Tamper evident package and closure for package

Abstract

A package includes a container and a closure. The container includes a floor and a sidewall coupled to the floor and extending in an upward direction away from the floor to at least partially define a product storage region. The closure is configured to mount selectively to the container to block access to the product storage region. The closure includes a cover extending across the second end of the container, a skirt coupled to a periphery of the cover and extending in a downward direction away from the cover to engage with the closure mount of the container, and a tamper-evident band coupled to a lower end of the skirt.

1 . A package comprising:
 a container including a floor and a sidewall coupled to the floor and extending in an upward direction away from the floor to at least partially define a product storage region, the sidewall including a sidewall panel having a first end coupled to a periphery of the floor and a second end spaced apart from the first end, a closure mount coupled to an exterior surface of the sidewall panel at a position closer to the second end than the first end, and a band mount coupled to the exterior surface of the sidewall panel and located below the closure mount at a position closer to the second end than the first end, and   a closure configured to mount selectively to the container at the second end of the sidewall panel, the closure including a cover extending across the second end of the container, a skirt coupled to a periphery of the cover and extending in a downward direction away from the cover to engage with the closure mount of the container, and a tamper-evident band coupled to a lower end of the skirt,   wherein the tamper-evident band includes a band ring extending annularly around the sidewall panel, a frangible connector interconnecting the lower end of the skirt and an upper end of the band ring and configured to separate the band ring from the skirt when the closure is opened, and a band anchor having a proximal end coupled to an inner surface of the band ring and a distal end spaced apart from the band ring, the band anchor being movable between a molded, unlocking position in which the band anchor extends at a downwardly-sloped angle away from the cover and toward a central axis of the closure from the proximal end to the distal, to an attached, locking position in which the band anchor extends at an upwardly-sloped angle toward the cover and the central axis of the closure from the proximal end to the distal end and the distal end abuts against the band mount to block upward movement of the tamper-evident band relative to the container,   wherein the band anchor is formed to include a notch and the notch is configured to flex as the band anchor moves from the molded, unlocking position to the attached, locking position.   
     
     
         2 . The package of  claim 1 , wherein the band anchor is formed to include a plurality of notches. 
     
     
         3 . The package of  claim 2 , wherein the band anchor has a first thickness at each of the notches and a second thickness greater than the first thickness at a location offset from each of the notches. 
     
     
         4 . The package of  claim 2 , wherein each notch is spaced an equal distance from one another. 
     
     
         5 . The package of  claim 2 , wherein each of the notches has a first circumferential length about the central axis and each of the notches is spaced circumferentially from each neighboring notch by a second circumferential length about the central axis, the second circumferential length being greater than the first circumferential length. 
     
     
         6 . The package of  claim 1 , wherein the band anchor has a thickness and the thickness increases from the proximal end of the band anchor to the distal end of the band anchor. 
     
     
         7 . The package of  claim 1 , wherein the frangible connector includes a plurality of frangible segments and each frangible connection has a triangular-shaped profile including a curved side facing toward the central axis, a first circumferential side coupled to a first end of the curved side and facing away from the central axis, and a second circumferential side coupled to a second end of the curved side and facing away from the central axis and away from the first circumferential side. 
     
     
         8 . The package of  claim 1 , wherein the closure further includes a stacking ring coupled to a top end of the cover and extending in an upward direction away from the cover, and wherein a second closure is configured to be stacked on the stacking ring, the second closure including an band anchor abutting the stacking ring. 
     
     
         9 . The package of  claim 8 , wherein the stacking ring is positioned radially inward of the periphery of the cover to provide a stacking shoulder at a location radially outward of the stacking ring and directly above the skirt. 
     
     
         10 . The package of  claim 1 , wherein the closure mount includes one or more threads. 
     
     
         11 . The package of  claim 1 , wherein the band mount includes a rib extending annularly around the central axis. 
     
     
         12 . The package of  claim 11 , wherein the container further includes a bumper coupled to the exterior surface of the sidewall panel at a location below the closure mount and the band mount and closer to the second end of the sidewall panel than the first end. 
     
     
         13 . A closure configured to mount selectively to a container, the closure comprising:
 a cover,   a skirt coupled to a periphery of the cover and extending in a downward direction away from the cover, and   a tamper-evident band coupled to a lower end of the skirt,   wherein the tamper-evident band includes a band ring, a frangible connector interconnecting the lower end of the skirt and an upper end of the band ring and configured to separate the band ring from the skirt when the closure is opened, and a band anchor having a proximal end coupled to an inner surface of the band ring and a distal end spaced apart from the band ring, the band anchor being movable between a molded, unlocking position in which the band anchor extends at a downwardly-sloped angle away from the cover and toward a central axis of the closure from the proximal end to the distal, to an attached, locking position in which the band anchor extends at an upwardly-sloped angle toward the cover and the central axis of the closure from the proximal end to the distal end and configured to engage a portion of the container to block upward movement of the tamper-evident band relative to the container,   wherein the band anchor is formed to include a notch and the notch is configured to flex as the band anchor moves from the molded, unlocking position to the attached, locking position.   
     
     
         14 . The closure of  claim 13 , wherein the band anchor is formed to include a plurality of notches. 
     
     
         15 . The closure of  claim 14 , wherein the band anchor has a first thickness at each of the notches and a second thickness greater than the first thickness at a location offset from each of the notches. 
     
     
         16 . The closure of  claim 14 , wherein each of the notches has a first circumferential length about the central axis and each of the notches is spaced circumferentially from each neighboring notch by a second circumferential length about the central axis, the second circumferential length being greater than the first circumferential length. 
     
     
         17 . The closure of  claim 13 , wherein the frangible connector includes a plurality of frangible segments and each frangible connection has a triangular-shaped profile including a curved side facing toward the central axis, a first circumferential side coupled to a first end of the curved side and facing away from the central axis, and a second circumferential side coupled to a second end of the curved side and facing away from the central axis and away from the first circumferential side. 
     
     
         18 . The closure of  claim 13 , wherein the distal end of the band anchor is located below a lower end of the band ring in the molded, unlocking position and above the lower end of the band ring in the attached, locking position. 
     
     
         19 . A method of manufacturing a closure for a container, the method comprising steps of:
 molding the closure from one or more polymeric materials, the closure including:
 a cover, 
 a skirt coupled to a periphery of the cover and extending in a downward direction away from the cover, and 
 a tamper-evident band coupled to a lower end of the skirt, the tamper-evident band including a band ring, a frangible connector interconnecting the lower end of the skirt and an upper end of the band ring and configured to separate the band ring from the skirt when the closure is opened, and a band anchor having a proximal end coupled to an inner surface of the band ring and a distal end spaced apart from the band ring, and 
   inverting the band anchor from a molded, unlocking position in which the band anchor extends at a downwardly-sloped angle away from the cover and toward a central axis of the closure from the proximal end to the distal, to an attached, locking position in which the band anchor extends at an upwardly-sloped angle toward the cover and the central axis of the closure from the proximal end to the distal end and configured to engage a portion of the container to block upward movement of the tamper-evident band relative to the container,   wherein the band anchor is formed to include a notch and the notch flexes as the band anchor moves from the molded, unlocking position to the attached, locking position.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the method further includes stacking the closure with at least one other closure with the band anchor in the attached, locking position such that a stacking gap is formed radially inward of a lower end of the band ring to receive a stacking ring of the at least one other closure to nest the closure with the at least one other closure.