Claims
- 1. A safety closure having a unitary or one-piece construction comprising:
- a closed top having a peripheral edge region;
- an interiorly threaded skirt integral with and depending from the peripheral edge region of said top;
- locking means formed integrally with said closure and movable under the action of actuating means from a locking position to a non-locking position; and
- actuating means for moving said locking means from the locking position to the non-locking position, said actuating means being constituted by said top of said closure which has a substantially dish-shaped locking configuration such that the application of a pressure on said top in excess of a certain minimum required pressure will deform said top into a non-locking configuration and result in movement of said locking means from the locking to the non-locking position.
- 2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said top is configured such that after the same is deformed from its locking configuration to its non-locking configuration, it will remain in its non-locking position.
- 3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said locking means are constituted by at least one tab-like locking member, each of which is integrally joined to the peripheral edge region of said top.
- 4. The combination of claim 3 wherein at least one slot is formed through said skirt, each of which extends downwardly from an upper region of said skirt, and wherein each of said tab-like locking members is aligned with and receivable within a respective one of said slots.
- 5. The combination of claim 4 wherein three locking members and three corresponding slots are spaced at about 120.degree. intervals from each other.
- 6. The combination of claim 4 wherein said skirt has an upper edge region which extends upwardly beyond the peripheral edge region of the top and which is integrally connected thereto by a web portion at a junction having a reduced thickness relative to the thickness of the skirt and the top.
- 7. The combination of claim 6 wherein the locking members extend generally downwardly from said top and are displaced radially inwardly with respect to said skirt, said web portion serving to space said skirt outwardly with respect to the peripheral edge region of said top.
- 8. The combination of claim 1 wherein said top of said closure has a convex dish-shaped configuration which extends upwardly in the direction from the peripheral edge region of the top to a central region thereof when the locking means are in the locking position.
- 9. The combination of claim 8 wherein said skirt is integrally connected to said top at a junction having a reduced thickness relative to the thickness of the skirt and top, and wherein a hinge groove is formed in a lower surface of said top extending around a central portion thereof, such that when a pressure is applied on said top which is in excess of a certain minimum required pressure, said top will snap into a concave configuration, said top flexing about said reduced thickness junction which acts as a hinge and said hinge groove, whereupon said locking means move to the non-locking position.
- 10. The combination of claim 9 wherein the snapping of said top creates an audible noise indicative of the movement of said locking means from the locking to the non-locking position.
- 11. The combination of claim 1 wherein said locking means is constituted by at least one locking member extending downwardly from the undersurface of a dish-shaped portion of said top and spaced inwardly from said skirt so as to be adapted to be situated within the neck of a bottle or container with which the closure is associated.
- 12. The combination of claim 11 wherein each of said locking members terminates at its lower end with an outwardly extending catch portion.
- 13. The combination of claim 1 wherein said skirt includes a lower circumferentially extending portion and an upper circumferentially extending portion, said upper skirt portion being formed by a plurality of locking segments, each of said locking segments being integrally joined with said top and with said lower skirt portion and separated from each other at adjoining side surfaces, and wherein said locking means comprise said locking segments and locking members formed on said locking segments.
- 14. The combination of claim 13 wherein each of said locking segments is integrally joined with said top at an upper groove hinge and is integrally joined with said lower skirt portion at a lower groove hinge
- 15. The combination of claim 13 wherein said locking members comprise tooth structure formed integrally with and extending inwardly from said locking segments.
- 16. The combination of claim 15 wherein each tooth of said tooth structure is defined by an angled leading edge and a substantially radial trailing edge.
- 17. The combination of claim 13 wherein said locking members comprise locking fingers extending inwardly from said locking segments.
- 18. The combination of claim 13 wherein said top of said closure has a dish-shaped configuration when said locking means are in the locking position and a substantially planar configuration when the locking means are in the non-locking position.
- 19. The combination of claim 18 wherein said top of said closure has a convex dish-shaped configuration which extends upwardly in the direction from the peripheral edge region of the top to the central region thereof when the locking means are in the locking position.
- 20. The combination of claim 18 wherein said top of said closure has a concave dish-shaped configuration which extends downwardly in the direction from the peripheral edge region of the top to the central region thereof when the locking means are in the locking position.
- 21. The combination of claim 20 wherein a handle is provided on the central region of said closure top.
- 22. The combination of claim 1 wherein said minimum required pressure to deform said top from its locking configuration to its non-locking configuration is at least about 8 pounds.
- 23. The combination of claim 22 wherein said minimum required pressure to deform said top from its locking configuration to its non-locking configuration is in the range of about 10 to 12 pounds.
- 24. A safety closure and container combination, comprising:
- a safety closure, including
- a closed top having a peripheral edge region;
- an interiorly threaded skirt integral with and depending from the peripheral edge region of said cap, said skirt adapted to threadedly mate with an externally threaded neck of said container means;
- locking means formed integrally with said closure and movable under the action of actuating means from a locking position in which the locking means are in engaging relationship with at least one locking element provided on the neck of said container means to a non-locking position in which the locking means are in non-engaging relationship with said at least one locking element; and
- actuating means for moving said locking means from the locking position to the non-locking position, said actuating means being constituted by said top of said closure which has a substantially dish-shaped locking configuration such that the application of a finger pressure on said top in excess of a certain minimum required pressure will deform said top into a non-locking configuration and result in movement of said locking means from the locking to the non-locking position; and
- container means, including
- an exteriorly threaded neck; and
- at least one locking element provided on said neck adapted to engage said locking means when the closure is tightened on said neck with said locking means in the locking position and wherein rotation of said closure in an untightening direction is attempted.
- 25. The combination of claim 24 wherein said at least one locking element is formed on the outer surface of said neck of said container means.
- 26. The combination of claim 25 wherein said locking means are constituted by at least one tab-like locking member, each of which is integrally joined to the peripheral edge region of said top, and wherein said at least one locking element is constituted by a protuberance formed on the exterior surface of said neck of said container means, said protuberance presenting a substantially radial surface facing in the tightening direction of said closure and adapted to engage said locking member when the latter is in its locking position and the closure is rotated in the untightening direction.
- 27. The combination of claim 26 wherein said protuberance further includes an angled surface facing in the untightening direction of rotation of said closure.
- 28. The combination of claim 24 wherein said combination further includes means for automatically moving said locking means from the non-locking position to the locking position only after the initiation of the rotation of said safety closure in an untightening direction from said neck of said container means.
- 29. The combination of claim 28 wherein said automatic means is constituted by said closure top which is configured such that after the same is deformed from its locking configuration to its non-locking configuration, it will remain in its non-locking position, and means for urging said closure top back to its locking configuration after the initiation of the rotation of said safety closure in an untightening direction from said neck of said container means.
- 30. The combination of claim 29 wherein said urging means include a finger extending downwardly from the undersurface of said top of said closure such that it extends within said neck when said closure is mounted thereon, and a protuberance formed on the inner surface of said neck extending radially inwardly for a limited distance, and wherein said finger extends from the undersurface of said top such that when said top is in its locking configuration said finger is spaced a sufficient distance from the inner surface of the neck that it will not engage said protuberance as said closure is rotated in a tightening direction onto the neck, and such that when said top is in its non-locking configuration said finger is closer to the inner surface of the neck and will engage said protuberance as said closure is rotated in an intightening direction from said neck, whereby said top is flexed towards its locking configuration.
- 31. The combination of claim 28 wherein said automatic means is constituted by said closure top which is configured such that after the same is deformed from its locking configuration to its non-locking configuration, it will spring back to its locking configuration unless otherwise restrained, and means for restraining said closure top in its non-locking configuration until after the initiation of the rotation of said safety closure in an untightening direction from said neck of said container means.
- 32. The combination of claim 31 wherein said neck of said container means has an upper edge surface and said safety closure includes bead means adapted to sealingly engage said upper edge surface of said neck when said closure is tightened on said neck, and wherein said restraining means comprise a bevelled outer region of said upper edge surface of said neck and an inwardly facing planar surface formed on said bead means, whereby when said top is tightened on said neck and deformed to its non-locking configuration, said inwardly facing planar surface engages said bevelled outer region to frictionally restrain said top from returning to its locking configuration and as said closure is rotated in an untightening direction said planar surface will become disengaged from said bevelled outer region whereupon all restraints tending to hold the top in its non-locking configuration are removed so that said top will spring back to its locking configuration.
- 33. The combination of claim 24 wherein said at least one locking element is formed on the inner surface of said neck of said container means.
- 34. The combination of claim 33 wherein said safety closure locking means are constituted by at least one locking member extending downwardly from the under surface of a dish-shaped portion of said top and spaced inwardly from said skirt so as to be situtated within said neck of said container means as said closure is tightened thereon, and wherein said locking element is provided on the inner surface of said neck, said locking member and element being formed such that when said top is in its locking configuration and the closure is tightened on said neck, said locking member engages said locking element to prevent rotation of said closure in an untightening direction and when said top is deformed to its non-locking configuration, said locking member is disengaged from said locking element thereby permitting rotation of said closure in the untightening direction.
- 35. The combination of claim 34 wherein each of said locking members terminates at its lower end with an outwardly extending catch portion having a curved leading surface in the tightening direction and wherein each of said locking elements comprise a substantially L-shaped locking element.
- 36. The combination of claim 24 wherein said skirt includes a lower circumferentially extending portion and an upper circumferentailly extending portion, said upper skirt portion being formed by a plurality of locking segments, each of said locking segments being integrally joined with said top and with said lower skirt portion and separated from each other at adjoining side surfaces, and wherein said locking means comprise said locking segments and tooth structure formed on said locking segments and wherein said locking element comprises an outwardly extending toothed rim formed on said neck of said container means.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 335,216 filed Dec. 28, 1981, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,413,742.
The present invention relates generally to safety closures or safety caps and, more particularly, to safety closures of the type having a closed top from which an interiorly threaded peripheral skirt depends and which is mounted in sealing position on a threaded neck of a bottle by positioning the cap over the bottle neck and twisting or rotating the cap until the top closes the open bottle end.
It is of course desirable to provide for the closing of bottles or containers in a manner which will prevent access to dangerous or poisonous substances contained therein. For example, various types of pharmaceuticals including pills and liquids are packaged in bottles or containers which are stored on shelves in medicine cabinets or the like within easy reach of children. Moreover, many toxic household substances are packaged in bottles or cans which are stored within the easy reach of children. In order to prevent or at least discourage children from gaining access to such dangerous substances, safety closures or caps have been suggested which are intended to close a bottle or container in a manner so as to make it difficult for a child to remove the cap from the bottle, either intentionally or through inadvertence. Such known safety closures generally must be manipulated in a certain fashion in order to unlock the same from the bottle to permit its subsequent removal. For example, reference is made to the safety closures disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,182,840 to Polzin, U.S. Pat. No. 3,514,003 to Fitzgerald, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,106,651 to Lemons.
However, none of the known safety closures are entirely satisfactory in use, and for this reason, many dangerous substances can still be found packaged in bottles or containers which are not provided with safety closures.
In general, a safety closure should have certain desirable features from both the standpoint of operation as well as from the standpoint of economy in manufacture. One important feature is that the opening of the bottle should be accomplished without any complicated or difficult maneuvers being required in order to permit ready access to the contents of the container for legitimate use. In this connection, it is important that the closure be readily removable not only by healthy adults but also by the elderly or infirm. Indeed, a significant problem restricting the wide adoption of presently available safety closures is the great degree of difficulty encountered by elderly or infirm individuals in performing the complicated and difficult manipulations required to remove such safety closures. On the other hand, however, the safety closure must be designed so as to present at least a minimum degree of difficulty to its being unlocked and removed in order to prevent young children from obtaining access to the contents. In this respect, it is especially desirable for the safety closure to be designed in a manner such that the degree of difficulty in removing the same from the bottle can be adjustably varied during manufacture to suit specific requirements.
It is also desirable that an option be provided whereby the safety closure can be used in either a so-called safety or locking mode wherein unauthorized removal from the container is prevented and a non-locking mode wherein the cap can be removed from the container in the same manner as conventional so-called non-safety closures, i.e., by merely unscrewing the cap from the bottle. For example, it may be desired in households where there are no young children to permanently dispense with the necessity of manipulating the closure to unlock the same from the bottle every time access to the contents thereof is indicated.
Another desirable feature of a safety closure is that a visible or other easily discernable signal be provided which will readily indicate whether the closure is locked or lockable to the container or in an unlocked or unlockable condition wherein the closure can be removed from the container in the same manner as conventional non-safety closures without the need for an unlocking manipulation. Such a feature is especially beneficial where the closure is operated by an individual whose vision is impaired.
The safety closure should be readily adaptable for use with a wide range of container types and sizes thereby enabling closure of the great preponderance of packaging styles for both drugs as well as household substances.
In connection with the manufacture of the safety closure, it is desirable that the basic design thereof be relatively simple, namely a one-piece or unitary structure, which requires no special materials for its construction.
Finally, the closure member should meet all requirements for reliably preserving and storing pharmaceutical and household substances in both liquid and solid form and have a configuration which is both attractive and which facilitates being grasped by the user.
Accordingly, it is the main object of the present invention to provide new and improved safety closures having one or more of the desirable features enumerated above and which overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art closures.
More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved safety closure for a container in which a dangerous substance is packaged which will reliably prevent unauthorized access to the container contents yet which does not require complicated or difficult manipulations to unlock the closure from the bottle.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved safety closure which can be used in either a so-called safety or locking mode or in a non-locking mode wherein the closure can be removed from the bottle in the same manner as a so-called non-safety closure, i.e., by merely untwisting the cap from the bottle.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved safety closure wherein a visual, audible and/or palpable signal is provided which indicates that the closure has become locked or unlocked from the container and/or is in a locking or non-locking mode.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved safety closure having a design whereby the degree of difficulty encountered in removing the closure from the bottle can be adjustably varied during manufacture in order to suit specific requirements.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved safety closure having a unitary or one-piece construction which is economical in manufacture, capable of closing a wide variety of types of containers and bottles in which liquid or solid substances are contained and which is attractive in appearance.
Briefly, in accordance with the present invention, these and other objects are attained by providing an improved safety closure or cap of the type having a unitary or one-piece construction with a closed top from which an interiorly threaded skirt depends and which is mounted in sealing position on a threaded neck of a bottle by positioning the cap over the bottle neck and twisting or rotating the cap until its top closes the open bottle end. Conversely, the closure is removed by untwisting the cap over the bottle neck.
According to the invention, the safety closure is constructed of a substantially rigid but resilient material and with one or more locking means being formed integral therewith which are movable under the action of certain actuating means between a non-locking position and a locking position in which the locking means engage appropriate corresponding locking elements provided on the bottle neck. The actuating means are constituted by the top of the closure which has a normally convex dome-like shape and which is formed with the closure member in a particular manner such that the application of a sufficient finger pressure on the cap will result in movement of the locking means from the locking to the non-locking position. The cap is thus threaded onto the bottle by twisting until the cap is in sealing position at which time the locking means engage the locking element on the bottle neck to prevent the cap from being rotated in the opposite direction and thereby removed. However, when it is desired to reach the contents of the bottle, the top of the closure is depressed by applying a sufficiently large finger pressure thereto whereupon the locking means disengage from the locking elements allowing the cap to be untwisted from the bottle.
The threshold finger pressure on the closure top required to actuate the movement of the locking means can be selected through suitable design of the closure such, for example, as by slightly varying material thicknesses or the like. It is believed that a threshold actuation pressure of 8 pounds is satisfactory to preclude most young children from unlocking the closure except with the most concerted effort.
The present invention also comprises the combination of the safety closure and the container associated therewith.
Other advantages provided by the closure and combination of the invention, several embodiments of which are disclosed hereinbelow, will become apparent from the description which follows.
US Referenced Citations (2)
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
| Parent |
335216 |
Dec 1981 |
|
Patent Grant
4442945
