EP0117104A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Method for manufacturing a tamper evident-closure
Assignee: Kerr Group Inc
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Filing: 1984-02-10
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2004-02-10
Abstract
Abstract A tamper-evident closure is provided which includes a threaded cap (12) and tamper-indicating means (14) having upwardly and inwardly folded tabs (34) which lock against the lower surface of an annular shoulder container neck to retain the tamper-indicating means (14) on the neck as the cap (12) is removed. The tamper-indicating means includes a ring (36) to which the tabs (34) are integrally connected at their lower outer ends. The tabs are resilient and are flexed by the container finish (27) at the joints where they are joined to the ring. The closure of the present invention may be installed simply by screwing it onto a container neck in a one-step process. The flexible tabs (34) assist in guiding the closure and centering it as it is lowered onto the container neck for installing and do not require the holding of the closure or the container finish to close tolerances in order to be consistently effective. The method of manufacturing the closure of the present invention includes the steps of molding a plastic blank which includes a cap (12), a ring (36), and tabs (34) extending vertically downwardly from the ring; bending the tabs radially inward and upward; and heating the folded joints formed where the tabs are bent upwards from the ring to set the tabs in their upwardly and inwardly inclined positions.
Inventors
- 👤 James Ellis Herr
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 21:40
CPC Classifications
B; B26; B26F; B26F1/00; B26F1/18; B29; B29C; B29C57/00; B29C69/00; B29C69/02; B65; B65D; B65D41/00; B65D41/32; B65D41/34; B65D41/3423; B65D41/3428; B26F1/38; B26F1/44; B26F2001/4427; B26F2210/00; B26F2210/04; B29C45/00; B29C45/0053; B29C45/0055; B29C2045/0056; B29C2793/00; B29C2793/009; B29C53/00; B29C53/02; B29L; B29L2031/00; B29L2031/56; B29L2031/565
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
178 words
A tamper-evident closure for sealing an open-topped container having an external screw thread formed and an outwardly projecting annular shoulder formed below the screw thread, the closure comprising: an internally threaded cap which may be removed from the container for dispensing the contents of the container, the cap comprising a top wall for extending across the open top of the container, an annular sidewall integrally joined to the top wall about the periphery of the top wall and depending therefrom, and an internal screw thread formed on the inside of the sidewall for engagement with the external screw thread on the container, and tamper-indicating means comprising a ring depending from the annular sidewall, breakable connector means for detachably securing a lower portion of the ring to the sidewall, and a plurality of tabs bent upward and radially inward from the ring for engaging the annular shoulder of the container during removal of the cap to prevent the tamper-indicating means from traveling upward beyond the annular shoulder with the cap and to break the ring away from the cap.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
178 words
A tamper-evident closure for sealing an open-topped container having an external screw thread formed and an outwardly projecting annular shoulder formed below the screw thread, the closure comprising: an internally threaded cap which may be removed from the container for dispensing the contents of the container, the cap comprising a top wall for extending across the open top of the container, an annular sidewall integrally joined to the top wall about the periphery of the top wall and depending therefrom, and an internal screw thread formed on the inside of the sidewall for engagement with the external screw thread on the container, and tamper-indicating means comprising a ring depending from the annular sidewall, breakable connector means for detachably securing a lower portion of the ring to the sidewall, and a plurality of tabs bent upward and radially inward from the ring for engaging the annular shoulder of the container during removal of the cap to prevent the tamper-indicating means from traveling upward beyond the annular shoulder with the cap and to break the ring away from the cap.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
54 words
A closure in accordance with Claim 1 wherein the breakable connector means comprises a plurality of circumferentially spaced lugs formed radially inwardly of the ring for connecting the annular sidewall of the cap to the tamper-indicating means and wherein the ring is separated from the sidewall of the cap by a circumferential knife cut.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
36 words
A closure in accordance with Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the indicator ring is of variable thickness, having a relatively thin circumferential portion which may be cut through with a knife about its entire circumference.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
16 words
A closure in accordance with any of Claims 1 to 3 which is made of plastic.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
24 words
A closure in accordance with any of Claims 1 to 4 wherein the breakable connector means comprises a plurality of circumferentially spaced molded posts.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
33 words
A closure in accordance with any of Claims 1 to 4 wherein the breakable connector means comprises a plurality of circumferentially spaced connector members which are spaced from one another by knife cuts.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
32 words
A closure in accordance with any of Claims 1 to 6 in which folded joints join the tabs to the ring, the tabs being spaced from each other in a circumferential direction.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
34 words
A closure in accordance with any of Claims 1 to 7 in which the tabs having a cross-sectional thickness substantially equal to the cross-sectional thickness of the ring portion to which they are joined.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
30 words
A closure in accordance with any of Claims 1 to 8 in which the tabs are substantially rectangular in shape and project upwardly and inwardly to flex upwardly and inwardly.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
183 words
A tamper-evident closure for use with an opened-topped container having a neck with a screw thread and an annular shoulder formed on its exterior, said closure comprising: a cap having a top wall extending across the open top of the container, an annular skirt integrally joined to the top wall about the periphery of the top wall and depending therefrom, an internal screw thread formed on the inside of the skirt for engagement with the external thread on the container, an indicator ring depending from the annular sidewall, breakable connector means for detachably securing a lower portion of the ring to the skirt, and a plurality of tabs bent upward and radially inward from folded ends at the ring, said tabs having free distal ends defining a diameter less than the diameter of the annular shoulder of the container to be bent by the latter during cap application to the container, the distal ends of the tabs engaging the annular shoulder to hold the ring against upward travel to break the ring from the cap when the cap is removed from the container.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
183 words
A tamper-evident closure for use with an opened-topped container having a neck with a screw thread and an annular shoulder formed on its exterior, said closure comprising: a cap having a top wall extending across the open top of the container, an annular skirt integrally joined to the top wall about the periphery of the top wall and depending therefrom, an internal screw thread formed on the inside of the skirt for engagement with the external thread on the container, an indicator ring depending from the annular sidewall, breakable connector means for detachably securing a lower portion of the ring to the skirt, and a plurality of tabs bent upward and radially inward from folded ends at the ring, said tabs having free distal ends defining a diameter less than the diameter of the annular shoulder of the container to be bent by the latter during cap application to the container, the distal ends of the tabs engaging the annular shoulder to hold the ring against upward travel to break the ring from the cap when the cap is removed from the container.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
28 words
ll. A container assembly in accordance with Claim 10 wherein the tabs are rectangular in cross section and project upwardly and inwardly at an angle of about 45°.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
187 words
A reclosable tamper-evident container assembly comprising, in combination: an opened-topped container having a neck with a screw thread and an annular shoulder formed on its exterior, and a tamper-evident closure comprising an internally threaded cap and tamper-indicating means depending from the cap for breaking away from the cap upon removal of the cap from the container, the cap comprising a top wall extending across the open top of the container, an annular sidewall integrally joined to the top wall about the periphery of the top wall and depending therefrom, and an internal screw thread formed on the inside of the sidewll for engagement with the external thread on the container, the tamper-indicating means comprising an indicator ring depending from the annular sidewall, breakable connector means for detachably securing the ring to the sidewall, and a plurality of tabs bent upward and radially inward from the ring for engaging the annular shoulder of the container during removal of the cap to prevent the tamper-indicating means from traveling upward beyond the annular shoulder so that it breaks away from the cap when the cap is removed from the container.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
187 words
A reclosable tamper-evident container assembly comprising, in combination: an opened-topped container having a neck with a screw thread and an annular shoulder formed on its exterior, and a tamper-evident closure comprising an internally threaded cap and tamper-indicating means depending from the cap for breaking away from the cap upon removal of the cap from the container, the cap comprising a top wall extending across the open top of the container, an annular sidewall integrally joined to the top wall about the periphery of the top wall and depending therefrom, and an internal screw thread formed on the inside of the sidewll for engagement with the external thread on the container, the tamper-indicating means comprising an indicator ring depending from the annular sidewall, breakable connector means for detachably securing the ring to the sidewall, and a plurality of tabs bent upward and radially inward from the ring for engaging the annular shoulder of the container during removal of the cap to prevent the tamper-indicating means from traveling upward beyond the annular shoulder so that it breaks away from the cap when the cap is removed from the container.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
15 words
A container assembly in accordance with Claim 12 wherein the container is made of glass.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
19 words
A container assembly in accordance with Claim 12 or Claim 13 wherein the tamper-evident closure is made of plastic.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
100 words
A method of manufacturing a tamper-evident closure which includes an internally threaded cap and tamper-indicating means including an indicator ring detachably connected to the cap and a plurality of tabs bent upward and radially inward from the ring for engaging an external annular shoulder on a container, the method comprising the steps of: molding a blank having an internally threaded cap and generally cylindrical ring formed below the cap with a plurality of tabs extending downward from the ring, applying heat to the folded joints, and releasing the bending force to maintain the tabs with an upward and inward inclination.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
100 words
A method of manufacturing a tamper-evident closure which includes an internally threaded cap and tamper-indicating means including an indicator ring detachably connected to the cap and a plurality of tabs bent upward and radially inward from the ring for engaging an external annular shoulder on a container, the method comprising the steps of: molding a blank having an internally threaded cap and generally cylindrical ring formed below the cap with a plurality of tabs extending downward from the ring, applying heat to the folded joints, and releasing the bending force to maintain the tabs with an upward and inward inclination.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
42 words
A method in accordance with Claim 15 wherein molding the blank includes forming a relatively weak portion about the circumference of the ring so that the tamper-indicating means may be detached from the cap by breaking it away at the weak portion.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method in accordance with Claim 15 including the additional step of making a substantially continuous circumferential cut about the ring above the folded joints to provide an area of weakness at which the ring will separate from the cap.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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