 ), said barrier element ( 4 ,  4 ′) comprising a plastic barrier layer ( 41 ;  43 ) made from at least one of the following polyisobutylene-based elastomers: SIBS; and/or TPV or TPU, the stopper ( 100 ;  100 ′) further comprises a further barrier layer ( 43 ) applied onto said barrier element ( 4 ) so that the barrier element ( 4 ) is enclosed between said further barrier layer ( 43 ) and said body ( 1 ;  1 ′), said transverse surface portion ( 5 ) having a smaller extension than a transverse section ( 5 ′) of said body ( 1 ;  1 ′) so that an attachment area ( 6 ) for said further barrier layer ( 43 ) is defined on said transverse surface ( 5 ). 
 
     
     
         2 . Stopper ( 100 ;  100 ′) for closing a container, comprising a main body ( 1 ;  1 ′) shaped so as to be removably housed and engaged in an opening of said container, and extending along a longitudinal axis (X) thereof between two opposed base surfaces ( 2 ,  3 ) which face an outside and an inside of the containers, respectively, when said main body ( 1 ;  1 ′) is housed and engaged in said opening, said stopper ( 100 ;  100 ′) comprising a barrier element ( 4 ;  4 ′) made from a material with high impermeability to gases and provided on a transverse surface portion ( 5 ) of said stopper ( 100 ;  100 ′) positioned transversely with respect to said longitudinal axis (X) so as to intercept the flow of gas through said stopper ( 100 ;
   100 ′), said barrier element ( 4 ;  4 ′) being configured to reduce the passage of gas through said stopper ( 100 ), said barrier element ( 4 ;  4 ′) comprising a barrier layer ( 42 ) made from at least one of: aluminum; alloys thereof, tin; alloys thereof, EVOH, or PVDC, the stopper ( 100 ;  100 ′) further comprises a further barrier layer ( 43 ) applied onto said barrier element ( 4 ) so that the latter is enclosed between said further barrier layer ( 43 ) and said body ( 1 ;  1 ′), said transverse surface portion ( 5 ) having a smaller extension than a transverse section ( 5 ′) of said body ( 1 ;  1 ′) so that an attachment area ( 6 ) for said further barrier layer ( 43 ) is defined on said base surface ( 3 ). 
 
     
     
         3 . The stopper according to  claim 2 , wherein said barrier element ( 4 ;  4 ′) further comprises an adhesion layer ( 421 ) configured to be interposed, in use, between said body ( 1 ;  1 ′) and said barrier layer ( 42 ), and configured to promote adhesion of said barrier layer ( 42 ) to said body ( 1 ;  1 ′). 
     
     
         4 . The stopper according to  claim 3 , wherein said barrier element ( 4 ;  4 ′) further comprises a further adhesion layer ( 422 ) configured to be applied to said barrier layer ( 42 ), so that the barrier layer ( 42 ) is interposed between said adhesion layer ( 421 ) and said further adhesion layer ( 422 ). 
     
     
         5 . The stopper according to  claim 4 , wherein at least one of said adhesion layer ( 421 ) or said further adhesion layer ( 422 ) is made from a polyolefin material, or from the same material as that of which said body is made. 
     
     
         6 . The stopper according to  claim 4 , wherein at least one of said adhesion layer ( 421 ) or said further adhesion layer ( 422 ) is made from PE, PP, PET or EVA. 
     
     
         7 . The stopper according to  claim 2 , wherein said barrier layer ( 42 ) has a plurality of holes for regulating the flow of gas through said body ( 1 ;  1 ′). 
     
     
         8 . The stopper according to  claim 1 , wherein said transverse surface portion ( 5 ) is provided on at least one of said base surfaces ( 2 ,  3 ) of said body ( 1 ;  1 ′). 
     
     
         9 . The stopper according to  claim 1 , and comprising a first and a second barrier element ( 4 ,  4 ′) provided on the two opposite base surfaces ( 2 ,  3 ) of said body ( 1 , 1 ′). 
     
     
         10 . The stopper according to  claim 1 , wherein said additional barrier layer ( 43 ) is made from at least one of the following polyisobutylene-based elastomers: SIBS, TPU or TPV. 
     
     
         11 . The stopper according to  claim 1 , wherein said additional barrier layer ( 43 ) is made from elastomers similar to the material from which said body ( 1 ;  1 ′) is made. 
     
     
         12 . The stopper according to  claim 1 , wherein a longitudinal end ( 3   a ) of said body ( 1 ;  1 ′) is tapered so as to define an attachment area ( 6 ) for said additional barrier layer ( 43 ) on said body ( 1 ,  1 ′). 
     
     
         13 . The stopper according to  claim 12 , wherein said longitudinal end ( 3   a ) is tapered so as to define an attachment wall ( 3   b ) inclined with respect to said longitudinal axis (X) by an angle (α) of between 25° and 75°. 
     
     
         14 . The stopper according to  claim 1 , wherein said compressible body ( 1 ) is of cylindrical shape and is made from at least one of: polyethylene or polyolefin materials with metallocene catalysts, or styrene polymers such as SEBS. 
     
     
         15 . The stopper according to  claim 1 , comprising a head ( 7 ) provided at the longitudinal end ( 2 ) of said body ( 1 ′) which is configured to face, in use, towards the outside of said container to be closed with said stopper, said head ( 7 ) having a cross section (S 1 ) whose extension is greater than that of the cross section ( 5 ) of said body ( 1 ′).