The present disclosure is directed to a tamper-indicating package, and to a closure and container for such a package, in which the closure and container are constructed such that the tamper-indicating mechanism is activated before loss of sealing engagement between the closure and the container neck finish.
Many aseptic-fill packages, such as packages for dairy products, are provided with a foil seal over the end of the container neck finish before the closure is applied to the neck finish. This foil seal functions both to seal the package during shipment, storage and handling, and to provide indication that the package has been opened when the foil seal has been ruptured or removed. However, there is a desire to eliminate the cost associated with provision of this foil seal and the inconvenience of requiring removal of the foil seal by the consumer. The present disclosure is directed to a tamper-indicating package, and to a closure and a container for such a package, in which the closure and the container are constructed such that a tamper-indicating mechanism on the closure is activated before loss of sealing engagement between the closure and the container neck finish.
The present disclosure embodies a number of aspects that can be implemented separately from or in combination with each other.
A tamper-indicating package in accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure includes a container having a neck finish with an open end, at least one external thread segment, and first and second sets of angularly spaced ratchet teeth in diametrically opposed arrays spaced from the open end of the neck finish. A closure has a base wall with an annular skirt and at least one internal thread segment on the skirt for engagement with the external thread segment on the container neck finish to secure the closure to the container. A circumferential array of angularly spaced flexible resilient ratchet wings extend counterclockwise from an inner surface of the tamper band at an angle to such inner surface. A flexible resilient sealing liner is provided on the base wall within the skirt, and has an annular surface that faces radially outwardly toward the skirt and axially away from the base wall. The ratchet wings are resiliently flexed by the ratchet teeth radially outwardly toward the tamper band during clockwise application of the closure to the container neck finish, and abut clockwise-oriented abutment faces on the ratchet teeth to resist counterclockwise unthreading of the closure from the neck finish so that removal of the closure from the neck finish frangibly separates the tamper band from the skirt. Resilient engagement of the liner surface with the open end of the container neck finish is such that the tamper band is separated from the skirt before loss of sealing engagement between the liner and the open end of the neck finish.
The open end of the neck finish preferably has a radially inwardly extending trim flange, which may be flexible, resilient and deformed axially inwardly by engagement with the liner surface. Resilient engagement of the liner surface with the trim flange is such that the tamper band is separated from the skirt before loss of sealing engagement between the liner and the trim flange. The ratchet wings preferably extend from an inside surface of the tamper band onto an inside surface of the closure skirt and frangibly connect the tamper band to the skirt. Each ratchet tooth of each set on the container neck finish preferably is diametrically opposed to an associated ratchet tooth of the opposing set, such that all ratchet teeth are simultaneously engaged by ratchet wings on the closure skirt. The flexible resilient liner preferably includes barrier material resistant to migration of gases, water vapor and/or flavorants through the liner.
The disclosure, together with additional objects, features, advantages and aspects thereof, will best be understood from the following description, the appended claims and the accompanying drawings, in which:
The disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 6,533,136 is incorporated herein by reference.
Container 26, including neck finish 24, preferably is formed in an extrusion blow molding operation, as described for example in detail in above-referenced U.S. Pat. No. 6,533,136. During such container manufacture, a trim flange 38 is formed at the open end of the container neck finish during a post-mold trimming operation by means of a suitable knife blade or the like to separate the container neck finish from an integrally formed moil or another container. This trimming operation forms a trimmed surface 40 (
Closure 22 is illustrated in detail in FIGS. 8 and 10-15. Closure 22 includes a one-piece shell 42 of compression molded or injection molded plastic construction, such as polypropylene for example. Shell 42 has a base wall 44 and an annular skirt 46. Skirt 46 is illustrated as extending from the periphery of base wall 44 in the exemplary embodiment of the disclosure. However, in other embodiments of the disclosure, there may be an additional skirt disposed radially outwardly of skirt 46 to match the sidewall contour of the container to which the closure will be applied. One or more internal thread segments 48 are provided on the inside surface of skirt 46. A tamper band 50 is frangibly connected to skirt 46 of closure shell 42. In shell 42 as molded (
A circumferential array of angularly spaced flexible resilient ratchet wings 52 extend from the inner surface of tamper band 50. Ratchet wings 52 preferably are nominally flat as molded and extend counterclockwise at an angle to the inner surface of band 50 as viewed from above (or clockwise as viewed from below in
After molding closure shell 42, and either before or after scoring along the line 54 as preferred, a liner 56 is provided on the inside or undersurface of closure base wall 44. Liner 56 is of flexible resilient construction, and may be provided on closure base wall 44 in a compression molding or other suitable liner forming operation. Liner 56 has a sealing surface 58 that faces radially outwardly toward skirt 46 and axially away from base wall 44. Surface 58 in the embodiment of
Closure 22 is applied to container neck finish 24 by threading the closure onto the container neck finish in a clockwise direction as viewed from above. Ratchet wings 52 on closure 22 engage cam surfaces 35 on ratchet teeth 34, and are resiliently flexed by the ratchet teeth radially outwardly toward tamper band 50 and closure skirt 46 during such clockwise application of the closure to the neck finish. Whereas ratchet wings 52 preferably are flat as molded, and preferably are at substantially identical angles to the inside surface of tamper band 50 as molded, the ratchet wings may bend to non-flat configurations and/or to non-identical angles to the tamper band during application to the container neck finish. The axial spacings and dimensions between container thread segments 28 and ratchet teeth 34, and between closure thread segments 48 and ratchet wings 52, preferably are such that the thread segments engage each other as the closure is applied to the container before the ratchet wings engage the ratchet teeth. This helps assemble the closure onto the container in automatic capping equipment. Full application of the closure to the container neck finish brings trimmed surface 40 of neck finish trim flange 38 into opposed or abutting engagement with sealing surface 58 of liner 56 (or sealing surface 58a of liner 56a in
When closure 22 thereafter is rotated in the counterclockwise or removal direction with respect to container neck finish 24, ratchet wings 52 are brought into engagement with abutment faces 36 of ratchet teeth 34, as illustrated in
There thus have been disclosed a tamper-indicating package, and a closure and container for such a package, that fully satisfy all of the objects and aims previously set forth. The disclosure has been presented in connection with several exemplary embodiments, and a number of additional modifications and variations have been discussed. Other modifications and variations readily will suggest themselves to persons of ordinary skill in the art in view of the foregoing discussion. The disclosure is intended to embrace all such modifications and variations as fall within the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
111607 | Bissell | Feb 1871 | A |
3504818 | Crisci et al. | Apr 1970 | A |
3874540 | Hidding | Apr 1975 | A |
4413743 | Summers | Nov 1983 | A |
4534480 | Santostasi et al. | Aug 1985 | A |
4609115 | Moore et al. | Sep 1986 | A |
4830207 | Battegazzore | May 1989 | A |
5009323 | Montgomery et al. | Apr 1991 | A |
5040692 | Julian | Aug 1991 | A |
5056675 | Julian | Oct 1991 | A |
5115932 | Schneider | May 1992 | A |
5190178 | Luch | Mar 1993 | A |
5213224 | Luch | May 1993 | A |
5346082 | Ochs et al. | Sep 1994 | A |
5456376 | Luch et al. | Oct 1995 | A |
5593055 | Repp et al. | Jan 1997 | A |
5687866 | Luch et al. | Nov 1997 | A |
5755348 | Luch et al. | May 1998 | A |
5975321 | Luch | Nov 1999 | A |
6003701 | Hidding et al. | Dec 1999 | A |
6173853 | Luch | Jan 2001 | B1 |
6523710 | Hidding et al. | Feb 2003 | B1 |
6533136 | Willingham | Mar 2003 | B1 |
6637611 | Luch | Oct 2003 | B2 |
6692685 | Willingham | Feb 2004 | B1 |
6696123 | Hock et al. | Feb 2004 | B2 |
6823651 | Thierjung et al. | Nov 2004 | B2 |
7021478 | Hock | Apr 2006 | B1 |
20010000602 | Luch | May 2001 | A1 |
20050199574 | Bloom et al. | Sep 2005 | A1 |
20050252878 | Babcock | Nov 2005 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
1114781 | Jul 2001 | EP |
08164960 | Jun 1996 | JP |
08282694 | Oct 1996 | JP |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20070034591 A1 | Feb 2007 | US |