Composite closure with sealing force indicating means and ratchet operated tamper indicating band

A package comprising the combination of a container and a composite closure on said container,

• said closure including a molded plastic ring and a separately formed metal disk inserted in said ring,
• said disk having a center portion and an annular raised bead around said center portion, said bead having a top and presenting a downwardly opening groove containing a gasket which is sealingly engageable with a rim of said container,
• said ring having a skirt with securing means which are engageable with cooperating means on said container,
• said ring having an inwardly extending semi-toroidal annular lip, said lip engaging and curving downwardly and inwardly over said bead, said lip exerting downward force on the bead at the top thereof at least when said container is being sealed,
• said lip having a lower inner edge which is spaced by a visible annular gap above said center portion of said disk when said disk forms a seal with said container,
• said lip having an undersurface which is spaced radially inwardly from said bead adjacent said lower inner edge, said lip exerting downward force rather than radial clamping force on said bead,
• force in reaction to downward force exerted by said lip on the top of said bead bending said lip upwardly as a torsion spring and thereby increasing the height of said gap sufficiently that said height provides a visible indicator that said lip is exerting sealing force on the disk,
• said lower inner edge of said lip bearing upon said center portion of said disk when said closure is not sealed on said container and being spaced upwardly from said center portion when said closure is sealing said container.

A package comprising a container and a composite closure on said container,

• said closure including a molded plastic ring and a separately formed disk housed in said ring,
• said ring having a skirt with rotational securing means which engage cooperating means on said container,
• said ring having a tamper-evidencing band which is connected to said skirt by frangible bridges,
• a retainer extending upwardly and inwardly toward said container from said band,
• said retainer and said container having interengaging ratchets which resist rotation of said retainer in a direction tending to open said closure,
• the ratchets on said retainer extending substantially entirely around said retainer,
• ratchets on said container being in groups of ratchets which groups are separated angularly from one another by circumferential spaces,
• said band being radially deformable when said closure is twisted for initial removal so that portions of said band opposite said spaces deflect inwardly toward said spaces when said closure is being removed and thereby break said bridges in groups rather than simultaneously.

A package comprising a container and a composite closure on said container,

• said closure including a molded plastic ring and a separately formed disk housed in said ring,
• said ring having a skirt with rotational securing means which engage cooperating means on said container,
• said ring having a tamper-evidencing band which is connected to said skirt by frangible bridges, a retainer extending upwardly and inwardly toward said container from said band,
• said retainer and said container having interengaging ratchets which resist rotation of said retainer in a direction tending to open said closure,
• the ratchets on said retainer extending substantially entirely around said retainer,
• the ratchets on said container being in groups of ratchets which groups are separated angularly from one another by circumferential spaces,
• portions of said band opposite said spaces deflecting inwardly toward said spaces when said closure is being opened thereby breaking said bridges sequentially rather than simultaneously,
• said bridges being non-uniformly positioned with respect to said ratchets on said retainer.

A package comprising a container and a composite closure on said container,

• said closure including a molded plastic ring and a separately formed disk housed in said ring,
• said ring having a skirt with rotational securing means which engage cooperating means on said container,
• said ring having a tamper-evidencing band which is connected to said skirt by frangible bridges, a retainer extending upwardly and inwardly toward said container from said band,
• said retainer and said container having interengaging ratchets which resist rotation of said retainer in a direction tending to open said closure,
• the ratchets on said retainer extending substantially entirely around said retainer,
• the ratchets on said container being in groups of ratchets which groups are separated angularly from one another by circumferential spaces,
• portions of said band opposite said spaces deflecting inwardly toward said spaces when said closure is opened thereby breaking said bridges sequentially rather than simultaneously,
• the ratchets on said container having different cross sections as viewed in a plane perpendicular to a central axis of said container whereby said ratchets can be removed from a split mold.