JPH01124564A - Integral unjust unsealing preventive vessel - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide a tamperproof container which has a monolithic appearance by comprising an outside shell which comprises the integrally molded bottom opening main body part, neck portion and container lid, further comprising a skirt portion kept into contact with the main body part and a bottom member for closing the opened bottom, separating the container lid from the neck portion, and fixing the container lid on the container. CONSTITUTION: An outside shell 12 comprises a main body part 16, a neck portion 18 and a cap 22, which are integrated. The cap 22 is faced down toward the neck portion 18 of a hollow container of which an apex panel 24 is opened, and inverted to the container so that the neck portion is closed. To completely close the neck portion, a thin web 26 is extended between the cap and the apex part of the neck portion, and can be cut. The cap is inverted in an upright attitutde, and screwed on a screw thread 20 of the container neck portion. In the container after assembled, the main body part 16 of the outside shell is closely kept into contact and engaged with the outside of a skirt portion 28 extended to an upper part of the bottom member 14, and the skirt portion 28 is kept into contact with a bottom face of a shoulder 30, so that the joint part of both components is partially concealed, and the apperance and the structural characteristic of the monolithic container can be obtained.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to containers, and more particularly to tamper-evident containers that are closed and permanently sealed immediately after filling without a seal.

(Prior art and problems) Capsules after filling and sealing the container by the manufacturer;
Contamination of other materials put inside the device was a problem. The usual solution in the past has been to apply a band or tape-like seal across both the cap and the neck of the container. It was thought that if someone later tried to pry open the container and remove the cap, the seal would break, and careful inspection would detect tampering.

However, this type of seal was often not suitable. If the tamper was very careful, he could remove the sticker and reapply it in a way that would be undetectable to anyone but an expert.

Therefore, there is a need for a truly tamper-evident container that is completely secure, easily recognizable by almost anyone, not just the skilled person, if tampered with, and yet provides a one-piece appearance.

Some containers hitherto disclosed in the prior art include some of the individual features of the containers of the invention described below, but do not have the advantages of the invention and are not truly tamper-proof. For example, Italian Patent No. 857,432 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,187
, No. 988 and No. 3,204,835,
These all show a cap or closure integrally formed with some form of container. The caps of these patents are broken off by the user and then snapped, screwed, or press-fitted to close the container when not in use.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,131,211 relates to a bottom cover for a container body formed without a bottom, which bottom cover is applied after filling.

In other words, the prior art does not include or imply the principles of the present invention as described below which provide an integral tamper-proof container that is absolutely resistant to undetectable tampering.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, a unitary tamper-evident container is formed from two assembled parts, each of which is itself a single integrally molded part. The first part is an upper or outer shell having a body, a neck, and a cap, all of which are formed as one piece in a molding process.

The lid is located directly above the neck, preferably in an inverted position, but can also be in an upright position, and is connected to the neck by a one-piece thin plastic material that can be cut or broken by the final consumer. After 0 minutes of closing the lid, the lid can be screwed or snapped onto the neck until it is first used by the consumer.

The second component of the container is a bottom member including an upwardly extending skirt or wall, the skirt being a snug, sliding fit with the body and providing a large seal between the bottom skirt and the body. It has sufficient height and dimensions to provide a large area of contact, permitting adhesive or heat bonding of the two to each other over a fairly large area, and to form a high integrity, permanent bond seal. In a preferred embodiment, the base member skirt is located inside the main body so that the assembled container is and appears to be a single unit, and there is no apparent line of joint or assembly between the two parts. It extends completely along the neck to the neck.

The second part may include an overlapping annular flange at its bottom that overlaps the bottom end of the body.

Alternatively, if the bottom skirt is located on the outside of the body, as will be discussed below, a similar flange may be provided on the shoulder of the body that overlaps the top of the bottom skirt.

When filling the container with contents, after filling the bottom member or filling the main body in an upside down position, the two are pushed into each other so that they deeply overlap and come into contact.
Joined by high-integrity adhesive or heat sealing. In order to access the contents of the assembled container, the integrated cap must be broken off or the main body of the container must be broken, leaving obvious evidence of being pried open.
Completely safe against tampering and possible contamination.

In a preferred embodiment, the entire container is formed from a transparent plastic material, allowing inspection of the contents without opening the container. Preferably, the filled containers are sold without a cover or packaging so that the purchaser can inspect the containers on the shelf.

In another embodiment, the outer surface of the container optionally includes:
These fins include low-profile, fragile fins that further indicate an attempt to pry open the container; some of the fins break when the container is squeezed or twisted in the human hand, further indicating an attempt to pry the container. located and configured to do so. Such fins are included in any of the embodiments described herein.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the bottom member of the container is preferably dimensioned to fit and slide inside the body, preferably up to the neck of the container.

Alternatively, the skirt portion of the bottom member may be fitted to the outside of the container body so that the skirt portion of the bottom member becomes the outer surface of the container body after assembly. In this case, the first or upper part includes a shoulder just below the neck, and the skirt part of the bottom member abuts and is received directly below the shoulder, creating a substantially flush surface on the outside of the container. It can be done like this. Also in this embodiment, it is preferred that the inner body portion extends downwardly and abuts the top surface of the container bottom member, also giving the appearance of a one-piece body.

(Embodiment) In the drawings, FIGS. 1 and 2 show an embodiment of an integrated tamper-evident container 10 based on the principles of the present invention. The assembled container 10 shown in FIG. The components include: an upper portion or outer shell 12 which is integrally molded as one piece, and a lower portion which preferably extends into the outer shell 12 and is also molded as one piece as shown in FIGS. This is the bottom member 14.

The upper or outer shell 12 includes a body portion 16, a neck portion 18 which may include threads 20 as shown, and a cap or container lid 22, all formed as a single unitary molding. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the cap 22 is configured such that the top or top panel 24 of the cap faces downwardly toward the open hollow container neck 18 and is constructed as shown in FIG. It is now inverted relative to the container, effectively closing the neck.

In order to completely close the neck of the arrangement thus produced, a thin web shown at 26, such as in the form of a thin band as shown in FIG. 2, extends between the cap and the top of the neck. This thin plastic 26 can be cut by the end consumer by cutting with a knife or, if the material is thin enough, by simply twisting the cap tightly while grasping the body of the container.

The cap can then be easily turned upside down into an upright position and threaded onto the threads 20 of the container neck.

The assembled container shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 has a body portion 16 of the outer shell with a skirt portion 2 extending above the bottom member 14.
The dimensions are such that it is a tight fit on the outside of the 8. This point is partially indicated by the dotted line in FIG. The skirt portion 28 of the bottom member extends upwardly a considerable distance inside the body portion, at least half way or more, preferably until it abuts the shoulder 30 just below the neck, creating a very large intimate contact area between the two plastic walls. exist. This can provide a highly integral, sealed and permanently fixed bond between the two, achievable with a high integrity plastic adhesive or a heat seal (such as ultrasonic bonding). In this way, the two components are firmly and permanently secured to each other and cannot be separated without destroying the container, a fact that remains evident in any attempt to pry it open. Additionally, since the skirt portion z8 in the preferred embodiment abuts the bottom surface of the shoulder 30, the joints of the reconstructed parts at that location are partially hidden, giving the appearance and structural characteristics of a one-piece container. . At the bottom (as shown in Figure 2), the two components are preferably flush or nearly flush;
This allows the assembled container to look more like a single piece. This bottom edge bonded configuration allows the assembled container to undergo an additional step of applying heat to the periphery of the bottom, effectively welding the two plastic layers together at that location. Figure 6 shows the application of heat (arrow 29) to weld the two layers 16 and 28 into one cohesive mass along the bottom annulus.

Since the cap cannot be removed without leaving evidence that such a "seal" has been broken, any consumer or layman will be able to tell that the container has been pried open after going through the assembly process, including filling and assembly.

Accordingly, the tamper-evident container of the present invention does not require any of the seals that have been applied heretofore across the cap and neck in conventional attempts to prevent undetected prying. It generally consists of a seal on a flexible band or tape that is applied to both the cap and the neck.

FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of another embodiment 31 of the invention in which a container lid or cap 32 is integrally formed as part of an outer shell 34, and the cap is not inverted as in FIG. It is in an upright position. Although this embodiment makes shaping the outer shell more difficult, such shaping can generally be accomplished with some types of blow molding. As shown in FIG. 3, a thin plastic material 36 secures the bottom edge of the lid 2 to the top edge of the threaded neck 38.

FIG. 3 also shows the container 3, excluding the neck 38 and cap 32.
According to the general principles of the invention, the container can take almost any shape as long as it allows sliding assembly of the outer shell and bottom member as shown. obtain.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the bottom member of the container includes a hip 39 extending outwardly along the circumference of the bottom so that the bottom member of the container is substantially flush with the outside surface between the lower portion of the outer shell 34 and the hip 39 in the assembled container. A surface may also be formed.

FIG. 4 shows some other aspects of the invention as an assembled container 40. In FIG. 4, the skirt portion 42 of the container bottom member 44 is positioned overlapping the outer surface of the upper or outer shell body portion 46, indicated generally at 48. Preferably, the upper portion or outer shell 48' includes a shoulder 50 having a diameter or outer diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the body portion 46 in contact with the bottom member skirt portion 42 to provide a substantially coplanar exterior surface. Again, the container may be generally cylindrical, square, rectangular, or any other desired shape.

In this embodiment, the upper portion 48 is filled in an inverted position prior to assembly of the container.

As can be seen in FIG. 4, the overlapping of the bottom member skirt portion and the body portion provides a large intimate contact area between the skirt portion 42 and the body portion 46, so that both can be assembled in the filled condition. Can be glued into a permanently sealed connection. In this embodiment, the upper portion 48 is generally inverted to receive the contents prior to attaching the bottom member 44.

Another variation shown in FIG. 4 is that the lid or cap 52 is of a snap-fit type and not a screw-on type lid as in the previous example. Lid configurations other than those shown may also be used. In FIG. 4, the lid 52 is in an inverted position with a thin, integral plastic section 54 providing a joint seal between the lid and the body until cut or destroyed by the consumer.

The plastic material forming the outer shell 48, and more preferably also the bottom member 44, of the embodiment shown in FIG. It should be flexible. M52C or above 22.3
2) may, if desired, be made into a childproof lid, with the restriction that the upper part is molded in one piece.

It should be understood that a lid such as that shown in FIG. 4 may be used with any of the embodiments illustrated herein.

FIG. 5 shows a plan cross-sectional view of a container 10a similar to container 10 of FIG. The outer wall 60 of the container 10a, whether on the outer surface of the outer shell or the bottom member, has one or more frangible fins 62 integrally molded thereon, the fins 62 extending generally vertically over the surface of the outer wall 60 to prevent prying. or giving further evidence of such an attempt. In other words, the fragile fin 62 breaks at the point where it is tightly gripped by the hand during a twisting motion. Therefore, if someone tries to open the container with a strong grip,
At least some broken fins 62 clearly indicate the attempt. Fin 62 may be included in any of the embodiments of the invention illustrated and described herein.

7, 8 and 9 show a modification of the tamper-evident container shown in FIGS. 2 and 4; in FIG. 7, the container 70 is similar to that of FIG. Having a bottom member 71 that includes an annular flange 72 extending radially outwardly by a distance approximately equal to the thickness of the container body 73 of the section 74 , the bottom edge of the body 73 abuts (or touches) the annular flange 72 during assembly. 3), this structure provides additional security against prying, similar in concept to the configuration shown in FIG.

The tamper-resistant container 80 of FIG. 8 has a bottom member 81 including an annular flange 82 and a tab 83 extending upwardly from the flange 82 and extending outwardly of the skirt portion 86. and is positioned to form an annular channel between which the bottom edge of the main body portion 84 is closely received. This provides greater security against prying, such as by insertion of a knife, and provides additional area for gluing the two components together.

FIG. 9 shows a tamper-evident container 9 similar to FIG. 8, but similar to FIG.
0, the top edge of the skirt portion 91 overlaps a lip 94 extending downwardly from a shoulder 95 of the upper portion 93.

In other words, the top edge of the skirt portion 91 is connected to the lip 94 and the main body portion 9.
It is received in close contact with the outer surface of 2. Thus, this embodiment in which the bottom member skirt extends along the outer surface of the upper body also provides additional security against prying.

As previously mentioned, tamper-evident containers according to the present invention are preferably transparent to provide additional verification of the integrity of the contents upon visual inspection, which the manufacturer inspects prior to shipping the product from the factory. It also provides an opportunity to inspect products remaining on the shelf.

The preferred embodiments described above are illustrative of the principles of the invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Other embodiments and modifications to the illustrative embodiments will be obvious to those skilled in the art, and the claims possible without departing from the scope of the invention, which is limited to the scope of.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a unitary tamper-evident container according to the principles of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-section of the container of FIG. 1 taken along line 2--2 of FIG. 3 are similar sectional views showing another embodiment of the invention, in which the lid or cap is molded in a different orientation than in FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 shows a further embodiment of the invention. 5, which has several variations including a different overlapping relationship between the bottom member and the upper part and a different type of lid than FIG. 1; FIG. A top sectional view showing the fins provided to direct prying when squeezed; FIG. 6 is a partial front sectional detail showing the assembly being heated to weld the two plastic layers together; Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing a modification of the structure of the container, and Fig. 8 is another view similar to Fig. 2, but with a different structure. and FIG. 9 is a diagram similar to FIG. 4, showing a modification in the structure of that embodiment. Description of symbols LO, loa, 31, 40, 70, 80.90... Container, 12, 34.48, 74.93... Upper part (outer shell), 14, 44, 71, 81.91. ...Bottom member, 16.46, 73, 84.92.01 Main body, 18,
38.58...Neck, 20: 56...Fixing cooperative element (20: thread, 56: post), 22.32.
52... Cap (container holder, 24... Top plate of container lid, 26, 36.54... Thin plastic material, 28,
42,86.91...Skirt part, 30,50.95
... Shoulder, 39, 72.82 ... Annular flange, 62
...fin, 83; 94...lip. Applicant: Maurice Buck, Figure 4, Figure 7, Figure 8, Senshu Neho Seisho (self-proposal), January 9, 1986.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a one-piece tamper-evident container that maintains the safety of the contents of the container without applying a seal: a bottom-opening main body and a neck that are integrally molded as a single unit made entirely of plastic material. and a hollow upper or outer shell having a container lid, said container lid being joined together in sealing relation to the top of the neck, and a thin plastic cuttable by the consumer to separate the container lid from the neck. a bottom member made of a plastic material having an upwardly extending skirt portion coextensive with and in contact with the main body portion and closing an open bottom of the main body portion; said container lid and neck are in permanent, fixed, sealing contact with the body portion over a considerable height to maintain the contents hermetically within the container in an indiscernible and tamper-proof manner; A tamper-evident container having a cooperating element that allows a consumer to secure a container lid onto the container after separating the container from the neck. 2. The container lid has a top plate, is integrally molded and is positioned upside down on the neck of the container, and the top plate faces downward toward the hollow neck. Tamper-evident containers of Section 1. 3. The bottom member has an extended skirt portion having an outer dimension substantially the same as the inner dimension of the main body portion of the outer shell, and the skirt portion has a length such that the skirt portion extends at least half the height inside the main body portion; Claim 1: Providing a large contact area between the material skirt and the body, in which adhesive means permanently secure the skirt and the body to each other.
Tamper-evident container. 4. The tamper-evident container of claim 3, wherein said adhesive means comprises a heat seal of the skirt portion to the body portion. 5. The tamper-evident container of claim 3, wherein said adhesive means comprises a permanent adhesive in contact with the skirt portion and the body portion. 6. The skirt portion extends over substantially the entire height of the main body portion,
A tamper-evident container according to claim 3, which extends to the bottom of the neck. 7. The hollow upper part has an internal shoulder directly below the neck, the skirt part of the bottom member extends to and abuts the internal shoulder, and a joint between the upper part and the skirt part at the contact position; The tamper-evident container of claim 6 which substantially conceals the tamper-evident container. 8. The main body of the upper part extends downward to the level of the bottom surface of the bottom member, and the bottom surface of the container after assembly has an area that is substantially flush with the joint between the bottom member and the bottom edge of the main body. Tamper-evident containers of scope 7. 9. The tamper-proof container according to claim 8, wherein the bottom edge of the bottom member and the main body are integrally heat-welded within a flush area of the joint. 10. The bottom member includes an annular flange extending generally radially outwardly and substantially flush with the bottom surface of the bottom member, and wherein the body portion of the upper portion extends downwardly and substantially contacts the top surface of the annular flange. A tamper-evident container according to claim 6. 11. An annular shape in which the bottom member extends generally radially outwardly, substantially flush with the bottom surface of the bottom member, and terminating in an upwardly extending lip forming an annular channel between the lip and the bottom member skirt; 7. The tamper-evident container of claim 6, including a flange, wherein said upper body portion extends downwardly and is closely received within said annular channel. 12, wherein the bottom member includes an annular flange extending generally radially outwardly and substantially flush with the bottom surface of the bottom member, and wherein the body portion of the upper portion extends downwardly into substantially contact with the top surface of the annular flange. A tamper-evident container according to claim 3. 13. An annular shape in which the bottom member extends generally radially outwardly, substantially flush with the bottom surface of the bottom member, and terminating in an upwardly extending lip forming an annular channel between the lip and the bottom member skirt. 4. The tamper-evident container of claim 3, including a flange, wherein the body portion of the upper portion extends downwardly and is closely received within the annular channel. 14. the hollow outer shell and bottom member are substantially transparent;
A tamper-evident container according to claim 3 which facilitates visual inspection of the contents. 15. further comprising at least one frangible fin extending generally radially outwardly from the outer surface of the body, the fin having a low profile relative to the container, the outer surface of the container when grasped by a person's hand; 4. A tamper-evident container according to claim 3, wherein the tamper-evident container is positioned so as to break when a significant force is applied to the tamper-evident container. 16. the hollow outer shell and bottom member are substantially transparent;
A tamper-evident container according to claim 1 which facilitates visual inspection of the contents. 17. The tamper-evident container of claim 1, wherein the skirt portion of the bottom member extends over the outer surface of at least a substantial portion of the height of the body portion. 18. further comprising at least one frangible fin extending generally radially outwardly from the outer surface of the skirt portion, the fin having a low profile relative to the container and which, when grasped by a person's hand, extends generally radially outwardly from the outer surface of the container; 18. The tamper-evident container of claim 17, wherein the tamper-evident container is positioned to break when a significant force is applied to the container. 19. The body portion of the outer shell has a shoulder below the neck, and the skirt portion of the bottom member extends to and substantially abuts the shoulder, and the shoulder and skirt portion are substantially flush with each other in the assembled container. The tamper-evident container according to claim 17. 20, the outwardly extending shoulder includes a downwardly extending annular outer lip parallel to the outer wall surface of the body portion to form a downwardly open annular channel, and the skirt portion of the bottom member extends within the annular channel; Claim 1 which is accepted in close accordance with
Section 9 Tamper Evident Container. 21. the hollow outer shell and bottom member are substantially transparent;
A tamper-evident container according to claim 19 which facilitates visual inspection of the contents. 22. The tamper-evident container of claim 19, wherein the main body portion of the upper portion has a lower edge that abuts the horizontal inner surface of the bottom member. 23. In a method for manufacturing, filling and sealing a one-piece tamper-evident container without sealing: a hollow body having an open-bottom body, a neck and a container lid integrally molded as a single piece of plastic material; manufacturing the upper portion as a one-piece structure, the container lid being integrally joined in sealing relation to the top of the neck, and comprising a thin plastic material cuttable by the consumer to separate the container lid from the neck; a plastic material comprising an upwardly extending skirt portion, having a cooperating element that allows the consumer to secure the container lid onto the container after separating the container lid from the neck; manufacturing a bottom member made of aluminum, the skirt portion is dimensioned so that the main body portion of the upper portion can be slidably fitted into the skirt portion in an overlapping relationship, and the bottom member is filled with a content; or filling the upper portion in an inverted position and adding the desired contents to the container while maintaining intimate overlapping contact between the skirt portion and the body portion over a substantial height of the body portion; The body portion and the skirt portion are connected to the overlapping portion so that the bottom member is slidably fitted to the upper portion to retain the contents within the container, and the contents are retained within the container in a manner that prevents tampering without being identified after assembly. method consisting of fixing in permanent sealing contact at 24, the skirt portion extending along the interior of the body portion, the hollow upper portion having an internal shoulder directly below the neck, and the skirt portion of the bottom member extending to and abutting the internal shoulder;
24. The method of claim 23, wherein the joint between the upper part and the skirt part at the relevant contact position is substantially hidden. 25. The skirt portion extends along the inside of the main body portion, and the main body portion of the upper portion extends downwardly to the level of the bottom surface of the bottom member and substantially flush with the top surface at the junction of the bottom member and the bottom edge of the main body portion. 24. The method of claim 23, including the step of assembling the top and bottom members to form a region. 26. After filling and assembly, the method further comprises the step of heating and welding the bottom member and the bottom edge of the main body to form an integral mass of both materials at a location where the bottom edge of the main body contacts the bottom member. The method of paragraph 25. 27. the hollow outer shell and bottom member are substantially transparent;
24. The method of claim 23 which facilitates visual inspection of contents. 28, the skirt portion extends along an interior side of the body portion, the bottom member includes an annular flange extending generally radially outwardly and substantially flush with a bottom surface of the bottom member, and the body portion of the upper portion extends downwardly; 24. The method of claim 23, wherein the annular flange is substantially in contact with the top surface of the annular flange. 29. The skirt portion extends along the interior of the body portion, and the bottom member extends generally radially outwardly, substantially flush with the bottom surface of the bottom member, and terminating in an upwardly extending lip so as to connect the lip and the bottom. 24. The method of claim 23, including an annular flange forming an annular channel with the material skirt portion, the body portion of the upper portion extending downwardly and being closely received within the annular channel.