CA2055210C - Tamper resistant closure cap and a method of operation therefor - Google Patents
Tamper resistant closure cap and a method of operation thereforInfo
- Publication number
- CA2055210C CA2055210C CA 2055210 CA2055210A CA2055210C CA 2055210 C CA2055210 C CA 2055210C CA 2055210 CA2055210 CA 2055210 CA 2055210 A CA2055210 A CA 2055210A CA 2055210 C CA2055210 C CA 2055210C
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- closure
- container
- flange
- tabs
- band
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired - Lifetime
Links
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D41/00—Caps, e.g. crown caps or crown seals, i.e. members having parts arranged for engagement with the external periphery of a neck or wall defining a pouring opening or discharge aperture; Protective cap-like covers for closure members, e.g. decorative covers of metal foil or paper
- B65D41/32—Caps or cap-like covers with lines of weakness, tearing-strips, tags, or like opening or removal devices, e.g. to facilitate formation of pouring openings
- B65D41/34—Threaded or like caps or cap-like covers provided with tamper elements formed in, or attached to, the closure skirt
- B65D41/3423—Threaded or like caps or cap-like covers provided with tamper elements formed in, or attached to, the closure skirt with flexible tabs, or elements rotated from a non-engaging to an engaging position, formed on the tamper element or in the closure skirt
- B65D41/3428—Threaded or like caps or cap-like covers provided with tamper elements formed in, or attached to, the closure skirt with flexible tabs, or elements rotated from a non-engaging to an engaging position, formed on the tamper element or in the closure skirt the tamper element being integrally connected to the closure by means of bridges
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Closures For Containers (AREA)
Abstract
ABSTRACT
A tamper resistant closure and a method of installing and removing that closure relative to a container where the container has a neck with external threads thereon and a ring located beneath the threads. The closure has a central portion with a periphery and a skirt extending from the periphery, a tear strip extending from the skirt, a tamper evident band extending from the tear strip and a movable flange extending from the band. The tear strip is affixed between the skirt and the band by a plurality of severable tabs. The flange is hinged to the tamper evident band and is movable between an upper position and a lower position. When the closure is installed on the container, the flange is forced against an interior of the band and overrides the ring. Once the flange has overridden the ring, a free edge of the flange moves inward to rest against an outer surface of the neck beneath the ring. The closure can then not be removed from the container without first severing the tabs as the flange will not override the ring during removal of the closure. The tabs are severed by manually grasping a handle of the tear strip and removing the tear strip. When the tear strip is removed, there is a relatively large gap between the skirt and the band, making it readily apparent that the contents of the container may have been tampered with. Once the tear strip has been removed, the closure functions in a conventional manner for opening and closing the container. With previous devices, the band is affixed to the skirt along a weakened line or through tabs without using a tear strip. To remove the closure for the first time, the closure is manually turned until all of the tabs are severed virtually simultaneously.
If the tabs are too strong, it can be extremely difficult to open the container. If the tabs are too weak, some or all of the tabs become prematurely severed during the initial installation of the closure on the container or during shipping and handling. With previous closures, it is very difficult to manufacture closures with tabs of the proper strength as the tolerances for error are extremely narrow.
The tabs of the present invention can be relatively strong as they are severed singly or in pairs and not all at once.
A tamper resistant closure and a method of installing and removing that closure relative to a container where the container has a neck with external threads thereon and a ring located beneath the threads. The closure has a central portion with a periphery and a skirt extending from the periphery, a tear strip extending from the skirt, a tamper evident band extending from the tear strip and a movable flange extending from the band. The tear strip is affixed between the skirt and the band by a plurality of severable tabs. The flange is hinged to the tamper evident band and is movable between an upper position and a lower position. When the closure is installed on the container, the flange is forced against an interior of the band and overrides the ring. Once the flange has overridden the ring, a free edge of the flange moves inward to rest against an outer surface of the neck beneath the ring. The closure can then not be removed from the container without first severing the tabs as the flange will not override the ring during removal of the closure. The tabs are severed by manually grasping a handle of the tear strip and removing the tear strip. When the tear strip is removed, there is a relatively large gap between the skirt and the band, making it readily apparent that the contents of the container may have been tampered with. Once the tear strip has been removed, the closure functions in a conventional manner for opening and closing the container. With previous devices, the band is affixed to the skirt along a weakened line or through tabs without using a tear strip. To remove the closure for the first time, the closure is manually turned until all of the tabs are severed virtually simultaneously.
If the tabs are too strong, it can be extremely difficult to open the container. If the tabs are too weak, some or all of the tabs become prematurely severed during the initial installation of the closure on the container or during shipping and handling. With previous closures, it is very difficult to manufacture closures with tabs of the proper strength as the tolerances for error are extremely narrow.
The tabs of the present invention can be relatively strong as they are severed singly or in pairs and not all at once.
Description
2~2~
This invention relates to a tamper resistant closure for use on a container and, in particular, to a tamper resistant closure containing a tear strip in combination with a tamper evident band containing a flange that is hinged to said band.
For safety and security reasons, tamper resistant closures are known. One such previous closure is described in European Patent Application Number 90310078.2 published on April 10th, 1991. The closure in that Application has a tamper evident band having a movable flange thereon with the band being connected to the closure along a weakened line.
The weakened line can be formed by scoring or by circumferentially-spaced bridges. When the closure is installed on the container, the flange and tamper evident band override a ring on the container. When the closure is desired to be removed, sufficient force must be exerted on the closure to sever the tamper evident band and flange from the rest of the closure along the weakened line. A
disadvantage of this closure is that the weakened line must ; 20 be designed within a very fine tolerance, one that is not always satisfactorily achieved during manufacture. If the weakened line is not made sufficiently strong, the band and flange will sever from the rest of the closure during the initial installation of the closure on the filled container or during shipping and handling. When this occurs, the packaging process of the manufacturer is greatly disrupted, ; often resulting in the product located within the container being discarded. If the weakened line is strong enough so that it is not severed during the initial installation or during subsequent shipping and handling, the weakened line is often too strong to be readily opened by the ultimate consumer without the use of tools or other aids. Also, when the tamper evident portion is separated from the remainder of a closure along a weakened line, it is possible to remove the closure, tamper with the contents of the container and replace the closure. A consumer who does not subject the closure and container to close inspection, may not notice that the weakened line has been severed until after the purchase has been completed and an attempt is made to open the container for the first time. Further, as closures are often tightly turned onto the containers, a consumer may not even notice that the weakened line has been severed when they open the container for the first time.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a tamper resistant closure having a tear strip in combination with a flange hinged onto a tamper evident band, said closure providing clear visual evidence of tampering and providing relatively wide tolerances for manufacture.
A tamper resistant closure is used on a container having a neck surrounding an opening said neck having external threads thereon, said neck having a ring located beneath said threads when the container is in an upright position. The closure has a central portion having a periphery with a skirt extending from said periphery, a tear strip extending from said skirt, a tamper evident band extending from said tear strip and a movable flange extending from said band, The tear strip is affixed between said skirt and said band by a plurality of severable attachment means. The skirt has an interior surface with threads thereon corresponding to the threads on said container. The flange is connected to said band by hinging means so that said flange extends inwardly relative to said band and a free edge of said flange is movable between an upper position and a lower position. The central portion, skirt, strip, band and flange are sized to fit snugly on said neck so that when the threads of the neck are engaged with the threads of the closure, the closure is in a closed position relative to said container. The free edge of said flange is located above said hinging means and beneath said ring. The flange overrides said ring as the closure is installed on said container. The flange engages said ring when the closure is attempted to be removed from said :, . ` - . ..
container to prevent said flange from overriding said ring, said band and flange being detachable from said skirt by severing said attachment means to rernove said tear strip.
A method of installing and removing a tamper resistant closure relative to a container is used where the container has a neck surrounding an opening with the neck having external threads thereon and a ring located beneath said threads when the container is in an upright position.
The closure has a central portion with a periphery and a skirt extending from said periphery, a tear strip extending from said skirt, a tamper evident band extending from said tear strip and a movable flange extending from said band.
The tear strip is affixed between said skirt and said band by severable attachment means. The skirt has an interior surface with threads thereon corresponding to threads on the container. The flange is connected to said band by hinging means so that the flange extends inwardly relative to said band and a free edge of said flange is movable between an upper position and a lower position. The method comprises installing said closure on said container so that said flange overrides said ring and is located beneath said ring when the closure is in a closed position relative to said container. The free edge of said flange is located above said hinging means and beneath said ring. Subsequently, when it is desired to remove said closure from said container, grasping one end of said tear strip and manually pulling it to sever the attachment means and to remove the tear strip from said closure. Then, removing said closure from said container, the band and flange remaining on said container.
In the drawings:
Figure 1 is a somewhat expanded perspective view of a closure located above a partial container;
Figure 2 is a partial sectional side view of a closure partly installed on a container;
20~210 Figure 3 is a partial sectional top view of a tamper evident band and flange;
Figure 4 is a partial sectional side view of a closure and container in a closed position relative to one another; and Figure 5 is a partial sectional side view and a partial side view of a closure and container in a closed position with a tear strip removed.
In Figure 1, a closure 2 is located above a container 4. The container 4 has a neck 6 with external threads 8 thereon. The neck has a ring 10 located beneath the threads 8 when the container is in an upright position as shown in said Figure. The closure 2 has a central portion 12 with a periphery 14 and a skirt 16 extending from said periphery. A tear strip 18 extends from the skirt 16 and a tamper evident band 20 extends from the tear strip 18.
A movable flange 22 extends from the band 20. The tear strip 18 is affixed between the skirt 16 and the band 20 by severable attachment means, being a plurality of severable tabs 24. Alternatively, the tear strip could be affixed between the skirt and the band by a scored line of contact.
` The tabs 24 are preferred to a scored line. The skirt 16 has an interior surface 26 with threads 28 thereon corresponding to the threads 8 on the container. The threads 28 can be one continuous thread or several partial threads or any suitable combination in between. The flange 22 is connected to the band 20 by hinging means which is simply a scored line of contact between the flange 22 and the band 20. The flange 22 extends inwardly relative to the band 20 and a free edge 30 of the flange 20 is movable between an upper position and a lower position. The upper position is shown in Figure 2. A tear strip 18 has two ends with one end having a handle 32. Preferably, there are no tabs 24 located to affix the handle 32 to either the skirt 16 or the band 20. It can be seen that there are two sets of tabs 24, one set interconnecting the tear strip 18 and 2 1 ~
the skirt 16 and the other set interconnecting the tear strip 18 and the band 20. Preferably, the tabs of each set are offset vertically from one another and, still more preferably, the tabs of one set are located to alternate vertically along said tear strip with the tabs of the other set. The spacing between the tear strip and the skirt and the tear strip and the band as well as the length of the tabs has been exaggerated for ease of illustration to expose the tabs.
In Figure 2, a partial sectional side view is shown through one side of the closure and container. The other side would be a mirror image of the side shown. It can be seen that the closure 2 is partly installed on the neck 6 of the container 4. The threads 28 of the closure 2 are interlocking with the thread 8 of the container 4. The closure has been turned onto the container to a point where the flange 22 has partially overridden the ring 10. The flange 22 is forced into the upper position by said ring.
Two concentric circular ridges 34 are located on an interior surface 36 of the central portion 12. The ridges 34 provide a double seal with the container 4 when the closure is in a closed position relative to said container. The ridges 34 have been omitted from the closure shown in Figure 1 to ~ avoid confusion. The tear strip in Figure 2 is located very - 25 close to the skirt and to the band, the tabs being much shorter than the tabs of Figure 1. Figure 2 is more accurate than Figure 1 in relation to the length of the tabs of an actual closure.
In Figure 3, a sectional top view through the band 20 shows the movable flange 22. The flange 22 has a plurality of lateral ribs 38 to add strength to the flange 22 so that it will not buckle and override the ring 10 when the closure is being removed from the container unless the tabs 24 are severed.
Figure 4 is similar to Figure 2 except that the closure 2 is in a closed position on the container 4. In this position, the flange 22 has overridden the ridge 10 and the free edge 30 of the flange 22 rests against the neck 6 beneath the ring 10. In Figure 4, a gap between the free edge 30 and the ring 10 is exaggerated for ease of illustrationO However, the closure should be designed to have a gap between the edge 30 and the ring 10 when the closure is in a closed position on the container to allow for manufacturing tolerances. If the closure is designed without such a gap and a particular closure is somewhat smaller than the design, the flange 22 will not be located beneath the ring 10 when the closure is in a closed position and the tamper resistant feature will be inoperable.
Further, it can be seen that the ridges 34 are in contact with an upper surface 40 of the neck 6.
In Figure 5, there is shown a side view of the closure 2 in a closed position on the container 4 with part of the view shown in cross-section. The tear strip 18 is not shown in Figure 5 as it has been removed. It can be seen that when the tear strip is removed, a readily apparent gap 42 exists between the skirt 16 and the band 20 exposing part of an outer surface of the neck 6 and part of the ring 10. Once the tear strip 18 has been removed, the closure 2 can be removed from and replaced on the container in a normal fashion and will function as a conventional closure.
Thus, when the tear strip is removed, it is immediately visually apparent to any potential purchaser or user of the product within the container that the product may have been tampered with. The spacing of the tear strip in Figures 4 and 5 is the same as that shown in Figure 2.
From Figure 1, it can be seen that the tabs are all of equal size and shape and are located between the skirt and tear strip and between the band and tear strip so that the tabs are flush with the interior surface of the skirt but set back from an exterior surface of the skirt.
When the tabs are formed in the mold, the cavities to allow for the tabs are located in the core of the mold. The knife 20~5210 that advances into the space between the skirt and the strip and between the band and the strip is formed in two parts, each having a segment that abuts the core. The two segments together form a circle when the knife is fully inserted.
When the two parts of the knife are withdrawn from the core, they are withdrawn in opposite directions. If the tabs were not set back from the outer surface, the removal of the knives would distort those tabs that were located near the side edges of each part of the knife. Each tab that was further removed from the side edges of the knife would be distorted to a lesser degree and the tabs closest to a centre of each part of the knife would not be distorted at all. The tabs would therefore have to be designed to be of different sizes and shapes. This might cause some of the tabs to sever prematurely during installation, shipping or handling. By setting the tabs back from the outer surface in accordance with the present invention, the tabs can all have equal size and shape and all of the tabs therefore have the same strength.
The present invention has a significant advantage over previous tamper resistant closures in that the use of the hinged flange 20 allows variations in the relative size of the closure and container within acceptable tolerances.
Also, the tabs 24 can be made with a great deal of strength.
This strength can be increased by increasing the number or size of the tabs 24. Since the tabs 24 are severed by manually pulling the tear strip 18, the tabs 24 are severed one at a time, if the two sets of tabs are alternated or, if the two sets of tabs are vertically aligned with one another at the rate of two at a time. With previous tamper resistant closures using the hinged flange 22 and tabs or a scored line, the removal of the closure requires that all of the tabs or the entire scored line be severed virtually simultaneously. Sometimes, a great deal of strength is required to sever the tabs or the scored line. With the present invention, the tabs can be severed easily, singly or 2`0~21~
in pairs, while always providing more than sufficient strength to ensure that the tabs do not sever prematurely during the initial installation of the closure on the container or during shipping and handling. The present invention permits a broad range of design relating to the strength of the tabs.
.
This invention relates to a tamper resistant closure for use on a container and, in particular, to a tamper resistant closure containing a tear strip in combination with a tamper evident band containing a flange that is hinged to said band.
For safety and security reasons, tamper resistant closures are known. One such previous closure is described in European Patent Application Number 90310078.2 published on April 10th, 1991. The closure in that Application has a tamper evident band having a movable flange thereon with the band being connected to the closure along a weakened line.
The weakened line can be formed by scoring or by circumferentially-spaced bridges. When the closure is installed on the container, the flange and tamper evident band override a ring on the container. When the closure is desired to be removed, sufficient force must be exerted on the closure to sever the tamper evident band and flange from the rest of the closure along the weakened line. A
disadvantage of this closure is that the weakened line must ; 20 be designed within a very fine tolerance, one that is not always satisfactorily achieved during manufacture. If the weakened line is not made sufficiently strong, the band and flange will sever from the rest of the closure during the initial installation of the closure on the filled container or during shipping and handling. When this occurs, the packaging process of the manufacturer is greatly disrupted, ; often resulting in the product located within the container being discarded. If the weakened line is strong enough so that it is not severed during the initial installation or during subsequent shipping and handling, the weakened line is often too strong to be readily opened by the ultimate consumer without the use of tools or other aids. Also, when the tamper evident portion is separated from the remainder of a closure along a weakened line, it is possible to remove the closure, tamper with the contents of the container and replace the closure. A consumer who does not subject the closure and container to close inspection, may not notice that the weakened line has been severed until after the purchase has been completed and an attempt is made to open the container for the first time. Further, as closures are often tightly turned onto the containers, a consumer may not even notice that the weakened line has been severed when they open the container for the first time.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a tamper resistant closure having a tear strip in combination with a flange hinged onto a tamper evident band, said closure providing clear visual evidence of tampering and providing relatively wide tolerances for manufacture.
A tamper resistant closure is used on a container having a neck surrounding an opening said neck having external threads thereon, said neck having a ring located beneath said threads when the container is in an upright position. The closure has a central portion having a periphery with a skirt extending from said periphery, a tear strip extending from said skirt, a tamper evident band extending from said tear strip and a movable flange extending from said band, The tear strip is affixed between said skirt and said band by a plurality of severable attachment means. The skirt has an interior surface with threads thereon corresponding to the threads on said container. The flange is connected to said band by hinging means so that said flange extends inwardly relative to said band and a free edge of said flange is movable between an upper position and a lower position. The central portion, skirt, strip, band and flange are sized to fit snugly on said neck so that when the threads of the neck are engaged with the threads of the closure, the closure is in a closed position relative to said container. The free edge of said flange is located above said hinging means and beneath said ring. The flange overrides said ring as the closure is installed on said container. The flange engages said ring when the closure is attempted to be removed from said :, . ` - . ..
container to prevent said flange from overriding said ring, said band and flange being detachable from said skirt by severing said attachment means to rernove said tear strip.
A method of installing and removing a tamper resistant closure relative to a container is used where the container has a neck surrounding an opening with the neck having external threads thereon and a ring located beneath said threads when the container is in an upright position.
The closure has a central portion with a periphery and a skirt extending from said periphery, a tear strip extending from said skirt, a tamper evident band extending from said tear strip and a movable flange extending from said band.
The tear strip is affixed between said skirt and said band by severable attachment means. The skirt has an interior surface with threads thereon corresponding to threads on the container. The flange is connected to said band by hinging means so that the flange extends inwardly relative to said band and a free edge of said flange is movable between an upper position and a lower position. The method comprises installing said closure on said container so that said flange overrides said ring and is located beneath said ring when the closure is in a closed position relative to said container. The free edge of said flange is located above said hinging means and beneath said ring. Subsequently, when it is desired to remove said closure from said container, grasping one end of said tear strip and manually pulling it to sever the attachment means and to remove the tear strip from said closure. Then, removing said closure from said container, the band and flange remaining on said container.
In the drawings:
Figure 1 is a somewhat expanded perspective view of a closure located above a partial container;
Figure 2 is a partial sectional side view of a closure partly installed on a container;
20~210 Figure 3 is a partial sectional top view of a tamper evident band and flange;
Figure 4 is a partial sectional side view of a closure and container in a closed position relative to one another; and Figure 5 is a partial sectional side view and a partial side view of a closure and container in a closed position with a tear strip removed.
In Figure 1, a closure 2 is located above a container 4. The container 4 has a neck 6 with external threads 8 thereon. The neck has a ring 10 located beneath the threads 8 when the container is in an upright position as shown in said Figure. The closure 2 has a central portion 12 with a periphery 14 and a skirt 16 extending from said periphery. A tear strip 18 extends from the skirt 16 and a tamper evident band 20 extends from the tear strip 18.
A movable flange 22 extends from the band 20. The tear strip 18 is affixed between the skirt 16 and the band 20 by severable attachment means, being a plurality of severable tabs 24. Alternatively, the tear strip could be affixed between the skirt and the band by a scored line of contact.
` The tabs 24 are preferred to a scored line. The skirt 16 has an interior surface 26 with threads 28 thereon corresponding to the threads 8 on the container. The threads 28 can be one continuous thread or several partial threads or any suitable combination in between. The flange 22 is connected to the band 20 by hinging means which is simply a scored line of contact between the flange 22 and the band 20. The flange 22 extends inwardly relative to the band 20 and a free edge 30 of the flange 20 is movable between an upper position and a lower position. The upper position is shown in Figure 2. A tear strip 18 has two ends with one end having a handle 32. Preferably, there are no tabs 24 located to affix the handle 32 to either the skirt 16 or the band 20. It can be seen that there are two sets of tabs 24, one set interconnecting the tear strip 18 and 2 1 ~
the skirt 16 and the other set interconnecting the tear strip 18 and the band 20. Preferably, the tabs of each set are offset vertically from one another and, still more preferably, the tabs of one set are located to alternate vertically along said tear strip with the tabs of the other set. The spacing between the tear strip and the skirt and the tear strip and the band as well as the length of the tabs has been exaggerated for ease of illustration to expose the tabs.
In Figure 2, a partial sectional side view is shown through one side of the closure and container. The other side would be a mirror image of the side shown. It can be seen that the closure 2 is partly installed on the neck 6 of the container 4. The threads 28 of the closure 2 are interlocking with the thread 8 of the container 4. The closure has been turned onto the container to a point where the flange 22 has partially overridden the ring 10. The flange 22 is forced into the upper position by said ring.
Two concentric circular ridges 34 are located on an interior surface 36 of the central portion 12. The ridges 34 provide a double seal with the container 4 when the closure is in a closed position relative to said container. The ridges 34 have been omitted from the closure shown in Figure 1 to ~ avoid confusion. The tear strip in Figure 2 is located very - 25 close to the skirt and to the band, the tabs being much shorter than the tabs of Figure 1. Figure 2 is more accurate than Figure 1 in relation to the length of the tabs of an actual closure.
In Figure 3, a sectional top view through the band 20 shows the movable flange 22. The flange 22 has a plurality of lateral ribs 38 to add strength to the flange 22 so that it will not buckle and override the ring 10 when the closure is being removed from the container unless the tabs 24 are severed.
Figure 4 is similar to Figure 2 except that the closure 2 is in a closed position on the container 4. In this position, the flange 22 has overridden the ridge 10 and the free edge 30 of the flange 22 rests against the neck 6 beneath the ring 10. In Figure 4, a gap between the free edge 30 and the ring 10 is exaggerated for ease of illustrationO However, the closure should be designed to have a gap between the edge 30 and the ring 10 when the closure is in a closed position on the container to allow for manufacturing tolerances. If the closure is designed without such a gap and a particular closure is somewhat smaller than the design, the flange 22 will not be located beneath the ring 10 when the closure is in a closed position and the tamper resistant feature will be inoperable.
Further, it can be seen that the ridges 34 are in contact with an upper surface 40 of the neck 6.
In Figure 5, there is shown a side view of the closure 2 in a closed position on the container 4 with part of the view shown in cross-section. The tear strip 18 is not shown in Figure 5 as it has been removed. It can be seen that when the tear strip is removed, a readily apparent gap 42 exists between the skirt 16 and the band 20 exposing part of an outer surface of the neck 6 and part of the ring 10. Once the tear strip 18 has been removed, the closure 2 can be removed from and replaced on the container in a normal fashion and will function as a conventional closure.
Thus, when the tear strip is removed, it is immediately visually apparent to any potential purchaser or user of the product within the container that the product may have been tampered with. The spacing of the tear strip in Figures 4 and 5 is the same as that shown in Figure 2.
From Figure 1, it can be seen that the tabs are all of equal size and shape and are located between the skirt and tear strip and between the band and tear strip so that the tabs are flush with the interior surface of the skirt but set back from an exterior surface of the skirt.
When the tabs are formed in the mold, the cavities to allow for the tabs are located in the core of the mold. The knife 20~5210 that advances into the space between the skirt and the strip and between the band and the strip is formed in two parts, each having a segment that abuts the core. The two segments together form a circle when the knife is fully inserted.
When the two parts of the knife are withdrawn from the core, they are withdrawn in opposite directions. If the tabs were not set back from the outer surface, the removal of the knives would distort those tabs that were located near the side edges of each part of the knife. Each tab that was further removed from the side edges of the knife would be distorted to a lesser degree and the tabs closest to a centre of each part of the knife would not be distorted at all. The tabs would therefore have to be designed to be of different sizes and shapes. This might cause some of the tabs to sever prematurely during installation, shipping or handling. By setting the tabs back from the outer surface in accordance with the present invention, the tabs can all have equal size and shape and all of the tabs therefore have the same strength.
The present invention has a significant advantage over previous tamper resistant closures in that the use of the hinged flange 20 allows variations in the relative size of the closure and container within acceptable tolerances.
Also, the tabs 24 can be made with a great deal of strength.
This strength can be increased by increasing the number or size of the tabs 24. Since the tabs 24 are severed by manually pulling the tear strip 18, the tabs 24 are severed one at a time, if the two sets of tabs are alternated or, if the two sets of tabs are vertically aligned with one another at the rate of two at a time. With previous tamper resistant closures using the hinged flange 22 and tabs or a scored line, the removal of the closure requires that all of the tabs or the entire scored line be severed virtually simultaneously. Sometimes, a great deal of strength is required to sever the tabs or the scored line. With the present invention, the tabs can be severed easily, singly or 2`0~21~
in pairs, while always providing more than sufficient strength to ensure that the tabs do not sever prematurely during the initial installation of the closure on the container or during shipping and handling. The present invention permits a broad range of design relating to the strength of the tabs.
.
Claims (11)
1. A tamper resistant closure for use on a container having a neck surrounding an opening, said neck having external threads thereon, said neck having a ring located beneath said threads when the container is in an upright position, said closure comprising a central portion having a periphery with a skirt extending from said periphery, a tear strip extending from said skirt, a tamper evident band extending from said tear strip and a movable flange extending from said band, said tear strip being affixed between said skirt and said band by severable attachment means, said skirt having an interior surface with threads thereon corresponding to the threads on said container, said flange being connected to said band by hinging means so that said flange extends inwardly relative to said band and a free edge of said flange is movable between an upper position and a lower position, said central portion, skirt, strip, band and flange being sized to fit snugly on said neck so that when the threads of the neck are engaged with the threads of the closure, the closure is in a closed position relative to said container and the free edge of said flange is located above said hinging means and beneath said ring, the flange overriding said ring as the closure is installed on said container, said flange engaging said ring when the closure is attempted to be removed from said container to prevent said flange from overriding said ring, said band and flange being detachable from said skirt by manually severing said attachment means to remove said tear strip.
2. A closure as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the severable attachment means are two sets of severable tabs, one set of tabs connecting said tear strip to said skirt and another set of tabs connecting said tear strip to said band.
3. A closure as claimed in Claim 2 wherein the tabs of one set are vertically offset from the tabs of the other set.
4. A closure as claimed in Claim 3 wherein the tabs of one set are located to alternate along said tear strip with the tabs of the other set.
5. A closure as claimed in any one of Claims 1, 3 or 4 wherein the flange has a plurality of lateral ribs thereon to provide lateral strength.
6. A closure as claimed in any one of Claims 1, 3 or 4 wherein the central portion has an interior surface with two concentric circular ridges located thereon near said periphery, said ridges providing a double seal with said container when said closure is in a closed position on said container.
7. A closure as claimed in any one of Claims 2, 3 or 4 wherein the tabs are strong enough so that they will not sever during installation of the closure on said container but weak enough that they will sever when the tear strip is pulled manually.
8. A closure as claimed in Claim 2 wherein the tear strip has a handle located at one end thereof and there are no tabs located on said handle.
9. A closure as claimed in any one of Claims 2, 3 or 4 wherein the tabs are all of equal size and shape and are located between the skirt and tear strip and between the band and tear strip so that the tabs are flush with the interior surface of the skirt but set back from an exterior surface of the skirt.
10. A method of installing and removing a tamper resistant closure relative to a container, said container having a neck surrounding an opening, said neck having external threads thereon with a ring located beneath said threads when the container is in an upright position, said closure having a central portion with a periphery and a skirt extending from said periphery, a tear strip extending from said skirt, a tamper evident band extending from said tear strip and a movable flange extending from said band, said tear strip being affixed between said skirt and said band by severable attachment means, said skirt having an interior surface with threads thereon corresponding to threads on said container, said flange being connected to said band by hinging means so that said flange extends inwardly relative to said band and a free edge of said flange is movable between an upper position and a lower position, said method comprising installing said closure on said container so that said flange overrides said ring and is located beneath said ring when the closure is in a closed position relative to said container and said free edge of said flange is located above said hinging means and beneath said ring, subsequently, when it is desired to remove said closure from said container, grasping one end of said tear strip and manually pulling it to sever the attachment means and to remove the tear strip from said closure, then removing said closure from said container, the band and flange remaining on said container.
11
Priority Applications (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2055210 CA2055210C (en) | 1991-11-08 | 1991-11-08 | Tamper resistant closure cap and a method of operation therefor |
| US08/152,127 US5472106A (en) | 1991-11-08 | 1993-11-16 | Tamper resistant closure cap and a method of operation therefor |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2055210 CA2055210C (en) | 1991-11-08 | 1991-11-08 | Tamper resistant closure cap and a method of operation therefor |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2055210A1 CA2055210A1 (en) | 1993-05-09 |
| CA2055210C true CA2055210C (en) | 1994-01-11 |
Family
ID=4148727
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2055210 Expired - Lifetime CA2055210C (en) | 1991-11-08 | 1991-11-08 | Tamper resistant closure cap and a method of operation therefor |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA2055210C (en) |
Families Citing this family (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB201910507D0 (en) * | 2019-07-23 | 2019-09-04 | Obrist Closures Switzerland | Closure |
-
1991
- 1991-11-08 CA CA 2055210 patent/CA2055210C/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| CA2055210A1 (en) | 1993-05-09 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| EEER | Examination request | ||
| MKEX | Expiry |