Plastic and nonmetallic article shaping or treating: processes – Mechanical shaping or molding to form or reform shaped article – Shaping against forming surface
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-24
2001-02-27
Heitbrink, Jill L. (Department: 1732)
Plastic and nonmetallic article shaping or treating: processes
Mechanical shaping or molding to form or reform shaped article
Shaping against forming surface
C264S318000, C029S413000, C029S451000, C220S279000, C249S059000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06193921
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to tamper evident containers and more particularly, relates to tamper evident containers that have a tamper evident band or strip around the lid that instantly indicates whether there has been any attempt to tamper with the container.
2. Background Information
In recent years, attempts have been made to prevent product tampering by using seals that indicate evidence of tampering. Some of these methods include sealing the container with a shrink wrap around the lid, while others include providing a tamper evident strip around the lid that will easily fracture, if tampered with, to show evidence of attempts to open the container. These various types of seals and wraps provide immediate evidence of tampering if any attempt is made to open the container and provide a warning to potential users. The tear strips break away from the lid and must be torn off to allow removal of the lid. Any attempt to pry the lid off will result in damage to the tear strip providing evidence of tampering.
Presently available devices concentrate on some way of sealing the lid on containers by adding the shrink wrap or tear strip after the lid is installed on the container. It would be advantageous if the tear strip could be incorporated into the container or lid itself, allowing the use of standard lids.
There are devices available, that are provided on a container, to block access to the lip of the lid and preventing it from being removed without evidence of tampering. These devices involve the use of a collar or flange around the peripheral edge of the lid that block entrance and prevent the lid from being easily removed. A small breakaway portion of the blocking flange must be removed to get a grip on the edge of the lid for removal. A tab on the blocking flange is joined by two thin sections. A downward pressure on the flange causes it to rupture and to breakaway, allowing the person to grip the edge of the lid for removal.
These devices are not entirely effective as the lid can be pried off relatively easily without damaging the barrier arranged by the flange. To solve this problem, tamper resistant tear strips are incorporated into lids around the flange or collar to seal the periphery of the lid. They provide evidence of tampering if anyone attempts to pry off the lid. While the latest tamper evident strips are effective, they are complicated to install onto the container and costly to produce; and have not enjoyed substantial commercial success. For that reason, an improved tamper evident tear strip would be advantageous.
Also, an object of this invention would be to provide a container with a tamper evident strip incorporated or integral with the lid, that solves the problem of strips that have a breakaway portion and leave all, or a substantial portion of the strip on the container. Preferably, the tamper evident strip would be incorporated into the lid and would tear completely away leaving a nearly clean standard container and lid.
One such tamper evident tear strip, incorporated into the lid, is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,115,934, issued May 26, 1992 to the same inventor as the invention disclosed herein. This device is very effective in preventing tampering of a container. The tear-away strip is comprised of a plurality of tabs joined by integral thin film links that are heat contractible. Thus, this tear strip requires the additional step of heating the periphery of the container as the lid is pressed on.
Another invention that incorporates a tamper resistant tear strip is disclosed and described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,694, issued Oct. 4, 1993 to the same inventor as the invention disclosed herein, and incorporated herein by reference. This tamper evident tear strip is constructed to provide evidence of tampering and fits tightly around the rim or skirt of the lid, but has a series of thin rupturable links. The strip may be easily stripped away to allow use of the contents in the container.
It is therefore, one object of the present invention to provide an improved tear-away tamper evident band on a container that seals the periphery of a lid.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a tamper evident band on a container that when removed, leaves a nearly standard lid on the container to be used.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a tamper evident tear-away band that slips peripherally as the band is sealed around the periphery of a lid after it is placed on a filled container.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a tamper evident lid with an improved tear-away band, which reduces unit costs.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new container lid design in which the tamper evident portion of the lid is molded at the same time, and is part of the main lid.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The purpose of the present invention is to provide a new container lid design with an improved tamper evident portion, or band on the lid that is molded at the same time, and is part of the main lid.
The basic concept of tamper evident lids is to create a strip or band that surrounds the periphery of the main lid on a plastic container in a manner that incorporates a tamper evident device that must be removed before the main lid can be taken off the cup portion of the container. In most cases, this is being done with a secondary machine, separate shrink bands and different material, all of which increase unit costs. This particular lid design has the tamper evident portion of the lid molded at the same time, and is part of the main lid. The end result is to achieve a lid that creates the tamper evident band or strip on a container of unique design that has substantial economical benefits by reducing unit costs.
The design of the innovative lid for containers provides a series of change or metamorphoses during the manufacture or application process. Each change, caused by the design of this lid, has an advantage at its particular point of manufacture or application.
During molding or full open stage, the unique design of the lid with the integral tamper evident slip band, makes is possible to mold latches, notches and the outer portion of the tamper evident band simultaneously with the lid. Because in the molding process the mold separates in sections, the inner lid can be made similar to a standard lid with undercut grooves that slip over the core of the mold. This design simplifies the difficult areas of the mold for a lid with a tamper evident band because this part of the mold is molded in the open position. This open position, or stage 1 molding, makes it possible to handle, stack, feed, decorate, box and ship lids with an integral tamper evident strip.
Once a container is ready to be filled with product, it is placed in a capping machine such as that disclosed and described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,241,801, issued Sep. 7, 1993 to the same inventor as the inventor disclosed herein, which dispenses individual lids to a locating chute. At this point, a filled cup is placed on the conveying system and the cup is conveyed to the locating chute where a lid drops on the cup. Both are then squeezed between top and bottom conveyer belts. This snaps the lid on the cup while the lid is still in the open or “Stage 1” position.
After the container, with the lid attached, passes under the capping section of the machine, it enters a spin belt section, which begins to squeeze and applies a tangential force while spinning the lid and cup with pressure from opposite sides The sideways pressures causes the tamper evident tear-away slip band to fracture and break loose from the skirt on the main lid at the segmented gate sections. At this point, the lid is at it's second stage with the outer tamper evident band only attached to the inner lid by a thin section.
As the lid and container continue to spin, the spin belt reaches the thin attached section and starts to press the outer band onto the skirt of the lid. As it spins, the outer band falls in a “ri
Heitbrink Jill L.
O'Reilly David
LandOfFree
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