US 5,431,305 AGranted

Tamper evident liquid dispensing package

AssigneeOwens-Illinois Plastic Products Inc.

InventorRonald S. Kaminski

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Abstract

A liquid dispensing package includes a container whose finish has an opposed pair of slots extending vertically from a free end thereof. A nozzle element with a dispensing passage extending therethrough is positioned within the finish and has an opposed pair of pins which extend into and through the slots of the finish to permit the nozzle element to translate, but not rotate, with respect to the finish, the translation being between a sealed, non-dispensing position and an unsealed, dispensing position. A cap element is rotatably affixed to the finish and has an opening in a top central panel which is aligned with the dispensing passage of the nozzle element. A skirt of the cap element has part helical grooves on its inside surface, and these grooves receive the free ends of the pins of the nozzle element. Thus, rotation of the cap element results in translation of the nozzle element. The opening of the central panel of the cap element has a frangible portion which is ruptured by contact with a boss at a free end of the nozzle element upon the first opening or attempted opening of the package to provide the package with tamper evident opening characteristics.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A liquid dispensing package comprising:

a container having a finish portion with at least one slot opening in said finish portion, said slot opening extending generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of the finish portion;
a nozzle element positioned within said finish portion, said nozzle element having passage means extending therethrough to permit the dispensing of liquid within the container through said nozzle element, said nozzle element further having at least one pin extending therefrom into and through said at least one slot opening in said finish portion, said nozzle element being non-rotatable with respect to said finish portion and being translatable with respect to said finish portion along the longitudinal axis thereof between a first position and a second position;
and
a cap element having a top panel portion and an annular skirt portion extending perpendicularly from said top panel portion, said top panel portion having an opening therein, said cap element being rotatable with respect to said finish portion of said container with a substantial portion of said annular skirt portion surrounding a portion of said finish portion, and with said opening in said top panel portion in alignment with said passage means of said nozzle element, said annular skirt portion having at least one inclined groove on an inside surface thereof, said at least one inclined groove receiving a free end portion of said at least one pin, whereby rotation of said cap element with respect to said container in a first rotational direction will translate said nozzle element in a first linear direction along the longitudinal axis of said finish portion and rotation of said cap element with respect to said container in an opposed rotational direction will translate said nozzle element in an opposed linear direction along the longitudinal axis of said finish portion.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.