Claims
- 1. A closure for use on a tamper-evident container having an opening and a lip surrounding the opening, the closure comprising:
- a bridge on the closure which covers the container lip when the closure is covering the opening;
- a skirt which depends from the periphery of the closure bridge;
- a non-removable pull-tab on the closure and extending inwardly, the pull-tab joined to the closure by at least one leg; and
- a frangible web formed in the closure and beginning at the point where the leg is joined to the closure, the web extending at least partially across the bridge and adapted to tear upon pulling the pull-tab upwardly and outwardly so as to provide a visible indication that the closure has been removed without removing the pull-tab from the closure, wherein the pull-tab has at least one leg extending at least partially across the bridge and having approximately the same thickness as the bridge so as to form a continuation of the bridge profile, and the web joins the leg on both sides to the bridge.
- 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the web has a thickness less than about 1/4 the thickness of the leg.
- 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the pull-tab extends inwardly from said closure at an angle with the horizontal of at least 60.degree..
- 4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the angle is at least 75.degree..
- 5. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the closure defines a peripheral rim having an inner wall and said bridge.
- 6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the pull-tab further includes a handle extending along a circumferential portion of said inner wall.
- 7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein when the closure is in its initial, unopened state, the pull-tab does not extend above the peripheral rim.
- 8. A tamper-evident container and closure, comprising:
- a container having an upper lip which surrounds an opening in the container;
- an outwardly extending shelf surrounding the periphery of the container and joined to the container proximate to the container lip;
- an upwardly extending flange joined to the shelf and spaced from the container;
- a closure which covers the opening in the container;
- a peripheral rim, a bridge and an outer wall on the closure combining to removably secure the closure on the container lip when the closure is covering the opening, the outer wall depending from the bridge and fitting between the container lip and the flange, a bottom edge of the outer wall terminating proximate to the shelf so that the bottom edge of the outer wall cannot be easily manually engaged to remove the closure from the container;
- a pull-tab on the closure and extending inwardly from the peripheral rim, the pull-tab joined to the closure by at least one leg; and
- a frangible web formed in the closure and beginning at the point where the leg is joined to the closure, the web extending at least partially across the bridge of the rim, the web being adapted to tear upon pulling the pull-tab upwardly and outwardly so as to provide a visible indication that the closure has been removed, the pull-tab being connected to the closure so as not to separate from the closure upon tearing of the web and removal of the closure from the container, wherein the pull-tab is substantially U-shaped and is joined to the closure by two legs and wherein a web is provided on both sides of each leg.
- 9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein when the closure is in its initial, unopened state, the pull-tab does not extend above the peripheral rim.
- 10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the web extends through the peripheral rim and terminates at a point spaced from the bottom edge of the outer wall.
- 11. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the pull-tab attaches to a lower portion of the rim and extends inwardly at an angle with the horizontal of at least 60.degree..
- 12. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said angle is at least 75.degree..
- 13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the pull-tab further includes a handle extending along a circumferential periphery of said rim.
- 14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein when the closure is in its initial, unopened state, the pull-tab does not extend above the peripheral rim.
- 15. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the shelf and flange extend uninterrupted around the entire periphery of the container.
- 16. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the closure further comprises a sealing ring which sealingly engages the container so that the closure may be used to reseal the container after opening.
- 17. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the closure further comprises a solid central portion recessed below the peripheral rim, the pull-tab extending from the peripheral rim above the central portion.
- 18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the closure further comprises a sealing ring formed on the periphery of the central portion and below a point of attachment between the pull-tab and closure, the ring sealingly engaging the container so that the closure may be used to reseal the container after opening.
- 19. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the closure further includes an inner wall connected to said bridge opposite said outer wall.
- 20. A closure for use on a tamper-evident container having an opening and a lip surrounding the opening, the closure comprising:
- a bridge on the closure which covers the container lip when the closure is covering the opening;
- a downwardly extending wall portion having one side connected to the bridge and the opposing side connected to a sealing ring that is configured to engage and seal the opening when the closure is placed on the container;
- a non-removable pull-tab on the closure and extending inwardly, the pull-tab joined to the wall portion by at least one leg; and
- a frangible web formed in the wall portion where the leg is joined, the web extending at least partially across the bridge and adapted to tear the wall portion upon pulling the pull-tab upwardly and outwardly so as to provide a visible indication that the closure has been removed without separating the closure into multiple pieces, wherein the pull-tab has at least one leg extending at least partially across the bridge and having approximately the same thickness as the bridge so as to form a continuation of the bridge profile, and the web joins the leg on both sides to the bridge.
- 21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the web has a thickness less than about 1/4 the thickness of the leg.
- 22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the pull-tab has an elongated member that extends along a peripheral portion of the opening and extends inwardly from said closure at an angle with the horizontal of at least 60.degree..
- 23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the angle is at least 75.degree..
- 24. A closure for use on a tamper-evident container having an opening and a lip surrounding the opening, the closure comprising:
- a bridge on the closure which covers the container lip when the closure is covering the opening;
- a skirt which depends from an outer periphery of the closure bridge on an outside of the opening, the skirt having a sealing surface located on an inner surface of the skirt and positioned to engage and seal with an outwardly extending sealing surface on the container;
- a downwardly extending wall portion having one side connected to an inner periphery of the bridge and the opposing side connected to a sealing ring that is configured to engage and seal the opening when the closure is placed on the container;
- a non-removable pull-tab on the closure, the tab extending inwardly along and adjacent to a portion of the wall portion, the pull-tab joined to the wall portion by at least one leg; and
- a frangible web formed in the wall portion where the leg is joined, the web adapted to tear the wall portion upon pulling the pull-tab upwardly and outwardly so as to provide a visible indication that the closure has been removed without removing the pull-tab from the closure, the web not extending a distance to permit separation of the closure into multiple pieces.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
The present application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/615,042, filed on Mar. 12, 1996, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (30)
Non-Patent Literature Citations (2)
Entry |
Photographs of Quaker.RTM. Oatmeal pull tab lid (date unknown). |
Photographs of Del Monte Lite Fruit Cup.RTM. pull tab lid (date unknown). |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
615042 |
Mar 1996 |
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