AU682096B2

AU682096B2 - Container-closure arrangement

Info

Publication number: AU682096B2
Application number: AU17854/95A
Authority: AU
Inventors: David Alexander Zichy Woinarski
Original assignee: Innovative Design Co Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Innovative Design Co Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1994-05-17
Filing date: 1995-05-03
Publication date: 1997-09-18
Anticipated expiration: 2015-05-03
Also published as: AU1785495A

Description

P/00/011 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Invention Title: CONTAINER-CLOSURE ARRANGEMENT 000 0 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: GH&CO REF: P11855-ALI/RW:SD I~ 2 This invention relates to a container-closure arrangement which is formed from a plastics material and which may be employed for containing liquid or other flowable materials. The invention is concerned particularly with an arrangement which includes a reusable closure but one which is relatively easy to remove, tamperproof and resistant to inadvertent or accidental dislodgement prior to the time when it is first intended to be removed.

Closures which are constructed to protect against inadvertent dislodgement and which, thus, meet one of the requirements of the present invention are already known.

However, it has been found that the known closures may with diligence be removed and replaced without revealing evidence of tampering, and this provides opportunity for product substitution and pilfering. The present invention seeks to solve this problem by providing an arrangement which incorporates all of the desirable features of the prior art and which provides additionally for tamperproof containment of products.

Broadly defined, the invention provides an .arrangement which comprises a container and a closure 25 therefor, both of which are moulded from a resilient plastics material. The container has a generally S"circular base, a rim which surrounds a circular opening and a circumferential wall which extends upwardly from the base to the rim. The rim includes an outwardly projecting bead which surrounds the container wall.

Also, a flange is formed integrally with the container wall and surrounds the wall at a level below that of the S* bead. The closure comprises an inverted channel which contacts the rim in sealing engagement when the closure is fitted to the container. The channel is defined by an inner circumferential wall, an outer circumferential wall and a bridging wall which overlies the rim of the container. The outer circumferential wall is formed with S:11855AU e, -3an inwardly directed ledge which is shaped and positioned to locate under the bead of the container rim and to hold the closure captive to the container. Additionally, the outer circumferential wall of the closure is formed with a skirt which extends downwardly and outwardly from the ledge, and a circumferentially extending tear strip projects downwardly from and is removably connected to the skirt. The tear strip has a lower edge which overlaps and locates in a peripherally extending recess in the container flange when the closure is fitted to the container.

When the tear strip is removed torn away) from the remaining portion of the closure, the closure may be removed from the container by applying a prising force to the under-side of the closure skirt.

Thereafter, the closure may be re-fitted and removed from the container as and when required. However, prior to its removal, the tear strip functions to prevent or inhibit the application of a prising force to the closure skirt and, thus, the tear strip functions to protect the closure from inadvertent or accidental dislodgement.

Also, because the lower edge of the tear strip overlaps and locates within the peripherally extending recess in the container flange, it is not possible to remove the 25 closure by use of a prising implement until the tear strip has been removed.

S'The closure preferably comprises a central well which locates within the opening of the container when the closure is fitted to the container.

In a particularly preferred form of the invention, an intermediate partitioning wall extends throughout the length of the closure channel and the wall serves to divide the channel into inner and outer sub-channels.

The outer sub-channel is shaped to engage the rim of the container in sealing engagement, and the inner sub-channel is formed with a series of radially extending webs. The webs join the inner circumferential wall of the closure to the intermediate partitioning wall and S:11855AU

I

4 they facilitate load transfer when loaded containers are stacked one upon another.

The invention will be more fully understood from the following description of a preferred embodiment of a container-closure arrangement as shown in the attached drawings. In the drawings: Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a complete container fitted with a closure, Figure 2 shows a sectional elevation view of the rim portion of the container and fitted enclosure, the view being taken in the direction of section plane 2-2 as indicated in Figure 1, Figure 3 shows on an enlarged scale the rim portion of the container and an over-fitting portion of the closure, and Figure 4 shows a partial view of the underside of the closure, as seen in the direction of arrow 4 in Figure 2.

As illustrated, the arrangement comprises a container 10 which is fitted with a closure 11. Both the container and the closure are formed from a resilient plastics material, such as polypropylene, and, whilst the container may be manufactured in a range of sizes, the container might typically have a volumetric capacity of 10 litres, the closure 11 is reusable but it is constructed in a manner such that it cannot conveniently be removed from the container until such time as a protective tear strip 12 is removed. The tear strip functions to protect the closure against both tampering and inadvertent dislodgement during storage and shipping of the container.

The container has a circular base 13 which includes a central recess 14 which is surrounded by a land The outer periphery of the base 13 joins a circumferential wall 16 and the wall has a lower projection 17 which extends below the level of the base.

As shown in Figure 2, the lowermost region of the container is shared and sized to sit in a central well 26 0 0* *0 S:11855AU g~ of the closure of a lower container, so that a number of the containers may be stacked one upon another.

The circumferential wall 16 extends tapers) upwardly and outwardly from the base 13 to an upper region of the container. The taper angle of the wall 16 is selected to permit convenient extraction of the container from a moulding die and, also, to permit convenient nesting of empty containers during storage and transportation.

In the upper region of the container, a portion 18 of the circumferential wall inclines outwardly relative to the remaining portion of the wall, and a further portion 19 extends in a generally vertical direction to surround a circular opening of the container. A rim is formed integrally with the wall portion 19 but has a slightly greater section thickness than the remaining portion of the circumferential wall. The rim 20 inclines upwardly and inwardly, and it includes an outwardly projecting bead 21 which surrounds the circumferential wall.

A downwardly extending flange 22 is formed integrally with and surrounds the circumferential wall at a level below that of the rim 20. The flange imparts rigidity to the upper region of the container and it 25 forms a ledge which may be used in lifting the container.

Also, at least four nesting stops 23 are located at equi-spaced intervals around the wall of the container to prevent one container from jamming inside another when :they are nested.

30 A handle 24, for example in the form of a wire bail or plastics material handle, extends diametrically across S"the container and its two end portions 25 project into and are pivotably located in the flange 22.

S"The closure 11 has a central well 26 which locates within the opening of the container, and an inverted generally U-shaped channel 27 surrounds the well. The channel is defined by an inner circumferential wall 28, an outer circumferential wall 29 and a bridging wall S:11855AU i -6which overlies the rim 20 of the container. Also, an intermediate partitioning wall 31 extends around the channel 27 and divides the channel into two parallel (inner and outer) sub-channels 32 and 33.

The outer sub-channel 33 is shaped and sized to overfit the rim 20, and the inner sub-channel 32 is formed with a series of radially projecting webs 34. The webs are joined by integrally formed ribs 34a. The webs 34 and the ribs 34a act as stiffening elements and function to resist a tendency of the closure to bend about the rim of the container under the influence of vertically applied loads.

The outer circumferential wall 29 of the closure is formed with an inwardly directed ledge 35 which is shaped and positioned to locate under the bead 21 of the container rim and to hold the closure captive to the container. Additionally, the outer circumferential wall of the closure is formed integrally with a skirt 36 which extends downwardly and outwardly from the ledge The skirt 36 extends outwardly with respect to the wall portion 19 of the container so that it might be gripped or prised and be lifted away from the container when it is desired that the closure be removed.

The tear strip 12 projects downwardly from the skirt S 25 36 and is joined to the skirt 36 by a very thin web 37.

The tear strip 12 has a lower edge 38 which overlaps and locates in a peripherally extending stepped recess 39 in the container flange 22 when the closure is fitted to :the container. Thus, when the tear strip 12 is in 30 position and encircling the container a lifting force cannot be applied to the closure skirt 36. Also, as a S"consequence of the lower edge 38 of the tear strip locating within the peripheral recess 39 of the container flange, it is not possible to insert a thin prising implement below the level of the tear strip 12 for the purpose of prising the closure from the container without first removing the tear strip. This relationship is most clearly seen in Figure 3 of the drawings. Therefore, the S:11855AU -7closure may not be removed from the container whilst the tear strip is in place. However, when the tear strip has been torn away from the remaining portion of the closure, the skirt portion 36 of the closure may be gripped and be pulled or be prised away from the rim of the container so that the closure may be removed from the container.

*9 *e 0* *00 e S:11855AU

Claims

2. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein an intermediate partitioning wall extends throughout the .9.9 30 length of the closure channel, wherein the partitioning wall serves to divide the channel into inner and outer sub-channels, and wherein the outer sub-channel is shaped to engage the rim of the container in sealing engagement.
3. The arrangement as claimed in claim 2 wherein a series of radially extending webs extend across the inner sub-channel of the closure and join the inner circumferential wall to the intermediate partitioning wall. S:11855AU 9
4. The arrangement as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the closure includes a central well which locates within the opening of the container when the closure is fitted to the container and wherein the well is defined peripherally by the inner circumferential wall. The arrangement as claimed in claim 4 wherein the lowermost region of the container is shaped and sized to fit within the central well of the closure, whereby a plurality of the container-closure arrangements may be stacked one upon the other.
6. The arrangement as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the peripherally extending recess in the container flange comprises a stepped recess and wherein the lower edge of the tear strip fits within the recess.
7. The container-closure arrangement substantially as shown in the accompanying drawings and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference thereto. DATED this 2nd day of May 1995 INNOVATIVE DESIGN COMPANY PTY LIMITED By their Patent Attorneys GRIFFITH HACK CO a a o0 *O 0 6 S:11855AU I ABSTRACT A container-closure arrangement in which the container 10 and closure 11 are both formed from a resilient plastics material. The container 10 has a circumferential wall 16 which is formed at its upper marginal edge with a beaded rim 20, and the wall 16 is surrounded by an integrally formed flange 22 which is positioned at a level below the rim 20. The closure is formed with a channel-shaped circumferential recess 33 which is shaped and sized to receive the container rim in sealing engagement, and an outer circumferential wall 29 of the closure is provided with a skirt 36 from which a circumferential tear strip 12 extends. When the tear strip 12 is torn away from the remaining portion of the closure 11, the skirt 36 may be lifted to disengage the closure from the container. In order to render the closure both tamperproof and resistant to inadvertent dislodgement, a lower edge 38 of the tear strip is go• projected into a peripherally extending stepped recess 39 20 in the closure flange 22. The lower edge 38 of the tear strip overlaps and fits within the stepped recess of the flange 22 in a manner so as to prevent the insertion of a prising implement that might otherwise be used to prise the closure from the container without first removing the tear strip. oe* 0* o S S:11855AU I I _a I