Bottle caps

Abstract

A bottle cap is disclosed having a tear tab cooperating with score lines extending across the top of the cap for manual removal of the cap from a bottle. The score lines are located slightly spaced from the peripheral edge of the top of the cap and arranged at least partly around the periphery of the cap. This arrangement of the score lines serves to obtain an easy removal of the cap from the bottle after the tearing operation and is moreover in combination with the sealing element effectively preventing any risk for corrosion along the score lines.

We claim: 
     
       1. A cap for a container having a neck defining an opening, said cap comprising an upper wall to overlie the opening and having a peripherally depending skirt to engage the neck to secure the cap in position over the opening and a tear tab projecting radially from said skirt, and score lines on said wall defining a tear portion, said score lines consisting of two weakening lines traversing the cap at least one of which extends across opposite portions of said skirt substantially in line with an edge of said tear tab, each of said weakening lines on said upper wall being arranged substantially adjacent and parallel to the boundary between said upper wall and the skirt, and a peripheral sealing element bonded to the inside surface of the wall and covering said inside surface of the wall along the length of said score lines. 
     
     
       2. The cap of claim 1 wherein the sealing element consists of a ring seal. 
     
     
       3. The cap of claim 2, wherein said ring seal is bonded to the cap within the area of said tear portion and is broken during the initial tearing operation. 
     
     
       4. The cap of claim 2 wherein said ring seal comprises a thin film on both sides of each of the score lines along their length and said film is arranged to be broken during the tearing operation so that the relatively sharp tear edges obtained are masked to a certain extent by said film. 
     
     
       5. The cap of claim 1 wherein the bond between said sealing element and said wall comprises an adhesive. 
     
     
       6. The cap of claim 1 in which each of said weakening lines extends across opposite portions of said skirt substantially in line with an edge of said tear tab. .Iadd. 
     
     
       7.  A tear-off convenience bottle cap comprising a circular top panel surrounded by a cylindrical skirt terminating in a lowermost free edge, a radiused juncture portion connecting said top panel and said skirt, a gripping ear formed as an integral part of said skirt extending downwardly and radially outwardly from said free edge, a tearing zone commencing at said skirt free edge on either side of said gripping ear and extending upwardly across said skirt, each of said tearing zones blending in an outwardly diverging pattern into a path lying in close proximity to the periphery of said cap top panel, said tearing zones extending rearwardly from said gripping ear so as to partially surround said cap top panel and an annular sealing gasket adhesively affixed to said cap interior so as to completely overlie said tearing zones along said path whereby removal of said cap causes tearing of said gasket along said path..Iaddend. .Iadd.8. A tear-off convenience closure as in claim 7, the mass of said sealing gasket being disposed radially outwardly of said tearing zone 
     
     
        path..Iaddend. .Iadd.9.  A tear-off convenience bottle cap comprising a circular top panel surrounded by a cylindrical skirt terminating in a lowermost free edge, a radiused juncture portion connecting said top panel and said skirt, a gripping ear formed as an integral part of said skirt extending from said free edge, a tearing zone commencing at said skirt free edge adjacent said gripping ear and extending upwardly across said skirt and blending into a path lying in close proximity to the periphery of said cap top panel, said tearing zone extending rearwardly from said gripping ear to at least partially surround said cap top panel and an annular sealing gasket adhesively affixed to said cap interior so as to completely overlie said tearing zone along said path with the mass of said sealing gasket being disposed radially outwardly of said tearing zone path and leaving a thinned out section of sealing gasket overlying said tearing zone path whereby removal of said cap causes tearing of said gasket along said path..Iaddend.