EP0301074B1

EP0301074B1 - Container with tamper indicator using piped light

Info

Publication number: EP0301074B1
Application number: EP88901994A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Edward P. Diehl
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-02-02
Filing date: 1988-01-28
Publication date: 1991-07-03
Anticipated expiration: 2008-01-28
Also published as: AU1345088A; EP0301074A1; AU606140B2; JPH01502019A; WO1988005756A1

Abstract

A tamper evident device comprising in its most basic form a light guide (1) with finished ends; one of which serves to collect light (2), the other to emit said light to serve as a light emitting indicator (3). The invention is attached to closures and containers so that upon opening, the light path is interrupted causing the indicator to go dark, thus signalling a tampered condition.

Description

The invention generally relates to closures and containers provided with means for visually indicating to a person whether or not the closures have been tampered with, i.e. have been subjected to unauthorised opening and subsequently re-closed.
For more than sixty years a wide variety of tamper indicating closures have been invented. Generally, those closures all strive to give a visual indication of opening. Most of these closures have been for medicines and drugs. These past designs have generally been narrow in their application; for example, a device for a bottle cap would not be suitable for a box. Although many of these past designs have been ingenious in their own right, they all suffer several important limitations. The first limitation is that the indication that most of these designs provide is not obvious unless one has a knowledge of the indicator's untampered appearance. Most people will not take the time, especially in a store, to read instructions; and many do not have eyesight good enough to read the fine print on labels and to examine packaging for signs of tampering. Since there are so many different types of indicators, this makes it even more difficult for the consumer. A second limitation is that a large number of the tamper indicators can be replaced with a little glue or epoxy. Even if the tamperer should substitute, say, a different piece of foil, or seal for the original, the customer may not recognize this. Many bottles have wound up being studied in laboratories in attempts to determine if they had been opened.
A final problem is that many of the tamper indicating means are not visible until a buyer brings the product home and opens it. This can cost the manufacturer a large sum of money when the possibility of other containers being contaminated triggers a recall and the necessity of opening thousands of containers.
The present invention employs a tamper indicator incorporating a light guide. Tamper indicators in the form of security seals have previously been proposed which incorporate fiber optic bundles, for example US-A-4,130,341 and 4,161,348. However, these seals are of the type comprising a tie formed by a bundle of intermixed optical fibers which is loosely looped through a closed article and the ends of the loop are then sealed or clamped together in a block or the like through which the ends of the bundle of fibers are exposed. The reason for using an optical fiber bundle as the tie or loop is not to detect if the loop or clamp is broken, since this would be visually obvious to an observer. The purpose is to determine whether individual fibers in the bundle have been disturbed, or whether the original seal has been removed and replaced by a counterfeit seal. One (the input) end of the bundle of fibers forming the loop is illuminated by an artificial light source, and the particular output light pattern at the other (output) end of the bundle, which is dependent upon the random dispersion of the individual optical fibers in the bundle, is recorded by appropriate instrumentation. This output pattern or "fingerprint" is unique to that individual seal, and can be rechecked by appropriate instrumentation when required.
Such security seals do not overcome the limitations previously referred to, nor are they suitable for use with a wide range of containers, including those of the type referred to previously.
The object of the present invention is to provide a closure arrangement having a tamper indicator which is capable of being so noticeable and obvious that people with poor vision that prevents them from reading labels can differentiate between tampered and untampered containers at the store, before purchase. The indication should be bright enough under ambient light conditions to be seen at a glance, and at a distance.
Another object is to provide a closure arrangement having a tamper indicator that cannot be repaired after opening, and that cannot be painted over or faked with another strip or label.
A further object is to provide a tamper indicator which is capable of being adapted to many types of container designs without large changes in manufacturing lines, and cost effective designs. The containers can be for foods, drugs, valuables, or anything that requires security.
From one aspect, the invention provides, in combination, a closure arrangement and a tamper indicator as defined in claim 1.
From another aspect, the invention provides a container fitted with a closure arrangement and tamper indicator as just defined.
In its most basic form the light guide of the tamper indicator is a length of optical material such as glass or plastics material, optically clear or colored, or a length of a fiber optic guide with flat finished ends and of a size and strength that will break under the force available in the intended design. The light guide is attached to a closure or container such that ambient light enters the inlet end of the guide and exits at the indicator end. Upon opening the closure, the light path is interrupted. This causes the light leaving the exit or indicator to change. The interruption can be a break, a displacement or a misalignment, a bending past the maximum angle of transmission, a blocking of the light path, or a destruction of the outer surface of the guide.
The most basic mode of operation is one in which a safe container displays a light emitting indicator, while for a tampered container, the indicator goes dark.
To enhance the operation of the tamper indicator the inlet or light collecting end of the light guide should be facing generally up, or up and somewhat forward, toward the front of the container or package, since in stores the ambient lighting is from overhead and a forward and upward direction works well on shelves. This positioning is not critical since the angle of acceptance of some common light guides can be more than 55°. Under average lighting, a glowing light emitting dot will appear at the indicator end if the container has not been tampered with, i.e. is safe. One of the best choices for light guides are optical fibers of glass and plastic. These fibers come in a wide range of sizes and bend radius capabilities. A notch, scratch, or necking down at the light-interruptable section will further enhance breaking. Another form is the fiber optic bundle that consists of a large number of very fine fibers. The closure should be designed to produce a tear, or jagged break and as many breaks as possible in each light path.
A section under tension, or a length along which there is no bonding or support, generally produces the most uneven breaks. There are numerous versions one can employ to utilise this invention, and even though they can have different mechanical configurations, the invention works essentially the same in all cases. A simple way to use the invention with a cap and bottle is to permanently bond the tamper indicator device between both cap and bottle so that the guide must be broken to remove the cap. The indicator device can be positioned between the bottle and cap in numerous ways, but generally a configuration is desired that will produce breaks in difficult to reach areas, for example, under the cap skirt. The device can be molded into the cap and/or bottle as an insert, mechanically fastened, or bonded by glue, epoxy, or other suitable means.
The indicator device may be produced as a light guide in a strip of plastic or similar material, in single, or multiple light guides, and wrapped and bonded around a container so that one end points generally up and the other end generally horizontally. In this form, with a suitable adhesive, the device can be used as a tape. When a piece is cut off, the end must be finished flat and smooth. This can be accomplished by a number of methods, all of which are well known to the fiberoptics industry. Plastic fibers can be cut using a hot knife, leaving a finished surface, or, for both glass and plastic, the ends can be held in jigs and lapped by starting with a coarse abrasive paper and progressively lapping with finer paper.
Closures of the self contained type that are tamper evident can be made using this invention. Mechanisms such as those disclosed in US-A-4,603,785 and 4,588,098 utilize relative movement between the outer cap and an inner cap or disc and, can be combined with this invention. The tamper indicator device can be mounted in the outer cap or cap part so that the light collecting end and the indicating end are disposed in generally vertical and horizontal positions respectively. The light guide then can be acted on by interruption means driven by the relative movement of the inner cap, inner cap part, or disc, upon opening.
A new configuration for a combination child-proof and tamper evident closure can be made by combining the invention with a double cap closure that has a ratchet system, a complimentary drive system, and a vertical interruption mechanism. The ratchet system stays engaged at all times and is used for initially screwing the cap onto the container. The vertical interruption mechanism breaks the light path when the outer cap is pushed down. In the depressed position, the complimentary drive can be engaged to open the closure. This is the child-proof feature.
Another version for machine insertion works in a similar manner. The closure has a starting position in which the outer cap is in a raised position and the indicator is emitting light. In this position the outer cap cannot be pushed down. The cap is then threaded on the container and tightened. Now, the cap is backed off and pushed down, interrupting the light path and causing the indicator to go dark. With the outer cap in the down position, complimentary lugs can be engaged, providing the child-proof feature. Another good design to utilize this invention has the light guide pass through both the cap and the bottle neck, bonded to both with a suitable adhesive. The light guide will be broken at least twice if passed through both sides, once if passed through from the cap top to the side. A similar arrangement can be made by placing an overcap over the top of a capped container with axially aligned transverse holes through both caps. The light guide can be inserted through the holes with a thin layer of adhesive; upon removing the overcap, the guide will be broken in at least two points, thus interrupting the light path and causing the tamper indicator to go dark.
Colors can be added to the indicator in several the light path to produce an indicator of a given color. Another method is to use tinted glass on plastic, or to clad with tinted cladding. The use of a proprietary color can add further security. Another use of color is to have a change of color to indicate tampering.
In place of a blocking element, a filter of a different color can be inserted in the light path to change the color, or a clear light guide portion with a light exit or indicator can be axially aligned to a light guide portion with light collecting means of one color for a safe indication, and displaced by opening the container to axially align with another guide portion of another color to indicate tampering. Another method to change color is color mixing. At least two light guide portions must feed at least two different colors of light to an area in which the colors can be superimposed on one another to form a resultant color as an indicator. When one of the light guide portions is interrupted, the resultant color changes.
The above methods can be implemented by a large number of mechanical configurations; several additional variations are: flip open cap with a light guide placed in a position to interrupt as the cap flips up; a lever design in which the lifting of the lever ruptures a light guide; and, a bottle mouth seal containing the tamper indicator device disposed across the seal such that the light guide must be broken to open the seal. Although the best positions for the light collecting and emitting surfaces are upwardly and outwardly facing respectively, the device will work in most positions, and a large number of versions can be designed around these other positions.
Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a tamper indicator light path device.
Fig. 2 shows the light path device of Fig. 1 interrupted by a break.
Fig. 3 shows a two piece light path device.
Fig. 4 shows the two piece device of Fig. 3 interrupted by a relative displacement between the two halves.
Fig. 5 shows a two piece light path device with a gap.
Fig. 6 shows the light path device of Fig. 5 with an interruption of the light by blocking.
Fig. 7 shows a light path device with a lens for collecting more light.
Fig. 8 shows a front view of a bottle cap with a tab containing the device.
Fig. 9 shows a left side view of Fig. 8.
Fig. 10 is a left side view as in Fig. 9 showing the cap mounted on a bottle.
Fig. 11 is an isometric view of a container sealed by a device in the form of a rectangular cross section strip with the light guide in the strip.
Fig. 12 is a left side view of Fig. 11.
Fig. 13 is an isometric view of a box sealed with a device in the form of a fiberoptic tape.
Fig. 14 is a front view of a tamper evident bottle cap combination with a groove in the skirt of the cap and in the bottle shoulder ready to accept the light guide.
Fig. 15 is a left side view of Fig. 14 with the light guide inserted.
Fig. 16, upper part, is a left side view of the light guide, and the lower part is a bottom view of the light guide.
Fig. 17 is an exploded isometric view of a child-proof and tamper indicator cap embodying the invention as a tamper evident element.
Fig. 18 is a front view of the light guide.
Fig. 19 is a left side view of Fig. 18.
Fig. 20 is a sectional view of the outer or top cap part 61 of Fig. 17 along the line 90-90.
Fig. 21 is a plain bottom view of the top cap part of Fig. 20.
Fig. 22 is a cross section along the line 91-91 of Fig. 21 of the top cap part 61 combined with the inner cap part 65 and the tamper indicator device 10.
Fig. 23 is a top view of the inner cap part.
Fig. 24 is a top view of the ratchet teeth of the inner cap part showing another version of the teeth.
Fig. 25 is a bottom view of the outer cap part showing a version with notches for the ratchet teeth to prevent accidental breaking of the light guide.
Fig. 26 is a cross sectional view as in Fig. 20 but with notches for the ratchet teeth.
Fig. 27 is a cross sectional view of the light guide inserted transversely through both cap and container neck.
Fig. 28 is the light guide as used in Fig. 27.
Fig. 29 is a front view of an overcap design with the overcap shown in cross section.
Fig. 30 is an enlarged and modified view of the upper right hand corner of Fig. 22 showing a color mixing version of the tamper indicator device.
Fig. 31 is an enlarged and modified view of the upper right hand corner of Fig. 22 showing a displacement mode of operation.
Fig. 32 is an enlarged and modified view of the upper right hand corner of Fig. 22 showing a blocking mode of operation.
Fig. 33 is an enlarged and modified view of the upper right hand corner of Fig. 22 showing a color switching mode of operation.

In the basic form of the tamper indicator device embodying the invention, the end surfaces are similar and thus either end can serve both functions. In more complex versions, the light collecting end can have a lens to provide a greater collection of light, while the light exit can be shaped to represent a symbol.
The invention provides a new improved approach to the design of tamper evident containers, that can be applied broadly to most container types. Fig. 1 shows a tamper indicator device 10 comprising a light guide 1 of an optically transparent material. The upper end surface 2 forms an inlet which allows light to enter and, in this case, the inlet is simply a flat end with a smooth surface. An exit or outlet 3 forming an indicator is shown, which, in this case, is nothing more than another flat smooth surface at the other end of the light guide 1. Intermediate the inlet and outlet is a light interruption section which, in this instance, is the body of the guide. The body could be a necked down or weakened section providing a frangible portion. Light enters the device 10 at 2, travels through the guide 1 and exits at the exit 3, which appears as a glowing spot.
Fig. 2 shows the device 10 after an interruption in the form of a break 4 in the guide. The break 4 causes the light coming down the guide 1 to impinge on the jagged surface of the break 4 and to scatter. Most of the light is lost and the exit 3 goes to a semi-dark state, indicating tampering. To make the exit go completely dark, the break should leave the broken surfaces misaligned as well.
Fig. 3 shows the device 10 in a two-piece form. The light enters the inlet end surface 2, travels through an upper guide portion 1, through the interruption section which, in this case, is a gap 5, through a lower guide portion 6, and out of the exit 3, thus indicating an untampered state. There will be some light loss due to the gap 5, but this can be kept to a minimum by preparing the opposed surfaces of the upper and lower guide portions which define the gap to be flat, smooth, parallel, and close.
Fig. 4 shows the device 10 of Fig. 3 after the relative displacement of the upper guide portion 1 with respect to the lower guide portion 6 caused by opening a container. The light travels through the upper guide portion 1 but cannot enter the lower guide portion 6 because of the axial misalignment. Thus, the exit 3 goes dark, indicating tampering.
Fig. 5 shows another two-piece configuration of the device 10. Light enters the device 10 at the inlet surface 2, travels through the upper guide portion 2, through the interruption section which, in this case, is a gap sufficiently wide to allow the introduction of a blocking element, travels through the lower guide portion 6 and exits through 3. Fig. 6 shows the device of Fig. 5 after the blocking element 7 has been inserted in the gap 5, thus causing the exit 3 to go dark, indicating a tampered state.
Fig. 7 shows a device 10 wherein the inlet by which light enters the guide 1 comprises the end surface 2 and a lens 8. The lens 8 enables more light to enter the guide 1 and exit from the indicator surface forming the exit 3, thus providing a brighter indicator at 3.
Fig. 8 is a front view of cap 20 with a tab 24 depending from the skirt 28. The tamper evident device 10 is disposed lengthwise and vertically through both the cap skirt 28 and the tab 24. The light collecting means or inlet 2 is exposed to light through the cap top 29. The indicator or light exit 3 is at the bottom of the tab 24; however, when mounted, the tab will be bent and the indicator will be horizontally directed. The tab 24 has two weakened tear points 22 and 23 in the interruption section, and a tab handle 21 which is used to tear off the tab 24 and break the optical guide 1.
Fig. 9 is a left side view of the cap 20 of Fig. 8. The light guide 1 can be seen positioned toward the back of the tab 24. The tear points 22 and 23 are shown as "v" grooves. The "v" groove 23 also serves as a bend point.
Fig. 10 is a left side view of the cap in Fig. 8 mounted on the neck of a container, namely a bottle 25. The tab 24 is bent at the groove 23 and is bonded with a suitable permanent adhesive to the bottle shoulder 26. The point 27 of the light guide 2 is bent and under stress, and this is the interruption section. A break at this point will cause the portion of the guide 1 bonded to the shoulder 26 to flex back such that the guide 1 axis is perpendicular to the neck of the bottle 25. This will cause a misalignment should a person try to rebond the tab back in place. The bottle shoulder can be grooved at the point of bonding with the tab, making a more secure bond that is more difficult to circumvent.
Fig. 11 is a front view of a container 31 wrapped and bonded by a tamper evident device 10 in the form of a light guide 1 in a flexible strip 32; such a strip can be produced by extrusion. Bonding is applied between the strip 32 and the container 31 and the cap 30 by a permanent epoxy, glue, heat bonding, or other suitable means. Two notches 33 and 34 at the points of interruption serve as break points. The end forming the inlet surface 2 is bonded to the cap 30 so as to face in a vertical direction to collect overhead light, whilst the end forming the outer surface 3 is positioned to be visible along a horizontal plane.
Fig. 12 is a left side view of Fig. 11. The notches 33 and 34 are positioned to receive the shearing force generated by applying a twisting effort to the cap 30. Light enters the device through the surface 2, travels along the light guide around container 31 and exits through the surface 3, giving the appearance of a glowing dot. To open the container, the light path must be broken twice, causing the dot at the surface 3 to go dark, indicating a tampered condition.
Fig. 13 shows a tamper evident device 10 in the form of a flat flexible strip 41 with multiple light guides, applied to a box 40 having a flap-like lid 42. As in Fig. 11 and Fig. 12, the strip is bonded to the box 40 with a suitable adhesive. The operation is essentially the same as the container or bottle in Fig. 11 and Fig. 12, only now a row of glowing dots consisting of light exits 3 appear, to signify an untampered container. To open the box, the strip is cut through causing the light exits to go dark.
Fig. 14 shows a container 50 and cap 51. The cap 51 has a vertical groove 52 cut into the skirt 56. The container 50 has a groove 53 cut in the shoulder 57.
Fig. 15 is a left side view of Fig. 14 with the device 10 inserted in the grooves 52 and 53.
The upper part of Fig. 16 shows the device 10 from the left side, and the lower part of Fig. 16 is an end view. The cap is put on the neck 54 so that the grooves 52 and 53 are in alignment. The device 10, which in this case, is a light guide 1 comprising a short length of fiber optic material with ends finished smooth as shown in Fig. 16, is inserted and bonded by a suitable adhesive so that the light collecting end surface 2 is at the top of the cap 51. The device extends down through the groove 52 in the skirt 56, through the gap between the lower edge of the skirt 56 and the shoulder 57, and into the groove 53 in the shoulder 57 with the fiber end 3 facing outwards. Light enters the surface 2, travels through the guide 1, around the bend 55 in the guide and out of the exit 3, giving a bright appearance to the dot. To open the container 50, a torque is applied to the cap 51. This results in a tearing apart of the light guide 1 near the bend 55 which is bent and under stress, this is the interruption section. Upon breaking, the broken ends tend to flex away from one another further increasing the difficulty of repair.
Fig. 17 is an exploded view of a combination child proof and tamper evident closure 60 which does not require bonding to the container. The closure 6 comprises an outer or first cap part 61, a tamper evident device 10, and an inner or second cap part 65. The device 10 is mounted in the outer cap part 60 so that the light collecting surface 2 is placed facing upward in the hole 62 in the top of the outer cap part 61. The light exit or indicator 3 is situated in the hole 63 in the skirt 76 of the outer cap part 61 and faces generally horizontally or forward. The inner cap part 65 comprises a lower cup-shaped portion with internal threads, a rim 66 for interlocking to outer cap 61, complimentary lugs 67 for engagement with lugs 72 of the outer cap part 61 for the child proof feature, a cylindrical upper portion 70 with ratchet teeth 69, and an upper surface 68 for interruption of the device 10.
Fig. 18 shows a front view of the device 10 configured to fit the cap part 60 of Fig. 17, and comprising a light guide 1 having a surface 2 for collecting light, and an indicator surface 3.
Fig. 19 shows the left side of the device 10 shown in Fig. 18. Fig. 20 is a vertical section of the outer cap part 61 taken along line 90-90 as in Fig. 17.
In Fig. 20 can be seen the hole 62 in the top of the outer cap part 61 for the end 2 of the device 10. The hole 63 in the skirt 76 can also be seen.
Now, referring to Figs. 21 and 22, the device 10 is bonded down into supports 74 and 75 such that the end 2 enters the hole 62 and the end 3 enters the hole 63. The light guide 1 is now bridged across the gap between the supports 74 and 75, and this is the interruption section. To assemble the closure 60, the inner cap part 65 is pushed into the outer cap part 61 such that the upper cylindrical section 70 of the inner cap part 65 enters the inner cylinder 71 of the outer cap part 61 with the ratchet teeth 69 of said inner cap part 65 entering the slots 77 in said cylinder of said outer cap part 61.
Referring to Fig. 22, the closure 60 can be screwed onto the bottle 80. In the closure-on direction, the ratchet teeth 69 lock in the slots 77 of the outer cap part 62 and the closure 60 can be screwed on the neck 80 of the container until the seal 81 is fully seated. The closure 60 is made from a somewhat flexible material, and thus the teeth will ratchet-escape in the closure-off direction due to a flexing inward of the cylinder 70 and a flexing outward of the cylinder 71. For stiffer outer cap part 61 materials, the ratchet teeth can be designed to be more flexible as shown in Fig. 24. Also, more pairs of slots and teeth can be employed.
Once the closure 60 is tightened up, a twisting effort in the closure-off direction will result in the teeth 69 ratchet-escaping, and thus the outer cap part 61 will simply turn about the inner cap part 65 and the closure will not come off. To remove the closure 60, the outer cap part 61 must be pushed down to engage the complimentary lugs 67 of the inner cap part 65 with the lugs 72 of the outer cap part 61. As said cap part 61 is depressed, the interrupting surface 68 of the inner cap part 65 tears a section from the light guide 1 between the supports 75 and 74. The light exit 3 now goes dark, indicating tampering.
Another version, that prevents the outer cap from being accidentally pushed down during the initial capping of the bottle, is shown in Fig. 25 and Fig. 26. In this version, the inner cylinder 71 of the outer cap part 61 has a pair of notches 82 cut from the surfaces. When the closure is assembled, the inner cap part 65 is inserted such that the ratchet teeth 69 (Fig. 23) or 81 (Fig. 24) of said cap part rest in the notches 82. In this condition, this version of the closure 60 cannot be accidentally pushed down into the tampered state before or during application and tightening down of the closure. Once tightened, the outer cap part 61 must be lifted, backed off, i.e. turned in the unscrewing direction, and then pushed down to break the light guide 1, and engage the lugs. Now, with downward pressure and a twisting effort in the unscrewing direction, the closure can be removed; the indicator 3 now being dark. The angled ends of the lugs 67 of the inner cap part 65 makes necessary a constant downward pressure during removal, thus providing the child proof feature.
Fig. 27 is another example of how the tamper evident device 10 can be used. A bottle closure 100 comprises a plug 110, a skirt 109 with inner threads 108, a vertical groove 101 in said skirt 109, a hole 113 intersecting said vertical groove 101, a hole 103 through said plug 110 and a hole 111 at the opposite side of said closure 100 from said hole 103. Said holes 103, 113, and 111 are axially aligned and of a diameter to accommodate the light guide 1 of the device 10. The closure 100 is screwed on the bottle neck 104 until the plug is seated on a seal 106 over the inner rim 105. The series of holes 103, 113, and 111 are aligned with holes 102, and 112 in the bottle neck 104. The light guide 1 of the device 10 is then inserted with a suitable permanent adhesive such that the vertical section of the light guide 1 is upright in the vertical groove 101 of the skirt 109. The light guide 1 passes through the holes 113 in the skirt 109, 102 in the neck 104, 103 in the plug 110, 112 in the neck 104, and 111 in the skirt 109. Light will now be collected by the surface 2 of the device 10, pass through the light guide 1, and out of the exit 3, indicating a safe bottle.
Now, upon opening, the light guide 1 is broken in four places, two breaks between the skirt 109 and the bottle neck 104 and two breaks between the inside of the bottle neck 104 and the plug 110; the indicator 3 goes dark, indicating that tampering has taken place.
In another version of this design, the light guide can be placed so that the surface 2 is positioned above the plug 110, and thus only two breaks would take place.
Yet another version of this design can be made by preassembling the closure 100 with a neck section which then is attached to the container after filling.
Fig. 29 shows another way to utilize the device 10, which uses two cap parts. The second or inner cap part 125 screws onto the neck of the bottle 130 and can be of any type, with the addition of a top section with holes through which the light guide 1 can be threaded, or with lugs or blocks. The top section may simply be an extension of the inner cap part itself, for example, as shown, it may be a cylindrical extension 126 with holes 128 and 129. The first or outer cap part or overcap 120 comprises a cup-shaped main body 124 and an inner plug 121 concentrically mounted. The skirt of the overcap has two holes 122 and 123 axially aligned and spaced 180° apart. The plug 121 has a through hole 131 axially aligned with said holes in the skirt. The plug 121 is of a diameter and depth so as to fit within the cylindrical extension 126 on the top of the inner cap part 125 with the hole in the plug axially aligned with the holes 128 and 129 of said cylindrical extension 126. The plug can be a set of lugs with holes, or any other equivalent means. After the inner cap part 125 is screwed and tightened on the upper end of the neck of the bottle 130, the overcap 120 is pushed down over the enlarged lower neck portion 127 so that the holes in said overcap 122 and 123 axially align with the holes 128 and 129 of the cylindrical extension 126 of the inner cap part 125.
The device 10 is then inserted with a coating of a suitable adhesive, so that the surface 2 faces upwardly. The surface 3 will now glow under average lighting conditions, thus indicating that the container is safe.
Upon opening the container, the twisting effort applied to the overcap 120 will cause the light guide 1 to break in four places, provided that the torque required to break the light guide is less than that required to break free the inner cap from the neck of the bottle. In order to ensure that the light guide will break before the inner cap part starts to unscrew, a seal or the like can be used to bond the inner cap to the bottle. Upon breaking, the indicator 3 will go to a dark condition.
Fig. 30 is a fragmentary cross sectional view of the upper right hand corner of the closure 60 as shown in Fig. 22, modified to incorporate a light interruption arrangement which provides a color change mode. The light impinges from above and enters the surfaces 2 of two light guide portions 140 and 141, both of which feed the larger guide portion 142. The two colors A and B of the light guide portions 140 and 141, respectively, combine in the guide portions 142 to yield a resultant color C at the light output 3. An example of this would be A = yellow, B = Blue, and then C would be Green. This follows standard rules of color mixing.
As in Fig. 22, the interruption section of one of the light guide portions is bridged between the supports 74 and 75, and when the outer cap 61 is pushed down to open the container, the surface 68 of the upper cylinder of the inner cap part 65 breaks the yellow light guide portion 140, causing the output to change from green in the untampered state to blue in the tampered state. A wide range of color changes can be chosen by utilizing a chromaticity diagram for color mixing.
Fig. 31 is a fragmentary view of the upper right hand corner of Fig. 22, modified to incorporate a displacement-type light interruption arrangement. The light enters the surface 2, travels through the upper guide portion 1, through the gap 5, located between the supports 74 ad 75, through the lower guide portion 6, and out of the exit 3.
Upon depression of the outer cap part 61, the surface 68 of the upper cylinder 70 of the inner cap part 65 displaces by bending the lower guide portion 6 away from the upper guide portion 1. In this version, the surface 68 is somewhat narrower than the space between the supports 74 and 75, and contacts the lower guide portion 6 near the gap 5.
Fig. 32 is another version utilizing the closure 60 of Fig. 22 with a modification of the upper right hand corner to provide a blocking version of the light interruption arrangement. Light enters the tamper evident device through surface 2, travels through the upper guide portion 1, across the gap 5, through the lower guide portion 6, and out of the exit 3. A blocking element 145 is a snug fit in the space between the supports 74 and 75. Upon depressing the outer cap part 61, the surface 68 pushes the blocking element up into the gap 5, thus blocking the light and causing a change of the indicator output 3.
Fig. 33 is another example utilizing the closure 60 of Fig. 22 with a modification of the upper right hand corner. This is a tamper evident design which produces a color change after tampering. The design comprises two light guide portions 150 and 151 of different colors A and B, and a switching arrangement that interrupts one light guide portion and connects the other upon tampering. Light enters the surfaces 2 of the light guide portions 150 and 151. In the untampered state, the light travels through the light guide portion 150, across the gap 152, through the guide portion 153, and out of the exit 3, providing an indication of color A. When the outer cap part 61 is depressed, the surface 68 of the inner cap part 65 pushes a block 155 up, interrupting the light from guide portion 150 and repositioning the guide portion 153 to receive the light from the guide portion 151. The block 155 is a tight fit in the space between the supports 74 and 75 so that it will stay in the new position. Thus the light output changes from color A in an untampered state to color B after tampering.
While the foregoing embodiments have illustrated the principals of the invention, it is clear that a large number of different versions are possible. For example, many designs will readily occur when the closure material is made transparent. The light entrance and exit need not be disposed through the outer cap, and the cap itself can serve as a lens. A clear bottle can be employed so that viewing of the indicator occurs through the wall. Thus numerous changes and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of this invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. In combination, a closure arrangement for a container, and a tamper indicator (10),
the closure arrangement including

a first closure part (20; 30; 42; 51; 61; 100; 120), and

a second closure part (25; 31; 40; 54; 65; 104; 125) to which the first closure part is attached, the first closure part being displaceable relative to the second closure part in order to open the closure arrangement,
and the tamper indicator (10) including

at least one light guide (1; 32; 41) secured to the closure arrangement, and having at least one inlet section (2) for light to enter the guide, at least one outlet section (3) for light to exit the guide to act as an indicator, and at least one light-interruptible section (22, 23; 33, 34) in a light path intermediate the light inlet and outlet sections, the light-interruptible section being so arranged that opening of the closure arrangement involves interruption of light passing along said light path causing the light output of the indicator to permanently change,

characterised in that the tamper indicator (10) is secured to the closure arrangement so as to form an integral part thereof, with the light inlet section (2) being fixed in a first position to the closure arrangement so as to receive ambient light, and the light outlet section (3) being fixed in a second position to the closure arrangement so as to emit light in a direction different from that of the received ambient light.

2. The combination according to claim 1, including means (21, 22, 23; 33, 34; 68, 74, 75; 112, 104; 126, 128, 129; 145; 155) operable to permanently modify the intermediate light-interruptible section of the or each light guide (1) upon, or prior to, opening of the closure arrangement so as to modify the light emitted by the light outlet section.

3. The combination according to claim 2, wherein manual displacement of the first closure part relative to the second closure part during the opening procedure of the closure assembly is operable to actuate the modifying means (33, 34; 68, 74, 75; 112, 104; 126, 128, 129; 145; 155) to permanently modify the intermediate light-interruptible section.

4. The combination according to claim 3, wherein the intermediate, light-interruptible section comprises a frangible portion of the or each light guide, and the modifying means (68, 74, 75; 112, 104; 126, 128, 129; 155) is actuable to sever the frangible portion.

5. The combination according to claim 3, wherein the intermediate, light-interruptible section comprises an optical coupling including two or more light guide portions (1, 6; 150, 153), and the modifying means (68, 74, 75 _ Fig. 3; 155 _ Fig. 33) is actuable to misalign said portions by relative displacement thereof.

6. The combination according to claim 3, 4 or 5, wherein said change of light output is a change of color.

7. The combination according to claim 6 when appendant to claim 5, wherein the modifying means is actuable to switch light from at least one light guide portion (150) of one color to at least one other light guide portion (151) of another color.

8. The combination according to claim 3, wherein the intermediate, light-interruptible section includes a gap (5) in the light guide, and the modifying means comprises a blocking element (7; 145), or an optical filter, which is actuable to enter said gap.

9. The combination according to claim 6 when appendant to claim 4, further comprising at least two light guide portions (140, 141 _ Fig. 30) with means for introducing color, and means (142) for combining the light outputs of said two light guide portions for colour mixing to produce a resultant output as an indicator, the modifying means being actuable to interrupt one of the light guide portions (140).

10. The combination according to any of claims 3 to 9, wherein the intermediate, light-interruptible section of the or each light guide, and the modifying means, are secured within and shrouded by the closure arrangement when in its closed condition.

11. The combination according to any preceding claim, wherein the first closure part comprises an outer cap part having a top and a skirt, and the second closure part comprises a neck portion attached or attachable to a container.

12. The combination according to any of claims 1 to 10, wherein the first closure part comprises an outer cap part having a top and a skirt, and the second closure part comprises an inner cap part within the outer cap part, the inner cap part being attached or attachable to a container to close the container.

13. The combination according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the light inlet section of the or each light guide is arranged to receive ambient light generally incident to the top of the outer cap part, and the light outlet section faces is arranged to emit light in a direction generally laterally outwardly of the skirt of the outer cap part.

14. The combination according to claim 13, wherein the light inlet section is fixed to or within the top of the outer cap part, and is exposed at or through the top of the outer cap part, and the light outlet section is mounted within and exposed through the skirt of the outer cap part.

15. The combination according to claim 1, 2, 3, 11 or 12, wherein the light inlet section is fixed to the first closure part, the light outlet section is fixed to the second closure part, and the intermediate, light-interruptible section spans the first and second closure parts.

16. The combination according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the light inlet and outlet sections are fixed to the first closure part, the intermediate, light-interruptible section at least partially spans an internal gap in the first closure part, and the second closure part is associated with modifying means which, upon actuation, is displaceable into the internal gap to modify the intermediate, light-interruptible section.

17. The combination according to any of claims 12 to 14 or 16, wherein the inner cap part is screw-threadedly attached or attachable to a container, wherein the outer cap part (61) has raised and lowered positions with respect to the inner cap part (65), wherein a ratchet arrangement (69, 77) is provided between the inner and outer cap parts, whereby said outer cap part is in ratchet-locking engagement with the inner cap part in the screw-on direction of the outer cap part, and is in ratchet-escaping engagement with the inner cap part in the unscrew direction of the outer cap part, and wherein a selectively engageable, normally disengaged, torque transmitting coupling (67, 72) is provided between the two cap parts, said coupling being engageable upon depression of the outer cap part relative to the inner cap part.

18. The combination according to claim 17, wherein the inner cap part is provided with ratchet teeth (69), and the outer cap part is provided with at least one notch (82) for engagement with the ratchet teeth, said notch, when engaged, preventing depression of the outer cap part.

19. The combination according to claim 12, 13 or 14, wherein the inner cap part has at least one hole (128, 129), and the outer cap part has at least one hole (122), and wherein the or each light guide device is inserted and bonded into said holes, whereby, upon displacement of the outer cap part to remove the latter, the intermediate, light-interruptible section is severed causing the indicator to change.

20. A container (25; 31; 40; 50; 130) fitted with and closed by a closure arrangement and tamper indicator combination according to any preceding claim.

21. A container (31; 40) fitted with and closed by a closure arrangement and tamper indicator combination according to claim 1, wherein said tamper indicator is a flexible strip (32; 41) bonded to the outside of the closure arrangement and container, with the intermediate, light-interruptible section bridging the closure arrangement and container.

22. A container according to claim 21, wherein the tamper indicator is so disposed that cutting into said container causes an interruption of the light path at said intermediate, light-interruptible section.

23. A container according to claim 21, wherein, in order to open the closure arrangement, the tamper indicator is cut through at said intermediate, light-interruptible section.

24. A container according to claim 20 when appendant to claim 11, wherein the container is provided with a neck portion having at least one hole, and said outer cap part has at least one hole, said at least one light guide being inserted in said holes and bonded to the neck portion and outer cap part.