Tamper-evident container

Claim 1

A tamper-evident container comprising a body portion having a top, a bottom, a longitudinal axis extending between the top and bottom, and a side wall or walls extending longitudinally between the top and bottom and located laterally around the longitudinal axis, a lid portion adapted to engage said body portion in order to close the top, at least one tamper-evident element which is located laterally outward of the longitudinal axis from the adjacent side wall or walls, a weakened connection which releasably attaches said tamper-evident element to a part of said lid portion and which is located laterally outward of the longitudinal axis from the adjacent side wall or walls, a removal prevention means, which is provided on a part of said body portion and which is located laterally outward of the longitudinal axis from the adjacent side wall or walls, for preventing removal of the lid portion from the body portion when said tamper-evident element is in an operative position, such that the lid portion can only be removed from the body portion subsequent to breakage of the weakened connection between the tamper-evident element and the lid portion, and a retaining means to retain the tamper-evident element on the body portion, said retaining means being located laterally outward of the longitudinal axis from an adjacent side wall or walls such that the tamper evident element, after breakage of the weakened connection, has a displaced position on the part of the body portion which provides an easy view thereof and hence a ready visual indication that tampering may have occurred, and such that removal of the tamper-evident element from the displaced position thereof on the body portion cannot be effected without evident damage; and wherein the body and lid portions have co-operating rims on part or a whole of co-operating peripheries thereof; wherein the rim of the body portion is of substantially inverted U-shape in transverse section and includes, for the tamper-evident element, an aperture in an upper wall thereof, said tamper-evident element, in its operative position, projecting from said aperture above the upper wall of the rim of the body portion, breakage of the weakened connection being achieved by forcible depression of the tamper-evident element into the displaced position; and wherein the tamper-evident element in the displaced position is housed within the rim of the body portion with an upper wall of the tamper-evident element being substantially co-planar with the upper wall of the rim of the body portion such that the upper wall of the tamper-evident element is visible through the aperture in said rim of the body portion.