Closure and container neck

Abstract

This invention relates to closures for containers, and more particularly to tamper-evident closures for containers. One aspect of the invention provides a container and a closure for connection to said container, said closure including: an upper wall ( 102 ); a skirt ( 104 ) formed integrally with and extending downwardly from said upper wall, said skirt adapted to engage with a neck portion of the container to secure the closure to the container; a tamper-evident band ( 110 ) frangibly connected to said skirt; the neck of a container including a tamper bead adapted to engage with tabs ( 122 ) on said tamper-evident band to facilitate separation of the band ( 110 ) from the skirt of the closure and an inwardly and downwardly sloping container neck surface beneath said tamper bead, said inwardly and downwardly sloping surface urging said separated tamper-evident band downwards away from said skirt.

1 . A dispensing closure assembly for connection to a container, said dispensing closure assembly including a flow control means for controlling the flow of material from said container in response to increased pressure inside the container, said flow control means comprising a resiliently deformable member having one or more slits, said flow control means being arranged such that, upon an increase of pressure inside the container, said resiliently deformable member deforms to create an opening adjacent to said slits thereby allowing said material to be dispensed from said container.  
   
   
       2 . A dispensing closure assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said slits are in the form of intersecting slits.  
   
   
       3 . A dispensing closure assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said resiliently deformable member is in the form of an annular disk.  
   
   
       4 . A dispensing closure assembly as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein said annular disk is formed from a foamed plastic flexible liner.  
   
   
       5 . A dispensing closure assembly as claimed in  claim 3  or  claim 4 , wherein said annular disk is inserted into said dispensing closure assembly and, upon application of said dispensing closure assembly to said container, is compressed to form a seal between said dispensing closure assembly and a neck of the container.  
   
   
       6 . A flow control device for controlling the flow of material from a container in response to pressure applied to the contents of a container, said flow control device comprising a resiliently deformable member having one or more slits, said flow control device being arranged such that, upon application of pressure to the walls of the container, said resiliently deformable member deforms to create an opening adjacent to said slits thereby allowing said material to be dispensed from said container.  
   
   
       7 . A flow control device as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein said slits are in the form of intersecting slits.  
   
   
       8 . A flow control device as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein said resiliently deformable member is in the form of an annular disk.  
   
   
       9 . A flow control device as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein said annular disk is formed from a foamed plastic flexible liner.  
   
   
       10 . A dispensing closure assembly as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein said resiliently deformable member is in the form of an annular disk.  
   
   
       11 . A dispensing closure assembly as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein said annular disk is formed from a foamed plastic flexible liner.  
   
   
       12 . A dispensing closure assembly as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein said annular disk is inserted into said dispensing closure assembly and, upon application of said dispensing closure assembly to said container, is compressed to form a seal between said dispensing closure assembly and a neck of the container.  
   
   
       13 . A flow control device as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein said resiliently deformable member is in the form of an annular disk.  
   
   
       14 . A flow control device as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein said annular disk is formed from a foamed plastic flexible liner.