Abstract:
A non-removable closure having a radio frequency identification, RFID, circuit integral therein. The RFID may be active or passive and may be integral with the top wall or side wall of the closure. The non-removable closure has a closure retainer which non-removeably engages a container neck at to which it is engaged. The closure retainer may be in the form of “J” hooks depending from the bottom portion of a side wall, an adhesive between the container neck and closure, or other closure retainer known to persons having ordinary skill in the art.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not applicable. 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not applicable. 
     FIELD OF INVENTION 
     The present invention generally relates to packaging having a radio frequency identification (RFID) therein for relaying information regarding the packaging and/or contents thereof. More specifically, the present invention relates to closures for containers having an RFID. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The development of integrated circuitry, particularly RFIDs, has permitted use of such devices in a wide range of applications. RFIDs first appeared in tracking and access applications during the 1980s. These wireless systems allow for non-contact reading and are effective in manufacturing and other hostile environments where bar code labels could not survive. RFID has established itself in a wide range of markets including livestock identification and automated sorting systems because of its ability to track moving objects. They can be operated passively or actively. While both use radio frequency energy to communicate between a tag and a reader, the method of powering the tags is different. Active RFIDs use an internal power source (battery) within an RFID tag to continuously power the RFID, whereas passive RFIDs rely on energy transferred from the reader to the RFID tag to power the RFID. 
     Passive RFIDs have a limited communication range since they need a strong signal to be received to power the RFID and to respond to the reader, limiting the reader range to 3 meters or less. Active RFIDs have operating ranges of 100 meters or more and thousands of tags can be read from a single reader. Other advantage of active RFIDs is the ability to monitor environmental or status parameters using an RFID with built-in sensors for detecting such things as temperature, humidity, shock, even tampering. Even though passive RFIDs are unable to continuously monitor the status of a sensor since they only have power when read, they can provide very useful information as to the contents of the container or even simple tamper detection. Therefore, both active and passive RFIDs have found a wide range of applications in packaging. 
     Recently, RFIDs have been used in a product packaging such as containers and closures. The utilization of an RFID with a closure and container combination has a wide variety of applications, including identification of contents, product promotions, storage and dissemination of product information including product processing, quality assurance, including tamper-indication. U.S. Pat. No. 6,859,745, filed Apr. 17, 2002, issued to Carr et al., discloses a product package including a closure and container, wherein the closure has an active RFID mounted thereon. The RFID is disposed on an interior surface of the package. However, a problem existing with this and other current applications of RFIDs in closures is that the RFID can be damaged from the contents of the container; the closure having the RFID can be removed from the container; the RFID can be removed from the container or closure, altered, switched, or tampered with in other ways. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is of a closure having at least a portion of which is non-removable, having an RFID integral therein. The term integral as used herein means adhered to or contained in a part of the closure. The term non-removable as used herein means the closure has a portion or component part that has a non-disengaging resistance to removal from a closure to which it is attached, as opposed to a disengaging resistance to removal as in a child-resistant closure. The non-removable closure can have a dispenser, flip-top, push-pull top, second child resistant closure, second standard threaded closure, penetrable top wall, or other means known by persons having ordinary skill in the art for accessing the contents of a container to which it becomes non-removably attached. The closure has a closure retainer for non-removeably attaching at least a portion of the closure to a container neck wherein the closure retainer may be in the form of “J” hooks depending from the opening edge of an annular side wall, epoxy or other adhesive between the inner annular surface of the side wall and container neck, heat or induction sealing, ultra sonic welding, or other means known in the art. Similar and other means can be used to make an RFID a non-removable integral part of the closure such as placing an RFID into a mold prior to the injection of polymeric materials forming the closure around the RFID. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Reference to the figures discloses several embodiments of the present invention and is not to be interpreted as limiting the scope of the present invention. 
         FIG. 1  is cross-sectional view of a non-removable closure and container combination wherein the closure is a flip-top closure having an RFID disposed within a top wall and has a seal covering a lower surface thereof; 
         FIG. 2  is cross-sectional view of a non-removable closure wherein the closure is a pull-top closure having an RFID disposed within a top wall; 
         FIG. 3  is cross-sectional view of a non-removable closure wherein the closure is a dispenser type closure having an RFID disposed within a side wall; 
         FIG. 4  is cross-sectional view of a non-removable closure wherein the closure is a push-on flip-top closure having an RFID disposed within a top wall. 
         FIG. 5  is cross-sectional view of a non-removable closure wherein the closure has penetrable top wall. 
         FIG. 6  is cross-sectional view of a non-removable closure wherein the closure has an inner non-removable closure and outer closure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The following detailed description is given primarily for clearness of understanding and no unnecessary limitations are to be understood there from and modifications will become obvious to those skilled in the art upon reading the disclosure and may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims. 
       FIG. 1  shows non-removable closure  100  and container  150  wherein closure  100  has RFID  116  integral with top wall  114 . Closure  100  is a flip-top type closure having top wall  114  with annular depending side wall  110 . Side wall  110  has helical thread  112  depending from an inner annular surface thereof for engaging helical thread  164  on container neck  160  of container  150 . Side wall  110  has closure retainer  120  depending axially from the end opposite top wall  114 . Closure retainer  120  cooperates with locking rim  162  depending from a lower outer surface of container neck  160  for locking closure  100  onto container  150  when closure  100  is sealed onto container  150 . Such a configuration is an example of an embodiment of a non-removable closure. Other embodiments of the present invention incorporate mechanical grips, crimping, double-sided heat sealing, epoxy, ultra sound welding, or gluing closure  100  onto container  150 . There are a variety of means known to persons having ordinary skill in the art for making closure  100  a non-removable closure, all of which are within the scope of the present invention. 
     Top wall  114  of closure  100  has integral RFID  116  with a lower surface substantially flush or slightly depending from a lower surface of top wall  114 . Adjacent the lower surface of top wall  114  and RFID  116  is seal  118 . Seal  118  is comprised of a material that can be punctured (i.e. foil and plastic) allowing the contents of container  150  to exit through aperture  122  in top wall  114 . Preferably, seal  118  is comprised of a polymeric material as to not interfere with the radio communication with RFID  116 . Hingedly depending from top wall  114  is flip-top  124  having depending sealing post  126  for sealing aperture  122 . 
     RFID  116  may be an active or passive RFID. RFID  116  typically contains at least content identification information but may also have sensors and data read therefrom such as temperature, shock, tamper-indication, product quality assurance, and may also have additional information such as product promotions or any variety of information that may be deemed appropriate. 
     RFID  116  may become integral with closure  100  in a variety of ways. For instance, a foil layer may be combined in the liner material  118  to transfer heat and melt liner material  118  when bonding to the top wall  114 . This is accomplished through induction heating wherein the resistance of the foil layer in liner  118  caused by an induction field creates sufficient heat to cause a plastic layer in liner  118  to melt and bond with the closure top wall  114 . Liner  118  needs be comprised of a penetrable material so that the contents of container  100  can be in flow communication with aperture  122  in top wall  114 . When a foil layer is used, it is important that it not completely surround RFID  116  so that it does not interfere with reading RFID  116 . Alternatively, glue or other adhesive may be applied to the upper surface of liner  118  for adhesion of seal liner  118  into the closure  100 . Additionally, RFID  116  may become integral with closure  100  by being melted or glued within top wall  114 . Alternatively, no glue may be needed to hold liner  118  or RFID  116  in the closure. Most closures are comprised of a thermoplastic material and are made through a molding process. RFID  116  may become integral with closure  100  by forcefully applying RFID  116  to closure  100  while closure  100  is still in a flowing state after the molding process. RFID  116  may become affixed and integral with closure  100 , preventing tampering, by a variety of other methods such as double-sided heat sealing, epoxy, ultra sound welding, making RFID a non-removable permanent part of closure  100 . With many of these methods it is not necessary to have seal  118  to make RFID  116  integral with closure  100 , making seal  118  optional. 
       FIG. 2  shows non-removable pull-top closure  200  having RFID  216  integral with top wall  214 . Closure  200  optionally has plug  218  hingidly attached to top wall  214  for sealing a cavity in top wall  214 . The optional cavity formed in top wall  214  optionally circumscribes a portion of RFID  216  where plug  218  is attached. RFID  216  is made integral with closure  200  where plug  218  is attached within top wall  214  with adhesives, heat, or other means to form closure  200  having RFID  216  integral within top wall  214 . Depending from the top wall  214  is dispensing post  222  having movable seal  224  forming a pull-top closure. Movable seal  224  has bead seal  227  depending from an inner annular wall which cooperates with bead seal  226  depending from an outer annular wall of post  222 . Optionally, RFID  216  may reside against dispensing post  222  within a pocket in top wall  214 . Closure  200  has annular depending side wall  210  with helical thread  212  depending from an inner surface thereof. Side wall  210  has closure retainer  220  depending radially from the open end opposite top wall  214  in the form of ramps. Closure retainer  220  cooperates with locking ramps depending radially from a lower outer surface of a container neck for locking closure  200  onto a container making closure  200  a non-removable closure. Alternatively, closure  200  could be held to a container with mechanical grips, crimping of closure  200 , adhesives, heat or induction sealing. 
       FIG. 3  shows closure  300  having RFID  316  integral with side wall  310 . Closure  300  is a dispensing closure having top wall  314  of a dome like configuration with a central aperture. Top wall  314  has annular depending side wall  310  with helical thread  312  depending from an inner surface thereof. Side wall  310  has closure retainer  320  depending axially from the open end opposite top wall  314  for engaging container neck retaining ring  322  making closure  300  a non-removable closure. Closure  350  has depending sealing post  318  which seals the central aperture in top wall  314  when in a sealing position. Container  350  has sealing ring  360  depending from container neck  352  which seals with an inner annular surface of top wall  314 . Top wall  314  is formed around RFID  316 . This is typically accomplished by providing a mold assembly, including a male and female mold part which together defines a mold cavity. Closure formation can be effected by either injection molding or compression molding, as is known in the art. RFID  316  is positioned within the mold cavity and can be maintained in position prior to closure molding such as by the application of a vacuum to RFID  316 . Closure  300 , typically comprising a polymeric material, is then molded within the mold cavity so that closure  300  is molded generally about RFID  316  which is thus embedded in and integrated with closure  300 . 
       FIG. 4  shows non-removable closure  400  having RFID  416  integral with top wall  422 . Closure  400  has top wall  422  formed around RFID  416 . Side wall  410  has closure retainer  420  depending inward from a lower edge thereof for engaging an outwardly depending ring about the neck of a closure. Optional band  428  is shown circumscribing an outer lower surface of side wall  410  and may be applied in the event additional constricting support is needed to cause closure  400  to be a non-removable closure. Band  428  is optional and may be of a polymeric material or may be a metallic crimp on band. Closure  400  is of a push-on type having flip-top  422 . Flip-top  422  is hingedly retained by strap or hinge  412  to side wall  410  and functions as a top wall when sealed to side wall  410 . Flip-top  422  seals to side wall  410  with inward depending top wall seal  430  cooperating with outward depending side wall seal  426 . Also shown here is optional ring gasket  424  for sealing top wall  422  to side wall  410 . 
       FIG. 5  shows non-removable closure  500  having RFID  516  integral with top wall  522 . Closure  500  has top wall  522  in the form of a ring formed around RFID  416 . Top wall  522  is retained onto container neck  510  by induction heat sealing thereto where the foil layer  524  forms a penetrable part of a top wall. In a preferred embodiment, foil seal  524  is placed over container neck  510 , top wall  522  having RFID  516  integral therein is inductively heat sealed to container neck  510  forming non-removable closure  500  sealing container neck  510  wherein top wall  522  has RFID  516  integral therein and has a penetrable portion formed with foil seal  524 . 
       FIG. 6  shows closure  600  having an inner non-removable closure  610  and an outer removable closure  611 . Non-removable closure  610  has RFID  616  integral therein. Removable closure  611  has top wall  625  with a depending annular side wall having helical thread  613  depending therefrom. Non-removable closure  610  has an annular depending side wall formed around RFID  616 . Non-removable closure  610  has top wall  624  with an opening therein. Closure  624  may become non-removable by adhering top wall  624  to container neck  660  of container  650  by inductive heat sealing with foil disk  618 . Alternatively, closure  610  may become non-removable by adhering the side wall of closure  610  to container neck  660  with an adhesive or inductive heat seal  619 . Either means of making closure  610  non-removable on container neck  660  first involves cooperating outer container neck threads  664  with inner annular threads  612  on non-removable closure  610 . 
     The present invention is of a non-removable closure having an integral RFID. The foregoing detailed description is given primarily for clearness of understanding and no unnecessary limitations are to be understood therefrom and modifications will become obvious to those skilled in the art upon reading the disclosure and may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims. The figures show several embodiments of non-removable closures such as dispensing, flop-top, and pull-top closures. This is not to be considered an exhaustive list of non-removable closures as other non-removable closures are considered to be within the scope of the present invention. Additionally, the embodiments of integral means and placement of an RFID within a closure are not to be considered as exhaustive as other means and placement of an RFID within a closure is within the scope of the present invention.