Tamper-evident package
First Claim
1. A tamper-evident package, comprising:
- a container having a neck portion defining an opening, said container having an external thread formation on said neck portion, said thread formation including at least one helical thread element, said container further including a plurality of circumferentially spaced locking teeth positioned on said neck portion beneath said thread formation, and a closure configured for fitment to the neck portion of said container for closing said opening, said closure including a top wall portion and a depending annular skirt portion having an internal thread formation for mating engagement with the external thread formation on said neck portion of said container, said closure including a tamper band depending from and at least partially detachably connected to said skirt portion by a frangible connection, said tamper band including an annular band portion, and a plurality of inwardly extending flexible projections each movable about a respective horizontal hinge portion joined to said annular band portion, each of said projections having marginal edges defining the circumferential dimension of the projection, said marginal edge of at least one of said projections being engageable with at least one of said locking teeth on said container during removal of said closure from said container for fracturing said frangible connection to provide visual evidence of opening of said package, said locking teeth being unevenly circumferentially spaced about the neck portion of said container, with the spacing between said locking teeth corresponding to the spacing between said projections, or multiples thereof.
16 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A tamper-evident package includes a plastic closure having a top wall portion, a depending annular skirt portion, and a tamper band at least partially detachably connected to the skirt portion. The package further includes a container having a neck portion configured for tamper-indicating cooperation with the projections on the tamper band. The container includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced ratchet-like locking teeth, each of which presents a locking surface for interfering engagement with a respective one of the projections of the closure tamper band. The arrangement is particularly configured to promote rapid tamper-indication attendant to relatively little rotation of the closure relative to the container.
109 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A tamper-evident package, comprising:
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a container having a neck portion defining an opening, said container having an external thread formation on said neck portion, said thread formation including at least one helical thread element, said container further including a plurality of circumferentially spaced locking teeth positioned on said neck portion beneath said thread formation, and a closure configured for fitment to the neck portion of said container for closing said opening, said closure including a top wall portion and a depending annular skirt portion having an internal thread formation for mating engagement with the external thread formation on said neck portion of said container, said closure including a tamper band depending from and at least partially detachably connected to said skirt portion by a frangible connection, said tamper band including an annular band portion, and a plurality of inwardly extending flexible projections each movable about a respective horizontal hinge portion joined to said annular band portion, each of said projections having marginal edges defining the circumferential dimension of the projection, said marginal edge of at least one of said projections being engageable with at least one of said locking teeth on said container during removal of said closure from said container for fracturing said frangible connection to provide visual evidence of opening of said package, said locking teeth being unevenly circumferentially spaced about the neck portion of said container, with the spacing between said locking teeth corresponding to the spacing between said projections, or multiples thereof. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
said container includes an annular shoulder positioned adjacent to and beneath said locking teeth.
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3. A tamper-evident package in accordance with claim 2, wherein:
said container includes another annular shoulder positioned adjacent to and above said locking teeth and beneath said external thread formation.
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4. A tamper-evident package in accordance with claim 1, wherein:
each of said locking teeth includes a generally radially oriented locking surface for engagement by at least one of said projections of said closure, and a generally outwardly tapering guide surface opposite said locking surface extending from said neck portion to said locking surface.
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5. A tamper-evident package in accordance with claim 4, wherein:
said locking surface of each said locking tooth is generally vertically oriented.
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6. A tamper-evident package in accordance with claim 4, wherein:
said projections define an inside diameter in a generally inwardly extending, horizontal orientation that is greater than a diameter of said neck portion at said thread formation.
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7. A tamper-evident package in accordance with claim 1, wherein:
said hinge portion of each of said projections of said closure is relatively thin.
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8. A tamper-evident package in accordance with claim 1, wherein:
said projections of said closure define an inside diameter in a generally horizontally, inwardly extending orientation which is greater than a diameter of said neck portion at said locking teeth.
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9. A tamper-evident package in accordance with claim 1, wherein:
said external thread formation includes a plurality of helical thread elements.
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10. A tamper-evident package, comprising:
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a container having a neck portion with an external thread formation thereon including a plurality of helical thread elements, said container including a plurality of circumferentially spaced locking teeth positioned on said neck portion beneath said thread formation, each said locking tooth including a locking surface, and a generally outwardly tapered guide surface extending from said neck portion opposite said locking surface, said locking teeth being unevenly circumferentially spaced about the neck portion of said container; and
said container including an annular shoulder positioned adjacent to and beneath said locking teeth, and another annular shoulder positioned adjacent to and above said locking teeth beneath said external thread formation;
a closure configured for fitment to the neck portion of said container, said closure including a top wall portion and a depending annular skirt portion having an internal thread formation for mating engagement with the external thread formation on said neck portion of said container, said closure including a tamper band depending from and at least partially detachably connected to said skirt portion by a frangible connection, said tamper band including an annular band portion, and a plurality of inwardly extending flexible projections each movable about a respective, relatively thin horizontal hinge portion joined to said annular band portion, said projections being circumferentially spaced apart by a distance less than the circumferential dimension of each of said locking teeth on said container, each of said projections having marginal edges defining the circumferential dimension of the projection, said marginal edges of a plurality of said projections being engageable with a like plurality of said locking teeth during removal of said closure from said container for fracturing said frangible connection. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
said projections and said locking teeth are configured to fracture said frangible connection before said closure has been rotated relative to said container more than about 15 to 20 degrees during closure removal.
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12. A tamper-evident package in accordance with claim 10, wherein:
said locking surface of each said locking tooth is generally radially and vertically oriented.
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13. A tamper-evident package in accordance with claim 10, wherein:
the diameter of said container at the base of said thread formation is generally equal to the diameter of said container at the base of said locking teeth.
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14. A tamper-evident package in accordance with claim 10, wherein:
said projections of said closure define an inside diameter in a generally horizontally, inwardly extending orientation which is greater than diameters of said neck portion at said external thread formation and at said locking teeth.
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15. A tamper-evident package, comprising:
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a container having a neck portion defining an opening, said container having an external thread formation on said neck portion, said thread formation including at least one helical thread element, said container further including a plurality of circumferentially spaced locking teeth positioned on said neck portion beneath said thread formation, and a closure configured for fitment to the neck portion of said container for closing said opening, said closure including a top wall portion and a depending annular skirt portion having an internal thread formation for mating engagement with the external thread formation on said neck portion of said container, said closure including a tamper band depending from and at least partially detachably connected to said skirt portion by a frangible connection, said tamper band including an annular band portion, and a plurality of inwardly extending flexible projections each movable about a respective horizontal hinge portion joined to said annular band portion, at least one of said projections being engageable with at least one of said locking teeth on said container to provide visual evidence of opening of said package, wherein said locking teeth are unevenly circumferentially spaced about said neck portion, and said neck portion of said container defines a mold parting line, said container including a first pair of locking teeth each having a locking surface thereof aligned with said parting line, and a second pair of said locking teeth positioned at right angles to said first pair of locking teeth and each having a locking surface, the region between the locking surface of each of said second teeth and the respective one of said first teeth positioned generally at a right angle thereto being free of locking teeth, said container further including at least one locking tooth positioned in unevenly circumferentially spaced relationship between one of said first pair and one of said second pair locking teeth.
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16. A tamper-evident package, comprising:
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a container having a neck portion with an external thread formation thereon including a plurality of helical thread elements, said container including a plurality of circumferentially spaced locking teeth positioned on said neck portion beneath said thread formation, each said locking tooth including a locking surface, and a generally outwardly tapered guide surface extending from said neck portion opposite said locking surface; and
a closure configured for fitment to the neck portion of said container, said closure including a top wall portion and a depending annular skirt having an internal thread formation for mating engagement with the external thread formation on said neck portion of said container, said closure including a tamper band depending from and at least partially detachably connected to said skirt portion by a frangible connection, said tamper band including an annular band portion, and a plurality of inwardly extending flexible projections each movable about a respective, relatively thin horizontal hinge portion joined to said annular band portion, said projections being circumferentially spaced apart by a distance less than the circumferential dimension of each of said locking teeth on said locking teeth during removal of said closure from said container for fracturing said frangible connection, wherein said neck portion of said container defines a mold parting line, said container including a first pair of locking teeth having the locking surface thereof aligned with said parting line, and a second pair of said locking teeth positioned at right angles to said first pair of locking teeth, the region between the locking surface of each of said second locking teeth and the guide surface of a respective one of said first teeth positioned generally at a right angle thereto being free of locking teeth, said container further including at least one locking tooth positioned in spaced relationship between one of said first pair and one of said second pair of locking teeth, said spacing of said at least one locking tooth from said one of said first pair and said one of said second pair corresponding to the spacing between said flexible projections on said tamper band, or multiples thereof. - View Dependent Claims (17)
said at least one locking tooth is unevenly circumferentially spaced between said one of said first pair and said one of said second pair of locking teeth.
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Specification