GB2140786A

GB2140786A - Tamper-indicating closures incorporating secondary closures

Info

Publication number: GB2140786A
Application number: GB08315057A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Bryan Brandon Cheshire; John Denis Wiseman
Original assignee: VISCOSE CLOSURES Ltd
Current assignee: VISCOSE CLOSURES Ltd
Priority date: 1983-06-01
Filing date: 1983-06-01
Publication date: 1984-12-05
Also published as: GB8315057D0

Abstract

A tamper-indicating closure for a bottle 1 comprises a screw-cap 2, a regenerated cellulose secondary closure 4 shrunk on by applying it wet and allowing it to dry, and a water-sensitive indicator strip 5 which shows if an attempt has been made to soak off the cellulose closure 4. To prevent the indicator strip 5 from being removed, its ends are trapped under the cellulose secondary closure 4. The indicator strip 5 may be of water- soluble paper or paper printed in water-soluble ink. Instead of the strip 5, an indicator label may be entirely covered by the secondary closure if the cellulose material is transparent (Fig. 3, not shown). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in and relating to secondary closures The invention relates to secondary closures for bottles, jars, and other containers.

It is well known to enclose the upper neck and primary closure of a bottle or other container with a secondary closure. Such a secondary closure may be used to improve the appearance of the bottle, to carry advertising or other printed matter, or to hinder tampering with the contents of the bottle.

One material that has been used for secondary closures for many years is regenerated cellulose. This is simple to use, because a regenerated cellulose band need merely be positioned on the bottle in a wet condition and left to stand for a few hours. As the cellulose band dries, it shrinks to form a tightly-fitting seal round the neck of the bottle. While this seal is perfectly adequate for many purposes, it cannot achieve the highest standards of tamper-proofing because it is sometimes possible, by soaking the neck of the bottle in water for half-an-hour or so, to reconstitute the cellulose band into the wet, expanded form in which it can be removed from the bottle undamaged.

The invention provides a container having a primary closure, a secondary closure of regenerated cellulose material, and an indicator, wherein the secondary closure is arranged both to prevent removal of the primary closure from the container and to prevent removal of the indicator, and the indicator is arranged to undergo an irreversible change on immersion in water in a time shorter than the time in which the cellulose band will expand sufficiently to be removed from the bottle undamaged.

The container may be a jar or bottle with a screw top, cork, stopper, clip-on lid or the like and the secondary closure is then preferably a band in the form of a tube or sleeve. The band may then be positioned round the cap; one edge of the band, when it is shrunk on, may then extend inwards over the top of the screw-top and the other edge may extend under a projecting formation on the neck of the bottle, for example, a bead encircling the neck.

Although the invention is of more general application, it will hereinafter be described for convenience with reference to bottle-tops. The indicator may be in the form of a strip extending across the central region of the bottle-top, with the ends of the strip down either side held by the shrunk-on secondary closure.

Where the regenerated cellulose material is transparent, the indicator may be entirely covered by the secondary closure, and may, for example, be in the form of a small spot or label or of a strip round the skirt portion of the bottle-top, narrower than the cellulose band but following the same general path.

These arrangements may of course be.applied, with suitable modifications, to other shapes of secondary closure and other forms of container.

The indicator preferably consists of a paper material which is water-soluble and/or carried matter printed in water-soluble ink and/or carries water-soluble ink of a distinctive colour, so that if the secondary-closure is immersed in water either the indicator dissolves or disintegrates or the ink runs or washes out, giving a clear visible indication that the container may have been tampered with.

The invention also provides a method of securing a container against tampering which comprises applying a primary closure to the container, applying an indicator, applying a secondary closure of regenerated cellulose in a wet state, and permitting or causing the secondary closure to dry out and shrink into an arrangement in which it both prevents removal of the primary closure from the container and prevents removal of the indicator, wherein the indicator is arranged to undergo irreversible change if immersed in water in a time shorter than the time taken by the cellulose to expand sufficiently to be removed from the bottle undamaged.

It is well known for regenerated cellulose bands for use as secondary closures to be suppied to bottlers, already cut to the correct length and bearing any necessary markings, in a wet form which maintains the band in its expanded state, ready to be positioned on a bottle without further processing. Printed paper strips or labels for use as indicators may also be supplied ready-for-use, and may be provided with a suitable self-adhesive backing.

The invention can provide a surprisingly effective tamper-proofing, because: the indicator cannot be removed undamaged unless the secondary closure is removed first; the secondary closure cannot be removed undamaged except by soaking; but if the secondary closure is soaked without the indicator having been removed first, the indicator will show tampering.

Two forms of container with closures according to the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of the first form of container; Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of the first form of container; and Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view, similar to Fig. 2, of the second form of container.

Referring to the drawings, a bottle 1 has a screw-cap 2, both of which are conventional type. A bead 3 projects from the neck of the bottle 1, and when the cap 2 is screwed down tightly the bead is just below the rim of the cap. To prevent the cap 2 from being unscrewed, it is encased in a band 4 of reconstituted cellulose material shrunk onto the bottle. The band 4 covers the sides of the cap 2 completely, and extends far enough inwards over the top face of the cap 2 and under the bead 3 that the cap cannot unscrewed from the bottle 1 without the cellulose band being damaged.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, in the first form of bottle with a closure according to the invention a seal 5 in the form of a strip of printed paper is placed across the top of the cap 2 with the ends of the strip extending down opposite sides of the cap under the cellulose band 4. The ends of the strip 5 may extend under the bead 3, but that is not necessary. The strip 5 may be attached to the cap by any suitable means, for example, it may have a self-adhesive backing. The adhesive only needs to hold the strip 5 in place until the cellulose band 4 has shrunk on, and to hold the strip flat against the top face of the cap 2 to prevent accidental damage. It is the cellulose band 4 that prevents deliberate removal of the strip 5. The strip 5 is arranged to undergo an irreversible change if any attempt is made to soak off the cellulose band 4.The strip 5 may be made of a paper that will disintegrate in water, for example, a polyvinyl acetate or polyvinyl alcohol based paper, in which case of course any adhesive holding the paper onto the cap 2 is advantageously also water-soluble. Instead, or in addition, some or all of the printing (not shown) on the strip 5 may be in water-soluble ink, or the strip 5 may have on it an area of watersoluble ink of a distinctive colour, or both.

Because the cellulose band 4 is applied wet and allowed to dry onto the bottle, the indicator 5 must not be so sensitive as to react to the moisture in the band when it is applied, but with normal techniques of applying regenerated cellulose secondary closures that is not a serious problem.

Referring now to Fig. 3, the second form of bottle is identical to the first form except in that the water-sensitive indicator is in the form of an indicator 6 on the skirt of the cap 2 entirely covered by the cellulose band 4. The indicator 6 may be in the form of a strip running right round the cap, or of a smaller patch, spot, or label. With this arrangement the indicator is in some circumstances easier to apply than the strip 5, and is better protected against mechanical damage, but this arrangement is usually suitable only if the cellulose material used for the band 4 is transparent.

Claims

1. A container having a primary closure, a secondary closure of regenerated cellulose material, and an indicator, wherein the secondary closure is arranged both to prevent removal of the primary closure from the container and to prevent removal of the indicator, and the indicator is arranged to undergo an irreversible change on immersion in water in a time shorter than the time in which the cellulose band wil expand sufficiently to be removed from the bottle undamaged.

2. A container as claimed in claim 1, which is a jar or bottle the mouth of which is closed by the primary closure.

3. A container as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the secondary closure is in tubular form.

4. A container as claimed in claim 3, wherein the indicator is in the form of a strip which extends across a region encircled by the secondary closure and is held under the secondary closure at both sides of that region.

5. A container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the indicator is entirely covered by the secondary closure.

6. A container as claimed in claim 5 when dependent upon claim 3, wherein the indicator is in the form of a strip narrower than the said closed band lying generally along the same path.

7. A container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the indicator is made of a paper material that disintegrates or dissolves in water.

8. A container as claimed in claim 7, wherein the paper material consists basically of polyvinyl acetate or polyvinyl alcohol or a mixture of the two.

9. A container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the indicator bears water-soluble ink.

10. A container as claimed in claim 9, wherein the water-soluble ink forms printed matter.

11. A container as claimed in claim 9 or claim 10, wherein the water-soluble ink forms a distinctively coloured marker.

12. A container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, Figs. 1 and 2, or Fig. 3, of the accompanying drawings.

1 3. A method of securing a container against tampering which comprises applying a primary closure to the container, applying an indicator, applying a secondary closure of regenerated cellulose in a wet state, and permitting or causing the secondary closure to dry out and shrink into an arrangement in which it both prevents removal of the primary closure from the container and prevents removal of the indicator, wherein the indicator is arranged to undergo irreversible change if immersed in water in a time shorter than the time taken by the cellulose to expand sufficiently to be removed from the bottle undamaged.

14. A method as claimed in claim 1 3 of securing a container as claimed in any one of caims 1 to 12.

1 5. A container whenever secured by a method as claimed in claim 13 or claim 14.

1 6. A system for securing a container against tampering which comprises a secondary closure of regenerated cellulose and an indicator arranged to undergo irreversible change if immersed in water.