U.S. patent application number 17/112595 was filed with the patent office on 2022-06-09 for split band closure with single anchor.
This patent application is currently assigned to Niagara Bottling, LLC. The applicant listed for this patent is Niagara Bottling, LLC. Invention is credited to Sean Daley, Naser Imran Hossain.
Application Number | 20220177198 17/112595 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000005290416 |
Filed Date | 2022-06-09 |
United States Patent
Application |
20220177198 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hossain; Naser Imran ; et
al. |
June 9, 2022 |
SPLIT BAND CLOSURE WITH SINGLE ANCHOR
Abstract
An apparatus and methods are provided for a closure for sealing
contents within an interior of a container. The closure comprises a
closure portion that is coupled to a tamper evidence band by a
single anchor. The closure portion threadably engages with a finish
portion of the container and seals contents in the interior of the
container. The anchor is configured to keep the closure portion
coupled with the tamper evidence band when the closure portion is
untightened from the finish portion. A multiplicity of thin
connections between the tamper evidence band and the closure
portion break apart when the closure portion is untightened from
the finish portion. The anchor remains unbroken and allows the
closure portion to be tilted away from the finish portion. The
tamper evidence band includes a split portion that separates when
the closure portion is pulled from the finish portion with
sufficient force.
Inventors: |
Hossain; Naser Imran;
(Diamond Bar, CA) ; Daley; Sean; (Diamond Bar,
CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Niagara Bottling, LLC |
Diamond Bar |
CA |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Niagara Bottling, LLC
Diamond Bar
CA
|
Family ID: |
1000005290416 |
Appl. No.: |
17/112595 |
Filed: |
December 4, 2020 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 2401/35 20200501;
B65D 2401/30 20200501; B65D 41/3428 20130101 |
International
Class: |
B65D 41/34 20060101
B65D041/34 |
Claims
1. A closure for sealing contents within an interior of a
container, the closure comprising: a closure portion for threadably
engaging with a finish portion of the container; a tamper evidence
band for engaging with the finish portion; an anchor for keeping
the closure portion attached to the tamper evidence band; and a
split portion for allowing the tamper evidence band to separate
from the finish portion.
2. The closure of claim 1, wherein the split portion comprises a
separation that extends along a segment of the tamper evidence
band.
3. The closure of claim 2, wherein the separation leaves the tamper
evidence band connected to the anchor by way of a thin bridge.
4. The closure of claim 2, wherein the separation has a length
along the tamper evidence band.
5. The closure of claim 4, wherein the separation has a length
ranging between about 3.0 mm and about 10.0 mm.
6. The closure of claim 5, wherein the separation has a length of
substantially 4.0 mm.
7. The closure of claim 5, wherein the separation has a length of
substantially 7.0 mm.
8. The closure of claim 1, wherein a thin bridge cooperates with
the anchor to keep the closure portion attached to the tamper
evidence band.
9. The closure of claim 8, wherein the thin bridge has a length and
a thickness that affect the ease with which an end-user can tilt
the closure portion away from the finish portion to access contents
within the container.
10. The closure of claim 8, wherein the thin bridge operates to
keep the tamper evidence band attached to the closure portion when
the closure is pulled with enough force to break the split
portion.
11. The closure of claim 8, wherein the tamper evidence band
includes a thin portion, a line of perforations, or other suitable
device that facilitates the tamper evidence band snapping and
separating into a single strip of plastic when the closure portion
is pulled from the container.
12. The closure of claim 11, wherein the strip of plastic remains
attached to the closure portion by the anchor and the thin
bridge.
13. The closure of claim 11, wherein the strip of plastic provides
an observational indication that the closure has been unsealed from
the finish portion after having been installed by a
manufacturer.
14. A method for unsealing contents within an interior of a
container, comprising: disengaging a closure portion from a finish
portion of the container; breaking thin connections between the
closure portion and a tamper evidence band; and tilting the closure
portion away from the finish portion.
15. The method of claim 14, further comprising pulling the closure
portion away from the finish portion with enough force to break a
split portion comprising the tamper evidence band.
16. The method of claim 15, further comprising separating the
tamper evidence band and the closure portion from the finish
portion.
17. The method of claim 15, wherein pulling includes exerting
enough force to tear a thin portion comprising the tamper evidence
band.
18. The method of claim 14, wherein disengaging includes twisting
the closure portion to disengage threads of the closure portion
with threads comprising the finish portion.
19. The method of claim 14, wherein breaking the thin connections
includes partially separating the closure portion from the tamper
evidence band while an anchor keeps the tamper evidence band
attached to the closure portion.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein tilting the closure portion
includes flexing a thin bridge disposed between the anchor and the
tamper evidence band.
Description
FIELD
[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to
the field of plastic bottles and preforms. More specifically,
embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an apparatus and
methods for a container closure that reliably provides a visible
indication about whether or not a manufacturer-installed closure
has been previously removed from a plastic container.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Plastic containers have been used as a replacement for glass
or metal containers in the packaging of beverages for several
decades. The most common plastic used in making beverage containers
today is polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Containers made of PET
are transparent, thin walled, and have the ability to maintain
their shape by withstanding the force exerted on the walls of the
container by their contents. Advantages of PET containers include
lighter weight and decreased breakage as compared to glass, and
lower costs overall when taking both production and transportation
into account. PET resins are also reasonably priced and easy to
process. PET containers are generally made by a process that
includes the blow-molding of plastic preforms which have been made
by injection molding of the PET resin.
[0003] Advantages of plastic containers include lighter weight and
decreased breakage as compared to glass, and lower costs overall
when taking both production and transportation into account. As
such, there is a continuous interest in creating the lightest
possible plastic container so as to maximize cost savings in both
transportation and manufacturing by making and using containers
that contain less plastic.
[0004] A PET container for storing liquid contents typically
includes a base that extends up to a grip portion suitable for
affixing a label, as well as providing a location for grasping the
container. The grip portion generally transitions into a shoulder,
which connects to a bell. The bell has a diameter that generally
decreases as the bell extends upward from the shoulder to a neck
and a finish portion. The finish portion is adapted to receive a
closure, such as a bottle cap, to seal the contents within the
interior of the plastic container.
[0005] In many instances, the closure includes a tamper evidence
band that is disposed around the perimeter of the finish portion.
The tamper evidence band generally remains positioned on the finish
portion when an end-user loosens the closure to access the contents
within the container. As such, the tamper evidence band and the
finish portion cooperate to indicate to the end-user whether or not
the closure has been previously loosened after being installed by
the manufacturer.
[0006] A drawback to conventional tamper evidence bands, however,
is that in some instances the tamper evidence bands fail to detach
from the closure upon being loosened, thereby making it difficult
for an end-user to directly observe whether or not the closure has
been previously separated from the container. Consequently, the
closure may be separated from the tamper evidence band, the
container may be refilled, and another closure may be installed
onto the container, giving little visual indication to the end-user
that the container has been reused. Embodiments disclosed herein
provide container closures that include tamper evidence bands that
reliably provide a visible indication about whether or not a
manufacturer-installed closure has been previously removed from a
plastic container.
SUMMARY
[0007] An apparatus and methods are provided for a closure for
sealing contents within an interior of a container. The closure
comprises a closure portion that is coupled to a tamper evidence
band by a single anchor. The closure portion threadably engages
with a finish portion of the container and seals contents in the
interior of the container. The anchor is configured to keep the
closure portion coupled with the tamper evidence band when the
closure portion is untightened from the finish portion. A
multiplicity of thin connections between the tamper evidence band
and the closure portion break apart when the closure portion is
untightened from the finish portion. The anchor remains unbroken
and allows the closure portion to be tilted away from the finish
portion. The tamper evidence band includes a split portion that
separates when the closure portion is pulled from the finish
portion with sufficient force. The split portion allows the tamper
evidence band to extend into a strip of plastic that is attached to
the anchor by way of a thin bridge. Once the split portion
separates, the closure portion and the tamper evidence band may be
removed from the finish portion of the container.
[0008] In an exemplary embodiment, a closure for sealing contents
within an interior of a container comprises: a closure portion for
threadably engaging with a finish portion of the container; a
tamper evidence band for engaging with the finish portion; an
anchor for keeping the closure portion attached to the tamper
evidence band; and a split portion for allowing the tamper evidence
band to separate from the finish portion.
[0009] In another exemplary embodiment, the split portion comprises
a separation that extends along a segment of the tamper evidence
band. In another exemplary embodiment, the separation leaves the
tamper evidence band connected to the anchor by way of a thin
bridge. In another exemplary embodiment, the separation has a
length along the tamper evidence band. In another exemplary
embodiment, the separation has a length ranging between about 3.0
mm and about 10.0 mm. In another exemplary embodiment, the
separation has a length of substantially 4.0 mm. In another
exemplary embodiment, the separation has a length of substantially
7.0 mm. In another exemplary embodiment, the separation has a
length that is greater than 10.0 mm.
[0010] In another exemplary embodiment, a thin bridge cooperates
with the anchor to keep the closure portion attached to the tamper
evidence band. In another exemplary embodiment, the thin bridge has
a length and a thickness that affect the ease with which an
end-user can tilt the closure portion away from the finish portion
to access contents within the container. In another exemplary
embodiment, the thin bridge operates to keep the tamper evidence
band attached to the closure portion when the closure is pulled
with enough force to break the split portion. In another exemplary
embodiment, the tamper evidence band includes a thin portion, a
line of perforations, or other suitable device that facilitates the
tamper evidence band snapping and separating into a single strip of
plastic when the closure portion is pulled from the container. In
another exemplary embodiment, the strip of plastic remains attached
to the closure portion by the anchor and the thin bridge. In
another exemplary embodiment, the strip of plastic provides an
observational indication that the closure has been unsealed from
the finish portion after having been installed by a
manufacturer.
[0011] In an exemplary embodiment, a method for unsealing contents
within an interior of a container comprises: disengaging a closure
portion from a finish portion of the container; breaking thin
connections between the closure portion and a tamper evidence band;
and tilting the closure portion away from the finish portion.
[0012] In another exemplary embodiment, the method further
comprises pulling the closure portion away from the finish portion
with enough force to break a split portion comprising the tamper
evidence band. In another exemplary embodiment, the method further
comprises separating the tamper evidence band and the closure
portion from the finish portion. In another exemplary embodiment,
pulling includes exerting enough force to tear a thin portion
comprising the tamper evidence band. In another exemplary
embodiment, disengaging includes twisting the closure portion to
disengage threads of the closure portion with threads comprising
the finish portion. In another exemplary embodiment, breaking the
thin connections includes partially separating the closure portion
from the tamper evidence band while an anchor keeps the tamper
evidence band attached to the closure portion. In another exemplary
embodiment, tilting the closure portion includes flexing a thin
bridge disposed between the anchor and the tamper evidence
band.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] The drawings refer to embodiments of the present disclosure
in which:
[0014] FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of an exemplary container
suitable for storing liquid contents;
[0015] FIG. 2 illustrates a side plan view of an exemplary
embodiment of the finish portion that is configured to rotatably
engage with a closure to seal contents within the interior of the
container;
[0016] FIG. 3 illustrates an isometric view of an exemplary
embodiment of a split-band container closure that may be threadably
engaged with a finish portion of a container;
[0017] FIG. 4 illustrates a close-up view of an exemplary
embodiment of a split portion disposed between a closure portion
and a tamper evidence band comprising a split-band container
closure;
[0018] FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary-use environment wherein an
exemplary embodiment of a closure has been installed onto a preform
and then subsequently untightened from the preform and placed into
a tethered configuration;
[0019] FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary-use environment wherein the
closure of FIG. 5 is being pulled from a finish portion of the
preform by an end-user; and
[0020] FIG. 7 illustrates a separated configuration of the closure
of FIG. 6 wherein the closure has been pulled loose from the finish
portion of the preform, in accordance with the present
disclosure.
[0021] While the present disclosure is subject to various
modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof
have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will herein
be described in detail. The invention should be understood to not
be limited to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary,
the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and
alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present
disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0022] In the following description, numerous specific details are
set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the
present disclosure. It will be apparent, however, to one of
ordinary skill in the art that the invention disclosed herein may
be practiced without these specific details. In other instances,
specific numeric references such as "first container," may be made.
However, the specific numeric reference should not be interpreted
as a literal sequential order but rather interpreted that the
"first container" is different than a "second container." Thus, the
specific details set forth are merely exemplary. The specific
details may be varied from and still be contemplated to be within
the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. The term "coupled"
is defined as meaning connected either directly to the component or
indirectly to the component through another component. Further, as
used herein, the terms "about," "approximately," or "substantially"
for any numerical values or ranges indicate a suitable dimensional
tolerance that allows the part or collection of components to
function for its intended purpose as described herein.
[0023] In some instances, conventional tamper evidence bands fail
to detach from the closure upon being loosened, thereby making it
difficult for an end-user to directly observe whether the closure
has been previously separated from the container. Consequently, the
end-user has little visual indication of whether the container has
been reused. Embodiments disclosed herein provide a tamper evidence
closure that reliably provides a visible indication about whether
or not a manufacturer-installed closure has been previously removed
from a plastic container.
[0024] FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of an exemplary container 100
typically used for storing liquid contents, such as water, juice,
and contents under pressure. The container 100 comprises a base 104
that extends up to a grip portion 108. In some embodiments, the
base 104 may be of the petaloid variety, although other
configurations of the base may be incorporated into the container
100, without limitation. The grip portion 108 comprises a plurality
of grip portion ribs 112 (i.e., sidewall ribs). As illustrated in
FIG. 1, the plurality of grip portion ribs 112 generally vary in
depth, and swirl or angulate around the grip portion 108. A label
portion 116 is connected to the grip portion 108 and comprises one
or more label panel ribs (not shown). The label panel portion 116
transitions into a shoulder 124, which connects to a bell 128.
[0025] In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the bell 128
comprises a plurality of design features 132. In other embodiments,
however, the bell 128 may include various other design features, or
may be smooth and generally unornamented. The bell 128 connects to
a neck 136, which connects to a finish portion 140. As shown in
FIG. 1, the bell 128 comprises a diameter that generally decreases
as the bell 128 extends upward from the shoulder 124 to the neck
136 and the finish portion 140. The finish portion 140 is adapted
to receive a closure, such as by way of non-limiting example, a
container cap or closure 144, so as to seal contents within the
container 100. The finish portion 140 generally defines an opening
that leads to an interior of the container 100 for containing a
beverage, or other contents, such as any of a variety of carbonated
soft drinks. The finish portion 140 may be of a Carbonated Soft
Drink (CSD) variety or may be configured to receive closures
suitable for sealing noncarbonated contents within the interior of
the container 100. Further, in some embodiments, the finish portion
140 may be configured to retain hot-filled contents with the
container or may be configured to retain a gas, such as nitrogen
gas (N.sub.2) within the interior of the container, without
limitation.
[0026] As shown in FIG. 1, a tamper evidence closure 144, such as a
bottle cap, may be threadably engaged with the finish portion 140.
The closure 144 generally includes interior threads that are
configured to engage with threads disposed on the finish portion
140, as described herein. During tightening of the closure 144 onto
the finish portion 140, a plug seal of the closure 144 extends into
the opening of the container 100 and enters into a pressed
relationship with the finish portion 140 whereby contents may be
sealed in the interior of the container 100.
[0027] With continuing reference to FIG. 1, the closure 144
includes a tamper evidence band 148 to provide an indication of
whether or not the closure 144 has been loosened after being
installed by a manufacturer. In some embodiments, the tamper
evidence band 148 may be attached to the closure 144 by a
multiplicity of thin connections. The tamper evidence band 148 may
include a cam that is configured to fixedly engage with a tamper
evidence ledge disposed on the finish portion 140 during loosening
of the closure 144. Once the closure 144 is installed onto the
finish portion 140 by a manufacturer and later an end-user loosens
the closure 144, the cam engages the tamper evidence ledge,
breaking the thin connections between tamper evidence band 148 and
the closure 144. The tamper evidence band 148 remains positioned on
the tamper evidence ledge after the closure 144 is removed from the
container 100. As such, the tamper evidence band 148 cooperates
with the tamper evidence ledge to indicate to the end-user whether
or not the closure 144 has been previously loosened after being
installed by the manufacturer.
[0028] FIG. 2 illustrates a side plan view of an exemplary
embodiment of a finish portion 164 that is configured to rotatably
engage with the closure 144 so as to seal contents within the
interior of the container 100. The finish portion 164 comprises a
cylindrical body that begins at an opening 172 to an interior of
the container 100 and extends to and includes a tamper evidence
ledge 176 that is joined to a neck portion 136 of the container
100. The finish portion 164 is further characterized by the
presence of one or more threads 180 configured to provide a means
to fasten a closure, such as the closure 144 of FIG. 1, to the
container 100. As such, the threads 180 are configured to rotatably
engage with similar threads disposed within the closure 144 so as
to seal contents within the container 100. In the embodiment
illustrated in FIG. 2, each of the threads 180 generally extends
along a section of the circumference of the finish portion 164 and
approaches the tamper evidence ledge 176. Thus, when the threads of
the closure 144 are engaged with the threads 180, and the closure
144 is rotated in a clockwise direction, the closure 144 advances
toward the tamper evidence ledge 176.
[0029] With continuing reference to FIG. 2, each of the one or more
threads 180 begins at a thread start 184 and extends along an
angular section of the finish portion 164 to a thread end 188. The
thread start 184 is configured to guide a thread comprising the
closure 144 into a space, or a valley 190, between adjacent threads
180 so as to threadably engage the closure 144 with the finish
portion 164. Further, the threads 180 generally are disposed
adjacently to one another, separated by valleys 190, and spaced
uniformly around the circumference of the finish portion 164. In
some embodiments, wherein three threads 180 are disposed around the
finish portion 164, the thread starts 184 of adjacent threads 180
are spaced at substantially 120-degree intervals around the
circumference of the finish portion 164. As will be appreciated,
however, more or less than three threads 180 may be incorporated
into the finish portion 164 without deviating beyond the scope of
the present disclosure.
[0030] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a split-band
container closure (hereinafter "closure") 200 that may be
threadably engaged with the finish portion 164 shown in FIG. 2. The
illustrated embodiment of the closure 200 includes a closure
portion 204 that is coupled with a tamper evidence band 208 by way
of an anchor 212 and a multiplicity of thin connections 216. Upon
the closure portion 204 being removed from the container 100, the
thin connections 216 break, allowing the tamper evidence band 208
to partially separate from the closure portion 204 while the anchor
212 keeps the tamper evidence band 208 attached to the closure
portion 204. The tamper evidence band 208 further includes a split
portion 220 that allows the tamper evidence band 208 to snap into
two portions that remain coupled to the closure portion 204 only by
way of the anchor 212. As such, the tamper evidence band 208, once
broken and separated away from the closure portion 204, provides an
observational indication that the closure 200 has been unsealed
from the finish portion 164 after having been installed by a
manufacturer.
[0031] As will be appreciated, the closure 200 is configured to be
threadably engaged with the finish portion 164 shown in FIG. 2. The
closure 200 includes interior threads (not shown) that are
configured to engage with the threads 180 of the finish portion
164. During tightening of the closure 200 onto the finish portion
164, a plug seal (not shown) of the closure 200 may extend into the
opening 172 of the finish portion 164 and enter into a pressed
relationship with the finish portion 164 whereby contents may be
sealed in the interior of the container 100. As shown in FIG. 3, a
plurality of knurls 232 may be arranged on top of the closure
portion 204 and configured to facilitate grasping the closure
portion 204 during tightening and untightening the closure 200 on
the finish portion 164.
[0032] As mentioned above, the multiplicity of thin connections 216
may be configured to break apart when the closure portion 204 is
untightened from the finish portion 164, such as during opening the
container 100 to access contents within the container 100. In some
embodiments, the tamper evidence band 208 includes a cam that
interferes with a flat lower portion 240 of the tamper evidence
ledge 176 (see FIG. 2). The cam generally comprises a ledge, or a
similar structure, that extends around an inner circumference of
the tamper evidence band 208 and is configured to facilitate
passing the tamper evidence band 208 over an upper rounded portion
248 (see FIG. 2) of the tamper evidence ledge 176 during
installation of the closure 200 onto the container 100. The cam
generally is configured to interfere with the flat lower surface
240 (see FIG. 2) of the tamper evidence ledge 176 and thus
contributes to separating the tamper evidence band 208 and the
closure portion 204 during loosening of the closure 200 on the
finish portion 164.
[0033] As best shown in FIG. 4, the split portion 220 comprises a
separation 256 in the tamper evidence band 208 that extends along a
segment of the tamper evidence band 208. The separation 256 leaves
the tamper evidence band 208 connected to the anchor 212 by way of
a thin bridge 260. The separation 256 may have any suitable length
along the tamper evidence band 208, as desired. For example, in the
embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, the separation 256 has a length
of substantially 4.0 millimeters (mm), whereas in the embodiment
illustrated in FIG. 3, the separation 256 has a length of roughly
7.0 mm.
[0034] It is contemplated that the thin bridge 260 cooperates with
the anchor 212 to keep the closure portion 204 attached to the
tamper evidence band 208 once the closure 200 is loosened on the
finish portion 164. Further, the length and thickness of the thin
bridge 260 may affect the ease with which an end-user can tilt the
closure portion 204 away from the finish portion 164 to access
contents within the container 100. As will be appreciated,
embodiments of the thin bridge 260 having a relatively large
cross-sectional area will offer greater resistance to the closure
portion 204 being tilted away from the finish portion 164.
[0035] It is further contemplated that the thin bridge 260 operates
to keep the tamper evidence band 208 attached to the closure
portion 204 when the closure 200 is pulled with enough force to
separate the split portion 220. In some embodiments, the tamper
evidence band 208 may include a thin portion 264, a line of
perforations, or other suitable device that facilitates the tamper
evidence band 208 snapping and separating into a single strip of
plastic when the closure portion 204 is pulled from the container
100. As will be appreciated, the strip of plastic remains attached
to the closure portion 204 by the anchor 212 and the thin bridge
260. As such, the tamper evidence band 208, once broken, provides
an observational indication that the closure 200 has been unsealed
from the finish portion 164 after having been installed by a
manufacturer.
[0036] FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary-use environment wherein the
closure 200 has been installed onto a preform, such as the preform
160 of FIG. 2, and then subsequently untightened from the finish
portion 164 and placed into a tethered configuration 280. During
installation of the closure 200 onto the preform 160, the rounded
upper portion 248 of the tamper evidence ledge 176 facilitates
passing the tamper evidence band 208 over the tamper evidence ledge
176. As described herein, the flat lower portion 240 of the tamper
evidence ledge 176 retains the tamper evidence band 208 positioned
below the tamper evidence ledge 176 during loosening of the closure
200. As such, loosening the closure 200 on the finish portion 164
causes the thin connections 216 to break apart, thus causing the
closure 200 to assume the tethered configuration 280.
[0037] In the tethered configuration 280, the tamper evidence band
208 resembles a loop of plastic coupled to the closure portion 204
solely by way of the anchor 212 and the thin bridge 260. As will be
appreciated, the thin bridge 260 flexes when the closure portion
204 is tilted with respect to the tamper evidence band 208. It is
contemplated that the thin bridge 260 comprises a portion of
plastic that is configured to resist breaking during tilting the
closure portion 204 away from the finish portion 164.
[0038] FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary-use environment 288 wherein
the closure 200 is being pulled from the finish portion 164 of the
container preform 160 by an end-user. As shown in FIG. 6, the
end-user may use fingers 292 to grasp the closure portion 204 and
attempt to pull the closure portion 204 loose from the finish
portion 164. When the closure portion 204 is pulled with enough
force to separate the split portion 220, shown in FIGS. 3-4, the
closure portion 204 and the tamper evidence band 208 may be removed
from the finish portion 164, as shown in FIG. 7.
[0039] FIG. 7 illustrates a separated configuration 296 of the
closure 200 wherein the closure 200 has been pulled loose from the
finish portion 164 of the container preform 160, as described
hereinabove. In the separated configuration 292, the tamper
evidence band 208 is separated into a single strip of plastic that
remains attached to the closure portion 204 by the anchor 212 and
the thin bridge 260. It is contemplated that the tamper evidence
band 208 may include a thin portion 264, a line of perforations, or
other similar device that facilitates breaking the tamper evidence
band 208 when the closure portion 204 is pulled from the container
100. As such, the tamper evidence band 208, once broken, provides
an observational indication that the closure 200 has been unsealed
from the finish portion 164 after having been installed by a
manufacturer.
[0040] While the invention has been described in terms of
particular variations and illustrative figures, those of ordinary
skill in the art will recognize that the invention is not limited
to the variations or figures described. In addition, where methods
and steps described above indicate certain events occurring in
certain order, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize
that the ordering of certain steps may be modified and that such
modifications are in accordance with the variations of the
invention. Additionally, certain of the steps may be performed
concurrently in a parallel process when possible, as well as
performed sequentially as described above. To the extent there are
variations of the invention, which are within the spirit of the
disclosure or equivalent to the inventions found in the claims, it
is the intent that this patent will cover those variations as well.
Therefore, the present disclosure is to be understood as not
limited by the specific embodiments described herein, but only by
scope of the appended claims.
* * * * *