Tamper-resistant Structure Patents (Class 215/901)
  • Patent number: 5875907
    Abstract: A closure is provided for a container. The closure has a body and a lid. The closure includes a tamper-indicating member connected to the body of the closure by an anchor member received in an anchor member-receiving aperture defined in the closure body. The tamper-indicating member is also connected along a frangible junction to the lid of the closure. A plug member extends from the tamper-indicating member and is receivable in a plug member-receiving aperture defined in the body. When the tamper-indicating member is depressed to force the plug member into the plug member-receiving aperture, the frangible junction is broken, and the tamper-indicating member is retained in its depressed position. This provides an indication that the closure may have been previously opened. Also, an overhanging portion of the lid can be readily engaged by a finger to facilitate opening of the lid relative to the body of the closure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 2, 1999
    Assignee: AptarGroup, Inc.
    Inventor: Dieter F. Lay
  • Patent number: 5853093
    Abstract: A bottle cap assembly, comprising a main portion, and a lid. The main portion and lid are attached by a hinge. The main portion is selectively secured to the lid with a latch, the latch opposite the hinge. The main portion has a central bore, and the hinge has a plug which fits in the central bore when the cap is closed. The central bore has internal grooves, and the plug has protuberances which match the internal grooves to effect a tight seal between the central bore and plug. The main portion further has an upper groove, and the lid has a ring which fits in the upper groove. The ring is larger in diameter and concentric with the plug. At least one opening preventer attaches between the lid and main portion to prevent inadvertant opening of the bottle and for revealing tampering to the bottle, since the opening preventer can be opened once, and then cannot be restored.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 29, 1998
    Inventor: Eliezer Neiger
  • Patent number: 5853095
    Abstract: A tamper evident closure for sealing a container having a threaded neck portion and an outwardly extending annular flange below the threaded neck portion including a cap assembly having an annular skirt and an annular tamper band assembly having a top edge connected to the annular skirt by a plurality of frangible bridges disposed about a first portion of the annular tamper band, at least one infrangible bridge disposed about a second portion of the annular tamper band and a vertically weakened section between the first and second portion and a series of interconnected hinged engagement tabs disposed along the first portion of the annular tamper band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 29, 1998
    Assignee: White Cap, Inc.
    Inventors: F. Paul Marshall, Douglas G. Begley
  • Patent number: 5829610
    Abstract: A tamper-evident closure is provided with a base for attachment to a container, and the base defines a discharge aperture. A lid is movable between a closed position and an open position with respect to the discharge aperture. A manually releasable latch holds the lid closed on the base. A tamper-indicating element is mounted adjacent the latch. In one form of the invention, the element has a removable part defining a tool. According to another aspect of the invention, the removable part of the element is broken away when the latch is operated. In yet another form of the invention, the element prevents operation of the latch until the removable part of the element is first removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 3, 1998
    Assignee: AptarGroup, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert D. Rohr, Leo R. Imbery, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5819969
    Abstract: A tamper-evidencing lid assembly comprises a cap (10) adapted to be threadingly engaged upon the neck of a bottle (15). The cap has rotatably mounted thereon a shell (11) being sized and shaped to cover the cap to a sufficient extent to prevent a user from turning the cap with respect to the receptacle whilst the shell (11) is in place. The shell (11) further includes a hub (12) frangible therefrom by means of bridges (13).In order to gain access to the cap (10) so as to rotate it, the shell is lifted and removed by breaking the bridges (13). Once the shell is removed, it is clearly evident that the assembly has been tampered with.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 13, 1998
    Inventor: Michael Kalodye
  • Patent number: 5775528
    Abstract: A container closure system comprising a threaded cap and a threaded neck wherein the cap is affixed to the neck by direct axial application so that the mating threads slip past one another and into engagement. The cap further includes sealing means to capture and constrict the outer diameter of the neck, and valve means to plug the container opening in the neck and expand the outer diameter of the neck, so that the sealing means and valve means cooperate to improve sealing of the cap and neck. The cap and neck further include tamper-indication means to prevent removal of the cap without activation thereof. The tamper-indication means includes a novel skirt, pull tab and membrane configuration. The container neck may include interrupted threads which do not traverse the parting line and an additional annular seal below the threads on the container neck.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 7, 1998
    Assignee: Superseal Corporation
    Inventors: Emanuel E. Wohlgemuth, Charles Hogan
  • Patent number: 5755346
    Abstract: A tamper indicating closure for use with an associated container includes a closure cap having a circular top wall portion, and a depending annular skirt portion depending from the top wall portion. The skirt portion has an internal thread formed therein adapted to threadedly engage a thread formed on an outer surface of the container. The container includes a an annular interference ring located axially under the thread formation. The closure includes a separable, annular tamper indicating band depending from the skirt portion. The band is detachably connected to the skirt portion by a plurality of circumferentially spaced, frangible bridge-like connectors extending between the skirt portion and the band. The band includes first and second axially spaced apart, inwardly extending camming projections extending inwardly therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1998
    Assignee: Phoenix Closures, Inc.
    Inventor: Len Ekkert
  • Patent number: 5755712
    Abstract: A port and cap assembly for a solution container is provided. The port includes a tubular wall having a first end and second end, the first end securable to the container and the second end being open and opposite to the first end. An annular flange extends perpendicularly outward from the cylindrical wall between the first end and the second end to define a neck portion of the cylindrical wall. A circumferential sleeve extends longitudinally downward from the annular flange. A radial lip extends generally perpendicularly inward from the sleeve. A resilient cap is also provided which includes a first portion resiliently stretched to cover the open end of the port and a second portion removably captured between the annular flange and the radial lip. The second portion of the cap after being removed from between the annular flange and the radial lip is not recapturable between the annular flange and the radial lip so as to indicate that the port has been uncovered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1998
    Assignee: Abbott Laboratories
    Inventors: Walter T. Szempruch, Victor M. Trentadue, Stephen C. Yeaton
  • Patent number: 5722547
    Abstract: Tamper indicating closure and container assembly which prior opening of the assembly is indicated by exposing projections formed integrally with the closure with such projections remaining concealed in the originally closed position of the assembly. In one embodiment the tamper indicating features are associated with the label on the container and in another embodiment of the invention the tamper indicating features are associated with a pouring spout on a gable-top container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 3, 1998
    Assignee: Rexam Closures Inc.
    Inventor: William J. Shankland
  • Patent number: 5690242
    Abstract: A sharps disposal container cap securement arrangement includes a container with a neck having an opening at a top thereof through which sharps may be placed for disposal within the container, a cap adapted to screw downward over and around the neck of the container to close the opening and to provide a fluid-tight seal therewith once the cap is screwed down on the neck, an annular lock collar rotatably mounted around an exterior surface of the neck of the container, detents formed on the exterior surface of the neck of the container and on the collar for supporting the collar on the neck for movement between a lowered unlocked condition and a raised locked condition in response to the lock collar being rotated between first and second positions relative to the neck, and cooperative series of one-way teeth formed on the collar and on the cap for securing the cap to the collar and thereby preventing unscrewing of the cap from the neck of the container once the cap is screwed down on the neck providing the flui
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 25, 1997
    Assignee: Winfield Industries
    Inventor: Vance D. Campbell, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5642825
    Abstract: In combination, a container having an opening and a cap adapted for closing the opening and having a tamper-indicating ring frangibly connected thereto for denying removal of the cap while the ring is connected thereto, wherein the ring comprises a plurality of pull-tabs to facilitate disconnection from the cap, the pull-tabs being symmetrically disposed about the ring such that one or more is convenient to right-handed users and one or more of the remaining is convenient to left-handed users, regardless of the cap's rotational position relative to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 1, 1997
    Assignee: Superseal Corporation
    Inventor: Emanuel Erick Wohlgemuth
  • Patent number: 5605230
    Abstract: A container, such as the type having a base portion, and an upper neck portion, a shoulder portion between the neck and base portion and a removable closure applied to the neck portion in a sealed relation therewith, is provided with an anti-counterfeit multi-layer label construction. The multi-layer construction includes a label which is adhesively applied to the back side of a container. A printed indicia is provided on the front side of the label so as to be readable by the customer upon removal of an overlying sleeve which is placed over the label. The sleeve is in the form of a protective film which is heat shrunk into a conforming, sealed relationship around the container and which covers at least a portion of the label. A release coat is provided over the underlying printing. A background coat is provided over the release coat so as to cover the underlying printing. Top indicia is provided on the background coat with a varnish thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 25, 1997
    Assignee: ELR, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael A. Marino, Jr., John L. Gordon, Jr., Richard J. St. Hilaire
  • Patent number: 5597089
    Abstract: A beverage container 10 suitable for liquids includes a vessel 12 which defines a filling orifice proximate a first end thereof. A drinking straw 14 is integral with, and external of, the vessel 12 so that the straw 14 and the vessel 12 form a one-piece article, the straw 14 communicating with the interior of the vessel 12 proximate ends thereof remote from the filling orifice. A free end of the straw 14 is sealed by a rupturable membrane. A closure element 40 sealingly closes the filling orifice of the vessel 12. The closure element 40 includes a tamper indicating means. A closure cap 56 is formed integrally, as a one-piece article, with the tamper indicating means of the closure element 40. The closure cap 56 is mountable on said free end of the straw 14, after rupturing of the membrane, to close off said free end of the straw 14.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 28, 1997
    Inventor: Willem J. Smith
  • Patent number: 5540344
    Abstract: An originality-ensuring device for container closures (32), having an indicator element (35) subdivided by predetermined breaking points (37) into individual segments (36), the indicator element (35) being formed as a separate part for self-holding arrangement in the container (23), at least partially embracing the latter, and the segments (36) being arranged with respect to one another in such a way that, when there is a relative movement of the segments or segment parts (40), owing to a clamping reception of the indicator element (35) between a container closure (32) and a container shoulder (21), there takes place a severing of the predetermined breaking points (37) for individual separation of the segments (36) and the latter are held in a clamping manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 30, 1996
    Assignee: AptarGroup S.A.
    Inventors: Karl-Heinz Rosenthal, Tom Kitzing
  • Patent number: 5524782
    Abstract: At the top of a bottle the circumferential bead lying between the cap fastening means and the neck is enlarged in diameter to better meet the enlarged diameter of an oversize cap such as a two piece "child-resistant" cap. The undercut below the bead forming the neck is greatly exaggerated. The circumferential bead is located lower on the top to better fit the extended skirt length of the outer cap of the two piece "child-resistant" cap. A circumferential shoulder is added above the bead to substantially match the skirt length and diameter of a standard cap. Regardless of whether a "child-resistant" cap or a standard cap is used, the plastic shrink-fit band tightly fits about the cap and over and underneath the circumferential bead. The loosening of either "child resistant" or standard cap will force the splitting of the band because the shrinkage of the band below the circumferential bead is considerably greater than the innate circumferential elongation of the shrunk plastic band material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 11, 1996
    Assignee: Brit Corporation
    Inventor: Tony Salemi