GB2279645A

GB2279645A - Container closure device.

Info

Publication number: GB2279645A
Application number: GB9311510A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Graham Haydn Whyatt; Derek Michael Beharall
Original assignee: DOFF PORTLAND Ltd
Current assignee: DOFF PORTLAND Ltd
Priority date: 1993-06-03
Filing date: 1993-06-03
Publication date: 1995-01-11
Anticipated expiration: 2013-06-03
Also published as: GB9311510D0; GB2279645B

Abstract

A twist-action cap for a container or bottle is provided with lugs 16, 17 which co-operate with projections on the neck of a bottle to enable the cap to be screwed on to the bottle, and to prevent the cap from being unscrewed from the bottle. The cap may be unscrewed from the bottle by causing distortion of the resilient outer wall by the squeezing of two opposing compression points 18, 19, resulting in a child-resistant safety feature. The cap is further provided with a tamper-evidencing feature in the form of detachable blocking members 32, 33 which prevent distortion of the resilient outer wall until the blocking members are detached from the cap. The blocking members are attached to the cap by way of breakable portions of an outer wall of the cap. <IMAGE>

Description

CONTAINER CLOSURE DEVI The present invention relates to container caps, and in particular to bottle caps providing child-resistant security features.

It is now commonplace to package potentially hazardous substances in containers secured with caps or lids which provide some measure of childresistance to the opening thereof. A common technique used is the provision of a screw-thread cap which includes lugs thereon which engage with projections on or near the bottle neck. The cap is constructed from resilient plastic or other suitable material which enables the user of the container to squeeze two opposing compression points on the cap perimeter thereby causing an elliptical deformation of the cap. The deformation causes the cap lugs to be projected radially outward and thus enables them to pass the bottle neck projections while unscrewing the cap. An example of such a cap is shown in figures l(a)-l(d) and figure 2.

In the figures l(a)-l(d) and figure 2, a cap 10 is provided with an inner screw-threaded portion 12 for engagement with the neck 22 of a bottle 20. The cap has a resilient outer casing 14, upon the circumference of which are two downwardly protruding lugs 16,17 formed on opposing sides of the cap. The bottle 20 is provided with a shoulder 24 immediately below the neck 22, upon which are formed two bevelled projections 26,27 on opposing sides of the shoulder. The bevels of the projections 26,27 are oriented such that upon clockwise rotation of the cap 10 onto the neck 22 (viewed from above the bottle 20), the bevels tend to guide the lugs 16,17 radially outwards and past the bevelled sides of the projections 26,27. However, upon anti-clockwise rotation of the cap, the lugs 16,17 are prevented from passing the projections 26,27 by the non-bevelled (or radial) edges thereof.In order to continue rotation of the cap 10 in the anti-clockwise direction, the user is required to squeeze two compression points 18,19 on the cap, causing elliptical deformation of the outer casing 14, projecting lugs 16,17 radially outward, and allowing them to pass projections 26,27. The compression points 18,19 are on opposite sides of the cap, having a diametric axis orthogonal to the diametric axis of the lugs 16,17.

A further common feature of modern packaging is the provision of tamper-proofing, or "tamper-evidencing" of containers, in order that once opened, the container may not be resealed without clearly visible evidence thereof. A common technique of providing such tamper-evidencing is to affix a label or collar which traverses the bottle neck and cap interface, and is adhered to both bottle and cap. Such a label or collar is broken when the cap is twisted for removal. A disadvantage of such a technique is that the procedure of applying a separate sealing label or collar to the bottle neck and cap requires a further process step after packaging of the bottle contents.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a container closure device which provides the features of both child-resistance to the opening of the container, and tamper-evidencing indicating an initial opening of the container without the need for an additional packaging stage after the sealing of the container.

According to one embodiment, the present invention provides a twistaction container closure device comprising: an inner wall adapted to co-operate with retaining means on the container neck; a resilient outer wall coupled to the inner wall and defining a cavity therebetween; at least one lug coupled to the outer wall and adapted to engage with a projection on a shoulder or neck of the container when the closure device is twisted onto the container in a forward direction, and preventing removal of the closure device when twisted in the reverse direction; at least one removeable blocking means situated so as to prevent compression of the resilient outer wall inwardly toward the inner wall.

The present invention will now be described by way of example, and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows an example of a prior art bottle closure mechanism incorporating features of child-resistance to opening of the bottle, and includes figures l(a) and l(b) which show the bottle cap in (b) underside plan view, and (a) side elevation through cross-section on line A-A; and figures l(c) and l(d) which show the corresponding bottle neck portion (c) in side elevation and (d) plan view; Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the bottle closure according to figures l(a) to l(d); Figure 3 shows a bottle closure mechanism in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention, including (a) a side view of the bottle cap, and (b) an underside plan view of the bottle cap; Figure 4 shows the bottle closure cap of figure 3 in cross-sectional side elevation on line B-B; Figure 5 shows an underside plan view of an alternative embodiment of a bottle closure cap according to the present invention; Figure 6 shows a further embodiment of a bottle cap according to the present invention in cross-sectional side elevation analogous to that of figure 4;; Figure 7 shows a cap and collar arrangement according to the present invention in cross-sectional side elevation analogous to figure 4; Figure 8 shows the collar only of figure 7 in plan view; and Figure 9 shows in cross-sectional side elevation a bottle, cap and collar arrangement according to the present invention.

With reference to figure 3 there is shown an exemplary embodiment of the present invention in the form of a bottle cap 30. The cap is provided with an inner screw-threaded portion 12 for engagement with the neck 22 of a bottle 20 in similar manner to the illustration of figure 1. The cap has a resilient outer casing 14, upon the circumference of which are two downwardly protruding lugs 16,17 formed on opposing sides of the cap on one diametric axis. A bottle 20 is provided with a shoulder 24 immediately below the neck 22, upon which are formed two bevelled projections 26,27 on opposing sides of the shoulder (as in figure 1).The beveJs of the projections 26,27 are oriented such that upon clockwise rotation of the cap 30 onto the neck 22 the bevels tend to guide the lugs 16,17 radially outwards and past the sides of the projections 26,27, relying on the resilience of the outer casing 14 to do so.

However, upon anti-clockwise rotation of the cap 30, the lugs 16,17 are prevented from passing the projections 26,27 by the non-bevelled (or radial) edges thereof. In order to continue rotation of the cap 30 in the anti-clockwise direction, the user is required to squeeze two compression points 18,19 on opposite sides of the cap, and on a second diametric axis. As described with reference to the prior art example in figure 1, this causes substantially elliptical deformation of the outer casing 14, thereby projecting lugs 16,17 radially outwards and allowing them to pass projections 26,27. The compression points 18,19 are on opposite sides of the cap, having diametric axis orthogonal to the diametric axis of the lugs 16,17.

In the embodiment of figure 3, however, squeezing of the two compression points 18,19 is prevented by blocking members 32,33 which are disposed between the inner and outer walls 12,14. A tag 34,35 projects downwards from each blocking member to allow the user to separate the blocking members from the body of the cap. The blocking members are preferably attached to or form an integral part of the resilient outer casing 14 of the cap 30, with perforations or lines of weakness 36,37 provided to allow easy separation of the blocking members 32,33 from the outer casing 14. The cap may readily be moulded as a single piece construction.

In operation, the cap 30 may be screwed onto the bottle in a clockwise direction, the lugs 16,17 deforming radially outwards as they are guided over the bevelled projections 26,27. Once screwed onto the bottle, the cap cannot be screwed in an anti-clockwise direction because the lugs 16,17 become restrained by the non-bevelled edges of the projections 26,27. In order to provide the necessary elliptical distortion of the cap by squeezing the compression points 18,19, the user must first grasp each tag 34,35 in turn and pull away the blocking members 32,33 from the outer casing 14. The width of the detachable blocking members is preferably designed to be smaller than finger width such that thumb and forefinger compression of the residual portions of the outer casing 14 near compression points 18,19 after removal of the blocking members is easily achieved.The width of blocking members 32,33 is however, sufficient to prevent distortion of the outer casing at compression points 18,19 before they are removed.

It will be understood that the principle of the invention may be implemented in a number of configurations. It is possible that only one blocking member is provided. The tags 34,35 may be provided projecting in any convenient direction, eg. outwards, upwards and/or downwards from the outer casing of the cap 30. The blocking members 32,33 may extend into the void between the inner and outer casing 12,14 for the full height of the cap, or only part thereof, preferably at the bottom. The blocking members 32,33 may be physically separate from the outer casing 14, and be permitted to fall out of the void between inner and outer casing only when the outer casing has been cleaved at lines of weakness 36,37.

In addition to the variations described with the tags 34,35 projecting in any convenient direction, it is also possible to provide them with a "ring-pull" arrangement at the free end thereof to further facilitate the detachment of the blocking members 32,33. The ring-pull could thus lie flat on the upper surface of the cap, connected to the upper end of a tag 34,35. Alternatively, the ringpull could lie against the bottle surface, connected to the lower end of a downwardly projecting tag 34,35.

Blocking members 32,33 formed separately from the outer casing 14 of the cap as described above may also be provided with a ring pull arrangement.

Each blocking member 32,33 could be attached to a ring-pull or tag by means of a flexible plastic strip which passes beneath and extends outside the outer casing 14 of the cap. The blocking member would then be removable from between the inner and outer casing of the cap by pulling the ring-pull or tag, thus forcing the resilient outer casing 14 outwards sufficient for the blocking member 32,33 to pass between the lower edge of the outer casing and the shoulder 24 of the bottle.

For practical purposes connected with the fabrication of a cap 30, it may be desirable to configure the blocking members as radial inwardly projecting fins 40,41 as illustrated in the embodiment of figure 5. This will allow easier moulding of the cap as a single piece construction.

In another arrangement, the blocking members 32,33 could be detachable in the sense that they are non-reversibly moveable from a first part of the void between the inner and outer casing of the cap to a second part of the void between the inner and outer casing of the cap. Whilst located in the first part, blocking means would be the blocking means would be operative prevent the compression of the resilient outer casing, as previously described, but while located in the second part, the blocking means would be unable to perform the blocking function. An exemplary embodiment of this arrangement, in accordance with the present invention is shown in figure 6.

With reference to figure 6, the blocking members 32,33 comprise a rigid plastics cube or other suitable shape located in the void between the inner and outer casing 12,14 which extends in a vertical direction over only a portion of the height of the void. Each cube is attached to the opposite end of a plastic filament 40 which projects upwards from each cube 32,33 and through two apertures in the top of the cap, and stretches diametrically across the cap.

Thus, to release the cap, the filament 40 is pulled in an upward direction, causing blocking members 32,33 to be conveyed to the upper portion of the void between the inner and outer casings 12,14. In the uppermost positions, the blocking members are no longer able to fulfil the operation of preventing squeezing of the compression points 18,19. A mechanism (not shown) for preventing the return of the blocking members 32,33 to the lower positions may also be provided: for example by way of bevelled projections on the inner wall of the outer casing 14 preventing downward movement of the blocking member by engagement with the lower surfaces thereof. Other "non-return" systems could be provided by way of the plastic filament 40 and the apertures 41,42 through which it passes: an example is the ratchet system commonly used on commercially available cable ties or "tie-wraps".

The lugs 16,17 may be provided as inwardly projecting lugs (rather than the downwardly projecting lugs illustrated in the figures) between the outer and inner casing. The bottle projections 26,27 would then be disposed suitably to correspond therewith on the lower portion of the neck 22. In such an embodiment, the shoulder 24 and projections 26,27 on the bottle (see figure 1) would be of smaller overall diameter than the outer casing 14 of the cap, and the outer casing 14 would extend downwards to a greater extent that the illustration of figures 1, 2 and 3.

The invention is readily applicable to caps incorporating a ratchet type mechanism in place of the lugs 16,17 and projections 26,27 in the figures.

In a further arrangement of the present invention, the blocking member or members may be provided by way of a shield external to the resilient outer casing 14 of the cap. In order to squeeze the compression points 18,19 of the outer casing 14, it would be necessary to remove the external shield. An exemplary embodiment of an external shield device is shown in figures 7 and 8.

With reference to figures 7 and 8, the shield device takes the form of a collar 44 which is manufactured from a brittle plastics material which, when deformed would readily shatter. Alternatively, the collar 44 may be constructed from a rigid material with a line or lines of weakness provided therein which permit its partial disintegration. The collar 44 comprises a substantially planar ring of material 51 having an inner circumference 53 defining an aperture 50 of sufficiently large diameter to enable the collar to be placed over and around the neck 22 of the bottle (figure 2) before the cap 10 is engaged. At the outer circumference of the planar ring of material 51 is an upstanding portion or portions 45 which conceal the compression points 18,19 of the cap 10 when it is screwed into place on the bottle. The upstanding portions thereby form a blocking member or blocking members 45 preventing removal of the cap. In order to facilitate engagement of the lugs 16,17 of the cap 10 with the bevelled projections 26,27, a portion 52 of the blocking member 45 and planar ring 51 is cut away. For clarity, in figure 7, the collar 44 and cap 10 are shown slightly separated, but it will be understood that the gap indicated by reference numeral 54 is kept to a minimum, and when the cap and collar are attached to the bottle, the gap indicated by reference numeral 55 will disappear, permitting lugs 16,17 to project downwards below the planar ring 51, the planar ring being considerably thinner than the distance of downward projection of the lugs. The dimensions of the cut away portions 52 should ideally be only slightly greater than those of the lugs 16,17.

The cut away portions 52 could be replaced by a continuous upstanding portion 45 circumnavigating the planar ring, with an aperture formed in the planar ring allowing the downward projection of lugs 16,17 therethrough. In this embodiment, it would be necessary for the gap 54 to be sufficiently large to allow the radially outward projection of lugs 16,17 around the bevelled projections 26,27 while screwing the cap onto the bottle.

A tag, or other convenient mechanism, may be provided on the collar 44 (eg. at the upper extent of the upstanding portions 45) to facilitate the breakage of the collar when it is desired to open the bottle.

It will be understood that the external shield arrangement of the present invention may be configured in a number of different ways to accommodate variations in the style of a prior art bottle and cap. For example, the embodiment described herein results in the collar lying in the plane of the base of the neck of the bottle, and slightly above the plane in which the bevelled projections 26,27 lie. The screw-threaded portion 22 of the bottle in this case extends downwards to the plane in which the bevelled projections lie. In the case of a bottle exactly as depicted in figure 2, the aperture 50 of the collar 44 would need to accommodate the sloping portion of the neck of the bottle immediately above the shoulder 24.

A further embodiment of the external shield arrangement is described with reference to figure 9. A bottle 60 has a neck 62 with screw-threaded portion 63. A cap 64, having inner screw-threaded portion 12 and resilient outer casing 14 is screwed into place thereon. In this embodiment, the bevelled projections 26,27 are positioned on the neck 62 to cooperate with lugs 66,67 which are located on the inside wall of resilient outer casing 14 (cf.

downwardly projecting lugs 16,17 of previous figures). Downwardly projecting lugs could also be used in this arrangement. An external shield device 70 is located onto the bottle neck 62, and is maintained in a plane above the bottle shoulder 68 by way of supporting feet 72 (which might alternatively be a single "lip" running around the base of the shield 70). In accordance with previous description, gap 54 must be toleranced to accommodate the radially outward projection of the resilient outer casing 14 adjacent to the lugs 66,67 while the cap is being screwed onto the bottle, if the shield is to be continuous around the cap. If a cut away portion is used analogous to that shown as reference numeral 52 in figure 8, then the gap 54 may similarly be reduced to almost zero. Note that for clarity, the lugs 66,67 and bevelled projections 26,27 are shown juxtaposed (not overlapped) and in the plane of the drawing crosssection, but that the shield protection to prevent compression is required in a plane perpendicular thereto, ie. in a line running into and out of the plane of the drawing.

It will be understood that different combinations of the features described with respect to the various embodiments herein may be used in conjunction with one another.

Claims

1. A twist-action container closure device comprising: an inner wall adapted to co-operate with retaining means on the container neck; a resilient outer wall coupled to the inner wall and defining a cavity therebetween; at least one lug coupled to the outer wall and adapted to engage with a projection on a shoulder or neck of the container when the closure device is twisted onto the container in a forward direction, and preventing removal of the closure device when twisted in the reverse direction; at least one removable blocking means situated so as to prevent compression of the resilient outer wall inwardly toward the inner wall.

2. A closure device according to claim 1 wherein said blocking means is situated within said cavity.

3. A closure device according to claim ) wherein said closure device includes a collar surrounding at least a portion of the resilient outer wall.

4. A closure device according to any previous claim wherein said blocking means is detachable.

5. A closure device according to claim 1 OI claim 2 wherein said blocking means is moveable from a first position in which said compression is prevented to a second position in which said compression is not prevented.

6. A closure device according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein said blocking means forms a part of the resilient outer wall being fissile therefrom.

7. A closure device according to claim 4 wherein said blocking means includes a tag projecting therefrom facilitating detachment of the blocking means from the closure device.

8. A closure device according to any previous claim including first and second lugs disposed on opposing sides of the closure device on a first diametric axis, and first and second blocking means disposed on opposing sides of the closure device on a second diametric axis, said second diametric axis substantially orthogonal to said first diametric axis.

9. A closure device according to any preceding claim wherein the removal of the blocking means is a non-reversible operation.

10. A closure device according to any preceding claim further including tamper evidence means providing visible indication that the blocking means has been removed on at least one occasion.

11. A closure mechanism comprising a closure device according to any preceding claim, and further induding a complementary container comprising a neck adapted to cooperate with the inner wall of the closure device, and a projection proximal to the neck, the projection being operative to engage the lug on the outer wall of the closure device and prevent removal thereof from the container neck when the blocking means are attached to the closure device.

12. A closure mechanism according to claim 11 wherein the projection has a first, bevelled near-tangential, face and a second, radial face, the lug on the closure device being guided by the first, bevelled face when applying the closure device to the container, and the second, radial, face preventing the removal of the closure device.

13. Apparatus substantially as described herein and with reference to the accompanying drawings.