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US4449639A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Tamper-resistant and child-resistant closures

Assignee: Glasgow Royal Infirmary
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Filing: 1983-02-28
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Granted: 1984-05-22
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Expires: 2003-02-28
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Abstract

Abstract This invention provides a closure which is both tamper-resistant and child-resistant. The closure has a cap part including a top and a skirt, a tear band and a captive band, the tear band being connected to the skirt and to the captive band by lines of weakness and tell tale bridge members are provided so that the tear band cannot be removed without breaking the bridge members to provide the tamper-resistant feature. To provide the child-resistant feature the skirt of the cap part has an internal projection which can pass through an opening in an arcuate bead on an associated container only when the cap part is turned into a predetermined position.

Inventors

  • 👤 Eugene E. Davis

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-28 08:43
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65D; B65D41/00; B65D41/32; B65D41/46; B65D41/48; B65D41/485; B65D50/00; B65D50/02; B65D50/06; B65D50/061; B65D2401/00; B65D2401/15; B65D2401/25

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim 195 words
A closure for a container which has a hollow body and a mouth through which access can be obtained to the inside of the body, a rim around the mouth and a substantially horizontal outwardly projecting arcuate bead below the rim, wherein the closure has a cap part with a depending skirt, at the top, a tear band in the middle and a captive band at the bottom and wherein the tear band is connected to the skirt of the cap part and to the captive band by lines of weakness to facilitate tearing away of the tear band, the skirt of the cap part having an internal projection which can pass through the opening in the arcuate bead on the container so that the internal projection can cooperate with the projecting bead in such a way that the cap part can be removed only when the projection is in vertical alignment with the opening characterised by the provision of a tell tale bridge member which is normally intact but which is broken when the tear band is removed to give immediate visual evidence that the contents of the container may have been tampered with.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 195 words
A closure for a container which has a hollow body and a mouth through which access can be obtained to the inside of the body, a rim around the mouth and a substantially horizontal outwardly projecting arcuate bead below the rim, wherein the closure has a cap part with a depending skirt, at the top, a tear band in the middle and a captive band at the bottom and wherein the tear band is connected to the skirt of the cap part and to the captive band by lines of weakness to facilitate tearing away of the tear band, the skirt of the cap part having an internal projection which can pass through the opening in the arcuate bead on the container so that the internal projection can cooperate with the projecting bead in such a way that the cap part can be removed only when the projection is in vertical alignment with the opening characterised by the provision of a tell tale bridge member which is normally intact but which is broken when the tear band is removed to give immediate visual evidence that the contents of the container may have been tampered with.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 37 words
A closure according to claim 1 characterised in that the bridge member is connected to the cap part, to the tear band and to the captive band so that the bridge member spans both lines of weakness.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 194 words
A closure for a container which has a hollow body and a mouth through which access can be obtained to the inside of the body, a rim around the mouth and a substantially horizontal outwardly projecting arcuate bead below the rim, wherein the closure has a cap part with a depending skirt, at the top, a tear band in the middle and a captive band at the bottom and wherein the tear band is connected to the skirt of the cap part and to the captive band by lines of weakness to facilitate tearing away of the tear band, the skirt of the cap part having an internal projection which can pass through the opening in the arcuate bead on the container so that the internal projection can cooperate with the projecting bead in such a way that the cap part can be removed only when the projection is in vertical alignment with the opening characterised by the provision of tell tale bridge members which are normally intact but which are broken when the tear band is removed to give immediate visual evidence that the contents of the container may have been tampered with.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 194 words
A closure for a container which has a hollow body and a mouth through which access can be obtained to the inside of the body, a rim around the mouth and a substantially horizontal outwardly projecting arcuate bead below the rim, wherein the closure has a cap part with a depending skirt, at the top, a tear band in the middle and a captive band at the bottom and wherein the tear band is connected to the skirt of the cap part and to the captive band by lines of weakness to facilitate tearing away of the tear band, the skirt of the cap part having an internal projection which can pass through the opening in the arcuate bead on the container so that the internal projection can cooperate with the projecting bead in such a way that the cap part can be removed only when the projection is in vertical alignment with the opening characterised by the provision of tell tale bridge members which are normally intact but which are broken when the tear band is removed to give immediate visual evidence that the contents of the container may have been tampered with.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 37 words
A closure according to claim 1 characterised in that the bridge members are connected to the cap part, to the tear band and to the captive band so that the bridge members span both lines of weakness.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 43 words
A closure according to claim 1 characterised in that the bridge member has an upper arm connecting a tear tab on the tear band to a tab on the cap part and a lower arm connecting the tear tab to the captive band.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 45 words
A closure according to claim 3 characterised in that one of the bridge members has an upper arm connecting a tear tab on the tear band to a tab on the cap part and a lower arm connecting the tear tab to the captive band.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 39 words
A closure according to claim 1 characterised in that the bridge member has an upper arm connecting the tear band to the skirt of the cap part and a lower arm connecting the tear band to the captive band.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 76 words
A closure according to claim 3 characterised in that a first bridge member has an upper arm connecting a tear tab on the tear band to a tab on the cap part and a lower arm connecting the tear tab to the captive band and a second bridge member has an upper arm connecting the tear band to the skirt of the cap part and a lower arm connecting the tear band to the captive band.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 24 words
A closure according to claim 7 characterised in that the bridge member is disposed diametrically opposite to a tear tab on the tear band.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 88 words
A closure according to claim 3 characterised in that a first bridge member has an upper arm connecting a tear tab on the tear band to a tab on the cap part and a lower arm connecting the tear tab to the captive band and a second bridge member has an upper arm connecting the tear band to the skirt of the cap part and a lower arm connecting the tear band to the captive band, the first and second bridge members being disposed in diametrically opposed positions.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4071156A Cited
US4417666A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1987-05-22 1987-11-21 1988-05-22 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1991-05-22 1991-11-21 1992-05-22 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1995-05-22 1995-11-21 1996-05-22 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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