Tamper evident container closure

A tamper evident closure construction is provided for use with a container of the type having a neck with a discharge orifice therein. The tamper evident closure construction includes a dispenser cap for controlling the dispensing of materials through the discharge orifice. The dispenser cap includes a base connected to the neck and a dispensing portion connected to the base. The tamper evident container closure construction also includes a container cap having a mounting portion adapted to be fastened directly to the neck of the container and a second dispensing portion connected by at least one tamper evident connection to the mounting portion. The at least one tamper evident connection is severable from the mounting portion to provide a visual indication of tampering. The second dispensing portion, when severed, is disposed for sliding movement with respect to the first dispensing portion to facilitate the dispensing of materials from the container. The mounting portion operates to secure and seal the base of the dispenser cap to the neck once assembled thereto.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to container closures and, more particularly, 
to a tamper evident container closure construction of the type providing 
indication of previous opening and possible tampering with a container's 
contents. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
In recent years there has been an emphasis on ensuring that the dispensing 
(neck) openings of containers are provided with tamper evident closures 
and, more particularly, closures that are resistant to opening and which, 
when opened, provide an indication of such opening. A known type of tamper 
evident closure construction includes multi-part cap closures, whereby an 
outer or upper portion of a dispenser cap, which encloses a container 
dispenser opening, is provided with tamper evident frangible or snap-fit 
connections. A base cap, which is usually unitary with the dispenser cap, 
is further provided that encloses the cylindrical neck of the container 
and incorporates a second tamper evident feature. 
One such multi-part cap closure is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,104,008 to 
Crisci. The Crisci dispenser cap is a push-pull type dispenser cap 
consisting of an outer valve portion, an inner valve portion and a base 
cap portion formed unitary with the inner valve portion and enclosing the 
neck. The outer valve portion substantially encloses the inner valve 
portion and is provided with frangible elements which are broken when 
forcibly moving the outer valve portion upwardly relative to the inner 
valve portion. Once the frangible elements are broken, an integral ring 
connected thereby to the outer valve portion is severed providing a visual 
indication that the dispenser cap has been previously opened to permit the 
contents of the bottle to be used. The base cap portion includes a tear 
tab which functions to provide a second indication of tampering when an 
attempt has been made to remove the dispenser cap so as to refill or 
change the contents of the container. Any attempt to remove the dispenser 
cap, tamper with the container contents and then re-attach the dispenser 
cap, would be readily detected. While the tamper evident feature of the 
base portion is useful, the unitary construction of the base portion and 
the inner dispensing portion does not adequately seal and secure the 
dispenser to the neck of the container. An improved closure is therefore 
sought which provides for more secure enclosure of the container neck and 
which is of simple construction. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved 
tamper evident closure construction for use with a container which is 
economical and easy to manufacture. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide a dispenser cap at 
least a portion of which is snap-fitted to a container cap, the latter 
having at least a first tamper evident element and being of the type 
securely sealing the dispenser cap to the mouth (opening) of the neck. The 
container cap may further be provided with a second tamper evident 
element. The first tamper evident element indicates prior access to the 
dispensing portion of a dispenser cap connected to a container's neck, 
while the other tamper evident element indicates possible tampering with 
the container's contents by way of removal of the dispenser cap from the 
neck. 
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a tamper 
evident closure construction wherein the dispenser cap is secured to the 
container neck, such that removal of the dispenser cap from the neck can 
only be accomplished by first removing the container cap as well as the 
tamper evident element associated therewith. 
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a tamper 
evident closure construction including a dispenser cap having a base which 
does not extend over the outside surface of the container neck but, 
instead, is snap-fitted into a container cap, which container cap includes 
a skirt that is threaded (or snap-fitted) into position over the outside 
surface of the container neck. The closure cap skirt integrally 
incorporates both a tamper evident feature as well as a means for 
attaching the container cap and dispenser cap to the container. 
These and other features of the invention are attained by providing a 
tamper evident closure construction for use with a container of the type 
having a discharge orifice therein. The tamper evident closure 
construction includes a dispenser cap for controlling the dispensing of 
materials through the discharge orifice. The dispenser cap, in turn, 
includes a base connected to the neck and a dispensing portion connected 
to the base. The tamper evident container closure construction also 
includes a container cap having a mounting portion adapted to be fastened 
directly to the neck of the container and a second dispensing portion 
connected by at least one tamper evident connection to the mounting 
portion. The at least one tamper evident connection is severable from the 
mounting portion to provide a visual indication of tampering. The second 
dispensing portion, when severed, is disposed for sliding movement with 
respect to the first dispensing portion to facilitate the dispensing of 
materials from the container. The mounting portion operates to secure and 
seal the base of the dispenser cap to the neck once assembled thereto. 
The container cap provides an indication of tampering, in accordance with a 
first embodiment, by way of a skirt threadedly engageable with the neck 
and a breakaway tamperband on the skirt engageable with the neck to resist 
unscrewing of the skirt from the neck. Unscrewing of the skirt from the 
neck severs the breakaway tamperband from the skirt and provides a visual 
indication of tampering. 
Alternatively, in a second preferred embodiment of the tamper evident 
closure construction, indication of tampering is achieved by way of an 
abutment on the container cap which, during initial assembly, is 
disposable in snap-fit engagement with a groove on the neck of the 
container. Any attempted disengagement or prying off of the container 
closure cap from the neck of the container would cause deformation of the 
container closure cap and provide a visual indication of tampering. 
Preferably, the at least one tamper evident connection consists of a 
plurality of frangible webs and the first and second dispensing portions 
are the inner and outer valve members, respectively, of a push-pull type 
dispenser. 
The invention consists of certain novel features and a combination of parts 
hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and 
particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that 
various changes in the details may be made without departing from the 
spirit, or sacrificing any of the advantages of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Referring to FIGS. 1-4, there is illustrated a tamper evident closure 
construction, generally designated by the numeral 10, constructed in 
accordance with and embodying the features of a first embodiment of the 
present invention. FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of tamper evident 
closure construction 10 in its fully assembled form for use with a 
container 100 to be described below in connection with FIG. 4. 
As is best shown in FIG. 2, the tamper evident closure construction 10 is 
of a two-part construction, including a container cap 20 and a dispenser 
cap 50, the latter comprising an upstanding dispenser cap portion 51 and a 
base portion 52. The two caps 20 and 50 cooperate to provide container 100 
with a tamper evident dispenser cap, which not only allows the contents of 
container 100 to be dispensed in the manner to be described below, but 
also includes two telltale indications of possible tampering with the 
container contents. 
Tamper evident container cap 20 includes a dispenser cap cover portion 21 
and a neck mounting portion 22. Cover portion 21 includes a cylindrical 
side wall 24 and a circular end wall 25, which cooperate to define an 
inner cavity 26 which communicates with an opening 27 in end wall 25. 
Extending radially inwardly approximately midway along the length of the 
cylindrical wall 24 is a circumferential bead 27a. Mounting portion 22 is 
generally cylindrical in shape and includes a cylindrical skirt 28, of 
greater diameter than cylindrical wall 24 of cover portion 21, with an 
internal screw thread 29. A radially inwardly extending annular flange 30 
is integral with the skirt 28 at its upper end and has an inner diameter 
slightly greater than the diameter of the cover portion cylindrical wall 
24. A radially inwardly extending circumferential bead 31 is formed along 
an inner annular surface 32 of threaded skirt 28 between the flange 30 and 
the upper end of the thread 29. A plurality of circumferentially spaced 
frangible webs 33 extend between an open end 34 of cover portion 
cylindrical wall 24 and an inner edge 35 of annular flange 30, being 
integral with each for joining the dispenser cover portion 21 to the 
mounting portion 22 a slight distance above the flange 30. Between 
frangible webs 33 are slots 36. 
Joined to an open end 37 of skirt 28 is a tamperband 38, consisting of a 
series of circumferentially arranged frangible connectors 39 separated by 
small spaces 40, and a removable ring 41 coaxial with the skirt 28, the 
connectors 39 extending axially from the skirt 28 to the ring 41 and being 
integral with each. 
The dispenser cap 50, comprised of the upstanding dispenser cap portion 51 
and the base portion 52, is the inner valve member of a push-pull 
dispenser cap, with the severable dispenser cover portion 21 of container 
cap 20 corresponding to the outer valve member of the push-pull dispenser 
cap. The inner and outer valve members of the push-pull cap are movable 
axially between open and closed conditions, the range of motion relative 
to one another being limited by the cooperation of circumferential bead 
27a formed on the inside surface of cylindrical wall 24 of dispenser cover 
portion 21 within an annular recess 53 provided on the outside surface of 
a circular wall 54 of upstanding dispenser cap portion 51. Although not 
shown, the upper end 55 of circular wall 54 includes one or more openings 
which allow the contents of the container 100 to flow through the 
upstanding portion 51 out through the opening 27 of dispenser cap cover 
portion 21. 
Push-pull dispensing caps are well known and will not be described further, 
except to explain the unique construction of the base portion 52 which has 
been dimensioned to be snap-fitted into engagement with the mounting 
portion 22 of container cap 20 by the cooperation of flange 30 and bead 
31. More specifically, base 52 consists of a flat annular wall 56 integral 
with an inclined annular wall 57 of approximately equal thickness. An 
annular wedge 58 depends from annular wall 56. An outer edge surface 59 of 
annular wall 56 is partially rounded and the wall 56 is dimensioned to 
snap past the bead 31 into snap-fit engagement with mounting portion 22 
between the flange 30 and the bead 31. The annular wall 56 is dimensioned 
to fit beneath the annular flange 30, with the inclined wall 57 disposed 
beneath the frangible webs 33 and slots 36 (see FIG. 4). 
The tamper evident closure construction 10 shown in FIGS. 1-4 is intended 
to be used with container 100, one construction of which is shown in FIG. 
4 in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention. 
Container 100 could be any container having a neck 101 defining a 
discharge orifice 102. Neck 101 is defined by a cylindrical wall 103 with 
external threads 104 which are configured for threaded engagement with 
threaded skirt 28 of container cap mounting portion 22. The distal end of 
neck 101 defines a lip 106 which is dimensioned so as to be cooperatively 
received in a wedge fit between annular wedge 58 and bead 31. Annular 
wedge 58 is sloped to allow lip 106 to slide into position against the 
inner surface of wall 56 when the tamper evident closure construction 10 
is screwed on neck 101. This assures a secure fit and a tight seal between 
the container 100 and the dispenser cap 50. Also, when the push-pull 
dispenser cap valve members 21, 50 are in the closed position, as shown in 
FIG. 4, the container's contents are protected against ambient conditions. 
Adjacent to the bottom of neck 101, an annular groove 107 is formed in its 
outer surface dimensioned to matably receive the removable ring 41 of 
tamperband 38 in snap-fitted engagement during assembly of the tamper 
evident closure construction 10 to container 100. 
In an alternative embodiment, shown in FIG. 5, a mounting portion 22', 
having a cylindrical non-threaded skirt 48, is substituted for the 
threaded skirt 28 of mounting portion 22 of container cap 20, for 
engagement with a non-threaded neck 108 of a container 100'. Non-threaded 
neck 108 is provided adjacent to the bottom thereof with an annular groove 
109 in its outer surface, dimensioned to matingly receive in snap-fit 
engagement a curved, circumferential abutment 49, provided at a bottom end 
of non-threaded neck 108, during assembly of the tamper evident closure 
construction 10' to neck 108. With the exception of structural differences 
described above in connection with the mounting portions 22 and 22' of the 
respective first and second embodiments, the two embodiments of the 
present invention are otherwise identical. 
Tamper evident container cap 20, as well as dispenser cap 50, may be 
constructed from plastic or like material and injection molded into the 
shape generally shown in the drawings, so that the container cap 20 is of 
unitary, one-piece construction. 
The assembly of tamper evident closure construction 10, of the first 
embodiment of the present invention, to container 100 will now be 
described in greater detail. Initially, dispenser cap 50 is assembled with 
the container cap 20 by snapping the base portion 52 of dispenser cap 50 
into engagement with mounting portion 22, as explained above, and 
disposing, in snap fit engagement, the dispenser cap cover portion 21 
(outer valve member) over the upstanding dispenser cap portion 51 (inner 
valve member), as is best shown in FIG. 4. 
Once the dispenser cap 50 is snap-fitted inside the unitary, one-piece, 
container cap 20, the whole structure is assembled to the neck 101 of 
container 100 in the manner shown in FIG. 4. Initially, the container cap 
20 is threaded onto the externally threaded cylindrical wall 103 of neck 
101 until the removable ring 41, which is integral with the mounting 
portion 22, is brought into snap-fit engagement with the annular groove 
107. As this occurs, lip 106 of neck 101 will be caused to become securely 
engaged below wall 56 and between annular wedge 58 and the bead 31. The 
tight-fit arrangement of dispenser cap 50 and container cap 20 to 
container neck 101 results in a secure and leak-proof container 
construction incorporating two very different tamper evident features. 
The first tamper evident feature is provided by a fracture line defined by 
frangible webs 33. Upon application of an upward or rotational force to 
the dispenser cap cover portion 21, as by manually grasping the same and 
pulling the cover portion 21 upwardly away from the mounting portion 22 or 
twisting it, the cover portion 21 will become separated from the mounting 
portion 22 as the frangible webs 33 are broken. Once the cover portion 21 
is severed, a visible indication of possible tampering is provided. When 
severed, the cover portion 21 (outer valve member) is manually accessible 
for sliding movement relative to the dispenser cap portion 51 (inner valve 
member) for normal operation as a push-pull dispenser. Once opened, the 
contents of container 100 can be dispensed therethrough. However, because 
the base portion of dispenser cap 50 remains engaged between mounting 
portion 22 and lip 106 of neck 101, even after dispenser cap cover portion 
21 is broken off, refilling the container may not be possible. A broken 
cover portion 21 serves as an indication that the container 100 may not be 
entirely full and/or that the contents may have been tampered with. 
Any effort to unscrew the mounting portion 22, so as to remove the 
dispenser cap 50 entirely, will cause frangible connectors 39 of 
tamperband 38 to break, causing removable ring 41 to become separated from 
cylindrical threaded skirt 28. The separated ring 41 provides the second 
tamper evident feature of tampering. When the removable ring 41 is 
separated from the skirt 28 and the mounting portion 22 unscrewed so as to 
be removed from the neck 101, dispenser cap 50 which is snap-fitted onto 
the cylindrical threaded skirt 28, will ultimately also become disengaged 
from the neck 101. In this way, the contents of the container are 
accessible and can be tampered with. Thereafter, the mounting portion 22 
and dispenser cap 50 can be screwed back onto the neck 101 for reuse with 
container 100. 
The absence or, alternatively, the detachment of removable ring 41 from 
mounting portion 22 serves as an indication of possible tampering with the 
container's contents. This is true whether or not the dispenser cap cover 
portion 21 is affixed to the mounting portion 22. Thus, if the removable 
ring 41 appears loose, or is missing, a purchaser of the container 100 
will be forewarned that its contents may have been tampered with. 
Similarly, if frangible webs 33 are broken, a purchaser will quickly 
recognize that some of the container's contents already may have been 
dispensed or previously tampered with. 
Alternatively, in the second preferred embodiment, shown in FIG. 5, tamper 
evident closure construction 10' is adapted for snap-fit engagement with 
the non-threaded neck 108 of the container 100'. Assembly of dispenser cap 
50 within inner cavity 26 of dispenser cap cover portion 21, as well as 
within mounting portion 22', which mounting portion 22', is provided with 
a non-threaded cylindrical non-threaded skirt 48, is substantially as 
explained previously in connection with the description of mounting 
portion 22 of the first preferred embodiment. Tamper evident closure 
construction 10' is applied to container 100' simply by pressing it down 
to a position where curved abutment 49 snaps into the annular groove 109 
on the neck 108. As in the first embodiment, a secure and tight fit 
engagement among the container 100' and the tamper evident closure 
construction 10' is assured by the cooperation of annular wedge 58, lip 
106, and cylindrical non-threaded skirt 48 of mounting portion 22'. Any 
attempted disengagement, or prying off, of mounting portion 22' from neck 
108, would cause deformation of mounting portion 22' providing an instant 
visual indication of tampering. 
The second preferred embodiment differs from the first to the extent that 
the second tamper evident feature of the second embodiment is intended for 
use with containers whose contents are not intended to be replenished or 
changed. By contrast, the second tamper evident feature of the first 
preferred embodiment is intended to be used with containers, such as water 
bottles and the like, whose contents a purchaser would expect to replenish 
or change. 
In both preferred embodiments, the first tamper evident feature, provided 
by frangible webs 33 which integrally join the dispenser cap cover portion 
21 to the mounting portion 22 (22'), allows access to the contents of a 
container when the cover portion 21 is broken off, while leaving intact a 
second tamper evident feature, namely that provided by tamperband 38 (or 
by abutment 49), which provides an alternate indication of tampering, such 
as when an attempt has been made to remove the mounting portion 22 (22') 
so as to refill or change the contents of the container 100 (100'). 
It is envisioned that, while the second embodiment of FIG. 5 has been 
described as having a non-threaded container neck construction, a threaded 
neck construction--all else the same--can be substituted therefor without 
affecting the tamper evident nature of mounting portion 22' as described 
hereinabove. 
From the foregoing, it can be seen that there has been provided an improved 
tamper evident container closure construction of the type provided with a 
push-pull type dispenser cap, which is economical, easy to manufacture, 
easily engageable with an appropriately sized neck of a container, and 
which provides two different telltale indications of tampering of a 
container's contents. 
While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and 
described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and 
modifications may be made without departing from the invention in its 
broader aspects. Therefore, the aim in the appended claims is to cover all 
such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of 
the invention. The matter set forth in the foregoing description and 
accompanying drawings is offered by way of illustration only and not as a 
limitation. The actual scope of the invention is intended to be defined in 
the following claims when viewed in their proper perspective based on the 
prior art.