EP0327373A2

EP0327373A2 - Tamper evident fitting for beverage container

Info

Publication number: EP0327373A2
Application number: EP89301033A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Henry Gotch
Original assignee: Grundy Teddington Ltd; Alumasc Grundy Ltd
Current assignee: Alumasc Grundy Ltd
Priority date: 1988-02-03
Filing date: 1989-02-02
Publication date: 1989-08-09
Also published as: GB8902329D0; EP0327373A3; GB8802406D0; GB2215319A

Abstract

A tamper-proof and tamper-evident fitting for a beverage container has an annular member (7) which is located over the projecting lip portion (3) of the outlet housing (1) and thereafter clenched by deforming the lower part of the outer peripheral rim (7b) around the top lip (3) of the housing. The inner peripheral portions of the annular member comprise leaf like parts (8) which are directed inwardly and downwardly.

When an attempt is made to remove the closure member (4) from the outlet housing (1), the leaf parts (8) snag on the threading (5) and with the applied rotational force deform upwardly. At some stage during this removal process a tang or other stop member (9) will prevent further removal. Due to the leaf portions (8) snagging the threading (5) any attempt to screw the closure member back into the outlet housing will result in severe deformation of the parts (8) and complete jamming of the assembly occurs.

Description

This invention relates to a tamper evident fitting for a beverage container such as a cask or keg which includes an outlet having internal screw threading to receive a complementary externally threaded closure member which also forms a means for coupling with an outlet fitting.
This invention seeks to provide a means which is intended to prevent replacement and preferably also removal of the closure member from the outlet and to additionally provide evidence of tampering.
According to this invention there is provided a tamper evident fitting for a beverage container outlet, the fitting comprising an annular member of which the outer peripheral portion is deformable to form a clench around a part of the outlet housing of a container, the inner peripheral portion of the annular member having inwardly directed deformable parts which embrace an upper zone of a closure member so that on attempted removal of the closure member the deformable members are distorted to produce a jamming effect against the threading of the closure member.
In accordance with this invention there is also provided a tamper evident fitting for a beverage container outlet, the fitting comprising an annular member of which the outer peripheral portion is deformable to form a clench around a lip of the outlet housing, the inner peripheral portion of the annular member having inwardly directed deformable parts which embrace an upper zone of the closure member above the threading thereof and are so arranged that removal of the closure member causes the deformable members to be lifted and distorted through abutting engagement with the screw threading whereby the deformable members adopt a generally upwardly directed alignment and produce a jamming effect against the threading of the closure member when an attempt is made to screw said member back into the outlet housing.
Preferably the inwardly directed deformable parts comprise a plurality of segments separated by radial slits. The inwardly directed deformable parts may be inclined with respect to the plane of the annular member.
In one construction of the peripheral portion of the fitting has a depending skirt or wall to coaxially embrace a lip of an outlet housing, the lower edge of the skirt being deformable to form the clench. The inwardly directed deformable parts may embrace the closure member body above the threaded portion, the fitting being trapped on said member by the threading. In an advantageous construction the deformable parts define a nominal diameter less than the overall diameter of the threaded portion of the closure member but such that the said fitting may be forced over the threading to embrace an unthreaded upper zone of the closure member.
In this invention, although the fitting primarily is to prevent the closure member being screwed back into the housing, some considerable resistance will be encountered when unscrewing the closure member due to the force required to distort the deformable parts. Once the parts are distorted it proves impossible to screw in the closure member due to the jamming effect.
This invention is preferably to be used in conjunction with the subject of co-pending British patent applications nos. 8821291.5 and 8826762.0 and European application 88310834.2 which provide for a means preventing removal of the closure member from an outlet housing by virtue of a projecting tang or flange part. When the present invention is combined with the arrangement of the aforesaid prior filed applications the tang part prevents removal of the closure member and the annular member according to this invention prevents the closure member being screwed back into the housing. Thus not only is removal of the closure and the return thereof into the housing member prevented but, in addition, clear evidence of tampering is provided.
The invention is further described and illustrated in conjunction with the accompanying drawings showing one embodiment by way of an example only. Referring to the drawings:-

Figure 1 shows in side view a closure member assembly and in section an outlet housing of a beverage container,
Figure 2 shows a plan view of the annular member forming the tamper evident feature of the invention,
Figure 3 shows the closure member screwed into the housing,
Figure 4 shows the assembly after the annular member has been clenched, and
Figure 5 illustrates the configuration taken up following an attempt to remove the closure member.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings a customary form of outlet arrangement for a beverage container comprises an upstanding housing 1 mounted on the top of the container (not shown) and including an internal screw threading 2 and an enlarged annular lip portion 3. The outlet housing is intended to receive a closure member 4 including threading 5 and a top flange 6 which serves as a coupling plate for a fitting allowing outflow of beverage and inflow of pressure gas. The various types of fitting to which this invention relates are well known in the art and are therefore not described in detail. The fitting referred to generally in the drawings is of one kind only and many different types are available to which this invention may be applied.
As will be apparent, such a closure member when used in a container can be removed simply by unscrewing and can also be reassembled without leaving any evidence of removal. This permits pilfering of the contents and introduction of contaminants without an easy method of detection. In our prior mentioned co-pending applications we have described a method of preventing removal of the closure whereby a laterally projecting latch or plate or tang part 9 abuts the internal part of the container so that the closure member 4 together with the associated valve fittings cannot easily and obviously be removed. However, the closure member can be screwed back into the housing.
This invention provides a means whereby such reassembly is not possible thus affording obvious evidence of tampering.
This feature is provided by means of an annular member 7 which is located on the closure member above the threading 5. When the closure member is assembled the skirt 7a of member 7 locates over the projecting lip portion 3 of the outlet housing 1 (see Figure 3) and is thereafter clenched by deforming the lower part of the skirt 7b around the top lip 3 of the housing (see Figure 4). The inner peripheral portions of the annular member comprise leaf like parts 8 (see Figure 2) which are directed inwardly and downwardly as shown in Figure 1. When the annular member 7 is located over the closure member 4 the leaf parts 8 resiliently deform on engaging the screw threading 5 and ride over same to enable the member to be fitted as shown in Figure 1. When an attempt is made to remove the closure member 4 from the outlet housing 1, the leaf parts 8 snag on the threading 5 and with the applied rotational force deform upwardly to take up a position generally as illustrated in Figure 5. At some stage during this removal process a tang 9 or other stop member will prevent further removal. Due to the leaf portions 8 now snagging the threading 5 any attempt to screw the closure member back into the outlet housing will result in severe deformation of the parts 8 and complete jamming of the assembly occurs.
The leaf parts 8 are delineated by slits 10 which permit the individual parts 8 to deform independently. This has been found to produce a different relative displacement between adjacent parts 8 leading to crossthreading.

Claims

1. A tamper evident fitting for a beverage container having an upstanding outlet and a closure member engaging within the outlet, characterised by the fitting comprising an annular member (7) of which the outer peripheral portion (7b) is deformable to form a clench around a part (3) of the outlet housing (1) of the container, the inner peripheral portion of the annular member having inwardly directed deformable parts (8) which embrace an upper zone of the closure member (4) so that on attempted removal of the closure member (4) the deformable members (8) are distorted to produce a jamming effect against the threading (5) of the closure member (4).

2. A tamper evident fitting for a beverage container having an upstanding outlet and a closure member engaging within the outlet, characterised by the fitting comprising an annular member (7) of which the outer peripheral portion (7b) is deformable to form a clench around a lip (3) of the outlet housing (1), the inner peripheral portion of the annular member having inwardly directed deformable parts (8) which embrace an upper zone of the closure member (4) above the threading (5) thereof and are so arranged that removal of the closure member (4) causes the deformable members (8) to be lifted and distorted through abutting engagement with the screw threading (5) whereby the deformable members (8) adopt a generally upwardly directed alignment and produce a jamming effect against the threading (5) of the closure member (4) when an attempt is made to screw said member back into the outlet housing (1).

3. A tamper evident fitting according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the inwardly directed deformable parts (8) comprise a plurality of segments separated by radial slits (10).

4. A tamper evident fitting according to Claim 1 or 2 or 3, wherein the inwardly directed deformable parts (8) are inclined with respect to the plane of the annular member (7).

5. A tamper evident fitting according to any preceding claim wherein the peripheral portion of the fitting has a depending skirt or wall (7a) to coaxially embrace the lip (3) of the outlet housing (1), the lower edge of the skirt (7b) being deformable to form the clench.

6. A tamper evident fitting according to Claim 5, wherein the inwardly directed deformable parts (8) embrace the closure member body (4) above the threaded portion (5), the fitting being trapped on said member by the threading.

7. A tamper evident fitting according to Claim 5 or 6, wherein the deformable parts (8) are arranged to enter the threading (5) on the closure member (4) and track therealong to engage above the threaded portion.

8. A tamper evident fitting according to any preceding claim in combination with a closure member.

9. A tamper evident fitting according to Claim 8, wherein the closure member (4) has an abutment part (9) to contact an inner wall of the beverage container to inhibit removal from the outlet housing (1).

10. A tamper evident fitting according to any preceding claim, wherein the deformable parts (8) define a nominal diameter less than the overall diameter of the threaded portion (5) of the closure member (4) but such that the said fitting (7) may be forced over the threading to embrace an unthreaded upper zone of the closure member.

11. In combination a tamper evident fitting according to any preceding claim, a beverage container with an upstanding outlet housing (1) and a closure member (4) threadably engaged with said housing, the inner peripheral portion of the fitting (7) being engaged with the closure member (4) above the threading (5) and the outer peripheral portion (7b) of the fitting being clenched around the lip (3) of the outlet housing (1).