Secure closure

Abstract

A cap for closing a container comprising an openable access port located at or towards one end of the cap through which contents of the container can be dispensed when the access port is in an opened condition, an internal wall surface for engaging with one or more parts of an external surface of the container, a first part of a securing means located on the internal wall surface of the cap, the first part of the securing means for cooperatively engaging with second part of the securing means located on the external surface of the container to prevent removal of the cap from the container when the cap is located in a sealing condition on the container thereby preventing removal of the cap from the container, in that the engaging elements form a ratchet arrangement or a ratchet and pawl like arrangement allowing rotational movement of the cap with respect to the container in one direction only.

1 . A cap for closing a container, the cap comprising an openable access port through which contents of the container can be dispensed when in an opened condition, a body having an internal wall surface, a securing means located internally within the cap, said securing means being arranged to prevent movement of the cap with respect to the container to remove the cap from the container wherein when the cap is received on the container, the securing means engages with the container to substantially lock the cap in place on the container, wherein the cap is substantially prevented from being moved in a direction to remove the cap by the securing means thereby retaining the cap in place on the container. 
     
     
         2 . A cap for closing a container comprising an openable access port located at or towards one end of the cap through which contents of the container can be dispensed when the access port is in an opened condition, an internal wall surface for engaging with one or more parts of an external surface of the container, a first part of a securing means located on the internal wall surface of the cap, the first part of the securing means for cooperatively engaging with a second part of the securing means located on the external surface of the container to prevent removal of the cap from the container when the cap is located in a sealing condition on the container thereby preventing removal of the cap from the container. 
     
     
         3 . A tamper evident cap for fitting to a container, said cap comprising an internal surface having one part of a securing means for locking the cap to the container in a manner preventing removal of the cap from the container or limiting access to the container when the cap is located on the container, said body including a seal formed on the interior thereof for cooperation with said resealable closure means upon rotation of the cap to tighten the cap onto the container, and an openable access port providing access to said resealable closure when the cap is fitted to the container, wherein the cap further includes a tamper evident cover to said port preventing access to said port except by removal of said port. 
     
     
         4 . An adaptor for use with the cap or security closure of the invention, said adaptor comprising a base having a tamper evident device providing an indication of attempts to move the adaptor, said adaptor arranged to prevent removal or to indicate attempts to remove the adaptor from the container, and a neck portion provided with projecting elements for cooperatively engaging with the engaging elements of the cap to prevent removal of the cap from the adaptor. 
     
     
         5 . A security closure for connection to a container to close the container comprising a main body portion having an internal wall arrangement, a first part of a security means provided on the internal wall arrangement for cooperatively engaging with a second part of a security means provided on the container, said first and second parts of security means being such so as to allow cooperative engagement with one another, wherein when the closure is connected to the container, the first and second parts of security means cooperatively engage with each other to allow the closure to move in one direction to close the container but substantially prevents movement in a second direction corresponding to the direction to remove the closure from the container thereby securing the container against unauthorised use. 
     
     
         6 . A security cap for use as a closure of a container when connected to the container, the cap comprising a body having a first part of a security means in the form of a multitude of first engaging projections extending from an internal wall structure of the body, said projections for locking the cap onto the container by engaging with a second part of the security means in the form of complementary second projections extending from the container when the cap is connected to the container, wherein when the first and second projections cooperatively engage with each other, the cap can be rotated in a first direction to facilitate sealing of the container by permitting the first projections to move with respect to the second projections, but the cap is prevented from movement in a second direction by the first projection being prevented from movement past the second projections thereby preventing loosening or removal of the cap from the container, thus providing a security cap resisting unauthorised opening of the container. 
     
     
         7 . A closure or method according to any preceding claim characterised in that the closure is in the form of an adaptor for replacing the conventional closure of a plastic bottle with a secure closure allowing one way rotation of the closure with respect to the container. 
     
     
         8 . A closure or method according to any preceding claim characterised in that the adaptor has a neck portion provided with externally extending teeth for cooperative engagement with internally extending teeth located within the closure to form a secure closure. 
     
     
         9 . A closure or method according to any preceding claim characterised in that the security means comprises a cap lock arrangement, engagement assembly, complementary cooperatively engaging members or elements in which one part of the security means is provided on the closure and another part of the security means is provided on the container. 
     
     
         10 . A closure or method according to any preceding claim characterised in that the security means includes a multitude of engagement elements located on the inner wall of the cap and a multitude of complementary engagement elements located on the outer wall of the container wherein the two multitude of engagement elements cooperatively engage with each other. 
     
     
         11 . A closure or method according to any preceding claim characterised in that the engaging elements include projections in the form of fingers, protruberances, protrusions, teeth, tongues, bosses, or other elongate jutting members. 
     
     
         12 . A closure or method according to any preceding claim characterised in that the engaging elements form a ratchet arrangement or a ratchet and pawl like arrangement allowing rotational movement of the cap with respect to the container in one direction only. 
     
     
         13 . A closure or method according to any preceding claim characterised in that one set of engaging elements are arranged in a ring around the inside wall surface of the cap and another set of engaging elements are located in a ring around the outside of the neck of the container. 
     
     
         14 . A closure or method according to any preceding claim characterised in that the external set of teeth provided on the container are arranged in one or more sets or groups of teeth, preferably as two sets of teeth, located substantially diametrically opposite one another on either side of the neck of the container. 
     
     
         15 . A closure or method according to any preceding claim characterised in that one or other of the set of teeth includes four individual teeth arranged in spaced apart relationship to each other on one side of the neck of the container. 
     
     
         16 . A closure or method according to any preceding claim characterised in that the cap and container are each provided with cooperative engaging rotary engaging elements, preferably threaded portions, arranged to allow the cap to be threadingly received on the container when the cap is rotated with respect to the container. 
     
     
         17 . A closure or method according to any preceding claim characterised in that the engaging elements for cooperative one-way engagement are located closer to the mouth of the container and to the open end of the cap than is located the rotary engaging elements for threadingly engaging with each other to allow the cap to be received on the container. 
     
     
         18 . A closure or method according to any preceding claim characterised in that the security closure is a safety closure, a child resistant closure, a tamper evident closure, a tamper proof closure, a tamper resistant closure or other closure of the type that is difficult to remove the closure from the container when the closure is securely located on the container. 
     
     
         19 . A closure or method according to any preceding claim characterised in that the security closure is a non removable cap which can be screw threadingly received on the container when rotated in one direction but cannot be rotated in the opposite direction to remove the cap owing to the cooperative engagement of the engaging elements provided on the inside of the cap with the engaging elements provided on the outside of the container preventing loosening movement of the cap with respect to the container. 
     
     
         20 . A closure or method according to any preceding claim characterised in that the projecting elements are arranged to extend angularly from the wall to which they are attached wherein the angle of inclination of the engaging elements is constant and the angle of inclination are complementary to one another. 
     
     
         21 . A closure or method according to any preceding claim characterised in that the container is sealed by a sealing element in the form of a plug, stopper, bung, cork, button, stud, or other sealing member receivable in the open neck of the container. 
     
     
         22 . A closure or method according to any preceding claim characterised in that the sealing member is provided with a receiver, preferably a receiving bore in one surface, preferably the upper or top surface, for receiving therein part of a dispenser to dispense contents of the container through the sealing element. 
     
     
         23 . A closure or method according to any preceding claim characterised in that the sealing member is made from a resilient material allowing the sealing member to be resiliently deformed so as to be receivable in the neck of the container to seal the container. 
     
     
         24 . A closure or method according to any preceding claim characterised in that the sealing member is provided with a self sealing conduit, channel, space, void, cavity, gap, bore or similar that is openable by insertion of a dispenser, including a part of the dispenser, in the conduit thereby allowing dispensing of contents from the container. 
     
     
         25 . A closure or method according to any preceding claim characterised in that the dispenser includes a syringe having a syringe body and spigot wherein the spigot is received in the sealing member thereby opening the conduit allowing contents of the container to be withdrawn. 
     
     
         26 . A closure or method according to any preceding claim characterised in that the sealing member is provided with a rupturable membrane located between the end of the receiver provided in the body of the sealing member and the conduit, or located at the end of the receiver. 
     
     
         27 . A closure or method according to any preceding claim characterised in that the sealing member is provided with a resealable bore which at rest, is normally closed and which, when the dispenser is inserted into the receiver, opens allowing dispensing of the contents of the container through the sealing member. 
     
     
         28 . A closure or method according to any preceding claim characterised in that the cap is provided with an openable access port. 
     
     
         29 . A closure or method according to any preceding claim characterised in that the access port is in the form of an opening, aperture, cut-out, dispensing hole, dispensing bore, void, gap, cavity or similar located at or towards the top of the cap to provide an access point for gaining access to the contents of the container through the cap when secured in place on the container to close the container. 
     
     
         30 . A closure or method according to any preceding claim characterised in that the openable access port is provided with a cover, lid, protector, disc, temporary cover, deformable cover, removable cover, displaceable cover, or similar which, prior to use of the container, is fixed in place with respect to the closure and sealing member. 
     
     
         31 . A closure or method according to any preceding claim characterised in that the cover is connected to the cap by one or more frangible connections or frangible connecting pieces or frangible connectors. 
     
     
         32 . A closure or method according to any preceding claim characterised in that the frangible connection is one or more, preferably three frangible connectors in the form of nibs, lands, bosses, or similar connectors for connecting the cover to the cap such that the frangible connection is severed, ruptured, broken or similar to allow removal of the cover from the closure. 
     
     
         33 . A closure or method according to any preceding claim characterised in that the frangible connector is an area or line of weakness, preferably a circle of weakness located in the top of the closure allowing the cover to be displaced from the cap to reveal the access port. 
     
     
         34 . A closure or method according to any preceding claim characterised in that the cover is in the form of a solid disc located centrally at the top surface of the cap and wherein the top of the cap is provided with indicators to indicate the position at which the cover or disc can be removed from the cap. 
     
     
         35 . A closure or method according to any preceding claim characterised in that the solid disc is removed from the cap by action of an implement or tool to lever the disc from the cap thereby rupturing the ring of weakness around the disc to allow removal of the disc from the cap. 
     
     
         36 . A closure or method according to any preceding claim characterised in that the closure is provided with a depression extending circumferentially around the cap adjacent the ring of weakness radially outside the solid disc to assist in removal of the solid disc. 
     
     
         37 . A closure or method according to any preceding claim characterised in that the solid disc extends outwardly from the surface of the cap providing a contact surface for contact by a tool or implement used to prise the solid disc from the cap when the cover is to be removed from the cap. 
     
     
         38 . A cap for closing a container in accordance with the present invention substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     
     
         39 . A tamper evident cap for fitting to a container having a resealable closure fitted thereto in accordance with the present invention substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     
     
         40 . An adaptor for use with the cap or security closure of the invention in accordance with the present invention substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     
     
         41 . A security closure for connection to a container to close the container in accordance with the present invention substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     
     
         42 . A security cap for use as a closure of a container when connected to the container in accordance with the present invention substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     
     
         43 . Every novel feature as hereinbefore disclosed or defined in the specification and/or drawings when taken alone or in combination with any other feature including features that are novel or otherwise, including groups of two or more features