KR100490715B1 - Children's Containers and Lid Assemblies - Google Patents

Abstract

Child Countermeasures The system of lid 110 and container 150 is easily opened by a frail adult. The lid has a movable panel disposed on the sidewall and presses the panel to unscrew the lid from the neck of the container. The movable panel includes a tab 120 that engages with the securing fastening lug 164 of the annular portion 156 disposed at the neck end such that the lid is not removed without pressing the tab.

Description

Child countermeasure containers and lid assemblies

The present invention relates to a child countermeasure container and lid assembly, which requires an operation that is difficult for a child to open, although an adult, even a weak adult, can easily open. The invention consists of a one-piece container which is easy to manufacture and a lid for the container.

Children's Countermeasures Packaging containers are used to prevent children from inadvertent access to potentially dangerous substances such as medicines, chemicals or poisons. Providing children's countermeasure packaging containers often increases costs, and it can be difficult for adults to open the packaging container. Children's Countermeasures These difficulties due to the opening of the packaging container are exacerbated when the adult trying to open the packaging container is debilitating, or when the dexterity of handling with one or two hands is reduced, for example due to arthritis. Older people tend to rely more on medicines than the average person, and also tend to have less physical strength and dexterity due to arthritis or age. Therefore, it may be quite difficult for an elderly person to open a child countermeasure packaging container.

Children's countermeasures Packaging containers have conventionally existed. Uhlig, for example, US Pat. No. 3,917,097 discloses a lid with an internal flange that engages the junction of the container. Release of the joint and the flange is performed by pressing the indentation in which the fingers face each other, bending the flange to release the engagement with the joint, and then rotating the lid. In order to bend the flanges in this lid, the user needs to deform the circumference of the lid with his fingers.

U.S. Patent No. 3,984,021 to Ulrich and Owens et al., U.S. Patent No. 3,941,268, disclose a lid with an inner tab that engages the junction of the container. Again, the release of the tab and the junction is performed by bending both sides of the lid until the tab and the junction are released and then rotating the lid. A similar lid is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 3,993,208 in Ostrowsky. Lids of these patents also need to bend the circumferential surface of the lid to release the fastening.

Finally, Hamilton et al. In U.S. Pat.No. 5,230,433 disclose lids with claws that engage push tab extensions protruding from a sleeve mounted in a container. . It is released by pressing the opposite push tab and then rotating the lid.

Each of the lids of the prior art described above has the disadvantage that they are not easily separated, at least by weak adults, because they require great force to bend the outer circumferential surface of the lid to release the fastening mechanism between the lid and the container. Because.

U.S. Patent No. 4,948,002 and U.S. Patent No. 330,677 also discloses a child protection packaging container. The packaging container of the patent has the disadvantage that a portion is formed in the container that must be manipulated to release the fastening portion. Eventually, the user must release the fastening by manipulating the container with one hand and rotating the lid with the other hand to turn the lid away from the container. Thus, removing the lid requires the dexterity of both hands, which makes it more difficult for a very weak person to remove the lid with one hand. In addition, these packaging containers are difficult to manufacture because they use complex two-piece container assemblies as well as one-piece lid assemblies that fit into the container assemblies.

1 is a side view of a first embodiment of a container of the present invention,

2 is a side view of a first embodiment of the lid of the present invention,

3 is a plan view of the lid of FIG.

4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 of the lid of FIG. 2 showing the fastening tab of the lid;

5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 of the lid of FIG. 3,

6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 6-6 of the lid of FIG. 3,

7 is a plan view of the container of FIG.

8 is a detailed cross-sectional view taken along line 8-8 of the movable panel region of the lid of FIG. 6;

9 is a detailed side view of the fastening lug of the present invention,

10 is a detailed plan view of the fastening lug of the present invention,

11 is a detailed exploded view of the fastening lug of the present invention,

12 is a view showing a modification of the fastening tab of the present invention,

13 is a view showing a modification of the container of the present invention.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an assembly of a child countermeasure lid and container which allows an adult to open relatively easily, even for a weak adult who is manually operated by one hand while preventing the child from accessing the contents of the container. It is also an object of the present invention to provide an easy-to-use, economical packaging package for children.

The present invention is an assembly of a lid and a container. The lid includes a top wall, an annular skirt, and threads disposed inside the lid. One or more pressurizable movable panels are molded in the annular skirt, and fastening tabs are formed in each movable panel. Since the movable panel is spaced apart from the skirt by a gap, the user can more easily deform the movable panel in the radial direction using a finger. The lid is preferably provided with two or more movable panels and fastening tabs.

The container includes a receptacle for containing the contents. A threaded neck protrudes upward from this receiving portion. An annulus with at least one fixed fastening lug surrounds the neck. The annular portion may be formed by the upper shoulder portion of the container. The annular portion is preferably provided with two fixed fastening lugs. The fastening tab engages with the fastening lug to prevent the lid from rotating out of the neck of the receptacle when the movable panel is not pressurized.

The lid and the container may each be made of plastic, but the container may optionally be made of glass. A lid thread that secures the lid to the container may be formed in a skirt having an annular thread that protrudes from the top wall of the lid. Annular threaded skirts and annular skirts are generally concentric.

The annular skirt may be provided with ribs or formed in a sawtooth shape to be easy for the user to grip. It is advantageous to have a movable panel, a fastening tab and two fixed fastening lugs. The movable panels are each advantageously arranged at 180 ° intervals on the circumference of the lid.

Typical products that can be accommodated in the child countermeasure containers of the present invention include, but are not limited to, liquid or solid medications, pills, prescription drugs, therapeutic drugs, as well as soaps, detergents, pesticides, poisons, solvents, industrial chemicals, and the like. It is not.

The lid and container assembly according to the present invention is a conventional facility used to make glass and plastic containers, and can be manufactured without any modifications that substantially burden this facility. Conventional plastic or glass forming techniques can be used to make the packaging container of the present invention without difficulty. The container may for example be manufactured by a standard bottle injection molding machine.

The assembly of the lid and container of the present invention has many advantages. First, the assembly can be easily manufactured as a one-piece bottle and a one-piece bottle. Secondly, there is no need to manipulate both the bottle and the lid to open the packaging container. The lid of the present invention is preferably structured with a movable panel, whereby the lid is screwed into the container using an automatic screw fastening machine without the need for additional equipment to open the lid or the container. Finally, the packaging container does not need to be bent much to release the fastening.

1 to 13 show the structure of the assembly consisting of the child measures lid and the container of the present invention. The lid 110 is mounted to the vessel 150 via interlocking threads 154 and 232 such that the contents of the vessel are not accessible.

The lid 110 includes a top wall 112 that is generally circular in shape. An annular skirt 114 protrudes from this top wall 112. In the lid of FIG. 2, the annular skirt 114 extends into a funnel shape, allowing a wider range of radial movement with respect to the movable panels 116, 116 ′. By means of a wider range of radial movements with respect to the movable panels 116, 116 ′, the panel can be operated less easily by the small hands of the child, so that the lid is particularly safe for separation by the child. To ensure. The annular skirt 114 includes one or more fastening devices that are radially flexible, such as the movable panel 116. While two movable panels 116 and 116 'are preferably provided, other numbers of panels may be provided. The annular skirt 114 may include teeth or ribs 114a that make the lid 110 easier to grasp. However, it may be desirable for the child not to have teeth or ribs formed on the outer surfaces of the movable panels 116 and 116 ', thereby making it difficult for the child to grasp or manipulate the movable panels 116 and 116'. A fastening tab 120 is formed on the radially inner surface of each of the movable panels 116, 116 ′, which may have a rectangular cross section or one side may be formed as an arc portion 300 (FIG. 8). And FIG. 12). By the arc portions 300, 300 ′ of the fastening tabs 120, 120 ′, the fastening tabs 120, 120 ′ are fixed fastening lugs 164, 164 while tightening the lid 110 to the container neck 152. ′) Can be easily fastened. A portion of the fastening tabs 120, 120 ′ closest to the top wall 112 is integrally molded with the movable panels 116, 116 ′ in the webs 301, 301 ′. The remaining portions of the fastening tabs 120, 120 ′ are spaced apart from the movable panels 116, 116 ′ by the gaps G, G ′. By means of the gaps G, G 'between the fastening tabs 120, 120' and the movable panels 116, 116 ', the fastening tabs 120, 120' can be bent in a radial direction, whereby the container 150 Fastening tabs 120, 120 ′ bend around fixed fastening lugs 164, 164 ′ while tightening lid 110. Fixed fastening lugs 164, 164 ′ pass through gaps G and G ′ while tightening lid 110 to neck 152 of the container.

6 is a cross-sectional view of the lid showing the inside of the lid. The annular threaded skirt 132 protrudes from the top wall 112 and is generally concentric with the annular skirt 114. The thread 232 of the threaded skirt 132 engages with the corresponding thread 154 of the container neck 152 to fasten the lid 110 to the container 150. If the lid 110 is tightened to the neck 152 of the container, the thread 232 must be long enough to ensure that the fastening tabs 120, 120 'climb on the fastening lugs 164, 164'. Lid 110 may have a securing web 700 that secures between annular skirt 114 and annular threaded skirt 132.

In addition, the screw fastening system for the lid 110 and the container 150 can have multiple threads. Lid 110 and container 150 may each include two or more threads. Such a structure is disclosed in US Pat. No. 5,213,225, in which threads are formed only on the circumference of the lid and neck of the container. When using such a system, the lid only needs to be partially rotated to be separated from the container neck. This "quick-off" structure can be an advantage for users who have difficulty opening the container.

The structure of a container according to an embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 1 and 7. As shown in FIG. 1, the container 150 has a receiving portion 158. The neck 152 extends upwardly from the shoulder 168 of the container. The neck 152 has an annular lip portion 162 defining an inlet, through which the contents of the container 150 can be dispensed. Threads 154 of one or more containers surround neck 152. The thread 154 of the container engages with the corresponding thread 232 of the lid 110 to screw the lid 110 to the container 150.

It is an annular part or extension part 160 which spread out in the shape of a wake when it woken outward from this neck part 152. As shown in FIG. This extension portion 160 has an outer circumference portion 156 that merges with the container body 158. Extension 160 may be formed by a generally flat ring shaped annulus or floor concentric with the axis of vessel 150 (FIG. 1), or protruding from the neck 152 of the vessel It may be formed as a flange (FIG. 13). Extension 160 is equipped with one or more fastening lugs 164. Two fixed fastening lugs 164 and 164 'are shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 10, the fixed fastening lugs 164, 164 ′ have a radially outer surface 400. The outer surface 400 is formed in the form of an arc with a center point coinciding with the axis of the vessel 150. The fastening surface 402 extends along the radius of the vessel 150 axis. The inner surface 401 is preferably formed in a direction perpendicular to the fastening surface 402. The inner surface 401 need not necessarily be perpendicular to the fastening surface 402, but needs to be formed as a surface projecting radially inward from the leading edge 405 to the trailing edge 406. Due to this radially inward projection of the inner surface 401, the fastening tabs 120, 120 ′ may be deformed radially inward as the fastening tabs climb the fixed fastening lugs 164, 164 ′. . The inner surface 402 is preferably formed at the dividing line of the mold used to make the container 150.

In the opening operation of the lid 110 of the present invention, as it is rotated in the tightening direction on the screw thread 154 of the lid 110, an arc portion 300, 300 'of the fastening tabs 120, 120' (or FIG. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 12, the tip corner 303 of the fastening tab 120 contacts the inner surface 401 of the fastening lug 164 at the leading edge 405. As the lid 110 is rotated further in the tightening direction, the fastening tabs 120, 120 ′ bend radially inward, whereby the radially outer surfaces of the fastening tabs 120, 120 ′ slide along the inner surface 401. Lose. As the fastening tabs 120, 120 ′ slide along the inner surface 401 of the fastening lugs, the fastening lugs 164, 164 ′ are movable panels 116, 116 ′ and fastening tabs 120, 120 ′. It penetrates the gap G between them. The fastening tabs 120, 120 ′ slide along the inner surface 401 and then snap-fit radially outwards such that the back side 304 of the fastening tabs 120, 120 ′ is fixed fastening lugs 164, 164. Meshing surface 402). The engagement between the back surface 304 and the fastening surface 402 prevents reverse rotation of the lid 150 relative to the container without manipulating the movable panels 116, 116 ′, wherein the back surface 304 and the fastening surface ( All of the 402 are arranged along the radius of the vessel 150 axis.

In order to separate the lid 110 from the container 150, the user places a finger on each movable panel 116, 116 ′ and pushes down the movable panel 116, 116 ′. The movable panels 116, 116 ′ are easily bent radially inward because there is a gap 500 between the movable panels 116, 116 ′ and the annular skirt 114. Due to this gap, the force required to release the fastening tabs 120, 120 'is just that much force needed to bend the movable panel 116, 116' against the resistance of the hinge 600 of the movable panel. It is guaranteed that it is enough. By this radial movement, the radially outer surfaces of the fastening tabs 120, 120 ′ are arranged radially inward of the inner surface 401 of the fixed fastening lugs 164, 164 ′. When the lid is rotated in the unlocking direction, the fixed fastening lugs 164, 164 ′ penetrate the gap G between the movable panels 116, 116 ′ and the fastening tabs 120, 120 ′. In this position, the fastening tabs 120, 120 ′ may be rotated through the fixed fastening lugs 164, 164 ′ as the lid 110 unwinds relative to the container 150. After the fastening tabs 120, 120 ′ pass through the fastening lugs 164, 164 ′, the lid 110 may be released from the container neck 152 in a known manner.

By using the fastening tabs 120, the pressing against the movable panel 116 can move each fastening tab 120 directly to release engagement with the fastening lugs 164, 164 ′. In this way, the user can control the disengagement of the child countermeasures much better than when operating the fastening tab indirectly. Moreover, since the outer circumferential portion 156 may be manufactured at the same height as the annular skirt 114, the container 150 and the lid 110 are in a continuous form to improve the overall appearance. However, due to the hinge 600 of the movable panel connecting the movable panel 116, 116 ′ to the top wall 112, as well as the gap 500 between the movable panel 116, 116 ′ and the annular skirt 114. The fastening mechanism is more easily disengaged than the lid where the circumference of the lid must be deformed for release of the fastening mechanism.

Of course, those skilled in the art will be able to understand and anticipate variations of the structural principles disclosed in the embodiments of the present invention, and such modifications, changes and substitutions are included within the scope of the present invention. For example, although two fixed fastening lugs and two fastening tabs are shown in the embodiment of the figures, the number of such characteristic elements may be arbitrarily contemplated by the lid and container assembly of the present invention. The protection scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims.

Claims (23)

A lid and container assembly having a lid and a container, wherein the lid is Top wall; An annular skirt suspended from the top wall; An annular threaded skirt having at least one lid thread protruding from the top wall; One or more pressurizable movable panels separated by the annular skirt and one or more gaps and wherein the perimeter of the top wall is hinged to the lid; And One or more fastening tabs molded integrally with said one or more movable panels and having a back surface; The container Receptacle; A neck having a thread protruding from the receiving portion; And And an annular portion surrounding the neck and at least one fixed fastening lug formed on the surface thereof, The fixed fastening lug has a fastening surface, wherein the fastening fastening lug is fastened to the at least one fastener while the lid thread rotates in the first direction at the neck with the thread until the fastening surface engages with the rear surface of the fastening tab. Engaged with the tab, The engagement between the fastening surface and the back of the fastening tab prevents the lid thread from rotating in the opposite direction of the first direction in the neck with the thread unless the one or more movable panels are press-fit inwards in the radial direction. Lid and container assembly, characterized in that. The lid and container assembly of claim 1, wherein the lid and container are made of plastic. The lid and container assembly of claim 1, wherein the lid is made of plastic and the container is made of glass. The lid and container assembly of claim 1, wherein the annular threaded skirt and the annular skirt are substantially concentric. The lid and container assembly of claim 1, wherein the radially outer surface of the annular skirt has ribs on its surface. The lid and container assembly of claim 1, wherein the movable panel is two, the fastening tab is two, and the fixed fastening lug is two. The lid and container assembly of claim 6, wherein the fastening tabs are spaced 180 degrees apart in the circumferential direction, and the fixed fastening lugs are also spaced 180 degrees apart in the circumferential direction. The fastening tab is connected to the movable panel by a web at one point in the axial direction, and the fastening tab is spaced apart from the movable panel by a gap at another point in the axial direction. Lid and Vessel Assembly. The lid and container assembly of claim 1, wherein the one or more fixed fastening lugs comprise a radially inner surface that projects radially inward from the leading edge to the trailing edge. A packaging container having a lid and a container, the packaging container comprising a plurality of components for safe storage to reach the contents to be used only by a special operation. Top wall; An annular skirt protruding from the top wall; A fastening element comprising a fastening tab and having a radial flexibility; And Wherein the lid threaded is formed and includes an annular threaded skirt protruding from the top wall, The fastening tab is connected to the fastening element by a web at one point and spaced at another point, The container Receptacle; A neck having a thread projecting in the axial direction from the receiving portion; And An extension having a contact element for engaging the fastening tab, The engagement between the contact element and the locking tab prevents the lid from rotating and disengaging from the container, wherein the lid does not move radially toward the center of the lid at the same time as the locking tab rotates. One, the packaging container is fastened to the container. 11. A packaging container as claimed in claim 10, wherein said lid and container are made of plastic. 11. A packaging container as claimed in claim 10, wherein said lid is made of plastic and said container is made of glass. The packaging container according to claim 10, wherein the annular threaded skirt and the annular skirt are substantially concentric. 11. A packaging container as claimed in claim 10, wherein said radially flexible fastening element comprises said movable panel. 11. A packaging container as claimed in claim 10, wherein said radially flexible fastening elements are two and said contact elements are two. 16. The packaging container according to claim 15, wherein the fastening elements having flexibility in the radial direction are spaced 180 degrees in the circumferential direction, and the contact elements are spaced 180 degrees in the circumferential direction. The packaging container according to claim 10, wherein the contact element comprises a radially inner surface projecting radially inward from the leading edge to the trailing edge. The packaging container according to claim 10, wherein the extension portion is formed on the container and protrudes outwardly from the receiving portion. The packaging container according to claim 10, wherein the fastening tab is spaced apart from the fastening element. 11. A packaging container as claimed in claim 10, wherein said fastening element is mounted to said lid so as to be movable relative to said annular skirt. The packaging container according to claim 10, wherein the lid is locked to the container when the lid is rotated and the fastening tab is not moved from the lower portion of the skirt to the center of the lid in the radial direction. The lid and container assembly of claim 1, wherein the gap is formed in the longitudinal direction of the skirt. A lid and container assembly having a lid and a container, wherein the lid is Top wall; An annular skirt suspended from the top wall; An annular threaded skirt having at least one lid thread protruding from the top wall; One or more pressurizable movable panels separated by the annular skirt and at least one gap, the ends around the top wall being hinged to the lid; And One or more fastening tabs integrally molded with said at least one movable panel and having a back surface, said fastening tabs being connected to said movable panel at one point by a web and spaced apart from said movable panel at a gap on the other side. It is, The container Receptacle; A neck having a thread protruding from the receiving portion; And And an annular portion surrounding the neck and at least one fixed fastening lug formed on the surface thereof, The fixed fastening lug has a fastening surface extending in the axial radial direction of the container, the fixed fastening lug further comprises an inner surface projecting radially inward from the leading edge to the trailing edge, The fixed fastening lug engages the leading end of at least one of the fastening tabs, and the fastening tab moves along the inner surface of the fastening fastening lug as the lid thread engaged on the neck of the container rotates in a first direction, and accordingly Move the fastening tab radially inward until the fastening surface engages with the back of the fastening tab, The engagement between the fastening surface and the back of the fastening tab prevents the lid thread from rotating in the opposite direction of the first direction in the neck with the thread unless the one or more movable panels are press-fit inwards in the radial direction. Lid and container assembly, characterized in that.

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