Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TAMPER EVIDENT PLASTIC CLOSURE
Background of the Invention
Technical Field:
This device relates to container closures that indicate
the removal of the closure and replacement of the closure by
separation of a tamper evident ring on the closure.
Description of Prior Art
Prior art devices of this type have relied on a variety
of different closure and container configurations to
indicate when a closure has been tampered with, see for
example U.S. Patents 4,664,278, 4,971,212, 5,004,112,
5,131,550, 5,137,163, 5,215,204 and 5,242,068.
In U.S. Patent ending in 278 a tamper indicating
package is disclosed defining a container having an external
threaded neck and an annular retaining bead therebelow, the
closure having the tamper indicating band secured to the
main body of the closure by a plurality of frangible
elements positioned between oppositely disposed spaced
integral support extending from the tamper evident band.
In U.S. Patent ending in 212 a tamper indicating
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package is disclosed comprising a container having a finish
with external threads thereon and a plastic closure having
segmented internal threads, a tamper indicating band with a
plurality of retaining cams positioned thereon for
registration with the container's neck portion.
In U.S. Patent ending in 112 a tamper indicating
plastic closure is shown having segmented internal spiral
threads on a depending annular flange from a top portion and
a tamper evident band secured to the depending flange by a
plurality of frangible elements. The band has a number of
flexible projections positioned circumferentially about its
inner surface for engagement against registering projections
on the closure.
Referring to U.S. Patent ending in 550, a closure for
containers is illustrated and described in which a cap
portion has a tamper indicating band secured thereto by a
plurality of frangible elements interconnecting same with
the cap portion, the tamper evident band has a plurality of
circumferentially spaced locking elements as well as an area
of reduced transverse dimension allowing for flexibility of
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the band for initial insertion onto the container.
Referring now to U.S. Patent ending in 163 a tamper
evident closure with ramped contact is disclosed in which a
cap portion has a frangible band secured to its bottom
perimeter edge by a plurality of frangible elements. The
band has an annular shoulder which engages upon a
corresponding registration point on the container so that
rotation of the cap forces the separation of the tamper band
from the closure element by breaking of the frangible
sections.
Referring now to U.S. Patent ending in 204 a tamper
evident closure with hinged band is disclosed in which a cap
portion has a tamper evident band secured from its bottom
perimeter edge by a plurality of frangible elements with a
flexible hinge extending from the tamper evident band to the
closure so that upon rotation and separation of the band
from the cap, the cap will remain attached to the tamper
band via the flexible hinge.
Finally, in U.S. Patent ending in 068 a tamper
indicating plastic closure is disclosed which has a cap
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portion and a tamper evident band secured thereto by a plurality
of frangible elements. The tamper evident band has a series of
inwardly extending flexible projections which provide for
selective one-way rotation of the cap for removal engaging a
portion of the container and separating the frangible elements
upon attempt to remove the cap.
Summary of the Invention
A tamper indicating closure for a container having a neck
with an external thread and an annular locking flange therebelow,
said closure comprising a plastic body having a top portion, a
depending annular skirt and a tamper indicating ring connected so
said depending annular skirt by a plurality of frangible elements,
circumferentially spaced elevated bridge portions extending from
said tamper indicating ring, said frangible elements extending
from said tamper indicating ring between and from said elevated
bridge portions, interconnecting with the free edge of the
peripheral skirt, said elevated bridge portions of the tamper
indicting ring defining areas therebetween having reduced vertical
spacing from said peripheral skirt, a plurality of annularly
spaced arcuate projections extending inwardly from said tamper
indicating ring registrable with said container locking annular
flange.
Description of the DrawincLs
Figure 1 is a sectional view of the closure on lines 1-1
of figure 5;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the closure before
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positioning on a container;
Figure 3 is an enlarged elevational view of a portion
of the closure;
Figure 4 is an enlarged elevational view of
illustrating rotation of the closure and separation of the
tamper evident band therefrom;
Figure 5 is a bottom plan view of the closure; and
Figure 6 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of
the closure on a container.
Description of the Preferred Embodiment
Referring to figures 1-6 of the drawings, it will be
seen that a closure 10 is shown having a top portion 11 and
a depending annular skirt 12 extending therefrom. The
depending annular skirt 12 has a segmented inwardly
extending spiral thread 13 formed on its interior annular
surface 14 with each of the threaded segments being aligned
in spaced vertical relation to one another defining spaced
parallel threaded segment pairs extending about a portion of
the internal annular surface 14 terminating adjacent the
perimeter free edge at 15 of said depending annular skirt
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12. A frangible annular ring 16 is integrally molded to
said depending annular skirt 12 by interconnecting frangible
elements 17 extending therebetween. The annular ring 16 has
a plurality of circumferentially spaced inwardly facing
arcuate projections 18 arranged to register with an annular
outwardly extending locking flange 19 on a neck portion 20
of a container 21 as seen in figure 6 of the drawings. The
annular ring 16 is flexible for initial insertion of the
closure 10 on the neck portion 20 as will be well known and
understood by those skilled in the art.
Referring now to figures 1, 3, and 4 of the drawings,
it will be seen that the annular ring 16 has a series of
circumferentially spaced elevated bridge areas 22 extending
therefrom towards the annular skirt 12 to which it is
secured as hereinbefore described. Each of said elevated
bridge areas 22 defines a reinforcing support for the
annular ring 16 during molding and insertion of the closure
10 on the bottle neck portion 20 as will be discussed in
greater detail hereinafter. The frangible elements 17
extend from the annular ring 16 between said elevated bridge
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areas 22. It should be noted that some of the arcuate
projections 18 are in a vertically aligned relation with the
respective elevated bridge areas 22 and with the frangible
elements 17 therebetween. Each of the bridge areas 22
provide support for the frangible elements 17 during the
closure capping process on the bottle neck portion by
preventing excessive vertical deformation and movement of
the ring against the depending skirt 12 which would
otherwise break the frangible elements 17 prematurely. The
elevated bridge areas 22 act as stops against the skirt 12,
the same protection of the annular ring 16 is apparent
during demolding of the closure 10 at a time when the
frangible elements 17 can be readily damaged when stripped
from the mold.
The closure spiral thread 13 engages a registering
spiral thread 25 extending outwardly from the neck portion
a known distance as seen in figure 6 of the drawings.
The resulting action of the closure rotation
counter-clockwise for removal twists and elevates the
20 closure on the neck portion deforming and breaking the
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respective frangible elements 17 separating the annular ring
16 from the depending annular skirt 12.
By referring to figure 5 of the drawings, the closure
can be seen wherein the relative positioning of the
5 hereinbefore described spiral thread 13 and the arcuate
projections 18 on the annular ring 16 can be seen in a
circumferentially spaced overlapping relationship providing
for even offsetting points of engagement with their
respective registering counter parts of the locking annular
10 flange 19 on the neck portion 20 and the spiral thread 25 on
the neck portion 20 respectively.
Referring now to figure 1 of the drawings, a first
annular depending sealing flange 26 extends downwardly from
the closure's top portion 11 in spaced relation to the
depending annular skirt 12. A second sealing flange 27 of a
known length extends angularly and inwardly from said top
portion 11 adjacent said first sealing flange 26 defining a
multiple sealing configuration for engagement with the neck
portion 20 of the container 21 hereinbefore described.
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It will be evident from the above description that the
tamper evident closure of the invention is characterized by
the positioning of the elevated bridge areas 22 on the ring
16 and the spaced frangible elements 17 extending from
elevated bridge areas and the ring 16 between elevated
bridge portions 22 to the depending annular skirt 12 which
during annular rotation of the closure during removal
separates from the ring 16 allowing the closure 10 to be
removed from the neck portion 20 leaving the tamper evident
ring thereon.
It will thus be seen that a new and improved tamper
evident plastic closure has been illustrated and described
that combines the multiple sealing features of a twist off
closure with a tamper indicating ring that remains on the
container after initial rotation of the closure on the
container takes place.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that
various changes and modifications may be made therein
without departing from the spirit of the invention,
therefore I claim:
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