Patent Application
20200180821
Embodiments described herein generally relate to a tamper resistant device and, more specifically, to a tamper resistant feature that is integrated into an environmentally friendly container.
Tamper resistance may be a desired feature for many consumables because such features allow a consumer to know the freshness of the consumable, as well as determine whether the consumable has been handled by someone post-packaging. Specifically, some consumers will not purchase a product that has been tampered and thus tamper resistance is often a desired quality for many containers. While the field of tamper resistance may be established for some containers, environmentally friendly containers lack these features.
In one embodiment, a tamper resistant system includes a container having a container body defining a cavity with a threaded opening therein, a threaded closure removably covering the threaded opening, and a frangible component including a length of material having a first end and a second end. The first end is integrated with the container body such that the frangible component and the container body have a single piece construction and the frangible component extends from the container body. The second end is coupled to the threaded closure. Subsequent removal of the threaded closure from the container causes irreversible damage to at least one of the frangible component, the threaded closure, and the container body. The frangible component, the threaded closure, and the container body are at least partially constructed of an environmentally friendly material.
In another embodiment, a tamper resistant device includes a frangible component having a first end and a second end. The first end is integrated with a container body such that the frangible component and the container body have a single piece construction and the frangible component extends from the container body. The second end is coupled to a threaded closure when the threaded closure is secured on the container body. Subsequent removal of the threaded closure from the container body causes irreversible damage to at least one of the frangible component, the threaded closure, and the container body. The frangible component is constructed of an environmentally friendly material.
In yet another embodiment, a tamper resistant device includes a frangible component having a first end and a second end. The first end is integrated with a threaded closure such that the frangible component and the threaded closure have a single piece construction and the frangible component extends from the threaded closure. The second end is coupled to a container body when the threaded closure is secured on the container body. Subsequent removal of the threaded closure from the container body causes irreversible damage to at least one of the frangible component, the threaded closure, and the container body. The frangible component is constructed of an environmentally friendly material.
These and additional features provided by the embodiments described herein will be more fully understood in view of the following detailed description, in conjunction with the drawings.
The embodiments set forth in the drawings are illustrative and exemplary in nature and not intended to limit the disclosure. The following detailed description of the illustrative embodiments can be understood when read in conjunction with the following drawings, where like structure is indicated with like reference numerals and in which:
Embodiments disclosed herein relate to a tamper resistant system that includes environmentally friendly materials and methods of forming the same. Some embodiments include a tamper resistant device (e.g., a seal, a frangible component, and/or the like) that is integral to an environmentally friendly container or a closure therefor. The tamper resistant device may be molded as an extension of one or more portions of the environmentally friendly container and/or attached to one or more portions of the environmentally friendly container. When the closure of the environmentally friendly container is opened, the tamper resistant portion may become irreversibly damaged and/or detach from the environmentally friendly container, thereby indicating that the environmentally friendly container has been opened. In some embodiments, the tamper resistant portion may be damaged, but may be reattached to the container. As an example, a color change may occur to the tamper resistant portion, when detached, but the tamper resistant portion may be reattached. Thus, a user may easily confirm whether the container has been tampered, but allow additional security when re-closing the container. The tamper resistant system will be described in more detail below.
Some tamper resistant devices are difficult for users to discern whether tampering has occurred (e.g., determine whether a tamper resistant ring has detached from a closure). In addition, materials formed of plastics or the like are difficult for a user to break to remove the closure, malfunction such that a frangible component remains intact when the closure is removed, contain materials that are harmful to the environment (e.g., non-environmentally friendly materials), result in sharp/jagged edges that can cause injury, are easily defeated, are only suitable for particular applications (e.g., closures require tools for removal), contain adhesives that fail, and/or are not physically attached to a closure.
As used herein, the term “environmentally friendly” generally encompasses components, materials, and/or the like that have a reduced potential environmental impact with respect to non-environmentally friendly components, materials, and/or the like. For example, “environmentally friendly” materials generally have a low toxicity to plants and animals, do not contain or contain minimal amounts (e.g., less than 1% by mass) of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as aliphatic hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons, ethyl acetate, glycol ethers, ketone-based solvents such as acetone and methylethyl ketones, and alcohols, do not cause greenhouse gas emissions in their production, do not contribute to ozone layer depletion, and/or the like. Environmentally friendly materials as used herein are generally reusable, recyclable, biodegradable, and/or do not excessively contribute to overfilling of landfills. Biodegradable materials generally contain one or more biodegradable compounds that are at least partially decomposed by microorganisms in the soil, manure, compost, and/or the like.
Illustrative examples of environmentally friendly materials include, but are not limited to, agricultural processing materials, such as forms of sugarcane (bagasse), bamboo, wheat straw, banana leaves, hay, grasses, cornstalks, recycled pulp, fiber materials, and/or the like. Other illustrative environmentally friendly materials may include, but are not limited to, post-consumer waste, such as newsprint, packaging, other forms of paper products, and/or the like that may or may not have been recycled and/or repurposed for a particular application as described herein. Yet other illustrative environmentally friendly materials may include, but are not limited to, composite materials, such as materials obtained from landfill and/or municipal reclaim centers, including architectural wood, building materials, manufacturing byproducts, and/or the like. It should be understood that one or more other environmentally friendly materials not specifically described herein may also be used without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Environmentally friendly materials may also be known as “green” or “eco-friendly” materials, as such terms are generally used.
Embodiments described herein may be used with an environmentally friendly multi-barrier container (e.g., a multi-barrier bottle). Embodiments that utilize a multi-barrier configuration may include a plurality of layers of barrier material, including an outer barrier layer and an inner barrier layer formed from a preform. A barrier material may include any material that is used to form a gas barrier from the gases that are used when forming a bottle from the preform. In addition, the barrier material may also include any material that is used to form a gas barrier for the eventual contents of the resulting bottle (e.g., a bottle filled with carbonated drinks contains carbon dioxide). Other embodiments are also contemplated.
Referring now to the drawings,
The container 110 includes a container body 111 defining an internal cavity therein. The internal cavity may be accessed by at least one opening (e.g., a threaded opening) in the container body 111, each of which is removably covered by the closure 130. While the present disclosure relates to a single closure 130 and/or a single opening in the container body 111, it should be understood that a plurality of closures covering a plurality of openings in the container body 111 are contemplated and included within the scope of the present disclosure.
In some embodiments, the container 110 may also include a notch 122. The notch 122 may provide a location for attachment of a portion of the frangible component 140. The notch 122 may be formed as a component of the container 110 in a single piece construction such that the notch 122 protrudes outwardly from the container body 111. In some embodiments, the notch 122 may not be part of a single piece construction, but rather may be glued, welded, and/or otherwise coupled to the container body 111. In some embodiments, the notch 122 may be formed with a flange thereon so as to secure the frangible component 140 on the notch 122 and prevent removal of the frangible component 140 from the notch 122.
The location of the notch 122 on the container 110 is generally such that the frangible component 140 can extend from the notch 122 to the closure 130. For example, the notch 122 may be located at or near a neck 112 of the container 110. However, other locations should be understood and such locations are included within the scope of the present disclosure.
The closure 130 may be configured to removably cover the opening on the container body 111 such that, when the closure 130 is installed, the contents of the container body 111 cannot escape. In some embodiments, the closure 130 may be a threaded closure, such as a screw on cap or the like. As such, the closure 130 may contain threads on an internal surface thereof that correspond to threads on an external surface of the container body 111, such as the neck 112 of the container body (e.g., the neck 112 defining a threaded opening). Accordingly, the closure 130 can be screwed on or off of the container 110 by twisting the closure in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. It will be understood that while a screw cap is depicted in
The closure 130 may be constructed of one or more materials, particularly environmentally friendly materials, such as, for example, the environmentally friendly materials previously described herein. In some embodiments, the closure 130 may be constructed of a single environmentally friendly material. In other embodiments, an interior portion of the closure 130 may be constructed of a first material and an exterior portion of the closure 130 may be constructed of a second material. For example, the interior portion of the closure 130 may be constructed of a polymer material to create a liquid seal with the container body 111 and the exterior portion of the closure 130 may be constructed of an environmentally friendly material. In some embodiments, the material used for at least a portion of the closure 130 may be the same material used for the frangible component 140, such as in embodiments where the frangible component 140 is integrated with the closure 130, as described in greater detail herein.
The frangible component 140 is generally a length of material that extends from a portion of the closure 130 to a portion of the container 110. For example, the frangible component 140 may include a closure-contacting end 141 (e.g., a first end) and a container-contacting end 142 (e.g., a second end) that contact the closure 130 and the container 110, respectively, when the frangible component 140 is fully installed, as described herein. It should be understood that the terms “first end” and “second end” are merely descriptive, and may be used to describe either the closure-contacting end 141 or the container-contacting end 142 herein.
In addition to the closure-contacting end 141 and the container-contacting end 142, the frangible component 140 may further include a frangible portion 143. The frangible portion 143 is a portion that is easily deformed (e.g., broken, torn, etc.) when a particular force is applied thereto. For example, the frangible portion 143 may be deformed when the closure 130 is removed from the container 110, thereby causing a torsional force or the like on at least a portion of the frangible portion 143. The frangible portion 143 may be located on any portion of the frangible component 140, such as between the closure-contacting end 141 and the container-contacting end 142, as a portion of the closure-contacting end 141, and/or as a portion of the container-contacting end 142. In some embodiments, the entire frangible component 140 may be easily deformed when certain forces are applied thereto.
The closure-contacting end 141 of the frangible component 140 contacts the closure 130 at least when the closure 130 is initially placed on the container 110 such that the closure-contacting end 141 is integrated with the closure 130 or coupled to the closure 130. Similarly, the container-contacting end 142 of the frangible component 140 contacts the container 110 at least when closure 130 is initially placed on the container 110 such that the container-contacting end 142 is integrated with the container 110 or coupled to the container 110.
The frangible component 140 may generally be constructed of one or more materials, and thus the materials used for constructing the frangible component 140 are not limited by this disclosure. In some embodiments, the frangible component 140 may be constructed of similar materials as used for one or more of the other components described herein, including the container 110 (and/or components thereof) and the closure 130. In some embodiments, the frangible component 140 may be constructed of a material that is easily deformed to indicate tampering, as described herein. In some embodiments, the frangible component 140 may be constructed of an environmentally friendly material.
Similarly, in some embodiments, the frangible component 140 may be constructed of a plurality of different colored materials to further provide an indicator of tampering. For example, the frangible component 140 may be constructed of a first colored material in a core portion and a second colored material completely surrounding the core portion of first colored material (e.g., a cladding) such that the first colored material is not visible when the frangible component 140 is not deformed. However, when the frangible component 140 is deformed as described herein, the core portion may become visible, thereby showing the first color and providing another visual indicator of tampering.
While only a single frangible component 140 is depicted herein, it should generally be understood that the tamper resistant device 105 may include a plurality of frangible components 140 without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. In one nonlimiting example, the tamper resistant device 105 may include two or more frangible components 140 spanning between a single closure 130 and a single container 110. In another nonlimiting example, the tamper resistant device 105 may include one or more frangible components 140 spanning between a container 110 and each of a plurality of closures 130.
Some embodiments of the exterior barrier 120 may be created from a single piece of material. That is, the exterior barrier 120 may be particularly formed as a one piece component. For example, the exterior barrier 120 may be formed by molding (e.g., injection molding, compression molding, blow molding, or the like), extruding (e.g., extrusion molding), sculpting, blowing, or the like into a single piece unit. In some embodiments, the single piece of the exterior barrier 120 may be wrapped and seamed to create an enclosure defined by the exterior barrier 120. In other embodiments, the exterior barrier 120 may be created by joining a plurality of pieces together at a plurality of seams. For example, the exterior barrier 120 may be formed by fusing a first piece 120a to a second piece 120b.
The exterior barrier 120 may be constructed of an environmentally friendly material, such as the environmentally materials previously described herein. The interior barrier 125 may be constructed of a polymer material or the like, particularly materials that are capable of being blow molded and/or extruded. In some embodiments, the interior barrier 125 may be a preform, and thus may be constructed of materials that are used for preforms, particularly bottle preforms. Illustrative materials may include, but are not limited to, PET and its copolyesters. Other illustrative materials may include polyether block amides (e.g., PEBAX), nylons, polyurethanes, polyethylenes (e.g., high density polyethylenes (HDPE), ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylenes (UHWPE), low density polyethylenes (LDPE), or any combination thereof), biaxially-oriented polyethylene terephthalates (e.g., mylar), and other polymers and thermoplastic polymers, fabrics, silicones such as silicone rubber, latex, glass, or other materials now known or later developed.
The interior barrier 125 may be particularly sized and/or shaped such that the interior barrier 125 can fit within a volume defined by an interior surface of the exterior barrier 120. In some embodiments, the interior barrier 125 may fit within the volume defined by the exterior barrier 120 such that at least a portion of the frangible component 140 (
In the embodiment shown in
In some embodiment shown in
In some embodiments, the notch 122 may be frangible such that the notch 122 breaks away from the container 110 when a force is applied thereto, such as, for example, when the closure 130 (
As previously described herein, the frangible component 140 can be integrated with or coupled to the closure 130. In addition, the frangible component 140 can be integrated with or coupled to the container 110.
In various embodiments, the closure-contacting end 141 of the frangible component 140 may be attached to any portion of the closure 130 with an adhesive. For example, an adhesive may be applied to the closure-contacting end 141 and/or the closure 130 such that, when the closure-contacting end 141 and the closure 130 are contacted together, they cannot be detached without causing irreversible damage, as described in greater detail herein. While
As particularly shown in
In various embodiments, the container-contacting end 142 of the frangible component 140 may be attached to any portion of the container 110 with an adhesive. For example, an adhesive may be applied to the container-contacting end 142 and/or the container 110 (or a portion thereof) such that, when the container-contacting end 141 and the container 110 are contacted together, they cannot be detached without causing irreversible damage, as described in greater detail herein. The container-contacting end 142 may be coupled to any portion of the container 110 via the adhesive, including, but not limited to, the container-contacting end 142 adhered to an exterior surface of the exterior barrier 120, the container-contacting end 142 adhered between the exterior barrier 120 and the interior barrier 125, or the container-contacting end 142 adhered to an interior surface of the interior barrier 125. As previously described herein, the adhesive is not limited by this disclosure, and can include any material that is generally understood to be able to fasten or join two other materials together.
In other embodiments, the container-contacting end 142 of the frangible component 140 may be integrated with the container 110 (or a portion thereof, such as the exterior barrier 120) such that the container 110 and the frangible component 140 are formed as a single piece. That is, the frangible component 140 may be formed from the same material as the container 110 (or the portion thereof) such that it extends a distance away from the container body 111 and can be coupled to the closure 130. In some embodiments, the frangible component may be integrated with the notch 122 such that the notch 122 and the frangible component 140 are a single piece. Such embodiments may be particularly used where the notch 122 is frangible and can be removed from the container body 111 as described herein.
Since the frangible component 140 is coupled between the exterior barrier 120 and the interior barrier 125 of the container 110 according to
It should be understood that the various configurations of the frangible component 140 according to
More specifically,
It should be understood that other portions of the container 110, the closure 130, and/or the frangible component 140 may become irreversibly damaged upon removal of the closure 130 from the container 110. For example,
The container 110 may be filled, closed, and integrated with the tamper resistant devices via one or more methods, which may depend on the particular configuration of the frangible component 140 as described herein. For example,
At step 820, the container body may be filled with any contents. For example, the container body may be filled with a food item, a beverage, a drug, a chemical composition, a beauty product, a toiletry item, or the like. Other components may be used to fill the container body according to step 820 without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.
At step 830, a closure having an integrated frangible component may be provided. The closure may be any one of the closures described herein that has the frangible component permanently attached thereto. Thus, the closure that is provided at step 830 may be a closure that has a frangible component attached to an outside surface thereof, a frangible component attached to an inside surface thereof, or a closure that is formed as a single piece with the frangible component, as described herein.
At step 840, the closure may be attached to the container and the frangible component may be coupled to the notch on the container body by attaching the frangible component to the notch. For example, a loop in the frangible component may be slipped around the notch. In some embodiments, a flange may be formed after the frangible component is attached to the notch so as to prevent subsequent removal and replacement of the frangible component around the notch.
At step 910, the container body for an environmentally friendly container with the integrated frangible component is provided. That is, the container body has the frangible component permanently coupled thereto, as described in greater detail herein. For example, the frangible component may be permanently attached to an exterior surface of the container, a frangible component and an exterior barrier may be formed as a single piece, or the frangible component may be formed between exterior and interior barriers of the container, as described herein.
At step 920, the container body is filled with the contents as described herein and at step 930 the closure is provided. At step 940, the closure is secured on the container body and the frangible component is attached to the closure. For example, as described herein, the frangible component may be attached to an exterior surface of the closure or an interior surface of the closure.
At step 1015, the closure with an integrated frangible component may be provided. The closure may be any one of the closures described herein that has the frangible component permanently attached thereto. Thus, the closure that is provided at step 830 may be a closure that has a frangible component attached to an outside surface thereof, a frangible component attached to an inside surface thereof, or a closure that is formed as a single piece with the frangible component, as described herein.
At step 1020, the container body may be filled, and at step 1025 a determination may be made as to whether interior attachment of a portion of the frangible component will be completed. That is, a determination may be made as to whether the container-contacting portion of the frangible component will be attached to the exterior surface of the container body or if the container-contacting portion will be attached between the interior barrier and the exterior barrier. Such a determination may be made based on, for example, whether the body provided at step 1010 is a fully assembled container body or only a portion thereof, such as just the interior barrier portion.
If the container-contacting portion of the frangible component is to be attached to an exterior surface of the container body, the frangible component may be so attached at step 1030. For example, the frangible component may be attached via adhesives or the like.
If the container-contacting portion of the frangible component is to be attached to an interior surface of the container body, such as between the interior barrier and the exterior barrier, the frangible component may be placed on an exterior surface of the interior barrier or an interior surface of the exterior barrier prior to formation of the combined exterior and interior barriers together. For example, the container-contacting portion of the frangible component may be placed on an exterior surface of the interior barrier, the exterior material that forms the exterior barrier may be placed thereover (as well as around the remainder of the interior barrier), and the interior barrier may be blow molded to a particular shape, thereby creating a tight fit inside the exterior barrier and ensuring that the container-contacting end of the frangible component remains securably retained between the interior barrier and the exterior barrier.
As a result of the flowcharts completed according any one of the methods described with respect to
Accordingly, it should now be understood that the tamper resistant features and methods described herein provide a tamper resistant system that includes an environmentally friendly container, a closure, and a frangible component. The frangible component extends from the closure to the container when the container is closed with the closure. The frangible component becomes irreversibly damaged if the closure is subsequently removed from the container. Portions of the closure and/or the container may also become irreversibly damaged in addition or as an alternative to the frangible component. Any one of the container, the closure, and the frangible component, as well as portions/components thereof, may be constructed of an environmentally friendly material. This provides a user with indication that the environmentally friendly container has not been tampered.
Previous solutions to not provide tamper resistance for such environmentally friendly containers, which provide challenges due to the typical nature and integrity of many environmentally friendly materials (e.g. easily torn, easily degraded, etc.). Additionally, embodiments provided herein create greater assurance of tamper resistance due to the one-piece construction, the notch, and the frangible material that previous solutions do not provide.
While particular embodiments and aspects of the present disclosure have been illustrated and described herein, various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Moreover, although various aspects have been described herein, such aspects need not be utilized in combination. Accordingly, it is therefore intended that the appended claims cover all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of the embodiments shown and described herein.
It should now be understood that embodiments disclosed herein includes systems, and methods for a tamper resistant container. It should also be understood that these embodiments are merely exemplary and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure.
The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/206,646 entitled TAMPER RESISTANT DEVICE AND METHODS OF FORMING A TAMPER RESISTANT DEVICE, filed Jul. 11, 2016, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/191,559, filed Jul. 13, 2015 and entitled TAMPER RESISTANT CONTAINER, all of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62191559 | Jul 2015 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 15206646 | Jul 2016 | US |
| Child | 16794983 | US |
