Closure assembly

• US 8,242,915 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2007
• Issued: 08/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Access Business Group International LLC (Alticor Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Access Business Group International LLC (Alticor Incorporated)
• Inventors: Yan, Zhirong, Chai, Chang Biao
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yacob, Sisay
• Application Number:
  US11/986,695
• Publication Number:
  US 20090134113A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,723 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.8, 340/572.1, 340/572.7, 340/572.9, 340/573.1, 340/539, 340/539.1, 340/539.11, 340/539.12, 215/228, 215/229, 215/230, 215/329, 215/235, 215/354, 215/50, 215/51, 215/250, 215/251
• US Class Current: 340/572.8
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2203/10 Transponders
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 41/485 with integral internal sealing means

Abstract

A closure assembly is provided that prevents tampering and counterfeiting of a container while at the same time protecting the contents stored therein from contaminants such as air and moisture. The closure assembly may include an upper closure portion securable to the container and a lower closure portion attached to the upper closure portion and securable to the container and adapted to evidence disengagement from the container. The lower closure portion may include a first section having a first cross section and a second section having a second cross section. The second cross section may be smaller than the first cross section, and may be adapted to evidence disengagement from the container if the lower closure portion is disengaged from the container.

Claims

1. A closure assembly for securing the contents of a container, the closure assembly comprising:

an upper closure portion securable to the container; and

a lower closure portion attached to the upper closure portion and securable to the container, where the lower closure portion includes a plurality of gaps in the lower closure portion that have a smaller thickness than each other section of the lower closure portion, where the gaps are adapted to indicate tampering with the lower closure portion such that the lower closure portion includes visible damage when an attempt is made to disengage the lower closure portion from the container;

wherein the lower closure portion includes a removable tear away portion above the gaps that partially encircles the lower closure portion and that allows the upper closure portion to be partially disengaged from the container without disengaging the lower closure portion, further wherein the upper closure portion remains engaged with the lower closure portion at a location where the tear away portion does not encircle the lower closure portion.

2. The closure assembly portion of claim 1, where the upper closure portion includes a token compartment section adapted to secure a token to the upper closure portion, the token including an RFID tag.

3. The closure assembly of claim 1, where the upper closure portion includes a sealing section adapted to form a seal between the cap assembly and the container.

4. The closure assembly of claim 1, wherein the upper closure portion remains engaged with the lower closure portion to form a hinge between the upper closure portion and the lower closure portion, and further wherein the removal of the tear away portion allows the upper closure portion to be partially disengaged from the container around the partial encircling from the removable tear away portion.

5. The closure assembly of claim 1, where the tear away portion includes an elongated tab for assisting in the removal of the tear away portion.

6. The closure assembly of claim 1, where the plurality of gaps are disposed at the bottom of the lower closure portion.

7. The closure assembly of claim 1, where upper closure portion includes an upper closure engagement section adapted to engage a first recess in the container and the lower closure portion includes a lower closure engagement section adapted to engage a second recess in the container.

8. The device of claim 1, where the lower closure portion is adapted to abut a lip of the container.

9. A closure assembly for securing the contents of a container, the closure assembly comprising:

an upper closure portion securable to the container; and

a lower closure portion attached to the upper closure portion and securable to the container, where the lower closure is adapted to be visibly damaged if disengaged from the container, further where the lower closure portion includes a lower closure engagement section adapted to engage a first recess in the container and the upper closure portion includes an upper closure engagement section adapted to engage a second recess in the container;

where the lower closure portion comprises a removable tear away portion above the gaps that partially encircles the lower closure portion and that allows the upper closure portion to be partially disengaged from the container without disengaging the lower closure portion, further wherein the upper closure portion remains engaged with the lower closure portion at the location where the tear away portion does not encircle the lower closure portion to form a hinge between the upper closure portion and the lower closure portion.

10. The closure assembly of claim 9, where the upper closure portion includes a token compartment section adapted to secure a token to the upper closure portion, the token including an RFID tag.

11. The closure assembly of claim 9, where the upper closure portion includes a sealing section adapted to form a seal between the cap assembly and the container.

12. The closure assembly of claim 9, where a greater force is required to remove the lower closure engagement section from the first recess than a force required to remove the upper closure engagement section from the second recess.

13. The closure assembly of claim 9, where the removal of the tear away portion allows the upper closure portion to be partially disengaged from the container around the partial encircling from the removable tear away portion.

14. The closure assembly of claim 9, where the tear away portion includes an elongated tab for assisting in the removal of the tear away portion.

15. The closure assembly of claim 9, where the lower closure portion includes a removable tear away portion, further where removal of the tear away portion completely separates the upper closure portion from the lower closure portion.

16. The closure assembly of claim 15, where tampering is evidenced when the upper closure engagement is disengaged without utilizing the tear away portion.

17. The closure assembly of claim 14, where the lower closure portion is adapted to abut a lip of the container.

18. A closure assembly for securing the contents of a container comprising:

an upper closure portion securable to the container, the upper closure portion including;

an upper closure engagement section adapted to engage a first recess in the container, and

a token compartment section adapted to secure a token to the upper closure portion, the token including an RFID tag

a lower closure portion attached to the upper closure portion and securable to the container, the lower closure portion including;

a lower closure engagement section adapted to engage a second recess in the container, where the lower closure engagement section includes a first section having a first cross section and a second section having a second cross section, the second cross section smaller than the first cross section, where the second cross section is adapted to damage if the lower closure section is disengaged from the container, and

a tear away portion removably attached to the lower closure engagement section and the upper closure portion, where the upper closure portion may be disengaged from the container tear away portion without disengaging the lower closure portion if the tear away portion is removed.