Tamper-evident closure

A tamper-evident closure, comprising:

• an upper, annular top wall portion defining a central opening, and a discontinuous, annular skirt portion depending from said top wall portion, said top wall portion extending inwardly from said annular skirt portion, said skirt portion defining a finger opening to facilitate gripping of said skirt portion, and
• a lower, annular sleeve portion depending from said annular skirt portion,
• wherein said annular sleeve portion and said skirt portion being distinguished from each other by a circumferential line of weakness,
• said top wall portion defining a fracturable portion that extends across said top wall portion, the fracturable portion extending from said finger opening defined by said skirt portion to said central opening defined by said upper, annular top wall portion and terminating at a fracturable region such that gripping of said skirt portion at said finger opening permits fracture of said fracturable region, and separation and removal of said top wall portion and said skirt portion from said lower, annular sleeve portion at said circumferential line of weakness to thereby permit access to a container closure of an associated container,
• wherein said annular sleeve portion defines a plurality of projections on an inside surface thereof for engagement with said associated container to prevent relative rotation therebetween.

A container assembly, comprising

• a container including a container closure, the container closure including a top wall portion, and an annular skirt portion depending therefrom,
• a tamper-evident closure including:
• an upper, annular top wall portion defining a central opening, and a discontinuous, annular skirt portion depending from the top wall portion, said top wall portion extending inwardly from said annular skirt portion, the skirt portion defining a finger opening to facilitate gripping of the skirt portion, and
• a lower, annular sleeve portion depending from the annular skirt portion,
• wherein the annular sleeve portion and the skirt portion being distinguished from each other by a circumferential line of weakness,
• the top wall portion defining a fracturable portion that extends across said top wall portion, the fracturable portion extending from the finger opening defined by the skirt portion to the central opening defined by the upper, annular top wall portion and terminating at a fracturable region such that gripping of the skirt portion at the finger opening permits fracture of the fracturable region and separation and removal of the top wall portion and the skirt portion from the lower, annular sleeve portion at the circumferential line of weakness to thereby permit access to the container closure of the container,
• wherein the annular skirt portion of the tamper-evident closure defines a plurality of axially extending projections on an inside surface of the skirt portion for engagement with the container closure to prevent relative rotation therebetween.