TAMPER-INDICATING PACKAGE, AND A CLOSURE AND CONTAINER FOR SUCH A PACKAGE

摘要

A tamper-indicating package includes a container (26) having a neck finish (24) with an open end, at least one external thread segment (28) , and first and second sets of angularly spaced ratchet teeth (34) in diametrically opposed arrays spaced from the open end of the neck finish. A closure (22) has a base wall (44) with an annular skirt (46) and at least one internal thread segment (48) on the skirt for engagement with the external thread segment on the container neck finish to secure the closure to the container. A circumferential array of angularly spaced flexible resilient ratchet wings (52) extend counterclockwise from an inner surface of a tamper band (50) at an angle to such inner surface. A flexible resilient sealing liner (56) is provided on the base wall within the skirt, and has an annular surface that faces radially outwardly toward the skirt and axially away from the base wall. The ratchet wings (52) are resiliently flexed by the ratchet teeth (34) radially outwardly toward the tamper band during clockwise application of the closure to the container neck finish, and abut clockwise-oriented abutment faces on the ratchet teeth to resist counterclockwise unthreading of the closure from the neck finish so that removal of the closure from the neck finish frangibly separates the tamper band from the skirt. Resilient engagement of the liner surface with the open end of the container neck finish is such that the tamper band is separated from the skirt before loss of sealing engagement between the liner and the open end of the neck finish.