Title of Invention

SEAL FOR TAMPER PROOFING OF TAMPER-EVIDENT FEATURES OF DISPOSABLE BOTTLES & JARS

Abstract The present invention discloses a tamper proof seal for disposable bottles, Jar and cans made of plastic, polymer and/or resin materials. The tamper Proof seal comprises of a seal ring having a substantially cylindrical body Joined integrally to the neck of the bottle via a perforation line. The seal ring as a size sufficient for passage of a cap having a rib at its end face therethrough the seal ring. A ratchet is provided in the cylindrical body of the seal ring such that when the cap is trust downward through the seal ring during assembly of the cap with the seal ring, the rib of the cap rides over the screw of the bottle neck and ratchet of the seal ring to gets locked by the ratchet in the position of the over the bottle neck.
Full Text FORM 2
THE PATENTS ACT, 1970 (39 of 1970)
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION [See section 10]
A TAMPER-PROOF SEAL FOR DISPOSABLE BOTTLES AND JARS;
NARENDRA PRABHAKAR BONDE AN INDIAN NATIONAL OF A4-01, NEW PALM BEACH SOCIETY, SECTOR #4, NERUL, NAVI MUMBAI - 400 706, MAHARASHTRA, INDIA;
GRANTED


6-1-2004
THE FOLLOWING SPECIFICATION PARTICULARLY DESCRIBES AND ASCERTAINS THE NATURE OF THE INVENTION AND THE MANNER IN WHICH IT IS TO BE PERFOMED.

TITLE:
A TAMPER-PROOF SEAL FOR DISPOSABLE BOTTLES AND JARS.
FIELD OF INVENTION:
The present invention relates to a tamper-proof seal for disposable bottles. Particularly, the present invention relates to an improved tamper-proof seal for disposable bottles and jars made of plastic, resin or polymer materials used for packaging consumer goods such as drinking water, soft drinks, liquor, edible oil etc.,
BACKGROUND ART:
Apparently, product tampering and adulteration have been common phenomena as long as there have been packaged consumer goods. Adulteration takes place in just about every sphere of consumer products, from petrol to water, pharmaceuticals to personal care products and edible oil to milk. Product tampering and adulteration are very high on the consumer"s emotional and psychological agenda and hence, today"s consumer craves for a sense of safety and assurance in making purchases.
Disposable bottles and jars particularly made of made of plastic, resin or polymer materials find a wide application in almost all the thrust areas of fast moving consumer market especially for packaging goods such as drinking water, soft drinks, liquor, edible oil, etc.

Such disposable bottles packaged with consumer goods are frequently prone to tampering and thereby adulteration of contents which markedly affect the safety and assurance of purchase from consumers" end.
Currently available disposable bottles are fitted with tamper-evident caps which are commonly referred to as cap seal as illustrated in Fig1 of the drawings accompanying this specification. Referring to Fig1, the cap seal (1) has a seal portion (13) extending from the open end face of a cap (11) and separated from the cap (11) by a perforated line (12) which acts as a tearing path for the seal portion (13) to separate from the cap (11) at the time of unscrewing the cap (11) for opening the bottle. The functions of the cap (11) and the seal portion (13) are as follows :
a) The cap (11) acts as a closure system, which prevents spilling of the packaged material, prevents taste contamination and material degradation by preventing exposure of contents to the outer atmosphere.
b) The seal portion (13) acts as:
(i) a bonding medium between the cap and the bottle; and
(ii) acts as a tamper-evident feature by showing visual evidence of tampering by remaining on the neck of the bottle.
The cap seal (1) is assembled with the bottle or jar by punching the cap seal (1) on the neck (2) of the bottle or jar. The cap seal (1) is secured onto the bottle in the following stages:.

(i) The screw type threads of the cap (11) is secured within the groves of the bottleneck; and
(ii) The seal portion (13) is locked onto the neck (2) of the bottle forming a lock mechanism (21, 22).
Referring to Fig 2, when the cap (1) is opened, the seal portion (13) remains on the bottle and separates from the cap (11) along the perforated line (12). The remaining seal in the form of a ring on the bottle neck (2) serves as a visual "evidence" of tampering.
However, the above cap seal has the following drawbacks as illustrated in Figs 3a, 3b, 3c :
(i) If the cap seal is removed without breaking the seal and mounted back onto the bottle neck, or if the cap seal itself is replaced, the whole tamper-evident feature is hijacked. In this case, the seal may not show the tampered condition of the bottle at all, or the tampered condition of the bottle might not be evident upon replacing the cap seal. Hence, the tamper-evident feature provided by cap seal existing in the market is not sufficiently tamper-proof.
1. The onus of providing the evidence of tampering is solely placed on the seal remaining on the bottleneck. The ring seal can be easily replaced, duplicated and manipulated to hide the evidence of tampering.

2. After the consumption of the product, the disposable bottle or jar is
capable of being re-filled and sealed again to appear like a factory
packed product.
3. There is a utility value in used empty bottles and jars which the
consumers value and like to retain. There is no inbuilt mechanism in
the packaging system to destroy re-marketability of these used empty
disposable bottles and jars. The jars, such as the high density
polyethylene (hdpe) jars used for packing of edible and lube oils are
too tough to be destroyed by cutting or crushing.
4. Cap seal in all shapes, sizes and colors are freely available in the
market. They are very cheap to manufacture and easy to duplicate.
With the availability of used empty bottles, jars and cans in good
condition at a fraction of the original manufacturing cost, a spurious
manufacturer can easily reassemble the cap seal with the bottle at
minimal cost, with minimum effort. These conditions provide the
principal motive of tampering.
Attempts have been made over the years to provide a tamper-proof seal for disposable bottles. One such attempt is apparent from the Great Britain Patent document No 2068912 which discloses a bottle having a screw cap provided with a tamperproof seal which is destroyed when the bottle is first opened. The bottle has ratchet-like abutments which can be over-ridden by resilient tongues on the cap, when the cap is being screwed onto the bottle. When the cap is rotated refative to the bofffe for unscrewing the cap, the

tongues engage with the abutments and cause a sealing ring, on which the tongues are provided, to break away from the cap.
However the teachings of the Great Britain Patent document No 2068912 do not provide for a completely tamper-proof seal as the seal is vulnerable to be removed by cutting and separation from the bottle after first use thereby leading to chances of replacement of new cap and hence tampering.
Therefore there exists a need in the art, to find a solution to the problems associated with the prior art and provide a tamper-proof seal for disposable bottles the features of which incorporated therein would make the seal impossible to be restored to its originality to deceive the consumers and hence prevent tampering.
Our inventor, by dint of determined research and intuitive knowledge, has proposed a tamper-proof seal for disposable bottles which would overcome the deficiencies associated with the prior art and provide an improved tamper-proof seal which is impossible to be restored to its originality to deceive the consumers and hence remains safe and surprisingly tamper-proof.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION :
The objects and advantages of the present invention which would set new safety standards in the field of packaging disposable bottles, cans and jars made of plastic, resin or polymer materials are set out herein below:
An object of the present invention is to provide a tamper-proof seal for disposable bottles wherein the seal is configured as a part of the bottle to

render it impossible to be restored to its originality to deceive the consumers, after first use of the bottle.
An object of the present invention is to provide a tamper-proof seal for disposable bottles wherein the seal leaves multiple and prominent visible evidence of tampering at the very first attempt to open the cap, after manufacture thereby making the bottle unfit for further sealing and marketing.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a tamper-proof seal for disposable bottles wherein the seal enables the consumers to recognize the product they favor and trust from spurious counterparts through the highest safety standards in the field of packaging disposable bottles.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a tamper-proof seal for disposable bottles wherein the seal helps manufacturers in protecting their product, brand equity, reputation and increase their profits through greater value addition and market realization from spurious manufacturers.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a tamper-proof seal for disposable bottles wherein the seal enables the Government in collection of tax evaded by spurious manufacturers.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION :
The present invention discloses a tamper proof seal for disposable bottles. The tamper proof seal comprises of a seal ring having a substantially cylindrical body joined integrally to the neck of the bottle via a perforation line. The seal ring has a size sufficient for passage of a cap having a rib at its end

face therethrough the seal . A ratchet is provided in the cylindrical body of the seal ring such that when the cap is trust downward through the seal ring during assembly of the cap with the seal ring, the rib of the cap rides over the screw of the bottle neck and ratchet of the seal ring to gets locked by the ratchet in the seated position of the cap over the bottle neck.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention would be apparent from the description when read in conjunction with the drawings which are as follows:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS :
To complement the description that is being given and in order to promote a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention in accordance with a practical embodiment of the same and as an integral part of the said description a set of drawings accompany it in which, in an illustrative and non-restrictive way, the following are represented:-
Fig. 1 shows the front view of a conventional the cap seal and bottle neck.
Fig 2 illustrates the conventional cap seal in opened condition.
Fig 3 a depict the vulnerability of conventional cap seal to cutting and removal of the seal ring.
Fig. 3b illustrates the fitting of new cap seal following removal of seal ring of Fig. 3a according to prior art.
Fig. 3c shows the fitment of a new cap seal on a tampered bottle.

Fig. 4. shows the bottom and front views of the seal ring in conjunction with the bottle neck according to the present invention.
Fig. 5a shows the partial sectional view of the seal without the ratchet, according to the present invention.
Fig. 5b shows the partial sectional view of the seal ring with the ratchet, according to the present invention.
Fig. 5c shows the partial sectional view of the seal ring with the ratchet, in a state before joining to the shoulder of bottle neck by a perforated line according to the present invention.
Fig. 5d shows the partial sectional view of the seal ring with the ratchet, in a state integrally joined to the shoulder of bottle neck according to the present invention.
Fig. 6a shows the state of the cap before fitting onto the seal ring where the cap is provided with an extended rib to act as a "second locking member" in the locking mechanism and a crumpling zone to absorb the stress when the cap is being fitted into the seal according to the present invention, according to the present invention,
Fig. 6b shows the state of the cap being fitted onto the seal ring according to the present invention.
Fig. 6c shows the exploded view of locking of the cap fitted onto the seal ring according to the present invention.

The bottle, jar or can may be made of plastic, resin or polymer materials.
Referring now to Fig 4 and Figs 5a to 5d, and in accordance with one broad aspect of the present invention, the tamper-proof seal comprises a sealing part hereinafter referred to as a seal ring (3) having a substantially cylindrical body made of a material such as plastic, resin or polymer material. The cylindrical body is adapted for integrally mounting onto the shoulder (21) provided in the neck (2) of the bottle. The shape, size and dimensions of the seal ring (3) may vary according to the design and functional requirements and the mode of application.
In a preferred embodiment, the inner wall surface of the seal ring (3) comprises a first locking member hereinafter referred to as a ratchet (32) in the form of a triangular strip with its apex upwards as shown in Fig. 5a and 5b. The purpose of the ratchet (32) will be described in detail in the later part of this description.
In other exemplary embodiments, the ratchet may be a continuous or discrete section and may have any other form which would function substantially in the same way to achieve substantially the same result.
According to the present invention, the integral mounting of the cylindrical body of the seal ring (3) over the neck 92) of the bottle is done at the time of manufacture of the perform of the bottle or the bottle.
In a preferred embodiment, the cylindrical body of the seal ring (2) is integrally mounted onto the shoulder (21) provided in the neck (2) of the bottle along a perforated line (33) as illustrated in Fig 5d. The perforated line (33) integrally

joins the seal ring (3) with the shoulder (21) such that the seal ring (3) becomes a part of the bottle.
In an alternative embodiment, the cylindrical body of the seal ring (3) is integrally mounted onto the shoulder (21) provided in the neck (2) of the bottle by a continuous or discrete tearable weak wall (not illustrated).
Other exemplary embodiments such as weak ring and thin films for integrally joining the cylindrical body of the seal ring to the shoulder provided in the neck of the bottle, and which would tear on gentle twisting by user to separate the seal ring from the neck of the bottle are well contemplated and deemed to be within the scope of this invention.
Preferably, the size of the shoulder (21) is configured such that the circumferential edge of the seal ring (3) is accommodated within the periphery of the shoulder.
The inner diameter of the seal ring (3) is configured so as to enable easy passage of a cap (4) therethrough the seal ring (3) and also maintain a predetermined space against the outer surface of the bottle neck.
Referring to Fig. 6a and Fig. 6b, the cap (4) comprises a body and a second locking member hereinafter referred to as a rib (42) integrally provided to the circumferential edge of the body. The cap may be made of any material which is known in the art and may resemble a conventional screw cap.
Referring to Fig 6c and in the embodiment shown, the cap (4) is assembled onto the seal ring by thrusting the cap (4) downwards through the seal ring

WE CLAIM
1. A tamper-proof seal for disposable bottles & jars, such bottles and jars
having a substantially wide shoulder at neck portion, comprising :
(i). a substantially cylindrical sealing part integrally joined to the neck;
(ii). said sealing part comprising a first locking member and dimensioned to allow passage of a cap therethrough;
(iii). said cap comprising a second locking member wherein;
in the assembled state of the cap and the sealing part, the first locking member and the second locking member are in mutually engaging relationship with each other.
2. The tamper-proof seal as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sealing part is joined to the neck at the time of bottle manufacture.
3. The tamper-proof seal as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the sealing part is joined to the shoulder through a perforation line.
4. The tamper-proof seal as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the sealing part is joined to the shoulder through a weak wall.
5. The tamper-proof seal as claimed in any one of the claims 1 to 4,
wherein the second locking member overrides the first locking member at the
time of assembling the cap and the sealing part.

6. The temper-proof seal as claimed in any one of the claims 1 to 5, wherein for opening of the bottle the engagement of the locking members is released and thereby the seal is broke open by separating the sealing part from the shoulder.
7. The temper-proof seal as claimed in any one of the foregoing claims wherein the separation is effected by application of predetermined twisting force to the sealing .

8. The temper-proof seal according separating is effected by appli part.
to any one of the claims 1 to 6, wherein the ication of predetermined upward thrust to the sealing

9. The temper-proof seal according to any one of the foregoing claims wherein the bottle is made of a material selected from the roup comprising plastic, polymer and resin and combination thereof.
Dated this 8 th day of October, 2003.
(Narendra Prabhakar Bonde)

Documents:

1053-mum-2003-claims(granted)-(06-01-2004).doc

1053-mum-2003-claims(granted)-(06-01-2004).pdf

1053-mum-2003-correspondence(30-10-2003).pdf

1053-mum-2003-correspondence(ipo)-(03-06-2004).pdf

1053-mum-2003-drawing(06-01-2004).pdf

1053-mum-2003-form 1(08-10-2003).pdf

1053-mum-2003-form 1(30-10-2003).pdf

1053-mum-2003-form 19(30-10-2003).pdf

1053-mum-2003-form 2(granted)-(06-01-2004).doc

1053-mum-2003-form 2(granted)-(06-01-2004).pdf

1053-mum-2003-form 3(08-10-2003).pdf

1053-mum-2003-form 5(30-10-2003).pdf

1053-mum-2003-petition under rule 9(30-10-2003).pdf

1053-mum-2003-power of attorney(30-10-2003).pdf

abstract1.jpg


Patent Number 212112
Indian Patent Application Number 1053/MUM/2003
PG Journal Number 13/2008
Publication Date 28-Mar-2008
Grant Date 20-Nov-2007
Date of Filing 08-Oct-2003
Name of Patentee NARENDRA PRABHAKAR BONDE
Applicant Address A4:01, NEW PALM BEACH SOCIETY, SECTOR #4, NERUL, NAVI MUMBAI-400 706.
Inventors:
# Inventor's Name Inventor's Address
1 BONDE PRABHAKAR NARENDRA A4:01, NEW PALM BEACH SOCIETY, SECTOR #4, NERUL,NAVI MUMBAI-400 706.
PCT International Classification Number B65D 41/34
PCT International Application Number N/A
PCT International Filing date
PCT Conventions:
# PCT Application Number Date of Convention Priority Country
1 NA