A Spill Proof And Tamper Evident Closure Device For A Container

Abstract

This invention relates to a spill proof and tamper evident closure device for a container, the mouth of said container having a circumferential side wall connected to an outer circumferential wall, said closure device as a central portion and a rim, said rim having downwardly extending convergent inner and outer walls, housing a groove in between the lower portion of said outer wall, is hingedly connected to a conical circumferential component provided with a plurality of groove and step pins sealingly engagable with said grooves in a closed position, said container side wall having plurality of engagement means such as heads engagably disposed with engagement means provided on the outer wall of said closure device to indicate evidence of tamper.7

Information

Applicants

Inventors

Specification

FORM 2
THE PATENTS ACT 1970
(39 of 1970)
&
THE PATENTS RULES, 2003
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
(See Section 10; rule 13)
TITLE OF THE INVENTION
A SPILL PROOF AND TAMPER EVIDENT CLOSURE DEVICE FOR A CONTAINER
APPLICANTS
BALMER LAWRIE - VAN LEER LIMITED
D-195/2, T.T.C Industrial Area, Turbhe, New Mumbai 400 705,
Maharashtra, India, an Indian Company
INVENTOR
AJIT SOMCHAND SHAH an Indian national of Balmer Lawrie - Van Leer Limited, Valerex Division, D-195/2,T.T.C Industrial Area, Turbhe, New Mumbai 400 705, Maharashtra, India, an Indian Company
PREAMBLE TO THE DESCRIPTION
The following complete specification particularly describes the nature of the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed.
28-3-2005 Original

A SPILL PROOF AND TAMPER EVIDENT CLOSURE DEVICE FOR A
CONTAINER.
This invention relates to a spill proof and tamper evident closure device for a container. This invention is particularly applicable to containers and closure devices made of plastic materials.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Several spill proof and tamper evident containers and closure means are known in the art but none of them are fully satisfactory and full proof. DK-B 149152 discloses a closing device for a cup type containers which has the outer wall of the lid connected to the lower edge of a circumferential part which has relatively large material thickness. The lid part is difficult to compress and is shown to expand in the radial direction. The lid is noticed to get detached from the container in the event of accidental fall or as a result of the impungement of the liquid contained in it. Sufficient safely is not afforded to unintended detachment of the container.
In order to avoid the above drawbacks and to provide an absolutely full proof tamper evidence the container with closure means according to this invention has been developed. This invention is particularly suitable for containers having an aperture diameter of atleast 200mm. At the aperture of the container the side wall is preferably cylindrical in shape and the lid extends in a direction substantially towards the side wall of the container.
DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION
Accordingly, this invention relates to a spill proof and tamper evidence device in which the conical circumferential part swings around its hinge portion and act as a pressure bar (viewed in radial cross section) between the sidewall and the engaging bead of the outer wall of the container, thus preventing the transmission of any substantial amount of torque from the outer wall of the lid to the conical circumferential part, which in previously disclosed closing devices may cause the engaging bead or a similar element to disengage from the engaging bead of the outer wall of the container. Preferably, the outer wall of the container is substantially rigid and connected to the container through a weakened portion. Its rigidity contributes to ensuring that the conical circumferential part does not disengage from the engaging bead of the outer wall of the container in the event that the outer wall is deformed, while the weakened portion makes it possible to tear off the outer wall to open the container. The outer wall of the container thereby assumes a preferably substantially cylindrical shape and is connected to the sidewall through a circumferential connecting element of thin material thickness. The container may be provided with an engaging bead and a similar engaging bead may be provided on the inside of the outer wall of the lid. The engaging bead on the sidewall of the container is thereby positioned preferably substantially level with the engaging bead of the outer wall of the container. In order to provide a contact face for the lower portion of the outer wall of the lid, this embodiment of the invention is provided with a plurality of preferably axial corrugations extending on the exterior side of the sidewall of the container under the engaging bead of the outer wall of the container. These axial corrugations have preferably substantially the same radial extent as the engaging bead.

In a preferred embodiment the lid has an inner wall, which extends along the inside of the sidewall when the lid is fitted on the container. Thus the inner wall and the outer wall of the lid, respectively, define either side of a groove, which preferably converges towards the bottom, thereby providing tight closure of the container when the lid is fitted on the container, as the sidewall is forced into clamping engagement with the groove. Inserting a gasket at the bottom of the groove may provide additional sealing.
The invention further relates to a lid for a closing device according to the invention, which lid is characterized by having a central portion with a surrounding circumferential portion comprising an outer wall and a conical circumferential part connected to the lower edge of the outer wall and extending upwards and outwards at an inclined angle, which conical circumferential part is substantially rigid in its axial and radial cross section and bendably connected to the outer wall through a hinge portion.
Accordingly this invention relates to a spill proof and tamper evident closure device for a container, the mouth of said container having a circumferential side wall connected to an outer circumferential wall, said closure device as a central portion and a rim, said rim having downwardly extending convergent inner and outer walls, housing a groove in between the lower portion of said outer wall, is hingedly connected to a conical circumferential component provided with a plurality of groove and step pins sealingly engagable with said grooves in a closed position, said container side wall having plurality of engagement means such as beads engagably disposed with engagement means provided on the outer wall of said closure device to indicate evidence of tamper.
Optionally, the container lid may have a spout extending outwardly therefrom and in communication with the container. The spout is provided with a ring having a weakened area. The ring is fixedly mounted at two points on the lid and on the container. In the event of any tamper the weakened area of the ring gets detached thereby indicating tamper.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Figure Lis a cross-sectional view of the container with closure means.
The Figure 1 shows a container or bucket 1 of plastic with a lid 2, similarly of plastic. The aperture of the bucket 1 is encircled by a circumferential sidewall 6 at a distance below the upper edge of the latter. An engaging bead 9 is provided which is facing the sidewall and the lid 2 has a central portion 12 and a surrounding rim portion 13. The surrounding rim portion 13 comprises an outer wall 15 extending on the outside of the sidewall 6. A circumferential part 16 is connected to the lower edge of the outer wall 15 extending upwards and outward at an incline angle.
External step pins 19 are housed in pockets 20 on the conical circumferential part 16 having split taper tails 21 for ease of slipping into undersize oblong grooves 22. These grooves are provided in the circumferential connecting element 4 and result in a tamper evident locking of the entire lid along with the container 1 along the circumference.

The lid and the container are securely engaged by means of the stepped pins having split taper tails 21 with oblong grooves 22 provided in the circumferential connecting element 4. The outer wall 3 of the container is substantially rigid and is attached to the container by means of a weakened portion 7. The outer wall 3 is substantially cylinder shaped and is connected to the side wall through circumferential connecting element 4. A plurality of engagement beads (10, 9) are provided on the outside of the container and at the inside of the outer walls. Further the engaging bead 10 on the sidewall is positioned substantially in level with the engagement bead on the outer wall 3 of the container.
Corrugations 11 are provided to extend on the outside wall of the bucket 1 of the container and these corrugations are provided under the engaging bead 10. The axial corrugations 11 have the radial extent of the engaging bead 10.
The lid 2 has an inner wall 14 that extends along the inside of the sidewall when the lid is fitted with the container. The inner wall 14 and the outer wall 15 define either sides of the groove that converges towards its bottom. The lid further comprises a central portion 12 with a surrounding rim portion 13 which comprises an outer wall 15 and a conical circumferential cross section. The said conical circumferential part 16 is bendably connected to the outer wall 15 through a hinge portion 17.
In an optional embodiment a gasket 18 is inserted at the bottom of the groove. The gasket 18 provides further sealing. The engaging bead 23 engages under the engaging bead 10, thereby providing a first retention of the lid 2 on the bucket 1. The conical circumferential part 16 engages under the engaging bead 9, thereby providing a second retention of the lid 2. This second retention is released when the bucket is first opened by a user tearing off the upper part 3 a of the outer wall 3 to gain access to the contents of the bucket. Until the upper part 3 a is torn off, the engagement of the conical circumferential part 16 with the engaging bead 9 will provide a high degree of security against accidental detachment of the lid, for example in the event of the bucket falling to the floor and the impact from the bucket's contact with the floor being transmitted to the lid in the form of a force attempting to lift it off.
In the event of the lid attempting to lift, the outer wall 15 of the lid will move a short distance upward relative to the bucket rim, but being engaged under the engaging bead 9 and hinged to the outer wall 15, the conical circumferential part 16, as apparent from the cross section shown in Fig 1, will pivot around the point at which it meshes with the engaging bead 9 and be rotated a fractional distance until it is stopped by the corrugations 11, whereafter it acts as a pressure bar preventing any further upward movement of the edge 13 of the lid. The corrugations 11 may contribute a shock absorbing effect, being able to yield or collapse if pressed with high compression force. The bucket may however also be embodied without corrugations 11. The upper part 3 a of the outer wall 3 is sufficiently rigid to resist outward bending and must be removed by tearing to release the conical circumferential part 16. Thereby are provided, on the one hand, a safe closure preventing accidental detachment of the lid and, on the other hand, a tamper evident closure which shows whether the lid has been opened, the upper part 3a of the outer wall 3 serving as a safety strip.
Our co-pending Indian Patent Application No. 350/Mum/2005 discloses a container lid with a tamper indicating spout.

We Claim
1. A spill proof and tamper evident closure device for a container (1) with lid (2), the mouth of said container having a circumferential side wall (6) connected to an outer circumferential wall (3), said closure device has a central portion (12) and a rim (13), said rim having downwardly extending convergent inner and outer walls (14, 15) housing grooves (21) in between the lower portion of said outer wall, is hingedly connected to a conical circumferential component (16) having pockets (20), for housing step pins (19) having split taper tails (21), sealingly engagable with plurality of grooves (22) in a closed position, said container side wall having plurality of engagement means such as beads (9, 10) engagable disposed with engagement means provided on the outer walls (16, 23) respectively, of said closure device to indicate evidence of tamper.
2. The spill proof and tamper evident closure device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the outer wall (3) of the container (1) is substantially rigid and connected to the container through a weakened portion (7).
3. The spill proof and tamper evident closure device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the outer wall (3) of the container (1) is substantially cylindrical in shape and is connected to the sidewall (6) through a circumferential connecting element (4).
4. The spill proof and tamper evident closure device as claimed in claims 1 to 3 wherein the outside of the sidewall of the container (1) is provided with an engaging beads (9,10) in that the engaging beads on the sidewall are positioned substantially in level with the conical circumferenctial part (16) and engaging bead (23) of lid (2).
5. The spill proof and tamper evident closure device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said device has axial corrugations (11) extending on the outside of the sidewall of the container under the engaging bead.
6. The spill proof and tamper evident closure device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the axial corrugations (11) have substantially the radial extent of the engaging bead (10).
7. The spill proof and tamper evident closure device as claimed in claims 1 to 6, wherein optionally a gasket (18) is inserted at the bottom of the groove.
8. The spill proof and tamper evident closure device as claimed in claims 1 to 7, provided with a spout fitted in the lid (2) and is communicable with the container (1), said spout having a tamper evident ring disposed therein, said ring having a weakened area capable of disruption in the event of tamper.

9. A container having a spill proof and tamper evident closure device as claimed in any of the preceding claims.
10. The spill proof and tamper evident closure device substantially as herein described with particular reference to the figure in the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 28th day of March 2005
(Karuna Goleria) of DePENNING & DePENNING Agent of the Applicants

Documents

Orders