U.S. patent number 3,869,057 [Application Number 05/231,337] was granted by the patent office on 1975-03-04 for safety closure device.
This patent grant is currently assigned to V.C.A. Corporation. Invention is credited to Christian F. Miller.
United States Patent |
3,869,057 |
Miller |
March 4, 1975 |
Safety closure device
Abstract
The present invention relates generally to safety closure
devices for open-ended containers, and more particularly to closure
devices designed to counteract unauthorized removal thereof, as for
example the removal of a bottle cap by a child. The embodiment
disclosed herein includes a first closure section for permanent
attachment to the open end of a container and a second closure
section or cap hingedly coupled and thus shiftable with respect to
the first section. Said second section is adapted in one shifted
position to cover, and in another position to uncover the first
closure section. The second closure section is sufficiently
flexible laterally so as to become distorted in shape when opposed
pressures are manually applied to the cap periphery. Means is
provided for detachably interlocking first and second sections, the
functioning of said means being controllable as an incident to the
flexing of the second section. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Closure
devices have heretofore been developed with the view of rendering
such devices difficult for manipulation by children. This is
particularly true in instances where a closure or cap is used in
association with open-ended containers such as medicine bottles and
the like. It is therefore an important object of the present
invention to provide an improved, practical closure device which
may be readily manipulated by an adult but which, because of its
unique design, may not be readily opened by a child. It is normal
for anyone endeavoring to remove a closure member such as the
removal of a cap from a medicine bottle, to apply retrograde
rotation to the cap. It is therefore an object of the present
invention to provide a closure member or cap which cannot be
removed by simply applying retrograde rotation thereto. To this end
the invention contemplates a new and improved one-piece closure
device in which one section thereof may be permanently affixed to
the open end of a container and another section integrally
connected therewith which to a casual observer appears to be a
conventional cap, but which cannot be removed either by unscrewing
or by axial withdrawal. More specifically, the invention
contemplates a relatively simple, integral two-section closure
device as referred to above wherein the first-mentioned section
provides the positive interlock between the closure and the
container, and the second section or cap is sufficiently flexible
to permit detachment thereof only after the initial application of
opposed transverse pressures to the peripheral surface of the cap.
The present invention also contemplates an inproved one-piece
closure device of the type as set forth above which is so designed
as to enable the production thereof by the practice of conventional
molding methods, thereby assuring relatively low cost of
manufacture.
Inventors: |
Miller; Christian F. (Palos
Park, IL) |
Assignee: |
V.C.A. Corporation (Greenwich,
CT)
|
Family
ID: |
22868806 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/231,337 |
Filed: |
March 2, 1972 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
215/216;
215/317 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D
50/045 (20130101); B65D 47/147 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65D
47/14 (20060101); B65D 47/12 (20060101); B65D
50/00 (20060101); B65D 50/04 (20060101); B65d
055/02 () |
Field of
Search: |
;215/9,99,216,317
;222/543 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Ross; Herbert F.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Olson, Trexler, Wolters, Bushnell
& Fosse, Ltd.
Claims
I claim:
1. A safety closure device for an open-ended container including a
first section for telescopic association with a container in the
vicinity of the open end thereof, means for securing said section
against unauthorized axial separation with respect to a container,
a second shiftable section in the form of a closure member hingedly
coupled with said first section and adapted in one shifted position
to cover and in another position to uncover said first section, and
means providing an interference fit for detachably interlocking
said first and second sections in closed position, said second
section being sufficiently flexible to become distorted in shape
independently of said first section in response to opposed
pressures applied manually to opposite areas of the periphery
thereof for releasing the interference fit between the first and
second sections permitting the latter to be moved to open position,
and the means for detachably interlocking said first and second
sections comprising interlocking protuberances, the first section
having oppositely disposed inclined surfaces adapted to be engaged
by adjacent peripheral portions of the second section to cause
elevation of said second section upon distortion thereof.
2. A safety closure device for an open-ended container as set forth
in claim 1, wherein means for securing the first section against
axial separation includes means associated with the inner periphery
of said first section for interlocking with complementary means
associated with the outer periphery of a companion container.
3. A safety closure device for an open-ended container as set forth
in claim 1, wherein said second section is normally circular in
sahpe, and upon the manual application of opposed pressures will
become distorted and assume an elliptical shape.
4. A safety closure device for an open-ended container as set forth
in claim 1, wherein means is provided for securing the first
section against rotation with respect to a container, said means
includes longitudinal recess means associated with the inner
periphery of said first closure section.
5. A safety closure device for an open-ended container as set forth
in claim 1, wherein the means for securing said first section
against axial separation with respect to a a container, includes an
annular rib projecting radially inwardly from the inner periphery
of said first section.
6. A safety closure device for an open-ended container as set forth
in claim 1, wherein said means for detachably interlocking said
first and second section includes arcuate protuberance means on one
section for interlocking with complementary arcuate protuberance
means on the other section.
7. A safety closure device for an open-ended container as set forth
in claim 6, wherein one of said arcuate protuberance means is of
greater arcuate extent than the other protuberance means.
8. A safety closure device for an open-ended container as set forth
in claim 1, wherein said first and second closure sections are
hingedly coupled and comprise a one piece plastic structure.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The foregoing and other objects and advantages will be more
apparent from the following detailed description, when considered
in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a closure device constructed
in accordance with the present invention, said device being shown
in operative association with the open end of a fragmentarily
disclosed container or bottle;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged central vertical sectional view of the
closure device taken substantially along the line 2--2 of FIG. 1,
the container being shown in elevation;
FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan view of the closure device of FIG. 1,
when the cap section thereof occupies the position illustrated by
the dotted lines in FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is an exploded vertical sectional view taken substantially
along the line 4--4 of FIG. 3, with the open-ended container based
immediately beneath one section of the closure device;
FIG. 5 is a horizontal transverse sectional view taken
substantially along the line 5--5 of FIG. 2 to disclose the splined
interlock between the closure device and the container;
FIG. 6 is an enlarged, central vertical sectional view taken
substantially along the line 6--6 of FIG. 2;
FIG. 7 is a vertical sectional view similar to FIG. 2 disclosing
the manner in which opposed pressures may be applied manually to
diametrically located peripheral surface areas of the cap
section;
FIG. 8 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the
line 8-8 of FIG. 7, more clearly to illustrate the manner in which
distortion of the shape of the flexible cap section enables said
section to be shifted to the position illustrated in FIG. 4;
and
FIG. 9 is a plan view of the closure device shown in FIG. 8.
DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION
Referring now to the drawings more in detail wherein like numerals
have been employed to designate similar parts throughout the
various views, it will be seen that one embodiment of a closure
device of the type contemplated by the present invention is
designated generally by the numeral 10. The device 10 comprises
three integrally connected sections, namely the section 12 for
permanent attachment to the periphery of the open end of a
container or bottle 14, a cap section 16 integrally coupled with
and shiftable with respect to the section 12 through the agency of
a flexible hinge 18.
The inner periphery of the enclosure section 12 is provided with a
plurality of longitudinal recesses 20 for accommodating
complementary longitudinal ribs or splines 22 extending outwardly
from the periphery of the neck of the container or bottle 14. As
the closure section 12 is forced downwardly into telescopic
association with the open end of the container 14, the resulting
interlock between the recesses 20 and the protuberances 22 prevent
rotation of the section 12 relative to the container. Also, as the
section 12 is thus telescopically associated with the open end of
the container, a yieldable annular member 24 becomes interlocked
between a pair of axially spaced annular beads or protuberances 26
and 28 of the container 14. During the above-mentioned telescopic
association, a flexible sealing lip 30 sealingly engages the upper
extremity of the neck of the container or bottle 14. The particular
closure section 12 disclosed herein has a relatively small opening
32 to permit egress of the material within the container and an
upwardly extending cap positioning element 34 later to be
described. At this point it should be understood that the invention
contemplates closure sections such as the closure section 12,
incorporating modified forms of egress openings.
Considering now the structure of the closure section or cap 16, it
will be seen that this cap has a recess 36 on the underside thereof
for telescopically accommodating and shielding the sleeve which
defines the egress opening 32, and a recess 38 for telescopically
accommodating the positioning protuberance 34. Particular attention
is directed to an annular inwardly projecting lip or protuberance
40 provided along the lower inner margin of the cap 16. When the
cap 16 occupies its covering position with respect to the section
12, the protuberance 40 engages the underside of a pair of
complementary arcuate projections 42 and 44, formed integral with
the upper portion of the closure section 12. The flexibility of the
cap section 16 is such as to constantly urge the annular lip or
projection 40 into locking engagement with the underside of the
abutment 42 and the oppositely disposed abutment 44. This
interlocking arrangement is such as to preclude the possibility of
disengaging the cap section 16 with respect to the section 12 by
merely applying axial force to the cap. However, if the cap is
compressed or flexed by manually forcing diametrically positioned
areas of the cap periphery as shown in FIG. 7, said cap will assume
the noncircular or elliptical shape illustrated in FIG. 9. Such
compression causes the portions of the annular cap projection 40 in
the vicinity of the oppositely disposed fixed abutments 42 and 44
to become disengaged as clearly shown in FIG. 8, thereby permitting
the cap section 16 to be ultimately shifted to its uncovering
position shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.
Disengagement of the above-mentioned annular protuberance 40 from
the fixed abutments 42 and 44 is facilitated by oppositely disposed
inclined surfaces 46, see FIGS. 2, 3 and 7. As the flexible cap 16
becomes distorted due to the exertion of pressure against
diametrically positioned peripheral surface areas, the lower margin
of the cap moves along the upwardly inclined surfaces 46 thereby
causing elevation of the cap to the position shown in FIG. 8. In
this position the cap 16 is completely disengaged from the section
12 as previously described. The projection 34 cooperates with the
companion recess 38 on the underside of the cap section 16 in
properly positioning the cap in covering the fixed closure section
12. The integral flexible hinge member 18 also facilitates the
direction of movement of the cap as it moves from one position to
another.
From the foregoing it will be apparent that the present invention
contemplates a safety closure device of relatively simple
construction which may be produced at minimum cost by practicing
conventional plastic molding methods. The closure device disclosed
herein may be used with a wide variety of open-end containers such
as bottles. The cap locking annular protuberances and longitudinal
splines on the container periphery may readily be substituted for
the conventional thread convolutions. When the closure device is in
fixed position upon a container, the necessity for squeezing the
cap section to open the container is not readily apparent. This is
particularly true with respect to children whose initial
inclination would be to attempt to unscrew or lift the cap. To
distort the cap section into eliptical shape requires a force which
may readily be applied by an adult but not by a child. As
previously stated, the section of the closure device telescopically
applied and fixed to the container may have egress openings of
varied sizes depending upon the nature of the material within the
container.
* * * * *