The field of the invention relates to the area of containers with contents that require security to prevent a child from opening the container.
The present inventor is not aware of any prior art relating to his invention.
The present invention is a combination of a container made out of rolled laminated plastic or rolled laminated metal combined with a rollerball applicator, combined with a child-resistant locking assembly between the container and a cap removably affixed to the container The container includes a closed rear end, a front wall and a flexible sidewall between the closed rear end and the front wall. The flexible sidewall is in a shape selected from the group consisting of oval-shaped, elliptical-shaped and cylindrical-shaped.
The shape of the container is optional but preferably in the shape of a tube of toothpaste closed at a rear end and having a generally oval-shaped or generally elliptical-shaped sidewall and a front end having a front wall with an opening through which an applicator partially extends. The closed rear end, sidewall, front wall and portion of the applicator surround an interior chamber in which there is retained material which could be hazardous to a child, hereafter referred to as “a precautionary material”. The applicator is used to dispense the precautionary material. The applicator is preferably a rollerball. It is within the spirit and scope of the present invention to include other types of applicators.
It is also within the spirit and scope of the present invention for the container to be cylindrical in shape with a closed rear end, a cylindrical sidewall and a front end having a front wall with an opening through which an applicator partially extends. The closed rear end, sidewall, front wall and portion of the applicator surround an interior chamber in which there is retained a precautionary material. The applicator is used to dispense the precautionary material. The applicator is preferably a rollerball. It is within the spirit and scope of the present invention to include other types of applicators.
The first key feature of the present invention is that the container is made of material selected from the group consisting of rolled laminated plastic and rolled laminated aluminum each having from one (1) to eight (8) layers of rolled laminated plastic or aluminum. The plastic is selected from the group consisting of polypropylene, polyethylene or combinations including one or more of these plastics. An important feature of the present invention is for a sidewall of the container, regardless of shape, to be flexible and squeezable so that the precautionary material is forced onto (or into depending on the applicator) the applicator which dispenses the precautionary material. The precautionary material may be dispensed onto the skin or fingernail or toenail of a person or onto or into a surface, cavity, or other location of an object depending on what the precautionary material is and its intended use.
The second key feature of the present invention is that the applicator and at least a portion of the front wall of the container are closed by a removable child-resistant locking cap. The locking cap includes at least one, and preferably a pair, of locking teeth. The front wall of the container has at least one mating locking member to be engaged by the at least one locking tooth, or preferably a pair of spaced apart mating locking members to be respectively engaged by a respective locking tooth. The child-resistant locking cap has a location portion as part of the locking assembly to enable a locking tooth from the locking cap to be aligned with a respective mating locking member. The location portion on the wall of the locking cap requires knowledge of being able to find the location and cause the locking cap to rotate to perform the required alignment of each locking tooth with a respective mating locking member.
The third novel, but optional feature of the present invention is for the applicator to be a rollerball.
The present invention also include a cap removably affixed to the container with a unique child-resistant locking member to prevent a child from removing the cap and gaining access to the precautionary material within the container.
It is an object of the present invention to create a container made of rolled laminated plastic or rolled laminated aluminum each having from one (1) to eight (8) layers of rolled laminated plastic or aluminum to have a flexible sidewall to facilitate dispensing of a precautionary material within an internal chamber of the container.
It is also an object of the present invention to include a child-resistant locking assembly between the container and the removable cap to reduce the ability of a child to remove the locking cap and gain access to the precautionary material inside the container.
Further novel features and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and discussion.
Referring particularly to the drawings for the purpose of illustration only and of limitation, there is illustrated:
Although specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings, it should be understood that such embodiments are by way of example only and merely illustrative of but a small number of the many possible specific embodiments which can represent applications of the principles of the present invention. Various changes and modifications obvious to one skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains are deemed to be within the spirit, scope and contemplation of the present invention.
Referring to
Further referring to
Further referring to
The elliptical-shaped container 400 has a closed rear end 414, an elliptical-shaped sidewall 416, a front end 412 with a front wall 412A supporting a central nozzle 415 having a central opening 417 through which a rollerball applicator 417A partially extends away from the centralized nozzle and is in contact with the contents 8A in interior chamber 418. It is also within the spirit and scope of the present invention for the rollerball applicator 417A to extend directly out of opening 415 without the nozzle. The rollerball applicator then partially extends out of front wall 412A and is partially in contact with chamber 418 so that it comes in contact with the retained precautionary material 8A to dispense the precautionary material. Also illustrated are standoffs 410A and 420A.
The elliptical wall 416 is flexible and squeezable to dispense interior contents to the rollerball applicator. The rear end 414, elliptical-shaped sidewall 416 and front wall 412 surround an interior chamber 418 (see
Referring to the cross-sectional view of
A third cylindrical variation of the container is illustrated in
Further referring to
Further referring to
The elliptical-shaped container 400 has a closed rear end 414, an elliptical-shaped sidewall 416, a front end 412 with a front wall 412A supporting a central nozzle 415 having a central opening 417 through which a rollerball applicator 417A partially extends away from the centralized nozzle and is in contact with the contents 8A in interior chamber 418. It is also within the spirit and scope of the present invention for the rollerball applicator 417A to extend directly out of opening 415 without the nozzle. The rollerball applicator then partially extends out of front wall 412A and is partially in contact with chamber 418A so that it comes in contact with the retained precautionary material 8A to dispense the precautionary material.
The elliptical wall 416 is flexible and squeezable to dispense interior contents to the rollerball applicator. The rear end 414, elliptical-shaped sidewall 416 and front wall 412 surround an interior chamber 418 (see
Referring to the cross-sectional view of
A third cylindrical variation of the container is illustrated in
Further referring to
The cylindrical-shaped container 10 has a closed rear end 14, a cylindrical-shaped sidewall 16, a front end 12 with a front wall 12A and a central opening 13 through which rollerball applicator 500 partially extends away from front wall 12A and is in contact with the contents 8A in interior chamber 18. Therefore, it is also within the spirit and scope of the present invention for the rollerball applicator 500 to extend directly out of opening 13. The rollerball applicator 500 then partially extends out of front wall 12AA and is partially in contact chamber 18 so that it comes in contact with the retained precautionary material 8A to dispense the precautionary material.
The cylindrical wall 16 is flexible and squeezable to dispense interior contents to the rollerball applicator. The rear end 14, cylindrical-shaped sidewall 16 and front wall 12A surround an interior chamber 18 (see
Referring to the cross-sectional view of
An important innovation of the present invention is a child-resistant locking assembly generally referred to as 100 in the subsequent figures. While illustrated using the cylindrical-shaped sidewall, the same locking assembly is also utilized with other shaped container having the above described oval-shaped sidewall 316 and elliptical-shaped sidewall 416.
In order to lock the cap 20, the cap 20 is pressed inwardly at the location 133E of interior wall 113 where locking tooth 114 is located just in front of the cavity 16A of tube standoff 10AA and is concurrently pressed inwardly at the exterior wall location 133E corresponding to the location 133T of interior wall 133 where locking tooth 124 is located just in front of cavity 16CC of tube standoff 10CC. Therefore, the tooth 114 is aligned with cavity 16AA of tube standoff 10AA and the tooth 124 is aligned with cavity 16CC of tube standoff 20AA. By rotating the cap 20A in one direction such as counter-clockwise, the respective teeth 114 and 124 engage a respective cavity 16AA and 26CC to lock the cap 20 onto the cylinder 10.
To unlock, the cap 20 must be pressed inwardly at the exterior wall location 113 corresponding to the location of interior wall 113T where locking tooth 114 is located inside of the cavity 16AA of the tube standoff 10AA and is concurrently pressed inwardly at the exterior wall location 133 corresponding to the location of interior wall 113E where locking tooth 124 is inside of the cavity 16CC of tube standoff 20AA and the cap 20 is rotated in an opposite direction to disengage tooth 114 from cavity 16AA and disengage tooth 124 from cavity 26CC and then cap 20 off of cylinder 10.
The present invention cap is used with all variations of sidewalls including oval, elliptical and cylindrical.
The cap 20 has an extra indentation member 113P and an oppositely disposed indentation member 123P. The indentation markers 113P and 123P serve as a guide as to where to inwardly press the cap 20 and rotate the cap into the locked or unlocked position.
Of course the present invention is not intended to be restricted to any particular form or arrangement, or any specific embodiment, or any specific use, disclosed herein, since the same may be modified in various particulars or relations without departing from the spirit or scope of the claimed invention hereinabove shown and described of which the apparatus or method shown is intended only for illustration and disclosure of an operative embodiment and not to show all of the various forms or modifications in which this invention might be embodied or operated.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20180186523 A1 | Jul 2018 | US |