Tamper-evident container and closure

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The present invention provides a two-level tamper-evident quality in a container and closure combination and embraces the location of a tear strip on either the closure or on the container.
In general, this is accomplished by providing the container with a first security level in the form of a lock-on closure of such construction that it is difficult or impossible to pry the closure from the container unless a generally continuous skirt portion of the closure is fractured into a number of smaller portions.
In the preferred form, fracturing of the closure skirt is facilitated by a plurality of apertures is formed therein.
A person desiring to remove the closure from the container may insert a tool, such as a knife or screwdriver, into the apertures one-by-one and apply a levering action to fracture the skirt in several pre-determined positions around its periphery, enabling the closure thereafter to be easily removed from the container.
The second level of security is provided by a tear strip located either on the container or the closure so as to impede or inhibit access to the closure skirt.
Only after the tear strip is removed may one reach the fracture points in the closure skirt or apply such forces as are needed to remove the closure from the container.
In a preferred form, the container and the closure are made of an injection-moldable plastic such as polyethylene and the closure is of the type which exhibits an inverted U-shaped section at the periphery thereof so as to achieve an interlocking "snap fit" over an outwardly projecting flange or lip on the end of a molded plastic container.
The container enclosure may be fabricated in different sizes and shapes that will be apparent to those skilled in the art.