Bottle, cap and machine
AssigneeFords Packaging Systems Limited
InventorsLaura Anne Whincup, Sefton Whitlock
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A container sealing machine comprising: a rotary turret having a plurality of sealing heads arranged to rotate about an axis of the rotary turret, each sealing head comprising: an inductive heater arranged to inductively heat a foil closure of a container, and a sealing surface arranged to exert pressure on the closure, and a plurality of gripper assemblies arranged to rotate about the axis of the rotary turret, each gripper assembly being arranged for engaging a neck of a container; a bottle and a closure for use in such a machine; and a machine and method for manufacturing such a closure.
Claims23
A container sealing machine comprising:
- a rotary turret having a plurality of sealing heads arranged to rotate about an axis of the rotary turret, each sealing head comprising:
- an inductive heater arranged to inductively heat a foil closure of a container, and
- a sealing surface arranged to exert pressure on the closure, and
- a plurality of gripper assemblies arranged to rotate about the axis of the rotary turret, each gripper assembly being arranged for engaging a neck of a container.
A method of sealing a container comprising:
- holding a container by a gripper assembly of a rotary turret, the gripper assembly having two arms,
- moving the container with the rotary turret,
- applying a closure to the container, and
- inductively heating the closure with a sealing head, the sealing head moving with the container.
A plastic container comprising:
- a container body for holding a liquid, and
- a neck extending from the body along an axis, the neck comprising:
- a rim, the rim defining a container opening, which is in fluid communication with the body, the opening having a diameter do,
- wherein a cross-section of the rim has a perimeter, at least a portion of the perimeter has a radius of curvature rc, and 0.005 do<rc<0.15 do.
A sealed plastic container comprising:
- a plastic container having a rim defining a container opening, and
- a foil closure adhered to the rim over an annular adhesive area, a portion of the foil closure covering the opening,
- wherein, when an internal pressure in the container is greater than an external pressure, the portion of the foil closure is arranged to take a domed shape, and
- wherein the plastic container is arranged such that, when the portion of the foil closure takes said domed shape, the portion of the foil closure meets the rim at a tangent to the rim at a radially inner edge of the adhesive area.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.