Tamper evident container shroud

Claim 2

For use with a moulded plastic or glass container having a mouth with an outwardly protruding peripheral ridge and a closure for the mouth, a shroud moulded of ultra high-flow low-density polyethylene resin that can, upon heating, be pushed onto the container over the closure to encase the closure, the shroud having a cup-shaped body portion and a resilient rim portion of generally circular cross-section which can be pushed over the ridge of the container with the body portion free of contact with the closure located within the shroud, the shroud having a relatively weak portion between its body and its rim portions, the resistance of the weak portion to tearing being less than the resistance of the rim portion to being pulled, after cooling, back over the ridge of the container whereby access to the closure cannot be had without visibly tearing the weak portion of the shroud.

Claim 3

A shroud according to claim 1 wherein the rim portion is outwardly stepped from the cup-shaped body portion and said weak portion is located at the juncture of said rim portion and said cup-shaped body portion.

Claim 4

A shroud according to claim 2 wherein the body portion is free of contact with both the container and the closure when the shroud is pushed onto the container.

Claim 5

A shroud according to claim 2 wherein the rim portion has an external flexible tab having a free end connected by a rupturable web to the rim portion, the tab having an end fixed to the rim portion adjacent a transverse notch-line

Claim 6

A shroud according to claim 1 wherein the shroud is heated to approximately 110° F. before it is pushed onto the container. of weakness of the rim portion, the inwardly protruding peripheral ridge of the rim portion being interrupted at said transverse notch-line to facilitate rupture of the rim portion along said notch-line when the tab is pulled to peel the rim portion off the cup-shaped body portion.

Claim 7

A shroud according to claim 1 wherein the body portion is provided on its outer surface with a plurality of evenly spaced longitudinal ribs.

Claim 8

A shroud according to claim 6 wherein eight of said ribs are provided.

Claim 9

In combination, a moulded plastic or glass container having a mouth with an outwardly protruding peripheral ridge, a closure for the mouth, and a shroud moulded of ultra high-flow low-density polyethylene resin, having a cup-shaped body portion within which the closure is encased, the shroud having a rim portion having an inwardly protruding peripheral ridge of generally circular cross-section extending under the ridge of the container so as to hold the shroud on the container, the cup-shaped body portion being free of contact with the closure, the shroud being moulded of ultra high-flow low-density polyethylene resin with a notch-line of weakness between the rim portion and the cup-shaped body portion, the resistance of the line of weakness to tearing being less than the resistance of the ridge of the rim portion to being pulled over the ridge of the container if the cup-shaped body portion is pulled to expose the closure whereby access of the closure cannot be had without visibly tearing the shroud at the notch-line of weakness thereby providing evidence of tampering, the rim portion also constituting a tear-off strip that can be peeled off the cup-shaped body portion along the line of weakness whereby the cup-shaped body portion can serve as a measuring cup.

Claim 10

In combination, a moulded plastic or glass container having a mouth with an outwardly protruding peripheral ridge, a closure for the mouth, and a shroud moulded of ultra high-flow low-density polyethylene resin, having a cup-shaped body portion within which the closure is encased, the shroud having a rim portion having an inwardly protruding peripheral ridge of generally circular cross-section extending under the ridge of the container so as to hold the shroud on the container, the cup-shaped body portion being free of contact with the closure, the shroud being moulded of ultra high-flow low-density polyethylene resin with a notch-line of weakness between the rim portion and the cup-shaped body portion, the resistance of the line of weakness to tearing being less than the resistance of the ridge of the rim portion to being pulled over the ridge of the container if the cup-shaped body portion is pulled to expose the closure whereby access of the closure cannot be had without visibly tearing the shroud at the notch-line of weakness thereby providing evidence of tampering, the rim portion also constituting a tear-off strip that can be peeled off the cup-shaped body portion along the line of weakness whereby the cup-shaped body portion can serve as a measuring cup.

Claim 11

The combination of claim 8, wherein the rim portion is outwardly stepped from the cup-shaped body portion and said notch-line of weakness is located at the juncture of said rim portion and said cup-shaped body portion.

Claim 12

The combination of claim 9 wherein the shroud is held on the container with the cup-shaped body portion free of contact with both the closure and the container.

Claim 13

The combination of claim 10 wherein the rim portion has an external flexible tab having a free end connected by a rupturable web to the rim portion, the tab having an end fixed to the rim portion adjacent a transverse notch-line of weakness of the rim portion, the inwardly protruding peripheral ridge of the rim portion being interrupted at said transverse notch-line to facilitate rupture of the rim portion along said line when the tab is pulled to peel the rim portion off the cup-shaped body portion.

Claim 14

The combination of claim 11, wherein the cup-shaped body portion is impervious to dust and with the rim portion removed can be disposed over the closure to serve as a dust cover.

Claim 15

The combination of claim 9, wherein the rim portion has an external flexible tab having a free end connected by a rupturable web to the rim portion, the tab having an end fixed to the rim portion adjacent a transverse notch-line of weakness of the rim portion, the inwardly protruding peripheral ridge of the rim portion being interrupted at said transverse notch-line to facilitate rupture of the rim portion along said line when the tab is pulled to peel the rim portion off the cup-shaped body portion.

Claim 16

The combination of claim 13, wherein the cup-shaped body portion is impervious to dust and with the rim portion removed can be disposed over the closure to serve as a dust cover.

Claim 17

The combination of claim 8, wherein the shroud is held on the container with the cup-shaped body portion free of contact with both the closure and the container.

Claim 18

The combination of claim 8 wherein the rim portion has an external flexible tab having a free end connected by a rupturable web to the rim portion, the tab having an end fixed to the rim portion adjacent a transverse notch-line of weakness of the rim portion, the inwardly protruding peripheral ridge of the rim portion being interrupted at said transverse notch-line to facilitate rupture of the rim portion along said line when the tab is pulled to peel the rim portion off the cup-shaped body portion.

Claim 19

The combination of claim 8, wherein the cup-shaped body portion is impervious to dust and with the rim portion removed can be disposed over the closure to serve as a dust cover.

Claim 20

The combination of claim 8 wherein the body portion of the shroud is provided on its outer surface with a plurality of evenly spaced longitudinal ribs.

Claim 21

The combination of claim 18 wherein eight of said ribs are provided.