EP0548838B1 - Fermeture inviolable pour récipient - Google Patents

Fermeture inviolable pour récipient Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0548838B1
EP0548838B1 EP92121583A EP92121583A EP0548838B1 EP 0548838 B1 EP0548838 B1 EP 0548838B1 EP 92121583 A EP92121583 A EP 92121583A EP 92121583 A EP92121583 A EP 92121583A EP 0548838 B1 EP0548838 B1 EP 0548838B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
container
seal member
cover
seal
closure
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 - Lifetime
Application number
EP92121583A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP0548838A3 (en
EP0548838A2 (fr
Inventor
Robert G. Keller
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Unilever Bestfoods North America
Original Assignee
Unilever Bestfoods North America
Priority date (The priority date 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 date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Unilever Bestfoods North America filed Critical Unilever Bestfoods North America
Publication of EP0548838A2 publication Critical patent/EP0548838A2/fr
Publication of EP0548838A3 publication Critical patent/EP0548838A3/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0548838B1 publication Critical patent/EP0548838B1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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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
    • B65D79/00—Kinds or details of packages, not otherwise provided for
    • B65D79/005—Packages having deformable parts for indicating or neutralizing internal pressure-variations by other means than venting
    • B65D79/0087—Packages having deformable parts for indicating or neutralizing internal pressure-variations by other means than venting the deformable part being located in a closure, e.g. in caps or lids

Definitions

  • This invention relates to tamper evident containers, and more particularly to closures having visible seals which reveal whether tampering or leakage has occurred, without the necessity of removing the closure to inspect the seal.
  • Containers such as jars with screw-on caps have been provided with various means for indicating tampering.
  • U.S. patent No. 4,778,069 discloses and claims a container having a tab extending from an inner seal through a slot in the container cover. Damage to the tab is indicative of tampering.
  • U.S. Patent No. 4,553,678 has a film or foil seal which is visible through a transparent screw cap.
  • U.S. patent No. 4,674,642 relates to a closure for a container having contents under vacuum.
  • An inner liner has a projection which extends through an aperture in the container cap when vacuum is lost.
  • U.S. Patent No. 4,122,964 discloses a closure for a container comprising a cover in form of a screw band or ring with a central aperture, to be screwed onto the mouth of the container, and a flexible lid between the the screw band and the container which is visible through the opening and adapted to be drawn partially inwards, when the pressure within the container is less than the pressure external to the container, in order to provide a visual indication of the existence of a hermetical seal.
  • EP-A 0 269 920 discloses a composite closure comprising a molded plastic ring and a separated disk-like cover.
  • the cover includes a gasket providing both top and side sealing for preventing loss of vacuum during retorting or other package handling.
  • This cover is made of tin or rigid plastic and may comprise a button as secondary tamper indication.
  • the main tamper indication is effected by a tamper indication band on the plastic ring.
  • the sealing is effected by use of a gasket included within the disk-like cover.
  • the aperture not be open when the cover is replaced. While this may be accomodated by retucking the seal it is desirable to use a closure which is more convenient for the consumer.
  • an indication for tampering and/or loss of air tightness as well as a permanent closure of the aperture is achieved by affixing the seal member to the cover and sealing it to the rim, wherein the seal to the rim must be sufficiently strong to retain a hermetic seal but sufficiently weak to fail by shear when opening.
  • the tamper evident container closure of the invention includes a seal member which is held in a concave or convex condition by a difference between the ambient pressure and the pressure of gas within the container.
  • the seal member is visible through an opening in a top panel of the closure.
  • a convex condition also provides a tactile indication of security. Pressing upon the seal member with a finger offers assurance of pressure, indicating that the seal has not been broached.
  • the closure of the invention provides external evidence that a container, such as a jar or bottle with a screw-on cap, has been subjected to tampering or leakage without resorting to complex devices which are costly to manufacture and which are, in some cases, unreliable. There will be fewer false positive signals of tampering than will result from some of the prior art expedients, and fewer false negative signals than there would be with other prior art devices.
  • the condition of a seal member reveals whether the container has been tampered with or otherwise opened.
  • the configuration of the seal member changes from a convex or concave condition which denotes container integrity, to another condition, signaling that the container has been opened.
  • the invention is discussed with reference to closure for a jar with a screw-on cover, but the invention is applicable to covers secured to containers by other means than mating screw threads, and to closures for other types of containers.
  • the seal member which is sealingly secured to a lip of the container and affixed to a container cap or lid as well reveals whether the container has been opened.
  • opened refers to either complete or partial removal of or leakage past the seal member, which could expose the container contents to unintentional contamination or tampering.
  • the seal member is visible through an aperture in the container cover, such as a circular central hole in a flat top panel of the cover. Enough of the periphery of such an apertured panel is retained to provide pressure for sealing the seal member to the seal surface of the container.
  • FIGS. 1-10 show tamper evident container closures as applied to a screw-on cap of a wide mouth jar, although the invention can be employed in other types of closures, such as caps for bottles, etc.
  • the jar generally designated by the reference character J in the several drawing figures, is hatched to indicate plastic material, but it could be a glass, ceramic or metal container.
  • the jar J has an open mouth portion M provided with an integral outwardly projecting helical thread Tl for engagement with an inwardly projecting helical thread T2 of a cover 10 for the jar J as seen in Figs. 3 and 4 when the cover 10 is screwed on to close the mouth of the jar J.
  • the cover or cap 10 which may be of plastic material, has the usual annular lip 11 which carries the thread T2, which lip can have multiplicity of external vertical extending grooves to allow manual gripping without slipping of the hand when opening or closing the container.
  • the cover 10 instead of the conventional continous disc-shaped top panel, has only an annular peripheral portion 12, surrounding an opening 13 which occupies most of what would usually be the central area of a top panel of a cover.
  • the annular peripheral portion 12 of the cover is sufficiently wide to provide pressure for sealing a seal member 14 to the rim 15 of the jar mouth M.
  • the seal member 14 which is preferably a die cut disc of flexible foil laminated plastic material and/or coated paper, is fitted in place within the cover 10 and applied to the container by use of radio frequency induction heating or some other conventional technique.
  • the seal member is affixed to the rim 15 of the container.
  • the contents of the jar J can be filled by a conventional process such as hot filling, nitrogen injection, under- or over-saturation with soluble gas, flushing of a head space above the contents with a soluble gas, or by any other known technique which will result in a head space pressure beneath the seal member 14 that differs from atmospheric pressure.
  • the pressure in the head space within the jar J is lower than atmospheric, and the seal member 14 is accordingly deformed into the concave conformation illustrated. This contraction of the seal member 14 is readily apparent to one inspecting the seal member 14 through the opening 13 of the cover 10.
  • the cover 10 may also have a peripheral flange 17 for vertical stacking of containers.
  • Fig. 3 shows the jar J with its sealing member 14 in a concave disposition, indicating that no tampering or leakage has allowed outside air to enter the jar J.
  • an outwardly distended, convex seal 24 could indicate an overpressure in the jar J to signal that no leakage or tampering has taken place as in Fig. 6.
  • Fig. 4 shows ambient air entering as illustrated by the direction of the arrows. If the contents were filled under an over-pressure, the pressurized gas would escape to the outside. In either case, the seal member 14 will respond by taking on the unstressed flat conformation shown in Fig. 4.
  • FIG. 5 A modified version of the closure according to the invention is shown in Figs. 5 and 6.
  • the seal member 24 is sealingly secured, to the rim 25 of the jar J.
  • the seal 24 is shown as having a convex curvature in its undisturbed state.
  • Fig. 6 shows the jar J as it would be received after filling.
  • the closure of Fig. 5 and 6 has a central opening 23 like the opening 13 of the embodiment of Figs. 1 - 4, but the opening 23 can be smaller in diameter than the opening 13. The opening 23 permits inspection of the condition of the seal member 24 without removal of the cover 20.
  • the invention in either form, allows printing on the seal member, whether it be a member 14, or 24, avoiding the need to put printed content identification or other information on the cover 10 or 20,

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Closures For Containers (AREA)
  • Cartons (AREA)
  • Containers And Packaging Bodies Having A Special Means To Remove Contents (AREA)
  • Devices For Use In Laboratory Experiments (AREA)

Claims (13)

  1. Elément de fermeture d'un récipient (J), mettant en évidence une manipulation frauduleuse, du type dans lequel un couvercle (20) est fixé à une embouchure du récipient (J), comprenant un élément souple de joint (24) placé entre le récipient (J) et le couvercle, et visible par un trou du couvercle (20), ledit élément de joint (24) étant destiné à être incurvé de manière à se distinguer d'un état plat par une différence entre des pressions existant à l'intérieur et à l'extérieur du récipient (J), de façon que l'état intact du récipient (J) soit détectable sans enlèvement du couvercle (20) du récipient, caractérisé en ce que l'élément de joint (24) est fixé au couvercle (20) et forme une fermeture hermétique avec un bord (25) du récipient (J) et en ce que le joint hermétique entre l'élément de joint (24) et ledit bord (25) est destiné à céder par cisaillement lors de l'ouverture alors que l'élément de joint (24) reste fixé audit couvercle (20).
  2. Elément de fermeture selon la revendication 1, dans lequel il y a des repères sur l'élément de joint (24), lesdits repères étant visibles sans enlèvement du couvercle (20) du récipient.
  3. Elément de fermeture selon la revendication 1, dans lequel l'élément déformé de joint (24) donne une preuve tactile d'un récipient (J) fermé hermétiquement.
  4. Elément de fermeture selon la revendication 1, dans lequel la déformation de l'élément de joint (24) absorbe une pression interne supérieure à la pression atmosphérique.
  5. Procédé pour munir un récipient (J) d'un joint destiné à mettre en évidence une manipulation frauduleuse ou une fuite du récipient (J), comprenant : la mise en place d'un élément souple de joint (24) entre le récipient (J) et un couvercle (20) du récipient (J), l'exercice, à l'intérieur du récipient (J), d'une pression qui diffère de la pression atmosphérique, de manière que l'élément de joint (24) soit déformé par rapport à un état plat par la différence de pression et l'aménagement dans le couvercle (20) d'un trou par lequel l'état de l'élément de joint (24) est visible ; caractérisé en ce que le procédé comprend en outre :
    la mise en place d'un élément de joint (24) qui est fixé au couvercle (20) et placé hermétiquement sur le bord (25) du récipient (J), le joint hermétique entre l'élément de joint (24) et ledit bord (25) cédant par cisaillement lors de l'ouverture alors que l'élément de joint (24) reste fixé audit couvercle (20).
  6. Procédé selon la revendication 4, suivant lequel il y a des repères sur l'élément de joint (24), lesdits repères étant visibles sans enlèvement du couvercle (20) du récipient.
  7. Procédé selon la revendication 5, suivant lequel un élément déformé de joint (24) donne une preuve tactile d'un récipient fermé hermétiquement (J).
  8. Procédé selon la revendication 5, suivant lequel la déformation de l'élément de joint (24) absorbe une pression interne supérieure à la pression atmosphérique.
  9. Procédé selon la revendication 8, suivant lequel ladite pression est produite dans ledit récipient (J) par sursaturation avec un gaz soluble.
  10. Emballage d'aliment résistant à une manipulation frauduleuse, comprenant ;
    a) un récipient (J) comportant une embouchure ;
    b) un couvercle (20) destiné au récipient (J), ledit couvercle (20) étant destiné à s'appliquer par coopération sur l'embouchure du récipient (J) ;
    c) un élément de fermeture mettant en évidence une manipulation frauduleuse, comprenant un élément souple de joint (24) placé entre le récipient (J) et le couvercle (20) et visible par un trou du couvercle (20), ledit élément de joint (24) étant incurvé, de manière à se distinguer d'un état plat, par une pression supérieure à la pression atmosphérique existant à l'intérieur du récipient (J), de manière que l'état intact du récipient (J) soit détectable sans enlèvement du couvercle (20) du récipient, et
    d) un aliment placé à l'intérieur dudit récipient (J),
       caractérisé en ce que l'élément de joint (24) est fixé au couvercle (20) et forme une fermeture hermétique avec un bord (25) du récipient (J) et en ce que le joint hermétique entre l'élément de joint (24) et ledit bord (25) est conçu pour céder par cisaillement lors de l'ouverture alors que l'élément de joint (24) reste fixé audit couvercle (20).
  11. Emballage d'aliment selon la revendication 10, comprenant par ailleurs des repères placés sur l'élément de joint (24) qui sont visibles sans enlèvement du couvercle (20) du récipient.
  12. Emballage d'aliment selon la revendication 10, dans lequel ledit aliment a été sursaturé avec un gaz soluble.
  13. Emballage d'aliment selon la revendication 10, dans lequel l'élément déformé de joint (24) donne une preuve tactile d'un récipient fermé hermétiquement (J).
EP92121583A 1991-12-23 1992-12-18 Fermeture inviolable pour récipient Expired - Lifetime EP0548838B1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US81273791A 1991-12-23 1991-12-23
US812737 1997-03-05

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0548838A2 EP0548838A2 (fr) 1993-06-30
EP0548838A3 EP0548838A3 (en) 1993-09-08
EP0548838B1 true EP0548838B1 (fr) 1998-07-22

Family

ID=25210477

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP92121583A Expired - Lifetime EP0548838B1 (fr) 1991-12-23 1992-12-18 Fermeture inviolable pour récipient

Country Status (7)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0548838B1 (fr)
AT (1) ATE168649T1 (fr)
CA (1) CA2084389C (fr)
DE (1) DE69226341T2 (fr)
DK (1) DK0548838T3 (fr)
ES (1) ES2118781T3 (fr)
GR (1) GR3027783T3 (fr)

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2317882A (en) * 1996-10-04 1998-04-08 Chown Peter A C A container for a pressurised food or drink product
DE10022177B4 (de) * 1999-12-27 2004-02-12 Uwe Friebe Vorrichtung zum Signalisieren des inneren Zustandes eines Behälters

Family Cites Families (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4122964A (en) * 1976-07-02 1978-10-31 Morris Neal R Reusable closures for hermetically sealing containers
GB2130565A (en) * 1982-09-29 1984-06-06 Patent Dev International Ltd Container closures
FR2572708B1 (fr) * 1984-11-02 1990-02-09 Jujo Paper Co Ltd Recipient en papier pour liquides, et procede et appareil pour remplir et sceller ce recipient
US4721219A (en) * 1986-11-17 1988-01-26 Owens-Illinois Closure Inc. Composite, vacuum indicating closure
EP0269920A1 (fr) * 1986-11-20 1988-06-08 Anchor Hocking Corporation Capuchon composite et récipient
US4852753A (en) * 1987-05-11 1989-08-01 Anchor Hocking Corporation Closure cap and thin walled container
US5057365A (en) * 1989-07-12 1991-10-15 501 Tri-Seal International, Inc. Cap liner and process for using cap liner to seal containers
DE4020371C1 (en) * 1990-06-27 1991-12-19 Kroma, Herrmann Und Wolf Nachfolger Norbert Herrmann, 6246 Glashuetten, De Sealing of glass and plastics containers - involves use of metallic layer and induction ring

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
ES2118781T3 (es) 1998-10-01
CA2084389C (fr) 2004-05-25
ATE168649T1 (de) 1998-08-15
CA2084389A1 (fr) 1993-06-24
DK0548838T3 (da) 1999-02-01
DE69226341D1 (de) 1998-08-27
DE69226341T2 (de) 1998-12-03
EP0548838A3 (en) 1993-09-08
EP0548838A2 (fr) 1993-06-30
GR3027783T3 (en) 1998-11-30

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