Abstract:
A dual tamper indicating closure with resealable pour spout for use on plastic bottles and the like. The closure has a first annular indicator band engageable on a portion of a bottle neck secured to the closure by a plurality of frangible elements thereabout. A second annular indicator band is engageable on a secondary top on the pour spout. The secondary cap has a opening within that selectively registers with a plug positioned above an aperture in the closure from which the pour spout extends. Movement of the secondary cap on the pour spout separates the annular indicator band from the secondary top allowing access to the pour spout.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     This device relates to tamper indicating closures for containers and the like requiring a push pull resealable tamper evident spout. 
     2. Description of Prior Art 
     Prior art closures of this type may be seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,104,008, 5,105,967, 4,940,003, 4,801,032, 4,589,561, 4,561,553, 4,500,016, 4,469,253, 3,902,621 4,084,716, 4,053,007, 4,034,882, 3,980,195, 3,963,139, 3,902,921, 3,682,345, and 3,504,818. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A dual tamper evident resealable closure for bottles that require a dual tamper evident configuration defining a first tamper evident band on the closure adjacent the neck portion of the bottle to indicate registering tampering of the enclosure of the closure and a second tamper evident configuration on a push pull resealable pour spout having an opening therein which is partially closed by a second top having a secondary opening therein and a plug space thereabove by upwardly angled legs formed integral with the closure. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-section through a portion of the resealable bottle cap with the push pull pour spout in an opened position; 
     FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-section through a portion of the resealable bottle cap with the push pull top in a closed position; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the resealable bottle cap; 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of the resealable bottle cap; 
     FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the resealable bottle cap; 
     FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the resealable bottle cap; and 
     FIG. 7 is a partial enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of the resealable bottle cap showing the bottle neck configuration. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings, a resealable bottle cap 10 can be seen having a push pull secondary closure 11 thereon and comprising a top portion 12 with an integral depending annular flange 13 extending therefrom. A plurality of circumferentially spaced frangible elements 14 extend from the lower edge of the depending flange 13 to a tamper evident ring 15 integrally molded with the closure. The annular ring 15 is of the same diameter as that of the annular flange 13 of the closure and has a plurality of circumferentially spaced inwardly facing arcuate projections 16 thereon. 
     Referring to FIGS. 1 and 7 of the drawings, it will be seen that the arcuate projections 16 are circumferentially spaced about the inner surface of said tamper evident ring 15 and are positioned so that they are engageable under an annular locking flange 17 on a bottle neck 18 as best seen in FIG. 7 of the drawings. 
     Referring now to FIG. 1 of the drawings, it will be seen that an opening 19 is formed in the center of the top portion 12 of the cap 12 with an upstanding cylindrical pour spout 20 positioned in registry with the opening 19. The upper end of the pour spout 20 having a secondary top portion 21 thereon which is apertured at 22. A plug 23 is positioned on the secondary top portion 21 in spaced relation to the aperture 22 by a plurality of circumferentially spaced angularly arranged upwardly extending legs 24. A push pull top cap 25 is positioned on the upstanding cylindrical pour spout 20 having a bottom portion 26 with a central opening 27 therein which registers with the plug 23 to form a secondary closure when the top cap 25 is in closed position as illustrated in FIG. 2 and resting on the secondary top portion 21 of the upstanding cylindrical pour spout 20. It will be seen that the top cap 25 has a depending cylindrical body member 28 with a plurality of annularly spaced frangible elements 29 connected on its lower perimeter edge to a secondary tamper indicating band 30. A plurality of upstanding stops 29A are positioned in spaced circumferential arrangement about the tamper evident band 30 between the frangible elements 29. The cylindrical body member 28 has a pair of vertically spaced inturned annular flanges 31 having tapered upper and lower surfaces 31A which slideably engage the outer surface of the upstanding cylindrical pour spout 20. The secondary tamper evident band 30 also has a tapered internal annular flange 32 which is slideably engaged at the exterior of the upstanding cylindrical pour spout 20. The upstanding cylindrical pour spout 20 has two outwardly extending annular flanges 33 and 34 respectively on the exterior thereof the flange 34 having a tapered top portion 34A. The flanges 31 being oppositely disposed with respect to the secondary top portion 21. The outwardly extending flange 34 positioned therebelow, above the top 12 of the cap 10 and being oppositely disposed and between the annular flanges 31 and 32 on the cylindrical body member 28 and secondary tamper evident band 30 respectively. 
     In assembled form as illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 6 of the drawings, the secondary tamper evident band 30 joined by the frangible elements 29 to the cylindrical body member 28 of the top cap 25 is incapable of moving upwardly due to the interengagement of the inturned flange 32 thereon with the outwardly extending flange 34 on the cylindrical pour spout 20 and thus the cylindrical body member 28 of the top cap 25 is encapable of vertical movement such as required to move the apertured top 26 thereabove the plug 23 until sufficient force is applied to the top cap 25 to break away the frangible elements 29 whereby the top cap 25 can move to the position illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawings wherein the opening 27 therein moves upwardly and away from the plug 23. The inturned annular flanges 31 on the cylindrical body member 28 cannot move above the outwardly extending annular flange 33 on the upstanding cylindrical pour spout 20 so that the top cap 25 cannot be removed therefrom. The upstanding stops 29A prevent compression and premature breakage of the frangible elements 29 prior to intended use. 
     Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 6 of the drawings, the tamper evident band 15 has a plurality of circumferentially spaced elevated areas 35 each of said elevated areas 35 positioned between said respective frangible elements 14 hereinbefore described. The elevated areas 35 extend from the tamper evident band 15 in spaced relation to the lower edge of the depending annular flange 13 of the resealable bottle cap 10 and provide selective support of the tamper evident band 15 to resist vertical movement imparted by the deflection of the tamper evident band 15 during insertion on the bottle neck 18 protecting the frangible elements 14 during assembly. 
     The elevated areas 35 also serve to protect the frangible elements 14 during the molding process (not shown) in the same manner as is well known to those skilled in the art. 
     Referring back to FIGS. 1, 2, and 7 of the drawings, the depending annular flange 13 has a inwardly extending spiral thread 36 from its interior annular surface 13A extending about a portion of the interior annular surface 13A terminating adjacent the top perimeter edge of said annular depending skirt 13 at 13B. The spiral thread 36 is registerable with a spiral thread 37 extending outwardly from the exterior of the neck portion 18, best seen in FIG. 7 of the drawings. Referring back to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the relative positioning of the spiral thread 36 and the projections 16 on the annular band 15 can be seen to be in a circumferentially spaced overlapping relationship imparting offsetting points of engagement with the respective registering counter parts of the locking annular flange 17 on the bottle neck 18. 
     A first annular depending sealing flange 38 extends downwardly from the closure top portion 12 in spaced relation to the depending annular skirt 13. A second sealing flange extends angularly inwardly from said top portion 12 adjacent said first sealing flange 38 defining a multiple sealing configuration against the neck portion 18 of the bottle during use. 
     Referring to FIG. 6 of the drawings, the push pull closure 10 may be seen in assembled condition as hereinbefore described in FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrating an outside rib surface 40 on the depending annular flange 13. 
     To remove the push pull closure cap 10 from the bottle neck 18, a counter-clockwise rotation of the cap 10 is required which will accordingly engage the respective registering spiral threads 36 and 37 moving the push pull closure 10 upwardly, breaking the frangible elements 14 connecting the tamper evident ring 16 to the cap&#39;s depending. annular flange 13 leaving the tamper evident ring 16 on the neck portion 18 below the locking flange 17 as will be well understood by those skilled in the art. 
     Thus, it will be seen that an improvement in a resealable bottle cap of the invention with a push pull closure and threaded tamper evident flexible plastic closure has been illustrated and described and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention.