AU717498B2 - Closure - Google Patents

Description

Regulation 3.2 AUST RAL IA Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE

SPECIFICATION

FOR A STANDARD

PATENT

(ORIGINAL)

a.

Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: Invention Title: LIBRA PAINT PANELS PTY LTD MARCEL VAN RYN SANDERCOCK

COWIE

69 Robinson Street, DANDENONG VIC 3175

CLOSURE

Details of Associated Provisional Application(s): No(s): Australian Provisional Application No. PN9728 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: 1 -7 970S07,csdat.l13,vanyn.fil,1 X 0 4 5< 080 Q5 9 (4 la- TITLE:

CLOSURE

FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a closure.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION It is a known problem to provide containers with closures which are reasonably proof against child access so that the child may not get access to the interior of the container.

It is also a known problem to provide containers with closures which will show evidence of tampering as may occur when people of malicious intent deliberately open a container and insert some foreign material therein.

9705cmsdat.1I3,VANRYNCAP,1 2 The problem of achieving the above two effects is quite substantial.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides:a closure for a container having a finish which is threaded, and wherein the closure comprises an inner body and an outer body wherein 15 the inner body is generally cylindrical and has an end wall for closing the container and threading means enabling the oo" inner body to be screwed to the container finish and wherein the outer body is adapted to fit over the inner body and wherein the outer body and the inner body have complementary formations which, when brought into engagement with one another, will enable turning of the outer body to result in turning of the inner body for the purposes of screwing the inner body onto or off the finish; and wherein the outer body is such a fit on the inner body that under normal conditions of use, turning of the outer body will not bring such means into engagement with one another but wherein the outer body is provided with a slot which will enable the outer body to be radially inwardly compressed so as to bring said means into engagement for unscrewing purposes as aforesaid and wherein that slot is closed, in an initial state, by a member which 9705D7.nsdt.113ANRyN.CAP,2 3 prevents such radial movement but which member is movable away from the outer body so as to enable thereafter the radial compression as aforesaid.

PREFERRED ASPECTS OF THE INVENTION It is preferred that the outer body has an aperture therein which is largely covered by said member prior to its removal.

It is preferred that the outer body and the inner body are of contrasting appearance whereby, when said member is .i removed, it would be apparent to a user that said member had been removed and that the closure had been put into a 15 condition in which a user could enable it. In practice, this will give evidence of tampering.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is an isometric view of a container fitted with a closure in accordance with this invention in one condition, Figure 2 is an isometric view of the container of Figure 1 but in another condition, Figure 3 is a top plan view of the container in the condition shown in Figure 1, Figure 4 is a side elevational view of the container in the condition shown in Figure 1, Figure 5 is a top plan view of part of the closure, Figure 6 is a side elevational view of part of the closure, Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of the closure in plan, and 97M5O7nsdat113,VANRYNCAP3 4- Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the container in vertical section.

INTEGER LIST 1. Container 2. Threaded finish 3. Closure 4. Outer body 6. Inner body 7. Threading 8. End wall 9. Ribs 21. Projections 15 22. Central hole 23. Slit portion 24. Slit portion 26. Tab S27. Cover portion 28. Bead 29. Flange Workable wall DETAILED DESCRIPTION WITH RESPECT TO THE DRAWINGS In the drawings there is shown a container 1 which has a threaded finish 2 which is best seen in Figure 8 and is generally conventional in form.

Fitted to the container 1 is a closure 3 which comprises an outer body 4 and an inner body 6.

The inner body 6 has threading 7 in conventional manner together with an end wall 8 for sealing against the upper end of the container 1.

On its external cylindrical surface, the inner body 6 has 970S07,cnsdat113,VANRY.CAP,4 ribs 9.

The outer body 4 has on its interior cylindrical surface projections 21 intended for engagement with the ribs 9 for purposes of screwing the inner body 6 onto the threaded finish 2 but only under conditions and circumstances as described below.

It is particularly to be noted that the outer body 4 is sized internally such that if rotated on the inner body 6 the projections 21 will not engage with the ribs 9 and to that end a user would find the closure very difficult to remove from the container.

15 However, the outer body 4 has the central hole 22 and two ooo.

slit portions 23 and 24.

Those slit portions 23 and 24 are normally filled by a moulded in tab 26 which has a cover portion 27.

However, the manner of moulding in the tab 26 is such that it is easily broken away from the outer body 4 and when this is done, then the slit portions 23 and 24 are not impeded by the tab 26 and it will then become easy for at least an adult person to radially inwardly compress the outer body 4 so that the workable wall 30 can engage with the ribs 9 for purposes of opening the container.

For purposes of providing more and better tamper evidence protection, the container 4 has a central hole 22 which is normally covered by a cover portion 27 being part of the tab 26.

To condition the closure 3 for use in opening the cover portion 27 is simply prized upwards to break the tab away from the closure 3 whereafter the closure may be operated.

970507cmsda.113,VANRYN.CAP,5 6 However, the removal of the cover portion 27 and tab 26 will show evidence of tampering if this be the case.

To make tampering even more evident, it is preferred to make the outer body 4 and inner body 6 of contrasting appearance, wording or other means such as by being of different colour and this will make tampering even more evident.

To capture the outer body 4 on the inner body 6 the outer body 6 is provided with beads 28 which fit over a flange 29 on the inner body. This arrangement might be reversed.

As shown in Figure 1, the tab 26 only locates in the slit portion 23 but it would not be difficult to extend the tab 26 downwardly so also as to extend into the slit portion .i 24.

The claims, illustrations, photographs and drawings, if any, form part of the disclosure of this specification as does the description, claims, illustrations, photographs and drawings of any associated provisional or parent specification or of any priority document, if any, all of which are imported hereinto as part of the record hereof.

Finally it is to be understood that various alterations, modifications and/or additions may be incorporated into the various constructions and arrangements or parts without departing from the spirit and ambit of the invention.

970507,ansdat.113YANRYN.CAP,6

Claims (4)

1. 2. A closure for a container as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the outer body has an aperture therein which is largely covered by said member prior to its removal.
2. 3. A closure for a container as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the outer body and the inner body are of contrasting appearance whereby, when said member is removed, it would be apparent to a user that said member had been removed and that the closure had been put into a condition in which a user could enable it.
3. 4. A closure for a container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one of the accompanying drawings. Dated this 10 th day of November, 1999. SANDERCOCK COWIE PATENT ATTORNEYS FOR LIBRA PAINT PANELS PTY. LTD.
4. 1998-01-23 ,A:\240vanryn.claims. wpd,8