U.S. patent number 3,884,393 [Application Number 05/319,661] was granted by the patent office on 1975-05-20 for rotatable container closure including a removable locking element.
Invention is credited to Victor Wassilieff.
United States Patent |
3,884,393 |
Wassilieff |
May 20, 1975 |
Rotatable container closure including a removable locking
element
Abstract
A closure for a container comprises a cap mounted on an
intermediate member adapted to be secured to the container. The cap
is turnable between a closed position in which axial movement
between the cap and the intermediate member is prevented and an
open position in which such relative axial movement may take place
to operate for example an aerosol valve on the container. The
closure includes a removable locking element for initially
maintaining the cap in the closed position.
Inventors: |
Wassilieff; Victor (75016
Paris, FR) |
Family
ID: |
9088358 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/319,661 |
Filed: |
December 29, 1972 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
|
|
|
|
|
Dec 30, 1971 [FR] |
|
|
71.47469 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
222/153.02;
220/276; 222/402.11; 220/270; 222/182; 222/153.07; 222/153.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D
83/205 (20130101); B65D 55/0881 (20130101); B65D
41/32 (20130101); B65D 83/22 (20130101); B65D
83/40 (20130101); B65D 83/228 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65D
41/32 (20060101); B65D 83/16 (20060101); B65D
55/08 (20060101); B65D 55/02 (20060101); B65D
83/14 (20060101); B67b 005/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;222/153,182,402.11,402.13,402.1 ;220/27,54,85P
;215/7,254,256,307,313 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Schacher; Richard A.
Assistant Examiner: Slattery; James M.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Diller, Brown, Ramik &
Wight
Claims
I claim:
1. A container closure combination comprising an assembly of a cap
component and a container component disposed in coaxial
relationship, interengaging means on said components for
controlling the axial movement of said cap component relative to
said container component towards a dispensing position in
accordance with the relative angular positions of said components,
said interengaging means including axial projection and recess
means alignable in one of said relative angular positions for
preventing said relative axial movement and alignable in another of
said relative angular positions for facilitating said relative
axial movement, said combination including guiding means arranged
on said components guiding said components during axial assembly of
said components into said one angular position, and stopping means
arranged on said components for stopping the cap from rotating from
said one angular position to said another of said relative angular
positions, said stopping means including a tearable element with
the tearing of said element enabling the cap component to rotate
from said one angular position to said another angular
position.
2. Apparatus according to claim 1, in which said container
component includes a container having a valved outlet and wherein
when the cap component is in the open position said cap component
may be axially displaced to move up and down a limited axial
distance in both directions to operate said valved outlet of the
container.
3. Apparatus according to claim 2, in which said container
component includes a sleeve and said cap component having a sleeve
surrounding said skirt, said skirt having at least one projection
on its inner face, co-operating with the border of one of two
levels formed on the upper edge of the sleeve and adapted to come
in contact with the said skirt projection to limit the freedom of
movement of the cap in the axial direction, and said stopping means
including said border being framed with two edges adapted to come
in contact with said skirt projection in order to limit the freedom
of rotation of the cap component in both directions.
4. Apparatus according to claim 2, in which the cap component is
provided with a downwardly facing projection around at least its
lower edge, a sleeve forming part of the closure component being
surrounded by said cap component projection, and said stopping
means including said sleeve being equipped on its outer face with
two stops adapted to come in contact with said cap component
projection to restrict the freedom of rotation of the cap component
on the sleeve in both directions, and said interengaging means
including an abutment on said closure component adapted to come in
contact with said cap component projection to restrict the freedom
of displacement of the cap component downwards in an axial
direction, said abutment acting only on part of the degree of
displacement of the cap component in rotation.
5. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said container component
includes a container and wherein the cap component can be separated
from the container by movement away from the container only when
the cap is in said another relative angular position.
6. Apparatus according to claim 5 in which the cap component
includes a skirt having a cylindrical face which is provided around
the periphery of its lower edge with a succession of alternating
free sectors and sectors provided with an upstanding rim, and said
container component is provided with a sleeve having an annular
face located adjacent said skirt lower edge and having in
succession on its periphery alternating free sectors and sectors
having an upstanding lip, the free sectors of the said container
component being long enough to afford passage therethrough of the
sectors of the skirt having the said rim relative axial
displacement of the two components, the rim and lip being shaped to
enable the skirt to be force-fitted in the sleeve by axial
approach, said skirt and said sleeve forming said interengaging
means, and said stopping means including the skirt having on its
outer face said tearable element in the form of a detachable plate
which in the course of this fitting operation can only be
accommodated to the right of a free sector of the sleeve, and can
move in rotation only along the length of the said sector, the
limits thereby fixed in regard to the rotation of the cap serving
to retain the cap in the sleeve by means of the said upstanding lip
and rim.
7. Apparatus according to claim 6, in which the free sectors of the
annular face of the sleeve are just long enough to allow passage of
the sectors of the lower edge of the skirt which are provided with
the said rim.
8. The combination according to claim 1, wherein said guiding means
and stopping means are coextensive.
9. The combination according to claim 1, wherein said guiding means
include means operative to prevent assembling the two components
into an angular open position.
10. The combination according to claim 1, wherein said components
are held assembled to each other through detent means.
11. The combination according to claim 8, wherein said guiding
means and stopping means comprise projection means arranged on one
of said components and complementary recess means arranged on the
other of said components, said projection means and complementary
recess means being mutually interengageable upon assembly of said
components.
12. Apparatus according to claim 11, in which the complementary
recess means include two vertical grooves formed in the outer
cylindrical face of a skirt of the cap component and the projection
means has the shape of two uprights adapted to fit into said
grooves, the uprights being attached by a breakable connection to
said container component, and the uprights being provided with a
cross-piece acting as a pull-tag designed to facilitate the removal
of the said projection by breakage.
13. Apparatus according to claim 12, in which the cross-piece is
located opposite a cut-out formed in the upper face of the cap
component.
14. Apparatus according to claim 11, in which the complementary
recess means is a notch formed on a removable ring surrounding the
skirt of the cap component and attached thereto by breakable
connection, and the projection means is a tooth formed on the
container component and housed in the notch.
15. Apparatus according to claim 11, in which the projection means
is a movable claw attached by breakable connection to the skirt of
the cap component around the periphery thereof and fitting into a
hollowed out portion which is formed around the upper edge of a
sleeve of said container component, which hollowed out portion
defines the complementary recess means.
16. A container closure combination comprising an assembly of a cap
component and a container component disposed in coaxial
relationship, interengaging means on said components for
controlling the axial movement of said cap component relative to
said container component towards a dispensing position in
accordance with the relative angular positions of said components,
said interengaging means including axial projection and recess
means alignable in one of said relative angular positions for
preventing said relative axial movement and alignable in another of
said relative angular position for facilitating said relative axial
movement, said interengaging means being of a structural
configuration facilitating mutual assembly by relative axial
movement towards each other, and breakable connection means between
said components for both assuring assembly of said components only
in said one relative angular position and preventing relative
rotation between said components to said another of said relative
angular position, said breakable connection means including
cooperating complimentary male and female parts on said components
mutually engageable in an axial direction.
17. A combination according to claim 16, wherein the container
component includes a container and a member connectable thereto to
occupy an intermediate position between the cap component and the
container.
18. A combination according to claim 16, wherein the container
component is a member assemblable to the cap component into said
angular closed position to be connected thereafter to a container
neck so as to occupy an intermediate position between the cap
component and the container.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to container closures provided with
removable locking elements.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Containers are known, equipped closures which include a fragile
safety component which initially maintains the lid or cap tightly
against the body of the receptacle to assure the safety of the
contents. In these containers, when the component is broken it
frees the cap irreversibly and the cap cannot subsequently be held
tightly against the body of the receptacle.
It is an object of the present invention to improve such container
closures.
SUMMARY
According to the present invention, there is provided a closure for
a container comprising a cap capable of turning about its axis to
pass reversibly from a closed position in which it is held axially
against the body of the receptacle, to an open position in which it
may move axially, and a frangible safety element which maintains
the cap temporarily in its closed position, preventing it from
turning, it being therefore necessary to break this safety element
to enable the cap to turn and to assume an axially free and open
position for the first time.
Such device is applicable in particular to aerosol containers of
the type described in French Pat. Application No. 69.01450 filed
Jan. 24, 1969 in the name of the present applicant, and its first
addition No. 69.31454 filed Sept. 16, 1969 in which provision is
made to fix between the body of the container and the cap, an
intermediate part permanently held against the body of the
container, which facilitates the provision of stop means for fixing
the cap axially in a predetermined angular position.
According to one embodiment of the invention, the cap is a
distributing cap for such an aerosol can and its ability to move
freely in an axial direction, is limited in both directions, this
movement having the desired amplitude to enable the cap to operate
the aerosol valve into action for distributing the contents of the
container.
According to another embodiment the safety element takes the form
of a component which may be pulled away from a complementary
recess, the component and the recess being connected in any
suitable manner and being formed one on the cap and the other on
the body of the receptacle or on the intermediate part fixed to
it.
The component which may be pulled away is advantageously a
bridge-like element in the form of an inverted `U` with the arms of
the `U` fixed at their ends in a frangible manner to the body of
the receptacle or to the intermediate piece, the cross piece of the
`U` being at the same level as a notch formed in the cap, so that
it may be seized between two fingers with greater ease.
More generally speaking, the cap may be temporarily integrated with
the body of the container or with the intermediate member by means
of tenons and recess. The tenon portion may be formed on a part
which is detachable and which is loosely joined to one of two
integrated components. It may be in the form of a ring which passes
around the whole of the cap and the container.
The closure in accordance with the invention therefore forms part
of a combination which comprises means which enable two components
to be locked together axially at will, one a cap and the other a
container body or an intermediate member joined thereto, the axial
interlocking coming into action when these two compounds are
located at predetermined relative angular displacement.
According to a particularly advantageous embodiment, these locking
means have resiliently deformable parts which provide a convenient
method of assembling the two components made separately by forcing
them axially one on the other whilst they occupy the aforesaid
angular displacement.
The safety element suitably forms part of one of the two elements
to be assembled, and it is adapted for accommodation in a housing
formed on the other component, the effect of the reciprocal
engagement of the device and the housing being on the one hand to
secure the positioning of the two components to be assembled at the
aforesaid angular displacement, and on the other hand to interlock
them in rotation. The assembling of the two components and their
temporary interlocking whilst in rotation are thus effected in one
single operation. In addition, the arrangement of these components
is such that the axial unlocking of the cap demands the breaking of
the safety device followed by rotation of the cap about its axis.
This ensures that the permanent method of functioning of the
closure is understood by the user from the start.
The invention moreover includes the particular designs of permanent
means for axially interlocking as referred to above.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a distributor cap for an aerosol
container constructed in accordance with the invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a variation of the embodiment of
FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 shows the cap of FIG. 1 in vertical section to a larger
scale.
FIGS. 4 to 8 represent two components forming part of another group
constructed in accordance with the invention and more
particularly:
FIG. 4 represents a vertical section of the lower part of a
cap;
FIG. 5 represents this cap seen from below.
FIG. 6 represents an intermediate member in vertical section;
FIG. 7 represents this intermediate member seen from the top;
FIG. 8 represents a section along line VIII--VIII of FIG. 7;
FIG. 9 represents a vertical section of a cap made in accordance
with the invention mounted on an intermediate member, which is
itself fixed to an aerosol container;
FIG. 10 represents the group of FIG. 9 seen from above, and
FIG. 11 represents a vertical section of a closure similar to that
of FIG. 9 applied to a pill box.
The same references are used to designate the same or similar
parts.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The closure devices forming the object of the invention will be
described in the position they normally occupy when the receptacle
is upright and the cap is located at the top.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, a container R is equipped with a cap C
an intermediate member M being arranged between the components R
and C. The container R has a truncated wall at its upper end,
coverging upwards and terminating in a projecting flange 2
surrounding a valve opening, not shown.
The intermediate member M is composed of several parts formed from
a single unit of plastics material, the parts being as follows: a
flat horizontal washer 3, an inner vertical sleeve 4 which is
joined on to the washer 3 at the periphery thereof, and an outer
sleeve 5 surrounding the sleeve 4 co-axially and connected thereto
by a horizontal wall 6 forming a bridge. The intermediate member M
is secured to the container R in known manner by forcing of the
flange 2 into the central hole of the washer 3, accompanied by
resilient deformation of the washer.
The inner sleeve 4 extends partly above and partly below the
horizontal washer 3. Its upper edge has different levels over each
third of its circumference, the levels being repeated over each
third, i.e., over each 120.degree.. These levels for each
120.degree. of circumference are in succession: a horizontal
bearing 7, corresponding to a portion of the upper edge of the
sleeve which is not indented, a vertical straight edge 8, a
horizontal bearing 9 located downwardly relative to the bearing 7,
an ascending incline 10, a horizontal bearing 11 occupying an
intermediate level in relation to the bearings 7 and 9 and a
vertical straight edge 12 which rejoins the bearing 7A of the
levels of the adjacent 120.degree..
The outer sleeve 5 extends partly above and partly below the
horizontal bridge 6, the latter being located on a level with the
lower edge of the inner sleeve.
The intermediate member M is supported on the container R by
abutment of the truncated wall 1 with the lower edge of the outer
sleeve 5. The upper edge of this sleeve is equipped with an
inturned lip 13 distributed at intervals as segments over the
circumference of the sleeve.
A component 14 in the form of a bridge with a horizontal cross
piece 15 and two vertical uprights 16 moulded in one piece to the
piece M is connected to the upper edges of the sleeves 4 and 5 from
which it may be removed, by breaking the lower ends of these two
uprights.
The cap C, which incorporates distributing channels which will not
be described in detail, has an upper wall 17, which is flat and
horizontal, and a cylindrical skirt 18. The upper wall 17 has a
hollow portion 19 in which an angular sector of the skirt 18 is
removed. At both ends of this sector are formed two vertical
grooves 20 over the entire remainder of the skirt, extending from
the base 21 of the hollowed-out section 19.
The skirt is lined around its entire lower edge with a rim 22
projecting towards the outside. Like the inturned lip 13, the rim
22 may be reduced to segments of a circle distributed at intervals
over the circumference of the skirt, provided that the segments of
the rim are longer than the spaces between the segments of the lip
13.
The skirt 18 is formed with projections on its inner face in the
form of three vertical flutings 23 located in spaced 120.degree.
relationship. The lips 13 and rim 22 have profiles in section which
enables the skirt 18 of the cap C to be forced into the space
between the sleeves 4 and 5 by resilient deformation and thereafter
retain it in position, the connection constituting in practice a
permanent locking which prevents the cap from separating from the
intermediate member and hence the container.
The parts R, M and C are made separately. After filling the
container R, the intermediate member M is fitted by interlocking of
the washer 3 with the flange 2. The cap C is next placed on the
central axis of the container, the vertical grooves 20 of the skirt
18 being brought into alignment with the uprights 16 of the
removable bridge 14, and the cap C is force-fitted onto the
intermediate member M by relative axial displacement, the
interlocking action of the rim and lip preventing them from
becoming separated as explained above. The closure is then mounted
onto the container by interlocking the flanges 2 and 3.
The assembly thus formed is in the condition shown in FIGS. 1 and
3. In order to bring this about it was necessary to bring the
grooves 20 into alignment with the uprights 16, and this necessity
in turn governed the position of the ribs 23 relative to the upper
edge of the sleeve 4. As will be seen from FIG. 3, the ribs 23 are
then in contact, or almost, by their lower ends with an
intermediate bearing 11 of this upper edge in such a way that the
cap C is locked axially to the receptacle R, in a generally central
position. It is likewise locked in rotation owing to the presence
of the uprights 16 in the grooves 20.
In order to bring the distributor cap into operation the component
14 must first be removed in order to free the cap in rotation. The
cap is then turned about its axis in an anti-clockwise direction
until the ribs 23 are vertical above the bottom bearings 9. The cap
is then free to move axially downwardly a degree necessary to bring
the valve of the receptacle into action and the cap can then
operate in known manner, the lower limit of its movement being
governed by contact between the ribs 23 and the bearings 9 and its
upper limit being effected by abutment of the lips 13 and rims 22.
After use, it suffices to rotate the cap in the opposite direction
in order to restore the cap to the position shown in FIG. 3 and to
lock it axially and thus prevent any accidental handling of the
spray, a notable advantage when handling dangerous or expensive
products.
The vertical straight edges 8 and 12 located on either side of each
rib 23 form in themselves abutments which demarcate the width of
movement of rotation of the cap in two directions. When the rib
stops on one or other of these abutments, it is certain that the
cap is axially locked or freed depending on whether the stop has
brought about the termination of a movement in a clockwise or an
anti-clockwise direction.
As will be seen clearly from the drawings, the crosspiece 15 of the
bridge 14 located at the front of the hollowed out portion 19 may
easily be taken between two fingers; this facilitates removal of
this component, the main object of the recessed portion 19 being
otherwise to receive the thumb of the user and to facilitate the
putting into operation of the distributor cap whilst properly
guiding the aerosol jet.
The cap is guided in rotation by the sliding of the skirt 18 on the
outer surface of the sleeve 4, the sleeve 5 constituting the
complementary guiding component. The sleeve 4, being higher than
the sleeve 5, also serves to guide the cap axially whilst the parts
are fitted together.
The construction of the device therefore enables each of the three
parts composing it to be made separately and completely, and the
assembling to be carried out by a simple interlocking action. Once
mounted the cap is locked both in a downward axial direction and to
the same extent in rotation, and in order to be able to enter into
operation for the first time both the rupturing of a safety element
and the rotation of the cap are necessary.
The embodiment of FIG. 2 is identical to that of FIGS. 1 and 3
except in respect of the safety element. In FIG. 2 the removable
component 14 and the grooves 20 are dispensed with. Instead, the
outer sleeve 5 of the intermediate member M has a stepped profile,
with a horizontal step 24 forming the transition between two zones,
above and below, the former being recessed. The step 24 includes a
notch receiving a projection 25 formed on the intermediate member
and a removable ring 26 fitted with a pull-tag 27 is connected by
frangible points of connection 28 to the outer cylindrical face of
the cap C, closely surrounding the upper zone of the sleeve 5. The
combined notch and projection obstructs the rotating cap making it
impossible to gain access to the contents of the receptacle whilst
the ring 26 is still in place.
The construction of FIG. 2 has the same advantages as that
described earlier. The cap C may be formed in one piece with the
ring 26, to be assembled afterwards at part M merely by using
force, the presence of the projection 25 and the notch indicating
the correct radial displacement of components C and M to allow them
to be locked axially in both directions after having been
fitted.
In the embodiment of FIGS. 4 to 8, part M differs basically from
that of FIG. 3, by the absence of indentations in the upper edge of
the inner sleeve 4 as well as in the form of the bridging
connecting the two sleeves 4 and 5. In this embodiment, the
bridging comprises solid angular sectors 29 separated by windows 30
the windows and sectors recurring three times over 120.degree. of
arc along the annular space between the sleeves.
Moving clockwise from the window 30, each solid sector 29 has a
lower horizontal bearing 31, an upright, vertical face 32 an upper
horizontal bearing 33 and an even subsiding vertical face, faces 32
and 34 being arranged in radial planes.
The lower edge of the cap C has a broken profile in effect forming
three teeth 35 therein distributed over the circumference in
intervals of 120.degree. of arc. Each tooth has a lower horizontal
edge 36 a straight vertical edge 37, and a straight inclined edge
38. The teeth 35 are separated from one another by upper horizontal
bearings 39.
The safety element comprises a removable claw 40 moulded in one
piece with the cap C and connected thereto by a breakable link or
bond. The claw 40 is in the form of an inverted T with a vertical
rod 41 forming an integral part of the skirt 18 of the cap and a
lower transom 42 adapted to fit into a notch 43 of corresponding
tangential dimension formed in the upper edge of the sleeve 5. Like
the safety element described previously, the components 40 and 43
are for locking the cap C temporarily in rotation, whereas the cap
occupies an angular position governed in relation to the
intermediate part M. For this position, the teeth 35 are located in
a position facing the bearings 31 to prevent any axial downward
movement of the cap even after the claw 40 has been removed. Once
the latter has been taken off, the cap may be turned anti-clockwise
to place the teeth 35 into position opposite the windows 30 so as
to allow the distributor cap to be brought into action. It is then
possible to close the cap by causing it to rotate clockwise, the
limits of its angular path being governed by the vertical even
faces 32 and 34 which frame each section occupied by a window 30
and a bearing 31.
In relation to the earlier embodiment, the one described in FIGS. 4
to 8 has the advantage of providing better guidance for the skirt
owing to the latter covering the sleeve 4 to a much greater
height.
The embodiments of FIGS. 9 to 11 are applicable to containers
having a separable cap of the type which must be raised entirely in
order to gain access to the contents.
In FIGS. 9 and 10, which relate to an aerosol container, the washer
3 of the intermediate member M extends to the outer sleeve 5,
which, whilst extending upwards from the washer to end in an
inturned lip 13 extends downwardly onto the truncated face 1 of the
container R. The inner sleeve 4 is reduced to a simple vertical
annular flange formed on the upper face of the washer 3.
The lip 13 is limited to three sectors spaced evenly on the
corresponding circumference. The same applies to the rim 22 which
lines the lower edge of the skirt 18 of the cap, the length of each
rim segment 22 being smaller than that of the gaps between the
segments of lip 13. Owing to this, there are a number of angular
positions in which the cap C remains fixed to the container by the
engagement of lip 13 and rim 22 and other positions which allow the
effortless raising of the cap and its replacement. However, despite
these arrangements, the lip 13 and rim 22 are profiled in such a
way as to enable the parts C and M to be assembled by
forced-fitting, and that is in order to necessitate the removal of
a safety device for the initial raising of the cap, followed by the
rotation of the cap.
Provision is made to this end for a sector 5' of reduced thickness
on the sleeve 5, situated between two segments of lip 13 and
produced by the removal of material on the inner face of the
sleeve. In addition, the skirt of the cap is lined on its outer
face, in the vicinity of its lower edge with a removable thin
portion 44 located between two segments of rim 22.
As has been stated the lip 13 and rim 22 permit assembly of the
elements C and M by force-fitting along their common axis. The
thickness of the portion 44 is such that it must be located to the
right of the thin sector 5' to permit this assembly by fitting.
Arranged in this manner it is adapted to abut against one or other
of the two segments of lip 13 which frame the sector 5', the effect
of which is to limit the freedom of rotation of the cap C in both
directions. During this displacement, the lip 13 and rim 22 remain
mutually engaged. The removal of the cap C therefore necessitates
the removal of the thin portion 44 followed by the rotation of the
cap.
FIG. 11 represents the application of the invention to a pill box
by the use of a closure similar to that shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. In
FIG. 11 the container R is a simple tube of light alloy, aluminium
or the like of the type which is currently used for containing
pills or granulated products.
In certain cases it is expedient not to provide spaces between the
segments of the lip 13 except for a space which is just sufficient
to allow passage of the segments of the rim 22; this reduces the
position of opening of the cap to a very narrow angular amount and
thereby makes it very difficult for a child for example to open the
receptacle.
The invention is naturally not limited to the embodiments herein
described and encompasses within its scope numerous variations and
modifications thereof.
* * * * *