EP0621114A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Tamper indicating closure, apparatus and method for meeting the same
Assignee: BPrex Healthcare Brookville Inc
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Filing: 1994-04-11
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2014-04-11
Abstract
Abstract A tamper indicating closure comprising a base wall and a peripheral skirt having an internal thread adapted to engage the threads of a container wherein a tamper indicating band is provided on the skirt by a plurality of circumferentially spaced bridges (29). The band includes portions adapted to engage an annular bead on the container. The bridges (29) are formed by using a primary knife (35) having an interrupted cutting edge (36) to produce a circumferential score (28) in the side wall of the closure leaving spaced connectors or bridges (29) followed by using a secondary knife (40) having a continuous cutting edge (41) to provide a continuous external score line and an accurately dimensional radial thickness of the bridges. In a preferred method and apparatus, the closures engage the successive primary and secondary knives and are moved such that the closures roll relative to the knives.
Inventors
- 👤 Timothy B. Kowal
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 09:55
CPC Classifications
B; B26; B26F; B26F1/00; B26F1/18; B26D; B26D9/00; B26F1/20; B65; B65D; B65D41/00; B65D41/32; B65D41/34; B65D41/3423; B65D41/3428; B26F2210/00; B26F2210/04; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S83/00; Y10S83/929; Y10S83/946; Y10T; Y10T82/00; Y10T82/10; Y10T82/16; Y10T82/16016; Y10T82/16426; Y10T82/16967; Y10T83/00; Y10T83/02; Y10T83/0207; Y10T83/023; Y10T83/0333; Y10T83/0341; Y10T83/0363; Y10T83/04; Y10T83/0481; Y10T83/0524; Y10T83/0572; Y10T83/0596
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 28
Claim 1
Independent Claim
125 words
A plastic tamper indicating closure comprising a base wall and a peripheral skirt having interengaging means thereon adapted to engage interengaging means on a container, said closure including a tamper indicating band provided on the skirt by a plurality of circumferentially spaced integral bridges, said band including interengaging means adapted to engage an annular bead on a container, said bridges having a predetermined cross section formed first by using a primary knife having an interrupted edge to produce a circumferential score in the peripheral skirt of the closure providing spaced bridges which are accurately dimensioned accurately in a circumferential direction and followed by using a continuous edge secondary knife to provide a continuous external score line and an accurately dimensioned radial thickness of the bridges.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
18 words
The plastic tamper indicating closure set forth in claim 1 wherein said bridges are rectangular in cross section.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
24 words
The plastic tamper indicating closure set forth in claim 2 wherein each said bridge has a circumferential width greater than the radial thickness thereof.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
23 words
The plastic tamper indicating closure set forth in claim 3 wherein said interengaging means comprise integral threads on said skirt of said closure.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
37 words
The plastic tamper indicating closure set forth in claim 4 including a container having an external thread engaging the thread on the closure and interengaging means engaging said interangaging means said tamper indicating band on said closure.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
61 words
A method of forming a tamper indicating closure from a plastic closure having a base wall and a peripheral skirt which comprising forming a circumferential score in the peripheral skirt of the closure to define a plurality of circumferentially spaced bridges, and providing a continuous score along said circumferential score to reduce the thickness of the bridges to a predetermined amount.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method set forth in claim 6 wherein the step of forming the interrupted score comprises utilizing a primary knife having an interrupted edge.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method set forth in claim 7 wherein the step of forming the circumferential score is provided by utilizing a secondary knife having a continuous edge.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method set forth in claim 8 including the step of moving the closure successively past said knives while rotating the closure such that the closure moves relatively along said successive knives and simultaneously is in rolling cutting contact with the successive knives.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method set forth in claim 9 wherein said knives successively engage said closure from the periphery radially inwardly of the closure.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method set forth in claim 10 including the step of moving said closure in an arcuate Path past said knives and said primary and secondary knives have arcuate cutting edges.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
67 words
The method set forth in claim 11 including the steps of positioning said knives radially outwardly of said arcuate path of said closure, providing edges on said knives which are concave and rotating said closure as it is moved into engagement with said knives in a direction opposite to the movement in said arcuate path such that the closure has a rolling action relative to said knives.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
67 words
The method set forth in claim 12 including the steps of positioning said knives radially inwardly of the arcuate path of said closure, providing edges on said knives which are convex and rotating said closure, as it is moved into engagement with said knives in the same direction as the movement in said arcuate path such that the closure has a rolling action relative to said knives.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method set forth in claim 10 herein said closure is moved in a straight path past said knives and said primary and secondary knives have straight cutting edges.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
24 words
The method set forth in any one of claims 1-14 including successively moving closures in a path past said successive primary and secondary knives.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
98 words
An apparatus for forming a tamper indicating closure from a plastic closure having a base wall and a peripheral skirt comprising a primary cutting knife having an interrupted edge, a secondary cutting knife having a continuous edge, means for moving the peripheral skirt of a plastic closure into contact with said primary knife to form circumferentially spaced bridges which are accurately dimensioned in a circumferential direction, and for thereafter moving said peripheral skirt of said closure into contact with said secondary knife to provide a continuous score line and to accurately dimension the radial thickness of said bridges.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
30 words
The apparatus set forth in claim 16 wherein said means for moving said closure is constructed and arranged to move closures successively past said primary knife and said secondary knife.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
24 words
The apparatus set forth in claim 17 including means for rotating said closure as it is moved past said primary knife and secondary knife.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
41 words
The apparatus set forth in claim 16 wherein said means for moving said closures is constructed and arranged to move said closures in an arcuate path and said primary and secondary knives have arcuate cutting edges which conform to said path.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
47 words
The apparatus set forth in claim 19 wherein said means for moving said closures comprises a turret, a plurality of mandrels mounted for movement on said turret in a closed path, each mandrel being adapted to engage a closure for moving the closure successively past said knives.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
24 words
The apparatus set forth in claim 20 including means for rotating each mandrel as it moves a closure past said primary and secondary knives.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
30 words
The apparatus set forth in claim 21 wherein said primary and secondary knives are positioned radially outwardly of said path of the mandrels and said knives have concave cutting edges.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
74 words
The apparatus set forth in claim 22 wherein said means for rotating each mandrel comprises a pinion gear on each said mandrel and a gear having internal teeth engaged by said pinion gear such that when the turret is moved in one direction to move the mandrels and the closures thereon past said knives, the mandrels and the closures are rotated in an opposite direction such that the closures roll relative to said knives.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
30 words
The apparatus set forth in claim 21 wherein said primary and secondary knives are positioned radially inwardly of said path of said mandrels and said knives have convex cutting edges.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
74 words
The apparatus set forth in claim 24 wherein said means for rotating each mandrel comprises a pinion gear on each said mandrel and a gear having external teeth engaged by said pinion gear such that when the turret is moved in one direction to move mandrels and in the closures thereon past said knives, the mandrels and the closures are rotated in the same direction such that the closures roll relative to said knives.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
36 words
The apparatus set forth in claim 18 wherein said means for moving said closures is constructed and arranged to move said closures in a straight path and said primary and secondary knives have straight cutting edges.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
34 words
The apparatus set forth in claim 26 wherein said means for moving said closures comprises a plurality of mandrels, each mandrel being adapted to engage a closure for moving the closure past the knives.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
29 words
The apparatus set forth in claim 27 wherein said means for rotating said closures comprises a pinion gear on each mandrel and a straight rack gear engaging said pinion.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
DE2262231A1
Cited
FR2393736A1
Cited
US4322009A
Cited
JPS61287560A
Cited
EP0228618A2
Cited
EP0533633A2
Cited
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