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US 4,899,897 AGranted
Tamper-proof container closure
AssigneeHoffmann-La Roche Inc.
InventorsJean-Pierre Buttiker, Max Klaiber
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A container closure in the form of a stopper is provided in which an outer wall engages exteriorly of the wall of the container. A tamper-proof ring is secured to the underside thereof by means of tear-off webs. The internal cylindrical surface of the ring comprises tabs directed obliquely inwardly and in the direction of the opening.
Claims8
A container and stopper, comprising:
- a. a container having an upper edge which defines an opening, and flange means formed at the upper edge of the container around the opening;
- and
- b. a stopper having a cover plug, a tamper-proof ring, and attachment means for attaching the tamper-proof ring having an inner surface and tabs attached to said inner surface, said tabs being formed from a resilient material and being directed obliquely inwardly and in the direction of opening but not engaging said flange means for retaining the tamper-proof ring on the container when the cover plug is removed for the first time and the attachment means connecting the cover plug and the tamper-proof ring is broken.
A tamper-proof stopper for plugging an opening in a container having a flange attached to its outer wall, the stopper comprising:
- (a) plug means having a holding segment for securely holding and sealing the stopper in the opening of the container, said holding segment extending into the container and having an outside diameter corresponding to a diameter of an inner wall of the container to seal the stopper in the opening;
- (b) a cover member attached to said plug means and having an annular section extending beyond the opening of the container to engage the flange to assist in holding the stopper in place in the container;
- (c) a tamper-proof ring releasably attached to the annular section of said cover member, said tamper-proof ring having tabs means connected to an inner surface of said tamper-proof ring, said tab means being formed from a resilient material and being directed obliquely inward away from said inner surface of said ring in the direction of the opening of the container but not engaging said flange, so that said tab means engage said flange to hold the tamper-proof ring on the container when said cover member is removed for the first time;
- and
- (d) attachment means for releasably attaching said tamper-proof ring to said cover member, said attachment means being broken when said cover member is removed from the container for the first time thereby separating the cover member from the tamper-proof ring and providing a visual indication that the container has been opened.
2 more elements
A tamper-proof device comprising:
- (a) a container defining an opening and having an inner wall, an outer wall, and flange attached to the outer wall near the opening of the container;
- (b) a stopper including a plug means having a holding segment for securely holding and sealing the stopper in the opening of the container, said holding segment extending into the container and having an outside diameter corresponding to a diameter of the inner wall of the container to seal the stopper in the container;
- (c) a cover member attached to said plug means and having an annular section extending beyond the container opening to engage the flange of the container to assist in holding the stopper in place in said opening;
- (d) a tamper-proof ring releasably attached to the annular section of said cover member, said tamper-proof ring having tabs means connected to an inner surface of said tamper-proof ring, said tab means being formed from a resilient material and being directed obliquely inward away from said inner surface of said ring in the direction of the opening of the container but not engaging said flange, so that said tab means engage said flange to hold the tamper-proof ring on the container when said cover member is removed for the first time;
- and
- (e) attachment means for releasably attaching said tamper-proof ring to said cover member, said attachment means being broken when said cover member is removed from the container for the first time thereby separating the cover member form the tamper-proof ring and providing a visual indication that the container has been opened.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.