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
  • B65D41/62—Secondary protective cap-like outer covers for closure members
• • 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
• • 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
  • B65D55/00—Accessories for container closures not otherwise provided for
  • B65D55/02—Locking devices; Means for discouraging or indicating unauthorised opening or removal of closure

Definitions

• the present invention deals with safety caps for use with disposable plastic containers, particularly those containing medicines,, so as to make it self-evident whether the containers have been previously opened, particularly in connection with containers for medicines. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In recent times it has become important to ensure that the consumer be made aware of any possible tampering with a container for medicines from the time said container has left the factory. It is desired that it should be self-evident if the container has been opened and the contents interfered with.
• Caps for various types of containers have been known in which a screw type metal cap is attached to a base member with a perforated section separating the screw cap, riding on the threads of the neck of the bottle, from the base member which is fitted in the neck of the bottle.
• the rotation of the screw cap in the threads of the bottle causes it to be moved axially of the neck of the bottle to force it away from the base member which is free to rotate on the neck of the bottle but cannot move axially outwardly because of an intervening rim on the neck of the bottle.
• the portion of the cap between the perforations finally breaks away and the cap can be finally unscrewed to permit dispensing the contents of the bottle and the cap returned by re-screwing it on the threads of the bottle.
• a safety cap for a container, said container having an opening for dispensing the contents therefrom, said safety cap including a base member for permanently affixing to the container about said opening, an outer cap member positioned to encompass said opening, and a plurality of spaced teeth connecting said cap member and said base member, the base member and the cap member having opposing surfaces lying between said teeth, said opposing surfaces being sufficiently spaced from each other so that one can readily determine by visual inspection whether any of the teeth extending between said surfaces have been broken.
• the invention also comprises said safety cap in combination with the container having the dispensing opening therein, said base member either being sealed to the container about its dispensing opening or being a portion of the container itself.
• a container with a safety cap said container having an opening for dispensing the contents therefrom
• said safety cap comprising an outer cap member positioned to encompass and be spaced from said opening and a plurality of spaced teeth connecting said cap member to said container in spaced relationship to and about said opening, said cap member extending about an axis which passes through said opening, said cap member having surfaces extending transversely of said axis and between said teeth and spaced from said container a sufficient distance so that one can readily determine by visual inspection whether any of the teeth extending between the container and said surfaces have been broken.
• the invention also concerns a container of molded plastic to be manually opened for dispensing liquid medicines and the like, said container being molded as an integral piece so that its several parts disposed along a central longitudinal axis of the container are of sequentially narrower widths, said sequential parts consisting of: a wide flexible body adapted to be compressed for expelling the contents of the container; a first relatively rigid nozzle portion having substantially parallel sides with a cross-section having a diameter less than the diameter of the flexible body; a second relatively rigid nozzle portion with a cross-section having a diameter less than that of the first nozzle portion, and means for sealing a dispensing opening in said second nozzle portion; at least said wide flexible body and said first and second nozzle portions defining therein a hollow cavity for the liquid to be dispensed from said dispensing opening, said first nozzle portion being immediately adjacent said second nozzle portion so as to form an abrupt step, said first nozzle portion being designed to be gripped by the fingers of the hand, said second nozzle portion having sufficient axial length to space the
• Figure 1 is a longitudinal cross-section, partially broken away, of an embodiment of a container of the invention to be opened by twisting the breakable tip and Figure 1A is an end view of the same container.
• Figure 2 is a similar longitudinal cross section, and Figures 2A and 2B, two end views, of respective embodiments of a container with non-slip and grooved projections on the first wider nozzle portion, wherein Figure 2A shows such a first nozzle portion to be opened with the fingers and 2B shows a first nozzle portion to be opened with safety caps of the present invention.
• Figure 3 shows some forms of breakable tips of the containers of the invention with non-slippage or safety-cap engaging designs.
• Figure 4 shows a longitudinal cross-section of the front end of the container in Figure 1 combined with an embodiment of a cap of the present invention, also shown in longitudinal cross-section;
• Figure 4A is an internal view of the safety cap opener;
• Figure 4B is a side-external view of the cap placed on the container.
• Figure 5 shows an external side view of another safety self-opener cap placed on the container of Fxgure 2 showing how the cap projections are engaged with the container nozzle while Figure 5A shows a reversible cap and the relative positioning of the means on the interior of the safety cap with the breakable tip of the container.
• Figure 6 is a longitudinal cross-section of another safety cap placed on a container with an orifice for expelling the contents thereof, and Figure 6A shows a side external view of the cap.
• Figure 7A shows a side view o f another safety cap with breakable teeth with a separate base portion and cap portion of the safety cap, wherein Figure 7B shows said end cap broken away from said base member.
• Figure 8 shows in cross-section an embodiment of the invention wherein the cap of Figure 7 is used as an overcap in position to prevent opening of an underlying screw cap without first breaking the teeth of said overcap, whose base portion is bonded to the container; wherein Figure 8A shows an end view of the overcap having a solid end portion whereas Figure 8B shows another overcap in cross section in the form of an annular ring which lies on the sides of the screw cap and is affixed thereto and is connected by the teeth to another annular ring sealed or otherwise affixed to the container.
• Figure 9 shows an external side view, and Fxgure 9A shows an end view, of an embodiment of the invention similar to that of Figure 8B in which the overcap is in the form of an annular ring which lies on the end wall (top) of the screw cap.
• Figure 1 shows the sealed bottom (1) of a container (30) after having been filled with its contents (3).
• the container (30) includes a relatively rigid first nozzle portion (4) having substantially parallel sides with a cross-section having a given diameter and a second nozzle portion (6) , which is also relatively rigid and has substantially parallel sides with a crosssection having a diameter less than the diameter of the first nozzle portion, and also a breakable tip (5) serving as means to seal the orifice (8), which is formed on twisting the tip (5) about its axis and causing the breakable section (7) to rupture so as to expell the contents (3).
• the shoulder (3A) connect.ing the flexible body portion (2) of the wider diameter than the first nozzle portion (4).
• the first nozzle portion (4) has projections (16), which are either in the form of axially extending ridges (16') adapted to be grasped more readily by the fingers of one hand or radially extending projection (16''), which are adapted to mesh with the teeth of a safety cap, also acting as an opener.
• Figures 4 and 4A show the combination of the safety cap (10) of the invention adhered to the container at the nozzle portion by teeth (13) having a reduced thickness radially of the axis of the container at region (14).
• the length of said teeth (13) extending in a direction of the axis of the container passing through the opening of the container in combination with the spacers (15) between said teeth are such as to make it evident to the user if said teeth have been broken so as to gain access to -the dispensing opening of the con tainer.
• the breakable tip (5) is positioned within the safety cap (10) so that upon rotation of said safety cap, both the teeth (13) are broken as well as tip (5) twisted so as to cause the formation of the dispensing opening (8).
• Non-slip longitudinal xidges (11) are on the outside of the safety cap to assist its rotation about its axis.
• Fxgure 4A shows the configuration on the interior of the cap (10), its socket (22) conforming to the fourth embodiment of the tip (5) shown in Figure 3. The breaking of teeth (13) would show that the tip has also been broken.
• Figure 5 shows the teeth (16) connected to the shoulder portion (3A) of the container as shown in Figure 1 in which the teeth are directly sealed to said shoulder.
• teeth (18) are sealed to a separate annular base member (17), which is sealed to a container (30).
• the neck of the container and its means for closing its dispensing opening for example a friction-fit stopper or a screw cap, are not shown.
• the overcap (10) by virtue of its connection to the base member (17) by teeth (18) enables one to see whether the overcap has been removed so as to permit access to the screw cap or other closing means.
• Figure 6 shows a safety cap (10''') adhered to the nozzle portion (23) of a container by means of teeth (13), which have narrower widths as shown in Figure 6A.
• the safety cap (10' ' ' ) also serves to stop the dispensing opening of the container by means of a closing projection (21), which is conically shaped and is designed to extend into the circular opening of the nozzle (23).
• Figure 5A shows the possibility of a safety cap, which can be reversed after it has been broken.
• Breakable teeth (13) affixed the cap to the con- tainer, said cap having longitudinal ridges (11).
• a hollow cavity (22) in the cap engages the breakable tip of the container. After the tip is broken, the cap can be reversed so that the resulting opened orifice of the container can be covered by the external skirt of the cap and plugged with the inner projection (21) of the cap.
• Figure 8 shows a container (40), a screw cap
• FIG. 8B shows in cross-section an overcap in the form of an annular ring (52) which has an inside diameter appropriate to snuggly fit over the sides of the screw cap (42) and which is connected to the base member (44) which is also in the form of an annular ring, by the teeth (50).
• the ring (52) is affixed to the screw cap (42), both of which are preferably of a suitable plastic, e.g., polypropylene, by ultrasonics, by a suitable adhesive or by pressure-fitting.
• Figures 9 and 9A show an overcap in the form of an annular ring (56), which has an inside diameter less than the outside diameter of the head of the screw cap (42) and which is connected to the base member (44), also in the form of an annular ring, by the teeth (54).
• Either arrangement (Fig. 8 or 9) has the advantage in that the annular ring (52) or (56) can fit on various sized caps and can be adhered to various containers already in use, that is, without requiring modifications of the existing caps and plastic containers now in use.
• both the plastic of the container and the plastic of the base member (44) are of mutually sealable materials, which can be sealed together by means of heat, for example ultrasonics.
• This overcap can be used to cover various types of closing means, either the breakable tip (5) or the screw cap (42).
• the teeth connecting the safety cap to the container must be sealed thereon or must be sealed to a base member, which is in turn sealed to the container.
• the teeth (13) and (18) vary in length between about one millimeter and one centimeter and are usually 2-4 mm, usually about 3 mm. in length.
• Said teeth usually have a width (as seen transversely to the axis of the container) which axis passes through the opening of the container and is parallel to the walls of the container, of 1 mm. - 3 mm.
• the ratio of the diameter of the safety cap to the axial length of the space between the surface (51) of the overcap between the teeth (18) and the points of attachment to the container as designated by reference numeral (9) in
• Figure 5 is usually about 6:1.
• the general ratio of the diameter of the overcap to the distance between surface (511 and the point of attachment of the teeth (18) to either the base member (17) or the container (30) itself, and to the width of the teeth (18) is usually in the ratio of about 12:2:1.
• first nozzle portion (4) is readily gripped with the fingers but that nozzle portion (6) is of insufficient axial length to permit ready grasping by the fingers. Therefore, the fingers are forced to grasp the larger diameter portion (4) so that the fingers are automatically spaced from the breakable portion (7), which forms the orifice (8) on breaking of tip portion (5).
• the first nozzle portion (4) and the second nozzle portion (6) can be prismatic or cylindrical in shape but in any event have substantially parallel sides. The step between said nozzle portions discourages the fingers grasping the first nozzle portion (4) from advancing much beyond the step portion.
• the first nozzle portion (4) usually has a length of between 5 mm. and 2.0 cm. and is preferably 1 cm. in length.
• the containers of the invention are generally made by an injection and/or blow molding system with the end opposite the nozzle portion open to be sealed in a sealed portion (1) as in Figure 1.
• the safety caps (10) are manufactured with a mold and are designed to be more rigid than the container (30).
• the container and the cap, including the teeth have different colors.
• one element could be in the natural color of the plastic and the other in any other contrasting color, by which arrangement one could readily see whether the cap had been rotated by virtue of not seeing its broken projections continuous.
• the overcap of the invention can also be designed so that an annular ring which acts as the base member can be slid up and down the axially extending side walls of the container so as to be bonded to said walls at the correct position for maintaining the teeth connecting the base member to the cap member at the appropriate tension for making it necessary that the breaking of at least one tooth, usually at least one half the teeth, and preferably all of the teeth, takes place before the closing means can be removed from the dispensing opening of the container.
• the embodiment with two annular rings can be applied to several size containers and caps of the same diameter each instead of having to make one overcap for each size container and cap, as it is not critical whether the annular rings cover all or part of the cap or whether they are centered. In this way one reduces the number of necessary overcap sizes.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Closures For Containers (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=19747894

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Family Cites Families (8)

• 1982
  • 1982-01-19 MX MX19103382A patent/MX157606A/es unknown
• 1983
  • 1983-01-19 WO PCT/US1983/000091 patent/WO1983002436A1/en unknown
  • 1983-01-19 EP EP19830900820 patent/EP0098883A1/de not_active Withdrawn

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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