Patent Application
20180362226
The present disclosure relates to a child resistant dropper closure.
This section provides background information related to the present disclosure, which is not necessarily prior art.
Child resistant closures are often used to make it difficult for children to gain access to medication or other substances that may be harmful to them if not used as directed. While existing child resistant closures are suitable for their intended use with large containers, they are not suitable for small containers. For example, current child resistant closures are too large for use with small containers, such as dropper containers. A child resistant closure suitable for use with smaller containers, such as dropper containers with a finish having a diameter of 13 mm or 15 mm for example, would therefore be desirable.
This section provides a general summary of the disclosure, and is not a comprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features.
The present teachings provide for a child resistant closure for a container including an inner portion and an outer portion. The inner portion includes internal threads, a plurality of ramped springs, and a plurality of inner drive teeth. The plurality of ramped springs are spaced apart circumferentially about a longitudinal axis of the closure. The plurality of inner drive teeth are spaced apart circumferentially about the longitudinal axis outboard of the plurality of ramped springs. The outer portion is seated over the inner portion and includes a plurality of protrusions spaced apart circumferentially about the longitudinal axis and configured to contact the plurality of ramped springs. The outer portion also includes a plurality of outer drive teeth spaced apart circumferentially about the longitudinal axis outboard of the plurality of protrusions and configured to contact the plurality of inner drive teeth.
The present teachings also provide for a child resistant closure for a container including inner and outer portions. The inner portion has internal threads and a plurality of ramped springs. The ramped springs are spaced apart circumferentially about a longitudinal axis of the closure, and are inboard of the internal threads and finish threads of the container such that the plurality of ramped springs are closer to the longitudinal axis than both the internal threads and the finish threads. A plurality of inner drive teeth are spaced apart circumferentially about the longitudinal axis outboard of the plurality of ramped springs. The outer portion is seated over the inner portion and includes a plurality of protrusions spaced apart circumferentially about the longitudinal axis and configured to contact the plurality of ramped springs. A plurality of outer drive teeth are spaced apart circumferentially about the longitudinal axis outboard of the plurality of protrusions and are configured to contact the plurality of inner drive teeth.
The present teachings further provide for a child resistant closure for a container including an inner portion having internal threads, a plurality of ramped springs, and a plurality of inner drive teeth. The internal threads are configured to cooperate with a finish of the container. The plurality of ramped springs are spaced apart circumferentially about a longitudinal axis of the closure. Each one of the plurality of ramped springs includes a first end, a second end opposite to the first end, and a ramped surface extending from the first end towards the second end. The plurality of ramped springs are: inboard of the internal threads; inboard of the finish threads; curved from the first end to the second end so as to be concave relative to the longitudinal axis; and do not extend beyond an outer diameter of the finish of the container such that the plurality of ramped springs are closer to the longitudinal axis than both the internal threads and the finish threads. The plurality of inner drive teeth are spaced apart circumferentially about the longitudinal axis outboard of the plurality of ramped springs. The outer portion is seated over the inner portion and includes a plurality of protrusions spaced apart circumferentially about the longitudinal axis and each including a sloped portion configured to contact the plurality of ramped springs. The plurality of outer drive teeth are spaced apart circumferentially about the longitudinal axis outboard of the plurality of protrusions and are configured to contact the plurality of inner drive teeth. The annular flange is between the plurality of protrusions and the plurality of outer drive teeth. The annular flange extends to an area of the inner portion between the plurality of ramped springs and the plurality of inner drive teeth.
Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. The description and specific examples in this summary are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.
Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings.
With initial reference to
With particular reference to
The finish 20 can have any suitable height Hf and any suitable outer diameter ODf. For example, the finish 20 can have a height Hf measured from the upper portion 22 of the container 24 to the opening 32 of about 14 mm, or about 12 mm to 16 mm. The finish 20 can have an outer diameter ODf measured across opposite portions of the finish threads 28 extending from the outer surface 30 of about 14 mm, or about 12 mm to 16 mm.
The closure 10 and the finish 20 are configured to accommodate any suitable tip, such as an extended control dropper tip 40 (see
The base 42 is seated within the finish 20 and secured therein through cooperation between the finish flange 34 and the recess 52. More specifically, the tip 40 is secured to the finish 20 with a snap fit coupling between the finish flange 34 and the recess 52. The extended control dropper tip 40 is configured to dispense contents of the container 24 as droplets having any suitable size, which is generally determined based on the size and shape of the spout 46.
With continued reference to
With particular reference to
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
With continued reference to
At the end of the inner body 110 from which the inner cone portion 112 extends are a plurality of inner drive teeth 116 spaced apart circumferentially about the longitudinal axis Y. Inboard of the inner drive teeth 116 are a plurality of ramped springs 118, which are also circumferentially spaced apart about the longitudinal axis Y. Between the inner drive teeth 116 and the ramped springs 118 is an annular channel 120. The longitudinal axis Y extends through an axial center of the annular channel 120.
As illustrated in
The raised teeth 136 extends from the ramped surface 134 to the second end 132. At the second end 132 is a face 138, which extends substantially vertical and parallel to the longitudinal axis Y. The face 138 extends to the raised teeth 136. Each one of the ramped springs 118 is flexible about a hinge 140 (see
With particular reference to
With reference to
When the closure 10 is secured to the finish 20 through cooperation between the inner threads 160 of the inner portion 14 and the finish threads 28 of the finish 20, the ramped springs 118 are generally vertically aligned with the finish 20 and do not extend outward beyond the outer surface 30 of the finish 20, which advantageously provides for a compact arrangement suitable for use with smaller finishes, such as the finish 20 of dropper container 24. Thus the ramped springs 118 do not extend outward beyond the outer diameter of the finish ODf, and do not extend outward to the finish threads 28 or the inner threads 160.
The operation of opening and closing the closure 10 to the finish 20 will now be described in detail. To secure the closure 10 onto the finish 20, the inner threads 160 are mated with the finish threads 28 and the closure 10 is rotated in a first direction, which is described herein as a clockwise or closing direction. Although the closure 10 is described and illustrated herein as configured for tightening upon rotation in a clockwise direction, the closure 10 can be configured such that tightening occurs when the closure 10 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction. Upon rotating the closure 10 in the clockwise direction, and specifically rotating the outer portion 12 in the clockwise direction, the second ends 78 of the protrusions 72 on the outer portion 12 contact the vertical face 138 of the ramped springs 118 to rotate the inner portion 14 together with the outer portion 12 in order to thread the closure 10 onto the finish 20. Advantageously, there is no need to push the outer portion 12 onto the inner portion 14 during this tightening. During tightening, the outer drive teeth 70 pass over the inner drive teeth 116 such that the outer and inner drive teeth 70 and 116 do not contact one another during typical re-secure operation. However, if the outer portion 12 is pressed onto the inner portion 14 during tightening, the outer and inner drive teeth 70 and 116 may engage such that the outer drive teeth 70 drive the inner drive teeth 116 and thus drive the inner portion 14. The closure 10 is turned in the clockwise direction until the inner threads 160 are tightly threaded on the finish threads 28 to secure the closure 10 onto the finish 20.
Once the closure 10 is secured onto the finish threads 28, rotation of the closure 10 in a counterclockwise opening direction will not loosen the closure 10 unless the outer portion 12 is pushed onto the inner portion 14, thus providing a child resistant securing feature. Specifically, when the outer portion 12 is rotated counterclockwise without being pushed onto the inner portion 14, the protrusions 72 will ride over each one of the ramped springs 118, thus resulting in the outer portion 12 rotating about the inner portion 14 without the outer portion 12 engaging or rotating the inner portion 14. Specifically, the sloped surfaces 80 of the protrusions 72 will contact and slide over the ramped surfaces 134 of the ramped springs 118 and ultimately over the raised teeth 136, which will raise the outer drive teeth 70 above the inner drive teeth 116 such that the outer and inner drive teeth 70 and 116 do not contact and do not engage one another, which enables the outer portion 12 to rotate generally freely about the inner portion 14 without rotating the inner portion 14.
Once the closure 10 is secured onto the finish 20 and over the tip 40, the two seals described above are formed in order to prevent material from leaking out through the tip 40. Specifically, the first seal is formed between the inner flange 154 of the inner portion 14 and the tip flange 44 of the extended control dropper tip 40. The second seal is formed between the inner surface 158 of the inner cone portion 112 and the distal end 50 of the spout 46, as illustrated in
To remove the closure 10 from the finish 20, the outer portion 12 must be pressed onto the inner portion 14 (see
The present teachings thus provide an improved child resistant closure, such as the illustrated closure 10, which can be used on small containers, such as the dropper container 24.
Example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough, and will fully convey the scope to those who are skilled in the art. Numerous specific details are set forth such as examples of specific components, devices, and methods, to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that specific details need not be employed, that example embodiments may be embodied in many different forms and that neither should be construed to limit the scope of the disclosure. In some example embodiments, well-known processes, well-known device structures, and well-known technologies are not described in detail.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular example embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” may be intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “including,” and “having,” are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. The method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance in the particular order discussed or illustrated, unless specifically identified as an order of performance. It is also to be understood that additional or alternative steps may be employed.
When an element or layer is referred to as being “on,” “engaged to,” “connected to,” or “coupled to” another element or layer, it may be directly on, engaged, connected or coupled to the other element or layer, or intervening elements or layers that may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly engaged to,” “directly connected to,” or “directly coupled to” another element or layer, there may be no intervening elements or layers present. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a like fashion (e.g., “between” versus “directly between,” “adjacent” versus “directly adjacent,” etc.). As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
Although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. Terms such as “first,” “second,” and other numerical terms when used herein do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of the example embodiments.
Spatially relative terms, such as “inner,” “outer,” “beneath,” “below,” “lower,” “above,” “upper,” and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. Spatially relative terms may be intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “above” the other elements or features. Thus, the example term “below” can encompass both an orientation of above and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.
The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure. Individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the disclosure, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US2015/036020 | 6/16/2015 | WO | 00 |
