GB2283735A - Colour change tamper evident closure - Google Patents
Colour change tamper evident closure Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2283735A GB2283735A GB9323184A GB9323184A GB2283735A GB 2283735 A GB2283735 A GB 2283735A GB 9323184 A GB9323184 A GB 9323184A GB 9323184 A GB9323184 A GB 9323184A GB 2283735 A GB2283735 A GB 2283735A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- closure
- container
- substance
- combination
- colour
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Withdrawn
Links
- 230000008859 change Effects 0.000 title description 12
- 239000000126 substance Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 44
- 230000003213 activating effect Effects 0.000 claims abstract 3
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 claims description 6
- 239000002253 acid Substances 0.000 claims description 4
- 230000004913 activation Effects 0.000 claims description 4
- 239000002243 precursor Substances 0.000 claims description 3
- 239000011230 binding agent Substances 0.000 claims description 2
- 230000008021 deposition Effects 0.000 claims 1
- 239000011521 glass Substances 0.000 abstract description 4
- 239000007788 liquid Substances 0.000 abstract description 3
- 239000002184 metal Substances 0.000 abstract description 3
- 238000007789 sealing Methods 0.000 abstract description 2
- SZUVGFMDDVSKSI-WIFOCOSTSA-N (1s,2s,3s,5r)-1-(carboxymethyl)-3,5-bis[(4-phenoxyphenyl)methyl-propylcarbamoyl]cyclopentane-1,2-dicarboxylic acid Chemical compound O=C([C@@H]1[C@@H]([C@](CC(O)=O)([C@H](C(=O)N(CCC)CC=2C=CC(OC=3C=CC=CC=3)=CC=2)C1)C(O)=O)C(O)=O)N(CCC)CC(C=C1)=CC=C1OC1=CC=CC=C1 SZUVGFMDDVSKSI-WIFOCOSTSA-N 0.000 description 3
- 239000004927 clay Substances 0.000 description 3
- 239000011248 coating agent Substances 0.000 description 3
- 238000000576 coating method Methods 0.000 description 3
- 229940126543 compound 14 Drugs 0.000 description 3
- 230000002427 irreversible effect Effects 0.000 description 3
- 235000013305 food Nutrition 0.000 description 2
- 238000007373 indentation Methods 0.000 description 2
- 239000003094 microcapsule Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000004806 packaging method and process Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000002028 premature Effects 0.000 description 2
- 230000035945 sensitivity Effects 0.000 description 2
- 230000001464 adherent effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000004026 adhesive bonding Methods 0.000 description 1
- 235000008452 baby food Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 230000001680 brushing effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000006835 compression Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000007906 compression Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000000994 depressogenic effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000000694 effects Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000010438 heat treatment Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000001678 irradiating effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000011159 matrix material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000007769 metal material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 1
- 229920003023 plastic Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 230000009467 reduction Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000004044 response Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000007787 solid Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000003595 spectral effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000000758 substrate Substances 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D55/00—Accessories for container closures not otherwise provided for
- B65D55/02—Locking devices; Means for discouraging or indicating unauthorised opening or removal of closure
- B65D55/026—Locking devices; Means for discouraging or indicating unauthorised opening or removal of closure initial opening or unauthorised access being indicated by a visual change using indicators other than tearable means, e.g. change of colour, pattern or opacity
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Closures For Containers (AREA)
Abstract
A colour changing substance 64 is provided at the interface of a closure and a container and is activated by relative movement of the closure and container. The substance is visible from outside the closure and may be deposited in an opening 62 in the closure skirt, the edge (60 Figure 2) of the opening engaging and activating the substance on removal of the closure. Alternatively, the substance may be contained in a recess in the closure skirt (Figure 4), distortion of the floor of the recess occurring due to ribs (150, Figure 4) on the container neck. The closure may include a central tamper evident button 50, the closure being made of metal with a sealing member 14 conforming to the screw thread of the glass container neck. The substance 64 may be deposited in liquid form through the opening after the closure is fitted to the container. <IMAGE>
Description
"PACKAGING CONTAINERS AND CLOSURES THEREFOR"
This invention relates to packaging containers and closures therefor, in particular (but not exclusively) to glass jars for food products and PT (press-twist) metal closures for closing them onto a vacuum in the container heads pace.
It is well known to provide a vacuum closure such as a PT closure with an evertable button formed in the closure panel, that is, the generally plane panel of the closure where the latter is to overlie the container headspace. The button is normally held by the headspace vacuum in an unstable, everted condition. If the closure is loosened or removed the consequent reduction in headspace vacuum allows the button to revert resiliently to a raised position, thereby providing an indication that the closure has been opened or an attempt to do so has been made.
It has been realised for some time, however, that a button alone is not capable of giving a reliable indication of closure removal, and proposals have been made to increase the tamper-evident quality of a PT closure by coating the button with a substance which shows an irreversible colour change if ever the button reverts to its raised condition. A major difficulty with proposals of this kind, however, is that of reconciling the requirement for the colour change to be reliably achieved by button movement with the requirement for no colour change to occur inadvertently up to the point of sale of the package.If the colour changing substance is made relatively insensitive to prevent premature activation it may fail to operate reliably in response to movement of the button; if, on the other hand, the sensitivity of the colour-changing substance is sufficient to achieve reliable operation when the button resiles it may show a false colour change during normal handling, stacking and display of the package.
The present invention seeks to overcome the above-recited shortcoming at least to a substantial degree, and accordingly provides a container/closure combination in which a colour- changing substance visible externally of the combination, the closure, and/or the container is associated with the interface of the container and the closure so as to be activated by relative movement of the container and closure.
A preferred location for the colour change substance is at a generally cylindrical portion of the closure, where the closure surrounds the container mouth.
Commonly, this portion of the closure is preferred to as the closure "skirt", a nomenclature which will be used hereinafter. The skirt is peripherally dependant from a generally plane portion which overlies the container mouth and which forms the closure panel in which a button (if provided) is located.
Most advantageously the colour-changing substance is a coating which is formed on a surface of the container underlying the closure and is visible through an opening or openings in the closure. As one alternative, however, and as is apparent from the nlnbodiments now to be described, the colour-changing substance may be formed on closure at a position where the closure is subject to deformation by mechanical engagement with the container when the two members are moved relatively to one another.
In order that the invention may be more fully understood, ambodiments thereof will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Fig.l shows part of the container-closure combination which forms the first embodiment of the invention, as seen in perspective view;
Fig.2 is an enlarged sectional view of part of the combination of Fig.l;
Figs. 3t, 3B show details of the opening formed in the closure skirt of the combination of Fig.l;
Fig.4 is a sectional view similar to Fig.2 of a second embodiment of the invention, separately showing the closure when sealed and during opening; and Fig.5 is a view similar to Fig.l of the combination forming the third embodiment of the invention.
Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, there is shown the combination of a glass jar 10 containing a food product 8 such as a baby food, and a metal closure 12 of the kind commonly known as a "PT cap". Such a closure is applied to the container by simple axial movement, and has a lining compound 14 (Fig.2) which provides a sealing medium for the closure as well as conforming itself to a screw thread 16 on the container when the filled and closed package is thermally sterilised in a retort or pasteurised under ambient pressure. The PT cap accordingly requires a rotational, unscrewing movement for removal. Also, a vacuum is generated in the container headspace 18 which exists above the product, by gluing the headspace with steam as the cap is applied.
The closure 12 has a generally plane closure panel 20, and a generally cylindrical skirt 22 which is connected to the periphery of the closure panel by a corner radius 24.
As can clearly be seen from Fig.2, in the fitted position of the closure the closure panel 20 overlies the container mouth 26 and the annular container rim 28 which encircles it. The skirt 22 surrounds a generally cylindrical container surface 30 which is joined to the container rim by a corner radius 32. The surface 30 includes the screw thread 16 and, in addition, a projecting land 34 which is located below the screw thread and has a cylindrical outer surface 36. The lining compound 14 occupies the interface of the closure with the container above the land 34. It engages the surfaces 28, 32 and 30 to form a hermetic seal and make screw-threaded engagement with the container, as previously mentioned.
At its free end remote from the closure panel 20, beyond the land 34, the closure skirt 22 is formed with an inturned curl 38 by which the free edge 40 of the closure material is masked and rendered harmless to a consumer.
An evertable button 50 is formed in the centre of the closure panel 20. The button is held by the vacuum in the container headspac 18 in the unstable, depressed condition represented in Fig.2 by full lines, but iE at any time the headspace vacuum is substantially reduced, the button resiles to the raised position indicated by broken lines so as to provide an indication of possible tampering.
As thus far described the container/closure combination is conventional in arrangement and operation.
As previously discussed, however, tamperindicating buttons in vacuum closures such as PT caps are not wholly reliable as tamper-indicators, and in order to improve its tamperindicating quality the closure 12 has an opening 52 formed in its skirt 22 between the lining compound 14 and the curl 33 as shown.
As will be understood from Figs. 2, 3A and 3B in combination, the opening 52 is formed by severance of a circular disc (not shown) of the sheet metal material of the closure along a cut edge 54. The cut edge is formed on a shallow frustoconical annulus 56 which, as shown in detail in Fig.3B, is inclined inwardly of the opening and outwardly in relation to the skirt. The annulus 56 is itself carried from another, radially deeper, frustoconical annulus 58 which extends in the inward direction from the skirt proper, with the result that the free edge 54 is recessed in relation to the skirt as shown.
The radial depth of the annulus 58 is such that the elbow 60 formed where it joins the annulus 56 is in brushing contact with the container cylindrical surface 36 previously mentioned. The annulus 58 and the part of the surface 36 which is circumscribed by it therefore define a blind cavity or recess 62 in the closure skirt.
A substance 64 capable of showing an irreversible colour change when subjected to shear or compression forces is deposited in the blind cavity 62 through the opening 52, so as substantially to fill the cavity as shown in Fig.2.
The substance is applied in liquid form and thereafter is cured and hardened by heating it or otherwise irradiating it appropriately. It is then solid and strongly adherent to the container surface 36. Any subsequent relative movement of the closure in relation to the container therefore causes corresponding movement of the elbow 60 across the substance, and a consequent colour change of the substance.
The substance 64 accordingly provides evidence of tampering which is independent of any evidence provided by the button 50. Moreover, because the colour change is irreversible, there is little or no possibility that the tamperer can conceal the fact that tampering has taken place. Either the substance is no longer in its original rotational position within the opening 52, or it is visible through the opening but of a colour which is indicative that the closure has been removed (and replaced accurately to its original position).
In a non-illustrated modification of the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 3 the cavity 62, rather tan being formed in the skirt 22 as shown and described, is formed, at least in part, in the closure panel 20 and/or the radius 24 for association with the opposed surface presented by the container. The shape of the closure and/or the container may be modified as necessary to accommodate the cavity at the new location.
Fig.4 shows a second embodiment of the invention, in which the colour-changing substance 64 is received in a blind cavity 162 which is defined entirely by the skirt 22. The substance is pLaced in the cavity when liquid, and cured to harden it and to adhere it firmly and intimately to the cavity walls. If desired, the cavity may extend around the whole periphery of the closure.
In the embodiment of Fig.4 the required colour change to indicate closure removal is achieved by mechanical distortion of the floor 163 of the cavity 152 caused by ribs, rips or like projections formed on the container at the outer surface 136 of a projecting and generally cylindrical land 134. These projections, of which one is shown on the right hand side of Fig.4 and denoted by te reference numeral 150, are spaced around the surface 136 so that as the closure is being unscrewed at least one of them will engage and distort the cavity floor 163 and so case the required colour change in the substance 64 above it. If desired, the floor may have a reduced thickness to facilitate the required distortion.
In the enbodiment of Fig.5 a rectangular patch of a colour-changing substance 64 is formed on a cylindrical surface 183 of the container before the closure is applied. Where it overlies the surface 180 the closure skirt has a vertical indentation or rib 182 which is flanked on either side by an opening 184 through the skirt material. Closure removal causes the indentation to move across and activate the colour-changing substance over which it passes, the openings enabling the resulting colour change to be seen.
In each of the embodiments described above it is preEerred that the colour-changing substance should comprise a die precursor in encapsulated form, an acid clay in particulate form, and a binder (e.g. PvA) capable of forming a matrix for the microcapsules and the acid clay and oE adhering them strongly to the desired substrate. The substance is activated when mechanical rupture of the microcapsules allows the die precursor and the acid clay to mix and chemically react to produce the desired new colour.
It will be seen from the foregoing that in each embodiment the colour-changing substance is associated with the interface between the closure and the container, so as to be activated by the gross relative movement which necessarily occurs at the interface when the closure is removed. Because this movement is necessarily substantial and forceful, the colour-changing substance need not be given a substantial sensitivity, and the risk oE premature operation of the substance up to the point of sale of the package is correspondingly low. In tat respect it will be noted that in each of the described etnbodiments the colour-changing substance is located within the external contour oE the closure, so as to be mechanically protected by the closure material in its neighbourhood.The danger oE a false colour-change is accordingly yet further reduced.
whilst only one site for colour-change activity has been provided for each of the embodiments described above, it may be preferred for two or more such sites to be provided and arranged to operate simultaneously. Where two or more sites are provided it is preferred that they are spaced regularly around the closure.
With a suitable choice of materials, e.g. a transparent plastics material, the colour-change substance may be located so as to be visible through the closure and/or through an overcap fitted over the closure.
The invention may have application to closures other than PT caps (whether vacuum closures or otherwise), and to containers other than glass jars. The colour-changing substance may in one-part form, that is to say, in the form of a die which is made visible when the closure is opened.
The invention may be used in combination with one or more other forms of tamper indication, for example, the buttons of the described einodints. If desired, however, it may provided the sole means for providing tamperevidence for a containr/closur combination.
Throughout the foregoing narrative and the claims which follow the word "colour" is to be understood in a general sense, that is to say, it extends to spectral lightness and chroma as well as to hue. Thus, for example, changes from white to red and from pink to dark red should regarded as colour changes in accordance with the invention.
In a non-described embodiment of the invention the colour-changing substance is formed as a continuous coating around the outside periphery oE the closure skirt, so as to be activated when the skirt is gripped for opening the closure.
Claims (14)
1. A container/closure combination, in which a colour
changing substance which is visible externally of
the combination, the container and/or the closure is
associated with the interface of the container and
the closure so as to be activated by relative
movement of the container and closure.
2. A combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
colour-changing substance is located on or adjacent
the closure skirt.
3. A combination as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2,
wherein the colour-changing substance is adhered to
the container surface at the said interface, the
closure having activation means arranged for
activating the substance if the closure is moved in
relation to the container.
4. A combination as claimed in claim 3, wherein the
closure is formed with an opening through which the
colour-changing substance is visible.
5. A combination as claimed in claim 4, wherein the
substance is formed on the said container surface
by deposition through the opening after the closure
is fitted to the container.
6. A combination as claimed in claim 4 or claim 5,
wherein the activation means is formed around the
periphery of the opening.
7. A combination as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2,
wherein the colour-changing substance is adhered to
a portion of the closure, an underlying surface of
the container having activation means arranged for
activating the substance by deforming the said
portion if the closure is moved in relation to the
container.
8. A combination as claimed in claim 7, wherein the
colour-changing substance is located within a blind
cavity formed by the closure material.
9. x combination as claimed in any preceding claim,
wherein the colour-changing substance comprises a
micro-encapsulated die precursor, an acid substance
in particulate form, and a binder.
10. k combinotion as claimed in any claim of claims 1 to
8, wherein the colour-changing substance comprises a
micro-encapsulated die.
11. A combination as claimed in any preceding claim,
wherein the closure is a PT cap.
12. The container of or for a combination as claimed in
any preceding claim.
13. The closure of or for a combination as claimed in
any claim of claims 1 to 11.
14. A container or closure either per s or in
combination with a closure or container
respectively, substantially as hereinbefore
described with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB9323184A GB2283735A (en) | 1993-11-10 | 1993-11-10 | Colour change tamper evident closure |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB9323184A GB2283735A (en) | 1993-11-10 | 1993-11-10 | Colour change tamper evident closure |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| GB9323184D0 GB9323184D0 (en) | 1994-01-05 |
| GB2283735A true GB2283735A (en) | 1995-05-17 |
Family
ID=10744951
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB9323184A Withdrawn GB2283735A (en) | 1993-11-10 | 1993-11-10 | Colour change tamper evident closure |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| GB (1) | GB2283735A (en) |
Cited By (6)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WO2005049429A3 (en) * | 2003-09-29 | 2005-08-04 | Isaac Martin | Marking a bottle indelibly by its first opening |
| US6938757B2 (en) | 2001-05-03 | 2005-09-06 | Allied Domecq Spirits & Wine Limited | Tamper evident closure |
| DE102009019362A1 (en) * | 2009-04-29 | 2010-11-04 | Krones Ag | Tamper evident for the closure of a bottle |
| CN102673877A (en) * | 2012-05-07 | 2012-09-19 | 林智勇 | Anti-counterfeiting marked bottle |
| FR3017860A1 (en) * | 2014-02-27 | 2015-08-28 | Commissariat Energie Atomique | METHOD FOR DETECTING A FRAUDULENT REBOUCHING OF A BOTTLE |
| NO20170237A1 (en) * | 2017-02-16 | 2018-08-17 | Keep It Tech As | Screw cap system |
Citations (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US4480762A (en) * | 1982-06-11 | 1984-11-06 | Ryder International Corporation | Reuseable vial cap |
| US4489841A (en) * | 1983-02-18 | 1984-12-25 | Tri-Tech Systems International, Inc. | Tamper evident closures and packages |
| US4905851A (en) * | 1983-02-18 | 1990-03-06 | Tri-Tech Systems International, Inc. | Tamper evident closures and packages with color changing means and separable portions of the closures and method of forming the same |
| EP0467619A1 (en) * | 1990-07-18 | 1992-01-22 | Continental White Cap, Inc. | Tamper evident closure using microcapsules |
-
1993
- 1993-11-10 GB GB9323184A patent/GB2283735A/en not_active Withdrawn
Patent Citations (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US4480762A (en) * | 1982-06-11 | 1984-11-06 | Ryder International Corporation | Reuseable vial cap |
| US4489841A (en) * | 1983-02-18 | 1984-12-25 | Tri-Tech Systems International, Inc. | Tamper evident closures and packages |
| US4905851A (en) * | 1983-02-18 | 1990-03-06 | Tri-Tech Systems International, Inc. | Tamper evident closures and packages with color changing means and separable portions of the closures and method of forming the same |
| EP0467619A1 (en) * | 1990-07-18 | 1992-01-22 | Continental White Cap, Inc. | Tamper evident closure using microcapsules |
Cited By (8)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US6938757B2 (en) | 2001-05-03 | 2005-09-06 | Allied Domecq Spirits & Wine Limited | Tamper evident closure |
| WO2005049429A3 (en) * | 2003-09-29 | 2005-08-04 | Isaac Martin | Marking a bottle indelibly by its first opening |
| DE102009019362A1 (en) * | 2009-04-29 | 2010-11-04 | Krones Ag | Tamper evident for the closure of a bottle |
| CN102673877A (en) * | 2012-05-07 | 2012-09-19 | 林智勇 | Anti-counterfeiting marked bottle |
| FR3017860A1 (en) * | 2014-02-27 | 2015-08-28 | Commissariat Energie Atomique | METHOD FOR DETECTING A FRAUDULENT REBOUCHING OF A BOTTLE |
| WO2015128557A1 (en) * | 2014-02-27 | 2015-09-03 | Commissariat A L'energie Atomique Et Aux Energies Alternatives | Method of detecting fraudulent re-stopping of a bottle |
| NO20170237A1 (en) * | 2017-02-16 | 2018-08-17 | Keep It Tech As | Screw cap system |
| US11639261B2 (en) | 2017-02-16 | 2023-05-02 | Keep-It Technologies As | Screw cap system |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| GB9323184D0 (en) | 1994-01-05 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| WAP | Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1) |