US3578193A

US3578193A - Safety stopper

Info

Publication number: US3578193A
Application number: US834039A
Authority: US
Inventors: Maurice Steiner
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1968-06-19
Filing date: 1969-06-17
Publication date: 1971-05-11
Anticipated expiration: 1988-05-11
Also published as: FR1585210A

Abstract

Safety stopper having a recess of the general shape of a glove finger so that the user may insert his finger therein and an outer wall adapted to be introduced into the top portion of the container to be closed and provided with at least one element adapted to cooperate with a corresponding element provided on the inner wall of said top portion of said container in order to lock the stopper within said portion, said locking elements being so arranged as to ensure that the stopper is released as a result of action exerted within the recessed portion of said stopper.

Description

United States'Patent [72] lnventor [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,8l3,651 11/1957 Schlumbohm................

FOREIGN PATENTS 380,564 9/1964 Switzerland..................

Primary ExaminerGeorge T. Hall Attomey-Marmaduke A. Hobbs [22] Filed June 17, 1969 [45] Patented May 11, 1971 [32] Priority June 19, 1968 [33] France ABSTRACT: Safety stopper having a recess of the general shape of a glove finger so that the user may insert his finger [54] SAFETY STOPPFR therein and an outer wall adapted to be introduced into the 4 Chums 5 Drawmg top portion of the container to be closed and provided with at [52] US. least one element adapted to cooperate with a-corresponding element provided on the inner wall of said top portion of said 215/47, 215/49 Int. A61j 1/00, container in order to lock the stopper within said portion, said B65d 55/02, B65d 39/00 locking elements being so arranged as to ensure that the [50] Field stopper is released as a result of action exerted within the recessed portion of said stopper.

Patente d M5, 11, 1971 FIG; 2

I INVENTOR.

MAURICE STEINER BY ATTORNEY SAFETY STOPPER The closure of containers and bottles such as medicine bottles by means of a device which is proof against easy opening by very young children, for example, is a problem for which a number of different solutions have been found.

The devices which are designed for this purpose and which may consist of one, two or even a larger number of components usually entail the need to lock the stopper onto the exterior of the bottle or container. This design does not wholly guard against the possibility of opening by a child since repeated fumbling with the stopper can result in actuation of the locking system.

Consideration also has to be given to the fact that, from an industrial standpoint and particularly in the pharmaceutical industry, there is a constant trend towards the replacement of glass packaging by rigid aluminum tubing. As a consequence, the conditions imposed by machining of rigidaluminum tubes have to be taken into account.

Thus, thin tubes permit only small external projections with rounded edges which constitute somewhat unreliable locking profiles. In fact, the locking system of a plastic stopper can be forced fairly readily as a result of a rotational effort without necessarily requiring previous knowledge of the release operation required.

The present invention, which is applicable without restriction to thin-walled metal tubes as well as to'containers or vessels made of any material, provides for a recessed stopper which has the general shape of a glove finger so that the user may insert his finger therein and is provided on the outer wall to be introduced into the top portion of the container with at least one element adapted to cooperate with a corresponding element provided on the inner wall of said top portion of said container in order to lock the stopper within said portion, said locking elements being so arranged as to ensure that the stopper is released as a result of action exerted within the recessed portion of said stopper.

In a particular embodiment the stopper is asymmetrical and comprises a locking lug adapted to cooperate with an internal circular projection of the inner wall of the container, the releasing action being produced by a radial elfort exerted within the interior of the stopper which is accordingly endowed with a sufiicient degree of elasticity, leak-tightness being ensured by applying an annular portion of the stopper against the top edge of the top opening of said container.

In a second embodiment, the stopper is symmetrical and comprises at least two locking lugs adapted to cooperate with a circular projection of the internal wall of the container, the releasing action being produced by axial pressure exerted on the base of the stopper recess which is also endowed with elasticity.

In a third embodiment, the stopper which can be formed of any material and even nonelastic material is provided with an .extemal screw thread adapted to cooperate with a screw thread of the internal portion of the container, leak-tightness being ensured by means of a frustoconical portion located at the top of the stopper and intended after screwing the stopper in position to be applied in contact with a corresponding frustoconical portion located at the top of said container, there being no further portion of said stopper which projects from said container after screwing in position and the releasing operation being carried out as a result of action produced by the users finger within the interior of the stopper recess which is accordingly provided with longitudinal grooves.

Without thereby implying any limitation, four examples of construction of a device in accordance with the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an axial sectional view of a first form of construction;

FIG. 2 is an axial sectional view of a second form of construction;

FIG. 3 is an axial sectional view of a third form of construc tion;

FIG. 4 is a view in perspective of the stopper of FIG. 3, and

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a fourth form of construction.

In the example of FIG. 1, the stopper 1 is of asymmetrical shape and comprises a central recess 2 inwhich the users finger can be inserted and is provided on theskirt 3 with a lug 4 having a width of a few millimeters. The stopper 1 which is formed of flexible plastic material, for example, is capable of penetrating with slight friction into a smooth-walled metal tube 5 in which is formed a circular groove 6. The face of the skirt 3 which is remote from the lug 4 has a rounded shape so as to leave a free space between said skirt and the groove 6. The stopper 1 is provided at the top with a flange 7 which is intended to be applied in leaktight manner against the top edge 8 of the tube 5. The profiles of the groove 6 and of the lug 4 which cooperates with said groove are such as to permit easy positioning of the stopper 1 as a result of pressure exerted at the top of this latter and prevent it removal. 1

Opening of the stopper is carried out by gripping the stopper 1 between the thumb and forefinger, for example, and by applying a tractive effort on the flange 7 while the forefinger 9 which is applied against that portion of the skirt which is remote from the lug 4 pulls this latter backwards and releases the stopper.

In the example which is illustrated in FIG. 2, the stopper 1 is symmetrical with respect to an axial plane and comprises two wide lugs 10, 10' in diametrically opposite relation and the base 11 of the stopper is reduced in thickness along a transverse diameter by virtue of a groove 12. The stopper 1 is opened by gripping this latter in the same manner as in the previous example, pressure being applied by the forefinger against the base 11. The base is thus deformed by virtue of the groove 12, whereupon the two lugs 10, 10' are moved downwards and the stopper is released.

In the exemplified embodiment which is illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the stopper I which may be formed of rigid material has a frustoconical shape and is provided with a screw thread I3. The tube 5 is provided with a internal screw thread I4. The stopper I is hollowed out axially as in the previous example and its recess 2 is provided with grooves 15. When the stopper is screwed by engaging the external screw thread 13 within the internal screw thread I4, the top face 16 of said stopper is brought level with the top edge 8 of the tube 5 and leak-tightness is ensured by virtue of the fact that the top frustoconical portion 17 of the stopper is applied in contact with the corresponding frustoconical portion of the tube.

Opening or closure are carried out by introducing the thumb 18 into the grooved recess 2 and by either screwing or unscrewing the stopper.

Since no part of the stopper projects beyond the tube after the stopper has been screwed in position, the unscrewing operation which requires the introduction of a finger within the recess 2 is not easy and requires a sufficient size of finger, which makes this operation physiologically impracticable for a small child, for example.

The example of FIG. 5 is concerned with a particular application of the invention to aluminum tubes of very small diameter which are widely employed for the purpose of packaging toxic drugs such as those which are presented in the form of sugar-coated tablets. The diameter of tubes of this type is usually equalto that of the tablets.

Since the user's finger cannot penetrate into the stopper recess in this particular application, provision is accordingly made for a push stud which is preferably secured to the stopper in an undetachable manner so that the two parts form a single unit from the point of view to both moulding and assembly.

The stopper 21 is of a type which is similar to that of FIG. 2 but the groove 6 of this latter is replaced in this case by an annular projection 23 in order to conform to the internal diameter of the tube.

Thestopper 21 is provided with two

symmetrical lug

22, 22 which serve to carry out the locking operation by cooperating with the projecting portion 23 which forms a groove within the interior of the tube. A hollow projecting portion 24 is joined to the

lugs

22, 22. By squeezing this projecting portion, the lugs are withdrawn and the stopper is released.

A pushbutton which is intended to produce a squeezing action on the projecting portion 24 is joined to the stopper 2! by means of a strip 26; the two

parts

24 and 25 are moulded in one piece.

In order to remove the stopper 2!, the user need only place the pushbutton 25 in position on the projecting portion 24, then grip the stopper 21 which is provided with ribbed sides between-his thumb and second finger while applying pressure on the pushbutton with his forefinger. The user then withdraws the complete stopper unit towards him while maintaining his forefinger in the same relative position with respect to the two other fingers.

I claim:

1. A safety stopper having a recess of the general shape of a glove finger so that the user may insert his finger therein and an outer wall adapted to be introduced into the top portion of the container to be closed and provided with at least one element adapted to cooperate with a corresponding element provided on the inner wall of said top portion of said container in order to lock the stopper within said portion said locking elements being so arranged as to ensure that the stopper is released as a result of action exerted within the recessed portion of said stopper.

2. A safety stopper as in claim 1 of an asymmetric shape and comprising a locking lug adapted to cooperate with an internal circular projection of the inner wall of the container, the releasing action being produced by a radial effort exerted within the interior of the stopper which is accordingly endowed with a sufficient degree of elasticity, leak-tightness being ensured by applying an annular portion of the stopper against the top edge of the top opening of said container.

3. A safety stopper as in claim 1, of a symmetrical shape and comprising at least two locking lugs adapted to cooperate with a circular projection of the internal wall of the container, the releasing action being produced by axial pressure exerted on the base of the stopper recess which is also endowed with elasticity.

4. A safety stopper as in claim 1 provided with an external screw thread adapted to cooperate with a screw thread of the internal portion of the container, leak-tightness being ensured by means of a frustoconical portion located at the top of the stopper and intended after screwing the stopper in position to be applied in contact with a corresponding frustoconical portion located at the top of said container, there being no further portion of said stopper which projects from said container after screwing in position and the releasing operation being carried out as a result of action produced by the user's finger within the interior of the stopper recess which is accordingly provided with longitudinal grooves.

Claims

4. A safety stopper as in claim 1 provided with an external screw thread adapted to cooperate with a screw thread of the internal portion of the container, leak-tightness being ensured by means of a frustoconical portion located at the top of the stopper and intended after screwing the stopper in position to be applied in contact with a corresponding frustoconical portion located at the top of said container, there being no further portion of said stopper which projects from said container after screwing in position and the releasing operation being carried out as a result of action produced by the user''S finger within the interior of the stopper recess which is accordingly provided with longitudinal grooves.