Tamper-evident container and method

1. A tamper-evident container comprising:

(a) a base comprising a recessed tab comprising a first grasping portion;

(b) a lid comprising a tamper-evident tab at least partially overhanging the recessed tab, the tamper-evident tab comprising a second grasping portion flanked by a first breakable joint between the base and the lid, wherein the first breakable joint is severable along a line that is congruent to a periphery of at least one side of the second grasping portion; and

(c) an interlocking interface formed between the base and the lid, wherein when the container is closed the interlocking interface renders contents inside the container substantially inaccessible without severing the first breakable joint and/or evidencing tampering with the container;

wherein the first breakable joint is at least partially severed along the line that is congruent to the periphery of the at least one side of the second grasping portion when the second grasping portion is displaced relative to the first grasping portion, thereby evidencing tampering with the container,

wherein the tamper-evident tab is flanked by a second breakable joint between the base and the lid, the second breakable joint being severable along a line that is congruent to the periphery of the other second grasping portion; and

wherein the first breakable joint and the second breakable joint each comprise:

(i) a first flap portion,

(ii) a second flap portion adjoined to the second grasping portion via a score line or perforation that defines the line that is congruent to a periphery of at least one side of the second grasping portion, and

(iii) a bend between the first flap portion and the second flap portion.

2. The tamper-evident container of claim 1 , wherein the recessed tab further comprises a recess for receiving a fingertip and a wall portion onto which one portion of the fingertip rests when an adjacent portion of the same fingertip is used to grasp the first grasping portion.

3. The tamper-evident container of claim 1 , wherein when the first breakable joint and/or the second breakable joint is severed, the second flap portion becomes disjoined from the lid, and the first flap portion remains hingeably adjoined to the base, thereby evidencing tampering with the container.

4. The tamper-evident container of claim 1 , wherein when the first breakable joint and/or the second breakable joint is not severed, the first flap portion partially obstructs a recess defined in part by the recessed tab.

5. The tamper-evident container of claim 1 , wherein when the first breakable joint and/or the second breakable joint is intact, the bend pulls the second grasping portion toward the first grasping portion.

6. The tamper-evident container of claim 1 , wherein the lid further comprises a radially projecting peripheral flange adjoining the tamper-evident tab, and wherein the base further comprises a surround portion surrounding the lid when the container is closed, the surround portion comprising an outer peripheral face that is parallel to a plane P, and an inner peripheral face opposite the outer peripheral face.

7. The tamper-evident container of claim 6 , wherein the interlocking interface comprises a lock formed between an inverted ridge positioned adjacent to the radially projecting peripheral flange of the lid and a groove positioned adjacent to the inner peripheral face of the surround portion of the base.

8. The tamper-evident container of claim 7 , wherein the inner peripheral face comprises a stepped portion, and wherein the groove is defined in part by the stepped portion.

9. The tamper-evident container of claim 8 , wherein the base comprises a plurality of repeating plateaus opposite the stepped portion, and the groove is further defined in part by the plurality of repeating plateaus.

10. The tamper-evident container of claim 9 , wherein the inverted ridge is reversibly snap-fitted into the groove.

11. The tamper-evident container of claim 6 , wherein the interlocking interface comprises a lock formed between the inner peripheral face and the radially projecting peripheral flange.

12. The tamper-evident container of claim 11 , wherein the inner peripheral face comprises an undercut face portion and a stepped face portion combining to form a vertex therebetween.

13. The tamper-evident container of claim 12 , wherein the radially projecting peripheral flange is reversibly snap-fitted into the vertex.

14. The tamper-evident container of claim 13 , wherein the undercut face portion is set at an angle α of about 14° relative to the plane P.

15. A tamper-evident container comprising:

(a) a base comprising a recessed tab comprising a first grasping portion;

(b) a lid comprising a tamper-evident tab at least partially overhanging the recessed tab, the tamper-evident tab comprising a second grasping portion flanked by breakable joints between the base and the lid, wherein the breakable joints are severable along lines that are congruent to a periphery of the second grasping portion at opposite sides of the second grasping portion, said breakable joints comprising (i) a first flap portion, (ii) a second flap portion adjoined to the second grasping portion via score lines or perforations that define the lines that are congruent to the periphery of the second grasping portion at the opposite sides of the second grasping portion, and (iii) bends adjacent the first flap portion and the second flap portion; and

(c) an interlocking interface formed between the base and the lid, wherein when the container is closed the interlocking interface renders contents inside the container relatively inaccessible without severing the breakable joints and/or evidencing tampering with the container; and wherein the breakable joints are at least partially severed along the lines that are congruent to the periphery of the second grasping portion at opposite sides of the second grasping portion when the second grasping portion is displaced relative to the first grasping portion, thereby evidencing tampering with the container.

16. The tamper-evident container of claim 15 , wherein:

when the breakable joints are severed, the second flap portions become disjoined from the lid, and the first flap portions remain hingeably adjoined to the base, thereby evidencing tampering with the container;

when the breakable joints are intact, the first flap portions partially obstructs a recess defined in part by the recessed tab; and when the breakable joints are intact, the bends pull the second grasping portion toward the first grasping portion, thereby minimizing the footprint of the container.

17. The tamper-evident container of claim 15 , wherein the lid further comprises a radially projecting peripheral flange adjoining the tamper-evident tab, wherein the base further comprises a surround portion surrounding the lid when the container is closed, the surround portion comprising an outer peripheral face that is parallel to a plane P, and an inner peripheral face opposite the outer peripheral face, and wherein the inner peripheral face comprises an undercut face portion and a stepped face portion.

18. The tamper-evident container of claim 17 , wherein the base further comprises a groove that is defined on one side by the stepped face portion and is defined on the opposite side by a plurality of repeating plateaus,

wherein the lid further comprises an inverted ridge positioned adjacent the radially projecting peripheral flange, and

wherein the interlocking interface comprises a lock formed by the reversible snap-fitted engagement between the inverted ridge and the groove when the container is closed.

19. The tamper-evident container of claim 17 , wherein the undercut face portion is set at an angle .alpha. relative to the plane P, thereby forming a vertex between the undercut face portion and the stepped face portion of the inner peripheral face, wherein the interlocking interface comprises a lock formed by the reversible snap-fitted engagement between the radially projecting flange and the vertex when the container is closed.

20. The tamper-evident container of claim 19 , wherein the undercut face portion is set at an angle α of about 14° relative to the plane P.

21. A method of evidencing tampering with a tamper-evident container, the method comprising:

(a) providing a tamper-evident container, the tamper-evident container comprising:

(i) a base comprising recessed tab comprising a first grasping portion;

(ii) a lid comprising a tamper-evident tab at least partially overhanging the recessed tab, the tamper-evident tab comprising a second grasping portion flanked by breakable joints between the base and the lid, wherein the breakable joints are severable along lines that are congruent to a periphery of the second grasping portion at opposite sides of the second grasping portion, the breakable joints each comprising a second flap portion that becomes disjoined from the lid when the breakable joints are severed, and a first flap portion that remains hingeably adjoined to the base when the breakable joints are severed; and

(iii) an interlocking interface formed between the base and the lid, wherein when the container is closed the interlocking interface renders contents inside the tamper-evident container inaccessible without severing the breakable joints and/or evidencing tampering with the container, and wherein the breakable joints are at least partially severed along the lines that are congruent to the periphery of the second grasping portion at the opposite sides of the second grasping portion by displacing the second grasping portion relative to the first grasping portion until at least one of the second flap portions is partially disjoined from at least one side of the second grasping portion, thereby evidencing tampering with the container;

(b) instructing a user of the tamper-evident container to grasp the first grasping portion and/or the second grasping portion; and

(c) evidencing tampering with the container when the second grasping portion is displaced relative to the first grasping portion until at least one of the second flap portions is partially disjoined from at least one side of the second grasping portion.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the step (b) of instructing the user of the tamper-evident container to grasp the first grasping portion and/or the second grasping portion comprises providing indicia on the first grasping portion and/or the second grasping portion that visually cues the user to grasp the first grasping portion and/or the second grasping portion.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the indicia optionally visually cues the user to displace the first grasping portion relative to the second grasping portion.