A

FORM 2
THE PATENTS ACT, 1970
(39 OF 1970)
&
THE PATENT RULES, 2003
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION [SECTION 10 AND RULE 13]
TAMPER RESISTANT CONTAPNERS & CLOSURES
APPLICANT: HITECH PLAST LTD.
NATIONALITY: COMPANY PNCORPORATED UNDER THE
COMPANIES ACT, 1956
ADDRESS: C-130, SOLARIS-1, OPP. L & T GATE NO. 6, POWAI,
ANDHERI, MUMBAI 400 072, MAHARASHTRA,
INDIA.
THE FOLLOWING SPECIFICATION DESCRIBES THE PNVENTION: -

TAMPER RESISTANT CONTAINERS & CLOSURES:
The present invention relates to a tamper resistant, tamper evident containers and closures.
More particularly, the present invention relates to closures having a tear off portion (tear band), which, when torn away, leaves the closure intact with only one lock, thereby making it easier to open the closure.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION:
It is known to provide plastic shipping containers and closures with secure locking arrangements which require some type of physical alteration to the closure structure before it can be easily removed from the container. For example, some closures are provided with small apertures in the peripheral skirt to permit the skirt to be split or fractured at several circumferentially spaced locations. The loss of integrity in the skirt allows sections of it to be pulled outwardly such that they pass more readily over a locking flange formed on the top of the container when one wishes to remove the closure from the container.
Another example of a closure requiring physical alteration for removal is the tear-band closure. The skirt portion of this type of closure is provided with a circumferential tear line of structural weakness zone which allows a lower portion of the skirt to be torn away thus to eliminate some or all of a locking arrangement between the container and closure.
Both the fracturable skirt closure and the tear-band closure have the characteristics of providing a strong lock when first applied, providing evidence of tampering, and providing a measure of resealability even after the locking structure has been altered or removed.
U.S. Patent No.6,688,483 (Letica Corporation, 2004) discloses a closure having a tear band in the closure skirt for removability. The outermost interior wall of the closure channel is provided with first and second circumferentially continuous, inwardly extending protrusions, the top-most of which co-acts with the container rim to provide a first lock and the lower-most of which co-acts with the top ring-like flange on the container outer sidewall to provide a second lock.

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A tear line; i.e., a line of structural weakness which is more easily torn or fractured than the balance of the closure skirt, is formed in the skirt between the upper and lower protrusions such that physical removal of the tear-band eliminates the second lock thereby facilitating removal of the closure from the container.
For any Lube, Paint or other containers, it is of course desirable that the product should have an enough locking in closed condition along with following features:
1. Hermetic sealing of the product.
2. Easy fitment of lid in high speed filling / production line.
3. Highly tamper proof.
4. Smooth tear-off, while removing the tamper proof section.
5. Lid should not open or crack during transit and normal handling.
6. Easy opening of lids once the tear-off part is removed.
7. Reusability of product.
There are several designs for containers/lids, but no one has addressed all the aforesaid needs in a single structure. To accomplish all these above needs, attempts have been made in the design of a container and lid with triple lock concept.
In the prior art, the locking takes place around the entire circumference of the container, which is not so positive locking, as the depth of undercut on the lid has limitation to increase beyond a point, considering manufacturing process (injection moulding) limitations. This container lid can also be opened by some means without leaving trace mark on the product, may be by help of hot-air blower or passing through a heat tunnel.
However, in the existing triple lock designs, opening of the lid are not as user-friendly, because two circumference locks are still intact even after removing the tear-off section and it does not have a specific gripper to make the product more convenient to hold and pull the lid.

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OBJECT OF PRESENT INVENTION:
The present invention obviates the aforesaid drawbacks by providing a closure having multi-locking mechanism. Particularly, the invention comprises of a closure with three locks, wherein one lock has peripheral locking flanges, placed intermediately on a single orbit for retaining the lid on the container. The flanges on lid have an outward undercut to get engaged and lock with the corresponding cut-open section on the container. Each spaced section between the cut-open areas of the container has a thin membrane as tear-off section, which is also called as the tamper-proof or evidence section. These sections of the container are torn away to inactive the locking and then these flanges facilitate for opening of lid. Alternatively, tear off sections on the container have to be removed to open the lid by help of those flanges.
In accordance with this invention, a container lid is provided which can produce a desired strong, hermetic seal until opened. Nevertheless, the lid may be easily opened by those flanges, especially when the tear-off section is removed a substantially 360degree from the container. However, upon reapplication of the lid to the container, it can still exhibit acceptable closing ability, so that the contents of the container do not spill.
The container lid of this invention is particularly useful for large size pack e.g. 41itre and above.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS:
The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numbers refer to like parts throughout the several views, and wherein:
Figure 1 shows the side view of the container and closure combination
prior to assembly of the same; Figure 1A shows the isometric view of the closure. Figure IB shows the isometric view of the container without closure. Figure 1C shows the crossectional front view of the container. Figures ID & IE shows the exploded view of highlighted portions in figure 1C.

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Figure 2 shows the cross-sectional view of the container and closure after the
assembly of the same, but before removal of the tear band. Figure 3 shows the exploded crossectional view of the locking area of the
container & closure after the assembly, but before removal of the
tear band.
Figure 4 repeats the figure 3 view but with the tear band in removed condition.
Figure 5 shows an alternate exploded crossectional view of the locking area of the
container & closure after the assembly.
Figure 6 shows another preferred embodiment showing exploded crossectional
view of the locking area of the container & closure after the assembly.
Referring to the figures, this invention provides a plastic container(20) & closure(20'), which has triple locking mechanism, wherein each of these locks are given in three different planes/position/direction. Out of these three locks two locks (1), (2) are provided throughout
the circumference, said lock (l)-locking on X+ direction and said lock (2)-locking on X-direction. In addition, a third lock (3) is placed in a plane below the said two locks and locking towards X- direction. This lock (3) unlike the other two locks (1 & 2), locks the lid on the circumference, but is broken into 6/8 nos. of flanges (4) and placed intermediately with equal spacing on the lid (20'). Similarly, the container (20) has corresponding cut-open slots (5) to engage those flanges (4) of the lid. These flanges (4) will get positioned on
container (20) before locking with respect to the align handle reference given on the top face of the lid.
To ensure the product with a hermetic sealing; there is a circumferential peep (6) which is
given on the lid(20') to provide the interference and exhibit a hermetic seal during closed condition.
The container (20) has a tear-off/ tamper-proof section (8) which is extreme top diameter projected upward. To remove this tear off band/tamper proof section (8), cut it vertically through the slot (11) provided adjacent to the serrations (9) area and pull it so that the tear off band will get departed from the container (20). These serrations are provided for better gripping & to facilitate the tear of action in a smooth manner. Below the tear-off section there is a thin section provided like a 'V- notch profile (10), which is spaced between every cut-

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open slots (6) and throughout the circumference. From this particular thin section, the tear-off/ tamper-proof part (8) gets departed from the body of the container (20) when the tear-off part is pulled open.
Figure 4 demonstrates the container (20) and lid (20') in closed/assembled condition where the tear-off/tamper-proof section (8) is removed and this is the stage of the product just before the final opening.
The flanges (4) which are provided for one of the locking mechanism after the removal of tear-off section (8) these flanges can be used as a gripper to open or detach the lid (20') from the container (20).
Figure 5 shows an alternate arrangement where the locking arrangement at third lock (3) is towards the X+ direction.
Figure 6 shows another preferred embodiment where the locking arrangement at third lock (3) is towards both the X+ & X- direction.
Dated this 29 th day of March 2006.
H. W. Kane
Applicants' Patent Agent
S-3/PATENT/HITECH/TRIPLE LOCK PS 240106