Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02139955 1999-10-15
TAMPER EVIDENT RESEALABLE PLASTIC CLOSURE
Backcrround of the Invention
Technical Field:
This device relates to tamper indicating closures for
containers and the like requiring a push pull resealable tamper
evident spout.
Description of Prior Art:
Prior art closures of this type may be seen in U.S.
Patents 5,104,008, 5,105,967, 4,940,003, 4,801,032, 4,589,561,
4,561,553, 4,500,016, 4,469,253, 3,902,621, 4,084,716, 4,053,007,
4,034,882, 3,980,195, 3,963,139, 3,902,921, 3,682,345, and
3,504,818.
Summary of the Invention
A combination of resilient molded plastic resealable bottle cap
having a top portion, an annular depending flange on said top
portion, a first tamper evident thin flexible annular band on a
plurality of circumferentially spaced radially outwardly extending
frangible elements on said depending flange; and a resealable pour
spout on said top portion, an opening in the top portion
registrable with said pour spout, a closure plug in spaced
relation from said top portion, a top cap movably positioned on
said pour spout having an opening registering with said plug
defining a resealable closure when said top cap is in a first
position, a second tamper evident band having a plurality of
frangible elements integrally connecting said band with said top
cap in said first position, upstanding stops extending from said
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CA 02139955 1999-10-15
band in spaced relation to said top cap, and annular flange on
said pour spout retaining said band in said first position when
said top cap is moved away from said first portion, a plurality of
circumferentially spaced elevated bridge portions extending from
said first tamper evident band, with some of said frangible
elements extending from said respective elevated bridge portions
and from said tamper evident band between said respective elevated
bridge portions interconnecting with the bottom perimeter edge of
said depending annular flange, said elevated bridge portions
defining areas therebetween having increased vertical spacing from
said depending annular flange, a plurality of annularly spaced
projections extending inwardly from said tamper evident band
registrable with said container's locking annular flange, a spiral
thread extend inwardly from said depending annular flange.
Description of the Drawings
Figure 1 is a vertical cross-section through a portion of
the resealable bottle cap with the push pull pour spout in an
opened position;
Figure 2 is a vertical cross-section through a portion of
the resealable bottle cap with the push pull top in a closed
position;
Figure 3 is a perspective view of the resealable bottle
cap;
Figure 4 is a perspective view of a portion of the
resealable bottle cap;
Figure 5 is a top plan view of the resealable bottle cap;
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CA 02139955 1999-07-29
Figure 6 is a side elevational view of the resealable
bottle cap; and
Figure 7 is a partial enlarged cross-sectional view of a
portion of the resealable bottle cap showing the bottle
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neck configuration.
Description of the Preferred Embodiment
Referring to figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings, a
resealable bottle cap 10 can be seen having a push pull
secondary closure 11 thereon and comprising a top portion 12
with an integral depending annular flange 13 extending
therefrom. A plurality of circumferentially spaced
frangible elements 14 extend from the lower edge of the
depending flange 13 to a tamper evident ring 15 integrally
molded with the closure. The annular ring 15 is of the same
diameter as that of the annular flange 13 of the closure and
has a plurality of circumferentially spaced inwardly facing
arcuate projections 16 thereon.
Referring to figures 1 and 7 of the drawings, it will
be seen that the arcuate projections 16 are
circumferentially spaced about the inner surface of said
tamper evident ring 15 and are positioned so that they are
engageable under an annular locking flange 17 on a bottle
neck 18 as best seen in figure 7 of the drawings.
Referring now to figure 1 of the drawings, it will be
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seen that an opening 19 is formed in the center of the top
portion 12 of the cap 12 with an upstanding cylindrical pour
spout 20 positioned in registry with the opening 19. The
upper end of the pour spout 20 having a secondary top
portion 21 thereon which is apertured at 22. A plug 23 is
positioned on the secondary top portion 21 in spaced
relation to the aperture 22 by a plurality of
circumferentially spaced angularly arranged upwardly
extending legs 24. A push pull top cap 25 is positioned on
the upstanding cylindrical pour spout 20 having a bottom
portion 26 with a central opening 27 therein which registers
with the plug 23 to form a secondary closure when the top
cap 25 is in closed position as illustrated in figure 2 and
resting on the secondary top portion 21 of the upstanding
cylindrical pour spout 20. It will be seen that the top cap
has a depending cylindrical body member 28 with a
plurality of annularly spaced frangible elements 29
connected on its lower perimeter edge to a secondary tamper
indicating band 30. A plurality of upstanding stops 29A are
20 positioned in spaced circumferential arrangement about the
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tamper evident band 30 between the frangible elements 29.
The cylindrical body member 28 has a pair of vertically
spaced inturned annular flanges 31 having tapered upper and
lower surfaces 31A which slideably engage the outer surface
of the upstanding cylindrical pour spout 20. The secondary
tamper evident band 30 also has a tapered internal annular
flange 32 which is slideably engaged at the exterior of the
upstanding cylindrical pour spout 20. The upstanding
cylindrical pour spout 20 has two outwardly extending
annular flanges 33 and 34 respectively on the exterior
thereof the flange 34 having a tapered top portion 34A. The
flanges 31 being oppositely disposed with respect to the
secondary top portion 21. The outwardly extending flange 34
positioned therebelow, above the top 12 of the cap 10 and
being oppositely disposed and between the annular flanges 31
and 32 on the cylindrical body member 28 and secondary
tamper evident band 30 respectively.
In assembled form as illustrated in figures 1, 2, 3 and
6 of the drawings, the secondary tamper evident band 30
joined by the frangible elements 29 to the cylindrical body
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member 28 of the top cap 25 is escapable of moving upwardly
due to the interengagement of the inturned flange 32 thereon
with the outwardly extending flange 34 on the cylindrical
pour spout 20 and thus the cylindrical body member 28 of the
top cap 25 is escapable of vertical movement such as
required to move the apertured top 26 thereabove the plug 23
until sufficient force is applied to the top cap 25 to break
away the frangible elements 29 whereby the top cap 25 can
move to the position illustrated in figure 1 of the drawings
wherein the opening 27 therein moves upwardly and away from
the plug 23. The inturned annular flanges 31 on the
cylindrical body member 28 cannot move above the outwardly
extending annular flange 33 on the upstanding cylindrical
pour spout 20 so that the top cap 25 cannot be removed
therefrom. The upstanding stops 29A prevent compression and
premature breakage of the frangible elements 29 prior to
intended use.
Referring to figures 1, 2, 3 and 6 of the drawings, the
tamper evident band 15 has a plurality of circumferentially
spaced elevated areas 35 each of said elevated areas 35
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positioned between said respective frangible elements 14
hereinbefore described. The elevated areas 35 extend from
the tamper evident band 15 in spaced relation to the lower
edge of the depending annular flange 13 of the resealable
bottle cap 10 and provide selective support of the tamper
evident band 15 to resist vertical movement imparted by the
deflection of the tamper evident band 15 during insertion on
the bottle neck 18 protecting the frangible elements 14
during assembly.
The elevated areas 35 also serve to protect the
frangible elements 14 during the molding process (not shown)
in the same manner as is well known to those skilled in the
art.
Referring back to figures 1, 2, and 7 of the drawings,
the depending annular flange 13 has a inwardly extending
spiral thread 36 from its interior annular surface 13A
extending about a portion of the interior annular surface
13A terminating adjacent the top perimeter edge of said
annular depending skirt 13 at 13B. The spiral thread 36 is
registerable with a spiral thread 37 extending outwardly
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from the exterior of the neck portion 18, best seen in
figure 7 of the drawings. Referring back to figures 1 and 2
of the drawings, the relative positioning of the spiral
thread 36 and the projections 16 on the annular band 15 can
be seen to be in a circumferentially spaced overlapping
relationship imparting offsetting points of engagement with
the respective registering counter parts of the locking
annular flange 17 on the bottle neck 18.
A first annular depending sealing flange 38 extends
downwardly from the closure top portion 12 in spaced
relation to the depending annular skirt 13. A second
sealing flange extends angularly inwardly from said top
portion 12 adjacent said first sealing flange 38 defining a
multiple sealing configuration against the neck portion 18
of the bottle during use.
Referring to figure 6 of the drawings, the push pull
closure 10 may be seen in assembled condition as
hereinbefore described in figures 1 and 2 illustrating an
outside rib surface 40 on the depending annular flange 13.
To remove the push pull closure cap 10 from the bottle
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neck 18, a counter-clockwise rotation of the cap 10 is
required which will accordingly engage the respective
registering spiral threads 36 and 37 moving the push pull
closure 10 upwardly, breaking the frangible elements 14
connecting the tamper evident ring 16 to the cap's depending
annular flange 13 leaving the tamper evident ring 16 on the
neck portion 18 below the locking flange 17 as will be well
understood by those skilled in the art.
Thus, it will be seen that an improvement in a
resealable bottle cap of the invention with a push pull
closure and threaded tamper evident flexible plastic closure
has been illustrated and described and it will be apparent
to those skilled in the art that various changes and
modifications may be made thereto without departing from the
spirit of the invention.
Therefore I claim:
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