Bottles and jars – Closures – Having warning means or means impeding closure removal
Patent
1995-12-28
1997-09-16
Cronin, Stephen
Bottles and jars
Closures
Having warning means or means impeding closure removal
215253, B65D 5004
Patent
active
056670850
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to a tamper-evident cap for a container. In particular it relates to a tamper-evident cap for use with a pharmaceutical container.
It is now common practice in both the food and pharmaceutical industries to include tamper-evident features in their packaging. The aim is to eliminate, as far as possible, tampering with and/or adulteration of the contents of a particular container.
Tamper-evident features are particularly used on containers, e.g. bottles, for liquid products and are often associated with the cap used thereon.
One of the commonest forms of tamper-evident feature consists of a continuous strip, frangibly connected to the cap. When the cap is removed for the first time the frangible portions break, thus separating the strip from the rest of the cap. This particular type of feature is most commonly used with drinks containers, generally bottles, produced by the food industry.
There are however problems associated with this type of feature. Firstly it is often not immediately evident that a container has been opened. Quite close, detailed, examination is often required to determine whether the frangible portions have been broken. Secondly the cap must be moulded with the tear off strip. The cap must then be "snapped" onto the bottle with the strip being retained by a ridge or lip such that as the cap is unscrewed the strip is forced against the ridge or lip and the frangible portions break. However the tolerances are quite small and it is often possible to remove the cap with the strip intact, which of course allows tampering with the contents.
Pharmaceutical containers also sometimes include this type of feature. However pharmaceutical containers often have child resistant caps. A particularly common form of cap used consists of two parts which can rotate relative to each other. The outer cap is also generally axially displaceable relative to the inner cap and in order to unscrew the cap it is necessary to push down the outer cap such that it interlocks with the inner cap and allows unscrewing of the cap from the container. The use of a frangible strip is not particularly suited to such caps.
UK 2142612, UK 2167050 and EP-A-0182519 all describe child resistant closures which incorporate a tamper-evident feature. This generally consists of a portion which is frangibly connected to the outer cap such that when the outer cap is depressed for the first time relative to the inner cap, means on the inner cap cause the frangible portions to break. The tamper-evident portion is thus either removed completely, or more usually, "pops up" while still being partly connected to the outer cap. This provides a much more immediately obvious visual indication of opening.
However, once again there are problems associated with this type of cap. Firstly, given that it is recognised that children may try to open the container, there is a possibility that the tamper indicating portion may be broken off. In such a case a child may swallow the plastic portion, which is of course potentially dangerous. Secondly, accurate moulding of the cap requires quite high tolerances. The outer cap must also be moulded as a single piece, with the tamper-evident portion connected via frangible webs. This is critical since if the webs are too thick for instance then they may not break as required.
There is therefore a need for a cap, incorporating a tamper-evident feature which overcomes the above-noted disadvantages.
A cap for a container having a screw threaded opening comprising an inner part in the form of a screw threaded cap, an outer part, biased therefrom in a first, locking position, by means of resilient biasing means located between the inner and outer parts, a projection located on the inner part and adapted to be received in an aperture formed in the outer part, the cap also comprising a tamper-evident member secured to the outer top surface of the outer part such that it substantially covers the aperture, wherein on first removing the cap from the container the outer part is moved into a second, unl
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patent: 4335172 (1982-06-01), Sato
patent: 4527701 (1985-07-01), Schaubeck
patent: 4669620 (1987-06-01), Coifman
patent: 4724972 (1988-02-01), Marcus
patent: 4801028 (1989-01-01), Puresevic et al.
patent: 4928837 (1990-05-01), Curiel
patent: 5013088 (1991-05-01), Marin
patent: 5054633 (1991-10-01), Reijenga
Ogden Brian Leslie
Whiting Peter Albert
Cronin Stephen
Warner Lambert Co.
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