Abstract:
A tamper-evident container is disclosed. The tamper-evident container includes a containing base, a lid, and a release structure. The lid is fixed to the containing base for closing. The release structure is disposed at the lid or the containing base. The release structure comprises a break line and at least one hole. The hole is disposed on the break line and the break line is for separating the lid from the containing base.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The application claims priority to Taiwan Application Serial Number 102200301, filed Jan. 7, 2013, which is herein incorporated by reference. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    1. Field of Invention 
         [0003]    The present disclosure relates to a container. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a tamper-evident container. 
         [0004]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0005]    Tamper-evident containers are containers hardly opened after closing and users need to open them in a predetermined way. In other words, signs on the tamper-evident containers will be shown if someone tries to open them in a non-predetermined way. Therefore, the tamper-evident containers can prevent goods contained therein from stolen that is also the reason why they are widely used in hypermarkets nowadays. 
         [0006]    Conventional tamper-evident containers may have a security tape or a detachable strip. If someone does not open the conventional tamper-evident containers via removing the security tape or detaching the detachable strip, a distortion trace will be left on the conventional tamper-evident containers. 
         [0007]    However, there would be litter left when buyers take goods out from the conventional tamper-evident containers by removing the security tape or detaching the detachable strip, and such litter would be a burden of environment. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0008]    According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a tamper-evident container includes a containing base, a lid, and a release structure. The lid is fixed to the containing base for closing. The release structure is disposed at the lid or the containing base. The release structure includes a break line and at least one hole. The hole is disposed on the break line and the break line is for separating the lid from the containing base. 
         [0009]    According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a tamper-evident container includes a containing base, a lid, a hinge, and a release structure. The lid is fixed to the containing base for closing. The hinge connects the lid and the containing base. The release structure is disposed at the hinge. The release structure includes a break line and at least one hole. The hole is disposed on the break line and the break line is for separating the lid from the containing base. 
         [0010]    According to still another aspect of the present disclosure a tamper-evident container includes a containing base, a lid, a hinge, and a release structure. The lid is fixed to the containing base for closing. The hinge connects the lid and the containing base. The release structure is disposed at the hinge. The release structure includes a break line and a plurality of holes. The holes are disposed on the break line and the break line is for separating the lid from the containing base. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    The disclosure can be more fully understood by reading the following detailed description of the embodiment, with reference made to the accompanying drawings as follows: 
           [0012]      FIG. 1  is an exploded view of a tamper-evident container according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0013]      FIG. 2A  is a three dimensional view of the tamper-evident container of  FIG. 1  after closing; 
           [0014]      FIG. 2B  is a partial cross-sectional view of the tamper-evident container taken along the line A-A of  FIG. 2A ; 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is a schematic view showing the lid separated from the containing base of the tamper-evident container of  FIG. 2A ; 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  is a three dimensional view of a tamper-evident container according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0017]      FIG. 5  is a three dimensional view of the tamper-evident container of  FIG. 4  from another perspective; 
           [0018]      FIG. 6  is a schematic view showing the lid separated from the containing base of the tamper-evident container of  FIG. 5 ; 
           [0019]      FIG. 7  is a three dimensional view of a tamper-evident container according to the third embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0020]      FIG. 8  is a three dimensional view of a tamper-evident container according to the fourth embodiment of the present disclosure. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0021]      FIG. 1  is an exploded view of a tamper-evident container  100  according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.  FIG. 2A  is a three dimensional view of the tamper-evident container  100  of  FIG. 1  after closing.  FIG. 2B  is a partial cross-sectional view of the tamper-evident container  100  taken along the line A-A of  FIG. 2A . In  FIGS. 1 ,  2 A and  2 B, the tamper-evident container  100  includes a lid  110 , a containing base  120 , and a release structure  130 . The lid  110  is fixed to the containing base  120  for dosing the containing base  120  in order to prevent the tamper-evident container  100  opened in a non-predetermined way. The release structure  130  is disposed at the lid  110 . The release structure  130  includes a break line  131  and three holes  132 . The holes  132  are disposed on the break line  131 . 
         [0022]    Once the lid  110  fixes to and doses the containing base  120 , the tamper-evident container  100  is almost unable to be opened unless a predetermined way is taken. The predetermined way to open the tamper-evident container  100  is to use the release structure  130 . The manner the lid  110  fixes to and closes the containing base  120  may be snapping (as  FIG. 2B  shown), latching, sealing and so on. 
         [0023]      FIG. 3  is a schematic view showing the lid  110  separated from the containing base  120  of the tamper-evident container  100  of  FIG. 2A . In  FIG. 3 , users separate the lid  110  from the containing base  120  by the release structure  130 . In detail, users may put their fingers in the holes  132  and break the break line  131  to separate the lid  110  from the containing base  120 , or users may press the edge of the holes  132  to break the break line  131  and then pull the lid  110 . When the tamper-evident container  100  is opened in the predetermined way, there would be no lifter left but the lid  110  and the containing base  120  only. Thus, the tamper-evident container  100  is more convenient to users and also environmentally-friendly. On the other hand, the tamper-evident container  100  may be made of polylactic acid to further reduce the burden of environment. 
         [0024]      FIG. 4  is a three dimensional view of a tamper-evident container  200  according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure, and  FIG. 5  is a three dimensional view of the tamper-evident container  200  of  FIG. 4  from another perspective. In  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the tamper-evident container  200  includes a lid  210 , a containing base  220 , and a release structure  230 . The lid  210  is fixed to the containing base  220  for closing the containing base  220  in order to prevent the tamper-evident container  200  opened in a non-predetermined way. The tamper-evident container  200  is integrally formed. The containing base  220  includes two tabs  221  and the release structure  230  is disposed at the containing base  220 . The release structure  230  includes a break line  231  and two holes  232 . The holes  232  are disposed at the break line  231  and each of the holes  232  is opposite to each of the tabs  221 . Once the lid  210  fixes to and closes the containing base  220 , the tamper-evident container  200  is almost unable to be opened unless a predetermined way is taken. The manner the lid  210  fixes to and closes the containing base  220  is the same as the description in the first embodiment. 
         [0025]      FIG. 6  is a schematic view showing the lid  210  separated from the containing base  220  of the tamper-evident container  200  of  FIG. 5 . In  FIG. 6 , users may put their fingers in the holes  232  and break the break line  231  to separate the lid  210  from the containing base  220 , or users may press the edge of the holes  232  to break the break line  231  and then pull the lid  210 . Further, users may also choose to hold the tabs  221  to break the break line  231  so as to separate the lid  210  from the containing base  220 . When the tamper-evident container  200  is opened by the release structure  230 , there would be no litter left but the lid  210  and the containing base  220  only. Thus, the tamper-evident container  200  is more convenient to users and also environmentally-friendly. 
         [0026]      FIG. 7  is a three dimensional view of a tamper-evident container  300  according to the third embodiment of the present disclosure. In  FIG. 7 , the tamper-evident container  300  includes a lid  310 , a containing base  320 , a release structure  330 , and hinge  340 . The lid  310  is fixed to the containing base  320  for closing the containing base  320  in order to prevent the tamper-evident container  300  opened in a non-predetermined way. The hinge  340  connects the lid  310  and the containing base  320 . The tamper-evident container  300  is integrally formed. The release structure  330  is disposed at the hinge  340 . The release structure  330  includes a break line  331  and two holes  332 . The holes  332  are disposed at the break line  331 . Once the lid  310  fixes to and closes the containing base  320 , the tamper-evident container  300  is almost unable to be opened unless a predetermined way is taken. 
         [0027]    As the first embodiment, the manner the lid  310  fixes to and closes the containing base  320  may be snapping, latching, sealing and so on. Users separate the lid  310  from the containing base  320  by breaking the break line  331 . In detail, when users break the break line  311  disposed on the hinge  340 , the hinge  340  broken provides an adequate area for users to grasp or hold so as to separate the lid  310  from the containing base  320 . There would be no litter left but the lid  310  and the containing base  320  only when the tamper-evident container  300  is opened by the release structure  330 . Thus, the tamper-evident container  300  is more convenient to users and also environmentally-friendly. On the other hand, the tamper-evident container  300  may be made of polylactic acid to further reduce the burden of environment. 
         [0028]      FIG. 8  is a three dimensional view of a tamper-evident container  400  according to the fourth embodiment of the present disclosure. In  FIG. 8 , the tamper-evident container  400  includes a lid  410 , a containing base  420 , a release structure  430 , and hinge  440 . The lid  410  is fixed to the containing base  420  for closing the containing base  420  in order to prevent the tamper-evident container  400  opened in a non-predetermined way. The hinge  440  connects the lid  410  and the containing base  420 . The tamper-evident container  400  is integrally formed. The hinge  440  includes two tabs  441  and the release structure  430  is disposed at the hinge  440 . The release structure  430  includes a break line  431  and two holes  432 . The holes  432  are disposed at the break line  431  and each of the holes  432  is opposite to each of the tabs  441 . Once the lid  410  fixes to and closes the containing base  420 , the tamper-evident container  400  is almost unable to be opened unless a predetermined way is taken. 
         [0029]    As the first embodiment, the manner the lid  410  fixes to and closes the containing base  420  may be snapping, latching, sealing and so on. Users separate the lid  410  from the containing base  420  by breaking the break line  431 , for example, users may grasp or hold the tabs  441  to break the break line  431  and separate the lid  410  and the containing base  420 . There would be no litter left but the lid  410  and the containing base  420  only when the tamper-evident container  400  is opened by the release structure  430 . Thus, the tamper-evident container  400  is more convenient to users and also environmentally-friendly. On the other hand the tamper-evident container  400  may be made of polylactic acid to further reduce the burden of environment. 
         [0030]    In other embodiments of the disclosure, the shape, the size, or the amount of the holes may be increased or decreased as needed as long as users can break the break line by them. For example, the shape of the holes may be ellipse, circle, or polygon. The size or the amount of the holes may depend on the size of the tamper-evident container. Moreover, the break line may be straight or other geometries and the break line may consist of a series of aligned cuts or a series of curved cuts. If the release structure is disposed at the lid, the holes and the tabs opposite to the holes may be obtained by making a cut in an arc on the lid and then folding the cut area. The holes and the tabs opposite to the holes at the containing base or the hinge may be obtained in the same way. 
         [0031]    Although the present disclosure has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain embodiments thereof, other embodiments are possible. Therefore, their spirit and scope of the appended claims should no be limited to the description of the embodiments contained herein. 
         [0032]    It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the structure of the present disclosure without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. In view of the foregoing, it is intended that the present disclosure cover modifications and variations of this invention provided they fall within the scope of the following claims.