GB2146008A

GB2146008A - Child-resistant closure

Info

Publication number: GB2146008A
Application number: GB08323537A
Authority: GB
Inventors: George Victor Mumford; Ned J Smalley
Original assignee: Owens Illinois Inc
Current assignee: OI Glass Inc
Priority date: 1983-09-02
Filing date: 1983-09-02
Publication date: 1985-04-11
Also published as: GB2146008B; GB8323537D0

Abstract

A two-part child-resistant closure (11) comprises a cap (13), made of organic plastics material, having a top wall (14) and an internally threaded peripheral skirt (15), and a ring (22). A radial flange (17) on the skirt includes a plurality of circumferentially extending grooves (18) defined in part by lugs (19) and each receiving a respective lug (25) on the ring (22). When the closure is applied to a container, each lug (25) engages a substantially vertical surface (20) on a lug (19). Rotation of the ring in a direction to unthread the closure (11) from the container (10) without a downward force results in the lugs (25) on the ring (22) sliding up inclined surfaces (21) of the lugs (19). Thus a combined rotation and downward force on the ring (22) is necessary to remove the closure from a container. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Child-resistant closure The invention relates to child-resistant closure for containers.

In one type of child-resistant package used for packaging products that might be harmful to children, two piece closures are provided, one part of the closure being adapted to be threaded onto and off the container and the other part of the closure being constructed and arranged so that the two parts must be operated in a particular fashion in order to remove the closure, rather than merely rotating the part that is grasped.

Among the objects of the present invention are to provide a child-resistant package which comprises a plastics closure which will effectively provide a child-resistant feature; wherein the parts can be readily removed from a mould without having complex moulds; wherein the child-resistant construction is sturdy enough to withstand numerous openings and closings, top loading and abuse without impairing the child-resistant feature; wherein the closure is constructed and arranged so that the only driving access is through rotation of the ring and manipulation thereof in an unscrewing direction; and wherein the closure will readily retain a liner.

According to the present invention, a childresistant closure for a container having a neck with threads thereon comprises a cap of organic plastics material and having a top wall and a peripheral skirt, the skirt having threads thereon adapted to engage the threads of the container, and having a radial flange and a plurality of circumferentially spaced recesses on the upper surface thereof, a ring telescoped over the cap and surrounding the skirt thereof, the ring having a plurality of inwardlyprojecting lugs on both radial and peripheral walls and adapted to enter the recesses at times upon application of a downward force on the ring, each recess on the radial flange having a substantially vertical surface at one circumferential end adapted to be engaged by a lug on the ring when the ring is rotated in a direction to thread the closure onto the container, and each recess on the radial flange of the closure having an inclined surface at the other circumferential end such that upon mere rotation of the ring in a direction to unthread the closure from the container results in the lugs on the ring sliding up the inclined surfaces and the ring lifting with respect to the cap, so that the closure can only be removed by a combined downward force on the ring and rotational force in the direction of threading the closure off of the container.

The invention will now be further described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view through a closure according to the invention applied to a container, Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view to an enlarged scaletaken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1, Figure 3 is a plan view of a cap that forms part of the closure, Figure 4 is a part sectional elevational view of the closure cap, Figure 5 is a top plan view of the ring that forms part of the closure, Figure 6 is a fragmentary part sectional elevational view of the ring, and Figure 7 is a bottom plan view of the ring.

Referring to Figure 1, the child-resistant closure 11 according to the invention is shown applied to a container 10 of glass or plastics material. The container 10 includes threads 12 adapted to receive the closure, as presently described.

The closure 11 comprises a cap 13 having a top wall 14 and a peripheral wall or skirt 15 with threads 16 engaging the threads 12 ofthe container.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the cap 13 further includes a radial flange 17 extending outwardly from the lower edge of the peripheral skirt 15 and terminating in an upwardly-extending wall 19a of greater radius and parallel to but of substantially lesser height than skirt 15. The upper surface of the flange 17 is formed with a pluralityofcircumferen- tiallyspaced recesses 18 defined between upstanding lugs 19, bridging wall 19a and skirt 15, and chamfered to a slightly greater height than wall 1 9a (see Figures 1 and 4). The lugs 19 have a substantially greater circumferential extent than the recesses 18 and are spaced radially outwardly fro skirt 15.Each recess 18 is defined between a substantially vertical surface 20 of a lug 19 at one circumferential end, by an inclined surface 21 of a consecutive lug 19 at the other end, and outwardly by wall 19a. The circumferential length of each recess 18 is greaterthan the depth of each recess and each lug 19 has a thickness substantially less than the circumferential length of each recess 18 (Figure 2). The substantially vertical surface 20 of the lug 19 forming one end of each recess 18 preferably forms an angle of approximately 1 with the vertical. The inclined surface 21, the lug 19 forming the other end of each recess 18 preferably forms an angle of approximately 50 with the vertical. A liner 14a is provided on the undersurface of top wall 14.

The closure 11 further includes a ring 22 (Figures 5, 6 and 7) which telescopes over the peripheral wall 15 of the cap 13 and comprises a peripheral wall 23 having exterior serrations for facilitating grasping of the ring and a radial wall 24 that extends radially inwardly toward the skirt or wall 15 of the cap 13.

The inner surface of the ring 22 is provided with a plurlity of circumferentially-spaced axially extending lugs 25 of substantially uniform circumferential thickness that extend inwardly from both the peripheral wall 23 and downwardly from the radial wall 24, the number of lugs 25 corresponding to the number of recesses 18 of cap 13. The ring 22 further includes a bead 26 that snaps over and extends below the flange 17 of cap 13 to hold the ring 22 on the cap. The side walls 25a (Figure 2) of each lug 25 preferably form an angle of approximately 1 to the vertical.

The ring 22 surrounds the entire outer surface of the peripheral skirt 15 of cap 13 so that the only exposed surface for readily grasping and rotating the closure is by way of the ring 22. The flange 17 and skirt 15 surfaces are concealed by ring 22 and inaccessible for biting or prying by the use of tools by a child of tender years in an attempt to rotate the closure. Rotation of the cap 13 is thus only possible through driving engagement of the lugs 25 on the ring 22 and the lugs 19 on the cap 13.

The cap 13 and ring 22 are preferably made of organic plastics material such as polypropylene.

In use, the cap 13 and ring 22 are assembled and when it is desired to place them on the container, the ring 22 is grasped and rotated. Only a slight downward force on the ring 22 is required to bring the lug 25 into the recesses and onto the top of wall 19a and, as the ring is rotated, the lugs engage the first substantially vertical surfaces 20 of lugs 19 so that the closure is rotated as an entity and can be readily threaded onto the container.

However, once the closure is threaded on the container, a normal rotation of ring 22 in a direction to unthread the closure will cause the lugs 25 to ride up the inclined surfaces 21 of lugs 19 sliding past the surfaces so that the ring rides up the cap and the closure is not removed. A combined substantial downward force and rotational force are required on ring 22 to prevent it lifting with respect to cap 13 and to remove the closure, which combined forces are difficult if not impossible for the average child to perform.

It can thus be seen that there has been provided a child-resistant closure which is effective; which is made of plastics materials that are sturdy enough to withstand numerous openings and closings, top loading or abuse without losing the child-resistant features; and which parts are constructed such that they can be readily removed from a core of moulding apparatus without major mould costs such as inserts and the like; and wherein the liner is readily retained by the threads.

Claims

1. A child-resistant closure for a container having a neck with threads thereon, the closure comprising a cap of organic plastics material and having a top wall and a peripheral skirt, the skirt having threads thereon adapted to engage the threads of the container and having a radial flange and a plurality of circumferentially spaced recesses on the upper surface thereof, a ring telescoped over the cap and surrounding the skirt thereof, the ring having a plurality of inwardly-projecting lugs on both radial and peripheral walls and adapted to enterthe recesses at times upon application of a downward force on the ring, each recess on the radial flange having a substantially vertical surface at one circumferential end adapted to be engaged by a lug on the ring when the ring is rotated in a direction to thread the closure onto the container, and each recess on the radial flange of the closure having an inclined surface at the other circumferential end such that upon mere rotation of the ring in a direction to unthread the closure from the container results in the lugs on the ring sliding up and inclined surfaces and the ring lifting with respect to the cap, so that the closure can only be removed by a combined downward force on the ring and rotational force in the direction of threading the closure off of the container.

2. A child-resistant closure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ring has a radially, inwardly-extending bead projecting below the outer edge of the radial flange of the cap, to hold the ring in assembled relation on the cap.

3. A child-resistant closure as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein each recess on the radial flange of the cap has a circumferential length greater than the depth of the recess.

4. A child-resistant closure as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the lugs on the ring have a thickness in a circumferential direction substantially less than circumferential length of each recess.

5. A child-resistant closure as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the substantially vertical surface at one circumferential end of each groove extends at an angle of approximately 1" to the vertical.

6. A child-resistant closure as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the inclined surface at the other circumferential end of each groove extends at an angle of approximately 50 to the vertical.

7. A child-resistant closure as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the ring has a peripheral portion substantially surrounding the skirt of the cap such that gripping surface access to the skirt and flange of the cap are precluded, and the cap can only be rotated by grasping and rotating the embracing ring.