CONTAINER PREFORM FINISH WITH TETHERED CLOSURE

Abstract

An apparatus and methods are provided for container closures that include tethers to keep the closures coupled with plastic containers after the closures have been unsealed to access contents within the containers. A container closure may include a closure portion that engages with a finish portion of the container and a tamper evidence band retained by a tamper evidence ledge of the finish portion. When the container is opened, a tether band between the closure portion and the tamper evidence band extends into a strip that couples the closure portion with the tamper evidence band such that the container closure remains attached to the container. A tether bridge may fixate a first end of the tether band to a bottom of the closure portion, and a second end of the tether band may be fixated to the tamper evidence band by a tamper evidence bridge.

Description

PRIORITY

This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Application, entitled “Container Preform Finish With Tethered Closure,” filed on Aug. 8, 2019 and having application Ser. No. 62/884,601, the entirety of said application being incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to the field of plastic bottles and preforms. More specifically, embodiments of the disclosure relate to a container closure that includes a tether configured to keep the closure coupled with a plastic container after the closure has been unsealed to access contents within the container.

BACKGROUND

Plastic containers have been used as a replacement for glass or metal containers in the packaging of beverages for several decades. The most common plastic used in making beverage containers today is polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Containers made of PET are transparent, thin walled, and have the ability to maintain their shape by withstanding the force exerted on the walls of the container by their contents. PET resins are also reasonably priced and easy to process. PET bottles are generally made by a process that includes the blow-molding of plastic preforms which have been made by injection molding of the PET resin.

Advantages of plastic packaging include lighter weight and decreased breakage as compared to glass, and lower costs overall when taking both production and transportation into account. Although plastic packaging is lighter in weight than glass, there is still great interest in creating the lightest possible plastic packaging so as to maximize the cost savings in both transportation and manufacturing by making and using containers that contain less plastic.

A plastic container for storing liquid contents typically includes a base that extends up to a grip portion suitable for affixing a label, as well as providing a location for grasping the container. The grip portion generally transitions into a shoulder, which connects to a bell. The bell has a diameter that generally decreases as the bell extends upward from the shoulder to a neck and a finish. The finish is adapted to receive a closure, such as a bottle cap, to seal the contents within the interior of the plastic container.

In many instances, the closure includes a tamper evidence band that is disposed around the perimeter of the finish. The tamper evidence band generally remains positioned on the finish when an end-user loosens the closure to access the contents within the container. As such, the tamper evidence band and the finish cooperate to indicate to the end-user whether or not the closure has been previously loosened after being installed by the manufacturer.

Advantages of plastic containers include lighter weight and decreased breakage as compared to glass, and lower costs overall when taking both production and transportation into account. As such, there is a continuous interest in creating the lightest possible plastic container so as to maximize cost savings in both transportation and manufacturing by making and using containers that contain less plastic.

One difficulty that may be associated with closures typically installed onto plastic containers is that once the closure is removed from the container, the closure is separable from the container. This may result in the closure being misplaced or lost after being removed from the container, thus hindering resealing unfinished liquid contents within the container. In some instances, misplaced or lost closures may contribute to plastic waste littering the environment. As such, there is a desire to attach or tether closures to plastic containers so as to reduce the environmental impact of misplaced closures while maintaining the convenience and enjoyment often associated with drinking beverages by way of plastic containers. Embodiments disclosed herein provide container closures that include tethers configured to keep the closures coupled with plastic containers after the closures have been unsealed to access contents within the containers.

SUMMARY

An apparatus and methods are provided for container closures that include tethers configured to keep the closures coupled with plastic containers after the closures have been unsealed to access contents within the containers. In an embodiment, a container closure includes a closure portion that threadably engages with a finish portion of the container and a tamper evidence band that is retained by a tamper evidence ledge of the finish portion. A tether band disposed between the closure portion and the tamper evidence band is configured to extend into a strip that couples the closure portion with the tamper evidence band, such that the container closure remains attached to the container after the container has been opened. In an embodiment, a first end of the tether band may be fixated to a bottom of the closure portion by way of a tether bridge, and a second end of the tether band may be fixated to the tamper evidence band by way of a tamper evidence bridge. The tether bridge and the tamper evidence bridge may comprise relatively thick portions of plastic that are configured to resist breaking during loosening of the closure portion from the finish portion.

In an exemplary embodiment, a closure for sealing contents within an interior of a container and remaining coupled with the container after being unsealed from the container comprises: a closure portion configured to threadably engage with a finish portion of the container; and a tether band configured to disengage and couple the closure portion to the finish portion upon being unthreaded from the finish portion.

In another exemplary embodiment, the tether band is attached to the closure portion by way of a multiplicity of thin connections that are configured to break when the closure portion is untightened from the finish portion. In another exemplary embodiment, a first end of the tether band is fixated to a tamper evidence ledge of the finish portion and a second end of the tether band is fastened to the closure by way of a tether bridge. In another exemplary embodiment, the tether bridge is configured to cause the multiplicity of thin connections to break apart such that the tether band separates from the closure portion and assumes the form of a plastic strip coupling the closure portion to the finish portion.

In another exemplary embodiment, the closure further comprises a tamper evidence band configured to be retained by a tamper evidence ledge of the finish portion. In another exemplary embodiment, the tether band is configured to extend into a plastic strip that couples the closure portion with the tamper evidence band, such that the tether band keeps the closure portion attached to the container after the closure portion is unsealed from the finish portion to access the contents within the container. In another exemplary embodiment, the tether band is attached to the closure portion by way of a first multiplicity of thin connections; and wherein the tamper evidence band is attached to the tether band by way of a second multiplicity of thin connections. In another exemplary embodiment, the tamper evidence band is configured to interfere with the tamper evidence ledge so as to break the first multiplicity of thin connections and break the second multiplicity of thin connections so as to allow the tether band to extend into a plastic strip that interconnects the closure portion and the tamper evidence band.

In another exemplary embodiment, a tether bridge fixates a first end of the tether band to a bottom of the closure portion; and wherein a tamper evidence bridge fixates a second end of the tether band to the tamper evidence band. In another exemplary embodiment, the tether bridge and the tamper evidence bridge comprise relatively thick portions of plastic that are configured to resist breaking during loosening of the closure portion from the finish portion. In another exemplary embodiment, the tether bridge and the tamper evidence bridge are configured similarly to the tether band and the tamper evidence band. In another exemplary embodiment, the tether bridge and the tamper evidence bridge are disposed adjacent to one another along the circumference of the closure and share a line of perforations. In another exemplary embodiment, the line of perforations is configured to facilitate the tether bridge and the tamper evidence bridge tearing apart during loosening of the closure portion from the finish portion.

In an exemplary embodiment, a method for a closure to seal contents within an interior of a container and remain coupled with the container after being unsealed from the container comprises: configurating a closure portion to threadably engage with a finish portion of the container; foiming a tether band that is attached to a bottom circumference of the closure portion by way of a first multiplicity of thin connections; fixating a first end of the tether band to a tamper evidence ledge of the container; fastening a second end of the tether band to the closure portion; and disposing one or more thin connections between the first end and the second end.

In another exemplary embodiment, forming the tether band further comprises configuring the first multiplicity of thin connections and the one or more thin connections to break when the closure portion is untightened from the finish portion. In another exemplary embodiment, forming the tether band further comprises configuring the tether band to extend into a plastic strip that couples the closure portion to the container upon the closure portion being unthreaded from the finish portion.

In an exemplary embodiment, a method for a closure to seal contents within an interior of a container and remain coupled with the container after being unsealed from the container comprises: configurating a closure portion to threadably engage with a finish portion of the container; forming a tether band that is attached to a bottom circumference of the closure portion by way of a first multiplicity of thin connections; fixating a first end of the tether band to the closure portion; configuring a tamper evidence band to be retained by a tamper evidence ledge of the finish portion; attaching the tamper evidence band to a bottom of the tether band by way of a second multiplicity of thin connections; and fixating a second end of the tether band to the tamper evidence band.

In another exemplary embodiment, forming the tether band further comprises configuring the first multiplicity of thin connections to break when the closure portion is untightened from the finish portion. In another exemplary embodiment, attaching the tamper evidence band further comprises configuring the second multiplicity of thin connections to break when the closure portion is untightened from the finish portion. In another exemplary embodiment, the method further comprises configuring the tether band to extend into a plastic strip that couples the closure portion to the tamper evidence band upon the closure portion being unthreaded from the finish portion. In another exemplary embodiment, fixating the first end and fixating the second end respectively comprise joining one end of the plastic strip to the closure portion and joining the other end of the plastic strip to the tamper evidence band such that closure portion remains coupled with the tamper evidence band.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings refer to embodiments of the present disclosure in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of an exemplary container suitable for storing liquid contents, including pressurized contents;

FIG. 2 a side plan view of an exemplary embodiment of a perform suitable for being blow-molded to form a container in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 illustrates a side plan view of an exemplary embodiment of a tethered closure that is configured to remain coupled with a container after the tethered closure is unsealed from the container by an end-user;

FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a lasso configuration of the tethered closure of FIG. 3 that may occur upon the tethered closure being loosened from a container by an end-user;

FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary-use environment wherein an exemplary embodiment of a tethered closure has been installed onto a finish portion of a container and then subsequently untightened from the finish portion;

FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary-use environment wherein an exemplary embodiment of a tethered closure has been installed onto a finish portion of a container that lacks a handling valley and then subsequently untightened from the finish portion;

FIG. 7 illustrates a side plan view of an exemplary embodiment of a tethered closure that is configured to remain coupled with a container after the tethered closure is unsealed from the container by an end-user;

FIG. 8 illustrates a side plan view of an exemplary embodiment of a tethered closure that includes a tamper evidence tether that couples the tethered closure with a container;

FIG. 9 illustrates an exemplary-use environment wherein the tethered closure of FIG. 8 has been installed onto a finish portion of a container and then subsequently untightened from the finish portion;

FIG. 10 illustrates a side plan view of an exemplary embodiment of a tethered closure that includes a tamper evidence tether that couples the tethered closure with a container;

FIG. 11 illustrates an exemplary-use environment wherein the tethered closure of FIG. 10 has been installed onto a finish portion of a container and then subsequently untightened from the finish portion;

FIG. 12 illustrates a side plan view of an exemplary embodiment of a tethered closure that includes a closure portion coupled with a tamper evidence band by way of a tether bridge;

FIG. 13 illustrates a tethered configuration of the tethered closure of FIG. 12 wherein a multiplicity of thin connections between the tamper evidence band and the closure portion have been broken;

FIG. 14 illustrates an exemplary-use environment wherein the tethered closure of FIG. 12 has been installed onto a container and then subsequently untightened from a finish portion of the container;

FIG. 15 illustrates a side plan view of an exemplary embodiment of a tethered closure that is configured to remain coupled with a plastic container after the tethered closure has been unsealed from the container by an end-user;

FIG. 16 illustrates a flip-top configuration of the tethered closure of FIG. 15 that may occur upon a closure portion of the tethered closure being tilted with respect to a tamper evidence band by way of a hinged tamper evidence bridge; and

FIG. 17 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a lasso configuration of the tethered closure of FIG. 15 that may occur upon the closure portion being pulled away from the tamper evidence band by an end-user.

While the present disclosure is subject to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. The invention should be understood to not be limited to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure. It will be apparent, however, to one of ordinary skill in the art that the invention disclosed herein may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, specific numeric references such as “first bottle,” may be made. However, the specific numeric reference should not be interpreted as a literal sequential order but rather interpreted that the “first bottle” is different than a “second bottle.” Thus, the specific details set forth are merely exemplary. The specific details may be varied from and still be contemplated to be within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. The term “coupled” is defined as meaning connected either directly to the component or indirectly to the component through another component. Further, as used herein, the terms “about,” “approximately,” or “substantially” for any numerical values or ranges indicate a suitable dimensional tolerance that allows the part or collection of components to function for its intended purpose as described herein.

In general, there is a desire to attach or tether closures to plastic containers so as to reduce the environmental impact of misplaced closures while maintaining the convenience and enjoyment often associated with drinking beverages by way of plastic containers. One difficulty typically associated with closures installed onto plastic containers is that once the closure is removed from the container, the closure may be misplaced or lost. Lost closures hinder resealing unfinished liquid contents within containers and may contribute to plastic waste littering the environment. Embodiments disclosed herein provide container closures that include tethers configured to keep the closures coupled with plastic containers after the closures have been unsealed to access contents within the containers.

FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of an exemplary container 100 typically used for storing liquid contents, such as water, juice, and particularly carbonated contents. The container 100 comprises a base 104 that extends up to a grip portion 108. In some embodiments, the base 104 may be of the petaloid variety, although other configurations of the base may be incorporated into the container 100, without limitation. The grip portion 108 comprises a plurality of grip portion ribs 112 (i.e., sidewall ribs). As illustrated in FIG. 1, the plurality of grip portion ribs 112 generally vary in depth, and swirl or angulate around the grip portion 108. A label portion 116 is connected to the grip portion 108 and comprises one or more label panel ribs (not shown). The label panel portion 116 transitions into a shoulder 124, which connects to a bell 128.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the bell 128 comprises a plurality of design features 132. In other embodiments, however, the bell 128 may include various other design features, or may be smooth and generally unornamented. The bell 128 connects to a neck 136, which connects to a finish 140. As shown in FIG. 1, the bell 128 comprises a diameter that generally decreases as the bell 128 extends upward from the shoulder 124 to the neck 136 and the finish 140. The finish 140 is adapted to receive a closure, such as by way of non-limiting example, a container cap or closure 144, so as to seal contents within the container 100. The finish 140 generally defines an opening that leads to an interior of the container 100 for containing a beverage, or other contents, such as any of a variety of carbonated soft drinks. The finish 140 may be of the Carbonated Soft Drink (CSD) variety, or may be configured to receive closures suitable for sealing noncarbonated contents within the interior of the container 100.

As shown in FIG. 1, a tamper evidence closure 144 may be threadably engaged with the finish 140 of FIG. 3. The closure 144 generally includes interior threads that are configured to engage with threads disposed on the finish 140, as described herein. During tightening of the closure 144 onto the finish 140, a plug seal of the closure 144 extends into the opening of the container 100 and enters into a pressed relationship with the finish 140 whereby contents may be sealed in the interior of the container 100.

As further shown in FIG. 1, the closure 144 includes a tamper evidence band 148 to provide an indication of whether or not the closure 144 has been loosened after being installed by a manufacturer. In some embodiments, the tamper evidence band 148 may be attached to the closure 144 by a multiplicity of thin connections. The tamper evidence band 148 may include a cam that is configured to fixedly engage with a tamper evidence ledge disposed on the finished 140 during loosening of the closure 144. Once the closure 144 is installed onto the finish 140 by a manufacturer and later an end-user loosens the closure 144, the cam engages the tamper evidence ledge, breaking the thin connections between tamper evidence band 148 and the closure 144. The tamper evidence band 148 remains positioned on the tamper evidence ledge after the closure 144 is removed from the container 100. As such, the tamper evidence band 148 cooperates with the tamper evidence ledge to indicate to the end-user whether or not the closure 144 has been previously loosened after being installed by the manufacturer.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a preform 160 suitable for being blow-molded to form a plastic bottle, such as the container 100, according to the present disclosure. The preform 160 preferably is made of material approved for contact with food and beverages such as virgin PET or recycled PET and can be of any of a wide variety of shapes and sizes. The preform 160 shown in FIG. 2 is of the type which will form a 12-16 oz. beverage bottle, but as will be understood by those skilled in the art, other preform configurations may be used depending upon the desired configuration, characteristics and use of the final article. The preform 160 may be made by injection molding methods, without limitation.

The preform 160 includes a finish portion 164 and a body portion 168, formed monolithically (i.e., as a single, or unitary, structure). Advantageously, the monolithic arrangement of the preform 160, when blow-molded into a bottle, provides greater dimensional stability and improved physical properties in comparison to a preform constructed of separate neck and body portions that are bonded together.

The finish portion 164 begins at an opening 172 to an interior of the preform 160 and extends to and includes a tamper evidence ledge 176. The finish portion 164 is further characterized by the presence of one or more threads 180 configured to provide a means to fasten the closure 144 (see FIG. 1) onto the container 100 produced from the preform 160. As such, the threads 180 are configured to rotatably engage with similar threads disposed within the closure 144 to provide a way to seal contents within the container 100. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, each of the threads 180 generally extends along a section of the circumference of the finish portion 164 and approaches the tamper evidence ledge 176. Thus, when the threads of the closure 144 are engaged with the threads 180, and the closure 144 is rotated in a clockwise direction, the closure 144 advances toward the tamper evidence ledge 176.

With continuing reference to FIG. 2, each of the one or more threads 180 begins at a thread start 184 and extends along an angular section of the finish portion 164 to a thread end 188. The thread start 184 is configured to guide a thread comprising the closure 144 into a space, or a valley 190, between adjacent threads 180 so as to threadably engage the closure 144 with the finish portion 164. Further, the threads 180 generally are disposed adjacently to one another, separated by valleys 190, and are spaced uniformly around the circumference of the finish portion 164. In some embodiments, wherein three threads 180 are disposed around the finish portion 164, the thread starts 184 of adjacent threads 180 are spaced at substantially 120-degree intervals around the perimeter of the finish portion 164. As will be appreciated, however, more or less than three threads 180 may be incorporated into the finish portion 164 without deviating beyond the scope of the present disclosure.

In some embodiments, a plurality of gaps (not shown) may be disposed in the threads 180 and positioned uniformly around the perimeter of the finish portion 164. Preferably, the gaps of adjacent threads 180 are vertically aligned so as to form channels extending longitudinally along the finish portion 164. The channels advantageously operate to relieve pressure within the container 100 when the closure 144 is loosened. As will be appreciated, the channels may provide a direct route for gases escaping the interior of the container 100, rather than the gases being forced to travel around the finish portion 164 between adjacent threads 180.

The body portion 168 includes a neck portion 192 that extends to a tapered portion 196 of the body portion 168. The tapered portion 196 comprises a smooth transition from a diameter of the neck portion 192 to a relatively smaller diameter of a cylindrical portion 200 of the preform 160. The cylindrical portion 200 is a generally elongate member that culminates in an end cap 204. In some embodiments the body portion 168 may be generally cylindrical, and the end cap 204 may be conical or frustoconical and may also be hemispherical, and the very terminus of the end cap 204 may be flattened or rounded.

In some embodiments, a wall thickness of the cylindrical portion 200 may be substantially uniform throughout the cylindrical portion 200 and the end cap 204. A wall thickness of the tapered portion 196, however, generally decreases from the wall thickness of the cylindrical portion 200 to a relatively thinner wall thickness of the neck portion 192. As will be appreciated, the wall thickness of the cylindrical portion 200 is relatively greater than the wall thickness of the neck portion 192 so as to provide a wall thickness at the desired dimensions of a finished product after the preform 160 is blow-molded into the shape and size of a bottle. As such, the wall thickness throughout most of the body portion 168 will depend upon the overall size of the preform 160 and the wall thickness and overall size of the resulting container.

With continuing reference to FIG. 2, the tamper evidence ledge 176 comprises a rounded upper portion 232 and a substantially flat lower portion 236. As will be appreciated, the rounded upper portion 232 facilitates passing the tamper evidence band 148 of the closure 144 over the tamper evidence ledge 176 during assembly of the closure 144 onto the container 100. The flat lower portion 236 is configured to retain the tamper evidence band 148 positioned below the tamper evidence ledge 176 during loosening of the closure 144. For example, when the closure 144 is initially installed onto the container 100 by a manufacturer, the tamper evidence band 148 easily passes over the tamper evidence ledge 176 due to the rounded upper portion 232. When an end-user later loosens the closure 144, the flat lower portion 236 retains the tamper evidence band 148 below the tamper evidence ledge 176, causing the tamper evidence band 148 to break loose from the closure 144. Thus, the flat lower portion 236 of the tamper evidence ledge 176 and the tamper evidence band 148 of the closure 144 cooperate to indicate to the end-user that the closure 144 has not been previously loosened after being installed by the manufacturer. It should be understood, however, that the tamper evidence ledge 176 is not limited to being coupled with tamper evidence bands, as described above, but rather the tamper evidence ledge 176 may be configured to operate with any of various devices for indicating whether or not the container has been previously opened.

Disposed between the tamper evidence ledge 176 and the threads 180 is a handling valley 240 that extends circumferentially around the finish portion 164. The handling valley 240 comprises a portion of the finish portion 164 that has a wall thickness and a diameter that are substantially similar to the wall thickness and diameter of the neck portion 192, below the tamper evidence ledge 176. As such, the handling valley 240 and the neck portion 192 advantageously enable gripping fingers to engage with and support the container 100 during air-conveying the container 100 along a manufacturing assembly. For example, a first pair of gripping fingers can extend into the handling valley 240 to support the container 100 at a first station of a manufacturing line. Then, upon being conveyed to a second station, a second pair of gripping fingers can extend around the neck portion 192, below the tamper evidence ledge 176, while the first pair of gripping fingers are removed from the handling valley 240. Similarly, upon arriving at a third station, a third pair of gripping fingers can engage with the handling valley 240 while the second pair of gripping fingers are removed from the neck portion 192. Thus, the container 100 can be transported along the manufacturing line by alternatingly engaging gripping fingers with the handling valley 240 and the neck portion 192.

As will be appreciated, the handling valley 240 provides a separation between the tamper evidence ledge 176 and the threads 180 suitable for receiving the pair of gripping fingers, as described above. In general, the separation must be large enough to allow the gripping fingers to easily pass between the tamper evidence ledge 176 and the threads 180. As such, any of various separations, greater than the width of the gripping fingers, may be disposed between the tamper evidence ledge 176 and the threads 180, without limitation and without deviating beyond the scope of the present disclosure.

As described herein, once the preform 160 has been blow-molded to form the container 100 and then the container 100 has been filled with liquid contents, the closure 144 is installed onto the finish portion 164, by way of suitable equipment, to seal the contents in the interior of the container 100. In general, the threads 180 disposed around the finish portion 164 are engaged with similar threads comprising the closure 144 and then the closure 144 is rotated in a clockwise direction to advance the closure 144 toward the tamper evidence ledge 176. The closure 144 preferably is tightened until the tamper evidence band 148 is pushed over the tamper evidence ledge 176 and a plug seal comprising the closure 144 extends into the opening 172 of the finish portion 164, thereby sealing the liquid contents within the container 100.

Turning now to FIG. 3, a side plan view of an exemplary embodiment of a tethered closure 244 is shown. The tethered closure 244 generally is configured to remain coupled with a plastic container, such as the container 100, after the tethered closure 244 has been unsealed from the finish portion 164 by an end-user to access contents within the container 100. The illustrated embodiment of the tethered closure 244 includes a closure portion 248 that is coupled with a tamper evidence band 252 by way of an intervening tether band 256. Upon the closure portion 248 being removed from the container 100, the tamper evidence band 252 remains fixed to the finish portion 164 while the tether band 256 extends into a plastic strip that couples the closure portion 248 with the tamper evidence band 252. As such, the tether band 256 keeps the closure portion 248 attached to the container 100 after the closure portion 248 is unsealed from the finish portion 164 to access the contents within the container 100.

With continuing reference to FIG. 3, the closure portion 248 is configured to be threadably engaged with the finish portion 164 shown in FIG. 2. The closure portion 248 includes interior threads that are configured to engage with the threads 180 of the finish portion 164, as described herein. As such, the threads of the closure portion 248 extend into the thread valleys 190 extending around the finish portion 164. During tightening of the closure portion 248 onto the finish portion 164, a plug seal disposed within the closure portion 248 extends into the opening 172 and enters into a pressed relationship with the finish portion 164 whereby contents may be sealed within the interior of the container 100. As shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of knurls 260 may be arranged on top of the closure portion 248 and configured to facilitate grasping the closure portion 248 during tightening and untightening the closure portion 248 on the finish portion 164.

As shown in FIG. 3, the tether band 256 is attached to the closure portion 248 by way of a multiplicity of thin connections 264. Similarly, a multiplicity of thin connections 264 attach the tamper evidence band 252 to the tether band 256. The thin connections 264 are configured to break apart when the closure portion 248 is untightened from the finish portion 164, such as during opening the container 100 to access the contents within the container 100. The tamper evidence band 252 generally includes a cam, or a similar structure, disposed around an interior perimeter of the tamper evidence band 252 that interferes with the flat lower portion 236 of the tamper evidence ledge 176. Thus, when an end-user loosens the closure portion 248, the flat lower portion 236 retains the tamper evidence band 252 below the tamper evidence ledge 176, causing the thin connections 264 to break apart and thus allowing the tamper evidence band 252 and the tether band 256 to separate from the closure portion 248.

Once all the thin connections 264 are broken, the tethered closure 244 assumes a lasso configuration 280 as best shown in FIG. 4. In the lasso configuration 280, the tamper evidence band 252 resembles a loop of plastic disposed at an end of a plastic strip comprising the tether band 256. A tether bridge 268 fixates the tether band 256 to a bottom of the closure portion 248. Similarly, the tamper evidence band 252 is attached to the tether band 256 by way of a tamper evidence bridge 272. It is contemplated that the bridges 268, 272 comprise relatively thick portions of plastic that are configured to resist breaking during loosening of the closure portion 248 from the finish portion 164.

In some embodiments, the bridges 268, 272 are configured similarly to the tamper evidence band 252 and the tether band 256, such that only the thin connections 264 break apart during loosening of the closure portion 248. For example, in some embodiments, either or both of the bridges 268, 272 may be formed by allowing the material comprising the tethered closure 244 to remain disposed between a pair of adjacent thin connections 264. Thus, during forming spaces between the thin connections 264 that attach the tether band 256 to the closure portion 248, the material between a pair of adjacent thin connection 264 may be left intact to form the tether bridge 268. Further, during forming spaces between the thin connections 264 attaching the tether band 256 to the tamper evidence band 252, the material between a pair of adjacent thin connections 264 may be left intact to faun the tamper evidence bridge 272. Preferably, the pairs of thin connections 264 selected to form the bridges 268, 272 are positioned along the circumference of the tethered closure 244 such that the bridges 268, 272 are adjacent to one another, as shown in FIG. 3.

In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 3, the tether bridge 268 and the tamper evidence bridge 272 share a line of perforations 276. As will be appreciated, the line of perforations 276 is configured to facilitate the bridges 268, 272 tearing apart during loosening of the closure portion 248 from the finish portion 164. Upon comparing FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, it is straightforward to see that when the closure portion 248 is loosened, causing the tethered closure 244 to assume the lasso configuration 280, the bridges 268, 272 separate along the line of perforations 276, forming respective edges 284, 288 of the bridges 268, 272, as shown in FIG. 4. It is contemplated that the line of perforations 276 may be formed after formation of the bridges 268, 272 by way of any of various techniques capable of creating a series of spaces in the material comprising the tethered closure 244, without limitation.

FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary-use environment wherein the tethered closure 244 has been installed onto a container 292, formed from the preform 160 of FIG. 2, and then subsequently untightened from the finish portion 164 of the container 292. During installation of the tethered closure 244 onto the container 292, the rounded upper portion 232 of the tamper evidence ledge 176 facilitates passing the tamper evidence band 252 over the tamper evidence ledge 176. As described herein, the flat lower portion 236 of the tamper evidence ledge 176 retains the tamper evidence band 252 positioned below the tamper evidence ledge 176 during loosening of the closure portion 248. As such, loosening the closure portion 248 on the finish portion causes the thin connections 264 and the line of perforations 276 to break apart, thus causing the tethered closure 244 to assume the lasso configuration 280 discussed in connection with FIG. 4.

As shown in FIG. 5, upon removing the closure portion 248 from the finish portion 164, the tether band 256 extends into a plastic strip that couples the closure portion 248 with the tamper evidence band 252. As such, the tether band 256 keeps the closure portion 248 attached to the container 292 after the closure portion 248 is unsealed from the finish portion 164 to access the contents within the container 292. It is contemplated that keeping the closure portion 248 coupled with the container 292 will substantially eliminate instances of misplacing the closure portion 248, thereby facilitating the end-user resealing the container 292 to store unfinished contents within the container 292, as well as preventing the closure portion 248 from contributing to plastic waste being deposited into the environment.

As described hereinabove, the finish portion 164 includes a handing valley 240 disposed adjacent to the rounded upper portion 232 of the tamper evidence ledge 176. Upon comparing FIG. 3 and FIG. 5, it straightforward to see that the tether band 256 is positioned around the handing valley 240 when the tethered closure 244 is in a tightened configuration on the finish portion 164. As such, the closure portion 248 is capable of fully engaging the threads 180 of the finish portion 164 without being obstructed by the presence of the tether band 256 after the tamper evidence band 252 engages with the tamper evidence ledge 176.

It should be understood, however, that the tethered closure 244 is not limited to being installed onto finish portions that include handling valleys 240. For example, FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary-use environment wherein the tethered closure 244 has been installed onto a container 296 that includes a finish portion 300 that lacks the handling valley 240. Further, in some embodiments, such as the finish portion 300 of FIG. 6, the tamper evidence ledge may be configured to fixate the tamper evidence band 252 on top of the tamper evidence ledge, in lieu of being positioned below the tamper evidence ledge, without limitation. In such embodiments, the tether band 256 may be positioned over a lower portion of the threads 180 comprising the finish portion 300 while the closure portion 248 may be engaged with an upper portion of the finish portion 300 to seal contents within the container 296. It is contemplated that in such embodiments, the closure portion 248 may be configured to accommodate engaging the upper portion of the finish portion 300 while optimally pressing a plug seal into an opening, such as the opening 172, of the finish portion 300 so as to seal contents within the container 296.

Moreover, it should be understood that the tethered closure 244 is not to be limited to the specific embodiments shown in the drawings and described hereinabove. For example, in some embodiments, the tether bridge 268 and the tamper evidence bridge 272 need not be adjacently positioned and sharing the line of perforations 276, as shown in FIG. 3, but rather the bridges 268, 272 may be disposed in any of various locations around of the circumference of the tethered closure 244, as is desired, without limitation. As another example, the tether band 256 is not to be limited to comprising a single band that extends once around the circumference of the tethered closure 244. In some embodiments, for example, the tether band 256 may extend around the circumference of the tethered closure 244 more than once, such that the tether band 256 comprises a series of turns that are looped around the circumference of the tethered closure 244 and interconnected by thin connections 264. As such, the tether band 256 may include a cross-sectional shape and area that differ from the cross-sectional shape and area of the tamper evidence band 252, without limitation, and without deviating beyond the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

Turning now to FIG. 7, a side plan view of an exemplary embodiment of a tethered closure 304 is shown. The tethered closure 304 is substantially similar to the tethered closure 244 of FIG. 3, with the exception that the tethered closure 304 includes an angled tether bridge 308, an angled tamper evidence bridge 312, and thin connections 316 in lieu of the line of perforations 276. Like the tethered closure 244, the tethered closure 304 shown in FIG. 7 generally is configured to remain coupled with a plastic container, such as the container 100, after having been unsealed from the finish portion 164 by an end-user to access contents within the container 100. As such, upon the tethered closure 304 unthreaded from the finish portion 164, the tamper evidence band 252 remains fixed to the finish portion 164 while the tether band 256 extends into a plastic strip that couples the closure portion 248 of the tethered closure 304 with the tamper evidence band 252. Thus, the tether band 256 keeps the closure portion 248 attached to the container 100 after the tethered closure 304 is unsealed from the container 100.

As shown in FIG. 7, the closure portion 248, the tamper evidence band 252, and the tether band 256 are connected together by way of thin connections 264 that are configured to break apart when the closure portion 248 is untightened from the finish portion 164, as described herein. As further shown in FIG. 7, the angled tether bridge 308 and the angled temper evidence bridge 312 are connected together by way of the thin connections 316. Similar to the thin connections 264, the thin connections 316 are configured to break when the closure portion 248 is loosened on the finish portion 164. As will be appreciated, therefore, the thin connections 316 are configured to facilitate the angled bridges 308, 312 separating during loosening of the tethered closure 304 from the container 100. Further, it is contemplated that the angle incorporated into the bridges 308, 312 generally encourages breaking of the thin connections 316 and separation of the bridges 308, 312. Once the thin connections 316 break, the thin connections 264 may be broken sequentially, resembling an unzipping phenomenon as the tether band 256 separates from the closure portion 248 and the tamper evidence band 252, causing the tethered closure 304 to assume the lasso configuration 280, as shown in FIG. 4 and described herein.

FIG. 8 illustrates a side plan view of an exemplary embodiment of a tethered closure 320 that includes a tamper evidence tether 324 that is configured to couple the tethered closure 320 with a container, such as the container 100. A multiplicity of thin connections 264 interconnect the tamper evidence tether 324 and a closure portion 248 comprising the tethered closure 320. Thus, when an end-user loosens the closure portion 248, causing the thin connections 264 to break apart, the tamper evidence tether 324 separates from the closure portion 248 and assumes the form of a plastic strip coupling the closure portion 248 to the finish portion 164.

The tamper evidence tether 324 is similar to the tamper evidence band 252, described hereinabove, with the exception that the tamper evidence tether 324 includes a first, fixated end 328 and a second end comprising an angled bridge 332 that attaches the tamper evidence tether 324 to the closure portion 248. It is contemplated that the fixated end 328 may be fastened to the tamper evidence ledge 176 or the neck 192, just beneath the tamper evidence ledge 176 (see FIG. 9), by any of various fastening techniques, such as welding, for example, without limitation. Thin connections 316 interconnect the fixated end 328 and the angled bridge 332, allowing the fixated end 328 and the angled bridge 332 to separate from one another. As such, when the tethered closure 320 is loosened from the container 100, the fixated end 328 remains attached to the tamper evidence ledge 176 while the angled bridge 332 remains attached to the closure portion 248, thereby causing the tamper evidence tether 324 to extend into a plastic strip that keeps the closure portion 248 attached to the container 100.

FIG. 9 illustrates an exemplary-use environment wherein the tethered closure 320 has been installed onto a container 336, formed from the preform 160 of FIG. 2, and then subsequently untightened from the finish portion 164 of the container 336. During installation of the tethered closure 320 onto the container 336, the fixated end 328 is welded or otherwise fastened to the tamper evidence ledge 176 or the neck 192 of the container 336 beneath the tamper evidence ledge 176. As described herein, during loosening of the tethered closure 320, the tamper evidence ledge 176 retains the fixated end 328 of the tamper evidence tether 324, causing the thin connections 264, 316 to break apart and allowing the angled bridge 332 to separate from the fixated end 328. It is contemplated that the angle incorporated into the angled bridge 332 generally encourages breaking of the thin connections 316 and allows separation of the angled bridge 332 from the fixated end 328. Once the thin connections 316 break, the thin connections 264 may break sequentially, causing the tamper evidence tether 324 to extend into a plastic strip that couples the closure portion 248 with the tamper evidence ledge 176 of the container 336. As such, the tamper evidence tether 324 keeps the closure portion 248 attached to the container 336 after the closure portion 248 is unsealed from the finish portion 164 to access the contents within the container 336.

FIG. 10 illustrates a side plan view of an exemplary embodiment of a tethered closure 340 that includes a tamper evidence tether 344 that is configured to couple the tethered closure 340 with a container, such as the container 100. The tethered closure 340 is substantially similar to the tethered closure 320, shown in FIG. 8, with the exception that the tethered closure 340 includes a fixated end 348 and a tether bridge 352 that share thin connections 316 that are perpendicular to the circumference of the tamper evidence tether 344, in lieu of being angled as described with respect to FIG. 8. Further, a multiplicity of thin connections 264 interconnect the tamper evidence tether 344 and a closure portion 248 comprising the tethered closure 340, such that the thin connections 264, 316 break apart and the tamper evidence tether 344 separates from the closure portion 248 when the tethered closure 340 is loosened on the container 100.

FIG. 11 illustrates an exemplary-use environment wherein the tethered closure 340 has been installed onto a container 356, formed from the preform 160 of FIG. 2, and then subsequently untightened from the finish portion 164 of the container 356. During installation of the tethered closure 340 onto the container 356, the fixated end 348 may be welded or otherwise fastened to the tamper evidence ledge 176 or the neck 192 of the container 356 beneath the tamper evidence ledge 176. Thus, upon loosening of the tethered closure 340, the tamper evidence ledge 176 retains the fixated end 348 of the tamper evidence tether 344, causing the thin connections 264, 316 to break apart and allowing the tether bridge 352 to separate from the fixated end 348. Once the thin connections 316 break, the thin connections 264 may break sequentially, causing the tamper evidence tether 344 to extend into a plastic strip that couples the closure portion 248 with the tamper evidence ledge 176 of the container 356. As will be appreciated, therefore, the tamper evidence tether 344 keeps the closure portion 248 attached to the container 356 after the closure portion 248 is unsealed from the finish portion 164. It is contemplated that keeping the closure portion 248 coupled with the container 356 will substantially eliminate instances of misplacing the closure portion 248, thereby facilitating the end-user resealing the container 356 to store unfinished contents within the container 356, as well as preventing the closure portion 248 from contributing to plastic waste being deposited into the environment.

Turning now to FIG. 12, a side plan view of an exemplary embodiment of a tethered closure 444 is shown. The tethered closure 444 generally is configured to remain coupled with a plastic container, such as the container 100, after the tethered closure 444 has been unsealed from the finish portion 164 by an end-user to access contents within the container 100. The illustrated embodiment of the tethered closure 444 includes a closure portion 448 that is coupled with a tamper evidence band 452 by way of a tether bridge 456. Upon the closure portion 448 being removed from the container 100, the tamper evidence band 452 remains fixed to the finish portion 164 while the tether bridge 456 couples the closure portion 448 with the tamper evidence band 452. As such, the tether bridge 456 keeps the closure portion 448 attached to the container 100 after the closure portion 448 is unsealed from the finish portion 164 to access the contents within the container 100.

With continuing reference to FIG. 12, the closure portion 448 is configured to be threadably engaged with the finish portion 164 shown in FIG. 2. The closure portion 448 includes interior threads that are configured to engage with the threads 180 of the finish portion 164, as described herein. As such, the threads of the closure portion 448 extend into the thread valleys 190 extending around the finish portion 164. During tightening of the closure portion 448 onto the finish portion 164, a plug seal disposed within the closure portion 448 extends into the opening 172 and enters into a pressed relationship with the finish portion 164 whereby contents may be sealed within the interior of the container 100.

As shown in FIG. 12, a multiplicity of thin connections 464 attach the tamper evidence band 452 to closure portion 448. The thin connections 464 are configured to break apart when the closure portion 448 is untightened from the finish portion 164, such as during opening the container 100 to access the contents within the container 100. The tamper evidence band 452 generally includes a cam, or a similar structure, disposed around an interior perimeter of the tamper evidence band 452 that interferes with the flat lower portion 236 (see FIG. 2) of the tamper evidence ledge 176. Thus, when an end-user loosens the closure portion 448, the flat lower portion 236 retains the tamper evidence band 452 below the tamper evidence ledge 176, causing the thin connections 464 to break apart and thus allowing the closure portion 448 to separate from the tamper evidence band 452.

Once all the thin connections 464 are broken, the tethered closure 444 assumes a tethered configuration 480 as best shown in FIG. 13. In the tethered configuration 480, the tamper evidence band 452 resembles a loop of plastic coupled to the closure portion 448 solely by way of the tether bridge 456. As will be appreciated, the tether bridge 456 flexes while the closure portion 448 is tilted with respect to the tamper evidence band 452. It is contemplated that the tether bridge 456 comprises a relatively thick portion of plastic that is configured to resist breaking during tilting the closure portion 448 away from the finish portion 164.

In general, the tether bridge 456 is configured similarly to the tamper evidence band 452, such that only the thin connections 464 break apart during loosening of the closure portion 448. For example, in some embodiments wherein the tethered closure 444 is formed by way of injection-molding, the tether bridge 456 may be formed by allowing the material comprising the tethered closure 444 to remain disposed between a pair of adjacent thin connections 464. In one exemplary embodiment, a mold for injection-molding the tethered closure 444 may be configured to allow the material comprising the closure 444 to fill one or more spaces 468 (see FIG. 12) between the thin connections 464. As such, one or more protrusions comprising the mold that form the spaces 468 may be omitted in the location of the mold that forms the tether bridge 456. Further, in some embodiments wherein a knife or other type of blade is used to form the spaces 468 after injection-molding the tethered closure 444, the blade may be configured to avoid cutting the tethered closure 444 at the location of the tether bridge 456. It should be understood, therefore, that the tether bridge 456 is formed generally by leaving material comprising the tethered closure 444 intact within one or more spaces 468 between the thin connections 464, and thus the tether bridge 456 may be formed by way of various diverse techniques without limitation, and without deviating beyond the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

FIG. 14 illustrates an exemplary-use environment wherein the tethered closure 444 has been installed onto a container 472, formed from the prefolin 160 of FIG. 2, and then subsequently untightened from the finish portion 164 of the container 472. During installation of the tethered closure 444 onto the container 472, the rounded upper portion 232 (see FIG. 2) of the tamper evidence ledge 176 facilitates passing the tamper evidence band 452 over the tamper evidence ledge 176. As described herein, the flat lower portion 236 of the tamper evidence ledge 176 retains the tamper evidence band 452 positioned below the tamper evidence ledge 176 during loosening of the closure portion 448. As such, loosening the closure portion 448 on the finish portion 164 causes the thin connections 464 to break apart, thus causing the tethered closure 444 to assume the tethered configuration 480 discussed in connection with FIG. 13.

As shown in FIG. 14, upon removing the closure portion 448 from the finish portion 164, the tether bridge 456 bends and allows the closure portion 448 to be tilted with respect to the tamper evidence band 452. As such, the tether bridge 456 keeps the closure portion 448 attached to the container 472 after the closure portion 448 is unsealed from the finish portion 164 to access the contents within the container 472. It is contemplated that keeping the closure portion 448 coupled with the container 472 will substantially eliminate instances of misplacing the closure portion 448, thereby encouraging the end-user reengaging the closure portion 448 with the finish portion 164 to store unfinished contents within the container 472, as well as preventing the closure portion 448 from contributing to plastic waste being deposited into the environment.

As described hereinabove, the finish portion 164 includes a handing valley 240 disposed adjacent to the rounded upper portion 232 of the tamper evidence ledge 176. Upon comparing FIG. 2 and FIG. 14, it straightforward to see that the tamper evidence band 452 is fixated on top of the tamper evidence ledge 176. In some embodiments, however, the tether closure 444 may be configured to position the tamper evidence band 452 entirely beneath the tamper evidence ledge 176, as described hereinabove. Further, in some embodiments, the tamper evidence ledge 176 may be configured to fixate the tamper evidence band 452 on top of the tamper evidence ledge 176, in lieu of being positioned below the tamper evidence ledge, without limitation.

Moreover, it should be understood that the tethered closure 444 is not to be limited to the specific embodiments shown in the drawings and described hereinabove. For example, the tether bridge 456 is not to be limited to comprising a single piece of material that extends from the tamper evidence band 452 to the closure portion 448. In some embodiments, for example, the tether bridge 456 may comprise two or more portions of material joining the tamper evidence band 452 and the closure portion 448. It is contemplated that in such embodiments, the two or more portions of material comprising the tether bridge 456 generally are narrower than the single piece of material comprising the tether bridge 456 shown in FIG. 12. It is further contemplated that the tether bridge 456 may comprise any of various structures or mechanisms that facilitate tilting the closure portion 448 relative to the finish portion 464, as shown in FIG. 14. For example, in some embodiments, the tether bridge 456 may include one or more cuts that cause the tether bridge 456 to operate similarly to a scissor hinge when the closure portion 448 is removed from the finish portion 164. As such, the tether bridge 456 may include a wide variety of different configurations and include mechanisms other than shown and discussed herein, without limitation, and without deviating beyond the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

FIG. 15 illustrates a side plan view of an exemplary embodiment of a tethered closure 544 that is configured to remain coupled with a plastic container, such as the container 100, after the tethered closure 544 has been unsealed from the finish portion 164 by an end-user to access contents within the container 100. The tethered closure 544 shown in FIG. 15 is similar to the tethered closure 244 shown in FIG. 3, and thus the tethered closure 544 includes a closure portion 548 that is coupled with a tamper evidence band 552 by way of an intervening tether band 556. Unlike the tethered closure 244 of FIG. 3, however, the tethered closure 544 shown in FIG. 15 includes a hinged tamper evidence bridge 560, in lieu of the tamper evidence bridge 272 comprising the tethered closure 244. Upon the closure portion 548 being removed from the container 100, the tamper evidence band 552 remains fixed to the finish portion 164 while the hinged tamper evidence bridge 560 allows the closure portion 248 to be tilted upwards with respect to the tamper evidence band 552, as described herein with respect to FIG. 16.

With continuing reference to FIG. 15, the closure portion 548 is configured to be threadably engaged with the finish portion 164 shown in FIG. 2. The closure portion 548 includes interior threads that are configured to engage with the threads 180 of the finish portion 164, as described herein. As such, the threads of the closure portion 548 extend into the thread valleys 190 extending around the finish portion 164. During tightening of the closure portion 548 onto the finish portion 164, a plug seal disposed within the closure portion 548 extends into the opening 172 and enters into a pressed relationship with the finish portion 164 whereby contents may be sealed within the interior of the container 100.

The tether band 556 may be attached to the closure portion 548 by way of a multiplicity of thin connections 264. Similarly, a multiplicity of thin connections 264 attach the tamper evidence band 552 to the tether band 556. The thin connections 264 are configured to break apart when the closure portion 548 is untightened from the finish portion 164, such as during opening the container 100 to access the contents within the container 100. The tamper evidence band 552 generally includes a cam, or a similar structure, disposed around an interior perimeter of the tamper evidence band 552 that interferes with the flat lower portion 236 (see FIG. 2) of the tamper evidence ledge 176. Thus, when an end-user loosens the closure portion 548, the flat lower portion 236 retains the tamper evidence band 552 below the tamper evidence ledge 176, causing the thin connections 264 to break apart and thus allowing the tamper evidence band 552 and the tether band 556 to separate from the closure portion 548.

Once the thin connections 264 are broken between the tamper evidence band 552 and the tether band 556, the closure portion 548 may tilted with respect to the tamper evidence band 552 by way of the hinged tamper evidence bridge 560, such that the tethered closure 544 assumes a flip-top configuration 580 as best shown in FIG. 16. The closure portion 548 may include a ledge 564, or other similar device, that enables the end-user to tilt the closure portion 548. In the flip-top configuration 580, the tamper evidence band 552 remains a loop of plastic disposed below the tamper evidence ledge 176 of the finish portion 164, while the hinged tamper evidence bridge 560 keeps the tether band 556, and the closure portion 548, coupled with the tamper evidence band 552. As such, the hinged tamper evidence bridge 560 keeps the closure portion 548 attached to the container 100 after the closure portion 548 is unsealed from the finish portion 164 to access the contents within the container 100. It is contemplated that keeping the closure portion 548 coupled with the container 100 will substantially eliminate instances of misplacing the closure portion 548, thereby encouraging the end-user reengaging the closure portion 548 with the finish portion 164 to store unfinished contents within the container 100, as well as preventing the closure portion 548 from contributing to plastic waste being deposited into the environment.

As shown in FIG. 15, a tether bridge 568 fixates the tether band 556 to a bottom of the closure portion 548. Similarly, the tamper evidence band 552 is attached to the tether band 556 by way of the hinged tamper evidence bridge 560, as described above. The tether bridge 56R and the hinged tamper evidence bridge 560 may comprise relatively thick portions of plastic that are configured to resist breaking during loosening of the closure portion 548 from the finish portion 164. As such, only the thin connections 264 break apart during loosening of the closure portion 548. It is contemplated that the tether bridge 568 and the hinged tamper evidence bridge 560 may be formed similarly to the bridges 268, 272 discussed hereinabove with respect to FIGS. 3-5.

Moreover, the tether bridge 568 and the hinged tamper evidence bridge 560 share a line of perforations 576 that is configured to tear apart when an end-user pulls the closure portion 548 away from the finish portion 164. Upon comparing FIG. 15 and FIG. 17, it is straightforward to see that when the closure portion 248 is pulled away from the tether evidence band 552, the thin connections 264 are broken between the closure portion 548 and the tether band 556, causing the tethered closure 544 to assume a lasso configuration 584 shown in FIG. 17.

In the lasso configuration 584, the tether band 556 resembles a strip of plastic disposed between the hinged tamper evidence bridge 560 and the tether bridge 568. It is contemplated that the relatively thick portions of plastic comprising the hinged tamper evidence bridge 560 and the tether bridge 568 resist breaking during pulling the closure portion 548 from the finish portion 164 and thus keep the closure portion 548 coupled with the container 100. As will be appreciated, keeping the closure portion 548 coupled with the container 100 will substantially eliminate instances of misplacing the closure portion 548, thereby encouraging the end-user reengaging the closure portion 548 with the finish portion 164 to store unfinished contents within the container 100, as well as preventing the closure portion 548 from contributing to plastic waste being deposited into the environment.

While the invention has been described in terms of particular variations and illustrative figures, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the invention is not limited to the variations or figures described. In addition, where methods and steps described above indicate certain events occurring in certain order, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the ordering of certain steps may be modified and that such modifications are in accordance with the variations of the invention. Additionally, certain of the steps may be performed concurrently in a parallel process when possible, as well as performed sequentially as described above. To the extent there are variations of the invention, which are within the spirit of the disclosure or equivalent to the inventions found in the claims, it is the intent that this patent will cover those variations as well. Therefore, the present disclosure is to be understood as not limited by the specific embodiments described herein, but only by scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A closure for sealing contents within an interior of a container and remaining coupled with the container after being unsealed from the container, the closure comprising:

a closure portion configured to threadably engage with a finish portion of the container; and

a tether band configured to disengage and couple the closure portion to the finish portion upon being unthreaded from the finish portion.

2. The closure of claim 1, wherein the tether band is attached to the closure portion by way of a multiplicity of thin connections that are configured to break when the closure portion is untightened from the finish portion.

3. The closure of claim 2, wherein a first end of the tether band is fixated to a tamper evidence ledge of the finish portion and a second end of the tether band is fastened to the closure by way of a tether bridge.

4. The closure of claim 3, wherein the tether bridge is configured to cause the multiplicity of thin connections to break apart such that the tether band separates from the closure portion and assumes the form of a plastic strip coupling the closure portion to the finish portion.

5. The closure of claim 1, further comprising a tamper evidence band configured to be retained by a tamper evidence ledge of the finish portion.

6. The closure of claim 5, wherein the tether band is configured to extend into a plastic strip that couples the closure portion with the tamper evidence band, such that the tether band keeps the closure portion attached to the container after the closure portion is unsealed from the finish portion to access the contents within the container.

7. The closure of claim 5, wherein the tether band is attached to the closure portion by way of a first multiplicity of thin connections; and wherein the tamper evidence band is attached to the tether band by way of a second multiplicity of thin connections.

8. The closure of claim 7, wherein the tamper evidence band is configured to interfere with the tamper evidence ledge so as to break the first multiplicity of thin connections and break the second multiplicity of thin connections so as to allow the tether band to extend into a plastic strip that interconnects the closure portion and the tamper evidence band.

9. The closure of claim 5, wherein a tether bridge fixates a first end of the tether band to a bottom of the closure portion; and wherein a tamper evidence bridge fixates a second end of the tether band to the tamper evidence band.

10. The closure of claim 9, wherein the tether bridge and the tamper evidence bridge comprise relatively thick portions of plastic that are configured to resist breaking during loosening of the closure portion from the finish portion.

11. The closure of claim 10, wherein the tether bridge and the tamper evidence bridge are configured similarly to the tether band and the tamper evidence band.

12. The closure of claim 10, wherein the tether bridge and the tamper evidence bridge are disposed adjacent to one another along the circumference of the closure and share a line of perforations.

13. The closure of claim 10, wherein the line of perforations is configured to facilitate the tether bridge and the tamper evidence bridge tearing apart during loosening of the closure portion from the finish portion.

14. A method for a closure to seal contents within an interior of a container and remain coupled with the container after being unsealed from the container, the method comprising:

configurating a closure portion to threadably engage with a finish portion of the container;

forming a tether band that is attached to a bottom circumference of the closure portion by way of a first multiplicity of thin connections;

fixating a first end of the tether band to a tamper evidence ledge of the container;

fastening a second end of the tether band to the closure portion; and

disposing one or more thin connections between the first end and the second end.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein forming the tether band further comprises configuring the first multiplicity of thin connections and the one or more thin connections to break when the closure portion is untightened from the finish portion.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein forming the tether band further comprises configuring the tether band to extend into a plastic strip that couples the closure portion to the container upon the closure portion being unthreaded from the finish portion.

17. A method for a closure to seal contents within an interior of a container and remain coupled with the container after being unsealed from the container, the method comprising:

configurating a closure portion to threadably engage with a finish portion of the container;

forming a tether band that is attached to a bottom circumference of the closure portion by way of a first multiplicity of thin connections;

fixating a first end of the tether band to the closure portion;

configuring a tamper evidence band to be retained by a tamper evidence ledge of the finish portion;

attaching the tamper evidence band to a bottom of the tether band by way of a second multiplicity of thin connections; and

fixating a second end of the tether band to the tamper evidence band.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein forming the tether band further comprises configuring the first multiplicity of thin connections to break when the closure portion is untightened from the finish portion.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein attaching the tamper evidence band further comprises configuring the second multiplicity of thin connections to break when the closure portion is untightened from the finish portion.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising configuring the tether band to extend into a plastic strip that couples the closure portion to the tamper evidence band upon the closure portion being unthreaded from the finish portion.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein fixating the first end and fixating the second end respectively comprise joining one end of the plastic strip to the closure portion and joining the other end of the plastic strip to the tamper evidence band such that closure portion remains coupled with the tamper evidence band.