Patent ID: 7775389

Claim:
A closure for a container having a portion that can be detached from an operative position in which the closure closes an opening of the container by a snap off action to allow the contents of the container to be dispensed through the opening, the closure being injection moulded from plastics material and comprising: a closure body that seals around the container opening when the closure is in the operative position on the container, the closure body comprising a top wall with a central opening for dispensing the container contents therethrough; a cap comprising a side wall connected to the closure body where the cap side wall meets the closure body top wall by a region of reduced wall thickness that defines a fracture line extending around the central opening along which the cap separates from the closure when, in use, the closure is in the operative position on the container and a person applies a sufficient force to the cap; and wherein the cap side wall has a generally uniform wall thickness except that at least one part of the cap side wall that is adjacent to the region of reduced wall thickness has a larger thickness than the generally uniform wall thickness whereby the larger thickness part of the cap side wall causes a greater amount of post-moulding shrinkage than the remainder of the cap side wall after injection moulding of the closure and places a section of the region of reduced wall thickness that is close to the larger thickness part of the cap side wall in tension whereby this section preferentially fractures in response to the applied force and initiates fracture along the fracture line, wherein removal of the cap from the closure body creates an opening in the closure body defined by the fracture line to allow the contents of the container to be dispensed therethrough.