U.S. patent number 3,567,058 [Application Number 04/833,541] was granted by the patent office on 1971-03-02 for safety closure.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Continental Can Company, Inc.. Invention is credited to Carmen T. Mascia.
United States Patent |
3,567,058 |
Mascia |
March 2, 1971 |
SAFETY CLOSURE
Abstract
A safety closure including three components having interacting
means which require a combination of linear and rotary movements to
open and close the closure. The closure components must be aligned
in specified positions prior to changing from a linear or rotary
movement.
Inventors: |
Mascia; Carmen T. (Westchester,
IL) |
Assignee: |
Continental Can Company, Inc.
(New York, NY)
|
Family
ID: |
25264699 |
Appl.
No.: |
04/833,541 |
Filed: |
June 16, 1969 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
215/213;
215/223 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D
50/061 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65D
50/00 (20060101); B65D 50/06 (20060101); B65d
055/02 (); B65d 055/12 () |
Field of
Search: |
;220/40 ;215/9,47 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Hall; George T.
Claims
I claim:
1. A closure member comprising a tubular neck having a bore, a
circumferential groove formed on the walls of said bore
intermediate the length thereof, diametrically opposed notches in
the upper end of said neck and communicating with said groove, a
closure plug turnable in said neck bore and having diametrically
opposed projecting pin means receivable within said groove to
prevent upward lifting of said plug from said bore, actuating means
for turning and lifting said plug mounted for reciprocation in said
plug for linear movement between a depressed position and a raised
position, and diametrically lug means on said actuating member
angularly displaced from said projecting pin means and being
seatable within said notches in said depressed position of said
actuating member to prevent turning of said plug and being clear of
said notches for turning said plug to align said pin means with
said notches whereby said plug may be removed from said bore.
2. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said projecting pin
means comprises a pin extending diametrically through said
bore.
3. The invention as defined in claim 2 wherein said actuating means
include a post extending into said plug, said post having an
elongate slot, and wherein said pin extends through said elongate
slot.
4. The invention as defined in claim 3 wherein said plug is
substantially cap shaped, and ribs project into the chamber of said
cup and provide vertical guide surfaces for guiding said post.
5. The invention as defined in claim 4 wherein said plug and said
bore are formed with complementary frustoconical seating surfaces
for said sealing bore.
Description
The present invention relates to container closures and more
particularly to a safety closure requiring a plurality of different
motions so that a child is unable to gain access to the container
contents.
The safety closure of the present invention is intended to be
incorporated on rigid containers such as cans, bottles, jars and
the like in which the product contained therein is inherently
dangerous and may cause injury if not used with care or in
accordance with prescribed directions. Medicines, drugs, cleaning
fluid and compounds, and the like all fall within the category of
inherently dangerous products. Heretofore, such products when
packaged in rigid containers have a closure which is either applied
by a force fit or screwed on the opening such that little effort or
manipulation is required for a child to open the closure. These
prior closures are undesirable for the reason that the child is
likely to consume or otherwise mishandle the products with
disabling effects. In addition, some products may be explosive when
not opened or used in accordance with the direction contained on
the exterior of the container. For example, cleaning fluid, lye, or
the like must be handled with care and become dangerous when a
child has access thereto.
Considerably research has been done in an effort to develop a
closure which cannot be manipulated by a child. It has been found
through psychological testing that the most effective closure is
constructed to require a combination of linear and rotatable
movements to open.
By the present invention, it is proposed to provide a closure which
is constructed and arranged to require a combination of linear and
rotary movement to open the same and thereby to render the closure
child proof.
It is still a further object taken in conjunction with the
foregoing object to provide a child proof closure which is
constructed and arranged to include a plurality of components which
must be aligned in a specified position before the motion can be
changed from a linear or rotary to open the closure.
It is a further object to provide a child proof closure which is of
relatively simple construction and economical to manufacture.
The foregoing and other objects of the invention which will be
readily apparent from a reading of the following specification and
appended drawings are accomplished generally by a closure member
including a tubular neck having a plug snuggly seated in the bore
thereof. The plug includes an axially reciprocal operating or
actuating member having means which are seatable within notches
provided in the upper end of the neck to lock the actuating member
of the plug against rotary movement. The plug is provided with pin
means which is received in a groove in the bore wall which
communicate with the notches in the neck. The pins serve to retain
the plug in the neck against vertical displacement therefrom. Upon
lifting the actuating member, the plug is released for turning
movement so that the pin means is aligned with the notches.
Thereafter, the plug is free to be lifted vertically from the bore
and removed from the neck.
IN THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a container showing the
safety closure of the present invention attached thereto;
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the container shown in
FIG. 1 and showing the closure in the open position;
FIG. 3 is an exploded elevational cross-sectional view of the
closure with the components in the opened position; and
FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the closure neck taken generally along
the lines 4-4 of FIG. 3.
Referring now to the drawing, the safety closure 10 of the present
invention is shown applied to a container 11. The container 11
comprises generally a tubular body 12 to which there is attached at
one end an end closure 13 having an axial opening 14. The end
closure 12 is attached to the body 12 by means of a double seam in
the conventional manner. As shown, the opening 14 is bounded by a
curled rim 15 which serves to attach the closure to the container
as more fully to be explained hereinafter. While the safety closure
10 of the present invention is shown as a separate assembly
attached to a container, it is to be understood that the closure
may be made integral or directly formed on a container as for
example, a jar, bottle or the like.
The safety closure 10 includes a tubular housing or neck 16 which
terminates at its lower end in an outwardly projecting horizontal
flange 17. As shown, the curled rim 15 bounding the opening 14 is
suitably wedged or otherwise permanently fastened to the neck
flange 17 thereby to retain the neck fixed to the end 13.
The neck 16 includes a bore 18 having a small or reduced bore
section 19 which merges with an inverted frustoconical section 21
providing a plug seat, and a large bore section 22 extending
upwardly from the plug seat 21. Formed in the large bore section 22
intermediate the length thereof is a continuous annular groove 23.
The groove 23 may be horizontal, as shown, or may be slightly
inclined so as to force a closure plug 24 into firm seating
engagement with the plug seat 21 as more fully to be explained
hereinafter. Formed in the upper edge portion of the sleeve 16 are
a pair of diametrically opposed opened end notches 26 which
intercept and communicate with the groove 23.
The closure plug 24 is shaped complementary to the bore sections 22
and 21 and is snuggly and tightly received therein. The closure
plug 24 is formed as a cup having an interior hollow chamber.
Disposed within the chamber 27 are a plurality of chordal extending
ribs 28 of which the inner ends are spaced to provide a vertical
guide surface 29 for guiding a post 30 of a closure operating or
actuating button 31. Extending diametrically between the inner ends
of the ribs 28 and seated within the wall of the plug 24 is 32
having outwardly projecting ends 33. The outwardly projecting ends
33 extend into the groove 23 and serve to retain the plug seated
within the bore 18 and preclude vertical movement of the plug
outwardly from the bore 18. When the plug 24 is turned to that the
projecting pin ends 33 align with the diametrically opposed notches
26, the plug may be lifted vertically and removed from the neck
16.
The actuating member of button 30 is in the form of a cover or a
disc 34 having diametrically opposed outwardly extending ears 35
from the underside of which there project a pair of lugs 36 which
are adapted to seat within the notches 26. The opposed lugs 36 when
seated in the neck notches 26 to prevent turning movement of the
actuating button relative to the neck 16. The post 29 depending
from the underside of the cover 34 may be formed integral therewith
and includes an elongate vertical slot 37 through which the pin 32
extends. The cover member is thus restricted for vertical movement
between a lowered position in which the lugs 34 are seatable within
the neck notches 26 and an elevated position spaced from the upper
end of the neck 16 and the plug 24.
In the closed position, the closure member components are arranged
so that the plug 24 seats within the bore 18 in snug engagement
with the frustoconical section seat or plug 21. In this connection,
it is to be noted that the groove 23 may be inclined away from the
vertical so that the pin end 32 when turned therein is operative to
force the plug 24 downwardly into firm engagement with the valve
seat 21. In this position, the projecting ends 32 of the pin are
received within the groove 23 so that the plug may not be removed
by vertical lifting movement. Also, the actuating member 31 is in
the depressed position with the lugs 36 seated within the notches
26 so that the plug 24 is restrained against turning movement.
Note, that the notches and lugs 36 seated in the notches 26 and the
pins 33 seated in the groove 23 are displaced about 90.degree.
relative to each other.
To open the closure 10, the actuating member or button 31 is lifted
upwardly as shown in FIG. 3 so that the lugs 34 are clear of the
notches 26. The actuating button 37 is then turned and thereby the
plug 24 which is secure for turning movement therewith by means of
the pin 32 extending through the slot 37. Turning movements is
continued until the projecting pin ends 33 are aligned with the
notches 26 communicating with the groove 23. The plug 24 is then
removed by applying a lifting force on the actuating button 31 to
pull the pin ends 33 through the notches 26.
To reclose the closure 10 the plug 27 is initially inserted into
the bore 18 and rotated until the projecting pin ends 33 align with
the notches 26. The plug 34 is then depressed downwardly so that
the pin ends 33 are received within the groove 23 and turned until
the lugs 36 on the underside of the actuating member 31 are in
alignment with the notches 26. Thereafter, the closure 10 is
completely closed by depressing the actuating member 31 downwardly
to seat the lugs 36 in the notches 26.
* * * * *