U.S. patent number 3,790,015 [Application Number 05/271,496] was granted by the patent office on 1974-02-05 for safety container and cap.
Invention is credited to Harry H. Imamura.
United States Patent |
3,790,015 |
Imamura |
February 5, 1974 |
SAFETY CONTAINER AND CAP
Abstract
This invention comprises a tubular container formed of plastic
or like resilient material and having a cap which can not be
removed by young children but is easily removed by older persons.
The container has external flange means on its upper end and a
selected area of the upper end part of the container wall is
weakened so it can be sprung inwardly to either receive or release
a cap and will always spring back to its original position when
released. A cap fits over the top end of the container and has
internal flange means which will interlock with the external flange
means on the container. The only way to release and remove the cap
is to bend the weakened upper part of the container wall inwardly
by applying external pressure to it and immature children can not
do this.
Inventors: |
Imamura; Harry H. (Seattle,
WA) |
Family
ID: |
23035838 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/271,496 |
Filed: |
July 13, 1972 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
215/209 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D
50/045 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65D
50/00 (20060101); B65D 50/04 (20060101); B65d
055/02 () |
Field of
Search: |
;215/9 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Norton; Donald F.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Matheny; Fred C.
Claims
1. A container and cap comprising a tubular container member formed
of flexible material and having a closed bottom end and an open top
end; external flange means on the upper end portion of said
container member; recesses in said flange means weakening an area
of said container member near the top end thereof, whereby said
weakened area will bend inwardly when it is subjected to external
pressure; and a cap having a rim provided with internal bead means,
said cap rim and bead means being shaped and dimensioned so they
can be passed over the flange means on said container member when
the weakened area of said container member wall is bent inwardly
and will be locked in engagement with said flange means when the
cap is on the container member and the weakened area of the
container
2. The container and cap as claimed in claim 1 in which the
container member is formed of flexible plastic capable of being
bent inwardly by external pressure and of returning to its original
expanded condition when
3. The container and cap as claimed in claim 2 in which the cap is
formed
4. A container and cap comprising a tubular container member having
a closed bottom end and an open top end and having flexible side
walls; external flange means extending outwardly from the container
walls near the top end of the container member providing a
downwardly facing cap engaging shoulder; a plurality of side by
side grooves spaced a short distance apart and extending lengthwise
of said container member across said flange means, thereby reducing
the strength of the container member walls along the lines of said
grooves, whereby the grooved area of the container member wall can
be bent inwardly by the application of external pressure thereto
and the size of the upper end portion of the container member
reduced; and a cap having an annular rim provided with internal
bead means, said rim and bead means being shaped and dimensioned so
they can be passed over the external flange means on said container
member when the grooved area of the container member wall is
inwardly bent and will be locked in engagement with said flange
means when the cap is on the container member and the grooved area
of the container member wall is
5. The container and cap as claimed in claim 4 in which an annular
external reinforcing flange is provided on the upper end portion of
the container member a short distance below said first mentioned
flange means and in
6. The container and cap as claimed in claim 4 in which the depth
of at least some of the grooves exceeds the thickness of the flange
means and these grooves extend below the flange means and form
shallow channels in
7. The container and cap as claimed in claim 4 in which at least
three side by side grooves are provided in the external flange
means on the container
8. The container and cap as claimed in claim 4 in which an annular
reinforcing flange is provided on the upper end portion of the
container member a short distance below the first mentioned flange
means and in which at least two of the spaced apart grooves extend
across the first mentioned flange means and said reinforcing flange
and leave between them a section of the reinforcing flange which
serves as a push button to
9. The container and cap as claimed in claim 4 in which at least
one of the grooves in the container member is formed in the inside
surface of the container member wall.
Description
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is common knowledge that young children can suffer injuries
which are sometimes fatal because they are able to obtain access to
injurious materials or substances, such as strong medicines by
opening the containers in which these materials are stored. An
object of my invention is to prevent these injuries to young
children by providing a container having a cap which it is
substantially impossible for a young child to remove, due to its
immature knowledge, but which can be removed easily by a more
mature person who knows how to remove it.
Another object is to provide a tubular container and cap for the
same which are formed of plastic or similar resilient material, the
container and cap being shaped and dimensioned so that the cap fits
over the open end of the container and is locked in a closed
position thereon so it can not be removed by a small child but is
easily removable by a more mature person by bending weakened parts
of the upper end of the container inwardly.
Another object is to provide a container and cap of flexible
material in which the container has at least one annular cap
engaging flange on its upper end and has at least three spaced
apart, side by side, longitudinal, external grooves in its upper
end portion, said grooves extending across the flange on the
container and weakening a chosen area of the container wall along
lines which will cause it to bend inwardly in a way best calculated
to facilitate removal and application of the cap.
Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following
description and accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view, with parts broken away,
showing a container and cap embodying my invention.
FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the container shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on broken line 3--3 of
FIG. 2 with the cap in a closed position on the container.
FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the container, similar to FIG. 2,
except that it shows parts of the container walls bent inwardly as
they would be to permit removal or application of the cap.
FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view, similar to FIG. 3 except
that it illustrates a preferred manner of simultaneously applying
inward pressure to the container and upward pressure to the cap in
removing the cap.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrative of the top end portion of
a container of modified form.
FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the container shown in FIG. 6 as it
may normally appear when expanded.
FIG. 8 is a top plan view similar to FIG. 7 except that it shows
parts of the container walls inwardly displaced as they would be to
permit removal or application of the cap.
FIG. 9 is a dragmentary perspective view showing the top end
portion of another container of modified form.
FIG. 10 is a view in cross section taken on line 10--10 of FIG.
9.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
In the embodiment of my invention shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 I provide a
tubular container member 15 of generally cylindrical shape having a
closed bottom end 16 and an open top end and formed of plastic or
similar flexible or resilient material which can be flexed or bent
inwardly by pressure of a thumb or finger and which will spring
back to an original expanded condition when the pressure is
released. The upper end portion of the container member 15 is
provided with cap engaging means in the form of an annular
thickened part or flange 17 which is shaped so as to form a
downwardly facing shoulder 18 and a generally conical outer wall
19. The wall 19 extends convergently from the shoulder 18 upwardly
to the top end of the container member. A cap 20 having a marginal
rim 21 within which is an annular bead 22 is adapted to fit over
and lock onto the upper end portion of the container member.
Preferably the cap 22 is formed of plactic or like flexible
material. A second annular flange 23 is provided on the upper end
portion of the container member 15 and is spaced a short distance
below the flange 17. Both of the flanges 17 and 23 lend stiffness
and strength to the upper end portion of the container member 15
and the lower flange 23 shields the lower edge of the cap rim 21
from pressure which might tend to open or lift the cap when the cap
is in closed position.
Three side by side grooves 24, 25 and 26 , which are spaced a short
distance apart, extend across the flanges 17 and 23 in a direction
lengthwise of the container member 15. The grooves 24, 25 and 26
are herein illustrated as being of a depth about equal to the
thickness of the flanges 17 and 23 but obviously the depth of these
grooves can be varied. The grooved area of the container wall can
be bent inwardly, as illustrated in FIG. 4, by applying pressure to
the exterior thereof at or near the location of the medial groove
25. When the grooved area is thus bent inwardly the change in shape
and the reduction in size of the top end portion of the container
member 15 will make possible fairly easy removal of the cap. By
placing a thumb on the grooved part of flange 23, as shown in FIG.
5, and simultaneously exerting an inward pressure on said flange 23
and an upward pressure on the cap rim 21 the bead ring 22 is easily
disengaged from shoulder 18 of flange 17 and the cap can be lifted
off.
A preferred way of applying the cap is to bend the grooved area of
the container member inwardly and then pass the cap down over the
flange means 17. However, the conical shape of the upper end
portion of the container member makes it possible to press the bead
means 22 of the cap down over the flange means 17 of the container
member until it locks beneath shoulder 18.
When the cap is closed it can not be opened by a young child due to
its lack of strength and because it does not usually know where and
how to apply pressure to release the cap. However, the cap is
easily opened by an older person who does know how and where to
apply the pressure needed to bend the weakened part or area of the
container member wall inwardly.
In the embodiment of my invention shown in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 the
container member 27 and flanges 28 and 29 on its upper end portion
are similar, respectively, to the container member 15 and flanges
17 and 23 previously herein described except that instead of the
three previously described grooves 24, 25 and 26 said container
member 27 is provided with four spaced apart, side by side grooves
30, 31, 32 and 33 which extend lengthwise of the container member
27 and across the two flanges 28 and 29.
The cap, not shown, for container member 27 is the same as
previously described cap 20,21,22 and it cooperates with the
container member in the same manner. The provision of four side by
side grooves in flanges 28 and 29 leaves, between the two medial
grooves 31 and 32, a section 29" of the flange 29 and this section
29" serves as a push button on which pressure can be exerted to
bend the grooved area of container 27 inwardly to facilitate
application or removal of the cap.
FIGS. 9 and 10 show an embodiment of my invention comprising a
container member 34 having on it flanges 35 and 36 all similar to
previously described corresponding parts shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 and
adapted to have a similar cap applied to them. Three side by side,
spaced apart, external grooves 37, 38 and 39 extend lengthwise of
the container member 34 across the flanges 35 and 36 and a fourth
internal groove 40 is provided indide of the wall of container
member 34 in the same radial plane as the medial external groove
38. The two lateral external grooves 37 and 39 extend across the
flanges 35 and 36, are deep enough so they extend a short distance
into the external surface of the container wall below the flange 36
and are of substantial length, as shown in FIG. 9. The internal
groove 40 is shallow and is in line with the medial groove 38 and
preferably is about the same length as the grooves 37 and 39.
The operation of the container shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 is similar
to the operation of the previously described container members
except that the longer grooves 37, 39 and 40 form shallow channels
in the container member wall below the flanges 35 and 36 and this
allows a longer area of the container member wall to be bent
inwardly by the application of external pressure.
* * * * *