CA1279608C - Pilfer-evident closure - Google Patents
Pilfer-evident closureInfo
- Publication number
- CA1279608C CA1279608C CA 493687 CA493687A CA1279608C CA 1279608 C CA1279608 C CA 1279608C CA 493687 CA493687 CA 493687 CA 493687 A CA493687 A CA 493687A CA 1279608 C CA1279608 C CA 1279608C
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- cap
- container
- lower portion
- bands
- channel
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
Links
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D41/00—Caps, e.g. crown caps or crown seals, i.e. members having parts arranged for engagement with the external periphery of a neck or wall defining a pouring opening or discharge aperture; Protective cap-like covers for closure members, e.g. decorative covers of metal foil or paper
- B65D41/32—Caps or cap-like covers with lines of weakness, tearing-strips, tags, or like opening or removal devices, e.g. to facilitate formation of pouring openings
- B65D41/34—Threaded or like caps or cap-like covers provided with tamper elements formed in, or attached to, the closure skirt
- B65D41/3442—Threaded or like caps or cap-like covers provided with tamper elements formed in, or attached to, the closure skirt with rigid bead or projections formed on the tamper element and coacting with bead or projections on the container
- B65D41/3447—Threaded or like caps or cap-like covers provided with tamper elements formed in, or attached to, the closure skirt with rigid bead or projections formed on the tamper element and coacting with bead or projections on the container the tamper element being integrally connected to the closure by means of bridges
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Closures For Containers (AREA)
Abstract
ABSTRACT
A closure cap has a hollow cylinder with a circular cover closing an upper end thereof. The cylinder has an inner surface and an outer surface and is divided into an upper portion and a lower portion. A screw thread is located on an inner surface of the upper portion of said cylinder. The upper portion is separated from said lower portion by a circumferential channel formed into said inner surface and extending 360° around said cylinder. A plurality of narrow connecting bands extend between the two portions across said channel.
The bands have an outer surface that is flush with an outer surface of both the upper portion and the lower portion of said cylinder. When the cap is used with a suitable container, the bands are designed to fracture when the cap is removed from said container, the lower portion being contained on the container.
A closure cap has a hollow cylinder with a circular cover closing an upper end thereof. The cylinder has an inner surface and an outer surface and is divided into an upper portion and a lower portion. A screw thread is located on an inner surface of the upper portion of said cylinder. The upper portion is separated from said lower portion by a circumferential channel formed into said inner surface and extending 360° around said cylinder. A plurality of narrow connecting bands extend between the two portions across said channel.
The bands have an outer surface that is flush with an outer surface of both the upper portion and the lower portion of said cylinder. When the cap is used with a suitable container, the bands are designed to fracture when the cap is removed from said container, the lower portion being contained on the container.
Description
1;C'7~ 8 This invention relates to pilfer-evident closures and, more specifically, to closures having a removable portion, which remains on a container when the closure is removed from the container.
Various closure caps with a pilfer-evident feature have been previously used on containers.
However, previous caps having that feature can be either too expensive or too complex to manufacture: or they do not provide sufficient visual evidence of fracture; or they are difficult to install on a container. A pilfer-evident closure is described in United States patent ~4,343,408, issued August 10, 1982, naming Ernest J. Csaszar as inventor and entitled "Tamper-Evident Plastic Closure". The closure described in the Csaszar patent has an end wall and a cylindrical side wall, the cylindrical side wall including an upper portion and a lower skirt portion as well as an intermediate portion. The lower portion has an inwardly projecting bead adapted to engage the lower end of an annular collar on a container when the closure is in a closed position on said container. A circumferential groove is formed in the outer surface of the closure to reduce the thickness of the intermediate portion. In one embodiment, the circumferential groove includes a slot where at least part of the groove passes entirely through the closure. The closure is designed so that when the upper portion and part of the intermediate portion of the closure are removed from the container, the lower skirt portion and the remaining part of the intermediate portion remain on the container as evidence of tampering. Unfortunately, the closure described in the Csaszar patent can be disadvantageous 1~ 7 ~08 for a number of reasons. Firstly, since the circumferential groove is formed into the closure from the outer surface, when the closure is produced from a mold, removable plates must be used in the mold, thereby making productlon of the closure more expensive and complex. The plates are inserted, and then removed, and the mold is opened very carefully so that the groove is not damaged. Secondly, since the groove of the csaszar patent is cut into the outer surface of the closure, before the closure is removed from a container, the intermediate portion remains connected to the upper portion along an inner surface of the cylindrical side wall. If the closure, as described in the Csaszar patent, is removed from the container and then replaced, it can be very difficult to determine, by visual inspection alone, that the lower skirt portion and part of the intermediate portion has been severed from the remaining part of the closure because the line of fracture is at or near an inner surface of the closure. As most containers on store shelves are not tampered with, when a consumer is purchasing a product in a container having a pilfer-evident closure, it is very unlikely that the consumer will attempt to remove the closure in order to determine whether the closure has been removed from the container previously. A consumer is much more likely to simply glance at the container and if there is no readily apparent visual evidence that the closure has been previously removed, the consumer will purchase the product and will not try to remove the closure until the time of actual use of the product.
A discovery that the closure has been previously removed from the container at the time of actual use of the product can be frustrating, inconvenient and 1~ 7~
expensive as the purchase has already been completed and any proof of purchase may have already been destroyed or lost. Further, a consumer may find it to be too inconvenient to return the product to the vendor and might discard the product or risk contamination by using it anyway. Still further, a consumer may have difficulty proving to the vendor that the closure had been previously removed prior to the consumer purchasing the product. Thirdly, the groove described in the Csaszar patent is located some distance away from an inwardly projecting bead on the lower skirt portion that engages the annular collar on the container. When a consumer ultimately removes the closure, this can result in a relatively large part of .
the closure remaining on the container which can interfere with the enjoyment of the product, particularly when the product is consumed directly from the container by mouth.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a pilfer-evident closure cap for use with a container that produces readily apparent visual evidence whenever the cap has been removed and subse~uently replaced on the container. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a closure cap where a circumferential groove is formed into the cap from the inner surface, that said groove become a line of fracture, when the cap is removed from a container, and that said groove is the same groove in which a circumferential ridge of the container is located when the cap and container are in a closed position.
In accordance with the present invention, a closure cap is designed for use with a container having a neck with an opening therein, said neck 1~ 7~
having a circumferential ridge located on an outer surface thereof with a screw thread located between said ridge and said opening. The closure cap comprises a hollow cylinder with a circular cover closing an upper end thereof. The cylinder has an inner surface and an outer surface as well as an upper portion and a lower portion. A screw thread is located on the inner surface of the upper portion of said cylinder, said screw thread corresponding to the screw thread on said container. The upper portion is separated from the lower portion by a circumferential channel formed into said inner surface. The channel extends 360 and intermittently extends completely through a wall of said cylinder over most of its length, leaving a plurality of connecting bands extending between said two portions. The bands have an outer surface that is flush with an outer surface of both the upper portion and the lower portion of said cylinder. The cap is designed to fit onto said container so that when the cap is in a closed position relative to said container the screw threads of the cap and container engaging one another, the circumferential ridge on the container is located in said channel. The bands are designed to fracture when the cap is subsequently turned off said container, the lower portion being retained on said container by said circumferential ridge.
In drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a closure cap and a partial perspective view of a container;
Figure 2 is a sectional side view of a cap in a closed position on a container;
1~ 7 ~
Figure 3 is a sectional side view of another embodiment of a cap shown in a closed position relative to a container;
Figure 4 is a sectional side view of one-half of a cap having a groove located in a lower portion;
Figure 5 is a sectional side view of another embodiment of one-half of a cap with a wide channel.
Referring to the drawings in greater detail, in Figure 1, there is shown a closure cap 2 having a hollow cylinder 4 and a circular cover 6 closing an upper end thereof. The cylinder has an inner surface 8 and an outer surface 10 as well as an upper portion 12 and a lower portion 14. A screw thread 16 is located on the inner surface 8 of the upper portion 12 of said cylinder 4.
The upper portion 12 is separated from the lower portion 14 by a circumferential channel 18, which is formed into the inner surface 8 and extends 360 along said inner surface. Intermittently, the channel 18 extends completely through a wall 20 of said cylinder 4 over most of the length of said channel 18, thereby leaving a plurality of narrow connecting bands 22 extending between the two portions 12, 14. The bands 22 have an outer surface that is flush with an outer surface 10 of both the upper and lower portions 12, 14 of said cylinder 4.
Preferably, the two portions 12, 14 have substantially the same outside diameter. Further, as shown in Figure 1, the connecting bands 22 are preferably equidistant from one another. While any reasonable number of connecting bands can be used, it has been found that six connecting bands is satisfactory.
1 ~ 7 ~
The cap 2 shown in Figure 1 has an inner surface 8 of the lower portion 14 of the cylinder 4 that is tapered to a leading edge 24. This feature can best be seen in Figures 2, 4 and 5. Further, the cap 2 shown in Figure 1 has a circumferential groove 26 extending partially into the inner surface 8 of the lower portion 14, said groove 26 being located immediately adjacent to the channel 18. On an inner surface 28 of the cover 6, there is located a seal 30.
A container 32 has a neck 34 with a top 35 and a circumferential ridge 38 located on an outer surface 40. A screw thread 42 is lcoated between said ridge 38 and said top 35.
Referring to Figure 2 in greater detail, the cap 2 is shown in a closed position on part of the container 32. The neck 34 of the container 32 has an opening 36. The screw thread 42 is located between said ridge 38 and said opening 36. The screw thread 16 of the cap 2 corresponds to the screw thread 42 of the container 32. As can readily be seen, part of the inner surface 8 of the lower portion 14 of the cylinder 4 is tapered to a leading edge 24 so that the lower portion 14 will slide over the ridge 38 more readily when the cap 2 and container 32 are placed in a closed position relative to one another with the ridge 38 located in the channel 18 and also in the groove 26.
Referring to Figure 3 in greater detail, a cap 44 is shown in a closed position relative to a container 32. The same reference numerals are used in Figure 3 for those elements of the cap and container that are similar to the cap and container of Figures 1 and 2.
The cap 44 is different from the cap 2 in that the cap 44 has a leading edge 45 but an inner surface of the 1~7~iU~
lower portion 14 is not tapered. Also, while it cannot be readily seen from Figure 3, the cap 44 does not have a groove 26 but only a channel 18. The channel 18 has a width substantially equal to the width of the ridge 38 of the container 32. The lower portion 14 is separated from the upper portion 12 by connecting bands 22 extending across the channel 18.
The ridge 38 is tapered so that the cap can be easily placed onto the container 32. Once the cap 44 is in place, it will function in the same manner as the cap 2 described in Figure 2. For ease of illustration, the cap 2 and container 32 of Figures 2 and 3 are shown as being located slightly apart from one another. In actual use, the cap and container and, particularly, the screw threads thereof will be located in tight contact with one another when the cap and container are in a closed position.
Referring to Figure 4 in greater detail, an interior view of the cap 2 is shown, as well as the walls of the cylinder and of the cover in section. It can readily be seen that the lower portion 14 is tapered to a leading edge 24. Also, it can readily be seen that the circumferential groove 26 extends partially into the inner surface 8 of the lower portion 14. The groove 26 is located immediately adjacent to the channel 18 and a ledge 46 is formed along a side of the groove 26 opposite to the channel 18. When the cap 2 is in a closed position relative to the container 32 with the screw threads 16, 42 engaged with one another as shown in Figure 2, the ridge 38 is located in the channel 18 and the groove 26. A lower edge of the ridge 38 abuts against the ledge 46 of the groove 26. An upper edge of the ridge 38 abuts an upper side of the channel 18.
1'~ 7~
Referring to Figure 5 in greater detail, there is shown an interior view of a cap 48, as well as the walls of the cylinder and of the cover in section.
The difference between the cap 48 and the cap 2 is that the cap 48 has a wider channel 18 and longer connecting bands 22 but does not have a groove 26 located immediately adjacent to the channel 18. When the cap 48 is placed in a closed position relative to a container 32, the upper and lower sides of the ridge 38 will abut the upper and lower sides of the channel 18.
In use, the cap is placed onto a suitable container having a ridge 38, the cap and container having corresponding screw threads. When the cap and container are in a closed position, the ridge 38 will be located in the channel 18 as shown in both Figures 2 and 3. When it is desired to remove the cap from the container, the upper portion 12 is turned in an appropriate direction, the lower portion 14 is prevented from moving off the container 32 by the ridge 38. As the upper portion 12 is turned off of the container 32, the connecting bands pull the lower portion 14 into tighter contact with the ridge 38.
Ultimately, sufficient force is exerted between the upper portion 12 and the lower portion 14 that the connecting bands 22 fracture, thereby allowing the upper portion 12 of the cap to be removed from the contalner while the lower portion 14 is retained on the container by the circumferential ridge. Since the outer surface of connecting bands 22 is flush with the outer surface 10 of the two portions 12, 14 of the cylinder 4, if the upper portion 12 of the closure cap is removed from the container, the bands 22 are fractured and, subsequently, the upper portion 12 of 1~ 7 ~
the cap is replaced on the container, it will be readily apparent to anyone viewing the cap and container that the cap has been previously removed because the fractured bands 22 are easily seen.
Preferably, the outer surface of the connecting bands as well as the outer surface of the upper and lower portions in the vicinity of the connecting bands is smooth so that any fracture in the connecting bands will be readily apparent upon visual inspection.
The cap of the present invention is preferably made of a suitable plastic, for example, polypropylene or polyethylene and is preferably one piece. The cap as described herein can be manufactured using a mold having a suitable collapsible core. Since the outer surface of the cap is relatively smooth and since the channel is placed in the cap from the inside rather than from the outside, the mold can be opened much easier than a cap having a channel cut into it from the outside. Variations within the scope of the attached claims will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.
Various closure caps with a pilfer-evident feature have been previously used on containers.
However, previous caps having that feature can be either too expensive or too complex to manufacture: or they do not provide sufficient visual evidence of fracture; or they are difficult to install on a container. A pilfer-evident closure is described in United States patent ~4,343,408, issued August 10, 1982, naming Ernest J. Csaszar as inventor and entitled "Tamper-Evident Plastic Closure". The closure described in the Csaszar patent has an end wall and a cylindrical side wall, the cylindrical side wall including an upper portion and a lower skirt portion as well as an intermediate portion. The lower portion has an inwardly projecting bead adapted to engage the lower end of an annular collar on a container when the closure is in a closed position on said container. A circumferential groove is formed in the outer surface of the closure to reduce the thickness of the intermediate portion. In one embodiment, the circumferential groove includes a slot where at least part of the groove passes entirely through the closure. The closure is designed so that when the upper portion and part of the intermediate portion of the closure are removed from the container, the lower skirt portion and the remaining part of the intermediate portion remain on the container as evidence of tampering. Unfortunately, the closure described in the Csaszar patent can be disadvantageous 1~ 7 ~08 for a number of reasons. Firstly, since the circumferential groove is formed into the closure from the outer surface, when the closure is produced from a mold, removable plates must be used in the mold, thereby making productlon of the closure more expensive and complex. The plates are inserted, and then removed, and the mold is opened very carefully so that the groove is not damaged. Secondly, since the groove of the csaszar patent is cut into the outer surface of the closure, before the closure is removed from a container, the intermediate portion remains connected to the upper portion along an inner surface of the cylindrical side wall. If the closure, as described in the Csaszar patent, is removed from the container and then replaced, it can be very difficult to determine, by visual inspection alone, that the lower skirt portion and part of the intermediate portion has been severed from the remaining part of the closure because the line of fracture is at or near an inner surface of the closure. As most containers on store shelves are not tampered with, when a consumer is purchasing a product in a container having a pilfer-evident closure, it is very unlikely that the consumer will attempt to remove the closure in order to determine whether the closure has been removed from the container previously. A consumer is much more likely to simply glance at the container and if there is no readily apparent visual evidence that the closure has been previously removed, the consumer will purchase the product and will not try to remove the closure until the time of actual use of the product.
A discovery that the closure has been previously removed from the container at the time of actual use of the product can be frustrating, inconvenient and 1~ 7~
expensive as the purchase has already been completed and any proof of purchase may have already been destroyed or lost. Further, a consumer may find it to be too inconvenient to return the product to the vendor and might discard the product or risk contamination by using it anyway. Still further, a consumer may have difficulty proving to the vendor that the closure had been previously removed prior to the consumer purchasing the product. Thirdly, the groove described in the Csaszar patent is located some distance away from an inwardly projecting bead on the lower skirt portion that engages the annular collar on the container. When a consumer ultimately removes the closure, this can result in a relatively large part of .
the closure remaining on the container which can interfere with the enjoyment of the product, particularly when the product is consumed directly from the container by mouth.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a pilfer-evident closure cap for use with a container that produces readily apparent visual evidence whenever the cap has been removed and subse~uently replaced on the container. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a closure cap where a circumferential groove is formed into the cap from the inner surface, that said groove become a line of fracture, when the cap is removed from a container, and that said groove is the same groove in which a circumferential ridge of the container is located when the cap and container are in a closed position.
In accordance with the present invention, a closure cap is designed for use with a container having a neck with an opening therein, said neck 1~ 7~
having a circumferential ridge located on an outer surface thereof with a screw thread located between said ridge and said opening. The closure cap comprises a hollow cylinder with a circular cover closing an upper end thereof. The cylinder has an inner surface and an outer surface as well as an upper portion and a lower portion. A screw thread is located on the inner surface of the upper portion of said cylinder, said screw thread corresponding to the screw thread on said container. The upper portion is separated from the lower portion by a circumferential channel formed into said inner surface. The channel extends 360 and intermittently extends completely through a wall of said cylinder over most of its length, leaving a plurality of connecting bands extending between said two portions. The bands have an outer surface that is flush with an outer surface of both the upper portion and the lower portion of said cylinder. The cap is designed to fit onto said container so that when the cap is in a closed position relative to said container the screw threads of the cap and container engaging one another, the circumferential ridge on the container is located in said channel. The bands are designed to fracture when the cap is subsequently turned off said container, the lower portion being retained on said container by said circumferential ridge.
In drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a closure cap and a partial perspective view of a container;
Figure 2 is a sectional side view of a cap in a closed position on a container;
1~ 7 ~
Figure 3 is a sectional side view of another embodiment of a cap shown in a closed position relative to a container;
Figure 4 is a sectional side view of one-half of a cap having a groove located in a lower portion;
Figure 5 is a sectional side view of another embodiment of one-half of a cap with a wide channel.
Referring to the drawings in greater detail, in Figure 1, there is shown a closure cap 2 having a hollow cylinder 4 and a circular cover 6 closing an upper end thereof. The cylinder has an inner surface 8 and an outer surface 10 as well as an upper portion 12 and a lower portion 14. A screw thread 16 is located on the inner surface 8 of the upper portion 12 of said cylinder 4.
The upper portion 12 is separated from the lower portion 14 by a circumferential channel 18, which is formed into the inner surface 8 and extends 360 along said inner surface. Intermittently, the channel 18 extends completely through a wall 20 of said cylinder 4 over most of the length of said channel 18, thereby leaving a plurality of narrow connecting bands 22 extending between the two portions 12, 14. The bands 22 have an outer surface that is flush with an outer surface 10 of both the upper and lower portions 12, 14 of said cylinder 4.
Preferably, the two portions 12, 14 have substantially the same outside diameter. Further, as shown in Figure 1, the connecting bands 22 are preferably equidistant from one another. While any reasonable number of connecting bands can be used, it has been found that six connecting bands is satisfactory.
1 ~ 7 ~
The cap 2 shown in Figure 1 has an inner surface 8 of the lower portion 14 of the cylinder 4 that is tapered to a leading edge 24. This feature can best be seen in Figures 2, 4 and 5. Further, the cap 2 shown in Figure 1 has a circumferential groove 26 extending partially into the inner surface 8 of the lower portion 14, said groove 26 being located immediately adjacent to the channel 18. On an inner surface 28 of the cover 6, there is located a seal 30.
A container 32 has a neck 34 with a top 35 and a circumferential ridge 38 located on an outer surface 40. A screw thread 42 is lcoated between said ridge 38 and said top 35.
Referring to Figure 2 in greater detail, the cap 2 is shown in a closed position on part of the container 32. The neck 34 of the container 32 has an opening 36. The screw thread 42 is located between said ridge 38 and said opening 36. The screw thread 16 of the cap 2 corresponds to the screw thread 42 of the container 32. As can readily be seen, part of the inner surface 8 of the lower portion 14 of the cylinder 4 is tapered to a leading edge 24 so that the lower portion 14 will slide over the ridge 38 more readily when the cap 2 and container 32 are placed in a closed position relative to one another with the ridge 38 located in the channel 18 and also in the groove 26.
Referring to Figure 3 in greater detail, a cap 44 is shown in a closed position relative to a container 32. The same reference numerals are used in Figure 3 for those elements of the cap and container that are similar to the cap and container of Figures 1 and 2.
The cap 44 is different from the cap 2 in that the cap 44 has a leading edge 45 but an inner surface of the 1~7~iU~
lower portion 14 is not tapered. Also, while it cannot be readily seen from Figure 3, the cap 44 does not have a groove 26 but only a channel 18. The channel 18 has a width substantially equal to the width of the ridge 38 of the container 32. The lower portion 14 is separated from the upper portion 12 by connecting bands 22 extending across the channel 18.
The ridge 38 is tapered so that the cap can be easily placed onto the container 32. Once the cap 44 is in place, it will function in the same manner as the cap 2 described in Figure 2. For ease of illustration, the cap 2 and container 32 of Figures 2 and 3 are shown as being located slightly apart from one another. In actual use, the cap and container and, particularly, the screw threads thereof will be located in tight contact with one another when the cap and container are in a closed position.
Referring to Figure 4 in greater detail, an interior view of the cap 2 is shown, as well as the walls of the cylinder and of the cover in section. It can readily be seen that the lower portion 14 is tapered to a leading edge 24. Also, it can readily be seen that the circumferential groove 26 extends partially into the inner surface 8 of the lower portion 14. The groove 26 is located immediately adjacent to the channel 18 and a ledge 46 is formed along a side of the groove 26 opposite to the channel 18. When the cap 2 is in a closed position relative to the container 32 with the screw threads 16, 42 engaged with one another as shown in Figure 2, the ridge 38 is located in the channel 18 and the groove 26. A lower edge of the ridge 38 abuts against the ledge 46 of the groove 26. An upper edge of the ridge 38 abuts an upper side of the channel 18.
1'~ 7~
Referring to Figure 5 in greater detail, there is shown an interior view of a cap 48, as well as the walls of the cylinder and of the cover in section.
The difference between the cap 48 and the cap 2 is that the cap 48 has a wider channel 18 and longer connecting bands 22 but does not have a groove 26 located immediately adjacent to the channel 18. When the cap 48 is placed in a closed position relative to a container 32, the upper and lower sides of the ridge 38 will abut the upper and lower sides of the channel 18.
In use, the cap is placed onto a suitable container having a ridge 38, the cap and container having corresponding screw threads. When the cap and container are in a closed position, the ridge 38 will be located in the channel 18 as shown in both Figures 2 and 3. When it is desired to remove the cap from the container, the upper portion 12 is turned in an appropriate direction, the lower portion 14 is prevented from moving off the container 32 by the ridge 38. As the upper portion 12 is turned off of the container 32, the connecting bands pull the lower portion 14 into tighter contact with the ridge 38.
Ultimately, sufficient force is exerted between the upper portion 12 and the lower portion 14 that the connecting bands 22 fracture, thereby allowing the upper portion 12 of the cap to be removed from the contalner while the lower portion 14 is retained on the container by the circumferential ridge. Since the outer surface of connecting bands 22 is flush with the outer surface 10 of the two portions 12, 14 of the cylinder 4, if the upper portion 12 of the closure cap is removed from the container, the bands 22 are fractured and, subsequently, the upper portion 12 of 1~ 7 ~
the cap is replaced on the container, it will be readily apparent to anyone viewing the cap and container that the cap has been previously removed because the fractured bands 22 are easily seen.
Preferably, the outer surface of the connecting bands as well as the outer surface of the upper and lower portions in the vicinity of the connecting bands is smooth so that any fracture in the connecting bands will be readily apparent upon visual inspection.
The cap of the present invention is preferably made of a suitable plastic, for example, polypropylene or polyethylene and is preferably one piece. The cap as described herein can be manufactured using a mold having a suitable collapsible core. Since the outer surface of the cap is relatively smooth and since the channel is placed in the cap from the inside rather than from the outside, the mold can be opened much easier than a cap having a channel cut into it from the outside. Variations within the scope of the attached claims will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.
Claims (11)
1. A closure cap for use with a container having a neck with an opening therein, said neck having a circumferential ridge located on an outer surface thereof with a screw thread located between said ridge and said opening, said closure cap comprising a hollow cylinder with a circular cover closing an upper end thereof, said cylinder having an inner surface and an outer surface, as well as an upper portion and a lower portion, a screw thread being located on an inner surface of the upper portion of said cylinder, said screw thread corresponding to the screw thread on said container, said upper portion being separated from said lower portion by a circumferential channel formed into said inner surface, said channel extending 360° and intermittently extending completely through a wall of said cylinder over most of its length, leaving a plurality of narrow connecting bands extending between said two portions, said bands having an outer surface that is flush with an outer surface of both the upper portion and the lower portion of said cylinder, said cap being designed to fit onto said container so that when the cap is in a closed position relative to said container with the screw threads of the cap and container engaging one another, said circumferential ridge on the container is located in said channel, said bands being designed to fracture when said cap is subsequently turned off said container, said lower portion being retained on said container by said circumferential ridge.
2. A cap as claimed in Claim 1 wherein part of the inner surface of said lower portion is tapered to a leading edge so that said lower portion will slide over said ridge more readily when the cap and container are placed in a closed position.
3. A cap as claimed in Claim 1 wherein a circumferential groove extends partially into the inner surface of said lower portion immediately adjacent to said channel, said circumferential ridge being located in said groove and said channel when the cap and container are in a closed position.
4. A cap as claimed in any one of Claims 1, 2 or 3 wherein the two portions have substantially the same outside diameter.
5. A cap as claimed in any one of Claims 1, 2 or 3 wherein the outer surface of the bands and of the upper and lower portions in the vicinity of the bands is smooth.
6. A cap as claimed in any one of Claims 1, 2 or 3 wherein the connecting bands are equidistant from one another.
7. A cap as claimed in any one of Claims 1, 2 or 3 wherein there are six connecting bands on said cap and said bands are equidistant from one another.
8. A cap as claimed in any one of Claims 1, 2 or 3 wherein the cap is one piece and is made of a suitable plastic.
9. A cap as claimed in any one of Claims 1, 2 or 3 wherein an annular seal forms an integral part of said cap and is located on an inner surface of said cover.
10. A cap as claimed in any one of Claims 1 or 2 wherein the channel has a width substantially equal to a width of the ridge on the container.
11
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 493687 CA1279608C (en) | 1985-10-23 | 1985-10-23 | Pilfer-evident closure |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 493687 CA1279608C (en) | 1985-10-23 | 1985-10-23 | Pilfer-evident closure |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1279608C true CA1279608C (en) | 1991-01-29 |
Family
ID=4131690
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 493687 Expired CA1279608C (en) | 1985-10-23 | 1985-10-23 | Pilfer-evident closure |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA1279608C (en) |
-
1985
- 1985-10-23 CA CA 493687 patent/CA1279608C/en not_active Expired
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| Date | Code | Title | Description |
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| MKEX | Expiry |