Patent ID: 6355201
Filing Date: 2002-03-12
Classification: B29C,B29L,B65D,Y10S

Abstract:
A method of manufacturing a tamper-indicating closure having a cap portion, a tamper-indicating ring depending from said cap portion, a plurality of resilient flexible projections depending from said ring, the projections bending upwardly and radially inwardly at a predetermined radius of curvature from said ring, the projections each being moveable around a respective horizontal axis, and an annular strain relief recess formed in said ring, said recess being disposed radially outwardly from the plurality of projections, said method comprising the steps of:a. providing a mold assembly comprising a female mold portion constructed to form the outer surface of the closure and a male mold portion constructed to form the inner surface of the closure and to form the plurality of resilient flexible projections, the male and female mold portions being arranged for relative movement toward and away from each other between a mold open position and a mold closed position, when in the mold closed position the male mold portion and the female mold portion at least partially defining a mold cavity in which the tamper-indicating closure is molded, b. temporarily moving the male mold portion and the female mold portion into the mold closed position; c. providing a mold material into the mold cavity; d. maintaining the male mold portion and the female mold portion in the mold closed position for a predetermined amount of time until the mold material hardens to form the tamper-indicating closure including the resilient flexible projections disposed at their predetermined radius of curvature; e. removing the male mold portion from the molded tamper-indicating closure, whereby during removal of the male mold portion from the molded tamper-indicating closure, the projections temporarily bend around their horizontal axes from their predetermined radius of curvature to a second position, said recess, in combination with said predetermined radius of curvature, acting to limit the extent of plastic deformation of said projections during bending to said second position thus enabling said projections to elastically return substantially to their predetermined radius of curvature following removal of said male mold portion.