Patent Description:
Closures for containers are used for a variety of purposes. In many cases it is desirable to know if the closure has been previously opened, particularly, for example, if the user wishes to verify that the contents of a container have not been accessed.

A known tamper-evident closure is described in WO20I2/I3I097. It discloses a tamper-evident closure with members breaking away from the lid upon first opening and dropping in a pocket placed between the sidewall and an inner wall, the sidewall comprising a window through which the member appears visible upon first opening.

The present invention seeks to provide improvements in or relating to closures.

An aspect of the present invention provides a tamper-evident closure according to claim <NUM>.

The tamper-evident member may be connected to the free end of a lid side skirt.

The tamper-evident member may engage with outer wall to cause release upon first opening.

The window may, for example, be formed as a slot, slit, hole or the like. In some embodiments the window extends through the thickness of the outer wall. In other embodiments the window is formed as a material thinning or from a different material. The base may include a top deck and the sidewall may depend from the periphery thereof.

The outer wall may be formed as an open valley, for example a wall into which a tamper-evident member can fall and be retained.

The sidewall may be generally cylindrical and the outer wall may be formed concentrically therewith.

According to the invention one or more outer wall portions are provided that extend partially around the sidewall. For example one or two outer wall portions may be provided (which may be diametrically opposite each other). In other embodiments a single wall portion extends all of the way around a sidewall.

The base and lid may be joined by a hinge so that the lid can move between a closed and an open position. In some embodiments the hinge is formed as a strap connected at or towards one end to the lid and at or towards its other end to the base.

The tamper-evident member may formed as a drop tab.

In some embodiments a plurality of tamper-evident members are provided, for example two, three or four. In some embodiments multiple members are provided so as to appear in the same outer wall portion; in some embodiments multiple outer wall portions are provided and one or more member becomes visible in each portion.

In some embodiments the closure is formed as a mono-piece and may be mono-material.

The lid includes a hook, projection or the like for engaging the base. Part of the lid may be movable to disengage the hook. The hook may be configured to increase dynamic sealing of the lid onto the base.

The base may include a screw thread formation for engaging a container. Alternatively or additionally the base may include a snap bead for engaging a container. Snap-on and screw-on versions may be provided.

The closure may be formed as a tethered closure. The base may comprise a retaining ring for retaining the closure on a container, the base may include a tether between the retaining ring and the sidewall.

In some embodiments the sidewall and the outer wall may terminate at approximately the same axial level. The outer wall may therefore not extend above the top deck of a base.

The base may comprise a dispensing spout. The spout may be formed integrally with the base.

The spout may be eccentrically positioned on the base. For example the base and the lid may be connected at a rear of the closure by a hinge and the spout may be positioned towards a front of the closure.

In some embodiments the spout has a height of between <NUM> and <NUM>, for example approximately <NUM>.

In some embodiments a tamper-evident member is provided at either or both sides of the closure. Other positions for a tamper-evident member, such as the front, may be included.

Embodiments may include or provide one or more of the following features/benefits:.

Mono-piece and/or mono-material closures may be provided. Closures may be formed from plastics material, for example poly propylene or polyethylene. Closures may be formed by injection moulding. Bi-injection moulding may be used.

The present invention also provides a closure as described herein in combination with a container, according to the subject matter of claim <NUM>.

Different aspects and embodiments of the invention may be used separately or together within the scope of the appended claims.

Further particular and preferred aspects of the present invention are set out in the accompanying independent and dependent claims. Features of the dependent claims may be combined with the features of the independent claims as set out in the claims.

The present invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:.

Accordingly, while embodiments can be modified in various ways and take on various alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown in the drawings and described in detail below as examples. There is no intent to limit to the particular forms disclosed. On the contrary, all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the appended claims should be included. Elements of the example embodiments are consistently denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the drawings and detailed description where appropriate.

In the following description, all orientational terms, such as upper, lower, radially and axially, are used in relation to the drawings and should not be interpreted as limiting on the invention.

Referring first to Figures I to <NUM> there is shown a tamper-evident closure generally indicated <NUM>.

The closure <NUM> comprises a base <NUM> and a lid <NUM> joined by a hinge <NUM>.

In this embodiment the hinge <NUM> is a strap that is connected at one end to the lid and at the other end to the base. The strap is wider at its end connecting to the base and narrower at is end connecting to the lid, providing a generally trapezoidal shape (see <FIG>, for example).

The base <NUM> comprises a generally circular top deck <NUM> and a generally cylindrical sidewall <NUM> depending from the periphery of the top deck.

An annular inner seal <NUM> depends from the underside of the top deck. An annular outer seal <NUM> depends from the intersection between the top deck and the sidewall. An annular top seal bead <NUM> depends from the underside of the top deck between the inner <NUM> and outer <NUM> seals.

A spout <NUM> upstands from the top deck. In this embodiment the spout is located eccentrically (see <FIG>, for example) towards a "front" of the base, opposite the hinge.

A screw thread formation <NUM> is provided on the interior surface of the sidewall <NUM>.

At either side of the base a double wall arrangement is provided. Towards the top deck end of the sidewall a radial wall portion 30a extends radially outwards to form a gully/valley. Each radial wall portion includes two (in this embodiment) windows <NUM>, <NUM> separated by a central wall <NUM>. The interior of the wall portions 30a is provided with an internal retention bead <NUM>.

The base includes a tethering arrangement at its free end (opposite the top deck). The tethering arrangement comprises a ring retaining part <NUM>, two arms 23a, 23b, two film hinges 25a, 25b.

A plurality of upturned retaining flaps <NUM> are provided on the interior of the retaining ring and extend radially inwardly and upwardly.

Each arm 23a, 23b has the shape of an arc of a circle and is connected to the sidewall <NUM> on the one hand, at the level of one of the film hinges 25a, 25b, and to the ring part <NUM> on the other hand. Along the upper and lower edge of the arms there are frangible bridges <NUM>.

Each arm 23a, 23b is connected to the ring part <NUM> at a location which is angularly distant with respect to the film hinges 25a, 25b to which it is connected, the angle formed by this location and this film hinge being, in the example shown, of the order of <NUM> to <NUM> degrees.

The film hinges 25a, 25b comprise walls of reduced thickness, of generally rectangular shape, connected to the sidewall wall of the cap part on the one hand and to respective arms 23a, 23b on the other hand.

The flexibility which allows the tilting of the closure cap in use is obtained partly by means of this hinge shape and by the arrangement in the cap part <NUM>.

A tongue <NUM> depends axially from the sidewall between the two inclined film hinges 25a, 25b. The hinges 25a, 25b are symmetrical with respect to the median axis of the tongue <NUM>.

The retaining arrangement is provided so that the closure cannot be completely removed from a container in use.

In practice, the closure is placed on a container by simple screwing. Normal operation of the closure is as a flip-top dispensing closure by opening and closing the lid. However, if the sidewall is unscrewed the cap part progressively leaves its position which is axially close to the ring <NUM> until it reaches a position which is axially remote from this ring <NUM>, in which the helical threads of the container and of the cap are out of engagement. The frangible bridges <NUM> rupture during this movement and the arms 23a, 23b pass from their folded position to the unfolded position shown in by pivoting. The cap may be tilted by virtue of the film hinges 25a, 25b and by rolling and deformation of the tongue <NUM> against the container neck.

In this embodiment the tongue <NUM> has a length such that, during tilting of the cap it bears against the container and exerts, via this bearing, a pulling on the arms 23a, 23b. This pulling is non-existent in the positions of engagement of the cap over the opening of the container and of full release of this cap beyond this opening, but is maximal, the tongue <NUM> then being flexed, in the intermediate position of the cap between these two positions.

Other types of tethering arrangement, for example a lasso, are possible.

The lid <NUM> comprises a top plate <NUM> and a depending side skirt <NUM>. A sealing skirt <NUM> depends from the underside of the top plate. A peak <NUM> is provided by the lid.

At the free end of the side skirt <NUM> a tamper-evident member <NUM> is frangibly connected via frangible bridges <NUM>. The member <NUM> includes two tabs <NUM>, <NUM> separated by a central notch <NUM>. Each tab <NUM>, <NUM> includes an inclined front face <NUM> and a hook <NUM>.

In this embodiment the closure is formed (for example by injection moulding of a plastics material such as polypropylene or polyethylene) with the lid in an open position as shown in <FIG>. Demoulding may be achieved using sliders.

The lid is initially closed onto the base. In some embodiments an in-mould closing operation is used to close the lid. Closing the lid causes the tamper-evident members to enter into space between the sidewall and the radial wall portions at each side of the closure. The hooks <NUM> of the tabs <NUM>, <NUM> are caused to pass under the wall portion retention beads <NUM> - see <FIG>, for example. The tamper-evident member <NUM> is not visible in the initially closed position.

In order to use the closure the lid <NUM> is lifted using the peak <NUM>. The tab hooks <NUM> cannot pass back over the beads <NUM> and this causes the frangible bridges <NUM> to rupture. The tamper-evident member <NUM> then drops down further into the space between the sidewall and the radial wall portion until the notch <NUM> rests on the central wall <NUM>; in doing so the tabs <NUM>, <NUM> appears in the windows <NUM>, <NUM> - see <FIG>, for example. This provides visual evidence that the lid has been opened.

<FIG> show the closure in an open position, with the tamper-evidence activated. The spout is shown located away from the hinge and this makes it easier to drink directly therefrom.

The closure conforms with child safety rules EN71. The lid doesn't fall down into cylinder <NUM> (see <FIG>).

<FIG> show a closure <NUM> formed according to a further embodiment.

In this embodiment additional hooking is provided at the front of the closure. The lid <NUM> includes a wall <NUM> that depends from the lid sidewall <NUM>. The wall <NUM> terminates with a bead <NUM>. The base <NUM> includes a corresponding wall <NUM> with a bead <NUM>. When the lid is initially closed the beads <NUM>, <NUM> engage. The lid cannot be opened without first deactivating the hooking provided by the beads. The hooking can be deactivated by pushing the lid sidewall beneath the peak as illustrated in <FIG>. The hooking can be used to improve/increase sealing and resist unwanted opening of the lid e.g. if the closure is dropped.

<FIG> show a closure <NUM> formed according to a further embodiment and shown attached to container neck <NUM>. The closure <NUM> is similar to the closure <NUM>.

Claim 1:
A tamper-evident closure (<NUM>) comprising a base (<NUM>) and a lid (<NUM>), the base comprises a sidewall (<NUM>), the base further comprises one or more outer wall portion/s (30a) which are radially outwards of the sidewall (<NUM>) and extend partially around the sidewall, the closure comprises a tamper-evident member (<NUM>) which is initially frangibly attached to the lid (<NUM>), in which upon first opening of the lid the tamper-evident member (<NUM>) is released from the lid (<NUM>) and falls between the sidewall (<NUM>) and one of the one or more outer wall portion (30a), in which the outer wall portion/s (30a) extends from the sidewall (<NUM>), with the sidewall and the outer wall portion/s forming a bifurcation, in section, at one end of the base, in which in an initially unopened position at least part of a tamper-evident member (<NUM>) is hidden from view by the outer wall portion/s (30a), in which upon first opening at least part of a tamper-evident member (<NUM>) becomes visible, and in which the outer wall portion/s (30a) includes a window (<NUM>, <NUM>) in which or through which the member (<NUM>) can be seen after first opening.