Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
S PECI FI CATI ON
The present invention generally relakes to
container closures. More specifically, the invention
relates to a tamper evident or evidencing container
closure oE the type having a dispensing oriEice and a
liquid closure cap.
In recent years, a heightened emphasis has been
placed upon utilization of tamper prooE oE tamper
evidencing or evident closures for containers. This is
particularly true for containers utilized for storage of
human ingestible materials.
A known class o-E such containers employs caps
or closures having dispensing orifices therethrough.
Such orifices may be used in connection with, for
example, squeeze bottles or the like, and frequently
include a two-section cap, a first section including a
base top surface having the orifice therethrough, and a
second section carrying a stopper for the orifice. In
such caps the stopper carrying section is movable ~rom an
orifice closing position to an orifice opening position.
The stopper carrying section may be in integral part of
the closure, as shown, for example, in U.S. Patent No.
~,124,151, or may be formed as a separate but attached
piece as shown, for example, in U.S. Patent Nos.
~,595,123 and ~ 1,637.
Such stopper carrying section must, of
necessity, he relatively easy to open to allow the
container to be used for its intended purpose. However,
ease of opening of the stopper carrying section allows
for possible tamperiny with the contents of the container
to occur. While it is known to utilize foil or paper
2 ~
seal overlays covering the openings of the containers
beneath the base top surface section, which overlays must
be broken or removed prior to dispensing of the contents
of the containers, such overlays are not a sufficient
detriment to tampering. For example, stick-on overlays
can be surreptitiously opened by steaming or the like.
Additionally, the overlays can be an undesired added
expense.
It has also been known to make the stopper
carryiny section physically a part of the base top
surface section and to provide a tear strip portion in
the connection between the two sections (see U.S. Patent
Nos. 3,255,928; 3,651,992; and ~,031,108). While such
tear strip portions provide an indication of tamperiny,
they require that the stopper carrying sections be molded
as a part of the base top surface section, an expensive
procedure.
It would therefore be an advance in the art to
provide a dispensing orifice type closure hav.ing means
preventing opening of the stopper carryiny member which
means are easily removable but which, when removed,
provided indication of tamperiny, and which means further
are both inexpensive and difficult to circumvent.
It would be a further advance .in the art if
such a tamper evidencing or evident closure could be
provided .in connection with an easily attached but
substantially non-removable closure cap to container
interface.
The present invention provides a tamper evident
or evidencing conta:iner closure of the dispensing orifice
type, wherein the c:Losure includes separate base and cap
sections, the cap section including at least one tear
strip connected about a closure cap between the closure
cap and a skirt to indicate tampering. A pull ring
positioned concentrically about the closure cap is also
attached to the tear strip so that removal of the ring
enables removal of the tear strip simply by pulling on
the ring.
Accordingly, it i5 a principle object of the
invention to provide an improved tamper indicating
container closure.
It is another object of the invention to
provide a tamper evident closure for a container of the
dispensing orifice therethrough, wherein removal or
attempted removal of the closure cap is evidenced by
means of a tear strip frangibly connected to the closure
cap.
It is yet another object of the invention to
provide a tamper resistent container closure including a
cap adapted to be received on the neck of a container
with cap removal resisting means on the inner diameter of
a cap skirt and on the outer diameter of the cap, which
means resists removal of the cap.
Further objects, features, and advantages of
the invention will be readily apparent Erom the following
description of the preEerred embodiments thereof, taken
in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
ON THE DR~WINGS
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a closure cap
embodying principles of the invention positioned on a
container;
2 ~ J
Figure 2 is a top view of the closure cap of
Figure l;
Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the
closure cap of Figure 1 generally taken along the line
5 III~III in Figure 2;
Figure ~ is an elevational view of the closure
cap of Figure 1 when viewed ~rom its hinged side;
Figure 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of
the closure cap of Figure 1 generally taken along the
line V-V in Figure 2;
Figure 6 is a top view of the closure cap of
Figure l after removal of the tear strip;
Figure 7 is a partial cross-sectional view of
the cap section of the closure cap of Figure 1 generally
taken along the line III-III of Figure 2;
Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the
closure cap of Figure 1 generally taken along the line
III-III in Figure 2, but illustrating the cap section in
its open position; and
Figure 9 is a partial cross-sectional view of a
closure cap embodying a combination of furthex principles
of the invention.
In Figure l there is illustrated a closure 10
positioned on a container 12. The closure 10 includes
means for evidencing tampering or attempted tampering
with contents of a container 12 in accordance with
principles of the invention.
With reference to Figures 1-~, it can be seen
that the closure cap 10 includes separate base and cap
sections 20 and 30, respectively. The base section 20 is
located at and engages an opening l~ of the cont~iner 12.
2 ~ A.~ ~ rJg
The cap section 30 is positioned on and about the base
section 20 and the opening 14.
As is most clearly illustrated in Figure 3, the
base section 20 includes a top plate member or portion 22
5 having an orifice member 23 projecting upwardly
therefrom, which orifice member includes an opening 23a
therethrough for dispensing of the contents of the
container 12. A flange 2~ is integrally ~ormed with the
plate member 22 and projects radially from an un~erside
of the plate member ~2. An annular portion 26, also
integrally forméd with the plate member 22, extends
vertically downward from the underside of the plate
member 22 and ~its within the opening 14 of the container
12, so as to abut against interiors of a wall or neck
portion 15 defining -the opening 14.
As illustrated, an underside 24a of the flange
24 lays on top of A top edge 16 of the wall 15. The
flange 24 extends out to the outside diameter of the neck
15. The plate member 22 does not extend to that diameter
and as such, the plate member 22 and the flange 2~ form a
stepped arrangement at the top sides thereof.
The cap section 30, as illustrated in F'igures
1-~, includes a lower skirt portion 32 and a hinged cap
3~. The lower skirt portion 32 is annular in shape ancl
fits about the neck 15 of the container 12. The skirt
portion 32 includes a circular rib or bead portion 33
that runs along the interior of the skirt 32. The rib or
bead 33 engayes an underside of a rib, rim, or projection
portion 17 of the neck 15 so as to retain the cap section
30 on the neck 15 o~ the container 12. As such, the cap
~J3~
section 30 is not screwed onto the neck 15, but instead
is press fit thereon so that it cannot be xemoved.
- The cap section 30 also includes an inwardly
extend~ng wall 32a at a top edge of the skirt 32 in the
sh~r,f of a flattened ring. It can be appreciated from
the cross-sectional view of Figure 3, that the wall 32a
of cap section 30 also serves to retain the base section
20 and cap section 30 on the neck 15. It can be seen
that the cap ~ is hingedly attached to t~e s~irt portion
32 by means of a bridging hinge 40 formed of material
that extends between the skirt 32 and the cap 34 and that
has appropriately formed crease 42 therealong. The
crease 42 permits the cap 34 to be moved between a closed
position as illustrated in Figure 3, to an open position
as illustrated in Figure 8.
The cap 34 further includes a stop member 50
formed on an underside thereof that engages the opening
23a of the orifice member 23 when the cap 34 is in its
closed position. In a preferred embodiment, the stop
member and orifice member 23 are designed for frictional
engagement therebe-tween to secure the cap 34 in its
closed position. ~lowever, other means are available for
securing the cap 34 in its closed position, as will
become apparent below.
At the same time that the cap 34 and skirt 32
are formed, a pair of tear strips 60 are formed such that
they connect between a lower edye 62 of the cap 3~ and an
insi~e edge 6~ of the wall 32a oE the skirt 32, on
opposite sides of the cap 3~. The tear strips 60 do not
encircle the entire cap 34. Instead, the tear strips 60
on a fxont side o~ the cap 34 are separated by a ~istance
~ ~ 2 ~ '~ a ~J
sufficient to permit ~ormation or molding of a lift tab
70 for moving the cap 34 between its open and closed
positions. On ?. back side of the cap 34, the tear strips
60 are separated by a distance sufficient to permit
formation o.r. '~he hinged bridge 40. Additionally, on
opposite sidei of the hinged bridge 40, there are formed
slots 80 that isolate the hinge ~0 from the tearing
action of the tear strips 60 so that the integrity of the
hinge 40 is not destroyed when the tear strips 60 are
removed.
As is most clearly illustrated in Figure 5,
each of the tear strips 60 includes one edge connected to
the lower edge 62 of the cap 34 and another edge
connected to an inside edge 64 of the inwardly extending
ring 32a of the skirt 32. The edges are frangible so
that the tear strip 60 can be easily removed, but so that
they cannot again be replaced. These frangible edges can
be created by perforations or sufficient thinning of the
material forming the connecting edges.
Also included in the cap section 30 is a pull
ring 90 utilized to pull at the tear strips 60 so that
the tear strips 60 can be removed. This ring 90 is
concentrically positioned about the cap 3~ but is not
connected thereto. This is clearly illustrated in Fiyure
3.
The pull ring 90 is formed so as to be
poiitioned at the height of the top of the cap 3~ and
includes ~wo downwardly angled bridge members 92 that
connect between the pull ring 90 and the tear strips 60.
It can be appreciated, that when the tear strips 60 are
to be removed, one simply grasps the pull ring 90 and
pulls upwardly relative to the cap 34, without grasping
the cap 34, until the ~ear strips 60 are removed or
otherwise torn away. The pull ring 90 will cause the
tear strips 60 to commer e tearing at the hinged side of
the cap 3~ and then 'o proceed tearing toward the lift
tab 70 side of the cap 3~.
Once the tear strips 60 have been removed, the
cap section 30 will appear from a to view as is
illustrated in Figure 6. In the top side of the
flattened portion ring 32a of the skirt 32 is fully
visible. Moreover, the portions of the top side of the
base section 20 previously covered by the tear strips is
now visible. At this point, the cap 3~ can be freely
moved between opened and closed positions. It can be
appreciated, however, that without removal o~ the tear
strips 60, the closure cap 34 is precluded from being
moved to its open position because it would be secured to
the skirt 32.
In Figure 9, there are illustrated additional
princ:iples o~ the invention.
It can be appreciated that because the cap and
base sections 30 and 20, respectively, are separate].y
~ormed, it can be appreciated that it is possible that
the cap section 30 can become rotationally misaliyned
relative to the base section 20. Th.is would not be a
problem if the orifice member 23 were centrally located
on the base section 20. However, if the orifice member
23 is not centrally loca-tecl on the base section 20, then
the stopper member 50 and the orifice member 23 can
become so misaligned that they no longer engage one
another.
~2~2
To maintain the cap and base sections 30 and
20, respectively, in rotational alignment, there can be
provided a detent member 100 in the skirt 32 that
projects into an appropriately 'o~med indentation or
openiny 102 in the flange 2~ of the base section 20, as
illustrated in Figure 9. Of course, there are a myriad
of other schemes that can be employed to accomplish
alignment between the cap and base sections 30 and 20,
respectively.
Additionally, other means for securing the cap
3~ in its closed position are contemplated. For example,
the interior of the annular wall 35 of the cap can
contain a notch 104 that is engaged by a projection 106
that extends from the base section 20. Similarly, the
orifice member 23 can contain a rib 108 or other detents
that extend inwardly and engage mating notches 110 in the
stopper. Many other schemes are also possible.
With respect to the materials of which the
closure 10 is made, in the preferred embodiment, the cap
and base sections are formed of a thermo-plastic material
that is easily molded. However, thermoset plastics and
other materials are also conkemplated.
While a preferred embodiment has been shown,
modifications and changes may become apparent to those
skilled in the art which shall fall within the spirit and
scope of the invention. It is intended that such
modi~ications and changes be covered by the atkached
claims.
