Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Tamper Evident Cap
The present invention relates to a cap and in particular, although not
exclusively, to a
tamper evident cap for a container fox a pourable substance.
It is often necessary to provide an indication that a container has been
opened. Such an
indication rnay be provided by a device such as .a security seal, the removal
of which
may indicate fraudulent tampering of the container contents. Such a device may
-also
ensure that a container which has been used for the first time is clearly
identifiable; this
may be important : if the contents have a limited shelf life once opened to
the
atmosphere.
It is known to provide such an indication by using a frangible split. ring on
a container
cap. When complete, the ring inhibits removal of the cap. Once the ring has
been
manually removed the user, retailer of supplier has an indication that the
container may
have been opened:.The ring and cap arrangement may, therefore.provide a
deterrent to
tampering by third parties and may also act as a security seal.
Several problems are associated with known tamper evident security devices.
Firstly it
is not always possible to immediately determine whether the ring has been
removed
from the cap. The consumer may for example not be aware that such a ring
should be
present. Even when the ring has been removed it may be later hidden, e.g. by a
shrink
v~nap sleeve. Secondly in the case of a removable split ring the cap can
sometimes be
prised off the container without complete removal of the ring. It may also be
possible to
reattach the ring, by for example welding or gluing, thereby removing the
indication
that the cap has been tampered with or removed.
A further problem associated with prior art caps is that it is not always
possible to
determine at a glance which container out of many has been opened and used.
This may
have a significance in, for example, a doctor's surgery or in food preparation
where
certain products have limited shelf life once opened.
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What is required is a tamper evident cap for a container for a pourable
substance with
an improved indication of possible tampering. It would also be desirable to
provide a
visible indication that the contents of a container have been dispensed.
According to the invention there is provided a tamper evident cap for a
container for
pourable substances, the cap comprising a pouring neck for attachment to the
opening
of a container, and a closure for the mouth of said neck, the neck comprising
a
substantially closed chamber surrounding a pouring aperture, the chamber
having an
opening for communication with said aperture and being adapted to define a
well in the
upright condition of the container wherein in use a pourable substance in the
chamber is
visible from the exterior thereof.
t~ device so arranged has the advantage that the pourable substance provides a
visible
indication that the: contents have been dispensed from the container. The
pourable
- . substance mayalso provide the indication that the' cap has teen tornpered
with. It has
been found that the.pourable substance in the well ciefined~ by the chamber is
difficult.to
remove. This has the advantage that oncev the indication vis made .it cannot
be easily
removed.
Typically the closure and the neck are provided with co-operating screw
threads.
Preferably the closure has a female thread and the neck has a male thread.
Alternatively
. the neck may be. provided with a snap fitting closure.
In a preferred embodiment the closure is adapted to prevent communication
between
the chamber and the aperture. A closure so adapted inhibits the pourable
substance
entering the chamber when the closure is located on the neck, thus obviating
accidental
entry of substance into the well by agitation, for example during transport
and handling
of the containers.
In a preferred embodiment this is achieved by providing the inner surface of
the neck
with a circular flange extending radially inwardly, and downwardly relative to
the well.
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The closure has a depending sleeve, the free end of the sleeve being adapted
to abut
against the flange to prevent said communication. In a preferred embodiment
the free
end of the sleeve has an annular surface corresponding to the angle of the
downwardly
projecting flange.
Preferably the free edge of the flange has a plurality of inwardly radially
extending arms
which meet at the middle, said arms defining holes which allow corilmunication
through~the pouring aperture. Such arms tend to retain the shape and position
of the
flange.
Advantageously the well,: is circumferentially continuous and is. defined by a
base, an
external wall, an upper .wall and the wall ,of said .neck, said . outer. wall
being
transparent. In an alternative embodiment the outer wall is translucent.
to::hide the inner
stTUCturevof the cap, providing always that the pourable substance is visible
through the
outer wall. The .degree : of translucence may for.:exarnple depend onv the
colour of they
pourable substance.
In a preferred embodiment a plurality of said openings,are provided, each
being defmed~
between the upper wall and the wall of said neck. Preferably the upper wall is
a
continuously radial flange of said neck.
A neck so arranged has the advantage of being able to be moulded from two
components of plastic.. The two components may thus. be welded or clipped-
together to
form the cap whilst defining the openings. The components may also be moulded
from
different types, colours and grades of plastic. This has the advantage of
providing the
necessary flexibility, rigidity or physical appearance of the given part as
required for
function or aesthetic design.
Advantageously the external wall has a skirt which extends below the base,
said skirt
having a snap fitting on the inside thereof, and adapted to provide a snap fit
for
. attachment to e.g. a neck of the opening of the container. Other means of
secure
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attachment to a container are suitable, such as a one-way thread arrangement
or a
permanent fixing, such as by adhesive, welding or the like.
Other features of the invention will be appaxent from the following
description of a
preferred embodiment shown by way of example only in the accompanying
drawings,
in which;
- Figure ~1 is a series of diagrammatic representations of a pouring neck
according to the
present invention.
- Figure 2 is a series of diagrammatic representations of a flanged collar
according to
the present invention.
- Figure 3 is a series of ,diagrammatic representations of a -.closure
according to the
present invention.
- Figure 4: is ~a eries of diagrammatic representations of a' tamper: evident
,cap: according
to the present invention.
Referring firstly to. Figure .1..there is shown a pouring .neck in .
aacordarice with the
present invention, generally designated 10. The pouring Heck 10 has a well 12
in the
upright condition as illustrated in Figure 1. c. The .vVell 12 is
circumferentially
continuous, as illustrated in Figure 1 a, and has an inner wall 14, a base 15
and a
transparent outer wall 16. The inner surface of the neck 10 has a continuous
circular
fl nge 18 extending radially inwardly, and downwardly relative to the well.
The free
_edge. of.tlae flange _LS..has a. plurality af.inwardly. radially
extending..arms 20. .The. arms
20 meet at the centre and define hole 22 which form the apertures to allow
communication through the pouring neck.
Further shown in Figure 1 is a plurality of castellations 23 of the innex
wall, which
define openings 24 fox communication between the pouring neck and the well 12.
The
external wall has a skirt 26 which extends below the base 15. The skirt 26 has
a snap
fitting on the inside thereof and a plurality of moulded recesses 27 on the
outside
thereof. The snap fitting is adapted to provide the attachment to the opening
of a
container (not shown) and the recesses 27 provide a means of gripping the neck
10. Any
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suitable means of attaching the neck to. the container in a permanent manner
is
appropriate, for example a one-way screw attachment.
Figure 2 illustrates a collar according to the present invention, generally
designated 30.
5 The collar 30 defines a mouth 32 and has a circumferential flange 34. The
exterior
surface of the collar 30 has a screw thread 36 and the interior surface of the
collar 30
has a plurality of circumferentially spaced legs 38. The legs 38 also define
the openings
24 illustrated in Figure 1 as will become apparent. The flange 34 is the upper
wall of
the well 12 illustrated in Figure 1.
Figure 3 illustrates a closure according to , the present invention, generally
designated
40. The closure 40 has an internal screw thread 42 which cooperates with the
collar
screw thread 36 illustrated in Figure 2b. The~closure 40 has a
depending.sleeve 44 with
a tapered free end 46. The exterior surface . of the closure has .a
plurality.:of moulded°
:., recesses 48 to provide a gripping surface.
Figure 4 illustrates a tamper evident ,cap according to the present invention,
generally
designated 50. Figure 4aa:illustrates .the cap 50 which comprises fhe neck
1:0, the collar
30 and the cap 40. The free edge of the flange 34 and the exterior wall 16 of
the neck 10
are welded 52 which substantially closes the well 12 to form a chamber 54
surrounding
the neck 10. The openings 24 which communicate the chamber 54 with the
aperture are
defined between the flange 34 of the collar 30 and the inner wall 14 of the
neck 10.
The closure 40 is adapted so that when it is screwed onto the collar 30 it
prevents
communication between the chamber and the aperture. This is achieved by the
taper 46
which has an annular surface corresponding to the angle of the downwardly
projecting
flange 18. The taper 46 of the closure 40 is adapted to abut against the
flange 18 of the
neck 10 and pxovides a seal against the transfer of pourable substance to the
chamber.
The cap 50 may be used with a container for a liquid or for pourable substance
such as a
granulated powder. During transit of the container the closure 40 prevents the
pourable
substance entering the chamber 54. When the closure 40 is removed from the
mouth 32
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of the neck 10 and the contents of the container are dispensed for the first
time, by
tipping the container, some of the pourable substance enters the chamber 54
and
remains in the well 12 when the container is upright. The substance in the
well 12 is
visible through the transparent outer wall 16 and provides a clear indication
that the
contents have been dispensed from the container. The substance cannot easily
be
removed from the well 12 since any attempt at tipping the container results in
the
substance travelling around the circumference of the neck 10 within the well
12.
The diameter of the aperture may be between 6 - 15 times the width of the well
12. The
height of the well 12 may be between 1 = 3 times the width of the well 12.
Whilst a preferred embodiment for the-device;has been described it will
be~.appreciated
that many other designs of. the neck exist that would have the desired,.effect
of the ;
invention with the proviso hat. the pourable substance is visible through: the
exterior .:
. wall of the well
