GB2316399A

GB2316399A - Tamper evident container

Info

Publication number: GB2316399A
Application number: GB9717478A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Mark Armstrong; Vlam Ronald De
Original assignee: Robinson and Sons Ltd
Current assignee: Robinson and Sons Ltd
Priority date: 1996-08-19
Filing date: 1997-08-18
Publication date: 1998-02-25
Also published as: GB9717478D0; GB9617370D0

Abstract

A container 2 comprises a body 4 which has a tamper evident member 12 adjacent an opening 16, and a closure 6 which seals the opening and has a portion 62 against which the tamper evident member locates to prevent movement of the closure from its sealing position without damage to the tamper evident member. In a preferred embodiment, the tamper evident member is frangibly connected to the body and comprises at least one clip member (24, fig 2) arranged on an upstanding circumferential band with a pull tab (30, fig 2) and a tear line (32, fig 2), such that the band substantially covers the side surfaces of the closure. The closure may include pouring apertures (48, 50 fig 4) covered by hinged access flaps (36, 38 fig 4) which can only be opened once the tamper evident member has been removed. The closure may be screw-threaded, formed from plastic, and reusable. The tamper evident member may be integrally formed with the body from plastic.

Description

TAMPER EVIDENT PACKAGING CONTAINER The invention relates to containers, particularly but not exclusively to containers suitable for packaging food ingredients to be sold for human consumption.

It is well known that food products are frequently sold in containers incorporating a resealable lid or closure. Following the purchase of a food product packaged in such a container, the closure may be opened or removed to allow access to the product and then closed or replaced so as to reseal any product remaining. Although containers of this type are extremely convenient to use, they can be vulnerable to abuse prior to purchase, since unless special precautions are taken, the closure may be opened or removed from the container and then closed or replaced without leaving any visible sign that the opening or removal has occurred.

Consequently, a third party may pilfer or contaminate the contents of such a container, prior to purchase, without there being any visible indication to a potential purchaser that the container has been opened.

With a view to overcoming the above problem, a number of so called "tamper evident" containers have been proposed. This type of container comprises a closure incorporating a tamper evident member, and a body incorporating a latch surface against which the tamper evident member may locate. When the container is sealed with the closure, the tamper evident member of the closure latches over the latch surface of the container body. The closure cannot then be removed from the container body without the tamper evident member being either removed or damaged. A potential purchaser considering the purchase of a food product contained in a tamper evident container can be sure that the container has not been opened and resealed since release from the manufacturer, provided that the tamper evident band is not damaged.

A problem with the tamper evident container discussed above is that the tamper evident member is provided on the closure and this can be difficult to provide if the closure is of a complex design. Also, the need to provide a latch surface on the container can be a problem with some container designs.

The present invention provides a container comprising a body and a closure, the body incorporating a tamper evident member located adjacent an opening in the body and the closure incorporating a latch surface against which the tamper evident member locates so as to prevent movement of the closure, without damage to the tamper evident member, from a sealing position in which the closure seals the opening.

Preferably, the tamper evident member is frangible and more preferably extends beyond the opening in the body. The tamper evident member may comprise a clip member for locating against the latch surface and the or each clip member may be arranged on a band.

It is preferable that the band defines an unbroken ring surrounding the opening. It is also desirable that the band is attached to an upper portion of the body defining the opening by means of at least one frangible connector.

Preferably, the band incorporates a pull tab for pulling the band so as to break the attachment of the band to the upper portion. The band may also incorporate a frangible portion.

Desirably, the tamper evident member and the remainder of the body are an integral plastics moulding.

Preferably, the closure comprises an access flap and a hole, the access flap allowing access to the interior of the container through the hole when in an open position and preventing access to the interior of the container through the hole when in a closed position, the access flap defining at least part of the latch surface when arranged in the closed position.

The closure may be manufactured from a plastics material and preferably provided with a screw thread for reception by a screw thread provided on the body.

The present invention has the advantage over the prior art of providing a tamper evident container incorporating a closure, in which the tamper evident member is provided on the body rather than, as is conventional, on the closure.

Preferred features of the invention provide further advantages in relation to closures having access flaps. Such closures allow access to the product stored within the container without the removal of the closure being necessary. The tamper evident member provided on a conventional container is not able to provide tamper evidence in relation to such flaps. A conventional tamper evident member only provides evidence of the removal of a closure from a container body. In order to provide evidence of access to products through an access flap, the container body may be sealed with a sheet of paper or aluminium foil. Access to the product via the access flaps in the closure is thereby restricted by the sheet of paper or aluminium foil. However, the provision of the sheet of paper or aluminium foil is an undesirable additional step in the manufacturing process which increases the cost of the product container. Preferred features of the present invention provide a tamper evident container incorporating a closure having access flaps, but which does not incorporate the sheet of paper or aluminium foil described above. The cost of manufacturing a tamper evident container incorporating a closure having access flaps is thereby reduced by the preferred features of the present invention.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a partial cross-sectional side view of a container according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a partial cross-sectional side view of the body of the container of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a partial plan view of the body of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a plan view of the closure of the container of Figure 1; Figure 5 is a partial cross-sectional side view of the closure of Figure 4 taken along line A-A; Figure 6 is a front view of the closure of Figure 4 having access flaps arranged in an open position; Figure 7 is a cross-sectional side view of a hinge of one of the access flaps arranged in an open position; and Figure 8 is a cross-sectional side view of one of the access flaps arranged in a closed position taken along line B-B.

A tamper evident container 2 according to the present invention is shown in Figure 1. The container 2 is substantially cylindrical in shape and incorporates a body 4 and a closure 6.

A partial cross-sectional side view of the body 4 is shown in Figure 2. The body 4 includes a base 8, a side wall 10 and a tamper evident member 12. The upper portion 14 of the side wall 10 defines a circular opening 16 through which access to the interior of the body 4 is gained. The interior surface of the upper portion 14 is provided with a shallow multi-start screw thread 18 (for example, a 7-start screw thread) for receiving a corresponding screw thread located on the closure 6.

The tamper evident member 12 is provided in the form of a band 20 and eight frangible connectors 22. The band 20 defines an unbroken ring having a diameter substantially the same as the opening 16. The frangible connectors 22 are equi-spaced around the band 20 and attach the band 20 to the upper portion 14 of the body 4 so that the tamper evident member 12 extends beyond the opening 16.

The thickness of each connector 22 decreases from a maximum value at the band 20 to a minimum value at the upper portion 14. The variation in the thickness of the connectors 22 is such that any break in the attachment between the band 20 and the side wall 10 tends to occur at the interface between each connector 22 and the upper portion 14. The band 20 is provided with a plurality of clip members 24 which project from the band inner surface 26. Each clip member 24 defines a wedge shape and is orientated so that the thick end 28 of the wedge is located adjacent the upper portion 14 of the body 4. The band 20 is further provided with a pull tab 30 and a frangible portion 32. The depth of the band 20 is sufficient for the band 20 to cover the sides of the closure 6 and thereby prevent the sides from being gripped in an attempt to open the container 2 (see Figure 1). Figure 3 shows a partial plan view of the body 4.

The body 4 is manufactured as a single moulding from a suitable plastics material. The frangible connectors 22 are produced by means of appropriate machining operations undertaken on the plastics moulding. Alternative methods of manufacturing the body 4 will be apparent to the reader skilled in the art.

A partial cross-sectional view of the closure 6 is shown in Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings. The closure 6 incorporates a main section 34 and two access flaps 36, 38. The main section 34 includes a rim 40 and a lower portion 42.

The rim 40 is provided with a recess 41 (see Figure 6) for the reception of the access flaps 36, 38. The lower portion 42 has an outer diameter substantially the same as the diameter of the opening 16 of the body 4. A shallow multi-start screw thread 44 is provided on the exterior surface of the lower portion 42 for reception by the corresponding screw thread 18 located on the body 4. An upper surface 46 of the main section 34 is provided with a plurality of small circular holes 48 and a single large hole 50. The holes 48, 50 provide access to the contents of the container 2 when the closure 6 is sealingly attached to the body 4 by means of the screw threads 18, 44.

The access flaps 36, 38 are hingedly attached to the main section 34 of the closure 6 by means of a hinge 52. The hinge 52 is shown in detail in Figure 7.

The access flaps 36, 38 are movable between an open position in which the access flaps 36, 38 extend perpendicularly to the main section 34, and a closed position in which the access flaps 36, 38 are adjacent the main section 34 so as to cover the holes 48, 50 respectively. When the access flaps 36, 38 are in the open position, the holes 48, 50 are open. When the access flaps 36, 38 are in the closed position, the holes 48, 50 are sealingly closed.

Each access flap 36, 38 is provided with a retaining hole 54 for receiving one of two projections 56 located on the main section 34 of the closure 6. Figure 8 shows in detail a projection 56 located in a retaining hole 54 with the respective access flap 38 arranged in the closed position. The location of a projection 56 in a retaining hole 54 reduces the risk of the respective access flap 36, 38 moving into the open position when not desired by the user. A grip member 58 is located on each access flap 36, 38 to assist in moving each flap 36, 38 from the closed position to the open position.

A lip 60 is also provided on each access flap 36, 38. Each lip 60 locates within the recess 41 when the access flaps 36, 38 are arranged in the closed position. When the access flaps 36, 38 are arranged in the closed position, the upper surfaces 62 of the lips 60 locate coplanar with the upper surface 64 of the rim 40. The upper surfaces 62, 64 of the lips 60 and the rim 40 collectively provide a latching surface.

The closure 6 is manufactured as a single moulding from a suitable plastics material. For ease of manufacture, the closure 6 is moulded with the access flaps 36, 38 arranged in the open position. The holes 48, 50 are then produced by means of appropriate machining techniques. Alternative methods of manufacturing the closure 6 will be apparent to the reader skilled in the art.

Alternative materials to those suggested for the manufacture of the body 4 and the closure 6 will also be apparent to the reader skilled in the art.

The tamper evident container 2 is assembled by pressing the closure 6 (with the access flaps 36, 38 arranged in the closed position) axially into the body 4. In so doing, the screw threads 18,44 provided on the closure 6 and the body 4 ride over one another. As the closure 6 becomes fully pressed into the body 4, the latching surface locates under the thick end 28 of each clip member 24. The tamper evident member 12 thereby clamps the rim 40 of the closure 6 onto the body 4, and also clamps the access flaps 36, 38 in the closed position. The closure 6 cannot then be removed, or the access flaps 36, 38 moved into the open position, without some or all of the connectors 22 being torn from the upper portion 14.

The purchaser of a product packaged within the container 2 may gain access to the product by pulling the pull tab 30. The frangible portion 32 of the band 20 is thereby broken, together with the connection between each connector 22 and the upper portion 14. The access flaps 36, 38 may then be moved into the open position to allow access to the product stored within the body 4. Alternatively, the closure 6 may be entirely unscrewed from the body 4 to allow access to the product. Furthermore, since the closure 6 is not damaged by the removal of the tamper evident member 12, the closure 6 may be reused on a new body 4 and thereby provide a new tamper evident container.

The invention is not limited to the specific embodiment described above.

Alternative embodiments may provide a closure having an alternative number of access flaps or clip members. Indeed, a closure may be provided which does not incorporate holes in the upper surface thereof and which does not comprise access flaps. Access to a product packaged in a container having a plain closure of this type can only be gained with the complete removal of the closure from the body.

Further variations will be apparent to a reader skilled in the art.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A container comprising a body and a closure, the body incorporating a tamper evident member located adjacent an opening in the body and the closure incorporating a latch surface against which the tamper evident member locates so as to prevent movement of the closure, without damage to the tamper evident member, from a sealing position in which the closure seals the opening.

2. A container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tamper evident member is frangible.

3. A container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the tamper evident member extends beyond the opening in the body.

4. A container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the tamper evident member comprises at least one clip member for locating against the latch surface.

5. A container as claimed in claim 4, wherein the or each clip member is arranged on a band.

6. A container as claimed in claim 5, wherein the band defines an unbroken ring surrounding the opening.

7. A container as claimed in claim 5 or 6, wherein the band is attached to an upper portion of the body defining the opening, the attachment being made by means of at least one frangible connector.

8. A container as claimed in claim 7, wherein the band incorporates a pull tab for pulling the band so as to break the attachment of the band to the upper portion.

9. A container as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the band incorporates a frangible portion.

10. A container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the tamper evident member and the remainder of the body are an integral plastics moulding.

11. A container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the closure comprises an access flap and a hole, the access flap allowing access to the interior of the container through the hole when in an open position and preventing access to the interior of the container through the hole when in a closed position, the access flap defining at least part of the latch surface when arranged in the closed position.

12. A container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the closure is manufactured from a plastics material.

13. A container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the body is provided with a screw thread for receiving a screw thread provided on the closure.

14. A container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the tamper evidence member substantially covers the side surfaces of the closure so as to substantially prevent the closure from being gripped by a user.

15. A container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.