This disclosure relates to a package in the form of an assembly of a container and closure for such container, and more particularly to a closure and container system in which the closure is non-removably secured to the container neck finish.
A common type of container has a threaded neck finish and is adapted to receive a threaded closure. In some applications there may be a need to precisely position the closure on the container neck finish when the closure is in fully assembled condition. For example, the closure may have an external feature that is intended to be maintained in some predetermined relationship with a cooperating external feature on the container. In some applications there also is a need for a removal-resistant closure on the container to provide a tamper-resistant package assembly, as well as a package assembly that would provide evidence of tampering.
In general, and by way of summary description and not by way of limitation, the present disclosure provides a package in the form of a container and closure assembly that incorporates a system for providing secure threaded attachment of the closure to the container in a predetermined orientation, and that inhibits removal of the closure as well as providing evidence of tampering efforts to effect closure removal. The container has a neck finish that defines an opening to the container interior and has at least one external thread segment. The neck finish also has an external annular ledge spaced below the thread segment. At least one, but preferably a pair of diametrically opposed external locking notches or recesses are provided in the ledge outer periphery.
The closure includes an inner annular wall provided with at least one internal thread segment for threaded engagement with an external thread segment on the neck finish. The closure also has an outer annular skirt wall that serves as a barrier to tampering access to an intermediate annular locking lug wall of the closure disposed concentrically between the inner wall and the outer skirt wall. At least one locking lug, but preferably a pair of diametrically opposed locking lugs protrude radially inwardly from the inner periphery of the intermediate annular wall. The locking lugs are disposed for snap receipt into the external ledge locking notches as the closure is fully threaded onto the container neck finish to thereby provide a predetermined orientation of the fully closed closure on the container and prevent unthreading of the closure from the neck finish.
The foregoing, as well as objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description of the best mode presently known to the inventors of making and using the invention, from the appended claims and from the accompanying drawings (which are to engineering scale unless otherwise indicated), wherein:
In accordance with a preferred but exemplary embodiment of the disclosure shown in
Preferably the container neck finish 26 has four external thread segments 28, 30, 32, 34 at 90° spacing (
Flange 36 also has a pair of diametrically opposed external lug lead-in recesses or notches 52 and 54 respectively circumferentially adjacent to each of the flange lugs 40 and 42. One edge 56 and 58 of recesses 52 and 54 respectively, which is closest to the associated locking lugs 40 and 42, is angled relative to the radius of finish 26 at a camming angle, such as about 60° (
Closure 70 of container package 20 is shown assembled to container 22 in
Closure 70 is characterized by cap 80 having three annular concentric walls, namely, (1) an outer annular wall or skirt 84 that may be serrated or ribbed for appearance and to facilitate for threading the closure onto neck finish 26, (2) an inner annular wall 86 having at least one, but preferably four internal thread segments 88, 90, 92 and 94 designed to individually cooperate with the preferred four finish thread segments 28, 30, 32 and 34, and (3) an intermediate annular locking wall 100. As best seen in
Intermediate closure locking wall 100 is provided with at least one and preferably four radially inwardly protruding stop lugs 110, 112, 114 and 116 on its inner peripheral surface and spaced apart at 90° increments circumferentially of wall 100. The leading side face 120 of lug 110 (and likewise as to lugs 112, 114 and 116) is angled inwardly and backwardly relative to the closure direction of rotation of cap 80 (in the illustrated embodiment cap 80 is provided with right-hand thread segments 88-94 such that clockwise rotation of cap 80 on finish 26 screws the cap 80 down on container 22 in the closing direction).
The outer annular skirt wall 84 is preferably provided with a series of circumferentially spaced stiffening ribs 130, 132, 134, 136, 138 and 140 integral with outer skirt wall 84 and protruding radially inwardly from the inner periphery thereof, and each having a scalloped contour axially of cap 70, as typified by rib 138 shown in
In operation, when applying closure cap 80 to container 22 by engaging the cap thread segments 88-94 with the container neck finish thread segments 28-34 and rotating cap 80 in a clockwise direction relative to container 22, one pair of diametrically opposed closure lugs 112 and 116 are guided into the longer finish ledge clearance notches or recesses 48 and 50. Simultaneously the other pair of diametrically opposed cap locking lugs 110 and 114 encounter the shorter associated camming lead-in notches or recesses 52 and 54 of neck ledge 36. Note that all finish ledge or flange notches or recesses are positioned in relation to the helix angle of the thread segments of the finish neck such that the closure lugs 110-116 are aligned with these associated notches or recesses as the closure is fully applied. To aid in this alignment, the aforementioned chamfers 60, 62 and 64 have been provided on the upwardly facing edge portions of camming notches or recesses 52 and 54. Thus, as cap 80 continues to be applied (screwed downwardly on finish thread segments 28-34 as viewed in
Further clockwise rotation of cap 80 on finish 26 will cause locking lugs 110 and 114 to register with ledge locking notches or recesses 44 and 46, whereupon the resilience of camming-stressed wall 100 will cause locking lugs 110 and 114 to snap into these associated locking notches or recesses 44 and 46. This will lock the cap 80 closure 70 in place fully closed on finish 26. Closure 70 will have limited back-off rotation once thus locked in place due to the slightly greater circumferential extent of finish locking notches or recesses 44 and 46 relative to locking lugs 110 and 114. However, such opening rotational forces on locking lugs 110 and 114 will not cam them radially outwardly of associated locking notches or recesses 44 and 46 because the trailing wall 111 (
From the foregoing, it now will be understood that once closure cap 70 is fully secured onto finish 36 with the cap lugs 110 and 114 registered and protruding into the locking notches or recesses 44 and 46 of finish ledge 36, an ultimate purchaser or user of the container package 20 will have great difficulty in trying to gain access to the flexible intermediate locking wall 100. Outer wall 84 will prevent most if not all attempts to pry out the locking lugs 110, 114 from their locking recesses an attempt to defeat the non-removable feature of the package 20. The locking lugs 110, 114 cannot be disengaged from the finish locking recesses by inserting a screwdriver or the like beneath the outer skirt and prying it outwardly because the locking lugs are not carried by this cap skirt wall. Moreover, because the closure 20 when fully locked on container 22 disposes lower edge 85 of outer skirt wall 84 closely spaced axially above container wall 102, it is difficult to even engage or reach intermediate wall 100 by inserting a screwdriver or the like beneath outer skirt 84.
In addition, because in this preferred embodiment there is a pair of diametrically opposed locking lugs 110 and 114 engaged in locking relation with finish flange 36, both of these diametrically opposite locking lugs would have to be disengaged simultaneously from their associated flange locking recess in order to initiate unscrewing rotation of the closure from the container. Moreover, since locking lugs 110 and 114 are not visible exteriorly of the fully locked-on closure, the putative tamperor would first have to attempt to find the circumferential location of the hidden locking lugs before attempting any unseating action, the outer wall 84 thereby rendering it even more difficult to defeat the non-removable closure feature of package 20.
It is to be understood that in the illustrated exemplary embodiment, there are four lugs 110, 112, 114 and 116 on the interior intermediate wall 100, because there are four thread starts or thread segments 28, 30, 32 and 34 on the container neck finish 26. In those embodiments or applications where only two thread starts are required, only two diametrically opposed internal lugs 110-116 would be needed to effect the non-removability feature. That is, it will be understood that the sole functions of the circumferentially elongated notches 48 and 50 in the neck ledge 36 is to provide a location for receiving and accommodating circumferential travel of the diametrically opposed dormant closure lugs, i.e., lugs 112 and 116 in the foregoing example, that are not cammed out to be captured in locking elongate recesses 44 and 46 behind the finish lugs 40 and 42. In a two-thread modification there would be only two internal lugs on the closure skirt, and non-locking notches 48 and 50 would not be needed on the container neck flange 36.
In addition to the foregoing variations, it will be readily apparent from the foregoing detailed description of the invention and from the illustrations thereof in the drawings, that numerous variations and modifications may be effected without thereby departing from the principles of the invention and valid scope of the following claims.
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