Patent Application
20160176591
The present invention relates to a child-resistant container for containing a wide variety of different contents that should not be accessible to children and, more specifically, to a bottle and cap locking mechanism that includes an intermediate seal member for allowing a person to initially open and unseal the bottle and then fully lock the cap onto the bottle to prevent a child from being able to access the contents of the bottle once the intermediate seal member is removed. Such child-resistant containers may frequently be used to contain various materials for household or other uses including functioning as an air freshener container.
The present child-resistant container may be used to contain a wide variety of various materials for household and other uses including use as an air freshener container. For example, the present container may contain odor-neutralizing beads or other fragrance type materials for use in laundry rooms, bathrooms and other rooms and locations throughout a home, office or other locations where a candle may be inconvenient or where an air freshener device is preferred. When used to contain odor-neutralizing beads, the container needs to be child-resistant in order to prevent children from accessing the beads, liquid or other fragrance material found therein, which may be hazardous to children. Other uses for child-resistant containers may include containing medications, food items, or other contents potentially harmful to children.
Oftentimes containers for uses such as those described above include a threaded bottle or jar for engaging corresponding threads on a bottle cap or other closure lid and a removable seal or other member for covering and preserving the contents housed within the bottle or jar. The bottle cap is typically threadedly engaged to the bottle or jar over the removable seal when packaged for sale and requires a user to remove the cap and subsequently remove the seal before use. In these situations, the cap must be removed and re-engaged with the bottle after the seal has been removed. The typical container includes a bottle cap threaded on its inner wall for engaging the corresponding threads on the outer wall of the neck of the bottle.
Many child safety locks exist and are known in the art for securely locking a cap to a bottle so as to prevent children from accessing the contents of the container. However, once the child safety lock is engaged, it is often extremely difficult to re-open the container and, in some mechanisms, it requires breaking the locking mechanism to gain access to the contents of the container or to remove the seal if a user forgot to do so before locking the cap. For example, in some known child-resistant containers, the locking mechanism is associated with both the bottle neck and the cap, and when the cap is fully engaged with the bottle neck, the lock mechanism prevents the cap from being again removed to access the contents of the bottle or the removable seal if the seal has not been removed. This is not a desirable mechanism. Moreover, fully engaging the child safety lock before removing the removable seal or other member as described above renders an air freshener container unusable unless one is able to poke holes through the seal via vent holes in the cap. In other embodiments, the container may be rendered entirely unusable and the contents thereof inaccessible if one fully engages the child safety lock before removing any sort of removable seal, for example, in the case of a container containing medication.
A child lock mechanism is therefore desirable that still allows the bottle cap to be securely locked to the bottle but without engaging the child safety lock, then allows the cap to be removed to provide access to the removable seal or other member for removal thereof if applicable, and then further allows the cap to be reengaged to the bottle neck so as to engage the child safety lock. This solution should be simply designed, inexpensive, and easily manufactured.
The present invention relates to a child resistant container and, more particularly, to a child resistant container which allows a user to securely engage an outer lid or cap to a neck portion of the container's bottle without engaging the child safety lock mechanism associated therewith until desired. The child resistant container includes a bottle having a threaded neck portion, an outer lid or cap with a plurality of lower projections for selective mating with both an annular flange associated with the bottle neck and with an annular flange associated with an intermediate member, and an intermediate member that may be placed between the bottle and the outer lid so as to prevent the outer lid from fully engaging the bottle in its child lock safety mode until desired.
When a user purchases the present child resistant container or otherwise obtains the present container prior to use, the intermediate member is threadedly engaged with the bottle neck, and the outer lid is engaged with the intermediate member through a snap fit arrangement thereby preventing the outer lid from engaging the annular flange that circumscribes the neck portion of the bottle. The intermediate member includes a lower annular flange and an upper raised annular flange. When the outer lid is engaged with the intermediate member, a plurality of first projections associated with the outer lid abut the upper raised annular flange of the intermediate member, and a plurality of second projections associated with the outer lid snap over and engage the lower annular flange of the intermediate member. The child safety lock mechanism, in one embodiment, includes the second projections associated with the outer lid or cap and the annular flange associated with the neck of the bottle. This engagement of the second outer lid projections with the lower annular flange of the intermediate member prevents the outer lid from engaging the annular flange associated with the bottle neck until a user is ready to activate the child lock mechanism. Engagement of the second projections associated with the outer lid with the annular flange of the bottle neck effectuates the present child lock mechanism.
It should be noted that engagement of the second projections associated with the outer lid with the lower annular flange of the intermediate member sufficiently secures the outer lid to the intermediate member but still allows a person to disengage such snap fit attachment by simply applying an upward force on the outer lid away from the intermediate member so as to forcibly disengage the two respective members. The size and shape of the lower annular flange associated with the intermediate member and the second projections associated with the outer lid are directly proportional to the amount of force necessary to dislodge the outer lid from the intermediate member. In one embodiment, the upper raised annular flange associated with the intermediate member functions as a stop mechanism so as to allow the second projections associated with the outer lid to engage the lower annular flange of the intermediate member but prevents further downward movement of the outer lid thereby preventing the second projections from engaging the annular flange associated with the bottle neck.
When the intermediate member is properly positioned and threaded onto the bottle neck, this member prevents the contents housed within the bottle from being spilled or otherwise accessed. In the case of an air freshener container, the intermediate member prevents access to the beads or other fragrance material housed within the container and likewise helps to prevent the fragrance material from drying out or losing their fragrance before use. Once the intermediate member is threadedly engaged with the bottle, the outer lid can be snap fitted onto the intermediate member as explained above. This arrangement allows the outer lid to be securely positioned on the bottle with the intermediate member in place for packaging and selling purposes, and further allows a user to easily remove the outer lid to further remove the intermediate member when the contents of the container is ready to be accessed for use. Once the intermediate member is removed from the top of the bottle, the outer lid can now be re-engaged with the bottle neck and the outer lid will now be fully engaged with the annular flange associated with the bottle neck thereby activating the child safety lock mechanism. When the outer lid is reattached to the bottle, the lower or second projections associated with the outer lid are no longer prevented from engaging the annular flange that circumscribes the neck portion of the bottle. As such, the second projections will engage the annular flange of the bottle's neck portion and activate the child safety lock mechanism.
In another embodiment, a differently configured outer lid may be used with the present intermediate member and bottle. The alternative outer lid may include alternatively designed upper projections for abutting the upper raised annular flange of the intermediate member, and alternatively designed lower projections for engaging the lower annular flange of the intermediate member and the annular flange of the bottle neck.
In still another embodiment, a differently configured intermediate member and bottle neck are disclosed allowing the intermediate member to snap fit onto the neck of the bottle as compared to being threadedly engaged.
It is recognized and anticipated that other outer lid and intermediate member configurations as well as other configurations of the various projections and annular flanges associated with the various components of the present child-resistant container can likewise be utilized in conjunction with the present invention in order to accomplish this stated goal.
In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the specification and are to be read in conjunction therewith, in which like reference numerals are used to indicate like or similar parts in the various views:
From the foregoing, it will be seen that the present invention is one well adapted to attain all the goals and objectives hereinabove set forth together with other advantages which are obvious and which are inherent to the structure. It will be understood that certain features and sub combinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and sub combinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims. Since many possible embodiments of the present invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, it is also to be understood that all matters herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings are to be interpreted as illustrative only and not limiting.
While not illustrated here, a removable seal may also be attached to the opening of bottle 3 when the present container 1 is purchased or otherwise first obtained to keep the contents therein fresh until ready for use or consumption, or any other use for which they may be intended. When a removable seal is present, the seal may further act to prevent the contents therein from spilling.
As illustrated in
In
As illustrated in
Outer lid 7 may take on a variety of shapes and sizes, depending on the intended use of bottle 3 and the desired ornamental feature of lid 7. Outer lid 7 is specifically designed such that it may be selectively engaged with intermediate member 5, and when intermediate member 5 has been disengaged from bottle 3 and subsequently discarded, outer lid 7 can be engaged with bottle 3 to activate the child lock mechanism.
As previously stated, when the projections 25 of the outer lid 7 engage and snap over the lower annular flange 21 of the intermediate member 5, such engagement sufficiently secures the outer lid 7 to the intermediate member but still allows a user to disengage the lid 7 from member 5 by simply applying an upward force on the outer lid 7 away from the intermediate member 5 so as to forcibly disengage the two respective members. The size and shape of the lower annular flange 21 associated with the intermediate member 5 and the size and shape of the projections 25 are directly proportional to the amount of force necessary to dislodge the respective members. The upper raised annular flange 19 of intermediate member 5 functions as a stop member so as to allow the projections 25 to engage the annular flange 21 but the abutment of projections 23 with the raised annular flange 19 prevents further downward movement of the outer lid 7 thereby preventing the projections 25 from engaging the annular flange 13 associated with bottle neck portion 9. As illustrated in
Stated alternatively, when outer lid 7 has been engaged with intermediate member 5, the L-shaped projections 23 abut upper raised annular flange 19 of intermediate member 5 thereby preventing spaced projections 25 from engaging the annular flange 13 of bottle 3. Instead of engaging annular flange 13 of bottle 3, the spaced projections 25 engage the lower annular flange 21 of intermediate member 5. Using the above described mechanism, intermediate member 5 prevents outer lid 7 from engaging bottle 3 and subsequently activating the child lock mechanism.
When a user purchases or otherwise first obtains the present container 1, intermediate member 5 will be properly engaged with bottle 3 and the upper lid 7 will be properly engaged with intermediate member 5.
As illustrated in
In the illustrated embodiments of outer lid 7 and outer lid 27, each lid includes six L-shaped projections 23, six spaced projections 25 and six hook projections 31. Outer lid 27 as illustrated includes four posts 29. In other embodiments, there may be greater or fewer L-shaped projections 23, spaced projections 25, posts 29 and/or hook projections 31.
It is also recognized that if the present container 1 is utilized as an air freshener container, the outer lids 7 and 27 will preferably include a plurality of vent holes such as the vent holes 34 illustrated in
Intermediate member 40, on the other hand, is structured different from intermediate member 5 and does not threadedly engage the neck portion 42 of bottle 38. Instead, intermediate member 40, as best illustrated in
As best illustrated in
While the present invention described above identifies the child-safety locking members as projections 25 or 31 and annular flange 13, a wide variety of other alternative locking mechanisms are likewise envisioned and available for use in place of projections 25, 31 and annular flange 13. In this regard, other snap fitting arrangements and other locking mechanisms such as a pin and detent or hole arrangement, a hook and eyelet arrangement, or any other locking mechanism known or foreseeable in the art can be utilized in place of projections 25, 31 and annular flange 13 so long as the outer lids 7 and 27 can be sufficiently secured to the intermediate members 5 and 40, and so long as the outer lids 7 and 27 can be securely positioned into engagement with the bottle neck portions 9 and 42 in its child-safety lock position when the intermediate member is removed therefrom.
It is also recognized and anticipated that the present containers 1 and 36 can be utilized as any container regardless of the end use of the container. Still further, although projections 23 and 29 have been referred to as the first projections, and although projections 25 and 31 have been referred to as the second projections associated with outer lids 7 and 27, it is recognized that projections 25 and 31 could be identified as the first projections associated with outer lids 7 and 27 and that projections 23 and 29 could be identified as the second projections associated with outer lids 7 and 27. The order reference to these projections does not impact the scope of the present invention.
The various constructions described above and illustrated in the drawings are presented by way of example only and are not intended to limit the concepts and principles of the present invention. As is evident from the foregoing description, certain aspects of the present invention are not limited by the particular details of the examples illustrated herein, and it is therefore contemplated that other modifications and applications, or equivalents thereof, will occur to those skilled in the art. The terms “having” and “including” and similar terms as used in the foregoing specification are used in the sense of “optional” or “may include” and not as “required”. Many changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications of the present invention will, however, become apparent to those skilled in the art after considering the specification and the accompanying drawings. All such changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention are deemed to be covered by the invention which is limited only by the claims which follow.
