Patent Grant
11498730
The present invention generally relates to child-resistant containers and/or packaging. More specifically, the present invention relates to child-resistant containers and/or packaging that include a safety lock or latch or a pair of safety tabs requiring a desired minimum level of dexterity to disengage before the container or package may be opened to access contents therein.
In 1970, Congress enacted the Poison Prevention Packaging Act (“PPPA”) in response to a relatively high number of children ingesting hazardous household products (e.g., ranging from household cleaning products to prescription medications). According to the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission (“CPSC”) at the time, poisonings from household products were one of the leading causes of injuries for children under five. Thus, the PPPA was designed to establish a new set of regulations that govern the safety of packaging products that could be harmful to young children if ingested. The basic criteria for PPPA compliant products was that the containers or packaging necessarily needed to increase the difficulty associated with opening the container or package to access the contents therein. Accordingly, this would allow adults—having a certain minimum level of dexterity greater than that of younger children—to open the containers to access product therein, while effectively frustrating a younger child's ability to comparatively do the same.
In time, products created in response to the PPPA have become known as childproof or child-resistant containers and/or packaging due to design features that make it difficult (if not impossible) for children under a certain age to open the container or package to access the contents therein. Child-resistant containers and packaging have thus played an important role in substantially inhibiting children from accessing potentially dangerous products, such as harmful chemicals, medical prescriptions, and other substances that may be particularly harmful if ingested by a child. In fact, such child-resistant container and packaging designs have been so effective in the years since 1970 that oral prescription medicine-related deaths have dropped in the United States from approximately 1.4 deaths per year per million children under five, to a number so low that the CPSC has stopped tracking the statistic.
Some of the most well known child-resistant container designs are those associated with prescription medication bottles having a plastic (and difficult to remove) screw cap feature. For example, such prescription medication bottles come with a cap having a collar that secures over an uppermost portion or rim of the bottle container and closes in secure fashion therewith. The collar typically includes a pair of spring-based push tabs that include vertical extensions for engaging interlocking teeth on the innermost surface of a closure skirt when the cap is fully assembled onto the bottle. To remove the cap, each push tab, which are typically positioned opposite one another, are manually depressed prior to applying unscrewing torque to the cap. Such a downward force disengages the push tab extensions from the interlocking teeth on the cap. Accordingly, once disengaged, the cap can be turned from a locked configuration preventing access to the contents inside the container to an unlocked position permitting cap removal. Such packages with secure caps were considered highly improved child-resistance packaging without significantly impeding access by adults. Still, users necessarily need to use both hands to overcome the child resistant feature to unscrew the closure cap.
While deployment of the abovementioned child-resistant container and cap combination has been effective for use with traditional prescription medications (typically sold in pill or capsule form), in recent years, new issues have arisen as a result of medical products being disseminated in other configurations, such as consumables (e.g., gummies, chocolates, candies, and other like food products). Such medications have become especially popular in the medical marijuana industry where hemp-based therapeutic products (e.g., including CBD) are more commonly sold as food-grade products, in view of continued legalization at the state level over the past 5-10 years. Initially, there were little to no container or packaging requirements. Although, in recent years, states are starting to require that both medical and recreational marijuana products be packaged in child-resistant or childproof packaging at least at the point of purchase. This has been accomplished, e.g., by requiring that such medical marijuana products be packaged in a bag incorporating childproof or child-resistant features. Specifically, e.g., edible products such as brownies, cookies, gummies, chocolates, etc. must be sold by dispensaries in hard-to-open packaging (e.g., pouches) difficult for a child to access. Although, the problem with these so-called “exit” bags is that, once home, studies have shown that buyers remove the products (e.g., vaporizers, edibles, flowers, etc.) from the packaging for storage in open or otherwise easily accessible containers that children can access. Thus, children may be exposed to medical marijuana products around the house in what largely amounts to unsafe storage containers and packaging. Current child proof or resistant packaging on the market does not meet the needs for securely storing product or otherwise making it inaccessible for storing medical products or the like post-purchase.
There exists, therefore, a significant need for a child-resistant or childproof container or package for home storage of medical products that substantially prevents or frustrates child access while also allowing adults to access the contents therein. Specifically, such child-resistant containers or packaging should include a safety lock or latch or a pair of safety tabs requiring a desired minimum level of dexterity to disengage before the container or package may be opened to access contents therein. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages.
In one embodiment disclosed herein, a child-resistant tin may include a storage container having an inner cavity for retaining medical products, such as CBD or Cannabis-based gummies or candies. The tin may further include a lid movable relative to the storage container between a normal closed position enclosing the inner cavity and the contents therein, and an open position providing access to the inner cavity and the contents therein. The tin may also include a first lock movable between a normal extended position positioned for locking engagement with the lid and an unlocked position disengaged from the lid; and a second lock movable independent of the first lock between its own normal extended position for locking engagement with the lid and its own unlocked position disengaged from the lid. Here, the first lock and the second lock are able to independently retain the lid in the normal closed position such that the lid is only pivotable therefrom to the open position by way of cooperatively positioning the first lock in its unlocked position and the second lock in its unlocked position concurrently.
Further in this respect, the first lock and the second lock may be disposed within the inner cavity and enclosed by a food-grade protective sheath having a size and shape to accommodate each of the first lock and the second lock thereunder. The first lock may be formed integral with a first sidewall of the storage container and the second lock may be formed integral with a second sidewall of the storage container adjacent the first sidewall. Here, the child-resistant tin may be of a rectangular shape. Alternatively, the first lock and the second lock may be formed from the same sidewall or non-adjacent sidewalls.
Moreover, the storage container may also include a generally vertical annular shoulder that transitions at an inwardly projecting step to an interiorly located upper rim having a wall thickness relatively smaller than the annular shoulder. Accordingly, the lid may include a commensurately downwardly extending annular skirt having a reciprocal shape for seated reception on the inwardly projecting step when the lid is in the normal closed position. Here, the downwardly extending annular skirt may encompass the upper rim and generally prevent the lid from moving side-to-side relative to the storage container.
The first lock and the second lock may each include a respective slide block having an outwardly facing release button movable by fingertip engagement with a locking catch normally biased into an outwardly extended position for engagement with a lip of the lid. Here, the locking catches may each include a downwardly facing planar shoulder having a size and shape to remain in locking engagement with the lip. Of course, the first lock may include any number of the release buttons (e.g., two) and the second lock may also include any number of release buttons the same as (e.g., two) or different from (e.g., one or three or more) the first lock. The locking catch may further include a rounded upper surface opposite a downwardly facing planar shoulder, the rounded upper surface permitting slide over engagement of the lid, for eventual enhanced surface area engagement with the downwardly facing planar shoulder. Moreover, the first lock and the second lock may also each include a respective lock housing that includes an interior channel therein for housing a spring generally biasing the slide block in the outwardly extended position.
Additionally, the child-resistant tin may include a third lock movable between a normal extended position positioned for locking engagement with the lid and an unlocked position disengaged from the lid. In this embodiment, the first lock, the second lock, and the third lock may independently retain the lid in the normal closed position such that the lid is only pivotable from the normal closed position to the open position by way of cooperative movement of the first lock to its unlocked position, the second lock to its unlocked position, and the third lock to its unlocked position concurrently.
In another embodiment, a child-resistant package as disclosed herein may include a storage container, a lid coupled with the storage container about a hinge and pivotable between a closed position and an open position for securely storing contents therein, such as medical products, including, e.g., CBD or Cannabis infused gummies or candies. A first lock and a second lock may be positioned within the storage container and independently operative relative to one another to secure the lid relative to the storage container to lock the contents therein. The first lock and the second lock may each include at least one release button normally biased into a forward position wherein a catch operable therewith is positioned to retain the lid in the closed position. Here, each release button may be depressible into the storage container independent of one another to move out from within engagement of the lid. As such, the lid may be movable from the closed position to the open position only when the release button of the first lock and the release button of the second lock are concurrently depressed into the storage container.
More specifically, the first lock and the second lock may each include a lock housing retaining a spring therein in engagement with a slide block having the respective release button extending therefrom. Here, each respective release button may extend out from a sidewall of the storage container for easy fingertip depression. Moreover, each catch may include a downwardly facing planar shoulder having an enhanced surface area positioned to engage and retain an inwardly curved lip of the lid when the lid is in the closed position. The catch may also include an arcuate upper surface permitting slide-over movement of the lid from the open position to the closed position wherein the downwardly facing planar shoulder can engage the inwardly curved lip of the lid.
In one embodiment, the child-resistant package may be made from a metal material such as steel, aluminum, or a metal alloy and the first lock may be formed from a front sidewall of the storage container and the second lock may be formed from an adjacent sidewall of the storage container. Alternatively, the child-resistant tin or package may be made from other materials, such as plastic or the like. In this respect, a food-grade sheath may be disposed within an inner surface of the storage container and include a size and shape to accommodate the first lock and the second lock thereunder. In other embodiments, the child-resistant package may include a third lock independently operable of the first lock and the second lock, wherein each of the first lock, the second lock, and the third lock are formed from a different sidewall of the storage container and positioned or otherwise storable beneath and protected by the food-grade sheath.
In another aspect of these embodiments, the storage container may include at least one sidewall having an annular shoulder transitioning at an inwardly projecting step to an interiorly located upper rim having a wall thickness relatively smaller than the annular shoulder. Here, the inwardly projecting step may receive a downwardly extending annular skirt of the lid in seated reception when the child-resistant package is in the closed position. As such, when in this closed position, the downwardly extending annular skirt may encompass the upper rim when in seated reception on the inwardly projecting step, thereby effectively preventing side-to-side movement of the lid relative to the storage container.
In another alternative embodiment, a child-resistant container as disclosed herein may include a receptacle having an inner cavity, a lid that selectively couples with the receptacle in pivoting relation about a hinge to enclose the inner cavity when in a locked position, and a lock movable between the locked position securing the lid to the receptacle to substantially prevent access to the inner cavity and an unlocked position permitting the lid to move relative to the receptacle to expose access to the inner cavity. The child-resistant container may be made from a metal material selected from the group consisting of steel, aluminum, or a metal alloy. Alternatively, the child-resistant container may be made from a paper-based material, such as cardboard or the like. In some embodiments, a food-grade protective sheath may be disposed within an inner surface of the inner cavity and/or within an inner surface of the lid and may be selectively removable and/or replaceable so as to reduce longer-term ownership costs associated with the child-resistant container. In embodiments wherein the lock is disposed within the inner cavity, the protective sheath may also include an indent having a size and shape to accommodate the lock thereunder.
One or more of the sidewalls of the receptacle may include an annular shoulder vertically extending upwardly from a base and transitioning at an inwardly projecting step to an interiorly located upper rim having a wall thickness relatively smaller than the annular shoulder. The lid may include a downwardly extending annular skirt that selectively lands in seated relation on the inwardly projecting step and adjacent the upper rim when the child-resistant container is in the locked position. When seated, the downwardly extending annular skirt may encompass the upper rim to substantially prevent side-to-side movement relative thereto, to help prevent access to the inner cavity. To this end, the lock may include at least one locking catch outwardly extending from the receptacle that may include a downwardly facing planar shoulder that engages an inwardly curved lip of the annular skirt when the lid is in the locked position. Here, the lock may also include at least one channel having a spring therein that normally biases the locking catch and an integrally formed release button in a forward position externally accessible from the receptacle, wherein depression of the release button causes simultaneous movement of the normally hidden release button out from engagement with the inwardly curved lip, to release the lid from engagement with the receptacle. The at least one locking catch may also include a rounded upper surface opposite the downwardly facing planar shoulder to facilitate reconnection of the inwardly curved lip over the locking catches when pivoting the lid from the unlocked position to the locked position.
In another aspect of these embodiments, the lid may include an outer housing having a size and shape for select slide-in reception of the receptacle. Here, the receptacle may include a pair of safety tabs outwardly extending therefrom and normally residing forwardly in a pair of respective locking channels formed in the lid when the child-resistant container is in the locked position. The locking channels may also be in slideable relation with a pair of respective rearly positioned and relatively larger release channels. In these embodiments, the lid may include a spring that biases the receptacle into a forward position within the lid to locate the safety tabs into the respective locking channels. When in this locked position, a front end of the receptacle may protrude out from within the lid. To this end, the lid may also include a notch exposing a relatively larger surface area of the receptacle for enhanced hand manipulation re pull-out removal. When aligned with the release channels in the lid from at least partial compression of the spring with the receptacle, the safety tabs may pivot between a normal vertical position extending out from within the lid and a folded position adjacent a sidewall of the receptacle and within an interior of the lid, thereby permitting slide-out removal of the receptacle from the lid.
In another embodiment, the child-resistant container as disclosed herein may be made from a metal material selected from the group consisting of steel, aluminum, or a metal alloy and include a receptacle having an inner cavity, a lid that selectively pivots relative to the receptacle about a hinge to enclose the inner cavity and substantially prevent access to the inner cavity when in a locked position, and a lock that includes a spring that normally biases a catch and an integrally formed release button into a forward position outwardly extending from the receptacle. The catch may include a shoulder normally hidden when engaged the lid when in the locked position. The release button may be inwardly depressible against the spring to simultaneously move the catch out from engagement with the lid to an unlocked position permitting the lid to move relative to the receptacle to expose access to the inner cavity. To this end, opening the lid relative to the receptacle may expose the normally hidden catch.
In another aspect of this embodiment, the lock may be disposed within the inner cavity and a food-grade protective sheath may be disposed over an inner surface of the inner cavity and include an indent having a size and shape to accommodate the lock thereunder. Moreover, at least one sidewall of the receptacle may include an annular shoulder vertically extending upwardly from a base and transitioning at an inwardly projecting step to an interiorly located upper rim having a wall thickness relatively smaller than the annular shoulder. Here, the inwardly projecting step may have a size and shape to receive a downwardly extending annular skirt of the lid in seated reception thereof when the child-resistant container is in the locked position. As such, the downwardly extending annular skirt may encompass the upper rim when in seated reception on the inwardly projecting step. In another aspect of this embodiment, the catch may include a rounded upper surface opposite a downwardly facing planar shoulder to facilitate locking and unlocking.
In another embodiment, the child-resistant container may include a receptacle having an inner cavity, a lid forming an outer housing having a size and shape for select slide-in reception of the receptacle to enclose the inner cavity when in a locked position, and a lock including a safety tab outwardly extending from the receptacle and normally residing forwardly in a locking channel formed in the lid when the child-resistant container is in the locked position, to substantially prevent access to the inner cavity. Here, a spring in the form of a foam pad located within the lid may bias the receptacle into a forward position within the lid to locate the safety tab into a locking channel. When in the locked position, a front end of the receptacle may protrude out from the lid and include a notch therein to expose a relatively larger surface area of the receptacle for enhanced hand manipulation.
The safety tab may be in slidable relation with the locking channel and a rearly positioned and relatively larger release channel. As such, the safety tab may be movable out from within the locking channel to an unlocked position permitting slide-out removal of the receptacle from the lid to expose access to the inner cavity. More specifically in this respect, when aligned with the release channel in the lid from at least partial compression of the spring with the receptacle, the safety tab may pivot between a normal vertical position extending out from within the lid and a folded position adjacent a sidewall of the receptacle and within an interior of the lid, thereby permitting slide-out removal of the receptacle from the lid.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.
The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention. In such drawings:
As shown in the exemplary drawings for purposes of illustration, the present invention for a child-resistant container and/or package is generally illustrated with respect to several embodiments of a child-resistant tin 30, 30′,30″ in
In general, the child-resistant tin 30, 30, 30″ includes a storage container 34 coupled to a lid 36 about a hinge 38, e.g., as illustrated in
Specifically with respect to the locking system 40,
In another alternative as illustrated in
In operation, when the child-resistant tin 30, 30′,30″ is in the closed position illustrated in
Of course, removal of the force along Arrows A in
In another embodiment as disclosed herein with respect to
Normally, the inner storage container 74 is biased in a forward position as generally illustrated in
In operation,
The fact that each of the safety tabs 76 have been folded flush with the inner storage container 74 through the release channels 80 and to a position within the interior of the outer housing 72 prevents the safety tabs 76 from reengaging the locking channels 78 upon slide-out removal of the inner storage container 74. As such, as illustrated in progression from
In this respect,
The storage container 74 may be reinserted within the interior of the outer housing 72 by folding each of the safety tabs 76 flush with an outer surface thereof to fit within the inner side walls of the outer housing 74. Here, sliding the storage container 74 back into the outer housing 72 allows the safety tabs 76 to travel flush therein until realigned with the release channel 80. Accordingly, when the safety tabs 76 realign with the respective release channels 80, each of the safety tabs 76 spring bias outwardly, thereby extending out from within the interior of the outer housing 74 and into the position illustrated, e.g., in
As briefly mentioned above,
In alternative embodiments, the locking systems 40, 40″ do not necessarily need to be formed from adjacent sidewalls. For example, one of the locking systems 40, 40″ may be formed in any one of the front side wall 90, the right sidewall 92, a left sidewall, or a rear sidewall thereof, while the other of the locking systems 40, 40″ may be formed in any of the other of the front side wall 90, the right sidewall 92, the left sidewall, or the rear sidewall thereof (e.g., in embodiments wherein the geometric shape of the child-resistant tin is a square). Of course, in other embodiments, the child-resistant tin may include three or more of the locking systems 40, 40′,40″. For example, in one embodiment, locking engagement may be through use of all three of the locking systems 40, 40′,40″ located within three separate sidewalls of the storage container 34 (e.g., the front sidewall 90, the right sidewall 92, and left sidewall). Also, the locking systems 40, 40′,40″ may be mixed and matched. For example, in one embodiment, the storage container 34 may have two of the locking systems 40 integrated into the left and right sidewalls, while the locking system 40′ may be integrated into the front sidewall. Of course, in embodiments wherein the child-resistant tin includes a different number of sidewalls (e.g., if the child-resistant tin where a hexagon), more than three of the locking systems 40, 40′,40″ may be incorporated therein to enhance the difficulty of opening the lid 36 relative to the storage container 34 to enhance security related thereto.
Although several embodiments have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited, except as by the appended claims.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20020185404 | Donegan | Dec 2002 | A1 |
| 20080215440 | Peterson | Sep 2008 | A1 |
| 20090152134 | Katsis | Jun 2009 | A1 |
| 20140151388 | Culeron | Jun 2014 | A1 |
| 20160251107 | Everett | Sep 2016 | A1 |
| 20180037380 | Giraud | Feb 2018 | A1 |
| 20200039707 | Kachian | Feb 2020 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20210039848 A1 | Feb 2021 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62712874 | Jul 2018 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 16528554 | Jul 2019 | US |
| Child | 17083192 | US |
