U.S. patent number RE33,265 [Application Number 07/185,717] was granted by the patent office on 1990-07-17 for tamper-indicating closure, container and combination thereof.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Owens-Illinois Closure Inc.. Invention is credited to James L. Gregory, Steven R. Wolfe.
United States Patent |
RE33,265 |
Gregory , et al. |
July 17, 1990 |
**Please see images for:
( Certificate of Correction ) ** |
Tamper-indicating closure, container and combination thereof
Abstract
A one-piece molded closure of plastic which threads onto a
container with a fairly specific exterior configuration and
provides a combination such that when the closure is unthreaded, a
tamper-indicating ring becomes separated from the lower end of the
closure skirt. The indicating ring or band is joined to the closure
by frangible bridges and a flexible stop ring is formed within the
band and extends inwardly and upwardly when the closure is applied
to a container finish. The container finish has a first radial bead
and an inwardly tapering side wall surface therebeneath which leads
to an abrupt, inwardly extending ledge. The flexible stop ring
rests on the tapered surface, when the closure is applied. After
closure removal, the stop ring and band drops below the ledge
indicating that the closure has been removed.
Inventors: |
Gregory; James L. (Toledo,
OH), Wolfe; Steven R. (Maumee, OH) |
Assignee: |
Owens-Illinois Closure Inc.
(Toledo, OH)
|
Family
ID: |
24926607 |
Appl.
No.: |
07/185,717 |
Filed: |
April 25, 1988 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
Reissue of: |
728377 |
Apr 29, 1985 |
04613052 |
Sep 23, 1986 |
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
215/252; 215/44;
215/901 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D
41/3433 (20130101); Y10S 215/901 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65D
41/34 (20060101); B65D 041/34 () |
Field of
Search: |
;215/31,252 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
234889 |
|
Sep 1977 |
|
ES |
|
2039817 |
|
Aug 1980 |
|
GB |
|
Primary Examiner: Norton; Donald F.
Claims
.Iadd.We claim:.Iaddend. .[.1. A screw cap for closing the open
upper finish of a container comprising, a generally disc-shaped top
with an integral, cylindrical, depending skirt, a generally
cylindrical flexible, indicating band attached to the annular
bottom of said skirt by a plurality of circumferentially spaced,
frangible bridging members, a full annular stop ring formed
integrally with the indicating band and attached to the interior
thereof, said stop ring being positioned inwardly and upwardly with
respect to the interior of said indicator band, the upper edge of
said stop ring being of sufficient thickness to span any spaced
between a container finish to which the closure is applied and the
indicating band when in undisturbed, sealing position on the
container, and said stop ring adapted to engage beneath an element
of the container and prevent the ring from passing the container
element after assembly of the closure on a container..]. .[.2. A
screw cap for closing the open upper finish of a container
comprising, a generally disc-shaped top with an integral,
cylindrical, depending skirt, a generally cylindrical flexible,
indicating, band attached to the annular bottom of said skirt by a
plurality of circumferentially spaced, frangible bridging members,
a stop ring formed integrally with the indicating band and attached
to the interior thereof, said stop ring being positioned inwardly
and upwardly with respect to the interior of said indicator band,
the upper edge of said stop ring being of sufficient height and
thickness to span any space between a container finish to which the
closure is applied and the bridging members when in undisturbed,
sealing position on the container, and said stop ring adapted to
engage an element of the container and prevent the ring from
passing the container element after assembly of the closure on a
container..]. .[.3. In combination, the screw cap of claim 2 and a
container having an open neck; the container element comprising an
annular bead on the container finish, and said bead being
positioned for being engaged from beneath by the free edge of the
stop ring when the cap is placed over the open neck of the
container..]. .[.4. In combination, the screw cap of claim 2 and a
container having an open neck finish, wherein said container finish
has two radially extending beads with the beads axially displaced
with respect to each other and wherein the upper bead is said
element on said container and the base of the upper bead is joined
to the peak of the lower bead by a downwardly and inwardly tapering
surface, and said upper bead being positioned for being engaged
from beneath by the free edge of the stop ring when the cap is
placed over and
closing the open neck of the container..]. 5. The combination of
claim .[.4.]. .Iadd.12 .Iaddend.wherein said stop ring surrounds
and is in engagement with said tapering surface, whereby upon
movement of the closure relative to the container neck an amount to
sever said bridges, said stop ring will be cammed downwardly and
fall by gravity to a lower
area of the container. 6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said
lower bead is of sufficient outer diameter relative to the inner
diameter of said stop ring and integral indicator band as to
prevent the repositioning of said indicator band to its original
assembled position prior to fracture of said bridges. .[.7. A
container for receiving a threaded closure having a severable
indicating band at the lower edge indicating the removal of the
closure by the separation of the band from the closure and
positioning of the band well below the original position prior to
removal, comprising a first radially extending bead having an
external diameter that is larger than the internal diameter of a
stop ring within said indicator band, said bead having a gradually
increasing, outwardly tapering top surface and an abrupt inwardly
extending lower ledge, a second bead positioned below said first
bead a distance that is substantially equal to the height of said
indicating band, said second bead being connected to the base of
said ledge on said first bead by a generally tapered surface that
increases in diameter with height from the lower ledge and having
an inwardly extending abrupt bottom surface, said first ledge
adapted to permit the application of the closure with its
indicating band thereover but not the removal without severance,
and said tapered connecting surface forcing the severed band to
fall below the bottom of said second bead and prevent return of the
band to its initial
assembled position..]. .Iadd.8. A screw cap for closing the open
upper finish of a container comprising a generally disc-shaped top
with an integral, cylindrical, depending skirt, a generally
cylindrical flexible, indicating band attached to the annular
bottom of said skirt by a plurality of circumferentially spaced,
frangible bridging members, a full annular stop ring formed
integrally with the indicating band and attached to the interior
thereof, said stop ring being positioned inwardly and upwardly with
respect to the interior of said indicator band, an integral
downwardly curved ring portion extending radially inwardly and
axially downwardly from the inside portion of said band to said
stop ring, the upper edge of said stop ring being thicker than the
lower end which is connected to said curved hinge portion, said
hinge portion being constructed and arranged such that the lower
end of said stop ring is spaced from the inside surface of said
band and said upper edge of said stop ring is capable of flexing
into contact with the inner surface of said band during application
of said closure to said container, and said stop ring adapted to
engage beneath an element of the container and prevent the ring
from passing the container element after assembly of the closure on
a container. .Iaddend. .Iadd.9. The combination set forth in claim
8 wherein said hinge portion is thinnest at a point spaced from the
inside surface of said band such that said stop ring flexes about a
point
spaced from said band. .Iaddend. .Iadd.10. In combination, the
screw cap of claim 8 and a container having an open neck finish,
wherein said container finish has two radially extending beads with
the beads axially displaced with respect to each other and wherein
the upper bead is said element on said container and the base of
the upper bead is joined to the peak of the lower bead by a
downwardly and inwardly tapering surface, and said upper bead being
positioned for being engaged from beneath by the free edge of the
stop ring when the cap is placed over and closing the open neck of
the container. .Iaddend. .Iadd.11. A screw cap for closing the open
upper finish of a container comprising a generally disc-shaped top
with an integral, cylindrical, depending skirt, a generally
cylindrical flexible, indicating band attached to the annular
bottom of said skirt by a plurality of circumferentially spaced,
frangible bridging members, a full annular stop ring formed
integrally with the indicating band and attached to the interior
thereof, said stop ring being positioned inwardly and upwardly with
respect to the interior of said indicator band, the upper edge of
said stop ring being thicker than the lower end, and a container
having an open neck finish, wherein said container finish has two
extending beads with the beads axially displaced with respect to
each other and wherein the base of the upper bead is joined to the
peak of the lower bead by a downwardly and inwardly tapering
surface, and said upper bead being positioned for being engaged
from beneath by the free edge of the stop ring when the cap is
placed over and closing the open neck of the
container. .Iaddend. .Iadd.12. A screw cap for closing the open
upper finish of a container comprising a generally disc-shaped top
with an integral, cylindrical, depending skirt, a generally
cylindrical flexible, indicating band attached to the annular
bottom of said skirt by a plurality of circumferentially spaced,
frangible bridging members, a stop ring formed integrally with the
indicating band and attached to the interior thereof, said stop
ring being positioned inwardly and upwardly with respect to the
interior of said indicator band, the upper edge of said stop ring
being of sufficient height and thickness to span any space between
a container finish to which the closure is applied and the bridging
members when in undisturbed, sealing position on the container, and
said stop ring adapted to engage an element of the container and
prevent the ring from passing the container element after assembly
of the closure on a container, and a container having an open neck
finish, wherein said container finish has two radially extending
beads with the beads axially displaced with respect to each other
and wherein the upper bead is said element on said container and
the base of the upper bead is joined to the peak of the lower bead
by a downwardly and inwardly tapering surface, and said upper bead
being positioned for being engaged from beneath by the free edge of
the stop ring when the cap is placed over and closing the open neck
of the container. .Iaddend.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a one-piece, molded plastic,
or the like, closure that may be threaded onto the finish or neck
of a container, and in which a tamper-indicating band is joined to
the bottom of the closure skirt by a series of frangible bridges.
An inwardly and upwardly turned flexible, stop band is molded
inside the indicator band and in combination with a radial bead on
the container finish will resist removal of the closure without
rupture of the frangible bridges.
Tamper-indicating closures are not new and one recently patented
example can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,394,918, issued to Jean
Grussen on July 26, 1983. In this patent a threaded closure carries
a hold ring that is joined to the bottom of the cap skirt by a
series of breakable tabs and the hold ring has an inside diameter
that is at least equal to the outside diameter of the cap skirt. A
plurality of lock lugs supported on the ring are inclined upwardly
and inwardly and are intended to hook behind a collar or mating
ring on the container neck to prevent the hold ring from being
lifted off the container neck when the cap is unscrewed. An
unbreakable flange is provided between the cap skirt and the ring
and serves as a hinge for the cap when it is unscrewed.
Other tamper-indicating closures that thread on the containers are
made fairly simple, but these tamper-indicating rings generally
require cooperating, specially designed, means on the
container.
Some other tamper-indicating systems have been used in which a
frangible band is formed at the bottom of the closure skirt and
requires the actual destruction of the band before the closure can
be unscrewed. These also may require special ramps and ledges to be
formed on the container shoulders or necks. The problem with these
systems is that once the band is removed and discarded, it may not
be readily apparent that the closure has been unscrewed.
Much of the same can be said for the systems that use heat shrunk
or stretch bands that engage the closure and the container.
Furthermore, heat shrinking adds an additional step to the sealing
process and requires special equipment beyond the normal threaded
closure applying machines.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a screw type
cap of plastic with a tamper-indicating ring or band that is
carried at the lower end of the skirt of the closure with frangible
bridges forming the connection. The removal of the closure results
in the indicating band being severed from the closure and the band
is moved to a lower position on the neck and is prevented from
being returned to its, as applied, position.
It is an additional object of this invention to provide a container
whose finish, below the external threads, is formed with an
inwardly and downwardly tapering side wall which leads to an
abrupt, horizontal ledge such that when an indicating band is
severed from a closure, on removal, the band falls below the ledge
and cannot be returned. The closure is formed with internal threads
in the skirt and at the bottom of the skirt a band or ring of about
the same external diameter as the cap is formed with frangible
bridges joining the band to the skirt. Within the indicating band
an inwardly extending flexible stop ring is formed integral with
the indicating band. A particular finish on the container provides
a pair of radial ledges which extend outwardly below the threads on
the container neck. These ledges are vertically displaced relative
to each other and are joined by an inwardly tapering wall which is
adapted to form the surface on which the stop ring will be seated
when the closure is applied. The stop ring prevents removal of the
closure without the separation of the indicating band from the
closure skirt.
Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following
description taken in conjunction with the annexed sheets of
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the cap and container combination
of the invention;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cap of the invention in
inverted position illustrating a post forming operation
thereon;
FIG. 3 is an enlarged, side elevational view of the cap and
container finish combination of FIG. 1 with the cap in partial
section and threaded onto the container finish;
FIG. 4 is a view, similar to that of FIG. 3, after the cap has been
partially removed;
FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of the lower edge of the
cap as it is applied over the container finish;
FIG. 6 is a partial, sectional view similar to that of FIG. 5
showing the position of the lower edge of the cap when in its fully
applied position on the container finish; and,
FIG. 7 is a partial, sectional view of the indicating band and
container finish after the cap has been removed.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE
INVENTION
With reference to FIG. 1 of the drawings, there is shown a
container 10 having a finish or neck 11. Over the finish 11 is
shown a closure generally designated 12. The closure 12 is formed
of a thermoplastic material molded as a single unit and comprises a
generally disc-shaped top 13 with a cylindrical depending skirt
portion 14. Below the skirt 14, as shown in FIG. 1, there is
provided an indicator band 15. The band 15 is generally cylindrical
and has essentially the same external diameter as that of the skirt
14 of the closure 12. The band 15 is joined to the lower end of the
cylindrical skirt by a plurality of frangible bridges 16. In the
specific embodiment as shown in FIGS. 2-4, there are eight
frangible bridges 16. In addition, there are provided four spaced
stops 17 which are formed integral with the band 15 and are
primarily for use when the closures are molded so as to permit the
pushing of the molded closure from the mold die without compressing
the frangible bridges 16, yet permit the removal of the closure
with attached indicator band 15. The band stops 17 are not attached
to the lower skirt of the closure in any way. As best seen in FIGS.
3 and 4, the cylindrical skirt 14 of the closure 12 is provided
with internal threads 18. The threads 18 cooperate with externally
formed threads 19 on the finish or neck of the container 10.
Within the inner dimension of the indicator band 15 there is an
integrally formed annular stop ring 20, and when the cap is
initially formed, it will take the configuration shown in FIG. 2.
With the stop ring in the inverted form shown in FIG. 2, the stop
ring will extend inwardly and upwardly relative to the indicator
band with an included angle of approximately 30.degree.. As perhaps
can be best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, the stop ring 20 is integrally
formed to the indicator band 15 and .Iadd.is attached to the
interior thereof by a curved hinge portion which extends inwardly
and downwardly from the band 15. The hinge portion is constructed
and arranged such that the lower end of the stop ring 20 is spaced
from the inside surface of the band. The stop ring 20 has a free
end 21 of somewhat thicker configurations than the thickness of the
connection between the ring and band 15. Immediately after the
closure 12 is molded in the shape illustrated in FIG. 2, the
closure will be rotated about its central vertical axis, parallel
to the cylindrical skirt, and at the same time the stop ring 20
will be engaged by a beveled rotating wheel 22. The wheel 22 is
shown as being mounted on a shaft 23, it being understood that the
shaft 23 will be driven by any suitable drive means. Furthermore,
as shown in FIG. 2, the closure 12 is depicted as being positioned
on a rotating pad 24 carried at the upper end of a shaft 25. With
the closure being rotated on the pad 24 and the wheel 22 rotating
in engagement with the stop ring 20, the stop ring will be forced
to bend downwardly and inwardly in the inverted position of the
cap, as shown in FIG. 2, with the stop ring being pushed through an
angle of approximately 120.degree. from the "as-molded" angle. This
rolling-in of the stop ring is done fairly soon (within seconds)
after the molding of the closure and the stop ring 20 will then
maintain this rolled-in position since the cure time for the
plastic will not have been exceeded before the rolling-in is
accomplished.
The finish 11 of the container 10, as best seen in FIG. 3, has a
radially outwardly curved bead 26 formed therein which extends
outward to an extent somewhat greater than the external dimensions
of the threads 19. The bead 26 has a lower ledge 27 which may be
termed a breaker ledge. As best seen in FIG. 3, when the closure 12
is threaded down over the container finish 11, the stop ring 20
will have its free end 21 positioned beneath the upper bead 26 and
either in engagement with or closely spaced beneath the breaker
ledge 27. The finish 11 of the container also is formed with a
second radial ledge 28 which is below the bead 26 and its breaker
ledge 27. The ledge 28 extends inwardly as well, but has its outer,
largest diameter surface, connected to the upper ledge 27 by an
annular, downwardly and inwardly tapered surface 29. As can be
readily be seen when viewing FIG. 3, the free end 21 of the stop
ring 20 is beneath the breaker ledge 27 of the bead 26. The moving
or unthreading of the closure 12, as illustrated in FIG. 4, results
in the breaking of the bridges 16 since the stop ring 20 cannot
move above the bead 26. Thus, after the bridges 16 are broken, the
indicator band 15, with the stop ring 20, will fall down and rest
on a transfer bead or ledge 30 formed at the lower end of the
finish 11 of the bottle 10.
With particular reference now to FIGS. 5-7, the function of the
various ledges will be explained. As shown in FIG. 5, the closure
with its skirt 14 and indicator band 15 is moving into place on the
container finish 11. The closure is made of a flexible plastic such
that the stop ring 20 can pass down over the annular bead 26 formed
on the external surface of the container finish 11. Once the stop
ring has passed the bead 26, it will be positioned generally as
shown in FIG. 6, with the upper free end 21 of the stop ring 20
below the breaker ledge 27 of the bead 26. Also, the free end 21 of
the stop ring will be in engagement with the tapered surface 29 of
the container finish and be held in close proximity to the bridges
16. When the threaded closure is removed from the container finish,
the stop ring 20 will be prevented from passing back over the bead
26 by the engagement of the end 21 of the stop ring with the ledge
27 of the bead 26. The bridges 16 are frangible and are of
insufficient strength to resist breakage when the closure is
threaded off the container finish.
As the threaded closure is being threaded off the container finish,
some of the eight bridges 16 will break first and as the continued
movement of the closure upwardly occurs, the band 15 and its stop
ring 20 is somewhat cammed down by the slope of the tapered surface
29 to a certain extent until such time as all of the bridges are
severed, at which time the band 15 and the stop ring 21 will fall
to the position illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 7. When the band 15 has
been totally severed from the closure skirt 14, it is virtually
impossible to ever return the band 15 to its initially applied
position as shown in FIG. 6, since the upper free end 21 of the
stop ring 20 will engage the ledge 28, as illustrated in the dotted
position in FIG. 7. Thus, it can be seen that the closure, once it
has been removed from the container finish or neck, and even if
reapplied, the band 15 will be separated from the cap and will
indicate that the closure has been tampered with or removed. It is
impossible to restore the band to its initial position by any
normal manual manipulation.
Since the band 15 and the stop ring 20 are flexibly joined, the
flexure in the bridge between the two members will permit the end
21 of the band 20 to move inwardly and assume the general position
illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 7. Since the lower ledge 28 is
significantly higher than the transfer bead of the container, and
the indicating band 15 will normally rest on the transfer bead 30
after the closure has been tampered with, a fairly large gap will
result and the tampering of the closure will be clearly and
positively indicated.
While the particular container illustrated is a plastic container,
it should be apparent that the principles of the invention could be
equally applied to a glass or even a metal container having the
requisite configuration of the axially spaced beads and ledges to
permit application of a closure but prevent removal without
disturbing the indicator band that is connected to the bottom of
the skirt of the closure by frangible bridges.
The foregoing description is by way of the example and is not
intended to limit the scope of the invention to any extent greater
than that set forth in the appended claims.
* * * * *