The present invention relates in general to an apparatus and in particular, to a closure and container combination. The present invention also relates to a method and in particular, to a method of sealing a container with a tamper-evident closure.

Closures for containers are known which have tamper evident and/or tamper proof features. Such features may be provided for safety reasons, for example closures for containers which are used with drugs or potentially harmful substances.

It is known to seal the opening of a container with a sealing membrane. Such membranes may be inductively sealed to the rim of the container opening. Such membranes may be covered with a cap, which might be a screw-type cap, which engages the neck of the container with a screw thread. To remove the membrane, the cap is first removed from the neck of the container. Then the sealing membrane may be removed from the opening. The cap may have tamper-evident features such as a tear strip or ring.

Thus, such closures require a two-step process for removal; that is, removal of the cap (first step) and then removal of the sealing membrane (second step).

There remains a need for a closure and container combination which overcomes this disadvantage.

Thus, according to the preset invention, there is provided a closure and container combination comprising:

a container having a neck, the neck having an opening defined by a rim; and

a tamper-evident closure comprising a closure flap, a fitting ring and a frangible sealing membrane,

the fitting ring being in press-fit engagement with the neck of the container;

the closure flap having a circumference, at least a portion of which frangibly connected to the fitting ring; and

the frangible sealing membrane having a first face sealably connected to the rim of the neck opening and a second face on the opposite side of the membrane to the first face, connected to the closure flap;

whereby depression of the closure flap into the neck opening causes the frangible portion of the circumference of the closure flap to break from the fitting ring and thereby break the frangible sealing membrane. Also according to the present invention there is provided a method of sealing a container with a tamper evident closure, in which

the container has a neck, the neck having an opening defined by a rim; and the tamper-evident closure comprises a closure flap, a fitting ring and a frangible sealing membrane;

the closure flap having a circumference, at least a portion of which is frangibly connected to the fitting ring; and

the fitting ring and neck of the container having a co-operable annular recess and protuberance having axially angled opposing surfaces,

the method comprising press-fitting the fitting ring into engagement with the neck of the container with:

the frangible sealing membrane having a first face adjacent to the rim of the neck opening and a second face on the opposite side of the membrane to the first face, adjacent to the closure flap;

the fitting ring being held in engagement with the neck of the container by the cooperating recess and protuberance;

and the axially angled opposing surfaces applying axial force to the ring and forcing the ring and closure flap against the sealing membrane and forcing the sealing membrane against the rim of the opening of the container,

and inductively sealing the frangible sealing membrane to the rim of the neck opening.

The present invention solves the technical problem identified above by using a tamper-evident closure comprising a closure flap, a fitting ring and a frangible sealing membrane, in which the fitting ring is in press-fit engagement with the neck of the container, the closure flap has a circumference, at least a portion of which frangibly connected to the fitting ring and the frangible sealing membrane has a first face sealably connected to the rim of the neck opening and a second face on the opposite side of the membrane to the first face, connected to the closure flap. Depression of the closure flap into the neck opening causes the frangible portion of the circumference of the closure flap to break from the fitting ring and thereby break the frangible sealing membrane. This is a single step to open the container and allow any contents therein to be dispensed. Opening of the closure on the container may thus be considered a "break and pour" method rather than a "remove and pour" method. In the closure and container combination of the present invention depression of the closure flap into the neck opening causes the frangible portion of the circumference of the closure flap to break from the fitting ring and thereby break the frangible sealing membrane. Breaking of the sealing membrane of the present invention provides evidence of when the closure has been opened. Thus, the present invention provides a tamper- evident closure.

Preferably, the sealing membrane is sealably connected to the rim of the neck opening and/or is connected to the closure flap by induction sealing. Induction sealing of the membrane to the rim of the neck opening may be performed by an induction sealer. Induction sealing of the membrane to the closure flap may be performed by an induction sealer. Induction sealers transmit an electro magnetic field which creates eddy currents in a metallic element (for example an aluminium foil) placed in the field. This causes the metallic element to heat and an adjacent layer of thermo-sealable plastics material to soften and/or melt and connect for example, to the rim and/or to the closure flap. Automatic induction sealer systems may also have a cooling section. This cools the thermo-sealable plastics material when connected to the rim and/or to the closure flap.

Suitably, the sealing membrane is a tri-layer membrane consisting of an aluminium foil with layers of thermo-sealable plastics material on each side. Such a tri-layer membrane is suitable for induction sealing to the rim and/or closure flap. Such a tri-layer membrane may be 0.07 mm to 0.150 mm thick, for example, about 0.135 mm thick.

Conventional sealing membranes (sometimes called wads) usually have five layers being a paper board layer, a wax layer, a polyester layer, an aluminium foil layer and a thermo- sealable plastics layer and may have a thickness of about 1.5 mm. Such wads are not easily broken, whereas the frangible sealing membrane of the present invention may be broken by depression of the closure flap.

Preferably, the closure flap has a circumference, a portion of which is hingeably connected to the fitting ring and the remaining portion of the circumference is frangibly connected to the fitting ring whereby depression of the closure flap into the neck opening causes the frangible portion of the circumference of the closure flap to break from the fitting ring, allowing the closure flap to move about the hinge portion into the neck opening of the container and thereby break the frangible sealing membrane. In this embodiment, the closure flap is not completely disconnected from the sealing ring. When the closure flap is moved into the neck opening of the container it may act as a flow regulator to regulate flow of material though the opening and out of the container. This may have an advantage of helping the user of the container to regulate flow of the material from the container. This is particularly beneficial if the material is liquid for example, a lubricating oil composition.

Preferably, the closure flap is generally circular in shape. Preferably, the portion of the closure flap circumference which is hingeably connected to the fitting ring is generally straight.

Suitably the closure flap and fitting ring are formed of a common material, (for example a plastics material) and the frangible connection between the portion of the closure flap circumference and the fitting ring is formed by a region of said material having a thickness which is less than that of the remainder of the closure flap.

Suitable materials for the closure flap and fitting ring include polyethylene and polypropylene.

Suitably, the fitting ring and the neck of the container may have a co-operating annular recess and protuberance to hold the fitting ring in press-fit engagement with the neck of the container. The annular recess may be around the neck of the container with the protuberance around the fitting ring, or the recess may be around the fitting ring (for example around the inner face of a skirt on the fitting ring) and the protuberance may be around the neck of the container. Preferably, the annular recess is around the neck of the container with the protuberance around the fitting ring.

Preferably, the co-operating annular recess and protuberance have axialiy angled opposing surfaces. The axialiy angled surfaces have an angle relative to the axis of the rim of the neck opening of the container of from greater than 0° and up to 90° (i.e.

perpendicular). When the closure is engaged with the container, such axialiy angled opposing surfaces may apply axial force to the ring and closure flap forcing the ring and closure flap against the sealing membrane and forcing the sealing membrane against the rim of the neck opening of the container. This has an advantage that if the sealing membrane is to be sealably connected to the rim by induction sealing in the method of the present invention, the axial force may assist during the induction sealing process. If the sealing membrane is also connected to the closure flap by induction sealing, the axial force may also assist during this induction sealing process. The axial force provided by the axially angled surfaces may be sufficient that no axial force other than that provided by the opposing surfaces of the axially angled opposing surfaces of the recess and protuberance need be applied to the closure during induction sealing of the frangible membrane.

Suitably, the closure and container combination of the present invention may be used for liquids. Suitable liquids include functional fluids and lubricating oil compositions. Suitable functional fluids include anti-freeze compositions, brake fluids and the like, which may be used for automotive applications. Suitable lubricating oil compositions include lubricating oil compositions for internal combustion engines.

Suitable sizes of container are 1 litre or less.

Suitable materials for the container include high density polyethylenes (HDPE), polypropylenes (PP) and polyethylene terephthalates (PET).

The closure may be manufactured to include a trade mark, logo or other

distinguishing feature. The closure may be printed with a trade mark, logo or other distinguishing feature. The printing may be uv printing. This has an advantage of further deterring counterfeiting. The closure may be of a single colour or multi-coloured. The trademark, logo or other distinguishing feature may of the same colour and/or material as the rest of the closure or a different colour and/or material as the rest of the closure.

The invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to Figures 1 to 4 in which Figure 1 represents in schematic cross-section a closure and container combination according to the present invention, Figure 2 represents in isometric view a closure for use in the present invention, Figure 3 is a back view (elevation) of the closure of Figure 2 and Figure 4 is a cross-section view along line A-A of the closure in Figure 3.

Referring to the drawings in which common features are identified generally with the same reference numeral: the closure and container combination comprises a container (1) having a neck (2). The neck (2) has an opening (3) defined by a rim (4). The combination also comprises a tamper-evident closure (5) which comprises a closure flap (6), a fitting ring (7) and a frangible sealing membrane (8). In the combination, the fitting ring (7) is in press-fit engagement with the neck (2) of the container (1). The closure flap (6) has a circumference, a portion (9) of which is hingeably connected to the fitting ring and the remaining portion (10) of the circumference is frangible connected to the fitting ring (7). The frangible sealing membrane (8) has a first face (11) sealably connected to the rim (4) 000418

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of the neck opening (3) and a second face (12) on the opposite side of the membrane to the first face, connected to the closure flap (6).

The closure (5) has a trade mark, logo or other distinguishing feature (16).

In the combination, depression of the closure flap (6) into the neck opening (3) causes the frangible portion (10) of the closure flap circumference to break from the fitting ring allowing the closure flap to move about the hinge portion (9) into the neck opening (3) of the container (1) and thereby break the sealing membrane (8)

The sealing membrane (8) is a tri-layer membrane consisting of an aluminium foil with layers of thermo-sealable plastics material on each side. Such a membrane may be about 0.135 mm thick.

The fitting ring (7) and neck (2) have a co-operating annular recess (14) and protuberance (13) to hold the fitting ring in press-fit engagement with the neck of the container. The co-operating recess and protuberance have axially angled opposing surfaces (15).

These axially opposing surfaces may apply an axial force in the general direction B, to the fitting ring (7) forcing the closure flap (6) against the sealing membrane (8) and forcing the sealing membrane (8) against the rim (4) of the opening (3) of the container (1).

The sealing membrane may be sealably connected to the rim by induction sealing. The sealing membrane may be connected to the closure flap by induction sealing.

The combination may be made in a method which comprises sealing the container with the tamper evident closure (5) in a method comprising press-fitting the fitting ring (7) into engagement with the neck (2) of the container (1) with

the frangible sealing membrane (8) having the first face (11) adjacent to the rim (4) of the neck opening (3) and the second face (12) on the opposite side of the membrane to the first face, adjacent to the closure flap (6);

the fitting ring (7) being held in engagement with the neck (2) of the container (1) by the co-operating recess (14) and protuberance (13);

and the axially angled opposing surfaces (15) applying axial force in the general

direction B to the ring (7) and forcing the fittmg ring (7) and closure flap (6) against the sealing membrane (8) and forcing the sealing membrane (8) against the rim (4) of the opening of the container,

and inductively sealing the frangible sealing membrane (8) to the rim (4) of the neck opening (3).

In the method the frangible sealing membrane (8) may also be connected to the closure flap by induction sealing.

In the method no axial force other than that provided by the opposing surfaces (15) of the axially angled opposing surfaces of the recess and protuberance may be applied to the closure (5) during induction sealing of the frangible membrane (8) against the rim (4) of the neck opening (3) of the container.

The closure and container combination shown in the drawings may be used for liquids. Suitable liquids include lubricating oil compositions.