Container having a tamper evident hinge

Abstract

A circular tamper-resistant container with tamper evident feature which includes a circular base and a circular lid joined by a flexible hinge having a tamper evident tab, the base and a lid are hingedly connected to each other via a hinge part with a tamper evident tab in the closed state.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . A tamper-resistant container comprising:
 a circular base having a bottom and an upright base side wall with a deep rear wall portion and a shallow front wall portion and an angled base edge;   a circular lid coupled to the base, the lid having a complimentary shape to the base with a top and an upright lid side wall with a shallow rear wall portion and a deep front wall portion and an angled lid edge;   a flexible hinge having a base hinge portion and a lid hinge portion having lines of weakness extending from a tamper evidence tab;   wherein when the lid is folded toward the base along the flexible hinge, the angled base edge is coupled with the angled lid edge in a closed position and the tamper evidence tab extends in a downward direction, wherein the downward position of the tamper evidence tab allows opening of the container by pulling the tamper evidence tab away from the container to separate the flexible hinge along the lines of weakness showing evidence of tampering.   
     
     
         2 . The tamper-resistant container of  claim 1 , wherein the angled lid edge sits below the angled base edge so that the lid cannot be opened using the angled lid edge. 
     
     
         3 . The tamper-resistant container of  claim 1 , wherein pulling the tamper evidence tab away from the package separates the flexible hinge along the lines of weakness showing evidence of tampering. 
     
     
         4 . The tamper-resistant container of  claim 1 , wherein separating the hinge along the lines of weakness results in separation of the lid from the base. 
     
     
         5 . The tamper-resistant container of  claim 1 , wherein the tamper evidence tab is coupled with lines of weakness from the tamper evidence tab to outer edges of the flexible hinge. 
     
     
         6 . The tamper-resistant container of  claim 1 , wherein the hinge is preferably formed integrally with both base and lid such that the base and lid are a single continuous piece of material formed simultaneously. 
     
     
         7 . The tamper-resistant container of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible hinge is proximate to the rear wall. 
     
     
         8 . The tamper-resistant container of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible hinge is proximate to the front wall. 
     
     
         9 . A tamper-resistant container comprising:
 a circular base having a bottom and an upright base side wall with a deep rear portion and a shallow front portion forming a cavity with an angled base edge;   a circular lid coupled to the base, the lid having a complimentary shape to the base with a top and a upright lid side wall with a shallow rear portion and a deep front portion with an angled lid edge:   a flexible hinge having a base hinge portion and a lid hinge portion with a tamper evidence tab, and upper and lower hinge lines;   a line of weakness coupled to the tamper evidence tab connecting the lid hinge portion and the base hinge portion;   wherein when the lid is folded toward the base, the upper and lower hinge lines fold and the angled base edge is coupled with the angled lid edge in a closed position and the tamper evidence tab extends in a downward direction from the upper hinge line, wherein the downward position of the tamper evidence tab allows opening of the container by pulling the tamper evidence tab away from the package to separate the flexible hinge along the lines of weakness showing evidence of tampering.   
     
     
         10 . The tamper-resistant container of  claim 9 , wherein the angled lid edge sits below the angled base edge so that the lid cannot be opened using the angled lid edge. 
     
     
         11 . The tamper-resistant container of  claim 9 , wherein separating the hinge along the lines of weakness results in separation of the lid from the base. 
     
     
         12 . The tamper-resistant container of  claim 9 , wherein the hinge is preferably formed integrally with both base and lid such that the base and lid are a single continuous piece of material formed simultaneously. 
     
     
         13 . The tamper-resistant container of  claim 9 , wherein the flexible hinge is proximate to the rear wall. 
     
     
         14 . The tamper-resistant container of  claim 9 , wherein the flexible hinge is proximate to the front wall. 
     
     
         15 . A tamper-resistant container having a tamper evidence tab comprising:
 a circular base having an angled base edge;   a circular lid having a complimentary shape to the circular base having an angled lid edge, the angled lid edge being configured to couple with the angled base edge in a closed position;   the angled base edge and angled lid edge are hingedly connected to each other via a flexible hinge, the flexible hinge consists of a base hinge portion and a lid hinge portion, and upper and lower hinge lines, wherein when the lid is folded toward the base, the upper and lower hinge lines fold and the angled base edge is coupled with the angled lid edge in a closed position with the flexible hinge having a substantially U-shaped tamper evidence tab extending in a downward position from the upper hinge line and coupled with lines of weakness from the tamper evidence tab to outer edges of the flat area, so that when the downward tamper evidence tab is grasped and pulled away from the package showing evidence of tampering, the lines of weakness between the angled base edge and angled lid edge are torn allowing opening of the lid.   
     
     
         16 . The tamper-resistant container of  claim 15 , wherein the angled lid edge sits below the angled base edge so that the lid cannot be opened using the angled lid edge. 
     
     
         17 . The tamper-resistant container of  claim 15 , wherein the circular base includes a bottom and an upright base side wall with a deep rear portion and a shallow front portion forming a cavity. 
     
     
         18 . The tamper-resistant container of  claim 15 , wherein the hinge is preferably formed integrally with both base and lid such that the base and lid are a single continuous piece of material formed simultaneously. 
     
     
         19 . The tamper-resistant container of  claim 15 , wherein the flexible hinge is proximate to the rear wall. 
     
     
         20 . The tamper-resistant container of  claim 15 , wherein the flexible hinge is proximate to the front wall.