Tamper resistant packaging device

• US 4,436,203 A
• Filed: 05/10/1983
• Issued: 03/13/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: JOY Research Incorporated
• Original Assignee: JOY Research Incorporated
• Inventors: Reyner, Ellis M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dixson, Jr., William T.
• Application Number:
  US06/493,363
• Time in Patent Office: 308 Days
• Field of Search: 206/524.8, 206/216, 206/45.33, 206/45.34, 206/457, 206/497, 206/807, 215/1 C, 150/0.5
• US Class Current: 206/524.8
• 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 81/20 under vacuum or superatmospheric pressure, or in a special atmosphere, e.g. of inert gas B65D81/28 takes precedence; containers with pressurising means for maintaining ball pressure A63B39/025
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 206/807 Tamper proof
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 215/90 Collapsible wall structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 215/901 Tamper-resistant structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 428/916 Fraud or tamper detecting

Abstract

An inner enclosure of a predetermined size, design and construction loaded with a product and pressurized with a flowable material before said inner enclosure is closed, said inner enclosure is enclosed within a flexible outer enclosure, and said outer enclosure is closed after its internal pressure is reduced below that of the surrounding atmospheric pressure. In the event the product is tampered with through apertures in the walls of the package, the package will manifest evidence which will alert the consumer of the possibility that the product may have been tampered with.

Claims

1. In a tamper-resistant package, at least one over sized closeable outer enclosure and at least one inner enclosure fitted with closure means containing at least one flowable material in addition to the product, and means associated with said package for making available higher pressure inside the inner enclosure than that of its surrounding atmosphere, space between said outer and inner enclosures contains a predetermined amount of flowable material suitable for the proper functioning of said package, the internal pressure in said outer enclosure is reduced to a predetermined level below that of its surrounding atmosphere by drawing out a suitable quantity of its flowable contents before closing it, the walls of said outer enclosure press against the walls of said inner enclosure which holds the product and restricts its movement therein to a predetermined extent, means associated with said package for manifesting evidence that tampering with said package has occurred in the event that the contents in said inner enclosure is tampered with through at least one aperture made in said walls of said package leading to the product therein.

3. In the combination defined in claim 1 or 2, wherein said inner enclosure holding the product is lodged within a suitable skeleton framework type structure and together they are enveloped inside said outer enclosure, at least one conduit suitably located and associated with said skeleton framework type structure capable of facilitating the free flowing of said flowable material within said outer enclosure, the internal pressure in said outer enclosure is reduced to a predetermined level below that of the surrounding atmosphere by drawing out enough quantity of its flowable contents before closing said outer enclosure, the walls of said outer enclosure are sucked inwardly within the edges of said skeleton framework type structure and the bulges thereon, means associated with said package for manifesting evidence in the event that the contents of the inner enclosure is tampered with through at least one aperture made in said walls of said package leading to the product therein.

5. In the combinations defined in claim 1, 2, 3, or 4, wherein the product is encased within an enclosure before it is placed within the enclosure which holds the product.

6. The combinations defined in claim 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 wherein said flexible outer enclosure means is supported by a suitable skeleton framework type structure from within.

7. The combinations defined in claim 1, 2, 3, 5, or 6, wherein said flexible outer enclosures are lodged within suitable skeleton framework type structures.

8. The combination defined in claim 7, wherein said contents in said enclosure are cushioned and their movements are restricted therein.

9. In the combinations defined in claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8, wherein said closure means and enclosure means which hold the product are capable of retaining said predetermined internal pressure during manufacturing, distribution and retail display.

10. In the combinations defined in claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9, wherein at least one portion of the walls of said closure means and enclosure means which contain the product is flexible.

11. In the combination defined in claim 10, wherein at least one portion of said flexible portion of walls is foldable.

12. In the combination defined in claim 11, wherein at least one portion of said foldable portion of said walls is conveniently located and is of suitable design, size, flexibility and capacity for holding large enough quantities of said flowable material and is capable of carrying out its functions properly in said package.

13. In the combination defined in claim 12, wherein said foldable walls have bellows-like designs.

14. In the combination defined in claim 3, wherein at least one bulge of suitable size and shape is suitably located on said skeleton framework type structure.

15. In the combinations defined in claim 3 or 14, wherein said conduit is a groove like passage of suitable size and shape formed between the touching surfaces of said skeleton framework type structure and the inner surfaces of said outer enclosure facilitates the free flowing of said flowable material therein.

16. In the combinations defined in claim 3, 14, or 15, wherein said skeleton type framework structures are integral parts of the inner enclosure.

17. In the combinations defined in claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, or 16, wherein said closures, enclosures which hold the product, skeleton framework type structures, and outer closures means are designed in convenient shapes and sizes and constructed from suitable materials which enable each of them to carry out its specific functions in said packages properly.

18. In the combinations defined in claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, or 17, wherein said flowable material included inside the enclosure which holds the product is at least one of the components of a suitable combination of liquid and gas under the pressure and temperature conditions in which the package would be handled during manufacturing, distribution and retail display, each of said gas and liquid components is composed of at least one single chemical entity, said flowable material is extrinsic and unrelated to the product.

19. In the combination defined in claim 18, wherein said product has the characteristics which enables it to perform those functions of the flowable material, an additional flowable material is not required.

20. In the combinations defined in claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, or 19, wherein said flowable material included inside the outer enclosure is at least one of the components of a combination of liquid and gas under the pressure and temperature conditions in which the package would exist during manufacturing, distribution, and retail display, each of said component of gas and liquid is composed of at least one single chemical entity.

21. In the combinations defined in claim 18, 19, or 20, wherein the components of said flowable materials are compatible and do not alter any of the characteristics of the materials in their surroundings.

22. In the combinations defined in claim 18, 19, 20, or 21, wherein the package is characterized by at least one distinguishing proprietary characteristic which is not readily available on the market.

23. In the combination defined in claim 22, wherein said package has at least one proprietary characteristic selected from the class of characteristics consisting of shape, design, color, odor, texture, markings and graphics.

24. In the combinations defined in claim 22 or 23, wherein in the event that said distinguishing proprietary characteristics of the package is ripped, broken, breached or missing, said package will manifest evidence of said imperfection.

25. In the combinations defined in claim 21, 22, 23, or 24, wherein said flexible enclosure which holds the product is pressurized by a predetermined quantity of said flowable material and its internal pressure is raised to a predetermined pressure level above that of its surrounding atmosphere before it is closed.

26. In the combination defined in claim 25, wherein the internal pressure in said enclosure which holds the product is raised to a predetermined level above that of its surrounding atmosphere by compressing it and reducing its volume to a predetermined capacity after it is closed.

27. In the combination defined in claim 25 or 26, wherein the internal pressure within said enclosure which contains the product is within the range of one to two hundred (1 to 200) pounds per square inch under one atmospheric pressure and 15 degrees centigrade conditions.

28. In the combinations defined in claim 25, 26, or 27, wherein durable informative statements recorded on durable labels of proper design and construction and properly located in said package and remain part of it notwithstanding that said package had been tampered with, said informative statements inform the purchaser about the evidence to look for which would be manifested in the package in the event it was tampered with.

29. In the combination defined in claim 28, wherein, said informative statements advise against the purchase of packages which manifest evidence that possible tampering had occurred therewith.

30. In the combinations defined in claim 27, 28, or 29, wherein said package will manifest at least one of the following indications only in the event that the product therein is tampered with through at least one opening made in the walls of said package leading to the product, said indications cannot be manifested by a properly manufactured package which had not been tampered with:

1. when said package is subjected to a predetermined pressure level equivalent to that of a human hand squeeze on the exterior of its walls, at least one of the following results would be manifested;

a. at least a portion of its walls would yield;

b. at least a portion of its walls would cave in;

c. at least a portion of its walls would be damaged;

d. the size of the enclosure which holds the product will be reduced and its internal pressure will rise and upon freeing it from said pressure, it will not regain its original capacity;

e. the internal pressure in the outer enclosure will rise;

f. the volume and pressure of said outer enclosure will increase;

33. In the combination defined in claim 30, wherein, at least the closure associated with the enclosure which holds the product or the replacement of said closure is of the type characterized in the trade to be child resistant closure.

34. In the combinations defined claim 30 or 31, wherein all the component parts and materials associated with said tamper resistant packaging device are of the type which can be sterilized.

35. In the combinations defined in claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, or 32, wherein the radio-activity of the component parts of said package during production is within human tolerance.

2. In a tamper resistant packaging device, at least one over sized closeable outer enclosure and at least one inner enclosure fitted with closure means containing at least one flowable material in addition to the product, space between said outer and inner enclosures contains a predetermined amount of flowable material suitable for the proper functioning of said package, the internal pressure in said outer enclosure is reduced to a predetermined level below that of its surrounding atmosphere by drawing out a suitable quantity of its flowable contents before closing it, the walls of said outer enclosure press against the walls of said inner enclosure which holds the product and restricts its movement therein to a predetermined extent, means associated with said package for manifesting evidence that tampering with said package had occurred in the event that the contents in said inner enclosure is tampered with through at least one aperture made in said package leading to the product therein.

4. In a tamper-resistant package type, a flexible enclosure means fitted with closure means holding at least one flowable material including the product, the internal pressure in said flexible enclosure means is at a predetermined pressure level higher than that of its surrounding atmosphere, means associated with said package for manifesting evidence in the event that the contents of the inner enclosure is tampered with through at least one aperture made in said flexible enclosure means.

31. upon pulling outwardly at least a portion of the walls of the package, said outer enclosure grows in size and would not be restored to its original smaller capacity when said outwardly pulling stops.

32. the inner enclosure which contains the product would move within the outer enclosure easily and freely beyond the predetermined extent of the movement of its counterpart in a properly manufactured package which has not been tampered with;

4. the discharge of the package contents may become evident;

5. at least a change in one of the class of characteristics of shape, design, color, odor, and texture of the package will become evident.