Patent Application
20080164235
This invention relates to a closure and container combination.
Maintaining and ensuring the proper sealing of container and closure combinations are important considerations for many different kinds of packaged products, such as food, beverages, and pharmaceuticals. A compromised seal can result in the introduction of atmospheric and other forms of contamination into the container system. Contaminants introduced through a compromised seal can be detrimental to the vitality of the container contents, reduce shelf-life, and may pose significant health risk when the contents are intended for human consumption. A compromised seal, however, can be difficult to detect by consumers and individuals handling packaged goods.
Tamper-evident closures can assist consumers and individuals handling packaged goods to easily detect compromised closures. For example, a first opening of a closure and container combination can be visually and audibly detected where tamper-evident means are in the form of a detachable ring that breaks and separates from the closure means upon opening. An individual can easily discern the detached ring and will recognize the container and closure combination has been compromised. Recognizing the compromised seal consumers can select an uncompromised product and individuals handling packaged products for sale can choose to return the compromised goods to the manufacturer and/or to discard the goods.
The usefulness of the tamper-evident closure depends on the successful identifying characteristic being generated in every case where the container and closure system has been compromised. A failure rate, even when low, may be particularly unacceptable when the contents of the container and closure combination are intended for human consumption or use. Therefore, it is desirable to develop a tamper-evident closure that succeeds in identifying a compromised closure each time the container contents have been introduced to potential environmental contaminants.
It is an object of the present invention to have a tamper-evident closure and container combination with improved performance characteristics.
Accordingly, the foregoing objectives are provided for in a molded tamper-evident closure and container combination. A container is provided with a neck portion having an uppermost and lowermost portion. The uppermost neck portion is provided with means for securing a closure. In one embodiment of the invention, the uppermost neck portion is provided with threads integrally formed therein. At the periphery between the uppermost and lowermost neck portion an annular shoulder is provided with a downwardly and outwardly sloping upper portion and a lowermost portion that is angled downwardly and inwardly. The circumference of the annular shoulder at its greatest extent is greater than the circumference of the adjacent neck portions where they abut the annular shoulder. The lowermost neck portion slopes or arcs outwardly from below the annular shoulder such that the circumference immediately adjacent the annular shoulder is less than the circumference at a more distal portion as the lowermost neck portion approaches the container body.
A closure is provided with a top wall portion that spans the uppermost portion of the container neck and may be provided with sealing means to provide a sealed closure. An annular sidewall is attached to the periphery of the top wall and extends downward. An integral screw thread is provided at the inner surface of the sidewall and matingly engages the threads integrally formed in the uppermost portion of the container neck. In an alternative embodiment, the closure is provided with snapping means for securing the closure to the container. Instead of an integral screw thread, one or more ridges are formed at the inner surface of the closure sidewall and slide past and engage one or more integrally formed ridges on the container neck when closing and securing the closure to the container.
At the lower extent of the sidewall tamper-evident means are provided comprising a detachable ring and a plurality of tabs. The detachable ring is in vertical alignment with the sidewall and includes a frangible section that operates to sever the ring from the closure when the cap is removed, for example by unscrewing or snapping off the closure to get at the contents of the container. At a lower portion of the detachable ring a plurality of tabs are provided that bend upward and radially inward, pivoting at a joint section located at a lower portion of the detachable ring when the cap and container assembly is in a secured state. The tabs engage the lower portion of the annular shoulder of the container. When the closure is removed, the annular shoulder resists the upward movement of the detachable ring. The sloping lower neck portion braces the tabs tending to prevent a downward movement or unfolding of the tabs at the hinge portion. The detachable ring breaks from the sidewall portion at the frangible section and is retained at the lower extent of the neck portion and below the annular shoulder.
Further objects of the invention, together with additional features contributing thereto and advantages occurring therefrom, will be apparent from the following description of the invention when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings; wherein:
Referring now to
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The lower neck portion 16 of the container 12 extends downwardly and outwardly from the lower portion 40 of the annular shoulder 36 to the container body 42. The angle proscribed by a vertical line drawn downward from the junction of the lower portion 40 of the annular shoulder and the lower neck portion 16 and the downwardly and outwardly extending lower neck portion 16 ranges from about and including 3 to 40°. Preferably, the angle proscribed ranges from about and including 5 to 25°. In the most preferred embodiment the proscribed angle is 8°.
In one embodiment of the invention, the lower neck portion 16 terminates at a shoulder of the container body 42. In an alternative embodiment, the container body 42 continues at an angle substantially the same as the angle proscribed by the lower neck portion 16. In general, the lower neck portion will tend to terminate approximately at a location adjacent the lower edge of a closure 10 with attached tamper-evident band 44 described below. In another embodiment of the invention shown in
Referring now to
Returning to the closure structure, at the lower extent of the annular sidewall 56 is provided with tamper-evident means comprising a detachable ring 44. The detachable ring 44 is attached to the annular sidewall 56 by a plurality of frangible bridges 46 that extend outwardly from the innermost surface of the closure 10. When the closure 10 is removed from the container 12 the detachable ring is severed from the annular sidewall 56 at the frangible bridge portions 46. At the lowermost inner surface of the detachable ring 44 a plurality of tabs 50 are pivotably and integrally joined at a joint section 54.
In prior art systems, the lower neck portion of the container 16 was substantially perpendicular to a horizontal plane thereby allowing the tabs to pivot too far in a downward direction and resulting in insufficient stress at the outermost region of the detachable ring. Occasionally the detachable ring would fail to sever from the closure and the tamper-evident characteristic would not be generated. The container could be recapped and a consumer or person handling sealed goods could not easily detect the contents of the container had been compromised.
The present invention has improved performance characteristics due to the angled or arced lower neck portion 16 that prevents the tabs 50 from flexing too far in a downwardly direction as the closure is being removed. Sufficient outward force is therefore transmitted to the detachable ring 44 causing the frangible bridge portions to break at an increased and improved rate. This improved performance ensures the tamper-evident characteristic is being generated by both an audible and visual first opening of the closure and container combination.
A specific embodiment of a tamper-evident closure and container combination according to the present invention has been described for the purpose of illustrating the manner in which the invention is made and used. It should be understood that the implementation of other variations and modifications of the invention and its various aspects will be apparent to one skilled in the art, and that the invention is not limited by the specific embodiments described. Therefore, it is contemplated to cover the present invention and any and all modifications, variations, or equivalents that fall within the true spirit and scope of the basic underlying principles disclosed and claimed herein.
