Many aseptic-fill packages, such as packages for dairy products, are provided with a foil seal over the end of the container neck finish before the closure is applied to the neck finish. This foil seal functions both to seal the package during shipment, storage and handling, and to provide indication that the package has been opened when the foil seal has been ruptured or removed. However, there is a desire to eliminate the cost associated with provision of this foil seal and the inconvenience of requiring removal of the foil seal by the consumer. The present disclosure is directed to a tamper-indicating package, and to a closure and a container for such a package, in which the closure and the container are constructed such that a tamper-indicating mechanism on the closure is activated before loss of sealing engagement between the closure and the container neck finish.
The present disclosure embodies a number of aspects that can be implemented separately from or in combination with each other.
A tamper-indicating package in accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure includes a container having a neck finish with an open end, at least one external thread segment, and first and second sets of angularly spaced ratchet teeth in diametrically opposed arrays spaced from the open end of the neck finish. A closure has a base wall with an annular skirt and at least one internal thread segment on the skirt for engagement with the external thread segment on the container neck finish to secure the closure to the container. A circumferential array of angularly spaced flexible resilient ratchet wings extend counterclockwise from an inner surface of the tamper band at an angle to such inner surface. A flexible resilient sealing liner is provided on the base wall within the skirt, and has an annular surface that faces radially outwardly toward the skirt and axially away from the base wall. The ratchet wings are resiliently flexed by the ratchet teeth radially outwardly toward the tamper band during clockwise application of the closure to the container neck finish, and abut clockwise-oriented abutment faces on the ratchet teeth to resist counterclockwise unthreading of the closure from the neck finish so that removal of the closure from the neck finish frangibly separates the tamper band from the skirt. Resilient engagement of the liner surface with the open end of the container neck finish is such that the tamper band is separated from the skirt before loss of sealing engagement between the liner and the open end of the neck finish.
The open end of the neck finish preferably has a radially inwardly extending trim flange, which may be flexible, resilient and deformed axially inwardly by engagement with the liner surface. Resilient engagement of the liner surface with the trim flange is such that the tamper band is separated from the skirt before loss of sealing engagement between the liner and the trim flange. The ratchet wings preferably extend from an inside surface of the tamper band onto an inside surface of the closure skirt and frangibly connect the tamper band to the skirt. Each ratchet tooth of each set on the container neck finish preferably is diametrically opposed to an associated ratchet tooth of the opposing set, such that all ratchet teeth are simultaneously engaged by ratchet wings on the closure skirt. The flexible resilient liner preferably includes barrier material resistant to migration of gases, water vapor and/or flavorants through the liner.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds