Safety closure having tamper-indicating means

• US 5,992,657 A
• Filed: 05/28/1998
• Issued: 11/30/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rexam Healthcare Packaging Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Rexam Plastics (Ball Corporation)
• Inventors: Friedman, Alberto
• Primary Examiner(s): Shoap, Allan N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MEREK, JOSEPH C
• Application Number:
  US09/085,772
• Time in Patent Office: 551 Days
• Field of Search: 215/216-219, 215/221, 215/252, 215/209, 215/224
• US Class Current: 215/209
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2401/25 Non-metallic tear-off strips
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 41/3409 the tamper element being integrally connected to the closure by means of bridges
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 41/3428 the tamper element being integrally connected to the closure by means of bridges
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 50/046 and such deformation causes the disengagement of locking means, e.g. the release of a pawl-like element from a tooth or abutment, to allow removal of the closure by simultaneous rotation

Abstract

A safety closure is provided for threadingly engaging a neck portion of a container. The safety closure includes a cap portion and a tamper-indicating band connected to a lower end of a peripheral side wall of the cap portion by a plurality of frangible bridge segments. A cap lug projects downwardly from an outer surface of the cap portion and is sized to engage a band lug projecting upwardly from an outer surface of the tamper-indicating band. At least one bead segment projects inwardly from an inner surface of the tamper-indicating band and is sized to engage a continuous bead projecting outwardly from an outer surface of the container neck portion to prevent removal of the tamper-indicating band therefrom upon a first application thereto. Removal of the cap portion from the container neck portion a first time breaks the plurality of frangible bridge segments, thereby detaching the cap portion from the tamper-indicating band and permitting removal of the cap portion from the container neck portion, while retaining the tamper-indicating band on the container neck portion for subsequent use.

Claims

1. A safety closure, comprising:

a cap portion having an end wall and a peripheral side wall depending from said end wall;

a tamper-indicating band connected to said cap portion peripheral side wall by a plurality of frangible bridge segments, said tamper-indicating band having at least one bead segment projecting therefrom, said tamper-indicating band being detachable from said cap portion;

a cap lug projecting from said peripheral side wall near said lower end thereof; and

,

a band lug projecting from said tamper-indicating band, said band lug being engageable with said cap lug to prevent rotation of said cap portion relative to said tamper-indicating band upon detachment of said band from said cap portion.

2. The safety closure of claim 1, said band lug being resiliently deformable to disengage said cap lug.

3. The safety closure of claim 1, said band lug having an angled surface.

4. The safety closure of claim 1, said safety closure being integrally-formed.

5. The safety closure of claim 1, said cap lug having a downwardly-depending portion.

6. The safety closure of claim 1, said band lug having an upwardly-projecting portion.

7. The safety closure of claim 1, said cap lug having a resilient bridge integrally-formed with and connecting an end of said cap lug to said peripheral skirt.

8. The safety closure of claim 1, said cap lug being resiliently deformable to disengage said band lug.

9. The safety closure of claim 1, said cap lug having an angled surface.

10. The safety closure of claim 1, said cap portion peripheral side wall further including an internal thread projecting inwardly from an inner surface thereof.

11. A safety container assembly, comprising:

a container including a body portion defining a cavity therein, a neck portion having an open upper end communicating with said cavity, and at least one container bead segment projecting from said neck portion; and

,

a closure including a cap portion having an end wall and a peripheral side wall depending from said end wall, a tamper-indicating band connected to said cap portion peripheral side wall by a plurality of frangible bridge segments, said tamper-indicating band having at least one bead segment projecting therefrom, said at least one bead segment cooperating with said at least one container bead segment to prevent removal of said tamper-indicating band from said container neck portion, said tamper-indicating band being detachable from said cap portion, a cap lug projecting from said peripheral side wall near said lower end thereof, and, a band lug projecting from said tamper-indicating band, said band lug being engageable with said cap lug to prevent rotation of said cap portion relative to said tamper-indicating band upon detachment of said band from said cap portion.

12. The safety container assembly of claim 11, said band lug being resiliently deformable to disengage said cap lug.

13. The safety container assembly of claim 11, said band lug having an angled surface.

14. The safety container assembly of claim 11, said safety closure being integrally-formed.

15. The safety container assembly of claim 11, said cap lug having a downwardly-depending portion.

16. The safety container assembly of claim 11, said band lug having an upwardly-projecting portion.

17. The safety container assembly of claim 11, said cap lug having a resilient bridge integrally-formed with and connecting an outermost end of said cap lug to said peripheral skirt.

18. The safety container assembly of claim 11, said cap lug being resiliently deformable to disengage said band lug.

19. The safety container assembly of claim 11, said cap lug having an angled surface.

20. The safety container assembly of claim 11, wherein:

said container neck portion further includes an external thread projection outwardly from an outer surface thereof;

said closure cap portion further includes an internal thread projecting inwardly from an inner surface thereof; and

,

said internal thread being engageable with said external thread to threadingly affix said closure on said container neck portion.

21. The safety container assembly of claim 11, said at least one container bead segment including at least one lug portion, said at least one lug portion cooperating with said at least one bead segment of said closure tamper-indicating band to permit rotation of said closure relative to said container in a first direction thereof and to inhibit rotation of said closure relative to said container in a second direction thereof.

22. The safety container assembly of claim 21, said at least one lug portion having an inclined surface and an abutment.

23. A safety closure, comprising:

a cap portion having an end wall and a peripheral side wall depending from said end wall;

a tamper-indicating band connected to said cap portion peripheral side wall by a plurality of frangible bridge segments, said tamper-indicating band being detachable from said cap portion, said tamper-indicating band having means for retaining said tamper-indicating band on a neck portion of a container;

a cap lug projecting from said peripheral side wall near said lower end thereof; and

,

a band lug projecting from said tamper-indicating band, said band lug being engageable with said cap lug to prevent rotation of said cap portion relative to said tamper-indicating band upon detachment of said band from said cap portion.

24. The safety closure of claim 23, said means for retaining said tamper-indicating band on a neck portion of a container includes at least one bead segment projecting therefrom.

25. The safety closure of claim 23, said means for retaining said tamper-indicating band on a neck portion of a container includes at least one projection projecting inwardly therefrom.

26. The safety closure of claim 23, said band lug being resiliently deformable to disengage said cap lug.

27. The safety closure of claim 23, said band lug having an angled surface.

28. The safety closure of claim 23, said safety closure being integrally-formed.

29. The safety closure of claim 23, said cap lug having a downwardly-depending portion.

30. The safety closure of claim 23, said band lug having an upwardly-projecting portion.

31. The safety closure of claim 23, said cap lug having a resilient bridge integrally-formed with and connecting an end of said cap lug to said peripheral skirt.

32. The safety closure of claim 23, said cap lug being resiliently deformable to disengage said band lug.

33. The safety closure of claim 23, said cap lug having an angled surface.

34. The safety closure of claim 23, said cap portion peripheral side wall further including an internal thread projecting inwardly from an inner surface thereof.