Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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TEAR STRIP CLOSU~ FOR A
CONTAINER WITH A SECURITY RING
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a plastic closure
which is made inexpensively with injection molding
equipment, and more particularly, to such a closure
which has a tamper-evident band or tear off strip
which is removed the first time the closure is open
to provide a tamper-evident feature for the
container and closure.
The present invention is directed to an
inexpensive, one-piece closure which has a press-fit
sealed engagement with a container having a closure
retention bead or facility adjacent the open mouth.
The closure is particularly useable with a container
which has a security or saturn ring or ledge on the
container side wall projecting outwardly of the
container side wall at a location immediately below
the skirt of the closure to limit access to the
lower edge of a tear strip. Because the container
security ring projects radially outwardly from the
wall of the container and has a larger outer
diameter than that of the closure skirt, it is
relatively difficult to obtain direct access to the
tear off strip. Also, the security ring protects
the strip against accidentally being caught or torn
during handling and shipping of the assembled
closure and container.
The present invention is particularly
useful with closures which has an annular recess or
3n groove in the skirt wall to receive a projecting
annular bead on the container to interlock the
closure to the container. The closure is pushed
onto the container with the closure skirt wall
flexing radially outwardly to pass over the
container bead until the latter snaps into the
recess. The thinnest cross section in the skirt
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wall is at the bottom of the groove and this
provides a line of weakness or a frangible portion
at which the lower tear off strip severs from the
upper skirt portion~ With removal of the tear off
strip, the now lower edge of the remaining skirt i5
at the location of the bead on the container. If
one inerts a fingernail under the lower edge of the
remaining skirt, the nail hits the container bead
and makes removal of the closure difficult. When a
security ring is located slightly below this lower
edge of the skirt, it is almost impossible to insert
a fingernail under the lower edge of the skirt and
to remove the closure with a simple lifting motion.
The present invention provides a lifting tab which
becomes available or accessible with removal of the
tear off strip. Thus, the present invention
provides a new and improved lift tab that is
connected to the container skirt wall and which is
spaced above the security ring and projects radially
outwardly from the skirt to aid in removal of the
closure. Stated differently, removal of the tear
strip provides access to a lift tab to lift the
closure from the container despite the presence of
the container bead and/or a security ring.
The closure and container of the present
invention is inexpensively molded in one piece at
high speeds and at a relatively low cost. Likewise,
the container may be a one-piece molded container of
plastic made at high speeds and at low cost. Thus,
the invention is directed to a commercially feasible
closure and container which can be used for a wide
variety of products can be manufactured easily and
at high rates to provide an inexpensive closure
and/or container.
Accordingly, a general object of the
present invention is to provide a new and improved
closure with an improved tear off strip and a liEt
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off tab for li~ting the closure from the container.
Another object of the present invention is
to provide a lift tab for a closure which is
disposed within the confines of a pull tab for a
tear off ring and which is formed when the tear off
strip is removed.
A still further object of the invention is
to provide a snap-on, one piece, moldecl, plastic
closure for use with a one-piece,molded plastic
container having a tamper evident tear off strip
with a pull tab and a lift tab which is available
to lift off the closure despite the presence of a
security ring.
These and other objects and advantages of
the invention will become apparent from the
following description taken in connection with the
accompanying drawings in which
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a
container and closure constructed in accordance
; with the preferred embodiment of the invention.
FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side
elevational view of the closure and the top
marginal portion of the container.
FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the closure
shown in FIGURE 2.
FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary view showing the
stacking of closures of the invention.
FIGURE 4A is an enlarged cross sectional
fragmentary view of closure interlocked to a
container rim.
FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the
closure having a tear strip and a pull tab
constructed in accordance with the preferred
embodiment of the invention.
FIGURE 6 is a perspecti~e view similar to
FIGU~E 5 but with the pull tab and tear strip
partially removed.
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FIGURE 7 is a view similar to FIGURE 6 but
of another embodiment of the invention.
FIGURE 8 is an enlarged fragmentary view
of the pull tab prior to its detachment.
FIGURE 9 is a view similar to FIGURE 8
with the pull tab detached.
FIGURE 10 is an enlarged cross sectional
view taken substantially along the line 10-10 of
FIGURE 8.
1~ FIGU~E 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional
view taken along the line 11-11 of FIGURE 8.
FIGURE 12 is cross sectional view taken
substantially along the line of 12-12 of FIGURE 8.
FIGURE 13 is an enlarged cross-sectional
1~ view taken suhstantially along the line 13-13 of
FIGURE 8.
FIGURE 14 illustrates a closure
constructed in accordance with a still further
embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF
THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
As shown in the drawings for purposes of
illustration, the invention is embodied in a
container 10 having a closure 11 which is
press-fitted and snap-fitted on the container, and
in sealing engagement to cover the open mouth of
the container. The illustrated and preferred
container 10 is formed with an integral security
ring 12, sometimes called a "Saturn" ring which is
an integral projecting ring or flange which
projects radiaIly outwardly from a cylindrical wall
14 ~FIG. 10) of the container. The security ring
extends generally horizontally from its inner edge
3S which is connected to an inner container wall 14 to
an outer peripheral circular edge 15. The closure
11 has a skirt wall 18 which projects downwardly
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and encircles the rim 20 of the container, as best
seen in FIGURES 4A and 10. As illustrated, the rim
20 of the container wall 14 projects upwardly into
a generally inverted "U" shaped portion of the
closure defined between the skirt 18 and an
inverted depending inner leg or wall 22 of the
closure. The leg 22 extends downwardly and is
integral with a top circular panel 24~ The skirt
18 and the inner leg 22 are spaced from each other
as shown by the space or gap 26 in FIGURES 9-12D
The space 26 is narrower than the distance between
the skirt 18 and inner leg 22 such that the closure
i5 frictionally retained on the container when the
rim is forced between the skirt and the inner leg.
Additionally, there is a snap-fit
interlocking engagement provided between the
container and the closure to more positively secure
the closure to the container until a tamper-proof
band 50 is removed and this comprises an
interlocking bead means 28 between the closure and
container. Herein, the preferred and illustrated
bead means 28 (FIG. 10) comprises an integral
outwardly projecting bead 32 on the container which
has an upper, inclined surface 33, which slopes
downwardly, for example, at 45 which will cam
against the skirt wall as will be described in
greater detail hereinafter until a recess or groove
36 (FIG. 12) on the skirt 18 is aligned and has
received the bead 32/ therein. The container rim
and bead 32 have been broken away in FIG. 12 to
provide a better view of the groove 36. At such
timer a lower shoulder 38 on the skirt at the
recess 36 abuts a lower generally horizontally
extending, lower shoulder 39 on the bead 32 to
prevent upward lifting movement of the closure from
the container. As readily seen in FIGURES 10-13, a
lower edge ~0 of the skirt 13 is disposed
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immediately above and may be in engagement with a
top surface 42 of the security ring 12 when the
closure is interlocked with the bead on the
containerO
The security ring 12 will most likely be
used in instances where, e.g., where the closure is
very flexible, and there is concern that someone
could remove the closure by pushing up on the lower
edge 40 of the tamper-evident band and push the
1 closure upwardly from the container without tearing
off the ta~per-evident band 50. In other
instances, the person buying the containers may not
desire a security ring 12 and rely on the snap-fit
engagement of closure to container to hold the
closure against someone trying to push against the
lower edge ~0 of the tamper-evident band 50 and to
push the closure off without first removing the
tamper-evident band. The present invention is
directed to containers with or without the security
ring 12 and to alleviating the problem of removal
of the closure, after the tamper-evident band has
been removed leaving a lower edge 40a of the skirt
18 (FIGS. 6 and 7) located adjacent the container
bead 50 such that a fingernail inserted below this
; 25 skirt edge 40a hits the container bead 32 thereby
making it difficult to lift the closure from the
container without the use of a lift tab.
To provide evidence of tampering, it is
preferred to provide the tear off or tamper
indicating band or strip 50 along a lower portion
51 of the skirt 18 which detaches along the line of
weakness 52, which is a thin web 89, from the upper
portion 53 of the skirt 18. In the present
invention, the line of weakness 52 is at the
thinnest, cross section in the skirt and formed at
a wall 54 (FIG. 12),which is at the outer, bottom
portion of the recess 36. When a user pulls
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radially outwardly on the tear strip 50, the tear
strip readily tears through the thin web 89 located
at the bottom wall 54 and separates at this line of
weakness 52 in a well known manner leaving a new,
lower edge 40a for the skirt 18.
The preferred tear strip 50 has a pull off
tab 60 which the user will grasp and pull on to
remove the tear strip 50.
In accordance with the present invention,
there is provided a new and improved one-piece
closure having a pull tab 60 to tear off the tear
strip 50 and a lift tab 67 which is exposed or made
accessible after removal of the tamper-evident tear
strip for grasping by the user to lift the closure
upwardly from the container. In the preferred
embodiment of the invention, the lift off tab 67 is
initially hidden behind the pull tab 60 and becomes
exposed and accessible after the pull tab is
grasped and pulled by the user. Herein, the user
will insert a fingernail, or tool, into a slot 63,
as best seen in FIGURE 8 and will pry outwardly on
an enlarged knob or free end 64 of the pull tab to
break a frangible bridge 65 ~FIG. 7) and then
proceed to break a second frangible bridge 66 which
is located more closely adjacent a hinge portion 68
which hinges the pull tab to the tear strip. As
best seen in FIGURES 6, 7 and 9, the bridge 66
breaks and tears from the pull tab leaving a large
lift portion or lift tab ~7 for lifting the closure
from the container. As the pull tab swings
radially outwardly as shown in FIGUR~S 6, 7 and 9,
it pulls the lift tab radially outwardly and also
upwardly so that the lift tab remains spaced above
the security ring 12 and projecting outwardly of
the skirt for easy noticeability and ease of
grasping by the person desiring to lift off the
closure and to have access to the contents of the
container.
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Recapitulating, the pull tab 60 generally
covers and hides the lift tab as seen in FIGURE 5,
and as the pull tab is pulled outwardly it breaks
the bridge 65, as seen in FIGURE 6 and also breaks
the bridge 66; and, during the pulling of the
bridge 66 to its breaking point, the bridge pulls
the lift tab upwardly and outwardly to insure its
exposure or visibility. As best seen in FIGURES 6
and 7, the lift tab 67 is integrally connected at a
hinge line or portion to the bottom of the skirt
wall 40a this hinge line at the web 89 at the bead
recess 36 in the skirt. The lift tab 67 shown in
FIGURES 6, 7 andl2 includes a tip or portion 66b
which was part of the bridge 66 and longer body 67a
which was disposed downwardly in alignment with
tamper-evident band 50.
The first frangible bridge 65 is
preferably located on the lower edge of the
removable tear strip 50 and extends radially
outwardly therefrom to an inner vertical wall 70 on
the pull tab 60, as best seen in FIGURE 8. The
frangible bridge 65 usual]y tears with a small
portion 65a remaining on the pull tab 60 (FIG. 9)
and a small portion 65b of the bridge 65 remains on
the tear strip 50. The bridges 65 and 66 span a
slot 72 (FIG. 81 located between the inner vertical
wall 70 of the tear strip and a facing vertical
wall 73 of the pull tab. The slot 72 is a thin
narrow space extending arcuately, as best seen in
FIGURE 7, between the bridges 65 and 66. Thus, the
pull tab is spaced outwardly of the tear strip 50
by the bridges 65 and 66 and the hinge portion 68.
The illustrated pull ~ab 60 is preferably
provided with some outer vertical ribs or
corrugations 80 along its outer surface. The ribs
80 provide a better gripping surface to prevent
; sliding of the fingers off of the tab. Herein, it
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is preferred to provide additional strength at the
hinge 68 by including an integral horizontal flange
portion 81 (FIGS. 8 and 9) extending between the
pull tab 60 and the tear strip 50 at the lower edge
thereof. The preferred hinge is generally bowed
with a generally arcuately shape section 84
adjacent the second bridge 66 which spaces the
attached end of the tab radially outwardly from the
lower portion of the skirt 18 and causes formation
of the slot 72. The preEerred second bridge 66
preferably breaks into small portion 66a which
remains attached to the pull tab 60, as best seen
in FIGURE 8, and with a much larger portion 66b
which forms an end of the lift tab 67 and is
attached to the body 67a of the lift tab 67.
The lift tab 67 of FIGURES 8 and 9 is
; integrally attached to the tear strip 50 and in
alignment therewith and is formed when the tear
strip band is separated therefrom at V-shaped
notches 86 when the tear strip is removed. More
~ specifically, as shown in FIGURE 9, the initial
; separation of the pull tab 60 and the initial
tearing of tear strip along the line of wea~ness 52
; also results in the fracturing a small web 86a
(FIG. 8) at the bottom of the notch 86. The web
36a had joined the right side of the lift tab body
; 67a to adjacent portion of the tear strip 50. The
removal of the tear strip is completed when the
tear strip is pulled along the line of weakness 52
to the left hand notch 86 at which is a small
fracturable web 86b of plastic joining the tear
strip to the left side of the lift tab 67.
In order to insuxe further that the
pulling of the tear strip 50 doesn't cause a
fracturing of the lift tab 67 at the location of
the bead receiving groove 36 therein, it is
preferred to increase the cross-sectional thickness
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of the lift tab. As best seen in FIGURE 12, the
outer side of the lift tab has been formed to come
straight downwardly along a surface 88 resulting a
thicker web 89 of plastic between the bottom wall
5~ of the recess and the outer surface 88. In
contrast thereto, the web ~9 between the bottom
wall 54 and outer surface 90 is much thinner as
shown in FIGURE 11 which shows a cross section
located not at the lift tab. The surface 90
extends substantially more vertically than inclined
surface 88. This increased thickness at the web 89
for the lift tab also provides a thicker hinge web
89 so that the lift tab will not break when a
strong lift force is being applied thereto. By way
of example, the web 89 in FIGURE 11 may be about
0.0~5 inch thick and the web 89 in FIGURE 12 may be
about twice as thick.
The illustrated closures may be readily
stacked, as shown in FIGURE 4, for automatic
feeding and delivering to a capping device which
merely pushes the cIosure down onto the container
rim to snap the recess over the container bead to
interlock the closure to the container. As best
seen in FIGURE 4, a lower and inner edge or corner
100 of the skirt 18 abuts and rests on an upper,
rounded corner 101 of the closure next below in the
stack. A lower corner 105 formed between the inner
leg 22 and the central panel 24 rests on the upper
circular corner 107 which joins the skirt leg to
the inner annular leg 22.
In a further embodiment of the invention
illustrated in FIGURE 7, a prefix "1" has been
added to designate previously described elements as
best seen in FIG. 7, a pull tab 160 is detached by
pulling the end 164 to break a first bridge 165 for
connecting the pull tab to the lower end of the
skirt. The pull tab 160 is pulled to remove the
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tamper-evident band 150 and to form the lift tab
167 More specifically, a frangible second bridge
166 extends between the lift tab 167 and the pull
tab 160. The lift tab is hinged along a vertical
hinge line 115 to a portion 116 located inwa~dly of
the pull tab. Notches similar to the notches 86
previously described are formed to provide
frangible/ thin webs which break to form trailing
edge 118 of the tear off strip 150 ancl to form an
adjacent vertical side edge 119 for the lift tab.
The web ~9 located at the bottom wall of the recess
may be made thinner at the location of the lift tab
so as fracture and leave a top end wall 121 on the
lift tab. Because the bridge 166 is stronger than
the webs at locations of the tab edges 119 and 121,
a pull on the pull tab 160 breaks these webs and
forms the pull tab. The portion 116 may be
thickened in cross section so that the web 89 is
thicker at the portion 116 and therefor will not
tear. Thus, a continued pull on the pull tab ~orms
the lift tab and then fractures second bridge 166
before tearing away at the line of weakness 152
at the thin web at the bottom of the groove in the
skirt wall to allow removal of the tear strip.
In accordance with a still further
embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in
FIGURE 14, the lift tab is formed at the end of the
tear strip during its removal from the closure.
More specificallyl the tear strip ~which is shown
in phantom) has a pull tab 260 connecte~ by a
bridge 265 which tears and leaves a piece 265a.
Continued tearing the tear strip 250 from the
closure forms the lift tab 267. A notched web 201
formed between and end 202 for the tear strip and
3~ an adjacent vertical outer end 203 of the lift
tab. The web 201 is thicker and stronger than the
web 89 at the bottom of the bead grvove at the area
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of the lift tab so that the web 89 first fractures
to form top edge 205 for the lift tab. This causes
the lift tab to be pulled radially outwardly for
exposure prior to the breaking of the web 201 which
then leaves the lift tab as shown in solid lines in
FIGURE 14. The cross section of plastic at the
portion 21~ is thickened so that it does not tear
and this assures that the web 201 fractures. Thus,
to remove the closure, one lifts up on the lift tab
267 which was formed at terminal portion of the
tear strip 250 during the removal of the remainder
of the tear strip 250 from the closure.
Thus, it will be seen that the closure may
be molded in one piece at a high production rate
and may be stacked in stacks for automatic handling
by a capping machine. The containers are
preferably one piece, molded plastic containers
with the bead molded thereon. Manifestly, the
shape of the bead may be changed from that
illustrated. The preferred pull tabs are connected
by a small frangible bridge to the closure skirt to
prevent interlocking of the pull tabs one with
another which can occur when conventional closures
are formed with unconnected pull tabs and are
packed in bulk containers in a helter-skelter
manner.
While a preferred embodiment has been
shown and described, it will be understood that
there is no intent to limit the invention hy such
disclosure but, rather, it is intended to cover all
modifications and alternate constructions falling
within the spirit and scope of the invention as
defined in the appended claims.
