Bottle closing device

Claim 1

A device for closing the mouth of a bottle used in a freeze drying operation, which mouth is surrounded by a radially outwardly extending bottle mouth rim having a given outer diameter, comprising cap means (2), claw ring means (10) made of a synthetic material, sealing stopper means operatively located in said claw ring means, said sealing stopper means including a stopper body and radially extending flange means, said stopper body including axially extending slot means (20), said claw ring means including claw means (13) adapted to reach under said bottle mouth rim in the bottle closing position when said cap means encloses said claw ring means (10) whereby the cap means presses the claw means substantially radially inwardly, said closing device further comprising locking means (5, 15) on said claw ring means and on said cap means, said locking means (5) of said cap means (2) snapping under said locking means (15) of said claw ring means (10) when the cap means (2) is pushed downwardly onto said claw ring means (10) whereby lifting off the cap means from the claw ring means, without destroying the cap means, is prevented when the latter are in the bottle closing position, said locking means comprising a bottom rim means (5) forming part of said cap means and facing substantially radially inwardly, said bottom in rim means (5) having an inner diameter sufficiently larger than said given outer diameter to provide for said snapping, said claw means (13) comprising radially outwardly facing edges (15) for engaging said bottom rim means (5) when the device is in the bottle closing position, said claw means being normally biased radially outwardly for permitting said snapping of said edges (15) into engagement with said bottom rim means (5) of said locking means whereby said bottom rim means reaches under said claw means in the bottle closing position and forces the claw means to engage the bottle mouth rim, and flip top means (7,8) forming part of said cap means for removing said cap means from said claw ring means, said axially extending slot means (20) of said sealing stopper means providing for venting said bottle prior to completely inserting said sealing stopper means into the bottle mouth and then sealing the latter when the sealing stopper is completely inserted, said cap means comprising a top surface including top rim means and lateral wall means extending substantially perpendicularly to said top rim means, said flip top means including handle means (7) normally extending substantially in the plane defined by said top surface and top rim means, gap means (6) substantially separating said handle means (7) from said top rim means (3), tongue means (9) connecting said handle means (7) to said top rim means (3) across said gap means (6) and to said lateral wall means, and reduced strength means (8) operatively interposed between said tongue means (9) and said top rim means and between said tongue means and said lateral wall means for pulling said flip top means out of said cap means to open a bottle.

Claim 2

A device for closing the mouth of a bottle used in a freeze drying operation, which mouth is surrounded by a radially outwardly extending bottle mouth rim having a given outer diameter, comprising cap means (2), claw ring means (10) made of a synthetic material, sealing stopper means operatively located in said claw ring means, said sealing stopper means including a stopper body and radially extending flange means, said stopper body including axially extending slot means (20), said claw ring means including claw means (13) adapted to reach under said bottle mouth rim in the bottle closing position when said cap means encloses said claw ring means (10) whereby the cap means presses the claw means substantially radially inwardly, said closing device further comprising locking means (5, 15) on said claw ring means and on said cap means, said locking means (5) of said cap means (2) snapping under said locking means (15) of said claw ring means (10) when the cap means (2) is pushed downwardly onto said claw ring means (10) whereby lifting off the cap means from the claw ring means, without destroying the cap means, is prevented when the latter are in the bottle closing position, said locking means comprising a bottom rim means (5) forming part of said cap means and facing substantially radially inwardly, said bottom in rim means (5) having an inner diameter sufficiently larger than said given outer diameter to provide for said snapping, said claw means (13) comprising radially outwardly facing edges (15) for engaging said bottom rim means (5) when the device is in the bottle closing position, said claw means being normally biased radially outwardly for permitting said snapping of said edges (15) into engagement with said bottom rim means (5) of said locking means whereby said bottom rim means reaches under said claw means in the bottle closing position and forces the claw means to engage the bottle mouth rim, and flip top means (7,8) forming part of said cap means for removing said cap means from said claw ring means, said axially extending slot means (20) of said sealing stopper means providing for venting said bottle prior to completely inserting said sealing stopper means into the bottle mouth and then sealing the latter when the sealing stopper is completely inserted, said cap means comprising a top surface including top rim means and lateral wall means extending substantially perpendicularly to said top rim means, said flip top means including handle means (7) normally extending substantially in the plane defined by said top surface and top rim means, gap means (6) substantially separating said handle means (7) from said top rim means (3), tongue means (9) connecting said handle means (7) to said top rim means (3) across said gap means (6) and to said lateral wall means, and reduced strength means (8) operatively interposed between said tongue means (9) and said top rim means and between said tongue means and said lateral wall means for pulling said flip top means out of said cap means to open a bottle.