EP0607428B1

EP0607428B1 - Closure device

Info

Publication number: EP0607428B1
Application number: EP94906752A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Julian Davidson Taylor
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1992-08-07
Filing date: 1993-08-09
Publication date: 1997-12-03
Anticipated expiration: 2013-08-09
Also published as: AU676190B2; DE69315546D1; DE69315546T2; ES2112523T3; ATE160750T1; NZ254925A; AU4723393A; WO1994003372A1; CA2120735A1; EP0607428A1

Abstract

A closure device for a container having a screw-threaded neck comprises an inner screw-threaded cap, and an outer cap (20) into which the inner cap fits, the outer cap (20) engaging with the inner cap for turning the latter to screw it onto the container neck but normally being free to turn in the opposite direction: the top of the inner cap has a non-circular formation (e.g. a socket) which can engage, through an opening in the top of the outer member, a complementary-shaped formation (e.g. a projection (32)) of a fixed bracket (30). The container can then be turned to unscrew the closure device from the container: the user can do this using the only one hand.

Description

This invention relates to a closure device for a bottle or other container which has a screw-threaded cylindrical opening or neck.
Various closure devices for bottles or other containers have been devised which are resistant to being opened by children, so that these bottles are suitable for holding e.g. medicine or pills. Generally such closures (for example the closure of DE-A-3221164) comprise an inner cap which is screw-threaded to engage the screw-threaded neck of the bottle, and an outer member which serves for driving the inner member: in order to remove the closure from the bottle, the outer member must be pushed in to engage with the inner member and then turned to unscrew the inner member from the neck of the bottle. However it is often difficult, especially for the elderly or those who suffer from arthritis for example, to push the outer member in and turn it at the same time. Also, some medicines are very sticky with the result that the inner member becomes stuck firmly to the bottle neck, again making it difficult to unscrew the closure.
We have now devised an arrangement which overcomes the problems outlined above.
In accordance with this invention, there is provided a closure device for a container having a screw-threaded neck, the closure device comprising an inner member in the form of a screw-threaded cap, and an outer member in the form of a cap into which said inner member fits, said outer member engaging with said inner member for turning the latter for engaging it with the container neck but normally being free to turn in the opposite direction relative to said inner member, and said inner member having a top with a non-circular formation which can engage, through an opening in the top of said outer member, a complementary-shaped formation of a fixed bracket, so that the container can then be turned to loosen the engagement between said inner member and the container.
The closure device can be unscrewed by offering the closure device to the bracket so that the formation e.g. a projection of the bracket engages the formation e.g. a socket of the inner member of the closure device, then turning the container. The container can be gripped firmly and more easily than the outer member of the closure device, and the engagement between the closure device and container can be loosened easily.
Further in accordance with this invention, there is provided a bottle or other container having a screw-threaded neck and a closure device engaged with said neck, in combination with a bracket for securing to fixed structure, the closure device having an inner member in the form of a screw-threaded cap, and an outer member in the form of a cap into which said inner member fits, said outer member engaging with said inner member for turning the latter for screwing it onto the container neck but normally being free to turn in the opposite direction relative to said inner member, and the top of said inner member having a non-circular formation engageable, through an opening in the top of said outer member, with a complementary formation of said bracket so that the bottle or other container can then be turned to unscrew the closure device therefrom.
Preferably the non-circular formation on the inner member and the complementary formation on the bracket are an interference fit with each other: this enables the closure device of a bottle or other container to be offered to the bracket and then the bottle unscrewed from the closure device to leave the closure device held in place on the bracket: the user can therefore open the bottle using one hand only.
Preferably the outer member can be pushed in or depressed relative to the inner member so as to engage with the inner member for turning the latter in the unscrewing direction, by turning the outer member: this provides an alternative way of removing the closure device from the container.
Preferably the outer member has a series of teeth formed around the inside of its skirt, which engage, when the outer member is pushed in, a complementary series of teeth formed around the outside of the skirt of the inner member, to enable the closure device to be unscrewed from the container by turning the outer member.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the closure device comprises a biassing means against which the outer member is axially depressible relative to the inner member.
An embodiment of this invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an axial section through a closure device in accordance with this invention;
FIGURE 2 is a top view of an inner member of the closure device;
FIGURE 3 is a side view of the inner member of the closure device;
FIGURE 4 is an underside view of an outer member of the closure device;
FIGURE 5 is an axial section through the outer member of the closure device on the line V-V of Figure 4;
FIGURE 6 is a front view of a bracket for use in unscrewing the closure device from a bottle; and
FIGURE 7 is a view to show a user unscrewing the closure device from a bottle using the bracket of Figure 6 when fixed to the underside of a shelf or the like.

Referring to Figures 1 to 5, of the drawings, there is shown a closure device for the screw-threaded cylindrical opening or neck of a glass bottle or other container. The closure device comprises an inner member 10 in the form of a cap having a top 11 and a depending cylindrical skirt 12 formed with an internal screw-thread 13. The closure device further comprises an outer member 20 in the form of a cap having a flat top 21 and a depending cylindrical skirt 22. The top 21 of the outer member 20 is formed with a circular aperture 23 in its centre, which aperture is closed by a circular portion 24 integral with the top 21 and frangibly connected thereto e.g. by two thin webs 25. The top of the inner member 10 is formed at its centre with a cylindrical projection 14 the top end of which is formed with a socket 15 of square section.
The inner member 10 is received within the outer member 20 and held captive by snap-engagement of its outer rim 16 past an annular ridge 26 on the inside of the skirt 22 of the outer member 20.
Four flexible fingers 27 project from the inside of the top 21 of the outer member 20 in a peripheral direction. When the outer member 20 is turned in a clockwise direction, these fingers 27 abut respective abutments or dogs 17 on the top 11 of the inner member, to correspondingly turn the inner member 10 for tightening it onto the bottle or container neck. However, when the outer member 20 is turned in the opposite i.e. counter clockwise direction, the flexible fingers 27 ride over the tops of the abutments 17 and the outer member 20 turns freely relative to the inner member 10, which therefore remains tightly closed on the bottle or container neck. However, the outer member 20 can be pushed in the axial direction towards the bottle or container, the outer member 20 sliding on the inner member 10, the fingers 27 being urged towards the underside of the top 21 of the outer member 20 and the cover portion 24 being broken away by penetration of the projection 14 of the inner member into the aperture 23 of the outer member. This brings a series of teeth 28, formed around the inside of the skirt 22 of the outer member 20, into engagement with a series of teeth 18, which are formed around the outside of the inner member 10 adjacent its rim 16: the outer member 20 can now be turned in the counter clockwise direction in order to correspondingly turn the inner member and unscrew it from the bottle.
As shown in Figure 6 and 7, the closure device may be removed from the bottle B using a bracket 30 which is screwed or otherwise fixed to a wall or shelf unit, for example: preferably the bracket is fixed to the underside of a shelf, for example, to face downwards. The bracket 30 comprises a flat plastics plate having a square-section projection 32 on its front face. In use, the bottle B is offered to the bracket so that the projection 32 is received within the socket 15 of the inner member 10 (assuming that the cover portion of the outer member 20 has previously been broken away). The bracket 30 thus holds the inner member 10 against rotation, whilst the user rotates the bottle in a counter clockwise direction, and so loosens the screw-threaded engagement between the bottle and the closure device. Preferably the projection 32 of the bracket 30 is an interference fit into the socket 15 of the closure device, so that the bottle B can be unscrewed from the closure device, leaving the closure device held in place on the bracket: the user can therefore open the bottle with only one hand. The closure device remains on the bracket whilst the user removes some of the contents of the bottle, the user then being able to re-fit the closure device using only one hand by returning the bottle to the bracket.

Claims

A closure device for a container (B) having a screw-threaded neck, the closure device comprising an inner member (10) in the form of a screw-threaded cap, and an outer member (20) in the form of a cap into which said inner member (10) fits, said outer member (20) engaging with said inner member (10) for turning the latter for engaging it with the container neck but normally being free to turn in the opposite direction relative to said inner member (10), characterised in that the top of said inner member has a non-circular formation (15) which can engage, through an opening (23) in the top of said outer member (20), a complementary-shaped formation of a fixed bracket, so that the container (B) can then be turned to loosen the engagement between said inner member (10) and the container (B).
A closure device as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that said outer member (20) can be depressed axially relative to said inner member (10) so as to engage said inner member (10) for turning the latter in an unscrewing direction, by turning said outer member (20).
A closure device as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that said outer member (20) has a series of teeth (28) formed around the inside of its skirt (22), arranged to engage, when said outer member (20) is depressed axially relative to said inner member (10), a complementary series of teeth (18) formed around the outside of the skirt of said inner member (10), to enable turning of said inner member (10) in the unscrewing direction by turning said outer member (20).
A closure device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that said non-circular formation (15) of said inner member (10) comprises a socket.
A bottle or other container (B) having a screw-threaded neck and a closure device engaged with said neck, the closure device having an inner member (10) in the form of a screw-threaded cap, and an outer member (20) in the form of a cap into which said inner member (10) fits, said outer member (20) engaging with said inner member (10) for turning the latter for screwing it onto the container neck but normally being free to turn in the opposite direction relative to said inner member (10), characterised in that said bottle or other container is in combination with a bracket (30) for securing to fixed structure, the top of said inner member (10) having a non-circular formation (15) engageable, through an opening (23) in the top of said outer member (20), with a complementary formation (32) of said bracket (30) so that the bottle or other container (B) can then be turned to unscrew the closure device therefrom.
A bottle or other container as claimed in claim 5, characterised in that said outer member (20) of said closure device can be depressed axially relative to said inner member (10) so as to engage said inner member (10) for turning the latter to unscrew it from said bottle or other container (B), by turning said outer member (20).
A bottle or other container as claimed in claim 6, characterised in that said outer member (20) has a series of teeth (28) formed around the inside of its skirt (22), arranged to engage, when said outer member (20) is depressed axially relative to said inner member (10), a complementary series of teeth (18) formed around the outside of the skirt of said inner member (10), to enable turning of said inner member (10) in the unscrewing direction by turning said outer member (20).
A bottle or other container as claimed in any one of claims 5 to 7, characterised in that the non-circular formation (15) on the inner member (10) of the closure device and the complementary formation (32) on the bracket (30) are an interference fit with each other.
A bottle or other container as claimed in any one of claims 5 to 8, characterised in that the non-circular formation (15) of said inner member (10) of the closure device comprises a socket and the complementary formation (32) of said bracket (30) comprises a projection.