In the dairy industry milk is collected from farms by tankers. Each tanker receives a batch of milk from a number of farms before returning to a processing facility.

It is very important that the milk be handled with the highest standards of hygiene at all times (including during collection and storage at the farm), and that it is free of contaminants.

Accordingly, it is common practice to take samples of the milk supplied by each farmer to the milk processor. As the industry consolidates transportation methods, it is important to be capable of taking a sample at the point of collection from each farm that is representative of the entire batch of milk delivered to the tanker, including quality and composition. It is also advantageous to have a composite sample that is representative of the entire tanker load, which typically comprises batches of milk from numerous suppliers. It is critical that the samples taken are representative of the milk supplied to the tanker, and that the sample retains its integrity until it is tested in a laboratory. It is also important that there is some way of verifying that the sample was obtained from the correct farm and at the date and time stated. Since the sample and milk may travel through many hands it is important that the sample is extracted from the milk in a secure way, and cannot be tampered with without the fact that such an event has occurred being evident and/or recorded.

Samples such as those described above are usually collected in plastic vials. While some vials of the prior art have features which are intended to make them tamper-evident, in practice it is often possible for them to be opened in a way which cannot easily be detected.

The reference to any prior art in the specification is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that the prior art forms part of the common general knowledge in any country

Object of the Invention

It is an object of a preferred embodiment of the invention to provide a container which will overcome or ameliorate problems with such containers at present, or which will at least provide a useful choice.

Other objects of the present invention may become apparent from the following description, which is given by way of example only.

Brief Summary of the Invention

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a container comprising a body having a base portion, at least one side wall depending downwardly from the base portion to define a recess, and a base cap portion which is engageable within the recess so as to be irreleasably connected to the container, wherein, when the base cap portion is engaged with the body, the base portion, the at least one side wall, and the base cap portion define a chamber.

Preferably the at least one side wall comprises an annular wall.

Preferably the annular wall comprises a radially inwardly extending lip.

Preferably the base cap comprises a radially outwardly extending annular flange portion. Preferably the annular flange portion is provided at the base of the base cap.

Preferably the flange portion is engageable with the radially inwardly extending lip when the base cap portion is engaged with the body. Preferably the base cap comprises an annular wall. Preferably the base cap annular wall is castellated.

Preferably the base cap annular wall is provided with at least one radially inwardly projecting engaging portion.

Preferably an electronic identification means is engaged with the at least one radially inwardly projecting engaging portion. Preferably an electronic identification means is provided in the chamber. Preferably the electronic identification means comprises an RFID chip. Preferably the base cap is connected to the container.

Preferably at least one notch is provided in the at least one side wall of the container.

Preferably the container further comprises a lid, and a cap, and wherein at least a portion of the lid is irreleasably sealed to the body.

Preferably the lid is sealed to the body with a heat seal.

Preferably the lid is sealed to the body with a plastic weld.

Preferably the lid seals an internal volume of the container. Preferably the lid is connected to the body by hinge means.

Preferably the cap is connected to the body or the lid by hinge means.

Preferably the cap is engageable over the lid.

Preferably the lid comprises means for irreleasably engaging the cap.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a tamper evident container comprising a substantially cylindrical body, a lid, and a cap, wherein at least a portion of the lid is irreleasably sealed to the body.

Preferably the lid is sealed to the body with a heat seal.

Preferably the lid is sealed to the body with a plastic weld.

Preferably the lid seals an internal volume of the container. Preferably the lid is connected to the body by hinge means. Preferably the cap is connected to the body or the lid by hinge means.

Preferably the cap is engageable over the lid. Preferably the lid comprises means for irreleasably engaging the cap. Preferably the cap comprises a raised central portion.

Preferably the container further comprises a plurality of outwardly protruding tabs adjacent the lid.

Preferably the container has two said tabs, the tabs provided on opposite sides of the container.

The invention may also be said broadly to consist in the parts, elements and features referred to or indicated in the specification of the application, individually or collectively, in any or all combinations of two or more of said parts, elements or features, and where specific integers are mentioned herein which have known equivalents in the art to which the invention relates, such known equivalents are deemed to be incorporated herein as if individually set forth.

According to a still further aspect of the present invention, a container is substantially as herein described, with reference to the accompanying drawings. Further aspects of the invention, which should be considered in all its novel aspects, will become apparent from the following description given by way of example of possible

embodiments of the invention.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tamper evident container according to one embodiment of the invention, with the lid sealed to the body.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the container of Figure 1.

Figure 3 rear view of the container of Figure 1

Figure 4 is a side view of the container of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a perspective view from underneath the container of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a bottom view of the container of Figure 1.

Figure 7 is an enlarged cross-section view of the top portion of the container of Figure 1. Figure 8 is a perspective view of the container of Figure 1 with the lid in an open position prior to sealing to the body.

Figure 9 is a plan view of the container as shown in Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a cross section through plane A-A (shown in Figure 1 1 ).

Figure 1 1 is a front view of the container as shown in Figure 8.

Figure 12 is cross section side view of the container of Figure 1 (opposite side to Figure 4)

Figure 13 is an enlargement of the bottom portion of the container shown in Figure 12.

Figure 14 is a perspective view of the base cap.

Brief Description of Preferred Embodiments

Referring first to Figures 1 -7, a tamper evident container according to one embodiment of the present invention is generally referenced by arrow 100. The container 100 comprises a substantially cylindrical body 1 having a closed base 2 (best seen in Figure 10). At the opposite end to the base 2, a lid 3 is provided. In preferred embodiments the cylindrical body tapers down in diameter slightly between the lid end and the base end. In one embodiment the container 100 is substantially 95mm tall, and the cylindrical body has a diameter of

approximately 32mm at the top end and 27mm at the lower end, and has a useable volume of at least 50ml. The container is preferably manufactured from a suitable plastic. In one

embodiment the plastic is translucent.

Referring in particular to Figures 2 and 7, the lid 3 has a radially extending base part 4, an upwardly extending inner annular wall 5, a radially extending annular outer wall 6, and a downwardly extending outer annular wall 7.

The inner wall 5 is provided with a plurality of radially inwardly protruding locking tabs 10. In the embodiment shown, four locking tabs 10 are provided, equally spaced around the

circumference of the inner wall 5. The tabs 10 are preferably provided with tapered inner edges 1 1. In preferred embodiments base part 4 has a raised central portion 12.

The inner surface 13 of the outer wall 7 is provided with a radial recess which 14, in use, engages a radially outwardly extending flange or rib 15 provided at or adjacent the open end of the cylindrical body 1 , to allow a sealing engagement between the lid 3 and the cylindrical body 1.

In preferred embodiments the lid 3 is sealed to the body 1 by a plastic weld (for example an ultrasonic or induction weld), heat seal, or other suitable permanent connection method. The weld need not extend around the entire circumference of the lid 3, as the engagement of the rib 15 with the recess 4 holds the open edge of the body 1 in sufficiently watertight engagement with the underside of the radially extending annular outer wall 6. The purpose of the weld is simply to prevent unauthorised access to the contents of the container.

As is best seen in Figures 8-1 1 , the lid 3 is preferably manufactured integrally with the body 1 , and prior to being engaged with the top of the body 1 is connected to the body 1 by a tab or bridge 20. The tab 20 is preferably relatively thin so that it can act as a hinge when engaging the lid 3 with the body 1.

Referring back to Figure 7, the container 100 is further provided with a cap 21. The cap 21 comprises a radially extending base part 22 and upwardly extending outer wall 23. The outer surface 24 of the outer wall 23 comprises a radially inwardly extending recess 25 which has a complimentary profile to at least the inner parts of the inwardly protruding locking tabs 10.

The profile of the lower surface 26 of the cap 21 mirrors the upper surface of the lid 3, such that the cap 21 can be snugly engaged on top of the lid 3, and held in place by engagement of the locking tabs 10 with the recess 25. If the lid 3 is provided with a raised central portion 12 then the cap 21 is preferably contoured to match.

In a preferred embodiment the height of the cap's outer wall 24 is such that when the cap 21 is engaged with the lid 3, the top surface 24A of the outer wall 24 is substantially flush with the top surface 5A of the inner wall 5 of the lid 3. In preferred embodiments the top surface of the protruding portion 27 of the lid, if present, is in substantially the same plane as the top of the lid inner wall 5A and top of the cap outer wall 24A.

In preferred embodiments the cap 21 can be irreleasably engaged with the lid 3, that is, it is intended that once the cap 21 is engaged with the locking tabs 10 of the lid 3, it cannot be disengaged without causing visible damage to the lid and/or cap. When the cap 21 is engaged with the lid 3, no part of the edge of the cap protrudes from the lid. This means that the cap can only be disengaged from the lid by prising a flat item such as a screwdriver, knife blade or similar between the lid and the cap, and prising the cap off. The interference between the locking tabs and the recess is preferably sufficiently great that such an activity will permanently damage the lid and/or cap. Other means of prising, such as pressure applied to the vial, or heating or cooling to cause disproportionate size change between the vial parts, will also be evident.

The cap 21 is preferably manufactured integrally with the body 1 and/or the lid 3, and is most preferably moulded integrally with the cap 21 and the lid 3. In preferred embodiments the cap 21 is connected to the lid 3 by a suitable tab or bridge 30.

Referring next to Figures 5, 6 and 10 to 14 the base 2 of the container 100 is preferably recessed, so as to define a downwardly extending annular wall 40 at the end of the container. The annular wall 40 is preferably provided with a radially inwardly extending lip or rib 41. The lip 41 is spaced apart from the base 2.

The container 100 is further provided with a base cap 43. The base cap 43 has a base 44 and an annular wall 45. The annular wall 45 is preferably castellated, as is shown in Figure 14. The annular wall 45 is preferably set in from the outer perimeter 46 of the base 44, so that a rib or flange portion 47 is defined between the outer surface 48 of the annular wall and the outer perimeter 46 of the base.

The base cap 43 can be inserted into the recess 50 in the bottom of the container 1 and retained there by an engagement between the inwardly extending lip 41 and the flange portion 47. The base cap 43, base 2 and side wall 45 thereby define a chamber 61. When so engaged, the space between the base 44 of the base cap 43 and the base 2 of the container is sufficient to contain an identification device, for example an RFID chip (not shown).

In a preferred embodiment the interior of the annular wall 45 of the base cap 43 is provided with at least one radially inwardly directed projecting portion 45a which is spaced apart from the base 44 of the base cap 43. These projections are adapted to engage the RFID chip and to retain the RFID chip in the base cap 43. In this way the base cap 43 can be inserted into the recess in the container with the RFID chip pre-installed. The spaces created by the castellated top of the base cap annular wall 45 assists with removal of the RFID chip from the base cap when the container is at the laboratory. However, it is noted that removal of the base cap from the container can only be achieved by damaging or partially destroying the container. In a preferred embodiment the base cap is accessed in the laboratory by cutting through the annular wall 40 at the base of the container. A clearance space 62 is provided between the annular wall 40 of the container and the annular wall 45 of the base cap which allows this cutting action to be performed without damaging the RFID chip.

Because the base cap 43 is engaged inside the recess 50, the base cap 43 (and hence the identification device) can only be removed by prising the components apart, which will cause damage to one or both of the components.

One or more notches 51 are preferably provided in the annular wall 40. The notch(es) may be used by equipment which handles the container 100 to establish or confirm its orientation. If more than one notch 51 is used (not shown) then the notches are preferably of different dimensions and/or are not regularly radially spaced apart.

Referring back to Figures 1 to 6, the container 100 may also be provided with one or more, but preferably two, radially outwardly protruding tabs 60. The tabs 60 are preferably located adjacent the lid.

In preferred embodiments the tabs 60 have different shapes, so that a recess can be created which will only accept the end of the container 100 if it is in a predefined angular position. In use, the lid 3 of the container is closed and sealed, but the cap 21 is open. The container is filled by piercing the lid 3 with a suitable instrument, for example a hollow needle. The container is then filled as required.

Once filling is complete, the cap 21 is engaged with the lid 3. This ensures that the contents of the container remain free of contaminants, and prevents leakage. The cap 21 also prevents unauthorised access to the interval volume of the container.

To access the contents of the container 100 (for example in a laboratory) the welded portion of the lid 3 may be cut open, or the lid and cap may be pierced by a suitable tool. If the welded portion is cut open then, in some embodiments, the lid may be opened and closed as required. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that preferred embodiments of the invention preferably have some or all of the following qualities: · The container can not be opened prior to sampling of fluid. This ensures that the

container is empty and has no contaminants within.

• The container has a data chip embedded in the base that cannot be removed without special tooling - thus preventing substitution.

• The container can be capped after a sample is taken to ensure the vial cannot be

accessed without such access being evident.

• The integrity of both the fluid sample and the data contained on the chip is retained throughout the operations.

• The container is able to be located accurately in equipment.

• Only the specific container can be used in the sample extraction equipment.

· The equipment can be adapted such that the container maintains a consistent known orientation.

• The container holds enough volume to conduct necessary tests in a laboratory.

• The container is stable when held in the carrier racks of a sampling mechanism.

• The container can be cut open in the laboratory to allow the top to be a lid for accessing the sample.

• The container can be cut in a profile that allows for easy opening and reclosure by the technician.

• The container has hinges between the lid and cap and the container to ensure all pieces remain together when being transported, and to ensure the lid can be opened and closed numerous times in the laboratory without the lid being removed totally.

• The chip is located in a position on container that can be read and written to accurately in extraction equipment and laboratory equipment.

Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the description and the claims, the words "comprise", "comprising", and the like, are to be construed in an inclusive sense as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense, that is to say, in the sense of "including, but not limited to". The terms "upwardly" and "downwardly" have been used to indicate the relative orientation of parts of the container when the container is held in an upright position with the lid engaged with the body and the cap engaged with the lid. Where in the foregoing description, reference has been made to specific components or integers of the invention having known equivalents, then such equivalents are herein incorporated as if individually set forth.

Although this invention has been described by way of example and with reference to possible embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that modifications or improvements may be made thereto without departing from the spirit or scope of the appended claims.