Tamper-evident bottle and closure having vents

Abstract

A tamper-evident package with pressurized contents which includes a closure and associated container which cooperate to provide desired tamper-evidence upon initial removal of the closure from the container, while promoting convenient and comfortable removal and use by consumers.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A tamper-evident bottle comprising:
 a neck having:
 an outer thread helix; 
 a lower ring; 
 circumferentially spaced locking elements disposed between said outer thread helix and said lower ring; 
 a stop element disposed axially above said locking elements and axially below said outer thread helix; and, 
 a flange defining an open mouth and an upper interior wall; 
 
 a removable closure comprising:
 a closed top wall; 
 an annular seal depending from an interior portion of said closed top wall; 
 a skirt depending from said closed top wall, said skirt comprising:
 an inner thread helix; 
 circumferentially spaced vent grooves traversing the inner thread helix to vent gas pressure within said bottle; 
 
 a tamper-evident band comprising circumferentially spaced inwardly extending flexible projections; 
 frangible bridges connecting said tamper-evident band to said skirt; and, rotation-inhibiting projections; 
 
 wherein said removable closure is rotatable on said neck between:
 a sealed closed position having an angle A1, wherein said inner thread helix of said removable closure sealingly engages said outer thread helix of said neck, said annular seal sealingly engages said upper interior wall of said neck, and said frangible bridges are unbroken; 
 an initial unsealing position having an angle A10 wherein said inner thread helix of said removable closure initially unseals from said outer thread helix of said neck, said annular seal initially unseals from said upper interior wall of said neck, and said frangible bridges are unbroken; 
 an initial fracturing positing position having a Band Break Angle wherein said locking elements of said neck cooperate with said flexible projections of said tamper-evident band to initially fracture said frangible bridges; and, 
 an unsealed open position wherein said frangible bridges are fractured and said closure is removed from said neck; 
 
 wherein an Initial Unlock Torque is required to rotate said removable closure from said sealed closed position to said initial unsealing position. 
 
     
     
       2. The tamper-evident bottle of  claim 1 , wherein said rotation-inhibiting projections engage said neck when said closure is rotated from said sealed closed position to said unsealed open position. 
     
     
       3. The tamper-evident bottle of  claim 2 , wherein said rotation-inhibiting projections create a Projection Resistive Torque when said closure is rotated from said sealed closed position to said unsealed open position. 
     
     
       4. A tamper-evident closure for a container having a neck having an outer thread helix, a lower ring, circumferentially spaced locking elements disposed between the outer thread helix and the lower ring, a stop element disposed axially above the locking elements and axially below the outer thread helix, and a flange defining an open mouth and an upper interior wall, said closure being removable and comprising:
 a closed top wall;   an annular seal depending from an interior portion of said closed top wall;   a skirt depending from said closed top wall, said skirt comprising: an inner thread helix; and circumferentially spaced vent grooves traversing the inner thread helix to vent gas pressure within the container;   a tamper-evident band comprising circumferentially spaced inwardly extending flexible projections;   frangible bridges connecting said tamper-evident band to said skirt; and   rotation-inhibiting projections;   wherein said closure is rotatable on said neck between:   a sealed closed position having an angle A1, wherein said inner thread helix of said removable closure sealingly engages said outer thread helix of said neck, said annular seal sealingly engages said upper interior wall of said neck, and said frangible bridges are unbroken;   an initial unsealing position having an angle A10 wherein said inner thread helix of said removable closure initially unseals from said outer thread helix of said neck, said annular seal initially unseals from said upper interior wall of said neck, and said frangible bridges are unbroken;   an initial fracturing position having a Band Break Angle wherein said locking elements of said neck cooperate with said flexible projections of said tamper-evident band to initially fracture said frangible bridges; and   an unsealed open position wherein said frangible bridges are fractured and said closure is removed from said neck;   wherein an Initial Unlock Torque is required to rotate said removable closure from said sealed closed position to said initial unsealing position.   
     
     
       5. The tamper-evident closure of claim 4, wherein:
 said rotation-inhibiting projections engage said neck when said closure is rotated from said sealed closed position to said unsealed open position.   
     
     
       6. The tamper-evident closure of claim 5, wherein:
 said rotation-inhibiting projections create a Projection Resistive Torque when said closure is rotated from said sealed closed position to said unsealed open position.   
     
     
       7. A tamper-evident package comprising:
 a container having a neck, the neck including an outer thread helix formation, a plurality of circumferentially spaced locking elements, a stop element disposed axially between said locking elements and said outer thread helix formation, and an upper interior wall defining an open mouth; and   a closure including a closed top wall, an annular seal depending from an interior portion of said closed top wall, a skirt portion depending from said closed top wall, said skirt portion including an inner thread helix formation, a plurality of circumferentially spaced vent grooves traversing the inner thread helix formation to vent gas pressure within said package, a tamper-evident band comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced, inwardly extending flexible projections; and frangible bridges connecting said tamper-evident band to said skirt portion;   wherein said removable closure is rotatable on said neck between:   a sealed closed position having an angle A1, wherein said inner thread helix formation of said closure sealingly engages said outer thread helix formation of said neck to form an annular seal, said annular seal sealingly engages said upper interior wall of said neck, and said frangible bridges are unbroken;   an initial unsealing position wherein said inner thread helix formation of said closure initially unseals from said outer thread helix formation of said neck, said annular seal initially unseals from said upper interior wall of said neck, and said frangible bridges are unbroken;   an initial fracturing position having a Band Break Angle wherein said locking elements of said neck cooperate with said flexible projections of said tamper-evident band to initially fracture said frangible bridges; and   an unsealed open position wherein said frangible bridges are fractured and said closure is removed from said neck.   
     
     
       8. The tamper-evident package of claim 7, wherein the neck further includes a lower ring. 
     
     
       9. The tamper-evident package of claim 8, wherein the circumferentially spaced locking elements are disposed between said outer thread helix formation and said lower ring. 
     
     
       10. The tamper-evident package of claim 7, wherein the closure further includes rotation-inhibiting projections. 
     
     
       11. The tamper-evident package of claim 10, wherein the rotation-inhibiting projections are positioned on the closure to minimize simultaneous disposition of the rotation-inhibiting projections in respective one of said circumferentially spaced vent grooves. 
     
     
       12. The tamper-evident package of claim 7, wherein each of said circumferentially spaced locking elements includes a guide surface and an inclined retention surface, said guide surface being located opposite of the inclined retention surface, said locking elements being configured to engage said flexible projections of said closure during closure application. 
     
     
       13. The tamper-evident package of claim 7, wherein said stop element includes an inclined guide surface and a radially oriented stop surface, said stop element configured to engage said inner thread helix formation of said closure. 
     
     
       14. A tamper-evident closure for a container having a neck having an outer thread helix formation, a plurality of circumferentially spaced locking elements, a stop element disposed axially between the locking elements and the outer thread helix formation, and an upper interior wall defining an open mouth, said closure comprising:
 a closed top wall;   an annular seal depending from an interior portion of said closed top wall;   a skirt portion depending from said closed top wall, said skirt portion comprising an inner thread helix formation, and a plurality of circumferentially spaced vent grooves traversing the inner thread helix formation to vent gas pressure within the container;   a tamper-evident band comprising circumferentially spaced, inwardly extending flexible projections; and   frangible bridges connecting said tamper-evident band to said skirt portion;   wherein said closure is rotatable on said neck between:   a sealed closed position having an angle A1, wherein said inner thread helix formation of said closure sealingly engages said outer thread helix formation of said neck, said annular seal sealingly engages said upper interior wall of said neck, and said frangible bridges are unbroken;   an initial unsealing position wherein said inner thread helix formation of said removable closure initially unseals from said outer thread helix formation of said neck, said annular seal initially unseals from said upper interior wall of said neck, and said frangible bridges are unbroken;   an initial fracturing position having a Band Break Angle wherein said locking elements of said neck cooperate with said flexible projections of said tamper-evident band to initially fracture said frangible bridges; and   an unsealed open position wherein said frangible bridges are fractured and said closure is removed from said neck.   
     
     
       15. The tamper-evident closure of claim 14, wherein the closure further includes rotation-inhibiting projections. 
     
     
       16. The tamper-evident closure of claim 15, wherein the rotation-inhibiting projections are positioned on the closure to minimize simultaneous disposition of the rotation-inhibiting projections in respective one of said circumferentially spaced vent grooves. 
     
     
       17. A tamper-evident package comprising:
 a container having a neck portion defining an open mouth, the neck portion having at least one outer helical thread formation thereon, a plurality of circumferentially spaced locking elements and a stop element, each of said locking elements including a guide surface and an inclined retention surface; and   a closure comprising a top wall portion, a depending skirt portion having at least one internal, helical thread formation for threaded engagement with a respective one of said external, helical thread formation of said container, a sealing portion configured to sealingly engage said neck portion of said container when said closure is in a fully applied position on said container, a tamper-evident band connected by a frangible connection to said skirt portion for engagement with said container during removal of said closure from said container, said tamper-evident band including a plurality of circumferentially spaced, inwardly extending flexible projections,   wherein said package defines an Angle A1 from said fully applied position at which said sealing portion of the closure and said neck of said container create an initial unlock torque;   wherein said plurality of circumferentially spaced locking elements is configured for cooperation with said tamper-evident band during removal of said closure from said container for fracturing said frangible connection,   wherein said stop element is configured to engage said at least one internal, helical thread formation,   wherein said inwardly extending projections on said tamper-evident band are positioned and configured so that at least one of said projections is disposed between adjacent ones of said locking elements on said container when said closure is in said fully applied position,   wherein said one of said inwardly extending projections are engageable with a respective one of said locking elements during opening movement of said closure from said fully applied position, said closure being moveable through a predetermined angle, greater than said Angle A1, prior to engagement of said one projection with the respective one of said locking elements for fracturing said frangible connection.   
     
     
       18. The tamper-evident package of claim 17, wherein said predetermined angle is from about 5 to about 20 degrees. 
     
     
       19. The tamper-evident package of claim 17, wherein said closure further includes circumferentially spaced vent grooves traversing the inner thread helix to vent gas pressure within said package. 
     
     
       20. The tamper-evident package of claim 17, wherein each of said stop surfaces is generally horizontally orientated. 
     
     
       21. The tamper-evident package of claim 17, wherein said circumferentially spaced locking elements form a segmented locking ring for axially retaining said temper-evident band on said container. 
     
     
       22. The tamper-evident package of claim 17, wherein the closure further includes rotation-inhibiting projections. 
     
     
       23. The tamper-evident package of claim 22, wherein the rotation-inhibiting projections are positioned on the closure to minimize simultaneous disposition of the rotation-inhibiting projections in respective one of said circumferentially spaced vent grooves.