Patent Publication Number: US-2021179323-A1

Title: Tamper Evident Closure

Description:
PRIORITY CLAIM 
     This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/946,651, filed Dec. 11, 2019, which is expressly incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates generally to a closure, and more specifically to a tamper evident and child resistant closure for a container. 
     BACKGROUND 
     It is often desirable to store product or contents in a container or package. It is often desirable to close the container with a closure. A closure may be provided with tamper evident and child resistant features. 
     SUMMARY 
     Certain embodiments according to the present disclosure provide a closure with tamper evident and child resistant features and/or a package including such a closure and a container. 
     In one aspect, for instance, a closure for a bottle is provided, with the closure having an inner shell and an outer shell. The inner shell includes at least one inner lug. The outer shell includes at least one outer lug. The outer lug is movable relative to the inner lug between an engaged position and a disengaged position. In the disengaged position, the outer lug is able to rotate past the inner lug when rotated in an opening direction. In the engaged position the outer lug engages the inner lug when rotated in an opening direction to cause opening direction rotation of the inner shell. A tamper band is included, which extends downwardly from a skirt of the inner shell. The tamper band includes a portion that extends radially inwardly to engage a bead of the bottle. 
     In another aspect, for instance, a closure for a bottle is provided and the closure includes an inner shell and an outer shell. The inner shell includes at least one inner lug. The outer shell includes at least one outer lug. The outer lug is axially movable relative to the inner lug between an engaged position and a disengaged position. In the disengaged position the outer lug is axially displaced relative to the inner lug such that the outer lug is able to rotate past the inner lug when rotated in an opening direction. In the engaged position, the outer lug is at least partially circumferentially aligned with the inner lug such that the outer lug engages the inner lug when rotated in an opening direction to cause opening direction rotation of the inner shell. A tamper band is included that extends downwardly from a skirt of the inner shell. The tamper band includes a portion that extends radially inwardly to engage a bead of the bottle. 
     In yet another aspect, for instance, a package is provided that includes a container having a product storage region and a neck defining an opening, and a container having an inner shell and an outer shell. The inner shell includes at least one inner lug. The outer shell includes at least one outer lug. The outer lug is movable relative to the inner lug between an engaged position and a disengaged position. In the disengaged position the outer lug is able to rotate past the inner lug when rotated in an opening direction. In the engaged position the outer lug engages the inner lug when rotated in an opening direction to cause opening direction rotation of the inner shell. A tamper band is included that extends downwardly from a skirt of the inner shell. The tamper band includes a portion that extends radially inwardly to engage a bead of the container. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Embodiments now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all embodiments may be shown. Indeed, embodiments may be illustrated or described in many different forms and the present disclosure should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout, and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of a closure shown partially cut away to show internal features of the closure in more detail; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of an outer shell for use in the closure shown in  FIG. 1 , shown partially cut away to show the inside of the outer shell in more detail; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of an inner shell for use in the closure shown in  FIG. 1 , shown partially cut away to show the inside of the inner shell in more detail; 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a cross section side view of an embodiment of a closure coupled to the neck of a bottle to form a package; 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a cross section side view of the closure of  FIG. 4  without the bottle; 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a cross section perspective view the inner shell of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 7  illustrates a cross section perspective view of the outer shell of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a top view of a portion of the inner shell, illustrating an embodiment of an inner shell lug. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Embodiments now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all embodiments may be shown. Indeed, embodiments may take many different forms and the present disclosure should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather. As used in the specification, and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a”, “an”, “the”, include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. 
     The terms “substantial” or “substantially” may encompass the whole as specified, according to certain embodiments, or largely but not the whole specified according to other embodiments. 
     Some embodiments of a package  5  may include a closure  20  coupled to a bottle  10 , such as is shown for example in  FIG. 1 . Closure  20  may include an inner shell  200  that is configured to couple to bottle  10 , for example at or near neck  11 , and an outer shell  100  that is configured to couple to inner shell  200 . The coupled combination of outer shell  100  and inner shell  200  may substantially form closure  20 . A liner  30  may be included, for example, to provide additional sealing between inner shell  200  and bottle  10  or for any other reason. Liner  30  may be a foil seal or plastic film, for example, which may be removably sealed to neck  11  to cover an opening  13  and/or a product storage region  18 . 
     Closure  20  may include a tamper evident feature such as a tamper band  230 , which may be located at or near a lower portion of inner shell  200 , for example. Inner shell  200  may be rotatably coupled to bottle  10 , for example, by the cooperation of one or more external threads  16  on bottle  10  and one or more internal threads  221  on inner shell  200 . Inner shell  200  and/or closure  20  may be rotatably removed from and/or coupled to bottle  10  via threads  16 ,  221  and/or other mechanisms. Outer shell  100  may be configured to block access to a skirt  220  of inner shell  200  for any of a variety of reasons, including but not limited to preventing or inhibiting rotation of inner shell  200  relative to bottle  10  to inhibit removal of inner shell  200  and/or closure  20 . Such prevention of rotation of inner shell  200  and/or removal of inner shell  200  and/or closure  20  from bottle  10  may provide an opening feature that is child-resistant. 
     In order to overcome the child-resistant opening mechanism, outer shell  100  may be configured to engage inner shell  200  when subject to a first user input, such as a force pushing or moving outer shell  100  downward and/or toward inner shell  200 . For example, a user may push down on a lid  110  of outer shell  100  thereby biasing or moving outer shell  100  downward toward inner shell  200 , which may allow or facilitate engagement of one or more outer shell lugs  111  with one or more inner shell lugs  211 . Engagement and/or cooperation of outer lugs  111  with inner lugs  211  may allow rotation of outer shell  100  to cause rotation of inner shell  200  to allow or facilitate rotational removal of inner shell  200  and/or closure  20  from bottle  10  via the threaded engagement. For example, in the engaged position outer lugs  111  and inner lugs  211  may be circumferentially aligned and/or axially overlapping, at least partially, so that rotation of one about a central axis will cause contact with the other and in turn rotation of the other about the central axis. Alternatively or additionally, friction between outer lugs  111  and inner lugs  211  may cause engagement, cooperation, and/or motion of one relative to the other, for example, if a user is pushing down on outer shell  100  to cause friction of outer lugs  111  with inner lugs  211  and/or cam face  215 . Outer lugs  111  and/or inner lugs  211  may be configured such that they do not engage or cooperate in the absence of the user input (e.g., downward force or motion). In the absence of the user input, outer shell  100  may substantially rotate freely on inner shell  200  without causing rotation and/or removal of inner shell  200  relative to bottle  10 . 
     Bottle  10  may include product storage region  18 , which may be configured to store any of a variety of products, including pressurized contents such as a carbonated beverage. Bottle  10  may include neck  11  and/or a top rim  12  surrounding and/or defining opening  13  into bottle  10  and/or product storage region  18 . Bottle  10  may include a flange  14  for any of a variety of reasons, including locating closure  20  on bottle  10  and/or providing a structure that may be grabbed and/or lifted, for example, to move or hold bottle  10  during a filling process. One or more vent slots  17  may be included in bottle  10 , for example, by providing breaks or gaps in external thread  16  of bottle  10 , for any of a variety of reasons, including but not limited to providing a venting opening through which pressurized gas or fluid may pass to allow controlled equalization of pressure. Bottle  10  may include a bead  15 , which may be included to provide a blocking or stopping surface or structure for a folding strip  232  of tamper band  230  to block or inhibit upward motion of tamper band  230  relative to bead  15 , or for any other reason or combination of reasons. 
     Tamper band  230  may be frangible and/or relatively easily disconnected from an inner shell skirt  220 , for example, by including one or more frangible tabs  231 . Frangible tabs  231  may allow separation of tamper band  230  from inner skirt  200  while also retaining at least a portion of tamper band  230  below bead  15  during upward motion of inner skirt  220  relative to bottle neck  11  during removal of closure  20  from package  5  or opening of package  5  by rotating closure  20  and/or inner shell  200 . Tamper band  230  and/or frangible tabs  231  may provide an indication of whether closure  20  has been removed from bottle  10  thereby rendering product storage region  18  potentially previously accessible by an unknown person, and/or otherwise provide evidence of tampering. Closure  20  may provide both resistance to opening of package  5  by a child and tamper evidence, for example, by including inner shell  200 , outer shell  100 , and tamper band  230 . 
     An embodiment of outer shell  100  is shown in more detail in  FIG. 2 . Outer shell  100  may include lid  110  and an outer skirt  120  depending downwardly from lid  100  toward a bottom edge  122 . A radially inwardly projecting protrusion  123  may be located on a lower portion of outer skirt  120 , for example, proximate bottom edge  122 . Protrusion  123  may be configured to engage a recess  224  of inner shell  200  (see, e.g.,  FIG. 3 ), for example, to hold outer shell  100  in place on inner shell  200  and/or to limit, prevent, and/or inhibit vertical or axial movement of outer shell  100  relative to inner shell  200  when coupled thereto to form closure  20 . Protrusion  123  and/or recess  224  may be configured as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3  such that relative axial movement is blocked while radial or rotation movement is allowed, which may allow free spinning of outer shell  100  relative to inner shell  200  when in a first or disengaged position in which outer shell  100  is at rest and/or substantially not pushed down onto inner shell  200  enough to cause engagement of lugs  111 ,  211 . Recess  224  may be taller or have a greater axial measurement than protrusion  123  so that protrusion  123  is allowed to move axially some degree, which may be, for example, enough to allow protrusion  123  and/or outer shell  100  to move between the engaged position and the disengaged position. 
     Outer shell  100  may include an indicia  119  on a top surface, for example, to provide information to a user. For example, indicia  119  may be a verbal message, such as raised lettering, telling a user that is old enough to read to push and turn outer shell  100  in order to open package  5 . Outer shell  100  may include one or more knurls  121  around the outside to provide, for example, a surface that is easier for a user to grip and rotate. Outer shell  100  may include one or more lugs  111 , for example, on a bottom surface of lid  110 . Lugs  111  may include any or all of an outer edge  112 , an inner tip  113 , a first side wall  114  and/or a second side wall  115  (see also, e.g.,  FIG. 7 ). As discussed in more detail below any or all of these features of lug  111  may be included to facilitate engagement and/or cooperation with inner lugs  211 . 
     Inner shell  200  is shown in more detail in  FIG. 3 . Inner shell  200  may include a cover  210  and inner skirt  220  depending downwardly from cover  210  toward a bottom  222  and/or tamper band  230 . Tamper band  230  may include folding strip  232 , which may fold from a downwardly extended position (see, e.g.,  FIG. 6 ) to an upwardly extended position in which it may abut bead  15  of bottle  10  to block upward movement of tamper band  230  relative to bottle  10 . Folding strip  232  may include any or all of one or more segments  233  and/or one or more slits  234  that may at least partially separate adjacent segments  233  and/or provide or optimize flexibility of folding strip  232  and/or tamper band  230 . Inner shell skirt  220  may include recess  224 , which may be configured to receive and/or engage protrusion  123  of outer shell  100  as discussed above, for example, to limit axial movement of outer shell  100  relative to inner shell  200 . Recess  224  may be formed between radially outwardly projecting bottom  222  and lip  223  of inner skirt  220 , for example, providing a radially inwardly recessed area at recess  224 . Recess  224  may extend a vertical or axial distance between lip  223  and bottom  222  configured to allow some limited vertical or axial movement of protrusion  123  within recess  224 . This may allow or facilitate moving outer shell  100  between an upward or disengaged position and a lower or engaged position, for example, by a user pushing down on outer shell  100  to allow outer lugs  111  to engage inner lugs  211 . 
     Inner lugs  211  may include any or all of an outer edge  212 , an inner edge  213 , a blocking face  214 , and a cam face  215 . Blocking face  214  may be substantially more vertical than cam face  215 . Either or both of first side wall  114  and second side wall  115  of outer lugs  111  may extend in a substantially vertical or axial direction. Rotation of outer shell  100  in a closing direction (e.g., clockwise) relative to inner shell  200  may cause an abutting or mechanically blocking interface between first side wall  114  of outer lug  111  and blocking face  214  of inner lug  211 , which in turn may cause closing rotation of inner shell  200  relative to bottle neck  11 , and tightening or closing of closure  20  on bottle  10 , with or without the downward push or motion caused by the user and/or whether outer shell  100  is in the disengaged position or the engaged position. In this way or in any other way, closure  20  may be closed without the downward force or motion. Cam face  215  of inner lugs  211  and/or second side wall  115  of outer lugs  111  may be sufficiently angled relative to the vertical such that rotation of outer shell  100  in an opening direction (e.g., counter-clockwise) will result in outer lug  111  sliding or camming vertically or axially upwardly and over inner lug  211  without causing opening rotation of inner shell  211 . In this way or any other way, outer shell  100  may turn in the opening direction without necessarily causing opening rotation of inner shell  200  (e.g., in the absence of a first user input or downward force on outer shell  100  toward inner shell  200 ). 
     Outer lugs  111  and/or inner lugs  211  may be configured such that a downward force or motion may be required to cause enough friction or engagement of second side wall  115  with cam face  215  to cause opening rotation of inner shell  200 . Cam face  215  may be helical or helicoid for any of a variety of reasons, including but not limited to optimizing surface contact between outer lugs  111  and inner lugs  211  as will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. In some embodiments, cam face  215  may be formed with a helical or helicoid surface that can be defined in that a line extending radially from a center axis of inner shell  200  that is perpendicular to that axis will extend along the surface from inner edge  213  to outer edge  212  despite the varying height of the surface and the varying angular displacement of the surface relative to the center axis over its varying height. Inner shell  200  may include features such as one or more bumps  225 , which may be included to optimize or increase friction and/or contact between inner shell  200  and outer shell  100 . Any or all bumps  225  may extend radially outwardly from inner skirt  220  and/or may have a curved outer surface as shown for example in  FIGS. 1 and 3 . 
     Inner lugs  211  may be arranged substantially at or near an outside diameter or periphery or edge of inner shell  200 , as shown for example in  FIG. 3 . Inner lugs  211  may have a height from base to top. Inner lugs  211  may be arranged at or near the outer edge of inner shell  200  so that adverse effects from doming caused by pressurized contents of package  5 , which would generally tend to cause the greatest height increase near the center gradually decreasing toward the outer edge of inner shell  200 , may be minimized. Adverse effects could include, but are not limited to, friction between cover  210  and lid  110  of outer shell  110 , which could be caused by doming of inner shell cover  210  into contact or interference with lid  110 , and/or misalignment or poor contact or interface between outer lugs  111  and inner lugs  211 . 
       FIGS. 4 through 7  show the features of package  5  and/or closure  20  in additional detail. As shown for example in  FIG. 6 , folding strip  232  of tamper band  230  may be provided in a downwardly extended or unlocked position, for example prior to being applied to bottle  10 . Folding strip  232  may flip or fold upwardly upon installation of tamper band  230  on bottle  10 , for example, with folding strip  232  folding up into an upwardly extended or locked position in which it abuts an underside of bead  15  of bottle  10  to prevent upward axial movement of tamper band  230  relative to bottle  10 . Inner lugs  211  are shown in  FIG. 6  as including a recess or cavity  216  in or on a top portion thereof, which may be included for any of a variety of reasons, including but not limited to reducing the weight and/or amount of material needed to form lugs  211 . 
       FIG. 8  illustrates an embodiment of inner lug  211  in more detail. Lug  211  may be formed around the circumference of inner shell  200  with a round or arcuate inner edge  213  (e.g., about 21.5 degrees in the embodiment shown) and/or cam face  215  may be cut or formed at an angle (e.g., about 4.5 degrees in the embodiment shown), which may result in a helical angle surface of cam face  215 . It is understood that these are merely exemplary angles and the angles may vary. Such a helical angled surface of cam face  215  may provide for increased, maximized, and/or line-to-line or face-to-face contact and/or interaction between cam face  215  and the associated side wall of outer lug  111  that it contacts (e.g., first side wall  114  and/or second side wall  215 ). Any or all inner lugs  211  may have an outer surface at or near outer edge  212  that is angled radially inwardly, as shown for example in  FIG. 8 , although it is understood that any or all inner lugs  211  may have a substantially vertical outer surface at or near outer edge  212 . 
     In one example of an embodiment of inner shell  200 , cover  210  may have a span and/or outer diameter of about 1.2″ and/or a thickness of about 0.06″. Inner cover  210  may, in some embodiments, be angled downwardly relative to the horizontal as it extends radially inwardly from an outer edge or periphery toward the center or a center axis of cover  210  and/or inner shell  200 . If angled, cover  210  may be angled at about 1-5 degrees, for example, to help offset doming or for any other reason. Doming of cover  210  and/or inner shell  200  may be present and/or expected, for example, if product storage region  18 , container  10 , and/or package  5  is used to store or hold pressurized contents such as a carbonated beverage. Inner lug  211  may have a height of about 0.10″ to about 0.50″ and/or about 0.36″, and/or a width from inner edge  213  to outer edge  212  of about 0.05″ to about 0.2″. Inner lugs  211  may have a height at or near inner edge  213  that is shorter than and/or less than a height at or near outer edge  212 , which may for example, help accommodate with effects of doming. It is understood that inner lugs  211  may vary in size, shape, and/or configuration. 
     It is understood that package  5  and/or closure  20 , and/or any component thereof, may be made of any of a variety of materials, including, but not limited to, any of a variety of suitable plastics material, any other material, or any combination thereof. Suitable plastics material may include, but is not limited to, polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polystyrene (PS), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), crystallized polyethylene terephthalate (CPET), mixtures and combinations thereof, or any other plastics material or any mixtures and combinations thereof. It is understood that multiple layers of material may be used for any of a variety of reasons, including to improve barrier properties, or to provide known functions related to multiple layer structures. The multiple layers, if included, may be of various materials, including but not limited to those recited herein. 
     It is further understood that package  5  and/or closure  20 , and/or any component thereof, may be substantially rigid, substantially flexible, a hybrid of rigid and flexible, or any combination of rigid, flexible, and/or hybrid, such as having some areas be flexible and some rigid. It is understood that these examples are merely illustrative, are not limiting, and are provided to illustrate the versatility of options available in various embodiments of package  5  and/or closure  20 , and/or any component thereof. 
     It is further understood that any of a variety of processes or combination thereof may be used to form package  5  and/or closure  20 , and/or any component thereof, or any layer or substrate used therein. For example, any component, layer, or substrate, or combination thereof, may be compression molded, thermoformed, injection molded, injection stretch blow molded, blow molded, extrusion blow molded, coextruded, subjected to any other suitable process, or subjected to any combination thereof. In some embodiments, package  5  and/or closure  20 , and/or any component thereof may be formed substantially of injection molded and/or thermoformed suitable plastics material, although other materials and forming processes may be used instead of or in addition to injection molding and thermoforming, respectively. Various materials and/or processes may be used to form package  5  and/or closure  20 , and/or any component thereof, as will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. In some embodiments, package  5  and/or closure  20 , and/or any component thereof, may be substantially a one-piece design and/or substantially formed as an integral or unitary structure. 
     It is understood that, while some directional terms are used herein, such as top, bottom, upper, lower, inward, outward, upward, downward, etc., these terms are not intended to be limiting but rather to relate to one or more exemplary orientations, positions, and/or configurations of package  5  and/or closure  20 , and/or any component thereof. It is understood package  5  and/or closure  20 , and/or any component or portion thereof may be inverted or re-oriented to face or point a different direction without departing from the nature of package  5  and/or closure  20  disclosed herein. 
     These and other modifications and variations may be practiced by those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope, which is more particularly set forth in the appended claims. In addition, it should be understood that aspects of the various embodiments may be interchanged in whole or in part. Furthermore, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the foregoing description is by way of example only, and it is not intended to limit the scope of that which is described in the claims. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the exemplary description of the versions contained herein.