US 4,730,745 AGranted

Tamper indicating plug style closure

AssigneeOwens-Illinois Closure Inc.

InventorRobert A. Perry

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Abstract

A package that is made of a blown plastic container and a two-piece or composite closure which is secured to a neck portion of the container. The closure includes a molded plastic plug style closure with an inner annular member which engages the inside of the neck of the container, an outer annular member which closely surrounds the outside of the neck of the container and a top panel from which the inner and outer annular members depend and which spans the rim of the container. The second piece of the closure is a molded plastic collar which surrounds the outer annular member of the plug style closure and which is frictionally interlocked therewith. The bottom of the collar has an inwardly and upwardly extending flange which engages a bead on the outside of the neck of the container to interlock the collar and the container. Further, the collar has one or more vertical tear strips to permit the tearing of the collar to thereby permit its removal from the container, and thereby to permit the removal of the plug style closure from the container, and this tearing of the collar imparts tamper indicating characteristics to the closure and to the package which includes such closure. The container has a radial shoulder positioned below the bottom of the collar to prevent the collar from being moved axially downwardly on the container.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A composite, tamper indicating closure for a container having an annular neck, the annular neck having an inner surface and an outer surface terminating in a rim, the outer surface of the annular neck having an outwardly projecting portion, said closure comprising, in combination:

an inner member, said inner member comprising,
a top panel portion, said top panel portion being adapted to span the rim of the container;
an inner annular portion, said inner annular portion extending downwardly from a juncture with said top panel portion and having an outer surface, said inner annular portion being adapted to be positioned within the annular neck of the container with said outer surface of said inner annular portion in engagement with the inner surface of the annular neck of the container, and
an outer annular portion, said outer annular portion extending downwardly from said top panel portion and having an inner surface, said inner surface of said outer annular portion being adapted to be positioned adjacent to the outer surface of the annular neck of the container when said inner annular portion of said inner member is positioned within the annular neck of the container;
an annular outer member, said outer member comprising;
a skirt;
container engaging means, said container engaging means extending inwardly and upwardly from said skirt and being adapted to engage the outwardly projecting portion of the outer surface of the annular neck of the container to prevent the removal of said annular outer member from the container over the rim of the container without visible alternation of the condition of said annular outer member;
and
locking means for locking said annular outer member to said inner member to prevent the removal of said inner member from the container without said visible alternation of the condition of said annular outer member.

6 more elements

A package comprising, in combination:

a container having any annular neck, said annular neck having an inner surface and an outer surface and terminating in a rim, said outer surface of said annular neck having an outwardly projecting portion;
and
a composite, tamper indicating closure affixed to said neck of said container, said composite, tamper indicating closure comprising;
an inner member, said inner member comprising,
a top panel portion, said top panel portion spanning said rim of said container;
an inner annular portion, said inner annular portion extending downwardly from a juncture with said top panel portion and having an outer surface, said inner annular portion being positioned within said annular neck of said container with said outer surface of said inner annular portion in engagement with said inner surface of said annular neck of said container, and
an outer annular portion, said outer annular portion extending downwardly from said top panel portion and having an inner surface, said inner surface of said outer annular portion being positioned adjacent to said outer surface of said annular neck of said container when said inner annular portion of said inner member;
an annular outer member, said outer member comprising;
a skirt;
container engaging means, said container engaging means extending inwardly and upwardly from said skirt and engaging said outwardly projecting portion of said outer surface of said annular neck of said container to prevent the removal of said annular outer member from said container over said rim of the container without visible alternation of the condition of said annular outer member;
and
locking means for locking said annular outer member to said inner member to prevent the removal of said inner member from said container without said visible alternation of the condition of said annular outer member.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.