Dispensing – With frangible closure for outlet – Having reusable closure
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-20
2001-08-07
Derakshani, Philippe (Department: 3754)
Dispensing
With frangible closure for outlet
Having reusable closure
C222S153060, C220S257200
Reexamination Certificate
active
06269986
ABSTRACT:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)
Not applicable.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not applicable.
REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX
Not applicable.
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to tamper-evident systems for containers which must be altered in some fashion to obtain access to the container contents, the alteration being evidence that the container has been previously opened. The present invention is especially suited for a tamper-evident construction wherein a panel must be severed or separated to open the container.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND TECHNICAL PROBLEMS POSED BY THE PRIOR ART
A variety of container closures have been developed or proposed wherein an initial opening of a lid or a dispensing spout structure provides visual evidence of such an occurrence--even after the lid or spout has been subsequently closed. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,487,324 and No. 4,941,592 disclose closures which incorporate a locking band or tab that is attached to either the lid or body of the closure with a plurality of frangible webs so as to initially retain the closure lid to the body in the closed position. To initially open the closure, the user must break the frangible webs by pushing or pulling on a tab or band.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,201,440 describes a container closure which includes a body for mounting on a container. The body defines a dispensing orifice. A lid is disposed on the body for being moved between open and closed positions relative to the dispensing orifice. A tamper-indicating member is provided as a unitary extension from the lid. A first frangible web connects the member to the lid. An anchor is connected with a second frangible web to another portion of the tamper-indicating member, and the anchor is retained by the closure body. The tamper-indicating member includes a graspable pull tab which can be pulled to completely sever the frangible webs connecting the tamper-indicating member to the lid and to the anchor. This permits the lid to be opened while providing evidence of tampering with the closure.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,875,907 discloses a closure for a container that has a body and a lid. The closure includes a tamper-indicating member connected to the body of the closure by an anchor member received in an anchor member-receiving aperture defined in the closure body. The tamper-indicating member is also connected along a frangible junction to the lid of the closure. A plug member extends from the tamper-indicating member and is receivable in a plug member-receiving aperture defined in the body. When the tamper-indicating member is depressed to force the plug member into the plug member-receiving aperture, the frangible junction is broken, and the tamper-indicating member is retained in its depressed position. This provides an indication that the closure may have been previously opened.
While the above-discussed closures can function well for the purposes for which they have been designed, it would be desirable to provide an improved tamper-evident closure which could be readily fabricated with certain types of lids or flow control elements and which, prior to the initial opening, could blend in with, or enhance, the cosmetic appearance of the closure. It would also be desirable for such a tamper-evident closure to be easily molded as one piece, including lid, body, and tamper-indicating portion, and to be easily deployed after molding to its tamper-indicating ready condition for eventual delivery to a user.
Further, it would be advantageous if such an improved closure could be initially opened relatively easily by the user. After such an improved closure has been initially opened and then closed, the closure should furnish a very clear indication that it has been previously opened. It would also be desirable to provide an improved tamper-evident closure design that includes a tamper-indicating member which, when altered during opening of the closure, would not result in the creation of a separate scrap piece that would require disposal.
The present invention provides an improved tamper-evident or tamper-indicating closure which can accommodate designs having the above-discussed benefits and features.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a tamper-indicating closure structure that includes a tamper-indicating member or tab which extends between a lid part and a body part of the closure structure, and includes a unique and novel system for fixing the tab to the body part. The tab includes an anchor portion for attachment to the body part, and a press portion connected by a frangible junction to either the anchor portion or the lid part and breakable at the frangible junction to free the lid part from the body part to open the closure structure.
In a preferred form of the invention, the anchor portion includes an aperture, and the body part includes a radially extending head. Pressing the anchor portion against the body part acts to snap fit the aperture over the head to at least temporarily hold the tab to the body part. If necessary, the head can then be flattened or otherwise deformed to make the connection more permanent.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the tab of the tamper-indicating closure structure includes an anchor portion for attachment to the body part, and a press portion which is connected by a frangible junction to the anchor portion and which is connected by a hinge to the lid part. The frangible junction is breakable to free the lid part from the body part to open the closure structure.
The present invention provides a novel tamper-indicating dispensing structure which blends well with, and/or enhances, the cosmetic appearance of a container or a closure and yet can be easily manipulated by the user to permit the structure to be opened for dispensing. The structure of the invention gives a clear indication of an initial opening of the structure. The structure, if embodied as a closure, can be configured to be easily molded as a single piece which can be mounted on a container in a tamper-indicating ready condition, i.e., ready to be first opened by a user.
The features of the invention can be adapted for use in a variety of dispensing container or closure designs. In one illustrated embodiment, the features can be incorporated in a closure having a body suitable for mounting as a separate piece on a container. Alternatively, the body could be formed as a unitary part of, or extension of, the container.
In a preferred embodiment, a dispensing closure structure includes a body defining a dispensing orifice, and a lid for closing the dispensing orifice. In such a preferred embodiment, the body is adapted to be mounted on the container. The lid may be hinged to the body or may be a separate piece otherwise adapted to engage the body.
The tamper-indicating member includes a press portion that is connected to one of the lid or the body via a hinge. The press portion is also connected to the other one of the lid or the body via a frangible junction. The hinge allows deflection of the press portion of a magnitude sufficient to break the frangible junction. In the preferred form of the invention, the press portion is hinged to the lid and anchored to the body.
The press portion can be retained in the inwardly displaced orientation as a further indication that the frangible junction has been broken. The retention of the press portion in the inwardly displaced position can also provide a space below an overhanging part of the lid to accommodate a person's finger for lifting the lid away from the body.
In the preferred form of the invention, the connection of the tamper-indicating member to the body is effected at least by an aperture through the anchor portion for receiving an anchor member which extends from the body. The anchor portion can be pushed inwardly in a region adjacent the anchor member so as to force the anchor member into the aperture of the anchor portion. If required, the anchor member can be subsequently deformed to more securely fix the anchor portion to the body.
Th
Bui Thach H
Derakshani Philippe
Rockey. Milnamow & Katz, Ltd.
Seaquist Closures Foreign, Inc.
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