U.S. patent number 3,850,324 [Application Number 05/420,281] was granted by the patent office on 1974-11-26 for threaded combination lock safety cap.
Invention is credited to Karl A. Meyer.
United States Patent |
3,850,324 |
Meyer |
November 26, 1974 |
THREADED COMBINATION LOCK SAFETY CAP
Abstract
The embodiment of the invention disclosed herein is directed to
a threaded combination lock safety cap for containers and the like
that are particularly designated for receiving materials, such as
drugs or chemicals, which are detrimental to human life such that
it is essential that such drugs and chemicals be prevented from
getting into the hands of small children not realizing the potency
of the same. The threaded combination lock safety cap is of a
particular arrangement as to allow only the particular person
knowing the arrangement or combination of the components of the
safety cap to open the container which utilizes such cap. The
container which receives the locking cap of this invention includes
a neck portion formed on the container to function as an access
opening for filling and removing material from the container. The
neck portion is partially threaded starting at its outermost rim
with a spiral screw type thread extending part way down the neck
portion, the threaded portion being in the form of a spiral ridge
disposed about the neck circumference adjacent the outermost neck
edge. A closure assembly is fashioned to fit over the neck portion
and includes a plurality of rotatable lock rings held in position
between a cap portion and a retaining ring disposed adjacent the
edge of the cap with the locking rings being freely rotatable
within the cap. Each of the locking rings is located radially
inwardly of an integral peripheral depending flange portion
associated with the cap and projecting circumferally downwardly
from the top surface of the cap in a manner to surround the neck
portion of the container, with each locking ring including a
radially outwardly directed tab which fits through a slot formed in
the flange portion for access exteriorly of the flange portion.
When all of the radially outwardly directed tab portions of the
locking rings are placed in alignment, or placed in predetermined
locations with respect to indicia formed about the flange portion
of the cap, a corresponding spiral thread formed interiorly of each
of the individual locking rings are aligned and adapted to be
placed in threaded registration with the thread on the container
neck portion to allow the caps to be unthreaded from the neck
portion and removed therefrom to provide access to the container.
When such threads of the locking rings are misaligned then the cap
is locked onto the neck portion and cannot be removed therefrom
until such threads are aligned by alignment of the tab
portions.
Inventors: |
Meyer; Karl A. (Cocoa Beach,
FL) |
Appl.
No.: |
05/420,281 |
Filed: |
November 29, 1973 |
Current International
Class: |
B65d 055/02 ();
B65d 085/56 (); A61j 001/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;215/206,221,9
;70/232 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Hall; George T.
Claims
Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:
1. A container closure structure and container used in conjunction
therewith, comprising:
a hollow container for receiving a given quantity of material to be
restricted from use by small children;
a neck portion formed on said container to function as an access
opening for filling said container and for removing said material
therethrough, said neck portion having cylindrical side walls
terminating at a mouth edge of said neck portion;
a spiral screw thread disposed about said topmost portion of said
neck portion and extending from said mouth edge at least
substantially one complete time spirally about the circumference of
said neck portion, said spiral screw thread having an initiating
point adjacent said mouth edge and a terminating point spaced
downwardly from said mouth edge;
a closure assembly fashioned to firmly fit said neck portion to
seal the container and prevent said material from being removed
from said container, said closure assembly comprising:
a cap to fit over said neck portion and form a seal about the mouth
edge of said neck portion;
an integral peripheral circumferally depending flange portion
associated with the circumferal edges of said cap and depending
downwardly therefrom, said flange portions having a dimension and
configuration to freely fit over said neck portion, said flange
portion having a terminal edge about the bottom thereof;
said cap portion having formed interiorly thereof a spiral
projecting ridge adapted to engage said threaded neck portion to
retain said neck portion mouth edge in sealing engagement with said
cap undersurface;
an annular recess formed interior of said flange portion and
opening out of said terminal edge thereof and defining a top
annular shoulder portion thereabout;
a retaining ring formed about the inner peripheral terminal edge
portion of said flange portion and projecting inwardly thereof a
distance to underlie said top shoulder portion, the top surface of
said retaining means defining a bottom shoulder portion in
confronting relationship with said top shoulder portion;
a plurality of substantially flat circular locking rings axially
displaced and aligned with each other and disposed for free
rotative movement in said annular recess intermediate said top and
bottom shoulder portions;
a spiral screw formed integrally with an interior surface of each
of said locking rings, said locking rings movable about their axes
between positions where said grooves are misaligned so as to
prevent threaded engagement of said neck portion screw thread
therewith, and to a position where said grooves are in alignment to
define a continuous spiral groove therethrough adapted to receive
said neck portion spiral thread therein in a manner to permit said
closure assembly to be unthreaded from said neck portion to provide
access to said contents of said container; and
positioning tab means associated with each of said locking rings to
enable manual relative movement of said locking means with respect
to said retaining means and said cap means to allow for alignment
of said spiral grooves in accord with preselected positioning of
said positioning means exteriorly of said flange portion for easy
application and removal of said closure assembly from said neck
portion and whereby misalignment of said spiral grooves prevents
inadvertent and unauthorized removal of said closure assembly from
said neck portion.
2. The container closure structure and container as set forth in
claim 1 further comprising a circumferally extending slot defined
in said flange portion and extending therethrough, said slot having
an arcuate extent about the periphery of said flange portion to
limit the arcuate travel of said positioning means associated with
said plurality of locking ring means; and said positioning means
including separate radially outwardly directed tab portions affixed
to each of said locking rings and projecting radially outwardly
through said slot, said tab portions adapted to be oriented
relative to one another to provide a visual indication exterior of
said closure structure as to the interior placement of said spiral
grooves in each of said locking rings whereby proper positioning of
said tab portions provides for the alignment of said spiral grooves
to permit removal of the closure assembly from said container.
3. The container closure structure and container as set forth in
claim 2 further comprising indicia bearing portions associated with
said slot disposed about the periphery of said flange portion so as
to enable the user of said container closure structure and
container to visually align said radially outwardly directed tab
portions of said locking ring means, and then position said aligned
radially outwardly directed tab portions in registry with
respective ones of said indicia bearing means so as to provide
alignment of the said spiral grooves of said locking rings upon
orienting of the tab portions in accord with a predetermined
locking combination in a manner to facilitate removal of said
closure structure from said neck portion when said tabs are
disposed in proper orientation for said predetermined combination
to permit neck portion thread to be unthreaded through aligned
spiral grooves to remove the closure assembly from the
container.
4. The container closure structure and container as set forth in
claim 3 wherein said retainer ring is provided with an outwardly
extending ridge disposed annularly about the circumference thereof,
and wherein said interior surface of said recess adjacent said
flange portion terminal edge is provided with an annular groove
thereabout of a size and configuration adapted to receive said
annular projection whereby said retainer ring may be snap fitted
into said flange portion to be retained therein.
5. The container closure structure and container as set forth in
claim 4 further comprising a seal member formed integrally with
said cap and depending downwardly from the undersurface thereof in
a position to engage the neck portion of said container, said seal
member being in the form of a truncated conical member with conical
side walls diverging downwardly from said cap undersurface and
terminating at a bottom edge adapted to frictionally engage the
interior wall surfaces of said neck portion, the sealing member
being manufactured of a resilient material.
6. The container closure structure and container as set forth in
claim 5 further comprising at least three separate locking rings
being provided in vertically aligned adjacent juxtaposition, said
locking rings being rotatably movable relative to each other, each
of said locking rings provided with at least six separate possible
angular positions for said positioning tab portion thereof; and
wherein said sealing member extends downwardly from said cap
undersurface a depth approximately equal to the thickness of at
least the top two locking ring members whereby should said neck
portion spiral thread be engaged in the top two locking rings and
not in the last locking ring said sealing member will still retain
the contents of said container in a sealed manner.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to safety closures for containers
and more particularly to a novel and improved threaded combination
lock safety cap for use on containers where the contents may be
drugs or chemicals and where it is desired to prevent children from
removing the caps to prevent the removal of such drugs or chemicals
from their containers. The device is of such construction and
arrangement as only one with relative adult knowledge can
manipulate the components of the device to remove the closure cap
from the container to gain access to the drugs or chemicals within
the container.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior to the present invention those devices of such construction
which provided relative difficulty for the entering or gaining
access to containers wherein dangerous drugs or chemicals were
confined also provided relative difficulty to persons who are
authorized or intended to gain access to such containers but found
great difficulty in being able to manipulate such devices to gain
the required access. These prior art containers are relatively
difficult to operate in that they either require substantial
amounts of force to be exerted upon the closure cap structure, such
force being designed to be greater than that normally available by
a child and yet readily available to a healthy adult.
Alternatively, such devices may require significant amounts of
dexterity or ingenuity on the part of the user to figure out the
particular combination required to remove the closure cap structure
from the container.
Among the prior art devices it has been generally accepted that a
safety closure device is required to prevent children from gaining
access to containers having harmful material therein, but such
devices have failed to appreciate the difficulty encountered by
elderly persons or persons of ill health or of physical disability
in that the devices many times successfully prevent such
individuals from gaining access to the drugs in the containers
which are urgently required for self administration of medicines
which may be prescribed by physicians. Thus, such prior art devices
not only successfully keep children from obtaining access to the
containers, but may also successfully keep those requiring and
authorized to have such access from gaining such access due to
failure of being able to operate the closure cap assembly.
Heretofore, such prior art safety closures have been so complicated
and difficult to operate so as to preclude persons, particularly
those in the senior citizen class, from opening the closure to gain
access to the required medication in the container.
For example, one prior art type of safety locking closure provides
a cylindrical neck having an annular rim adjacent the base thereof
and wherein radially outwardly directed flanges are required to be
pressed or manipulated as the cap was turned to facilitate removal
thereof. This required a relative amount of physical strength for
depressing of the outwardly directed flanges and therefore provides
an inefficient type of closure for the elderly and extremely weak
and sickly person who may not have the amount of physical strength
required for the operation of the safety closure.
Another type of combination locking closure for medical or chemical
containers included a plurality of rings associated with the cap,
each of the rings including a plurality of radially inwardly
directed tab portions to be aligned with a single elongated notch
or slot formed along a plurality of grooves in the neck portion of
the container. Each of the rings may be provided with a plurality
of members or letters about the periphery thereof, with alignment
of these rings allowing the user to open the container. However,
this type of closure required that the person clearly observe the
relative position of the rings, and furthermore these rings are
relatively difficult to manipulate in that they have substantially
the same diameter as the exterior portion of the cap associated
therewith.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention recognizes the need for a combination lock
safety cap suitable for operation by those having adult knowledge
and not requiring any type of excessive strength or the like, and
yet being difficult enough to prevent the operation thereof by
younger children who should not have access to the contents of such
container. Accordingly, the present invention provides a novel
solution thereto which remedies and overcomes all of the
deficiencies and disadvantages of presently available safety
closures in that it provides an improved combination lock safety
cap structure which enables the user thereof to quickly and easily
remove the cap closure structure from the container without need
for special dexterity or visual observation of the relative
position of a plurality of locking rings.
It is a feature of the present invention to provide a locking cap
closure having a plurality of rotatable locking rings each having a
radially outwardly directed tab portion adapted to be manually
manipulated by the user thereof in a manner to align the tab
portions exteriorly of the cap closure structure in a manner to
align associated internal threads disposed interiorly of each of
the locking rings in a manner to enable removal of the closure cap
structure from the associated container.
Briefly, the principle on which the cap structure of the present
invention is based calls for the alignment of a set of internal
screw type spiral threads in a predetermined pattern so that the
partially threaded neck portion of the container can be unthreaded
through the aligned threads in an obstructed manner. This is
accomplished through the use of at least three individual locking
rings, with each of these locking rings being equipped with a
single spiral screw thread disposed along an interior surface
thereof. These rings are incorporated into the cap. The position of
these rings can be varied by movement of a protruding tab section
of which ring is provided. When the locking cap is in its normal
locked position on the container the threads of the locking rings
are misaligned with the thread on the container so that the cap may
not be unthreaded from the container neck portion because the
threads do not align with the threads on the container, thus the
container is effectively locked. It can be opened only if the
proper alignment of the three individual screw threads of the three
locking rings are aligned such that the thread of the neck portion
may pass through the aligned threads of the locking rings to remove
the cap from the neck portion of the container. In order to
facilitate this thread alignment process, a set of numbers is
imprinted on the flange of the cap portion with the appropriate
position for unlocking the closure structure being printed or
otherwise indicated in code or the like on the cap structure so as
to be readily readable by those having adult knowledge and yet not
understandable to children. In this manner only persons who can
read or understand code indicia bearing information can
intelligently understand the number designations on the cap and
align the exterior tabs of the locking rings to effect removal of
the cap from the container. In this manner, once the numerical
combination corresponding to the appropriate thread alignment
position is known, the cap can be quickly and easily removed from
the container. Because it allows for a level of safety not formerly
obtainable in prior art structures, the threaded combination lock
safety cap of the present invention may well be adapted for use on
many different types of containers wherein tamper proof
characteristics for children are required.
Among the further features and advantages of the present invention
is the provision of a threaded combination lock safety cap which is
relatively simple in its construction and which therefore may be
readily manufactured at a relatively low cost and by simple
manufacturing methods; one which is possessed of few parts and
which therefore is unlikely to get out of order; one which is of a
rugged and durable construction and which therefore may be
guaranteed by the manufacturer to withstand the intended usage
thereof, and one which is easy to use and reliable and efficient in
operation.
Other features and advantages of this invention will be apparent
during the course of the following description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification,
and in which like reference characters are employed to designate
like parts throughout the same:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container closure cap and neck
portion of a container illustrating the cap of the present
invention detachably attached thereto;
FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the closure cap on the neck
portion of a container;
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along Line 3--3 of FIG.
2;
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary front elevational view illustrating the
single spiral screw thread on the neck portion of the
container;
FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the closure cap illustrating some of
the different positions of the locking ring tab portions;
FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the locking
rings and retaining ring relative to the neck portion of the
container;
FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the unlocked position
of the locking rings where the spiral thread portions thereof are
disposed in alignment with each other;
FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic perspective view similar to FIG. 7 but
with the threads of the locking rings in misalignment such that the
locking position of the cap is being illustrated; and
FIG. 9 is a front elevational view of a modified form of the
invention partially broken away to illustrate a seal formed
concentric with the cap and projecting downwardly from the bottom
surface of the cap in a manner to engage the interior side wall
surfaces of the container neck portion.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to the drawings in detail and in particular to FIGS.
1 to 8 inclusive, a preferred form of a closure structure
constructed in accordance with the principles of the present
invention and designated generally in its entirety by the reference
numeral 10. The closure structure 10 is intended for use with a
container 11 having a neck portion 12 formed thereon and projecting
upwardly therefrom, the neck portion including a top edge 13 and
circumferal side walls 14 with a single spiral screw type thread 15
in the form of an outwardly projecting ridge beginning at the top
edge 13 and spiraling about the circumference of the side walls 14
from point 16 adjacent the top edge to a terminal point 17 spaced
downwardly from the top neck edge. In the preferred embodiment only
a single spiral thread 15 is provided, with it being understood
that such thread may be of a greater or lesser length along the
neck portion within the principles of the present invention.
The closure structure 10 includes a closure assembly 20 fashioned
to firmly fit the neck portion 12 of the container 11 and prevent
the drug or chemical material from being removed from the container
by small children or other persons not intended to or capable of
manipulating the combination of the closure structure. The closure
assembly includes a cap portion 21 to fit over the neck portion and
form a seal about the top edge 13 defining the mouth of the neck
portion 12. This is best illustrated in FIG. 3 which shows the
mouth or top edge 13 firmly abutting the undersurface of the cap 21
to form the seal mentioned.
An integral peripheral depending circumferal flange portion 22 is
associated with the cap 21 and has a diameter and configuration
freely to fit over the side walls 14 associated with the neck
portion 12. This allows the closure assembly 20 freely to be
threaded onto and unthreaded from the neck portion of the container
by authorized personnel. A retaining ring 23 is secured interiorly
of the bottom edge 24 of the integral peripheral cirumferal
depending flange portion 20 and provides a top surface shoulder
forming portion 25. In the illustrated embodiment the retaining
ring 23 is secured to the flange portion 20 by means of a snap
ridge and recess combination designated generally by reference
numeral 26 with the ridge being provided on the outer circumferal
surface of the retaining ring and an annular groove being provided
in the flange portion to receive the ridge. However, it will be
understood that other suitable conventional connection means may be
incorporated for retaining the retaining ring to the flange
portion, as for example, suitable adhesives, set screws, or the
like. Furthermore, it will be understood that the retaining ring 23
may be threaded into a threaded receptacle portion of the depending
flange 20 to retain the same therein if so desired.
The shoulder 25 of retaining ring 23 cooperates with a confronting
annular shoulder 27 formed in flange 22 in a manner to retain
freely rotatable therebetween a plurality of axially displaced and
aligned locking rings 30, 32 and 34, each of the locking rings
including associated spiral thread groove means referred to by
associated reference numerals 30A, 32A and 34A respectively each
disposed in an interior circular side wall of each locking ring.
The threads 30A, 32A and 34A associated with the rotatable locking
rings 30, 32 and 34 respectively, are oriented arcuately about the
inner periphery of the closure assembly 20 in a manner to be placed
in alignment with each other so that placed in alignment the thread
15 of the neck portion 12 may be engaged therein with the closure
structure 10 being removed from the container to provide access
thereinto, this aligned position of the threads being as
diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 7.
As seen in FIG. 8, the threads 30A, 32A and 34A of locking rings
30, 32, and 34 respectively are illustrated in an orientation
wherein the threads are not in alignment such that the threads are
referred to as being misaligned, this preventing the engagement of
neck portion thread 15 with aligned slots thus retaining the
closure structure 10 secured in a locked position on the container
neck portion.
To facilitate ease of alignment of the three locking rings 30, 32
and 34 there is provided radially outwardly directed positioning
tab portions 40, 42, and 44 respectively associated with the
locking rings 30, 32 and 34. The tab positioning devices can be
located in any one of a plurality of different arcuately displaced
arrangements to afford the desired amount of difficulty to open the
container, some of the different arcuate displacements being as
seen in FIG. 5. For example, indicia bearing means 46 may be
located about the periphery of the depending flange 22 and placed
above a corresponding circumferally extending arcuate slot 48
through which the tab positioning means 40, 42 and 44 extend. By
aligning the tabs one with the other, and with one of the desired
indicia bearing characters about the slot, the spiral grooves of
the locking rings can be placed in alignment to facilitate removal
of the closure assembly 20 from the container. Furthermore, the
invention as disclosed herein incorporates means formed on the
flange 22 above the slot 48, such as the numerals "1" through "6"
to give an indication to the user as to where to locate the tabs
40, 42, and 44 of the individual locking rings with respect to the
indicia bearing information about the slot when the combination for
the closure structure 10 provides that such tabs are not to be
aligned with one another. An example of the great variety of
combinations available is made apparent upon considering that upon
using at least three locking rings, such as in the preferred
embodiment, and with each locking ring having six possible
positions, there are a total of 216 possible combinations of
positions of the locking rings such that a child's chance of
randomly positioning the locking rings in a manner to solve the
combination is one chance in 216 possible chances, this being
substantially infinitesimal and quite unlikely to occur.
As seen in FIG. 3 the portion of the neck 12 having the spiral
thread 15 thereabout is restricted to the very top portion of the
neck adjacent the mouth 13 of the container with such portion
falling within an interior portion 50 of the flange portion 22
which is provided with a spiral projection 51 about the interior
surface thereof and adapted to engage thread 15 in a manner to
retain the mouth of the neck portion snugly sealed against the cap
undersurface.
In operation, and as aforementioned, when locking rings 30, 32 and
34 are rotated about their axis to place threads 30A, 32A and 34A
respectively in alignment, closure assembly 20 may be readily
unscrewed from neck portion 12 for gaining access to the contents
of the container 11. On the other hand, when the threads 30A, 32A
and 34A of the locking rings 30, 32 and 34 respectively are in
misalignment, this prohibits the removal of the closure structure
10 from the container 11 thus preventing access to the contents of
the container.
Referring now to the modified embodiment of FIG. 9, this is
substantially identical to the aforedescribed embodiment with the
only difference being the addition of a resilient truncated conical
shaped sealing member 70 formed integrally with the undersurface 71
of the cap 21' and which has diverging side walls terminating at
terminal edge 72 in a manner to frictionally engage the interior
surfaces 73 of the neck portion 12, the depth of the seal 70
extending approximately equal to the thickness of two of the lock
rings, namely locking rings 30 and 32, such that should the closure
assembly 20 be partially removed from the mouth 13 of the neck
portion 12, such as if the thread 15 had passed through the grooves
30A and 32A but that the locking ring 34 was in misalignment such
that groove 34A was misaligned from the other grooves, then the
contents of the container would still be sealed. Due to the
similarity between parts of the two forms of the invention, and in
order to avoid needless repetition of description, similar
reference numerals but having a single prime mark applied thereto
have been used to identify the corresponding parts as between the
disclosure of FIG. 9 and the disclosure of FIGS. 1-8.
It is to be understood that the form of this invention herewith
shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the
same, and that this invention is not to be limited to the exact
arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying drawings or
described in this specification as various changes in the details
of construction as to shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be
resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention, the
scope of the novel concepts thereof, or the scope of the sub-joined
claims.
* * * * *