US2908413A

US2908413A - Safety cap

Info

Publication number: US2908413A
Application number: US742096A
Authority: US
Inventors: Thomas J O'donnell
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1958-06-16
Filing date: 1958-06-16
Publication date: 1959-10-13
Anticipated expiration: 1976-10-13

Description

Oct. 13, 1959 T. J. O'DONNELL 2,908,413

SAFETY CAP Filed June 16, 1958 [/0 /7 7 l /7 I I I /f j l l I ref 4 224 35 9- A? if;

I INVENTOR. THOMAS J. O Doumsu.

United States Patent SAFETY CAP Thomas J. ODonnell, Flushing, N.Y., assignor of fifteen percent to Michael Felix, East Meadow, N.Y.

Application June 16, 1958, Serial No. 742,096

3 Claims. (Cl. 2'159) This invention relates to receptacles and, more particularly, to a receptacle having safety closure means associated therewith.

The fact that many containers are easily opened is a contributing cause to many accidental injuries and deaths to small infants and children. Since many dangerous chemicals, medicines, and the like, are stored in receptacles which are easily opened, they represent a hazard when available to small children that are not aware of the nature of the contents. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a receptacle that is particularly suited for the storage and dispensing of dangerous materials so as to prevent children from gaining access thereof.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a receptacle having a closure cap which is securely retained in a closed position until properly manipulated in a predetermined manner that requires a substantial amount of dexterity and intelligence far exceeding that available to most infants and children.

Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a receptacle of the type described which can be readily opened by adults knowing the instructions therefore, and which can be manufactured in large quantities at relatively low cost.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view, with parts broken away, of a receptacle closure made in accordance with the present invention in a locked position;

Figure 2 is a viewsimilar to Figure 1, showing the parts in an open position;

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of one member forming a part of the present invention;

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of a lock member forming another part of the present invention;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a member shown in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a bottom plan view of the member shown in Figure 4;

Figure 7 is a top plan view of the neck of the receptacle forming another part of the present invention; and

Figure 8 is an enlarged transverse cross sectional view taken along line 8-8 of Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawing, and more particularly to Figures 1 and 2 thereof, a receptacle closure device 10 made in accordance with the present invention is shown in operative association with a bottle 12 having a neck 13 that is provided With threaded grooves 14 and a ridge 15 which is intermediate the threads 14 and the main portion of the receptacle.

The closure device includes a main cap portion 17 which has threads 18 similar to those threads 14 on the receptacle neck 14. The upper end of the main cap member 17 has a closed end wall 20, adjacent to which a knurled portion 19 is provided for facilitating rotation adjacent to the larger 'detent 29a,

of this member. The opposite end of the main cap member 17 is provided with a radially outwardly extending bead 21, for purposes hereinafter described.

A lock cap member 23, in the form of an annular band 24 having a radially inwardly directed flange 25 at an inner end and a radially outwardly extending bead 27 at the opposite outerend, is slidably supported upon the open end of the main cap member 17. This lock cap member 23 is further provided with a pair of diametrically opposite, radially inwardly extending detents 29a, b which serve to lock the assembly in a manner hereinafter more fully described. These detents 29a, b and the radially inwardly extending flange 25 also define the opposite limits for the reciprocating longitudinal movement of the lock cap member 23 upon the open end of the main cap member 17 since the radially outwardly extending bead 21 of the main cap member 17 is disposed therebetween.

The ridge 15 on the neck 13 of the container is further provided with indents 31a, b at diametrically opposite sides which are slightly larger than the respective detents 29a, b of the lock cap member for slidably re ceiving them during the longitudinal movement of the lock cap member. A mark or impression 32 disposed on the outside of the lock cap member 23 immediately provides a reference for alignment with a similar lock or indentation 33 on the neck 13 of the container.

In actual use, the lock cap member 23 prevents the removal of the main cap member 17 since the inwardly directed detents 29a, b underlie the ridge 15 on the neck of the bottle, as is more clearly shown in Figures 1 and 8. However, when the lock cap member 23 is rotated to the open position 23a with the

marks

32, 33 in proper alignment with each other, the large detent 29a and the small detent 29b can be displaced through the similarly shaped spaces 31a, b, respectively, in the ridge 15- so as to dislodge these detents from locking engagement beneath the ridge 15. When so moved to the open position 23a, as shown in Figure 2, the main cap member 17 may be rotated to unscrew it from the threaded neck of the container, thus providing access to the interior thereof. After use, all that is necessary to replace the parts is to first screw the main cap member 17 back down upon the neck of the container and rotate the marker 32 on the lock cap member 23 back into locking engagement with the ridge of the container. It is virtua'lly impossible to open the container unless the parts have been fully orientated in accordance with the foregoing explanation.

While this invention has been described with particular reference to the construction shown in the drawing, it is to be understood that such is not to be construed as imparting limitations upon the invention, which is best defined by the claims appended hereto.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A receptacle comprising, in combination, a substantially rigid container, a threaded neck extending outwardly from one end of said container, a closure cap member, screw threads within the interior of said closure cap member for threaded engagement with said threaded neck, a lock cap member carried by said closure cap member releasably locking said cap member upon said neck, said neck comprising a ridge intermediate said container portion and said threads, and means carried by said lock cap member releasably engageable with said ridge, said lock cap member comprising an annular rim longitudinally slidably supported upon said closure cap member, and a pair of diametrically spaced apart radially inwardly extending detents in said rim, and a pair of diametrically opposite indents in said container ridge,

slidably receiving said detents longitudinally therethrough.

2. A receptacle as set forth in claim 1, wherein one end of said closure cap member comprises an end wall, the opposite end of said closure cap member comprising a radially outwardly extending'bead, and one inner end of said lock cap member defining a radially inwardly extending flange, said bead of said main closure cap member engaging said flange and detents of said lock cap member at the opposite extremities of said longitudinal movement of said lock cap member.

3-. A receptacle as set forth in claim 1, wherein said References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Chapman Feb. 10, 1914 Horner et a1. Jan. 31, 1933 Von Till Sept. 7, 1937 Overmyer Nov. 8,