Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
  • B65D50/00—Closures with means for discouraging unauthorised opening or removal thereof, with or without indicating means, e.g. child-proof closures
  • B65D50/02—Closures with means for discouraging unauthorised opening or removal thereof, with or without indicating means, e.g. child-proof closures openable or removable by the combination of plural actions
  • B65D50/04—Closures with means for discouraging unauthorised opening or removal thereof, with or without indicating means, e.g. child-proof closures openable or removable by the combination of plural actions requiring the combination of simultaneous actions, e.g. depressing and turning, lifting and turning, maintaining a part and turning another one
  • B65D50/045—Closures with means for discouraging unauthorised opening or removal thereof, with or without indicating means, e.g. child-proof closures openable or removable by the combination of plural actions requiring the combination of simultaneous actions, e.g. depressing and turning, lifting and turning, maintaining a part and turning another one where one action elastically deforms or deflects at least part of the closure, the container or an intermediate element, e.g. a ring
  • B65D50/046—Closures with means for discouraging unauthorised opening or removal thereof, with or without indicating means, e.g. child-proof closures openable or removable by the combination of plural actions requiring the combination of simultaneous actions, e.g. depressing and turning, lifting and turning, maintaining a part and turning another one where one action elastically deforms or deflects at least part of the closure, the container or an intermediate element, e.g. a ring and such deformation causes the disengagement of locking means, e.g. the release of a pawl-like element from a tooth or abutment, to allow removal of the closure by simultaneous rotation

Definitions

• the present invention relates generally to closures or caps and, more particularly, to safety / closures and tamper-resistant closures.
• bottles or containers in a manner which will prevent access to dangerous or poisonous substances contained therein.
• 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.
• many toxic household substances are packaged in bottles or cans which are stored within easy reach of children.
• 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 inten ⁇ tionally or through inadvertence.
• 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 com ⁇ plicated or difficult maneuvers being required in order to permit ready access to the contents of the container for legitimate use.
• 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 obtain- ing access to the contents.
• the safety closure 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
• a visible or other easily discemable signal be provided which will readily indicate whether the closure is locked or lockable to the container or is 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 readuly 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.
• the basic design thereof be relatively simple, namely, a one-piece or unitary structure, which requires no special materials for its construction.
• 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.
• 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.
• Another important object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved tamper- resistant closure or cap for a container.
• OMPI already been removed from the container and therefore which will indicate by a casual visual inspection the possibility that the contents of the container have been tampered with, e.g., should the device indicate such removal prior to the sale of the product to the consumer.
• 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.
• the safety closure is constructed of a substantially rigid but resilient material and with at least one locking means being formed integral therewith which is movable under the action of certain actuating means between a non-locking position and a locking position in which the locking means are engaged with or disengaged from 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 dish-like or 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 engages a
• 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 satisfac- tory to preclude most young children from unlocking the closure except with the most concerted effort.
• a tamper-resistant closure or cap is also provided.
• the tamper-resistant closure construction is applicable to any type of closure or cap whose contour or configuration must be altered or changed in connection with effecting its removal from the associated container.
• a tamper-resistant closure in accordance with the invention may be incorporated in a twist-type threaded safety cap, such as described above, or may be incor ⁇ porated in a non-safety closure construction such as a conventional "snap-fit" construction.
• the tamper-resistant closure is formed with a top having a normally convex dish-like or dome-like shape formed of a resilient material so as to be depress- able by the application of suitable finger pressure in connection with the removal of the cap from the container.
• the tamper-resistant closure may be incorporated in the safety closure construction described above or, for example, in a cap of the type disclosed in U.S. Patent 4,187,953 to Turner which comprises a snap-type cap having a dome-shaped top which is depressed in connection with removing the cap from the container.
• a non-pliable, readily frangible substance such as a thin film of lacquer or the like, is applied to the upper surface of the top of the closure which will provide a visual indication of the occurrence of the first or initial depression of the closure top and thereby provide a visual indication of the possible removal of the closure from the container.
• the initial depression of the dome-like top of the closure to effect this disengagement of the locking means from the locking elements will result in a visible fracture, splitting, cracking, spidering or separation of the applied non-pliable substance which thus provides a visual indication that the closure has possibly at some time already been removed from the container.
• tamper indicating means in accordance with the invention are disclosed.
• a strip of foil or tape can be fixed to the dome-shaped top of the closure in a manner such that the initial depression of the closure top will cause the strip to rupture thereby providing a readily visual indication that the cap may have been previously removed from the container.
• the present invention also comprises a combina ⁇ tion of the safety closure and the container associated therewith.
• Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a first embodiment of a safety closure in accordance with the present invention in association with a container;
• Fig. 2 is a section view taken along line 2-2 of Fig. 1;
• Fig. 3 is a section view taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 2;
• Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1-3 illustrating the operation of the present invention
• Fig. 5 is a section view taken along line 5-5 of Fig. 4;
• Fig. 6 is a section view taken along line 6-6 of Fig. 5;
• Fig. 7 is a perspective view illustrating a second embodiment of a safety closure in accordance with the present invention.
• Fig. 8 is a section view taken along line 8-8 of Fig. 7;
• Fig. 9 is a section view taken along line 9-9 of Fig. 8;
• Fig. 10 is a perspective view illustrating the operation of the embodiment of the invention illus- trated in Figs. 6-9;
• Fig. 11 is a section view taken along line • 11-11 of Fig. 10;
• Fig. 12 is a top plan view of a third embodiment of a safety closure according to the present invention in sealing position on a bottle or container.
• Fig. 13 is a section view along line 13-13 of Fig. 1;
• Fig. 14 is a development view illustrating the inner surface of the peripheral skirt of the closure embodiment of Fig. 12;
• Fig. 15 is a development view illustrating the upper region of the outer surface of the bottle of Fig. 12;
• Fig. 16 is a plan view of the bottle or container of Fig. 12;
• Fig. 17 is a section view taken along line 17-17 of Fig. 13;
• Fig. 18 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 13 and illustrating the unlocking of the closure from the bottle;
• Fig. 19 is a section view taken along line 19-19 of Fig. 18;
• Fig. 20 is a plan view similar to Fig. 12 and illustrating a fourth embodiment of a closure and closure-bottle combination according to the present invention wherein provision is made for returning the closure to its locking mode during the untwisting rotation of the cap;
• Fig. 21 is a section view taken along line 21-21 of Fig. 20;
• Fig. 22 is a section view taken along line 22-22 of Fig. 21;
• Fig. 23 is a view similar to Fig. 18 illustrat ⁇ ing the unlocking of the closure illustrated in Fig. 20;
• Fig. 24 is a section view taken along line 24-24 of Fig. 23;
• Fig. 25 is a view similar to Fig. 24 illustrat ⁇ ing the return of the closure to its locking mode during the untwisting operation;
• Fig. 26 is a plan view of a fifth embodiment of a closure and closure bottle combination according to the present invention.
• Fig. 27 is a section view taken along line 27-27 of Fig. 26;
• Fig. 28 is a view similar to Fig. 27 and illustrating the unlocking operation of the closure
• Fig. 29 is a plan view of the neck of a bottle forming a part of a closure-bottle combination according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention
• Fig. 30 is a bottom plan view of a closure forming a part of the embodiment of the closure-bottle combination of Fig. 29;
• Fig. 31 is a fragmentary view illustrating the locking operation of the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 29 and 30;
• Fig. 32 is a view taken in the direction of line 32-32 of Fig. 31;
• Fig. 33 is a fragmentary perspective view of the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 29-32 with the closure being locked to the bottle;
• OMPI Fig. 34 is a section view taken along line 34-34 of Fig. 33;
• Fig. 35 is a fragmentary view of the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 29-34 during the unlocking of the closure from the bottle;
• Fig. 36 is a view taken in the direction of line 36-36 of Fig. 35;
• Fig. 37 is a perspective view of a seventh embodiment of a closure and closure-bottle combination in accordance with the present invention.
• Fig. 38 is a section view taken along line 38-38 of Fig. 37;
• Fig. 39 is a section view taken along line 39-39 of Fig. 38;
• Fig. 40 is a view similar to Fig. 38 illus ⁇ trating the closure in its unlocked position on the bottle neck;
• Fig. 41 is a section view along line 41-41 of Fig. 40;
• Fig. 42 is a view similar to Fig. 39 illus ⁇ trating a modification of the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 37-41;
• Fig. 43 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a tamper-resistant cap in accordance with the present invention.
• Fig. 44 is a section view taken along line 44-44 of Fig. 43;
• Fig. 45 is a top plan view of the cap of Fig. 43 after the top thereof has been depressed;
• Fig. 46 is a section view taken along line
• Fig. 47 is a top plan view of a second embodiment of a tamper-resistant cap in accordance with the present invention
• Fig. 48A and 48B are section views taken along line 48-48 of Fig. 47, Fig. 48A being a view prior to the intial depression of the top of the closure and Fig. 48B being a view subsequent to the initial depression;
• Fig. 49 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of a tamper-resistant closure in accordance with the present invention.
• Fig. 50 is a partial perspective view of a fourth embodiment of a tamper-resistant closure in accordance with the present invention.
• Fig. 51 is a partial side elevation view of an eighth embodiment of a safety closure cap in accor ⁇ dance with the present invention
• Fig. 52 is a section view taken along line
• Fig. 53 is a view similar to Fig. 52 illustrat ⁇ ing the unlocking of the closure from the container;
• Fig. 54 is a partial perspective view of the neck of the container and illustrating a locking element for use with the embodiment of the closure shown in Figs. 51-53; and
• Fig. 55 is a view similar to Fig. 54 illustrat- ing another embodiment of a locking element for use with the closure shown in Figs. 51-53.
• Closure member 10 is illus ⁇ trated as being threadedly fastened onto the neck 12 of a container 14.
• the container 14 may house contents of any type, the present invention has particular applicability to closing containers which house medicine or the like.
• Closure member 10 is formed of a deformable material such, for example, as a resilient polymer composition.
• a polyolefin such as poly ⁇ ethylene may be utilized.
• Closure member 10 is a unitary member and has a top 16 and an integral skirt 18 downwardly depending from the periphery of the top 16.
• the closure member skirt 18 has screw threads 20 formed on the inwardly facing surface 22 thereof which are adapted to threadedly cooperate with screw threads 24 formed on the outer surface 26 of the container neck 12.
• the outer surface of the peripheral skirt 18 may be fluted or knurled in order to facilitate rotation thereof as is common.
• a locking member 28 is integrally formed with the closure member 10.
• the locking member 28 is constituted by a segment 30 of the peripheral skirt 18 itself of closure member 10.
• the peripheral skirt segment 30 comprises a segment of the skirt which has been separated from the skirt itself so as to be movable with respect thereto.
• the locking member 28 is further constituted by a radial segment 32 of the top 16 of closure member 10.
• the radial closure top segment 32 is integral with and forms a continuation of the peripheral skirt segment 30 and is at least partially separated from the major portion of the closure member top 16 so as to be movable with respect thereto.
• the locking member 28 is integrally connected to the closure member 10 only at the top 16
• the locking member 28 is formed having a pair of side surfaces 34 and a lower or bottom surface 36 extending between the side surfaces 34 formed within the skirt 18. It is therefore seen that the locking member 28 can be thought of as constituting a "cutout" from the closure member 10 with the side and bottom surfaces 34 and 36 being formed by cutting or slitting the closure member itself at the locations illustrated in the drawings.
• a locking member 28 is formed with a locking portion 38 which extends inwardly towards the interior space defined by the peripheral skirt 18.
• the locking portion 38 is formed by enlarging the thickness of the portion of the skirt 18 which constitutes the skirt segment 30 of locking member 28. This thickness is enlarged suffi ⁇ ciently such that the locking portion 38 when in a first position illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 extends into the interior space defined by skirt 18 inwardly of the closure member screw threads 20, i.e., inwardly beyond the inwardly facing surface 22 of skirt 18.
• the locking member 28 is connected to the closure member 10 at the top 16 thereof.
• the radially innermost region o.f the top segment 32 merges with the major portion of top 16 at a connecting region 40 which acts as a so-called "living hinge".
• the locking member 28 is pivotally movable from its first position illustrated in Figs. 1-3 wherein the locking portion 38 extends into the interior space defined by the skirt inwardly of the screw threads 20 to a second position illustrated in Figs. 4-6 wherein the locking portion 38 is withdrawn from the interior space.
• the threaded neck 12 of container 14 is formed with a slot or recess 42 preferably communicating with the upper edge 44 thereof.
• the slot 42 is formed at an appropriate location such that when the closure member 10 is threadedly fastened onto the neck 12 of container 14 so that the top 16 of the closure member closes the opened end of the container, the locking portion 38 of locking meber 28 is in or can be brought into alignment with slot 42. It is therefore seen that when the closure member 10 has been threadedly fastened onto the neck 12 of container 14, the locking member 28 can be moved onto its first position (Figs. 1-3) wherein the locking portion 38 is received within the slot 42. In this manner, the closure member 10 will be prevented from being rotated relative to the container neck by virtue of the locking portion 38 being received within slot 42. When it is desired to unscrew the closure member 10 from the container neck 12, the locking member 28 is moved to its second position (Figs.
• the closure member top 16 has a central dome-shaped portion 46 which defines at its outermost region an inwardly facing cam surface 48.
• Cam surface 48 is located so as to abut the upper edge 44 of the container neck 12 when the closure member 10 has been threadedly fastened onto the container neck as best seen in Figs. 2 and 5.
• the connecting region 40 where the locking member 28 is connected to the closure member 10 is situated proximate to a portion of the cam surface 48.
• the locking portion 38 of locking member 28 is at least partially defined by side surfaces which in the illustrated embodiment constitute continuations of the side surfaces 34 of locking member 28.
• a detent portion constituted by a protuberance 50 extends lateral ⁇ ly from each of the side surfaces 34 so as to be located adjacent to the inwardly facing surface 22 of skirt 18 when the locking member 28 is in its first position as seen in Fig. 3.
• the detent protuberances 50 thereby serve to releasably hold the locking member 28 in its first or locking position.
• the detent pro- tuberances 50 are formed of deformable material so that when sufficient force is exerted on the dome-shaped central portion 46 of top 16, the locking member 28 will be pivotally moved towards its second position, i.e., the detent protuberances 50 will be deformed so as to allow outward movement of locking member 28.
• a pair of recesses 52 in the side surfaces of skirt 18 which extend outwardly from the inwardly facing surface 22 thereof contiguous with the locking member 28 at a • position such that the recesses 52 will receive the laterally extending detent protuberances 50 when the locking member 28 has moved to its second position, i.e., after the locking portion 38 has been withdrawn from the interior space defined within skirt 18.
• the locking member 28 will be releasably held in its second position.
• the closure member 10 with the locking member 28 in its second position has been rotatably screwed onto the neck 12 of container 14, it is only necessary to apply in inwardly radial force to the locking member 28 to release the detent protuberances 50 from within the recesses 52 and thereby move the locking member 28 back to the first position whereupon the locking portion 38 is received within the slot 42 to lock the closure member 10 onto the neck of the bottle 14.
• FIG. 7-11 a second embodiment of a closure member in accordance with the present invention is illustrated.
• the various elements of the second embodiment of the closure member which correspond to analogous elements discussed above in connection with the first embodiment will be designated by the same reference numeral, primed.
• the closure member 10' is illustrated in use with the same container 14 described in connection with the previously discussed embodiment.
• 7-11 corresponds to the previously discussed embodiment in that the same is formed of a deformable material and includes a top 16' and a downwardly depending peripheral skirt 18' .
• Screw threads 20' are formed on the inwardly facing surface 22' of skirt 18' so that closure member 10' can be threadedly fastened to the threaded neck 12 of container 14.
• Closure member 10' is formed with an integral locking member 28' which is constituted by a segment 30' of skirt 18' and an integral radial segment 32' of top 16' , the top segment 32' forming an integral continuation of the peripheral skirt segment 30'.
• the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 7-11 differs from that illustrated in Figs. 1-6 in that the locking member 28' constituted by the integral peripheral skirt and radial top segments 30' and 32' is integrally connected to the closure member 10' only on the skirt 18' thereof.
• the radial top segment 32' is completely separated from the closure member top 16' while the peripheral skirt segment 30' integrally merges with the skirt 18' at a lower connect ⁇ ing region 54 which functions as a so-called "living hinge".
• the radial top segment 32' is merely moved radially outwardly in the direction of the arrow 55 illustrated in Figs. 7 and 10.
• the side surfaces 56 (Fig. 9) of the top segment 32 extend downwardly and outwardly while the contiguous side surfaces of top 16' are similarly configured thereby creating a dovetail arrangement which restrains the movement of the closure top segment 32' with respect to the top except in the radial direction.
• a detent protuberance 50' extends laterally from the side surface of locking portion 28' so as to removably retain the locking member 28' in the first position by engaging the inwardly facing surface 22'
• detent protuberances 50' releasably hold the locking member 28' in the second or unlocked position by engaging the outwardly facing surface of skirt 18' when the locking member is in its second or unlocked position as best seen in Figs. 10 and 11.
• a child-resistant closure member which permits access to the contents of the container in two distinct but easily performed maneuvers, namely, the movement of the locking member from its first or locked position to its second or unlocked position and subsequent rotation of the closure member to unscrew the same from the neck of the container.
• This operation is relatively simple and can be easily accomplished by the elderly or debilitated yet is sufficiently complicated to prevent access to the contents of the container by infants or young children.
• the pressure necessary to move the locking member from the first to the second position can be suitably varied.
• other embodiments of the invention are possible such, for example, as an embodiment wherein the locking member comprises only a segment of the skirt although the structure described above where the locking member is constituted by integral segments of both the top and the skirt is preferred.
• a recess may be utilized in lieu of the slot 42 formed in the neck of the container.
• a recess which does not extend completely through the thickness of the container neck and which opens onto the outer surface thereof may be utilized to obtain the benefits of the present invention.
• the use of a recess enables the container, when closed with the closure member of the present invention, to hold a liquid without the possibility of leakage.
• slot means designates either a slot extending completely through the container neck or a recess which extends only partially therethrough.
• a safety closure or cap mounted on the neck 12 of a bottle or container 14.
• the illustrated embodiment of the safety closure 10 has a unitary or one-piece construction including a closed top 16 from which a peripheral skirt 18 depends.
• the closure is formed of a substantially rigid but resilient material, such as plastic, preferably by conventional injection molding techniques. Threads are formed on the interior surface of skirt 18 adapted to mate with corresponding threads formed on the exterior surface of the bottle neck 12.
• the thread struc ⁇ ture comprises three flights 22 (only two shown in Fig.
• skirt 18 equally spaced from each other around the circumfer ⁇ ence of skirt 18 and three corresponding equally spaced flights 23 (only two shown in Fig. 15) on the bottle neck 12, it is understood that conventional helical thread structure may be utilized.
• the lower end of the skirt 18 is formed with a thickened rib portion 26 for purposes which will be made clearer hereinbelow.
• the upper edge region of skirt 18 extends upwardly beyond the peripheral edge region of the top
• a number of slots 32 are formed through the skirt 18, each of which extends downwardly from the web portion 28. In the illustrated embodiment, three such slots 32 are formed which are equally spaced from each other by 120° center-to-center intervals.
• a correspond ⁇ ing number of tab-like locking members 34 are integrally joined to the peripheral edge region of top 16, each of the locking members being aligned with and receivable within a respective one of the slots 32.
• three locking members 34 spaced at 120° center-to-center intervals from each other are integral with and extend downwardly from the top 16 of cap 10.
• cap 10 is illustrated in its so-called locked mode such that removal from the bottle neck is prevented, the locking members extend downwardly from the top 16 and are displaced radially inwardly with respect to the skirt 18, the web portion 28 serving to space the skirt somewhat outwardly with respect to the peripheral edge region of top 16.
• a bead 36 is formed on the under- surface of top 16 to sealingly engage the upper edge of the bottle neck 12.
• the bottle neck 12 has a number of protuberances formed thereon situated over the threads 24 and preferably corresponding in number and spacing to the number and spacing of locking member 34.
• Each of the protuberances 38 presents a substantially radial abutment surface 40 facing the clockwise direction when viewed in Fig. 16, and an angled surface 42 facing the counterclockwise direction.
• the cap 10 In mounting the cap 10 on the bottle neck 12, the cap is situated over the neck and twisted or rotated in a clockwise direction with the corresponding threads mating until the cap descends to a point where bead 36 comes into sealing engagement with the upper edge surface 44 of neck 12 as seen in Fig. 13.
• the locking members 34 in their locking positions illustrated in Figs. 13 and 17 engage the angled surfaces 42 of protuberances 38 and by virtue of the resilient nature of the material from which the cap is formed, flex outwardly to the extent necessary so that the locking members will ride over the protuberances. As seen in Figs.
• the cap and bottle are suitably configured such that when the cap reaches the position wherein the sealing bead 36 engages the surface 44 of the neck 12, the trailing edge 46 (relative to clockwise rotation of cap 10) of each locking member 34 is contiguous with an abutment surface 40 of a corre- sponding protuberance 38. It will be readily appreciated that should removal of the cap be attempted by rotating the cap in the counterclockwise direction, the edges 46 of the locking members will abut against and engage the abutment surfaces 40 so that counterclockwise rotation is obstructed. Thus, when the cap according to the invention is tightened over the bottle neck with the locking members in their locking position, it is not possible to untwist the cap by virtue of the construction - described above.
• actuating means are provided for moving the locking members 34 from the locking positions illustrated in Figs. 13 and 17 to non-locking positions illustrated in Figs. 18 and 19, i.e., to positions wherein the edges 46 of locking members 34 are displaced outwardly from the abutment surfaces 40 of protuberances 38 to thereby permit a counterclockwise rotation and removal of the closure.
• the top 16 of cap 10 has a substan ⁇ tially dish or dome-shaped configuratiqn which when the locking members 34 are in their locking positions extends upwardly in the direction from the peripheral edge region of top 16 to a central region thereof.
• the top 16 has a normally convex dish-like construction as best seen in Fig. 13.
• a hinge groove 48 is formed in the lower surface of top 16 extending around a central portion thereof.
• closure 10 is such that when a downward force greater than a certain minimum force is applied to the central region of top 16, such as by application of finger pressure, the latter will flex and "snap" into a concave or depressed configura ⁇ tion as seen in Fig. 18, the top flexing in the regions of the reduced thickness junctions 30 and 30a, which act as hinges, and the hinge groove 48.
• the closure is preferably constructed as shown so that the top will remain in the depressed or concave configuration after being snapped into that position.
• the peripheral region of the top 16 will flex with respect to the hinge portions 30 and 30a while the central region of the top will flex about the hinge groove 48 with respect to the outer portion of top 16.
• the structural rigidity of the skirt which is provided by the hinge structure in addition to the reinforcing rib portin 26 acts to produce this over-center or "oil-can" type action of the top 16 which is advantageous for reasons made clear below.
• OMPI disengaged or unlocking position out of alignment with the corresponding abutment surface 50 thereby permitting the cap to be unscrewed from the bottle neck. It should be understood that such flexure does not depend on any camming action between the bead 36 and any structure related to the neck 12.
• the top When the finger pressure is released, the top will remain in its concave configuration so that the locking members 34 remain in their unlocking positions.
• This is advantageous in the case where it is desired to use the closure in the same manner as a conventional non-locking type closure, i.e., with the locking feature of the closure permanently disengaged. This may be desired in households where there are no young children.
• the top 16 is always left in its depressed or concave configuration so that the locking members will never be obstructed by the protuberances 38 so that the cap can be merely screwed on and off the bottle as desired in a conventional manner.
• a lever 51 shown in phantom in Figs.
• top 16 may be manipulated by the user when it is desired to return the cap to its locking mode, i.e., to snap the top back to its convex configura ⁇ tion.
• the minimum pressure to be applied to the top 16 of cap 10 can be suitably selected during manufacture by appropriate design modifications such, for example, as increasing or decreasing the thickness of the top or the junction 30.
• the minimum force to actuate movement of the locking member 34 should be at least 8 pounds and preferably in the range of about 10 to 12 pounds which is small enough that elderly or infirm people will have little difficulty in operating the same but which is sufficiently large so that small children will not be able to accomplish an unlocking of the cap.
• Another advantage provided by the structure of the invention is that visually, audible and palpable signals are simultaneously provided when the top of the cap is depressed from its locking to its non-locking position.
• the fact that the cap is in its non ⁇ locking mode will be clearly visually apparent from the concave configuration of the top.
• this configuration is readily apparent by touch which is advantageous for individuals whose vision is impaired.
• an audible noise is generated indica ⁇ tive of the condition of the closure.
• the safety closure described above may be formed such that after the top 16 has been depressed into its concave configuration (Fig. 18) and the depress ⁇ ing finger pressure removed, the top 16 will tend to immediately return to its initial convex configuration.
• the closure top will tend to snap back to its initial configuration immediately after it has been depressed if the hinge structure or top itself is formed with a reduced thickness.
• OMPI closure top resisting the tendency thereof to return to its original configuration until the locking members have cleared the abutment surfaces.
• a safety closure of the present invention wherein the top tends to return from its depressed configuration to its original convex configuration immediately after removing the finger pressure from the closure top and which is further provided with means for holding the locking members in their non-locking positions and the top in the depressed configuration, at least until the cap has been unscrewed to an extent such that the locking members will clear the abutment surfaces after moving back to their locking positions, at which time the locking members will automatically return to their locking position and the top will snap back to its undepressed state.
• the cap 10a is constituted substantially similarly to the cap 10 of Figs.
• a detention flap 150 extends upwardly partially into the slot 32a from the bottom edge thereof and is formed with a reduced thickness so that it is easily deflectable. As seen in Figs. 51 and 52, the detention flap 150 projects upwardly into the slot 32a so that it is positioned directly outwardly of the lower region of locking member 34a.
• the lower edge of locking member 34a is preferably formed with a downwardly and inwardly bevelled camming surface 152.
• the bottle neck 12a is formed with locking elements corresponding in number to the number of tab-like locking members provided on the closure.
• the locking element comprises a protuberance 38a which, like the protuberance 38 of Figs. 12-19, presents a substantially radial abutment surface 40a facing the clockwise direction when viewed in Fig. 54 and an angled surface 42a facing the counterclockwise direction.
• the terminal edge of abutment 40a is bevelled as at 41a.
• the protuberance 38a further includes a circumferentially extending retaining portion 154 which is situated such that it is positioned inwardly of the detention flap 150 when the closure has been screwed tightly onto the container neck 12a.
• the locking element may be formed in the thread of the container neck as seen in Fig. 55 so as to present an abutment surface 40a' and a releasing portion 154'.
• the top 16a is depressed in the manner described above by applying a sufficient finger pressure thereto whereupon the locking member 34a is pivoted outwardly so as to move out of engagement with the radial abutment surface 40a, 40a'.
• the locking member 34a engages the detention flap 150 during its outward movement whereupon the flap 150 deflects to permit the locking member 34a to pass to the opposite side thereof whereby the flap 150 becomes situated between the locking member and the retaining portion 154, 154'.
• the top 16a Upon release of the finger pressure, the top 16a will tend to return or snap back to its original convex dome-shaped configuration. However, the locking member 34a is prevented from returning to its locking position -29-
• the locking member 34a engages the detention flap 150 which is prevented from deflecting_inwardly ,by.virtue of the retaining portion 154, 154' engaged by it. 5 Accordingly, the locking member 34a is held in its non-locking configuration despite the fact that the top 16a has returned to its convex configuration. Moreover, the top 16a is retained in its depressed state in the same manner. The cap is then unscrewed and as soon as 10 it is rotated to : a-position" : where.
• FIGs. 20-25 another embodi ⁇ ment of a safety closure according to the present invention, generally designated 52, is illustrated.
• the same reference numerals are used in the description of this embodiment as were used to designate correspond- 20 ing parts in the previously described embodiment.
• the closure 52 has essentially the same construction as closure 10 wherein the top will remain in the depressed configuration after release of finger pressure.
• 25 means are provided whereby after the locking members 34 are moved to their unlocking position in connection with the removal of cap 10 from the bottle neck 12, the locking members' 34 will.be automatically returned to their locking positions as the cap is untwisted from 30 the bottle. Accordingly, it is not ncessary for the user to remember to "snap" the dish-shaped top back from its concave non-locking configuration into its locking configuration every time the cap is removed from the bottle.
• a finger 54 extends downwardly from the undersur ace of top 16 of cap 10 such that it extends within the neck 12 of the bottle when the cap is mounted thereon. Moreover, a protuberance 56 is formed on the inner surface of neck 12 extending radially inwardly a limited distance. As seen in Figs. 20-22, when the cap is in its locked mode, i.e., with the top 16 in its convex configuration, the finger 54 extends away from the inner surface of the neck 12 in the downward direction so as to be spaced a sufficient distance therefrom such that the finger 54 will not engage the protuberance 56 as the cap is rotated as seen in Figs. 20-22. Thus, as seen in Figs.
• Fig. 22 depicts the cap-bottle combination with the cap 10 sealingly locked to the bottle neck 12.
• the top 16 When access to the contents of the container is desired, the top 16 is depressed through the applica ⁇ tion of at least the minimum force required as seen in Fig. 23 so that the top 16 "oil-cans" to the position illustrated.
• the finger 54 which is attached to the lower surface of top 16 moves to the position illustrated in Figs. 23 and 24 as indicated by arrow 58 as the locking members 34 flex to their non- locking positions designated by arrows 60. It is therefore seen that, with the locking members 34 in their unlocked position, the finger 58 has moved closer to the inner surface of the bottle neck 12.
• the embodiment of the safety closure illustrated in Figs. 20-25 has a feature whereby the cap will return to its locked mode from its unlocked condition in an automatic fashion as it is untightened from the bottle neck.
• the cap is in condition for being remounted on the bottle neck in its locking configuration as soon as it is removed from the bottle.
• FIG. 26-28 Another embodiment of a closure according to the present invention which provides an automatic return of the locking members to their locked positions as the cap is rotated to untighten the same from the bottle neck is illustrated in Figs. 26-28. Again, the same reference numearls are used in the description of this embodiment as were used to designate corresponding parts in the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 12-19.
• the safety closure, designated 68 has essentially the same structure as cap 10 except as follows.
• the top 70 has a modified form relative to the top 16 such that when depressed to the concave or unlocked configuration illustrated in Fig. 28 and the
• the top 70 will - ⁇ normally spring back to its convex locked configuration illustrated in Fig. 27.
• the top 70 is formed such that, when the finger pressure is removed after flexing the top 70 to its unlocked configuration, the top will noimally return unless otherwise restrained in the position illustrated in Fig. 27. Such return action is achieved by reducing the depth of the hinge groove 48, for example.
• the outer ' region of the upper edge surface 44 of bottle neck 12 is beveled as at 72 and the bead 36 is formed with an inwardly facing planar surface 74.
• the top 70 is depressed by a finger force in excess of the minimum required force whereupon the locking members 34 move from their locked position to their unlocking position illustrated in Fig. 28.
• the bead 36 moves radially outwardly on the upper edge surface 44 of bottle neck 12 until the axial surface 74 of the bead engages the beveled edge surface 72 of the bottle neck.
• a safety closure comprising yet another embodiment of the present invention is illustrated.
• the closure 76 is similar to the embodiment described hereinabove in that locking means are formed integrally with the safety closure which are movable between non-locking and locking positions in the latter of which the locking means engage appropriate corresponding locking elements provided on the bottle neck and wherein actuating means are provided for moving the locking means which comprise a normally convex dome or dish-shape top of the closure.
• the closure 76 differs from the previously described embodiments in that the locking means are integrally formed with the closure cap in a manner so as to extend within the interior space defined by the bottle neck and cooperate with locking elements formed on the inwardly facing surface of the bottle neck.
• closure 76 includes a peripherally extending interiorly threaded skirt 78 and an integral top 80 having a dome or dish-shaped con ⁇ figuration as seen in Figs. 32 and 33.
• a pair of locking members 82 extend downwardly from the dome-shaped portion of top 80 terminating at their lower ends with outwardly extending portions 84 which will be located
• the leading edge 84a in the clockwise or twisting direction is curved as seen in Figs. 30, 31 and 34 while the trailing edge 84b is substantially radial. It is noted that one or more such locking members 82 may be provided, two being shown in the illustrated embodiment.
• each locking element 86 includes an axially extending portion 86a and a circumferentially extending portion 86b.
• the dome-shaped top 80 of the cap 76 is depressed as seen in Fig. 35.
• the lower surface 84c which is curved as seen in Fig. 33 cams outwardly and downwardly in the direction designated by arrow 90 in Figs. 35 and 36 wherein the axially extending portions 86a of locking elements 86 no longer present an obstacle to the counterclockwise untwisting rotation of cap 76.
• the cap 76 can then be removed from the bottle neck 12.
• the dome-shaped top 80 will resume its original shape in preparation for being mounted again on the bottle neck.
• FIG. 37-41 Another embodiment of a safety closure, designated 92, according to the present invention is illustrated in Figs. 37-41.
• This embodiment of the closure is similar to the embodiments described above in that it comprises a normally dish or dome-shaped top 94 which constitutes actuating means for moving locking means integrally formed as part of the closure between a non-locking position and a locking position in which the locking means engage locking elements provided on the bottle neck.
• the closure 92 includes a peripherally extending skirt 96 having a lower circum- ferentially extending fluted portion 96a and an upper portion 96b formed by a plurality of locking segments 98.
• Each of the locking segments 98 is integrally joined with the top 94 at an upper groove hinge 100 and to the lower fluted portion 96a of the skirt by a second groove hinge 103.
• adjacent locking segments 98 are separated from each other as seen in the figures.
• locking segments 98a, 98b and 98c have respective adjoining side surfaces.
• a plurality of inwardly extending teeth 102 are formed on the inwardly facing surface of each locking segment 98.
• the teeth 102 preferably have a saw-tooth configuration as best seen in Figs. 39 and 41, each tooth having an angled leading edge 102a in the clockwise direction and a substantially radial trailing edge 102b.
• the upper end of the bottle neck 12 is provided with a tooth rim 104 having a plurality of correspondingly shaped teeth 106 extending outwardly therefrom.
• the closure 92 is applied to the bottle neck with the top 94 in its locking position as illustrated in solid lines in Fig. 38.
• the locking segments 98 are in their' respective locking positions as illustrated in Fig. 38.
• the cap is rotated in a clockwise direction until it is tightened on the bottle neck with the bead 108 engaging the upper edge surface of the bottle neck.
• the teeth 102 of the locking segments 98 engage the teeth 106 of the toothed rim 104.
• continued rotation is possible due to the camming action between engaging surfaces of the respective teeth by virtue of the saw-tooth construction described above.
• a counterclockwise untightening rotation is prevented by virtue of the abutment of the radial edges of the respective teeth 102 and 106.
• the top 94 When it is desired to unscrew the closure 92 from the bottle neck, the top 94 is depressed with sufficient force to move the same to a horizontal position as shown in Fig. 40. This results in the peripheral edge regions of the dome-shaped top 94 being moved radially outwardly thereby causing the locking segments 98 to pivot about the first and second groove hinges 100 and 103 as best seen in Fig. 40. Consequently, the locking segments 98 are moved outwardly in the direction of arrow 110 (Figs. 40 and 41) whereupon the teeth 102 and 106 are disengaged so that a counterclock- wise untwisting rotation of the cap is possible.
• the top 94 of closure 92 when in its non-locking position will extend substantially horizontally and not snap into a concave configuration.
• One advantage of this embodiment is that the top 94 of closure 92 may be normally positioned with a concave configuration when in its so-called locking position as indicated in phantom in Fig. 38.
• a handle 110 may be formed on the upper surface of the top 94 so that, when it is desired to move the locking segments to their non-locking positions, it is only necessary to grasp the handle 110 and raise the top 94 to its horizontal position. This is advan ⁇ tageous in that the top cannot be inadvertently depressed, such as during shipping, by placing objects on top of the closure.
• Fig. 42 a modification of the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 37-41 is shown.
• the locking segments are formed with inwardly extending locking fingers 114 which engage a gear tooth rim 116 provided at the upper end of the bottle neck. It is understood that in the case of such modification, the cap must be in its non-locking mode when screwed onto the bottle neck.
• Figs. 43-46 a first embodi ⁇ ment of a tamper-resistant closure according to the invention is illustrated wherein the safety closure 10b of the invention has incorporated therewith means for providing a visual indication that the closure has at some time already been detached or removed or at least unlocked from the neck 12 of the container.
• the tamper-resistant feature of the present invention can be applied to other types of closures than of the safety type as described below. More particularly, the tamper-resistant features of the invention are applicable to any type of closure whose contour or configuration must be altered in connection with effecting the removal of the cap from the associated container. Such provision will signal a possible unauthorized tampering with the contents of the container, for example, when removal or unlocking of the closure prior, to the sale of the product to the consumer is indicated. In the illustrated embodiment, referring to
• a thin coating 200 of a non-pliable, brittle and readily frangible substance, such as lacquer or the like, is adhered to the upper surface of the top 15b of closure 10b.
• the coating is preferably applied to the central region of top 10 as shown in the figures and may constitute other materials than lacquer, such as paraffin, a resin-like substance, adhesive backed coated paper, tape and the like.
• the coating is prefer ⁇ ably applied by the manufacturer after the container has been filled and the closure associated with the container. In the case where the closure can be associated with the container without depressing the top 16 thereof, the coating can be applied prior to screwing the closure onto the container neck. Prior to the first or initial depression of the closure top in connection with unlocking the closure from the container neck, the coating 200 has a smooth, uninterrupted texture which is readily apparent both visually and palpably.
• Figs. 45 and 46 upon the top 16b being depressed for the first time to move the locking member 34b to its unlocked position, the frangible coating 200 is cracked or fractured due to the deforma- tion or change in contour of the top, the latter constituting a substrate to which the coating 200 is adhered.
• the fracturing of coating 200 results in the formation of web-like fracture lines or spidering 202 therein which are visually and palpably apparent from even a casual inspection of the closure 10.
• depression of the top 16 may result in entire portions of the coating 200 being separated from the underlying top.
• this fact will be readily apparent from the cracking of coating 200. Accordingly, a consumer will be wary to purchase only products where the original smooth and uninterrupted texture of coating 200 appears and tampering with the contents of the container prior to the sale thereof will be prevented or at least be readily apparent to the consumer.
• the coating 200 has been shown as applied to the central region of the closure top, it will be understood that the same beneficial results are obtained where a coating of non-deformable material is adhered to the surface of any visible portion of a cap which is deformed or whose contour or configuration is altered in connection with the removal of the cap from the container.
• the coating may be applied in the hinge region designated 201 in Fig. 43.
• a coating of material may be applied to the region 202 (Fig. 43) extending between the skirt 18b and the locking member 34b. In this case the coating material will be fractured the first time that the locking member moves to its non-locking position.
• a tamper-resistant closure is illustrated. Like the embodiment of Figs. 43-46, this embodiment is applied in connection with a safety closure 10c which is similar to that described above in connection with Figs. 12-19.
• a strip or ribbon 210 of relatively non-elastic, rupturable or tearable material such, for example, as paper, metal foil or the like, is fixed to the cap 10c by securing the same at its ends to diametrically opposed upper regions of the skirt 18c and at its central portion to the central region of the upper surface of top 16c.
• a strip or ribbon 210 of relatively non-elastic, rupturable or tearable material such, for example, as paper, metal foil or the like
• the strip may be applied by the manufacturer after the closure has been associated with the container or in the case where the closure can be associated with the container without depressing the top thereof, the strip can be applied prior to associating the cap with the container.
• the strip 210 in a taut condition has its end 212 irremovably affixed to opposed upper regions of skirt 18c while the central portion 214 thereof is irremovably affixed to the central region of top 16c.
• Such affixation may be by a suitable adhesive or by thermal bonding where appropriate, it only being essential that the affixed portions of the strip 210 cannot be separated from the cap without tearing or rupturing the strip.
• strip 210 may be applied to extend only between one upper skirt region and the central top region or for that matter between any two regions of the cap the distance between which will increase upon deformation of the cap in connection with its removal from the container with the same beneficial effects obtained.
• a sheet or film 250 of relatively inelastic, rupturable or tearable material such as a suitable plastic, is stretched tautly over the top of a closure lOd, similar to caps 10b and 10c, and securely sealed or fixed to the perimeter of the skirt at its upper portion 18' and to the central region 252 of the top 16d.
• the sheet 250 is secured to the cap region in a manner such that it cannot be separated therefrom without destroying the sheet. It will be readily understood that, when the top of the cap is depressed to unlock the same, the sheet 250 will rupture thereby providing a clear indication that the cap has been unlocked and possibly removed from the container.
• tamper-resistant closures described above substantially incorporate the construction of the safety cap illustrated in Figs. 12-19 hereof.
• the tamper-resistant closure may also incorporate the construction of the other embodiments of the safety closures described herein.
• Such tamper-resistant safety closures therefore uniquely combine the advantages provided by the safety closure construction of the present invention with the capability of providing a readily visual indication as to whether the closure has at some time been unlocked and possibly removed from the container.
• the tamper- resistant features of the present invention may be applied to closures of other types.
• a non-deformable coating can be applied to the surface of the dome-shaped deformable top of the cap disclosed in U.S. Patent 4,187,953 to Turner which cap is of the "snap-fit" type or indeed to any cap which is deformed or whose contour or configuration is altered in connection with the removal thereof from the container.
• the tamper-proof features of the invention are not limited except to the extent indicated to any particular cap construction or type.
• FIG. 50 still another embodiment of a tamper-resistant closure is illustrated. Unlike the embodiment of Figs. 43-49, this embodiment is specifically adapted for use in conjunction with a safety closure cap lOe of the type illustrated in Figs. 12-19 herein.
• a strip 300 of relatively inelastic rupturable or tearable material for example, of the same type as the material of which strip 210 (Fig. 47) or sheet 250 (Fig. 49) is formed, is securely fixed to the skirt 18e of cap lOe so as to extend over the slot 32e directly outwardly of the locking member 34e. It will be under- stood that when the closure top 16e is depressed the locking member 34e will begin to pivot outwardly through the slot until it contacts the strip 300 which prevents the locking member from reaching the fully pivoted unlocking-position.
• a ruptured strip 300 thus provides a readily visible indication that the cap has been unlocked and possibly removed from the container. It is also seen that the strip 300 provides the additional function of normally preventing an inadvertent unlocking of the cap prior to sale since a normal depressing force applied to the top of the closure will be insufficient to cause rupture of the strip 300.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Closures For Containers (AREA)

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• 1982
  • 1982-12-28 EP EP19830900405 patent/EP0097707A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1982-12-28 WO PCT/US1982/001800 patent/WO1983002262A1/en unknown

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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