GB2126201A

GB2126201A - Safety closure for a container

Info

Publication number: GB2126201A
Application number: GB08323545A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter Spielhoff; Heinz Tomaschek; Klaus Knab
Original assignee: Henkel Teroson GmbH
Current assignee: Henkel Teroson GmbH
Priority date: 1982-09-04
Filing date: 1983-09-02
Publication date: 1984-03-21
Also published as: IT8322739A0; DE8225004U1; GB2126201B; FR2532626B3; IT1168716B; GB8323545D0; FR2532626A1

Abstract

A safety closure far a container (1) having a locking surface on a part (4) carried by the container, comprises a closure cap (5, 6, 7) surrounded by an auxiliary cap part (15). To release the closure cap the cap part (15) is moved towards the container so wedge surfaces (12, 16) drive hooks (4) radially inwardly to release from the locking surface. Grip projections provided on cylindrical part 5 and extending through apertures in auxiliary part 15 can be pressed inwardly to maintain the hooks (4) clear of the locking surfaces to allow the closure cap and cap part assembly (5, 6, 7, 15) to be lifted off the container. Re-engagement is effected by automatic snap-action when the assembly (5, 6, 7, 15) is replaced on the container. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Safety closure for a container The invention relates to a safety closure for a container with a cap, as well as a locking device provided on the container having at least one locking surface which, when the cap is fitted, engages with at least one hook, which is elastically deformable in the radial direction with respect to the central axis of the container, said hook being separable from the locking surface through the displacement in the direction of the central axis of an auxiliary member having a wedge surface which engages with a corresponding wedge surface of the hook.

In a safety closure of this type (German Patent 2,541,175) elastically displaceable hooks are provided on the screw cap and their engagement parts slide over projections on the container during the screwing down of the cap, so that the hooks are pivoted radially outwards. They return to their original position, when the engagement parts are located behind the projections. The position of the engagement parts of the hooks behind the projections prevents a release of the screw cap. Release is only possible if the ring member provided on the container and which has an external wedge surface, is displaced in the direction of the cap, so that the wedge surface engages behind corresponding wedge surfaces of the hooks and the latter are pivoted radially outwards.In this position of the ring member, the cap can be unscrewed from the container, because the engagement members of the hooks are located outside the region of the container projections.

This known safety closure has the disadvantage that the ring member for releasing the hooks of the cap must be moved in the same direction as the cap in order to release the latter.

Due to this same movement direction, there is a danger of unintentional opening of the container, i.e. the known closure is not completely reliable and safe.

The aim of the invention is to provide a safety closure in which the risk of accidental opening is still further reduced.

Accordingly the invention provides a safety closure for a container having a locking device with at least one locking surface, said safety closure comprising a closure cap having at least one hook which is elastically deformable in the radial direction with respect to the central axis of the container, said hook being arranged to engage the said at least one locking surface when the closure cap is fitted on the container, wherein the part of the hook which engages with the locking surface extends radially outwards from the hook; wherein the hook is releasable from the locking surface through the displacement of the hook in the direction of the central axis of an auxiliary member having a wedge surface which engages with a corresponding wedge surface of the hook; and wherein the auxiliary member comprises a cap part which is movable in the direction towards the container for releasing the engagement between the hook and the locking surface.

In the case of the safety closure according to the invention, the movement of the auxiliary member for releasing the engagement between hook and locking surface takes place in the direction opposite to that of removal of the cap, so that accidental opening of the container is virtually impossible or need not be feared.

Preferably, the cap part is moved towards the container counter to the pressure of at least one spring provided on the cap, so that release of the cap part after separating hooks and locking surface automatically leads to the return of the cap part to its initial position and consequently to the restoration of engagement between hooks and locking surface.

Such a construction is particularly simple if the cap is formed from a closed, beaker-shaped element at the outer end of the cap and whose base inner surface is engaged by the spring, which is preferably shaped on the outer end of the cap.

In order that, after movement in the direction towards the container, i.e. after releasing engagement of the at least one hook and locking surface, the cap part can be maintained in this position, and in order for the closure cap to be able to be removed from the container, the closure cap can have a radially outwardly extending grip projection extending into or through an opening in the cap part with the axial extent of the opening greater than the extent of the grip projection axially of the cap part.

This grip projection can be used to maintain the relative position of the closure cap and cap part, i.e. to permit the removal of the closure cap after having released'engagement between the hooks and closure surface, due to displacement of the cap part.

The invention is described in greater detail hereinafter relative to non-limitative embodiments and the attached drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a partial section through a safety closure in the closed position, the dispensing part of the container being essentially shown in elevation.

Fig. 2 is a part elevation of the safety closure of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view corresponding to Fig. 1 of the safety closure in the position for opening the container.

Fig. 4 is an elevation corresponding to Fig. 2 of the safety closure in the operating position of Fig.

3.

The represented safety closure is used for sealing a pipette, e.g. for adhesives, whose dispensing part 2, having a nozzle-shaped discharge connecting piece 3, is pressed into the cylindrical container 1, so that ring shoulder 2' rests on a corresponding shoulder on container 1.

Projections 4 are formed on ring shoulder 2' and in said projections are formed openings 4'. A closure cap is placed on the dispensing part 2 and has a cylindrical area 5 with a guidance extension 6, as well as a closure piece 7 fixed to cross-bars 8, said closure piece 7 closing the outer end of the discharge connecting piece 3. At the rear end of cylindrical area 5 are shaped spring arms 9, whilst hooks extend in the direction of the free end of the guidance extension between cylindrical area 5 and guidance extension 6. These hooks are made from elastically deformable material and slope outwards somewhat. At the front ends of the hooks are formed engagement parts 11 which extend radially outwards and, in the position shown in Fig. 1, engage with the openings 4' of projections 4 to prevent the removal of the cap from the container.

Onto the closure cap is fitted a beaker-shaped cap part 15, having an elongate opening 1 7 which receives a radially outwardly extending grip projection 14 provided on the cylindrical area 5 of the closure cap. The spring arms 9 engage on the inner face of the base wall of cap part 15 and press the latter away from the open end of cap into a position in which the inner end of opening 17 engages on projection 14 as shown in Fig. 2.

A wedge surface 16 is formed at the open end of cap part 1 5 and slope outwards in the direction of the engagement parts 11 of hooks. Between the inner end of hooks 10 and engagement part 11 correspondingly sloping wedge surfaces 12 are provided on the hooks. With the spacing of said wedge surfaces 12, stop faces 1 3 are provided on the hooks 10 and are adjacent to projections 4.

For opening the safety closure, cap part 1 5 is displaced in the direction of container 1 counter to the action of springs 9, so that the wedge surface 1 6 thereof engages with the wedge surfaces 12 of hooks 10. The closure cap cannot be axially displaced, because the stop faces 14 of the hooks engage on projections 14. Thus, the wedge surface 1 6 presses the hooks 10 radially inwards and brings engagement parts 11 of the hooks out of the area of openings 4' (Fig. 3).

There has obviously also been a displacement of opening 1 7 with respect to grip projection 14 and it is located in the position according to Fig. 4. In order to now be able to remove the closure cap from the container, the user holds grip projection 14 in the position shown in Fig. 4 with respect to the opening 17, i.e. he holds the hooks in their radially inwardly pressed position, so that they do not impede removal of the closure cap.

For fitting the closure cap, the cap part 1 5 is gripped and is placed on the container together with the actual cap, so that the engagement parts 11 of hooks 10 pass into the vicinity of openings 4'. If cap part 1 5 is then released, springs 9 press the cap part outwards and the engagement parts 11 of hooks 10 can be displaced radially outwards into openings 4' (Fig. 1).

The individual parts of the safety closure, i.e.

the dispensing part with projections 4, cap part 1 5 and the actual closure cap are preferably made from plastic.

Claims

1. A safety closure for a container having a locking device with at least one locking surface, said safety closure comprising a closure cap having at least one hook which is elastically deformable in the radial direction with respect to the central axis of the container, said hook being arranged to engage the said at least one locking surface when the closure cap is fitted on the container, wherein the part of the hook which engages with the locking surface extends radially outwards from the hook; wherein the hook is releasable from the locking surface through the displacement of the hook in the direction of the central axis of an auxiliary member having a wedge surface which engages with a corresponding wedge surface of the hook; and wherein the auxiliary member comprises a cap part which is movable in the direction towards the container for releasing the engagement between the hook and the locking surface.

2. A safety closure according to claim 1, wherein the cap part can be moved in the direction of container counter to the pressure of at least one spring provided on the closure cap.

3. A safety closure according to claim 2, wherein the cap part comprises a closed beakershaped member on the outer end of the closure cap and against whose base inner face the spring engages.

4. A safety closure according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the spring is shaped on the outer end of closure cap.

5. A safety closure according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a radially outwardly extending grip projection is provided on the closure cap and said projection extends into or through an opening in said cap part, the axial extent of said opening being greater than the extent of said grip projection axially of the cap part.

6. A safety closure constructed and adapted to operate substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.