Tamper-evident container closure

Abstract

A tamper-evident closure for a container includes an outer tamper-evident cap engagable over an inner container sealing cap which may form part of the tamper-evident closure or part of the container, cap retaining prongs on the outer cap which permit placement of the outer cap on the container neck over the sealing cap but prevent upward removal of the outer cap from the container, a tear strip for severing the outer cap between its upper and lower ends to permit upward removal of the upper portion of the outer cap from the container, and a circumferential rupture line along which the outer cap separates to evidence tampering if an attempt is made to forcibly remove the outer cap from the container without tearing the tear strip from the outer cap.

1. A tamper evident closure for a container having a neck defining an open upper end and an annual shoulder extending about the neck in close proximity to the open upper end thereof, the tamper evident closure comprising:
 a sealing cap attachable to the neck in a manner enclosing the open upper end thereof;  
 a tamper evident cap cooperatively engaged to the sealing cap and including a selectively fracturable parting region which, when fractured, allows at least a portion of the tamper evident cap to be separated and removed form the sealing cap; and  
 a closure retaining section coupled to the sealing cap and advanceable over the shoulder of the container upon the attachment of the sealing cap to the neck thereof;  
 the parting region being formed within the tamper evident enclosure such that the fracture of the parting region occurs as a result of the engagement of the closure retaining section to the shoulder upon the movement of the sealing cap away from the shoulder subsequent to the attachment of the sealing cap to the neck.  
 
     
     
       2. The tamper evident closure of  claim 1  wherein the tamper evident cap is cooperatively engaged to the sealing cap via interengaging serrations which are formed on the tamper evidence cap and the sealing cap. 
     
     
       3. The tamper evident closure of  claim 1  wherein the tamper evident cap includes a removable tear strip which defines the parting region thereof. 
     
     
       4. The tamper evident closure of  claim 3  wherein:
 the tear strip of the tamper evident cap extends between upper and lower cap portions thereof; and  
 the tamper evident cap is sized and configured relative to the sealing cap such that the removal of the tear strip therefrom allows for the separation and removal of the upper cap portion from the sealing cap.  
 
     
     
       5. The tamper evident closure of  claim 4  wherein the closure retaining section is formed on the lower cap portion of the tamper evident cap. 
     
     
       6. A tamper evident closure for a container having an externally threaded neck defining an open upper end and an annual shoulder extending about the neck in close proximity to the open upper end thereof, the tamper evident closure comprising:
 an internally threaded sealing cap threadably engageable to the neck in a manner enclosing the open upper end thereof, the threadable engagement of the sealing cap to the neck being facilitated by the rotation of the sealing cap in a first direction;  
 a tamper evident cap cooperatively engaged to the sealing cap in a manner wherein the rotation of the sealing cap facilitates the rotation of the tamper evident cap, the tamper evident cap including a selectively fracturable parting region which, when fractured, allows at least a portion of the tamper evident to be separated and removed from the sealing cap; and  
 a closure retaining section coupled to the sealing cap and advanceable over the shoulder of the container upon the threadable engagement of the sealing cap to the neck thereof;  
 the parting region being formed within the tamper evident closure such that the fracture of the parting region occurs as a result of the engagement of the closure retaining section to the shoulder upon the rotation of the sealing cap in a second direction opposite the first direction subsequent to the threadable engagement of the sealing cap to the neck.  
 
     
     
       7. The tamper evident closure of  claim 6  wherein the tamper evident cap is cooperatively engaged to the sealing cap via interengaging serrations which are formed on the tamper evident cap and the sealing cap. 
     
     
       8. The tamper evident closure of  claim 6  wherein the tamper evident cap includes a removable tear strip which defines the parting region thereof. 
     
     
       9. The tamper evident closure of  claim 8  wherein:
 the tear strip of the tamper evident cap extends between upper and lower cap portions thereof; and  
 the tamper evident cap is sized and configured relative to the sealing cap such that the removal of the tear strip therefrom allows for the separation and removal of the upper cap portion from the sealing cap.  
 
     
     
       10. The tamper evident closure of  claim 9  wherein the closure retaining section is formed on the lower cap portion of the tamper evident cap. 
     
     
       11. A tamper evident closure for a container having a neck defining an open upper end and at least one annular shoulder extending about the neck in close proximity to the open upper end thereof, the tamper evident enclosure comprising;
 a sealing cap attachable to the neck in a manner enclosing the open upper end thereof;  
 a tamper evident cap cooperatively engaged to the sealing cap and including a selectively fracturable parting region which, when fractured, allows at least a portion of the tamper evident cap to be separated and removed from the sealing cap; and  
 a closure retaining section coupled to the sealing cap and advanceable over the shoulder of the container upon the attachment of the sealing cap to the neck thereof;  
 the parting region being formed within the tamper evident closure such that the fracture of the parting region occurs as a result of the movement of the sealing cap relative to the container subsequent to the attachment of the sealing cap to the neck.  
 
     
     
       12. The tamper evident closure of  claim 11  wherein the tamper evident cap is cooperatively engaged to the sealing cap via interengaging serrations which are formed on the tamper evident cap and the sealing cap. 
     
     
       13. A tamper evident closure for a container having an externally threaded neck defining an open upper end and at least one annular shoulder extending about the neck in close proximity to the open upper end thereof, the tamper evident closure comprising:
 an internally threaded sealing cap threadably engageable to the neck in a manner enclosing the open upper end thereof, the threadably engagement of the sealing cap to the neck being facilitated by the rotation of the sealing cap in a first direction;  
 a tamper evident cap cooperatively engaged to the sealing cap in a manner wherein the rotation of the sealing cap facilitates the rotation of the tamper evident cap, the tamper evident cap including a selectively fracturable parting region which, when fractured, allows at least a portion of the tamper evident cap to the separated and removed from the sealing cap; and  
 a closure retaining section coupled to the sealing cap and advanceable over the shoulder of the container upon the threadable engagement of the sealing cap to the neck thereof;  
 the parting region being formed within the tamper evident closure such that the fracture of the parting region occurs as a result of the rotation of the sealing cap in at least one of the first direction and a second direction opposite the first direction subsequent to the threadable engagement of the sealing cap to the neck.  
 
     
     
       14. The tamper evident closure of  claim 13  wherein the tamper evident cap is cooperatively engaged to the sealing cap via interengaging serrations which are formed on the tamper evident cap and the sealing cap. 
     
     
       15. A tamper evident closure for a container having a neck defining an open upper end and at least one annual shoulder extending about the neck in close proximity to the open upper end thereof, the tamper evident closure comprising:
 a sealing cap attachable to the neck in a manner enclosing the open upper end thereof;  
 a tamper evident cap cooperatively engaged to the sealing cap and including a selectively fracturable parting region which, when fractured, allows at least a portion of the tamper evident cap to be separated and removed from the sealing cap; and  
 a closure retaining section coupled to the sealing cap and advanceable over the shoulder of the container upon the attachment of the sealing cap to the neck thereof;  
 the parting region being formed within the tamper evident closure such that the fracture of the parting region occurs as a result of the application of torque to the tamper evident closure subsequent to the attachment of the sealing cap to the neck.  
 
     
     
       16. The tamper evident closure of  claim 15  wherein the tamper evident cap is cooperatively engaged to the sealing cap via interengaging serrations which are formed on the tamper evident cap and the sealing cap. 
     
     
       17. A tamper evident closure for a container having an externally threaded neck defining an open upper end and at least one annual shoulder extending about the neck in close proximity to the open upper end thereof, the tamper evident closure comprising:
 an internally threaded sealing cap threadably engageable to the neck in a manner enclosing the open upper end thereof, the threadable engagement of the sealing cap to the neck being facilitated by the rotation of the sealing cap in a first direction;  
 a tamper evident cap cooperatively engaged to the sealing cap in a manner wherein the rotation of the sealing cap facilitates the rotation of the tamper evident cap, the tamper evident cap including a selectively fracturable parting region which, when fractured, allows at least a portion of the tamper evident to be separated and removed from the sealing cap; and  
 a closure retaining section coupled to the sealing cap and advanceable over the shoulder of the container upon the threadable engagement of the sealing cap to the neck thereof;  
 the parting region being formed within the tamper evident closure such that the fracture of the parting region occurs as a result of the application of torque to the tamper evident closure in the first direction subsequent to the threadable engagement of the sealing cap to the neck.  
 
     
     
       18. The tamper evident closure of  claim 17  wherein the tamper evident cap is cooperatively engaged to the sealing cap via interengaging serrations which are formed on the tamper evident cap and the sealing cap.