Bottles and jars – Closures – Frangible member or portion
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-20
2001-12-04
Shoap, Allan N. (Department: 3727)
Bottles and jars
Closures
Frangible member or portion
C215S258000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06325227
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a container closure having an improved tamper-evident band. More particularly, the invention relates to a readily molded tamper-evident closure having undercut engaging elements.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Container closures, and more specifically, tamper-indicating or tamper-evident closures are well known in the art. Such closures enable a user to determine whether the container has been previously opened. Various types of tamper-indicating arrangements are known in the art. Many such arrangements include depending tamper-indicating bands. Most of these bands include an inwardly extending portion or projection that engages a locking collar or like annular projection extending from the container finish.
Although such tamper-indicating closures function well for their intended purposes, they can be difficult to manufacture, e.g., mold, without the band separating from the cap after the closure is molded when removing it from the molding apparatus. Moreover, due to the relatively tight tolerances necessary to assure proper function of the closure, such bands can separate from the closure upon initial application (i.e., capping) of the closure onto the container as a result of passing the band over the container threads and locking collar. Further, when a band is too flimsy, or the tolerances too loose, tamper-evident function may be circumvented when the closure can be removed intact after having been applied.
One alternative method of manufacture is to mold the cap and the band separately and use a weld or an adhesive to secure the band to the cap. Such methods complicate the manufacturing processes by requiring the molding of a larger number of parts, and similarly complicate assembly by requiring an adhesion process. Simplicity and reliability of manufacture and assembly are facilitated by forming the closure as a single piece, and applying it to the associated container in a single step.
Another common closure arrangement presents a rounded locking collar in combination with a rounded band, which enables the band to slip over the locking collar for assembly of the closure. Such rounded bands and locking collars present sliding interacting or engaging surfaces which may fail to offer positive locking of the band and the locking collar after assembly. If the tamper-evident band slips over the locking collar, such slippage can result in failure of the tamper-indicating features if the tamper-evident band is completely removed with the cap, without separating from the cap (i.e. unbroken).
Another alternative method that is used to form tamper-indicating closures is to fold, bend, score or crease the beads, wings or tabs (on the inside of the band) after formation, before (and sometimes during) applying the closure to the container. This approach, however, presents limitations similar to closures that are formed by welding—the tamper joint between evident ring, and the cap is not as strong as closures that are formed as one piece. Such welding or manipulation weakens the plastic of the tamper evident band. An unfortunate compromise arising from this solution is that the tamper evident band is more likely to be damaged while being removed from the mold or while being placed on the container. Further, such weakening can make the tamper evident band more prone to accidental separation from the container cap. Such failures can result in containers which appear to have been tampered with, although they have not.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a stronger, readily formed closure that positively locks onto its associated container intact. The stronger closure also resists flexing or bending, and possible failure of the tamper-indicating band during application of the cap onto the container. The closure also resists accidental separation of the tamper-evident band from the cap during shipping, and stocking. In such a closure, the surfaces of the tamper evident band and the locking collar positively lock, and do not present inclined, arcuate, or radial surfaces to each other that could otherwise facilitate slippage of the tamper-evident band. Preferably, such a closure is molded as a single piece in the position of function to preserve the strength of the closure material, without bending or creasing the material, and without the use of adhesives or welding.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one embodiment of a molded tamper-indicating closure for use with an associated container, the container has a finish with an external thread formation thereon and including an annular locking collar located axially under the thread formation, the locking collar having a circumference, and the locking collar defining a locking collar cylindrical plane having a locking collar radius perpendicular to the circumference of the closure. The closure is a cap having a circular top wall portion and an annular skirt portion depending from said top wall portion, said skirt portion having an internal thread formed therein for engaging the container thread. The closure also has a plurality of frangible bridges depending from the skirt portion of the cap. The closure has an annular ring portion, depending from the skirt and connected thereto by a plurality of frangible bridges, the annular ring portion defining an interior radius that is greater than the locking collar radius. The ring portion also defines a top side which is closer to the annular skirt portion than the bottom side, said annular ring portion being, in its entirely, outwardly displaced from said locking collar cylindrical plane. The top side of the annular ring defines a top side plane. The closure further has a plurality of substantially horizontal undercuts integral to and formed on the annular ring portion at a contact plane. The undercuts have a band side, a locking side, and an engaging side. The band side is molded to the annular ring, and the locking side has an exterior edge where the band side meets the top side of the annular ring, extending inwardly generally in the plane of the annular ring's top side plane to an interior edge. The interior edge is inwardly displaced from the locking collar cylindrical plane, and the engaging side slopes inwardly and upwardly from the interior edge of the locking side to the bottom side of the annular ring portion. The locking side positively locks against the collar ring and the engaging side urges the undercuts and annular ring portion away from the collar when the closure is applied to the associated container.
In another embodiment, the annular ring portion has a plurality of protrusions integral to and formed on the ring defining a plurality of windows, the annular ring portion depending from the plurality of frangible bridges by the plurality of protrusions and being detachably connected thereto.
In yet another embodiment, the locking surface of the undercut is adjacent to the top side, and the engaging surface is adjacent to the bottom side.
In a still further embodiment, the undercuts extend between protrusions and adjacent and interior to the windows defined by the protrusions.
Another preferred embodiment has undercuts that are sufficiently radially spaced from said skirt wall plane such that said undercuts do not contact said container thread formation when said closure is initially engaged with the container.
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patent
Hylton Robin A.
Phoenix Closures, Inc.
Shoap Allan N.
Welsh & Katz Ltd.
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