Bottles and jars – Closures – Including visual indicia
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-24
2001-01-30
Shoap, Allan N. (Department: 3727)
Bottles and jars
Closures
Including visual indicia
C215S317000, C215S901000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06179139
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates in general to new and useful improvements in closures of the type utilizing a normally convex shaped button to activate an irreversible tamper-indicating feature when the closure is removed from a container.
BACKGROUND DISCUSSION OF PRIOR ART
Metal closures with vacuum actuated buttons are used extensively by the food industry to seal vacuum packed food containers. The original purpose of the button was to alert the packer and the consumer if the vacuum inside the container had been lost since the package was filled and sealed. If the vacuum were lost, the button would pop up, indicating possible product spoilage. However, after several product tampering incidences where packages were opened, the contents adulterated, and the package resealed, it became obvious that something more than just the vacuum actuated button would be needed to indicate to the purchaser whether the package had been previously opened. The vacuum actuated button alone can not do this because it is easy to restore the vacuum in a package that has been opened, by heating the contents of the package and reapplying the closure. The contents of the package shrink as they cool, resulting in the formation of a vacuum in the package that pulls the button back down. To overcome this shortcoming, a number of inventions have been devised that use the energy released as the button pops up to produce an irreversible change to an indicator. The indicator is typically attached to the button, or is in close enough proximity to it that the button interacts with the indicator when it pops up, causing a visible change to the indicator to alert the consumer that the package may have been opened. These inventions rely upon a vacuum to pull and hold the button down until the vacuum is released when the package is opened. Some of these inventions require that the packer apply the indicating element after the vacuum formed inside of the package pulls the button down. Others such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,474,194 to Heilman et al. rely on a flexible, partially cured coating that is applied by the closure manufacturer. After the closure is applied to a container and the button pulled down by the vacuum formed inside, the packer must subject the coating to ultra violet light or other energy source in order to fully cure the coating. When the coating is fully cured it becomes so brittle that it fractures when the package is opened and the button pops up. These coating materials are expensive, cure slowly, and require the packer to add additional equipment to apply or cure them. In addition, by holding the button down when the package is opened, it is possible to adulterate the contents, reheat them, and then reapply the closure without the button ever popping up and fracturing the coating.
For a vacuum actuated button to be pulled down and stay down, some minimum pressure differential must be maintained between the pressures outside and inside the package. Even when this pressure difference is maintained, it is possible for the button to pop up momentarily if the package is handled roughly. For a closure with a button and no indicator element this is not a problem since the button simply returns to its down state when the disturbance ends. However, if there is an irreversible indicator element associated with the button that changes when the button pops up, these momentary button excursions become a problem since they produce a false indication that the package has been opened. This problem is magnified when the package is brought to a higher elevation than where it was sealed, since the atmospheric pressure is lower at a higher elevation, thus reducing the differential between the pressures inside and outside the package.
Packages in which only a slight, or no vacuum normally exists, such as those for dry products, over the counter medications, still drinks and hot filled drinks in semi rigid containers, cannot use a vacuum actuated button closure to activate a tamper-evident feature since there is insufficient vacuum for the button to function. To indicate tampering, many containers for these products rely on plastic closures with integral breakable bands attached to the bottom of the skirt of the closure by thin plastic bridges. When applied properly, the band locks under a bead on the container finish, so that when the closure is removed, the bridges and/or the band breaks. If the dimensions of the closure and/or the container are not maintained within certain narrow limits, the closure will not function properly. If the bead on the container finish happens to be at the high end of its size tolerance and the closure dimensions at the low end of their size tolerance, it is often impossible to apply the closure without breaking the bridges or band. Conversely, if the beads on the bottle finish are small and the closures large, the band will not break when the closure is removed and instead will remain intact and be removed along with the rest of the closure. Even when the finish and closure sizes are ideal, the closure can often be removed without breaking the band by intentionally heating the plastic until it softens.
These bands are difficult to mold and require complex, high maintenance mechanisms in the mold to allow the closure to be removed from the mold. The bridges and band are delicate, requiring extra care when setting up a capping machine in order not to break the bands or bridges when the closure is applied to the container. At times this requires slowing the speed of the capper at the expense of production.
Another type of tamper-evident device employed for low or non-vacuum packages is the shrink band or tape seal, whereby the packer applies a film or tape over both the skirt of the closure and the neck of the container after filling and sealing the package. To open the package the tape must first be slit at the juncture of the cap and container, or be removed completely and discarded. However, these devices are costly and difficult for the packer to apply to the package, causing reduced closing speeds.
Because tamper bands and tape seals are exposed, they can be readily manipulated and are easily defeated by one intent on breaching the package. Because they do not provide an obvious indication and are located on the side of the package, the consumer can easily overlook their condition, or even not notice whether they are present at all.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing, it is proposed:
a) To provide a closure with a deflectable button and a tamper-indicating member that will be irreversibly affected by the return of the button to its up position when the closure is removed from a container, producing a clear vision indication that the container has been opened.
b) To provide a closure with a button that is not susceptible to popping up prematurely such as when the package is brought to a high elevation, is accidentally dropped, or is subjected to rough handling during shipment.
c) To provide a closure with a button that functions in the intended manner not only on packages in which an internal vacuum exists, but also on packages in which little or no vacuum exists, and even on packages in which a positive pressure exists.
d) To provide a tamper-evident closure in which the tamper-indicating element is difficult to access, and is secure from attempts to thwart it by potential tamperers.
e) To provide a tamper-evident closure that is reliable and not affected by normal material and dimensional variations.
f) To provide a tamper-evident closure whose elements are inexpensive, and are simple to manufacture and assemble.
g) To provide a tamper-evident closure whereby all elements of the closure are completely assembled as received by the packer, and that other than applying the closure to a container, no action is needed by the packer to activate the tamper-evident feature.
h) To provide a tamper-evident closure that does not require painstaking set-up of a capping machine for successful application, nor does it require that the speed of the capping mac
Eloshway Niki M.
Shoap Allan N.
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