EP1105319B1 - Dual tamper evident closure - Google Patents

Abstract

A dual tamper evident closure (1) for sealing the neck portion of a container (3). The closure (1) which is preferably made of one single piece of plastic material, has a body (15) with a skirt (17) sized and shaped to fit onto and be screwed or otherwise detachably fixed to the neck portion (5). The body (15) also has a top surface (25) with an opening (27) in registry with the outlet of the neck portion. The closure also has a cap (29) that is connected to the closure body (15) by a hinge (35) and is sized and shaped to cover the opening (27) of the body (15) and thus to close the outlet of the neck portion when folded down in a closed position. A tamper evident band (37) in the form of a ring is connected by frangible bridges (39) to the lower edge of the skirt (17) of the body (15). This band (37) is provided with hooks (41) designed to cooperate with an annular bead projecting from the neck portion in order to rigidly retain the body onto the neck portion. A tear tab (43) integrally projects from the peripheral edge of the closure cap in a position that is opposite to the hinge (35). This tear tab (43) has an upper end that is connected by a frangible bridge (45) to the peripheral edge of the closure cap (29), and a lower end (47) that is rigidly connected to the tamper evident band (37). In use, the tear tab (43) as long as it remains connected to the closure cap (29), warrants that the closure cap (29) has not been lifted up and thus the container (3) has not been opened.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONa)Field of the invention

The present invention relates to a dual tamper evident closure according to the preamble ofclaim 1 for use on a container,bottle or any similar article (hereinafter called "container" only) provided with a neckportion that defines an outlet.

More specifically, the invention relates to a dual tamper evident closure which,thanks to its improved structure, warrants the consumer that the container has neverbeen opened at all by either removal of the whole closure or opening of the cap of theclosure.

b)Brief description of the prior art

Tamper evident closure for containers of the type comprising a tamper evidentband in the form of a ring connected by means of frangible bridges to the lower edgeof the skirt of the body of the closure, are well known and commonly used in the trade.In this connection, reference can be made, by way of non-restrictive examples, to U.S.patent Nos. 4,658,976 (POHLENZ) and 4,915,244 (CELASCHI).

Tamper evident closures comprising a foldable cap which is connected to theclosure body by means of a security band or a frangible bridge that must be torn outbefore the cap is opened for the first time, are also known. Examples of such closuresare disclosed in U.S. patent Nos. 4,487,324 (OSTROWSKY); 5,147,054 (PEHR) and5,392,938 (DUBACH).

Document JP 9-58716 A discloses a dual tamper evidentclosure corresponding to the preamble ofclaim 1.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the invention is to provide a dual tamper evident closure which, inaddition to comprising a tamper evident band of conventional structure, also comprisesan "integral" tear tab that warrants the consumer who buys the container that the capof the closure has never been opened.

More particularly, the invention provides a dual tamper evident closure as defined inclaim 1 forsealing a container comprising a neck portion that defines an outlet and has an externalsurface provided with upper and lower connection means.

This closure comprises:

a closure body comprising :

a skirt sized and shaped to fit onto the neck portion, the skirthaving a lower edge and comprising an internal surface provided withskirt connection means designed and positioned to cooperate with theupper connection means of the neck portion in order to detachablyconnect the closure body to the neck portion; and

a top surface comprising an opening that is in registry with theoutlet of the neck portion when the closure body is connected to theneck portion,

The closure also comprises a top wall and a peripheral edge. The closure capis connected to the closure body by means of a hinge and is sized and shaped to coverthe opening of the closure body and thus to close the outlet of the neck portion whenfolded down in a closed position.

The closure further comprises a tamper-evident band comprising a ringconnected by means of frangible bridges to the lower edge of the skirt of the closurebody. The band is provided with hooking means designed to cooperate with the lowerconnection means of the neck portion in order to rigidly retain the closure body onto thisneck portion.

In accordance with the characterising portion ofclaim 1, the closurecomprises also a tear tab integrally projecting from the peripheral edge of the closurecap in a position that is opposite to the hinge. This tear tab has an upper end that isconnected by a frangible bridge to the peripheral edge of the closure cap and a lowerend that is rigidly connected to the tamper-evident band, such that inuse, the tear tab, as long as it remains connected to the closure cap, warrantsthat the closure cap has not been lifted up and thus that the container has not beenopened.

Preferably, the closure is made of one single piece of plastic material, preferablypolypropylene.

Preferably also, the lower end of the tear tab is connected to the tamper evidentband by ultrasonic welding.

In practice, after molding of the closure, the cap is folded down onto the bodyto close the opening in the top surface of the same. The tear tab that is integral to thecap, is then rigidly connected preferably by ultrasonic welding to the tamper evidentband which thus assumes two separate functions:

• it warrants, as long as it remains attached to the lower edge of the body skirt, that the closure has not been removed from the neck portion; and
• it warrants, as long as the tear tab remains attached to the cap and to it, thatthe cap has not been opened.

In order to open the container, one has to break the tear tab first, and then totear out the tamper evident band to which the tear tab is welded. Thereafter, the closurecan be removed from the neck portion of the container to give access to the same andto allow removal of a liner that is usually applied on top of the outlet of the container.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention and its advantages will be better understood upon reading thefollowing non-restrictive description of a preferred embodiment thereof made withreference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of the neck portion of a container andof a dual tamper evident closure according to the invention for use with this container;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the closure shown in Figure 1, during itsassembly;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the closure shown in Figures 1 and 2, onceassembled;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the closure shown in the preceding Figuresduring its opening on top of the container;

Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of the closure shown in the precedingFigures, after the tamper evident band has been tom away and the closure cap hasbeen lifted up;

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI of Figure 3; and

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the neck portion of the container and theclosure shown in Figure 1, after opening of the closure and reinstallation of it on thecontainer.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

The dual tamperevident closure 1 according to the preferred embodiment of theinvention as shown in the accompanying drawings, is intended to be used for sealingacontainer 3 comprising aneck portion 5 that defines an outlet 7. Theneck portion 5 has anexternal surface 9 provided with upper and lower connection means 11, 13. Inthe preferred embodiment that is illustrated, the upper connection means 11 consistsof one or more threads made on theexternal surface 9 of theneck portion 5. However,any other connection means commonly used in the trade for detachably connecting aclosure to the neck of a container could alternatively be used. Similarly, in the illustratedembodiment, the lower connection means 13 of theneck portion 5 consists of anannular bead projecting out from the external surface of the neck portion. However,other connection means used in the trade for the same purpose could alternatively beused.

Preferably, as shown in Figure 1, the outlet 7 of theneck portion 5 of thecontainer is closed by aliner 8 that can be glued or welded to the upper edge of theneck portion, and must be pulled out to give access to the container. The use of suchaliner 8 is rather conventional, especially for containers in medical field, and needs notbe further discussed.

Like all existing closures, theclosure 1 comprises aclosure body 15 whichcomprises askirt 17 sized and shaped to fit onto theneck portion 5. The skirt has alower edge 19 and comprises aninternal surface 21 provided with skirt connectionmeans 23 designed and positioned to cooperate with the upper connection means 11of theneck portion 5 in order to detachably connect theclosure body 15 to the neckportion. In the illustrated embodiment, the skirt connection means 23 consists of one ormore threads that are opposite to and cooperatively mounted relative to the thread(s)11 to allow the closure body to be screwed onto the neck. Theclosure body 15 alsocomprises atop surface 25 comprising anopening 27 that is in registry with the outlet7 of theneck portion 5 when the closure body is connected to this neck portion. Theshape and configuration of thetop surface 25 and the size of theopening 27 may ofcourse vary depending on the kind of product stored in thecontainer 3.

Theclosure 1 also comprises aclosure cap 29 which comprises atop wall 31and aperipheral edge 33. Theclosure cap 29 is connected to theclosure body 15 bymeans of ahinge 35 and is sized and shaped to cover the opening 27 of the closurebody and thus to close the outlet 7 of theneck portion 5 when folded down in a closedposition.

Theclosure 1 further comprises a tamperevident band 37 consisting of a ringconnected by means offrangible bridges 39 to thelower edge 19 of theskirt 17 of theclosure body 15. As better shown in Figures 5 and 6, theband 37 is provided withhooking means 41 designed to cooperate with the lower connection means 13 of theneck portion 5 in order to rigidly retain theclosure body 15 onto the neck portion. This basic structure and the advantage of using such a tamperevident band 37 are wellknown (see the "Brief description of the prior art" hereinabove) and need not be furtherdiscussed.

In accordance with the invention, theclosure 1, the structure of which has justbeen disclosed, is characterized in that it further comprises atear tab 43 integrallyprojecting from the peripheral edge of the closure cap in a position that is opposite tothehinge 35. As is shown, thetab 43 has an upper end that is connected by afrangiblebridge 45 to theperipheral edge 33 of theclosure cap 29. It also has alower end 47that is devised to be rigidly connected to the tamperevident band 37. As is also shown,thetab 43 is sized so that itslower end 49 be connectable to the external surface of thetamperevident band 37.

In use, after thecap 29 has been closed onto thebody 15 of theclosure 1, thetear tab can be folded down as shown in Figure 2 and then attached to the tamper-evidentband 37 as shown in Figure 3. With the tear tab in such an attached position,the tamperevident band 37 assumes two separate functions:

• it warrants, as long as it remains attached to thelower edge 19 of theskirt 17,that theclosure 1 has not been removed from theneck portion 5; and
• it warrants, as long as thetear tab 43 remains attached to it, that the cap hasnot been opened.

In order to open the container, one has first to break thetear tab 43. Such canbe done thanks to thefrangible bridge 45. Secondly, one has to break the tamperevident band 37. Then, theclosure 1 may be removed from thecontainer 3 in order tofacilitate removal of theliner 8 closing the outlet of the same. In other words, theliner8 may be fully removed only after thetear tab 43 and the tamperevident band 37have been pulled out and theclosure body 15 and theclosure cap 29 have beenunscrewed from theneck portion 5.

To facilitate breaking of the tamperevident band 37, the ring forming saidband37 is preferably provided with a frangible portion 51 (see Figures 1 and 5) that allowsthering 37 to be easily cut and then tom away for theskirt 17 when one pulls on theteartab 49 after the upper end of the tear tab has been torn away from the closure cap 29(see the arrow in Figures 4 and 5).

Thus, in use, thetear tab 43, as long as it remains connected to theclosure cap29, warrants that theclosure cap 29 has not been lifted up and thus thecontainer 3 hasnot been opened.

Preferably, theclosure 1 is made of one single piece of plastic material bymolding. The plastic material is preferably polypropylene or other suitable material. In such a case, thelower end 49 of thetear tab 43 is connected to the tamperevidentband 39 by ultrasonic welding. However, it should be understood that other means forconnecting thelower end 49 of thetear tab 43 to the tamperevident band 39 could beused.

Of course, numerous modifications could be made to the above-describedembodiment without departing from the scope of the present invention. By way ofexample, instead of being integral to the cap, thetear tab 43 could be integral to thetamperevident band 37 and welded to thecap 29. This would probably be less efficientthan the preferred embodiment illustrated in the drawings since additional frangible linesor bridges would be required, but such would work in the same way. Similarly, the basicstructure of the skirt and cap could be modified depending on the kind of container theclosure would fit, and the kind of product contained in the container.

Claims (7)

1. A dual tamper evident closure (1) for sealing a container (3) comprisinga neck portion (5) that defines an outlet (7) and has an external surface (9) providedwith upper and lower connection means (11,13), said closure comprising :

   a) a closure body (15)comprising:

   a skirt (17) sized and shaped to fit onto the neck portion (5), saidskirt having a lower edge (19) and comprising an internal surface (21)provided with skirt connection means (23) designed and positioned tocooperate with the upper connection means (11) of the neck portion inorder to detachably connect the closure body (15) to the neck portion(5); and

   a top surface (25) comprising an opening (27) that is in registrywith the outlet of the neck portion when the closure body is connectedto said neck portion,

   b) a closure cap (29) comprising a top wall (31) and a peripheral edge (33),said closure cap being connected to the closure body (15) by means of a hinge (35) andbeing sized and shaped to cover the opening (27) of said dosure body and thus to closethe outlet (7) of the neck portion (5) when folded down in a closed position; and

   c) a tamper-evident band (37) comprising a ring connected by means offrangible bridges (39) to the lower edge (19) of the skirt (17) of the closure body, saidband (37) being provided with hooking means (41) designed to cooperate with the lowerconnection means (13) of the neck portion (5) in order to rigidly retain the closure bodyonto said neck portion;
      characterized in that said closure further comprises:

   d) either a tear tab (43) integrally projecting from the peripheral edge of theclosure cap in a position that is opposite to the hinge (35), said tear tab having an upperend that is connected by a frangible bridge (45) to the peripheral edge (33) of theclosure cap (29) and a lower end (47) that is rigidly connected to the tamper-evidentband (37), or a tear tab (43) integrally formed with the tamper evident band (37) and welded to the cap (29),

      whereby, in use, the tear tab (43), as long as it remains connected to the closurecap (29), warrants that the closure cap has not been lifted up and thus the container (3)has not been opened.
2. A dual tamper evident closure as claimed in claim 1,characterized inthat said closure (1) is made of one single piece of plastic material.
3. A dual tamper evident closure as claimed in claim 2,characterized inthat said plastic material is polypropylene.
4. A dual tamper evident closure as claimed in claim 2 or 3,characterizedin that the lower end (47) of the tear tab (43) is connected to the tamper evident band(37) by ultrasonic welding.
5. Combination of a container and a dual tamper evident closure as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4,characterized in that:

   the lower connection means (13) of the neck portion (5) consists of an annularbead projecting out from the external surface of the neck portion; and

   the ring of the tamper evident band (37) comprises a frangible portion (51) thatallows the ring (37) to be easily cut and then to be torn away from the skirt (17) whenone pulls on the tear tab (49) after the upper end of said tear tab has been torn awayfrom the closure cap (29).
6. Combination of a container and a dual tamper evident closure as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5,characterized in that the upper connection means (11) of the neck portion (5) and theskirt connection means (23) of the closure body (15) consist of opposite threads madein the external surface of the neck portion (5) and in the internal surface of the skirt (17),respectively.
7. Combination of a container and a dual tamper evident closure as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6,characterized in that the outlet (7) of the neck portion (5) of the container is closed bya liner (8) that is pulled out to give access to the container after the tear tab (43) and thetamper evident band (37) have been pulled out and the closure body and the closurecap (29) have been unscrewed from the neck portion (5).

Images