NZ215021A - Safety closure with two coaxial caps having tamper indicating means - Google Patents

Description

21 502 NEW ZEALAND PATENTS ACT, 1953 No.: Date: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO CLOSURES" ACI AUSTRALIA LIMITED, a company incorporated in the State of Victoria, Australia, of Level 32, 200 Queen Street, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia, hereby declare the invention for which Z / we pray that a patent may be granted tojow/us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- o © 2150i!i I This invention relates to improved safety closures for containers, in particular for containers such as bottles for pharmaceutical or other potentially dangerous materials.

A closure according to the invention has a first cap member co-axially retained in a second cap member in a manner enabling limited axial movement therebetween, each cap member having a top panel from which a respective peripheral skirt extends with the skirt of the first cap 10 member being adapted for threaded engagement with the opening of the container; respective ratchet means on each cap member, the respective ratchet means being of complementary form so as to inter-engage positively when the second cap member is rotated for screwing the closure onto the container, but allowing relative rotation of the cap members when the second cap is rotated in the reverse direction; and engagement means operable for engaging the cap members against relative rotation when the second cap member is rotated in said reverse direction, the engagement 20 means being operable to prevent said relative rotation by the second cap being manually urged axially on the first cap member, toward the container, simultaneously with rotation; the closure additionally including tamper indicator means for indicating whether a container, to which the closure has been applied, has been opened, the indicator means being defined by an indicator portion comprising at least a part of the top panel of the second cap member, said indicator portion being displaceable by rotational and/or axial movement of the second cap member 30 relative to the first cap member.

The limited axial movement between the caps may be such that, over the full extent of that movement, the first cap is substantially fully retained in the second cap; the first cap most conveniently, but not necessarily, being of lesser axial extent than the second cap. Retaining means may be provided on one of the caps to retain the first cap in the second and, where the first cap is of lesser axial extent, this may comprise a continuous or discontinuous -2- J '"-8 JAN.:988 1507L ; // ■ " - - 215021 bead at the free edge of the skirt of the second cap which locates under the corresponding edge of the first cap. However, other retaining means can be provided.

In one form, the caps are movable between a normal position, and a secondary position, with the top panels more widely spaced in the normal than in the secondary position. The caps may be biased to the normal position, such as by resilient means on one of, or between, the caps; it being necessary to overcome the bias of that means to 10 manually urge the caps to the secondary position for unscrewing the closure. Where the top panels are more widely spaced in their normal position, the complementary ratchet means most conveniently are located around the opposed faces of the respective skirts of the caps.

In an alternative form, the top panels are more closely spaced in the normal than in the secondary position. In that form, it may be necessary to manually urge the second cap axially on the first cap to retain that normal position, for unscrewing the closure against the 20 action of biasing means acting to move the caps to the secondary position. The biasing means may comprise camming member on each of the top panels which, on rotation of the second cap for unscrewing the closure, move the panels apart and allow relative rotation between the caps unless the action of these camming members is overcome in manually urging the second cap toward the container. With use of such camming members, the complementary ratchet means most conveniently are provided on the respective top panels. The camming members may be provided by axially inclined 30 faces of the ratchet means.

As will be appreciated from the foregoing, it is necessary to co-ordinate rotational and axial movement of the second cap in order to unscrew the closure from the container. Small children are unabel to co-ordinate these actions, and the closure thus prevents their access to the contents of the container.

The indicator means can enable a user to determine whether the contents of a container having the closure are J.-, ■ . 1507L 215021 as packaged by a supplier, or whether the container has been opened and the contents either contaminated, changed or partially depleted. The indicator means may be defined by a portion of the top panel of the second cap, or by all of that panel, and is displaceable by rotational and/or axial movement of that cap, relative to the first cap.

That top panel or portion thereof may be permanently deformable so as to provide a visual indication of such movement. However, in an alternative form, the top panel 10 of the second cap or portion thereof may be at least partly separable, such as by a line of weakness being ruptured upon rotational and/or -3A- 1507L 215021 axial movement of the second cap relative to the first cap. The deformation or rupturing may be caused by engagement between the top panel of each cap.

The forms of the indicator means detailed in the last preceding paragraph are described in relation to the form of closure detailed before that paragraph. However, it is to be understood that the invention extends to other forms of closure having such indicator means. Thus, the indicator means also can be provided in a closure having such first cap retained O 10 in a second cap, but with means other than complementary- ratchet means operable to prevent relative rotation between the caps when the closure is rotated in one direction, but allowing relative rotation of one cap in the other direction. Thus one cap may have at least one pin which, while allowing relative such rotation with the caps in one axial position, can engage on axial movement between the caps in a guideway defined by the other cap to secure the caps -against rotation. Such pin and guideway arrangement may, for example, be similar to that of a bayonet socket connection.

The indicator means may include information or markings indicative of its function. Additional such information or markings may be provided on the top panel of the first cap where the indicate means comprises or includes at least a portion of the top panel of the second cap which is separable. In one arrangement, the indicator means includes a fully Separable_ portion of the second cap with that portion being separable from the closure, upon rotational and/or axial movement of the second cap, by rupture of a line of weakness extending fully around that portion. The line of weakness may be continuous and provided by a reduction of thickness therealong in the top panel. Alternatively, the line of weakness may be discontinuous and provided by a series of perforations therealong formed in the top panel. In each case, separation of the top panel portion by rupturing along the line of weakness most conveniently is effected by engagement between the caps, adjacent the line of weakness, so as to generate a force acting to move the separable portion of the second cap axially relative to the remainder of that cap.

■' O ^ 39 One arrangement for providing engagement between th^ / V FY -4- V* / ;^ "8 JAN,*88; o •» o. 215021 caps to generate such force comprises an abutment on the first cap and projecting toward the second cap so as to engage the separable portion adjacent the line of weakness. Most conveniently a plurality of such abutments are provided in angularly spaced relation. When the second cap is urged axially to enable unscrewing the closure, the abutment(s) may arrest axial movement of the separable portion with the remainder of its cap, prior to the engagement means becoming operable to engage the caps against relative rotation, and the line of weakness is ruptured. The or each abutment may have a side surface which faces opposite to the direction for rotation of the second cap for unscrewing the closure and which is inclined to the axis of rotation; the side surface providing a camming action which facilitates rupture of the line of weakness on rotation of the second cap.

In an alternative arrangement, at least one abutment with such inclined surface can be provided on the first cap, with there being at least one co-operating abutment depending from the separable portion of the second cap. Rupture of the line of weakness can occur as described in the preceding paragraph, although a more positive action is possible due to the or each depending abutment riding axially along an inclined wall on rotation of the second cap. The or each depending abutment may have a side wall facing the inclined wall which itself is either parallel to the axis of rotation, or oppositely inclined to that axis. Also, as a variant of this arrangement, the or each depending abutment may have such oppositely inclined side wall along which an abutment on the first cap rides axially, with the latter abutment having an axially extending, rather than an axially inclined, side wall. In eao.h of these variants of the alternative arrangement, the respective abutment (s) may axially overlap prior to the second cap being urged axially for unscrewing of the closure; the abutments thereby being operable to generate a force to rupture the line of weakness even if the second cap is simply rotated in the direction for unscrewing the closure.

The above-mentioned complementary ratchet means may be such that they inter-engage positively when the second-cap is rotated in a direction for screwing the closure onto the FY ~8 JAN tick 21 502 1 container, regardless of the axial position of that cap relative to the first cap within the limited axial movement possible between the caps. In that case, rotation of the second cap in that direction results in the closure being screwed onto the container whether or not the second cap is manually urged toward the container, relative to the first cap. For this purpose, the outer and inner periphery of the skirts of the first and second cap, in a first arrangement for the complementary ratchet means, may be of complementary sawtooth form; with teeth extending axially to an extent consistent with such inter-engagement .

In a second arrangement, the complementary ratchet means may comprise a respective annular array of radial ratchet teeth on each of the upper surface of the first cap top panel and the lower surface of the second cap top panel. In that arrangement, it normally will not be practical for there to be the required positive engagement between these ratchet means except when the second cap is urged axially toward the container, relative to the first cap.

With a closure having a pilfer-proof indicator means operable on relative axial movement between the caps, it is necessary that the caps can be rotated in unison without such movement in order that the closure can be screwed on to a container for the first time. This is possible with the first, but normally not the second, of the above-described arrangements for the complementary ratchet means. For that second arrangement, it thus is desirable to provide supplemental means which act to prevent relative rotation of the caps when the closure first is screwed onto the container.

The supplemental means may comprise at least one stop member projecting from the separable portion toward the second cap panel and a stop member projecting from the first cap panel toward that portion. Such stop members may be arranged to abut at respective side surfaces, that side surface on the second cap stop member facing in the direction of rotation of that cap for screwing the closure on to the container and that on the first cap stop member facing in the opposite direction. A plurality of such stop members can be provided in a respective annular array on each cap. Moreover, where each cap has at FY least one force generating abutment as described above, the or each stop member may be part of a single member also forming an abutment.

Description now is directed to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows in axial section a safety closure; Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on line II-II of Figure 1; Figure 3 corresponds to Figure 1, but shows only one cap of the closure; Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on line IV-IV of Figure 3; Figures 5 and 6 are sectional views taken respectively on lines V-V and VI-VI of Figure 2, showing detail of the latter Figure on an enlarged scale.

Figures 7 and 8 are sectional views taken on lines VII-VII and VIII-VIII of Figure 4, on an enlarged scale, and Figure 9 shows a partial view corresponding to Figure 1, showing the closure after initial unscrewing from a container.

Closure 10 has an inner cap 12 co-axially retained in outer cap 14. Each cap has a top panel 16,18 and a peripheral skirt 20,22. The caps are made of suitable material to enable cap 12 to be snap-fitted within cap 14; the caps, for example,, respectively being of polypropylene and high density polyethylene. Each of caps 12,14 has bead 24,2 6 at the free edge of its skirt, the beads co-operating to retain cap 12 within cap 14.

As shown in Figure 1, in the respective half sections thereof, limited axial movement is permitted between caps 12,14 the limits being set by abutment of panels 16,18 (left half of Figure 1) and of beads 24,26 (right half). Also, cap 12 has internal thread 28 enabling the closure to be screwed onto a closure. With closure 10 on a container, caps 12,14 normally tend to the position shown on the left of Figure 1, with their panels 16,18 more closely juxtaposed.

Panel 16 has a raised central portion 30, around the periphery of which is provided teeth 32, co-operable with complementary teeth 34 depending from panel 18. The teeth 34 are provided adjacent the periphery of central portion 36 of panel FY 18; portion 36 being joined to annular outer portion 38 of panel 18 by a circular line 40 of weakness formed by a reduction in thickness of that panel. On annular outer portion 42 of panel 16, there is provided a further set of teeth 44. The latter are co-operable with complementary teeth 46 depending from portion 38 of panel 18.

Due to central portion 30 being raised, teeth 32,34 axially overlap in each of the positions shown in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 5, those teeth have complementary surfaces 32a, 34a parallel to the axis of rotation of cap 14 in the direction for screwing the closure onto a container, so that the caps rotate in unison. The closure thus can be screwed onto a container, such as by an applicator head; although it is desirable that portions 36,38 be constrained so as to prevent rupture of panel 18 around line 40. Once the closure 10 is on a container, any substantial rotation of cap 14 in a direction to unscrew the closure, will bring edge 34b of teeth 34 into engagement with axially sloped surfaces 32b of teeth 32. With such rotation, edges 34b will ride along surfaces 32b, forcing panels 16,18 apart to the position shown on the right of Figure 1. However, before that position is attained, rupturing of panel 18 around line 40 will occur, with separation of portion 36. Moreover, rotation of cap 12 will not occur; cap 14 rotating relative to cap 12 and the closure remaining on the container.

Once portion 36 separates, caps 12,14 can move axially over a greater extent than was possible prior to separation of that portion, as shown in Figure 9. That is, prior to separation of portion 36, abutment of panels 16,18 occurs between portions 30,36 but, after that separation, it occurs between portions 42,38. Moreover, it is only with that greater extent of axial movement that teeth 44,46 can axially overlap.

As seen in Figures 2 and 6, teeth 44 are bounded on each side by faces 44a, 44b parallel to the axis of rotation. Also, teeth 46 have one such face 46a; faces 44a,46a abutting on rotation of cap 14 in a direction to screw closure 10 onto a container and thereby providing positive engagement between the caps so that they rotate in unison. However, teeth 4 6 on their sides circumferentially remote from faces 46a have an FY 2 1 502 1 axially inclined face 46b. Thus, on rotating cap 14 in the reverse direction to unscrew the closure from a container, teeth 44 ride along faces 46b, moving the caps axially to increase the spacing between portions 42,38; with relative rotation between the caps. It is necessary that cap 14 be manually urged axially toward the container, simultaneously with its rotation in the reverse direction, in order that the action resulting from inclined faces 4 6b is overcome and so that the caps rotate in unison for unscrewing the closure from the container.

Portion 36 of cap 18 can be provided on its top surface with data, such as the words "pilfer guard" to indicate the function of that portion. Also, portion 30 can be provided on its top surface with data, such as "pilfer guard broken", which becomes visible on removal of portion 36 to indicate that the container has been opened. Also, data can be provided on the top surface of portion 38, such as "push down and turn" and a direction arrow, to indicate the two actions to be coordinated for unscrewing the closure.

In the foregoing, the complementary ratchet means are described a^ being either on the top panels or around the periphery of the skirts. However, it is to be understood that other arrangements can be used. Thus, the skirt of the second cap may have a flange which extends inwardly below the free edge of the skirt of the first cap; with the ratchet mean£ being around that flange and free edge, respectively. Alternatively, the skirt of the first cap may have a flange which extends outwardly below the free edge of the skirt of the second cap, with the ratchet means being around that flange and edge, respectively. In the latter arrangement, the skirts will not have beads 24,26 at the free edges of the skirts; although similar beads can be provided adjacent those edges, around the outer and inner circumference of the respective skirts.

Finally, it is to be understood that various alterations, modifications and/or additions may be introduced into the construction and arrangements of parts previously described without departing from the spirit or ambit of the invention.

FY

Claims (17)

2ib02^ WHAT f/WE CLAIM IS:

1. A closure for a container, having a first cap member co-axially retained in a second cap member in a manner enabling limited axial movement therebetween/ each cap member having a top panel from which a respective peripheral skirt extends with the skirt of the first cap member being adapted for threaded engagement with the opening of the container; respective ratchet means on each cap member, the respective ratchet means being of 10 complementary form so as to inter-engage positively when the second cap member is rotated for screwing the closure onto the container, but allowing relative rotation of the cap members when the second cap member is rotated in the reverse direction; and engagement means operable for engaging the cap members against relative rotation when the second cap member is rotated in said reverse direction, the engagement means being operable to prevent said relative rotation by the second cap member being manually urged axially on the first cap member, toward the container, simultaneously with 20 rotation; the closure additionally including tamper indicator means for indicating whether a container, to which the closure has been applied, has been opened, the indicator means being defined by an indicator portion comprising at least a part of the top panel of the second cap member, said indicator portion being displaceable by rotational and/or axial movement of the second cap member relative to the first cap member.

2. A closure according to claim 1, wherein the first cap member is substantially fully retained in the second 30 cap member over said axial movement.

3. A closure according to claim 1 ar claim 2, wherein retaining means is provided on at least one of said cap members to retain said first cap member in said second cap member.

4. A closure according to claim 3, wherein said retaining means comprises a continuous or discontinuous bead at the edge of the skirt of the second cap member ^remote from the top panel of that member, said bead /'locating under a corresponding edge of the first cap member -10- i ^ n "7t. 215021

5. A closure according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the limited axial movement enables said cap members to move between a normal position and a secondary position, with said top panels being more widely spaced in said normal position than in said secondary position.

6. A closure according to claim 5, wherein said cap members are biased to said normal position by resilient means, such that it is necessary to overcome the bias of said resilient means to manually urge the cap members to 10 the secondary position for unscrewing the closure.

7. A closure according to claim 6, wherein said complementary ratchet means are provided around opposed faces of the respective said skirts.

8. A closure according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the limited axial movement enables said cap members to move between a normal position and a secondary position, with said top panels being more closely spaced in the normal position.

9. A closure according to claim 8, including biasing 20 means acting to move the cap members to said secondary position on rotation of the second cap member in the direction for unscrewing the closure, such that it is necessary to manually urge the second cap member axially to retain said normal position to effect unscrewing of the closure.

10. A closure according to claim 9, wherein said biasing means comprises camming members on each of the top panels which, on rotation of the second cap member in said direction, are operable to move said panels apart unless 30 the action of said camming surfaces is overcome in manually urging the second cap member to retain said normal position.

11. A closure according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein said indicator portion is permanently deformable to provide a visual indication of said rotational and/or axial movement.

12. A closure according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein said indicator portion is at least partly.-separable from the remainder of said second cap member, sucjtu.&s by a 1507L -11- 215021 line of weakness being ruptured upon said rotational and/or axial movement.

13. A closure according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein said indicator portion is displaceable or separable by engagement between the caps to generate a force acting to move said portion axially relative to the remainder of the second cap member.

14. A closure according to claim 13, wherein said force is generated by at least one abutment on the first cap 10 member which projects toward said second cap member so as to be engageable with said indicator portion adjacent the line of weakness.

15. A closure according to claim 14, wherein there is a plurality of said abutments in angularly spaced relation, the abutments being such as to arrest axial movement of said indicator portion with the remainder of the second cap member.

16. A closure according to claim 14 or claim 15, wherein the or each abutment has an axially inclined side wall 20 facing oppositely to the direction of rotation of the second cap member for unscrewing the closure, at least one co-operating abutment depending from said indicator portion of the second cap member.

17. A closure according to claim 1, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DAf'ti* TWfS Do&Y OF I? A. J. PARK & SON PER AGENTS FOR THE APPLICANTS