Patents Assigned to Kerr Group, Inc.
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Patent number: 6673298Abstract: A tamper indicating closure according to the present invention includes a top wall and a skirt depending from the top wall. A tamper indicating band is connected to the skirt along a frangible line. The tamper indicating band includes a ring and at least one tab, the at least one tab having a bi-stable geometric shape. In particular, the tab includes a pair of extending members angled toward one another and connected by a transverse member. The shape of the tab allows it to be molded in a downward orientation and later folded to a stable, upward orientation without reheating or otherwise resetting the tab.Type: GrantFiled: January 8, 2002Date of Patent: January 6, 2004Assignee: Kerr Group, Inc.Inventor: David F. Krueger
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Patent number: 6640987Abstract: A child resistant closure and container according to the present invention include a container having a neck with an engagement mechanism such as an external thread. The container also includes at least one container lug, and preferably a pair of lugs disposed on opposite sides of the container. The child resistant closure includes a top wall with at least one skirt depending from the top wall. Locking teeth are disposed in a set on the inner surface of the skirt, with the locking teeth being arranged circumferentially around a portion of the inner surface, and the locking teeth being arranged axially offset from one another. The closure may also include a thinned-out region in the vicinity of the locking teeth to facilitate deformation of the closure.Type: GrantFiled: November 29, 2000Date of Patent: November 4, 2003Assignee: Kerr Group, Inc.Inventor: John A. Vassallo
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Publication number: 20030057176Abstract: A closure device for a plastic container includes a liner and a plastic closure. The liner is sealed to the neck of the bottle at the end face of the neck and along a portion of the outer surface of the neck. The plastic closure engages the liner to retain the liner against the neck during sealing and to seal the area between the liner and the closure top from liquids present during cooling of the container. The closure includes a top wall, an annular closure skirt depending from the top wall, an annular outer flexible seal depending from the top wall, and at least one annular pressure ring. The outer flexible seal retains an outer edge of the liner against the outer surface of the container neck and prevents ingress of liquids. The annular pressure ring engages the liner to retain the liner against the end face of the neck during sealing.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 12, 2002Publication date: March 27, 2003Applicant: Kerr Group, Inc.Inventors: Lawrence Kitterman, Mervyn Faris
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Patent number: 6477823Abstract: A closure device for a plastic container includes a liner and a plastic closure. The liner is sealed to the neck of the bottle at the end face of the neck and along a portion of the outer surface of the neck. The plastic closure engages the liner to retain the liner against the neck during sealing and to seal the area between the liner and the closure top from liquids present during cooling of the container. The closure includes a top wall, an annular closure skirt depending from the top wall, an annular outer flexible seal depending from the top wall, and at least one annular pressure ring. The outer flexible seal retains an outer edge of the liner against the outer surface of the container neck and prevents ingress of liquids. The annular pressure ring engages the liner to retain the liner against the end face of the neck during sealing.Type: GrantFiled: July 30, 1998Date of Patent: November 12, 2002Assignee: Kerr Group, Inc.Inventors: Lawrence Kitterman, Mervyn Faris
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Patent number: 6371316Abstract: A child resistant closure and container having a lid base recess. A closure includes an annular inner member defining an opening, the inner member having a camming recess. The closure also includes an outer member engageable with the inner member, the outer member including a lid base, a lid hingably connected to the lid base, and an annular guard ring surrounding the lid and lid base. The annular guard ring is frangibly connected to at least one of the lid and lid base, preferably along a frangible line formed by a plurality of bridges. The outer member can be formed integrally as one piece. When the inner member and outer member are joined, the guard ring preferably separates from the lid and lid base, and the lid base is at least partially retained within the camming recess. Once separated from the lid and lid base, the guard ring is movable between a guarding position in which it obstructs access to the lid, and a revealing position in which the lid can be rotated or lifted upward, away from the opening.Type: GrantFiled: January 7, 2000Date of Patent: April 16, 2002Assignee: Kerr Group, Inc.Inventors: James E. Herr, Mark R. Fricke
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Patent number: 6371317Abstract: A tamper indicating closure according to the present invention includes a top wall and a skirt depending from the top wall. A tamper indicating band is connected to the skirt along a frangible line. The tamper indicating band includes a ring and at least one tab, the at least one tab having a bi-stable geometric shape. In particular, the tab includes a pair of extending members angled toward one another and connected by a transverse member. The shape of the tab allows it to be molded in a downward orientation and later folded to a stable, upward orientation without reheating or otherwise resetting the tab.Type: GrantFiled: August 7, 1998Date of Patent: April 16, 2002Assignee: Kerr Group, Inc.Inventor: David F. Krueger
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Patent number: 6357615Abstract: A child-resistant closure container system allowing easy opening by debilitated adults. The closure has moveable panels on the side wall which, when depressed, allow the unscrewing of the closure from the neck of the jar or vial. The moveable panels include gabs engaging stationary locking lugs on the neck finish annulus, which prevent removal of the closure without depressing the tabs. The annulus and stationary locking lugs can be an integral part of the jar or vial.Type: GrantFiled: July 26, 1999Date of Patent: March 19, 2002Assignee: Kerr Group, Inc.Inventor: James Ellis Herr
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Patent number: 6095354Abstract: A closure according to the present invention includes an annular inner member defining an opening, the inner member having a camming recess. The closure also includes an outer member engageable with the inner member, the outer member including a lid base, a lid hingably connected to the lid base, and an annular guard ring surrounding the lid and lid base. The annular guard ring is frangibly connected to at least one of the lid and lid base, preferably along a frangible line formed by a plurality of bridges. The outer member can be formed integrally as one piece. When the inner member and outer member are joined, the guard ring preferably separates from the lid and lid base, and the lid base is at least partially retained within the camming recess. Once separated from the lid and lid base, the guard ring is movable between a guarding position in which it obstructs access to the lid, and a revealing position in which the lid can be rotated upward, away from the opening.Type: GrantFiled: March 30, 1999Date of Patent: August 1, 2000Assignee: Kerr Group, Inc.Inventors: James E. Herr, Mark R. Fricke
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Patent number: 6076689Abstract: A child resistant adult friendly container and closure device is provided with a pivot arm on the container which engages a detent on the closure. The pivot arm carries on one end a press tab and on an opposite end a locking lug. The locking lug engages with the detent to prevent the closure from being rotated in an opening direction. To open the closure, the press tab is manually depressed, causing the pivot arm to pivot about a point on the container such that the locking lug disengages from the detent on the closure. The closure can thus be unscrewed in a opening direction to obtain the contents of the container.Type: GrantFiled: February 5, 1998Date of Patent: June 20, 2000Assignee: Kerr Group, Inc.Inventor: John A. Vassallo
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Patent number: 6053343Abstract: A child-resistant, tamper indicating closure according to the present invention includes a closure top having an outer edge. An annular skirt depends from the outer edge of the closure top, the skirt having a plurality of internal splines located on an inner surface. A tamper indicating band is connected to the skirt, for example, along a frangible line, the tamper indicating band having a plurality of external splines located on an outer surface. The internal and external splines may cooperate with a locking mechanism disposed on the container so that when a tab of the locking mechanism is not depressed, an inner locking member contacts an internal spline to lock the closure in place. When the tab is depressed, the inner locking members are free to rotate, but outer locking member contacts an external spline, so that if the closure is rotated, for example, in the counter-clockwise direction, the tamper indicating band separates from the skirt along a frangible line.Type: GrantFiled: May 14, 1998Date of Patent: April 25, 2000Assignee: Kerr Group, Inc.Inventor: David F. Krueger
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Patent number: 6019592Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for molding a tamper-evident closure with tabs that extend radially inward and upward. In order to produce tabs with such a configuration, the present invention employs a tab forming element having a mold surface with an inclination corresponding to the degree to which the tabs are desired to extend radially inward and upward. After the tabs have been molded in their inclined position, they are withdrawn from the mold, temporarily altering their angle of inclination. After removal of the closure from the a first portion of the mold, the tabs are returned to the original angle of inclination through contact with a second portion of the mold.Type: GrantFiled: December 2, 1998Date of Patent: February 1, 2000Assignee: Kerr Group, Inc.Inventors: Paresh Thakor, Mark R. Fricke
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Patent number: 5979680Abstract: A child-resistant adult-friendly prescription storage vial is presented with an over-cap which can only be removed from the vial by first orienting the cap at a particular point on the vial and then depressing a pair of push-tabs on the cap. When the cap is properly oriented the push-tabs mechanically operate a pair of locking tabs on the vial which hold the cap in place. The locking tabs are designed so that an extended lip on the tab interlocks with a slit on the cap and can only be removed from the slit when the push-tabs on the cap are manually operated.Type: GrantFiled: October 10, 1997Date of Patent: November 9, 1999Assignee: Kerr Group, Inc.Inventor: Nicholas C. Farside
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Patent number: 5927526Abstract: A child-resistant closure container system allowing easy opening by debilitated adults. The closure has moveable panels on the side wall which, when depressed, allow the unscrewing of the closure from the neck of the jar or vial. The moveable panels include tabs engaging stationary locking lugs on the neck finish annulus, which prevent removal of the closure without depressing the tabs. The annulus and stationary locking lugs can be an integral part of the jar or vial.Type: GrantFiled: June 11, 1997Date of Patent: July 27, 1999Assignee: Kerr Group, Inc.Inventor: James Ellis Herr
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Patent number: 5846471Abstract: A method for molding a tamper-evident closure with tabs that extend radially inward and upward. In order to produce tabs with such a configuration, the present invention employs a tab forming element having a mold surface with an inclination corresponding to the degree to which the tabs are desired to extend radially inward and upward. After the tabs have been molded in their inclined position, they are withdrawn from the mold, temporarily altering their angle of inclination. After removal of the closure from the a first portion of the mold, the tabs are returned to the original angle of inclination through contact with a second portion of the mold.Type: GrantFiled: April 1, 1997Date of Patent: December 8, 1998Assignee: Kerr Group, Inc.Inventors: Paresh Thakor, Mark R. Fricke
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Patent number: 5816441Abstract: A dispenser for dispensing tablets one at a time which includes a feature which prevents children from dispensing tablets. The dispenser has a reservoir, a chamber below the reservoir in which the tablets are arranged in a single layer and a dispensing passageway which leads to a dispensing orifice. The passageway is of such a width that a single column of tablets can be accommodated. The passageway is defined by portions of a moving slider member and can be moved from a non-dispensing position to a dispensing position, after an unlocking plunger is depressed. The plunger presses down a biased locking plate to disengage a locking projection on the slider from a locking face in the container. In the dispensing position, the lowermost tablet is dispensed whereas the remaining tablets in the column are retained in the passageway by a fixed protuberance. One side of the passageway is resilient to minimize tablet damage.Type: GrantFiled: January 25, 1996Date of Patent: October 6, 1998Assignee: Kerr Group, Inc.Inventor: Nicholas Farside
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Patent number: 5813553Abstract: A threaded closure is provided with a snap-fit ring. A snap-fit tamper-evident band with three concentric portions is provided such that the first portion engages the closure's snap-fit ring and is removed from the rest of the band when the closure is rotated off of the container neck. A second portion includes tabs for engaging, e.g., an annular ring on a container neck. A third portion remains on the container neck when the first portion and the cap are rotated off. A number of frangible posts are also provided for connecting the first portion to the second and third portions.Type: GrantFiled: October 16, 1997Date of Patent: September 29, 1998Assignee: Kerr Group, Inc.Inventors: James E. Herr, Henry H. Nyman, Jr.
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Patent number: 5712042Abstract: Two liners are provided: one for containers with dry contents, one for containers with liquid contents.The liner for dry contents has layers pulp/foil/wax/paper/heat seal, which are laminated and placed into a closure. The closure is mounted on a container neck, after which an induction heating process is carried out. After induction, the pulp and foil layers remain in the closure while the wax layer is absorbed into the paper layer and stays on the container neck along with the heat seal layer.The liner for liquid contents is composed of pulp/foil/polyester/wax/paper/polyester/heat seal. This liner, which is also laminated, is placed into a closure and mounted to a container neck. Following an induction heating process, a pulp/foil/polyester laminate remains on the closure while the paper/wax layer (wherein the wax has been absorbed by the paper) remains on the container neck along with a polyester layer and the heat seal layer.Type: GrantFiled: April 17, 1995Date of Patent: January 27, 1998Assignee: Kerr Group Inc.Inventor: Michael R. Cain
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Patent number: D397031Type: GrantFiled: March 7, 1997Date of Patent: August 18, 1998Assignee: Kerr Group Inc.Inventor: Mark Fricke
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Patent number: D405371Type: GrantFiled: May 30, 1997Date of Patent: February 9, 1999Assignee: Kerr Group Inc.Inventor: James Ellis Herr
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Patent number: D427528Type: GrantFiled: June 9, 1997Date of Patent: July 4, 2000Assignee: Kerr Group, Inc.Inventor: David F. Krueger