Irremovable closure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9546027-B2
Application number	US-201213689960-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 30, 2012
Priority date	May 10, 2011
Publication date	Jan 17, 2017
Grant date	Jan 17, 2017

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a closure containing a top deck, an inner skirt and an outer skirt. The inner skirt engages the neck of a bottle via a snap fitting. The closure contains regions of weakness such that once the inner skirt engages the neck of the bottle and the regions of weakness are broken, the closure cannot be removed from the bottle neck without disabling the snap engagement between the closure and neck, thus preventing refilling and reuse of the bottle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A closure for a container, comprising:
a top deck;
an outer skirt depending from the top deck;
an inner skirt depending from the top deck, the inner skirt being engageable with a neck of the container via a snap means; and
a region of weakness on the underside of the top deck wherein the region of weakness is an annular notch located at a juncture of the inner skirt and the top deck adapted to break and/or deform upon an attempt to remove the closure from the neck of the container, wherein after the break and/or deformation, the closure is no longer engageable with the neck of the bottle.

2. The closure of claim 1 , further comprising at least one gusset between the inner and outer skirts.

3. A container, comprising:
a bottle with a neck;
a closure that is engageable with the neck of the bottle via a snap means, the closure comprising:
an upper deck;
an outer skirt depending from the upper deck;
an inner skirt depending from the upper deck and being concentric with the outer skirt; and
a region of weakness on the underside of the top deck wherein the region of weakness comprises an annular notch located at a juncture between inner skirt and the top deck adapted to break and/or deform upon an attempt to remove the closure from the neck of the bottle, wherein after the break and/or deformation, the closure is no longer engageable with the neck of the bottle.

4. The container of claim 3 , wherein the region of weakness is located on the inner skirt.

5. The container of claim 4 , wherein the region of weakness includes a plurality of frangible portions separated from each other by a plurality of apertures, wherein the plurality of frangible portions are positioned in an arc about a circumference of the inner skirt.

6. The container of claim 4 , wherein the region of weakness extends generally longitudinally along the inner skirt and comprises an axial notch configured to tear upon the attempt to remove the closure from the container neck.

7. The container of claim 3 , wherein the region of weakness comprises an annular notch located on the top deck between the inner skirt and the outer skirt.

8. The container of claim 7 , wherein the annular notch is offset from the inner skirt.

9. The container of claim 3 , wherein the region of weakness comprises an annular notch located at a juncture between inner skirt and the top deck.

10. The container of claim 3 , further comprising a plurality of ribs positioned on an inner surface of the outer skirt.

Assignees

• Clorox Co

Inventors

• Ziegenhorn David
• Hinkle Jay
• Showers Greg
• Azelton Kerry D
• Alvarez Stacie M
• Irwin Bryan

Classifications

• B65D41/32

  Caps or cap-like covers with lines of weakness, tearing-strips, tags, or like opening or removal devices, e.g. to facilitate formation of pouring openings · CPC title

• B65D2401/20

  Frangible elements completely enclosed in closure skirt · CPC title

• B65D47/0838 Primary

  located at an edge of the base element · CPC title

• B65D49/12 Primary

  by destroying, in the act of opening the container, an integral portion thereof · CPC title

• B65D43/0235

  with integral tamper element · CPC title