Fitment Assembly for a Container Having a Tamper Indication Band Attached Thereto

• US 20110155758A1
• Filed: 12/30/2010
• Published: 06/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Liqui-Box Corporation (Liqui-Box Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Liqui-Box Corporation (Liqui-Box Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: JOHNSON, JAMES
• Granted Patent: US 8,231,025 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 222/1
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 41/0471 with means for positioning the cap on the container, or for limiting the movement of the cap, or for preventing accidental loosening of the cap
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 41/3442 with rigid bead or projections formed on the tamper element and coacting with bead or projections on the container B65D41/3404 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 41/3447 the tamper element being integrally connected to the closure by means of bridges
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 55/02 Locking devices; Means for discouraging or indicating unauthorised opening or removal of closure B65D41/32 takes precedence; protective covers for bottles B65D23/08; protective cap-like outer covers for bottle or jar closures B65D41/62; pressure-applying means B65D45/00; closures with means for discouraging unauthorised opening or removal of closures B65D50/00
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 75/5877 connected to a planar surface of the package wall

Abstract

A tamper evident fitment assembly for use with a container for flowable material, the closure comprising a cap and a spout secured to the container, the cap having a frangible tamper evident band, the cap having an annular recess for frictionally engaging a top portion of the spout, the cap and spout having cooperating detent and locking elements so that the assembly in a first position where the cap is removably sealed to the spout and the tamper evident band is not broken when the cap is removed for filling may move to a second position when the cap is removably sealed to the spout and the tamper evident band is broken upon removal of the cap. An important feature of the present invention is that the cap frictionally engages a top portion of the spout. No screw threads or similar securing means are required to retain the cap on the spout.

Claims

1-5. -5. (canceled)

6. A process for dispensing flowable material from a fluid-dispensing container, comprising attaching a cap to a spout of said fluid-dispensing container forming a tamper-evident assembly, wherein said tamper-evident assembly comprises:

(A) an annular flange, for attachment to a container;

(B) a spout, projecting upwardly from the annular flange and having an upper end and a lower end, the spout defining a dispensing passage therethrough and having at least one external annular rib; and

(C) a cap, having a top with an external depending skirt and a frangible tamper indicating band releasably attached to the skirt, the cap further including an internal skirt depending from the top and spaced inwardly from the external skirt and operable to be received within the fluid passage to provide a seal between the cap and the spout;

wherein the assembly has a first pre-cap position in which the cap is received on the upper end of the spout,

with the frangible tamper indicating band positioned above the external annular rib and abutting a top surface of the external annular rib, and

the internal skirt being received within the passage and contacting an internal annular surface of the spout providing a seal between the internal skirt and the internal annular surface of the spout; and

wherein the assembly has a second full-cap position in which the cap is located on the lower end of the spout,

with the external annular rib being located between the external skirt and the tamper indicating band, and

the upper end of the spout being located adjacent the top of the cap, the internal skirt being received within the passage and providing a seal therebetween;

wherein the cap and spout have cooperating detent and locking elements to allow the assembly, when secured to a container,

to move from;

(a) a first pre-cap position, where the cap is removably sealed to the spout and the tamper evident band is not broken when the cap is removed for filling,

to;

(b) a second full-cap position when the cap is removably sealed to the spout providing that the tamper evident band is broken upon removal of the cap from its second full-cap position to dispense flowable material from the container;

wherein the assembly in the first pre-cap position or the second full-cap position provides an aseptic seal between the cap and the spout;

wherein the cap is received on the upper end of the spout for the pre-cap position or the full-cap position by a push-on process; and

wherein the cap is removed from the spout either from the pre-cap position or the full-cap position by a pull-off process.

7. The process as recited in claim 6;

wherein the assembly has a first pre-cap position,

in which the cap and the tamper indicating band are received on the upper end of the spout,

a seal is provided between the cap and the spout, and

when the cap is removed from the spout, the frangible tamper indicating band remains attached to the cap; and

wherein the assembly has a second full-cap position,

in which the cap and the tamper indicating band are located adjacent the lower end of the spout,

wherein a seal is provided between the cap and the spout, and

when the cap is removed from the spout, the tamper indicating band detaches from the cap and remains on the spout, thereby providing evidence of tampering.

11. The process as recited in claim 6, wherein said spout comprises an external screw thread at a top of said spout for attachment to a dispensing connector.

12. The process as recited in claim 6, wherein said cap frictionally engages a top portion of said spout.

14. The process as recited in claim 6, wherein said cap is attached to said spout in a pre-cap position, further comprising the following steps:

(1) optionally irradiating said container and said tamper-evident fitment assembly,

(2) removing said cap of said tamper-evident fitment assembly from a pre-cap position, by using a capper apparatus, wherein said tamper-indicating band is still attached to said cap,

(3) filling said container with said flowable material through said fluid passage,

(4) attaching said cap back on to the spout in a full-cap position,

(5) removing said cap from said full-cap position thereby separating said tamper-indicating band, and

(6) dispensing said flowable material.

8. A process for dispensing flowable material from a fluid-dispensing container, comprising attaching a cap to a spout of said fluid-dispensing container forming a tamper-evident closure and dispensing assembly, the closure comprising:

(A) a cap having a top with an external depending skirt and a frangible tamper indicating band releasably attached to the skirt, the cap further including an internal skirt depending from the top and spaced inwardly from the external skirt and operable to be received within the fluid passage to provide a seal between the cap and the spout; and

(B) a spout secured to the container, projecting upwardly from an annular flange and having an upper end and a lower end, the spout defining a dispensing passage therethrough and having at least one external annular rib;

(C) an annular flange, for attachment to a container;

wherein the cap has an annular recess for frictionally engaging a top portion of the spout;

wherein the assembly has a first pre-cap position in which the cap is received on the upper end of the spout,

with the frangible tamper indicating band positioned above the external annular rib and abutting a top surface of the external annular rib, and

the internal skirt being received within the passage and contacting an internal annular surface of the spout providing a seal between the internal skirt and the internal annular surface of the spout;

wherein the assembly has a second full-cap position in which the cap is located on the lower end of the spout,

with the external annular rib being located between the external skirt and the tamper indicating band, and

the upper end of the spout being located adjacent the top of the cap, the internal skirt being received within the passage and providing a seal therebetween;

wherein the cap and spout have cooperating detent and locking elements to allow the assembly, when secured to a container,

to move from;

(a) a first pre-cap position where the cap is removably sealed to the spout and the tamper evident band is not broken when the cap is removed for filling,

to;

(b) a second full-cap position when the cap is removably sealed to the spout providing that the tamper evident band is broken upon removal of the cap from its second full-cap position to dispense flowable material from the container;

wherein the assembly in the first pre-cap position or the second full-cap position provides an aseptic seal between the cap and the spout;

wherein the cap is received on the upper end of the spout for the pre-cap position or the full-cap position by a push-on process; and

wherein the cap is removed from the spout either from the pre-cap position or the full-cap position by a pull-off process.

9. The process as recited in claim 8, wherein;

wherein the cap includes an internal skirt depending from a top portion of the cap and spaced inwardly from the cap sidewall;

wherein the frangible tamper-evident band depends from the lower edge of the cap sidewall; and

wherein the area between the sidewall and the internal skirt forms the annular recess in the cap and includes a lower and an upper detent that determine the first pre-cap position and second full-cap position, respectively for the top portion of the spout that is sealingly and frictionally engaged within the annular recess of the cap when the assembly is in use.

10. The process as recited in claim 9;

wherein the spout includes a locking ring that cooperatively engages an annular projection located on an inner edge of the tamper evident band in the first pre-cap position;

wherein in the second full-cap position the annular projection located on an inner edge of the tamper evident band is engaged beneath the locking ring on the spout; and

whereby in the first pre-cap position, the frangible tamper-evident band is not broken upon removal of the cap, but in the second full-cap position, the frangible tamper-evident band must be broken to remove the cap.

13. The process as recited in claim 8, wherein said cap frictionally engages a top portion of said spout.

15. The process as recited in claim 8, wherein said cap is attached to said spout in a pre-cap position, further comprising the following steps:

(1) optionally irradiating said container and said tamper-evident fitment assembly,

(2) removing said cap of said tamper-evident fitment assembly from a pre-cap position, by using a capper apparatus, wherein said tamper-indicating band is still attached to said cap,

(3) filling said container with said flowable material through said fluid passage,

(4) attaching said cap back on to the spout in a full-cap position,

(5) removing said cap from said full-cap position thereby separating said tamper-indicating band, and

(6) dispensing said flowable material.