The invention relates to a drinking bottle closure with a rotatable closure cap for an insulated bottle or for an insulated mug, having the features of the pre amble of claim 1 .

Such an easy-to-use drinking bottle closure is known from CN 202919352 U. By mounting the closure cap in the center, it is possible to construct the closure and an associated bottle or cup with a small diameter. The drawback is that the sealing effect may be cancelled when the pressure inside the vessel increases. In this case, the cover can be lifted off the sealing ring. In addition, there is a risk that the cover will inadvertently be turned off by the user if it is rotated beyond the open position.

DE 20 2012 000 258 U1 also shows a generic drinking bottle closure with a rotatable closure cap for an insulated cup. Here, too, a sealing rim is pressed from above onto a contact surface when the cap is turned, so that the same disadvantages exist as mentioned above.

A further drinking bottle closure is described in US 2 735 566 A. The closure cap is screwed against the container body via a threaded spindle for sealing,

whereby rapid opening and closing is not possible. The closure is not intended or suitable for drinking directly from the bottle.

EP 2 359 722 A2 discloses a drinking bottle closure in which the housing com prises a sealing element comprising at least one sealing lip which is arranged below the sealing edge of the housing and an outer edge of the rotary closure cap is arranged to make contact on a lower part of the sealing lip. As the rotat able closing cap is arranged underneath the sealing edge it might be lost in the housing accidentally. Further, it is apparent from this arrangement that the max imum axial displacement of the closure cap, as well as therefore the maximum possible angle of rotation, are limited.

Another drinking bottle closure having the sealing element arranged beneath a sealing edge of the housing is disclosed in JP 2004 315009 A. The same draw back applies here as the sealing element is arranged at the lowermost end of the closure arrangement.

Still another drinking bottle closure with a similar design concept and conse quently with similar drawbacks is disclosed in US 5 944 235 A.

The object of the present invention is to prevent the cap from being unscrewed accidentally while still having an improved sealing effect when internal pressure inside the bottle which is covered by the closure rises.

This object is solved by a drinking bottle closure with a rotatable closure cap with the features of claim 1 .

Since the outer edge of the cap is positioned on the housing below the sealing ring any internal pressure arising inside a bottle which is connected to the drink ing bottle cap presses the cap more strongly against the sealing and increases the sealing effect. Due to the fact that the closure cap is arranged below the sealing outer edge, but above a support element for the bearing of the sealing cap in the housing, the sealing cap cannot be lost accidentally. In addition, this arrangement results in that the maximum axial stroke of the sealing cap and, as a consequence, the maximum possible angle of rotation, are limited.

The drinking bottle closure according to the invention has a good sealing effect, is easy to handle and, moreover, is also simple in design. Since, with the ex ception of the two elements for forming the movement thread, there are no movable parts that can be displaced relative to one another. A movement thread is a thread having such a high pitch that a nut placed on this thread can easily move along the axis of the thread.

Very little installation space is required in the center of the drinking bottle clo sure. The diameter of the drinking bottle closure can thus be kept very small, so that the drinking bottle closure is also suitable for small beverage bottles with a small volume or for closable drinking mugs.

With a correspondingly small diameter of the pouring area and a suitable de sign of the thread causing the vertical movement of the cap, it is even possible to hold the drinking bottle cap in one hand and to move the knob of the cap at the same time from the open to the closed position by using other fingers of the same hand, at least to such an extent that the pouring slot is closed and pro tected against a surge of liquid when the bottle or mug provided with the closure of the invention is moved.

For the transfer of the closure cap into a closed position secured for the transport of the bottle or mug, it is particularly intended to override an additional pressure point when turning the closure cap. Thereby the screw connection is prevented from being inadvertently loosened and thus an unintentional opening of the closure cap is avoided.

Since right-hand threads are common in most countries, most users are used to tightening a screw connection or achieving a closed state of a screw cap with a right-hand movement, i.e., by turning clockwise. Conversely, they are used to opening a closure or releasing a screw connection by turning in the opposite direction, i.e., counterclockwise. This is the case, for example, with all common drinking bottle closures of disposable beverage bottles.

To improve the sealing effect and to provide a closure with a captive closure cap, it is intended to press the closure cap with its outer edge against the seal ing lip from below. An upward movement of the closure cap is required when transferring it from the open to the closed position.

However, with a right-hand thread, the cap would be lowered by a right-hand rotation. Therefore, the invention provides a left-hand thread through which the consumer can perform a closing movement of the closure cap intuitively asso ciated with a right-hand rotation. The left-hand thread thereby creates an up ward stroke. As with the opening of beverage bottles, the counterclockwise ro tation movement leads to an opening. Due to the left-hand thread, the lid is lowered in the process.

Besides the invention provides a threaded stud or pin which is positioned in the center of a lower portion of the cap. The associated threaded receptacle is po sitioned in the center of a spoke-shaped support member of the housing.

The reverse arrangement is also possible, in which a threaded receptacle or a threaded nut is provided in an inner cavity of the cover and a threaded pin projecting upwards is held on the housing by a support element. In this embod iment, too, the cover is fixed between the support element on the inner housing member and the sealing outer edge of the housing outer part and is thus cap tive.

With respect to the two complementary parts of the housing provided according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, a snap-in connection may be pro vided. When the outer part of the housing is put over the inner part of the hous ing, including the upper sealing ring and the cap, the snap-in connection is closed during the manufacture of the drinking bottle closure and is subse quently no longer releasable. According to a further advantageous embodiment, the joint between the inner and outer parts of the housing at the lower edge is alternatively or additionally joined together around the entire circumference by means of laser welding, so that a liquid-tight joint is produced there.

The sealing rings provided between the housing members can be formed as separate inserts made of silicone. Alternatively, they can be made of a thermo plastic elastomer which is molded onto one of the housing members to be pro duced by injection molding. In this case, molding onto the inner housing mem ber is particularly suitable because both sealing rings can be formed on this part at the same time.

The construction of the housing from an inner part and a separate outer part also has the advantage that the parts can be produced in a contrasting color. For example, the inner part of the housing can be red, while the outer part of the housing is black, so that when the closure cap is lowered into the open position, a red stripe will become visible below the sealing edge, which visually signals the open position.

The threaded nut for receiving the threaded pin of the closure cap can be formed in a slip clutch element which is made of an elastomer, for example, and which has a non-round, in particular polygonal, outer contour. Harder ther moplastics such as polypropylene can also be used for this purpose, in which case sufficient elastic deformability is made possible by suitable shaping. The slipping clutch element is inserted into a support ring connected to the housing, which has a compatible non-circular, in particular polygonal, inner contour. If the user continues to rotate the lid with high force even though one of the end positions has already been reached, the slip clutch element deforms elastically and rotates relative to the support ring by at least a partial angle before elastic recovery of the slip clutch element and the form fit takes hold again.

The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the embodi ments shown in the figures. The figures show in detail: Fig. 1 a drinking bottle closure according to a first embodiment with an insulated bottle, in perspective view from the outside;

Fig. 2 the drinking bottle cap in an exploded view;

Fig. 3 the drinking bottle cap in closed position in a sectional view;

Fig. 4 the drinking bottle cap in open position in a sectional view;

Fig. 5 an enlarged detail from Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 a perspective view of the drinking bottle cap from the underside;

Fig. 7 a drinking bottle closure according to a second embodiment in sectional view and

Fig. 8 an internal housing member of the drinking bottle closure accord ing to Fig. 7 in a partially cut perspective view.

Figure 1 shows a drinking bottle closure 100 which can be placed on a bottle neck 201 of an insulated bottle 200. The drinking bottle closure 100 has a hous ing, of which the housing outer part 10 with a pouring rim 11 is visible here. A sealing edge 12 is formed on the inside lower edge of the pouring rim 11 . Below the sealing edge 12, a closure cap 20 is arranged which can be rotated by means of a knob 21 .

Figure 2 illustrates the drinking bottle closure 100 in an exploded view. It con sists essentially of the following parts:

- the outer housing member 10,

- the closure cap 20,

- an inner housing member 40 and

- two sealing rings 30, 50.

The closure cap 20 is constructed in two parts. The knob 21 is part of an upper member. A separately manufactured lower member 22 is engageable therein and contains a threaded pin 23 with a movement thread in its center. The threaded pin 23 engages in a threaded recess 41 in the inner housing member 40. The threaded recess 41 is located in a support ring 44 at the center of a support element, which is integrally formed with the inner wall of the housing inner member 40 via spokes 42.

To assemble the drinking bottle cap 100, the lower cap member 22 is inserted into the upper member of the closure cap 20. The finished closure cap 20 is inserted with its threaded pin 23 into the threaded recess 41 of the inner hous ing member 40. The sealing ring 30 is placed on the upper edge of the inner housing member 40. Finally, the outer housing member 10 is slipped over it, with the sealing ring 30 enclosed between the inner housing member 40 and the outer housing member 10, as is the closure cap 20. All four components 10, 20, 30, 40, after the latching projections 13 of the outer housing member 10 have latched onto the latching receptacles 46 on the inner housing member 40, together form a unit which cannot be subsequently detached.

The further sealing ring 50 may be inserted into the inner housing portion 40 from below and seals the latter relative to the bottleneck 201 when the closure cap is in use in connection with an insulated bottle 200.

The function of the drinking bottle closure 100 according to the invention can be seen from Figures 3 and 4, each of which shows a section through the drink ing bottle closure 100 being placed on the bottleneck 201 of the insulated bottle 200. In both illustrations the drinking bottle closure 100 is sealed to the bottle neck 201 via the sealing ring 50 which is inserted into a groove 43.

The upper sealing ring 30 is T-shaped in cross-section, so that it is well an chored with a wide base 32 in the two-part wall consisting of housing inner and outer members 10, 40. The radially inwardly projecting sealing lip 31 is sup ported from below on the sealing edge 12 of the pouring rim 11 , which also projects radially inward.

It should also be emphasized that in this embodiment of a drinking bottle clo sure 100 the sealing ring 30 not only serves to abut the closure cap 20 for sealing the drinking bottle closure 100 in a liquid-tight manner during use, but that it simultaneously seals the parting line between the inner housing member

40 and the outer housing member 10 latched thereto. The integrated sealing ring 30 enables to easily manufacture two housing members 10, 40 that can be produced by injection molding.

The support element formed with a plurality of spokes 42 on the inner housing member 40 has the threaded recess 41 in its center, into which the threaded pin 23 of the closure cap 20 is inserted.

In order to bring the drinking bottle closure 100 from the closure position shown in Figure 3 into the open position, the closure cap 20 is rotated by means of the knob 21 relative to the base consisting of the inner and outer housing members 10, 40. An axial stroke of the cap 20 is effected via the threaded elements 23,

41 causing the closure cap 20 to move downwards such that its outer edge 24 lifts off the sealing lip 31 of the sealing ring 30 and a pouring opening is created.

The open position is shown in Figure 4. A slit-shaped opening between the closure cap 20 and the sealing lip 31 has been created around the entire cir cumference, through which the beverage contained inside the insulated bottle 200 can flow out into the area of the pouring rim 11.

It can be seen from the position of the knob 21 that, due to the large pitch of the movement thread on the threaded pin 23, only a small angle of rotation of the closure cap 20 of about 45° is required to bring it from the closed position shown in Figure 3 to the open position shown in Figure 4.

Figure 5 shows an enlarged sectional view of Figure 4 to illustrate in detail the design of the area in which the sealing is effected and the pouring of the bev erage is made possible.

As explained above, the sealing ring 30 is positioned in the parting line between the inner housing member 40 and the outer housing member 10. The inner housing member 40 has a groove which is accessible from above before the housing members are joined, so that the lower part of the base 32 of the sealing ring 30 can be inserted therein.

The shaping of the outer tip of the sealing lip 31 and of the outer edge 24 of the closure cap 20 is optimized to create a tolerance range with respect to the force with which the closure cap 20 is twisted by the user relative to the housing:

- If only a small force is applied, the downward pointing tip of the sealing lip 31 has a spring effect, and even light contact with the outer edge 24 is suf ficient for achieving a reliable seal.

- When internal pressure builds up in the bottle, the slight outward tilt of the tip causes it to be pressed against the tapered area on the outer edge 24 of the closure cap 20.

- Finally, if the sealing closure cap 20 is twisted with a high force relative to the housing by the user, the tip of the sealing lip 31 is deformed. It is pushed away radially outward and rests against the remaining profile area of the sealing ring. This increases the spring travel, and a greater force can be absorbed elastically via the sealing ring.

Figure 6 shows the drinking bottle closure 100 from the underside, in which in particular the shape of the spoke elements 42 is visible. The spoke elements 42 each extend inwardly from the annular outer wall of the inner housing mem ber 40 to the center. Together they hold the support ring 44 with the threaded recess 41 in the center. The spoke elements 42 are not extending radially out wards but are curved which enables better elastic deformation, in particular in the event that the closure cover 20 is subjected to an excessive force at one of the end points of its possible movement path. Such a high force causing defor mation will arise if the user does not stop the rotational movement of the closure cover 20 in time before the end position and continues to rotate with force.

Figure 7 shows a sectional view of a second embodiment of a drinking bottle closure 100'. Compared to the first embodiment, the drinking bottle closure 100' has differences in the design of the housing members 10’, 40’ and in the threaded recess 4T in the center. The housing consists of an outer housing member 10', an inner housing mem ber 40' and two sealing elements 30', 50' which are molded-on and made of a thermoplastic elastomer. The lower sealing element 50' is used for sealing against a bottleneck of a drinking bottle onto which the drinking bottle cap can be placed.

The upper sealing element 30' fills a cavity between the rigidly formed inner housing member 40' and the likewise rigidly formed outer housing member 10'. The entire pouring rim 1 T on the housing outer part 10' is otherwise thin-walled. The sealing element 30' not only seals with its sealing lip 3T against the outer edge 24 of the closure cover 20 in a liquid-tight manner, but at the same time it connects the inner housing member 40' to the housing outer member 10' in a material-fit manner, so that an additional snap-in connection or the like is not required.

To prevent damage to the drinking bottle cap 100' if the user applies excessive force when rotating the closure cap 20 to one of the end positions, a threaded recess 4T for receiving the threaded pin 23 of the closure cap 20 is not ar ranged directly in a support ring 44', but in a slipping clutch element 45'.

As shown in the partially cut view from below of the inner housing member 40' in Figure 8, the inner circumference of the support ring 44' is polygonal. The slipping clutch element 45' is made of an elastomeric material or it is elastically deformable due to its shape. It is annular in shape, being polygonal on the outer circumference and having the central, round threaded recess 4T on the inside.

A form fit is achieved via the polygonal shaping on the support ring 44' and the slipping clutch element 45', so that rotation of the slipping clutch element 45' relative to the inner housing member 4T is initially prevented when the closure cap is rotated .

However, if the user continues to rotate the closure cap 20 in one of the end positions with excessive force, the slipping clutch element 45' is elastically de formed and the positive connection to the support ring 44' is temporarily suspended. In this case, the closure cap 20 is thus further rotated at least over a rotation angle corresponding to the polygonal pitch on the slipping clutch el ement 45'. This prevents from damage to the movement threads on the threaded pin 23 of the closure cap and the threaded recess 4T in the support ring 44'. As soon as the force exerted by the user decreases, an elastic recov ery occurs in the slipping clutch element 45' and the positive connection to the support ring 44' is restored.

list of reference signs:

100, 100’ drinking bottle closure

10, 10’ outer housing member 11 , 11’ a pouring rim 12, 12’ sealing edge

13 latching projections

20 closure cap

21 knob

22 lower cap member

23 threaded pin

24 outer edge

30, 30’ sealing ring

31 , 31’ sealing lip

32 base

40, 40’ inner housing member

41 , 41’ threaded recess

42, 42’ spoke element

43 groove

44, 44’ support ring

45, 45’ slip coupling element 46 latching receptacles

50, 50’ sealing ring

200 insulated bottle

201 bottleneck