Claims
- 1. A closure having a closure body and a closure part movably mounted on said closure body so as to be capable of being moved between a closed position in which an opening in said closure body is closed off by said closure said opening, said closure part being mounted on said closure body so as to be incapable of being removed from said closure body during movement between said open and closed positions, said closure body being adapted to be secured to a container, in which the improvement comprises:
- a retainer means for holding said closure part against movement,
- said retainer means being mounted on said closure body so as to be incapable of being separated from said closure body during normal utilization of said dispensing closure and so as to be capable of being moved with respect to said closure body and relative to said closure part,
- said retainer means being accessible from the exterior of said closure so as to be capable of digital engagement so that it can be moved with respect to said closure body and relative to said closure part,
- said retainer means being a separate element from said closure body and said closure part and being capable of movement independently of said closure body and said closure part,
- said body includes holding means for holding said closure body with respect to a container so that it is incapable of being removed from such a container during normal utilization of said closure,
- said closure part is a spout, said spout being rotatably mounted on said closure body so that in said closed position said opening is covered by said spout and so that in said open position a passage within said spout is in alignment with said opening,
- said body including an annular groove,
- said retainer means comprises a ring fitting within said groove so as to be capable of being turned in said groove,
- said ring and said spout being formed so that in one position of said ring relative to said spout said spout is capable of being moved between said open and said closed positions, said ring and said spout being formed so that in all other positions of said ring relative to said spout and said closure body said spout is physically blocked by said ring so as to be incapable of being rotated from said closed position to said open position.
- 2. A closure as claimed in claim 1 including:
- means for indicating when said ring is in said one position in which said spout is capable of being moved so as to open said closure.
- 3. A closure as claimed in claim 2 wherein:
- said means for indicating comprise indicia formed on said ring indicating with respect to the remainder of said closure when said ring is in said one position.
- 4. A closure as claimed in claim 2 wherein:
- said means for indicating comprise detect means for providing an indication which may be felt during hard movement of said ring for indicating when said ring is in said one position in which said spout is capable of being moved so as to open said closure.
- 5. A closure as claimed in claim 1 wherein:
- said closure body has a top and said annular groove is located within said top.
- 6. A closure as claimed in claim 1 wherein:
- said closure body has a top and a peripheral skirt,
- said ring is mounted on said closure body and includes an attached skirt-like cover extending around and covering said skirt.
- 7. A dispensing closure having a closure body including a generally circular top and a skirt attached to the periphery of said top so as to extend therefrom, said skirt including means located thereon for attaching said skirt to a container for holding said closure top with respect to a container so that it is incapable of being removed from such a container during normal utilization of said closure, said dispensing closure also including a spout rotatably mounted on said top so as to be incapable of being separated from said closure body during normal utilization of said closure and so as to be capable of being moved with respect to said closure body between open and closed positions, in said open position a passage within said spout being in communication with an opening in said top of said closure body, in said closed position said spout engaging said closure body adjacent to said opening so as to seal off said opening in which the improvement comprises:
- a groove formed in said closure body,
- a retainer means for holding said spout against movement mounted within said groove, said retainer means being capable of movement within said groove, being accessible to the exterior of said closure during the utilization of said closure and being incapable of being separated from said closure body during the normal utilization of said dispensing closure, said retainer means having a plurality of positions within said groove,
- in one position of said retainer means within said groove said retainer member being spaced from said spout so that said spout can be moved between said open and closed positions, said retainer means in all other positions serving to physically engage said spout when said spout is in said closed position so as to block the movement of said spout from said closed position to said open position by physical engagement with said spout,
- said goove is an annular groove extending around said opening in said closure body,
- said retainer means is a ring located within said groove, said ring having a notch formed therein,
- said spout has a lip formed thereon which extends beneath a portion of said ring when said spout is in said closed position,
- said lip being capable of passing through said notch when said ring is located so that said notch is adjacent to said spout, said one position being the position of said ring in which said notch is adjacent to said spout,
- said ring serving to block movement of said spout from said closed to said open position by said lip physically engaging said ring when said ring is in other than said one position.
- 8. a dispensing closure as claimed in claim 7 wherein:
- said groove and said ring are mounted on said top so as to extend around the periphery of said top.
- 9. A dispensing closure as claimed in claim 8 wherein:
- said ring includes an attached skirt-like cover extending around and covering said skirt of said closure body.
- 10. In a dispensing closure of the class which comprises a base having means to attach the closure to the opening of a container, a spout having a knuckle rotatably held in a cavity in the base, the spout being adapted to be actuated from a closed to an open position for flow of contents from the container and vice versa to interrupt flow, the base having an axis substantially aligned with the axis of the container opening, the spout, in its closed position, being substantially normal to said axis, the improvement which comprises: an annular member carried on the top of the base, means to retain said member in rotatable relation with the base, said member having a recess on the inside thereof, said recess being so configured and positioned with respect to the free end of the spout that, when the member is rotated to bring the recess and end of the spout into register, the spout may be rotated to its open position through said recess and, when the spout is closed and the member has been rotated out of register, movement of the spout to the open position is prevented.
- 11. The combination in accordance with claim 10 further characterized by the provision of protuberances on the member to facilitate rotation thereof.
- 12. A closure having a closure body including means for holding said closure body with respect to a container so that it is incapable of being removed from a container during the normal utilization of said closure and having an opening extending therethrough, said closure also having a spout rotatably mounted on said closure body so as to be capable of being rotated between a closed position in which said opening in said closure body is closed off by said spout and an open position in which a passage within said spout is in alignment with said opening, said spout extending from said closure body when in said open position and extending adjacent to said closure body when when in said closed position, said spout being mounted on said closure body so as to be incapable of being removed from said closure body during movement between said open and said closed positions during normal utilization of said closure, in which the improvement comprises:
- a retainer for engaging said spout so as to hold said spout against rotation when said spout is in said closed position,
- cooperating means on said retainer and said closure body for movably mounting said retainer on said closure body so that said retainer is incapable of being separated from said closure body during the normal utilization of said closure and so that said retainer is capable of being moved with respect to said spout and said closure body between locked and unlocked positions,
- in said locked position said retainer being located so as to physically prevent movement of said spout from said closed position and in said unlocked position said retainer being located so as to be spaced relative to said spout so as to permit said spout to be rotated between said opened and closed positions,
- said retainer being accessible from the exterior of said closure so as to be capable of digital engagement so that it can be moved with respect to said closure body and said spout.
- 13. A closure as claimed in claim 12 in which:
- said retainer is a ring rotatably mounted on said closure body so as to be capable of being rotated between a locked position in which said ring physically prevents movement of said spout from said closed position and an unlocked position in which a portion of said ring is located relative to said spout so that said spout can be rotated between open and closed positions.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application contains subject matter disclosed and claimed in the abandoned application Ser. No. 139,559 filed May 3, 1971 by Robert E. Hazard entitled "Safety Dispensing Closure with Movable Retainer".
US Referenced Citations (6)