Tamper-evident container system

A container system for storing material, the container system comprising:

• a closure having a cap and a tamper-evident ring frangibly attached to the cap, the tamper-evident ring including at least one ring tooth protruding radially inward;
• a container body having a neck defining an opening in the container, the neck including a container thread;
• and
• a first ramp protruding from the neck below the container thread, the first ramp including first and second inclined ramp surfaces, the first inclined ramp surface oriented at a first ramp angle relative to a first local reference axis, the second inclined surface oriented at a second ramp angle relative to the first local reference axis,
• wherein the first and second ramp angles are each between about five degrees and about forty-five degrees, and
• wherein the first local reference axis is defined perpendicular to a radial axis.

A container for use with a closure having a tamper-evident ring frangibly attached to the closure, the container comprising:

• a container body including a neck, the neck including a substantially cylindrical neck surface;
• a container thread extending from the neck surface for engaging the closure;
• an annular rim extending from the neck surface below the container thread for engaging the tamper-evident ring;
• and
• a closure-retaining structure extending from the neck surface below the container thread, the closure-retaining structure including a first inclined ramp surface oriented at a first inclined ramp angle and a second inclined ramp surface oriented at a second inclined ramp angle,
• wherein the first and second inclined ramp angles are each between about five degrees and about forty-five degrees relative to a first local reference axis, wherein the first local reference axis is defined substantially perpendicular to a radial axis.

A container system for storing material, the system comprising:

• a container having a neck, the neck including an uninterrupted cylindrical neck surface;
• and
• a closure engaging the neck, the closure including a tamper-evident ring having a plurality of ring teeth protruding radially inward,
• wherein the plurality of ring teeth resiliently engage the uninterrupted cylindrical neck surface in an interference fit.

A container system for storing material, comprising:

• a container having a neck, the neck including a container thread;
• an annular rim protruding from the neck below the container thread;
• a composite closure disposed on the container, the composite closure comprising an annular closure band and a closure disk, the closure disk having an annular outer rim, the annular outer rim having a lower disk edge;
• a tamper-evident ring frangibly attached to the composite closure by a plurality of frangible bridges, each frangible bridge having a maximum bridge elongation defined as the maximum axial elongation the bridge can withstand before rupturing,
• wherein the tamper-evident ring engages the annular rim during closure removal;
• and
• a disk retainer bead protruding radially inward from the closure band, the disk retainer bead defining a maximum disk travel distance between the lower disk edge and the disk retainer bead when the closure is fully-seated on the container,
• wherein the maximum disk travel distance is greater than the maximum bridge elongation.

A method of sealing a container using a tamper-evident container system, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a container having a neck with an annular rim protruding from the container neck, wherein the annular rim engages a tamper-evident ring frangibly attached to a mating closure by a plurality of frangible bridges;
• (b) attaching the mating closure to the neck so that the tamper-evident ring engages the annular rim, wherein the closure provides a releasable annular seal between the neck and the closure;
• and
• (c) removing the closure from the neck so that each one of the plurality of frangible bridges is broken before the annular seal is released.