Safety closure for containers

Abstract

A child resistant dispensing container and closure is disclosed which includes a one piece cap and a one piece disc rotatably secured to the cap. The cap includes a blind recess extending into the container and a cap opening spaced from the blind recess. The disc includes a disc opening and a tab for opening and closing the disc opening. To open the end closure, the disc is rotated to a first position in which the tab is aligned with the blind recess. The center portion of the tab is pushed downwardly into the blind recess, thereby disengaging the free end of the tab from its adjacent portion of the disc so that the tab can snap open. The disc is then rotated to a second position in which the disc opening is aligned with the cap opening for dispensing the contents of the container.

Description

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to end closures for containers, and more specifically to plastic end closures which are child resistant or difficult for small children to open and which are suitable for containers containing drugs, insecticides, detergents, drain cleaners and other household products which might be harmful if ingested.

Plastic end closures for containers may include a one piece stationary cap which is secured on the container and a one piece rotatable disc which provides openings for dispensing the contents of the container as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,961,132 to Robert W. Ankney. The one piece cap of such prior art closures includes a removable tab which seals the container during shipping and storage and which is defined by a reduced thickness tearing web. To remove the tab and permit dispensing through the disc openings, one end of the tab is pushed down into the container to begin tearing the web, and the tab rotates about a fulcrum so that the other end of the tab moves upwardly to permit grasping and removing the tab. Although this structure makes it difficult or impossible for a small child to initially open the sealed end closure, the small child might open such prior art end closure after such initial opening by rotating the disc to align the opening in the disc with the opening in the cap.

The end closure according to the present invention includes a stationary cap and a disc rotatably secured to the cap. The cap includes a recess, and the disc includes a disc opening and a tab for opening and closing the disc opening. The tab is normally flat and is openable only by inwardly deflecting a center portion of the tab into the recess from its normal flat configuration to a curved configuration to disengage the free end of the tab from its adjacent portion of the disc and permit the tab to snap open. This deflection and opening of the tab can occur only when the tab is aligned with the recess in the cap, hence this structure requires rotating the disc to a particular position relative to the cap and then pushing the center of the tab into the recess to permit the tab to bend and snap open in order to open the disc opening. By requiring these multiple steps to open the disc opening, the danger of a small child opening the end closure is minimized.

More specifically, the stationary cap includes an axially extending skirt portion for attachment to the container and a laterally extending end portion. The cap end portion includes a cap opening which provides the sole means in the cap for dispensing the contents of the container. The recess is also disposed in the cap end portion and is a blind recess which extends axially into the container and which is arcuately spaced from the cap opening. Because the cap opening is arcuately spaced from the recess and because the recess is blind, the disc opening is aligned only with the blind recess after the tab is opened so that the container still remains closed. The disc must then be rotated to another position in which the cap opening and the disc opening are aligned so that the contents of the container can be dispensed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other aspects of the invention are incorporated in the preferred embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container and end closure according to the principles of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged exploded perspective view of the end closure shown in FIG. 1, with the tab of the disc shown in its open position and with the disc opening axially aligned with the cap opening;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along reference view line 3--3 of FIG. 1, showing the tab of the disc arcuately spaced from the blind recess of the cap; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 3 but showing the tab of the disc aligned with the blind recess of the cap and pressed downwardly into such recess.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dispensing container having an end closure according to the principles of the invention. The dispensing container shown in FIG. 1 is particularly adapted for use with household products which might be harmful if ingested and includes a paper fiber tube 11, a bottom end closure 12, and a top end closure 14. The end closures 12 and 14 in the preferred embodiment are secured on the ends of the fiber tube 11 by glue. In actual use, one of the end closures is first secured on the fiber tube 11 to form an open ended can, the can which is so formed is filled with a product which is to be dispensed, and the other end closure is then secured on the open end of the can to form the dispensing container.

FIGS. 2, 3, and 4 show the top end closure 14 in greater detail. The end closure 14 includes a one piece stationary cap 15 and a one piece rotatable disc 16. The cap 15 and the disc 16 are each injection molded, and the cap 15 is preferably made of a medium impact polystyrene while the disc 16 is preferably made of a flexible polyethylene. This provides a stationary cap which is relatively rigid and a rotatable disc which is relatively flexible so that the disc can be snapped onto the cap without breakage.

As best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the rotatable disc 16 is a flat disc which includes a disc opening 18 which provides the sole means in the disc 16 for dispensing the contents of the container and a cantilever tab 19 molded integrally with the disc 16 and movable between an open position shown in FIG. 2 and a closed position shown in FIG. 3. The cantilever tab 19 is molded in the open position shown in FIG. 2 so that it has an elastic memory resiliently urging the tab to the open position shown in FIG. 2. The cantilever tab 19 includes a free edge 20 which is beveled so that it is held in the closed position shown in FIG. 3 by a similarly beveled confronting edge of the disc 16. The fixed end of the cantilever tab 19 is located at a reduced thickness portion in the disc 16 as shown in FIG. 3 to provide a hinge for the tab 19. An axle portion 22 projects from the bottom surface of the disc 16 to rotatably secure the disc 16 to the stationary cap 15, and two lugs 23 are formed on the top surface of the disc 16 to manually rotate the disc 16 relative to the cap 15.

Referring to FIGS. 2, 3, and 4, the stationary cap 15 includes a laterally extending end portion 25 and a skirt portion 26 which extends axially from the end portion 25 and which is received within the tube 11 for securing the stationary cap 15 thereto. The laterally extending end portion 25 of the cap 15 includes a cap opening 27 which provides the sole means in the cap 15 for dispensing the contents of the container and a blind recess 28 arcuately spaced 180 degrees from the cap opening 27. The end portion 25 of the cap 15 supports the tab 19 of the disc 16 to prevent inward deflection of the tab 19 except at the location of the recess 28, so that the recess 28 provides the only means in the cap 15 capable of receiving the tab 19 when it is deflected inwardly as described below. The stationary cap 15 also includes four arcuately spaced projections 29 which extend over the outer periphery of the rotatable disc 16 to prevent the peripheral edge of the disc 16 from being lifted away from the end portion 25 of the stationary cap 15.

When the end closure 14 is closed as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 so that the tab 19 closes the disc opening 18, three separate steps are required to open the end closure 14 for dispensing the contents of the container. The instructions for performing these three steps may be printed on the tube 11 or may be molded on the top surface of the disc 16. Appropriate markings on the disc 16 and on the stationary cap 15 may also be provided to identify the first and second positions of the disc 16 relative to the cap 15 described below.

To open the end closure 14, the disc 16 is first rotated to a first predetermined position in which the tab 19 is axially aligned with the blind recess 28 of the cap 15. Next, a center portion of the tab 19 spaced from the free end 20 is manually pressed to deflect the tab 19 from its normal flat configuration shown in FIG. 3 to the curved configuration shown in FIG. 4 in which the center portion of the tab 19 spaced from the free end 20 is received within the blind recess 28. Because the tab 19 is of greater lateral extent than the recessed portion 28, the free edge 20 of the tab 19 is deflected upwardly in the manner shown in FIG. 4 away from its confronting edge of the disc 16 when the center portion of the tab 19 is pushed downwardly into the blind recess 28. Because the tab 19 is molded in the open position, the tab 19 then snaps open to the position shown in phantom in FIG. 4 to open the disc opening 18.

After these first two steps are completed to open the disc opening 18, the contents of the container still cannot be dispensed through the end closure 14 because the cap opening 27 is arcuately spaced from the recess 28. The disc 16 must therefore be rotated 180.degree. from its first predetermined position to a second predetermined position in which the disc opening 18 is axially aligned with the cap opening 27. The contents of the container can then be dispensed through the aligned openings 27 and 18.

Upon completing use of the container, the tab 19 is manually pushed downwardly from its open position shown in phantom in FIG. 4 until its beveled edge 20 snaps past the confronting edge of the disc 16 to close the container. Because the disc 16 is normally in its second predetermined position when the tab 19 is closed in this manner, the tab 19 cannot be reopened until the disc 16 is returned to the first predetermined position in accordance with the first step for opening the end closure 14 described above.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a dispensing container and an end closure wherein said end closure comprises a stationary cap secured on one end of said container and a disc rotatably disposed on said cap, said cap including a laterally extending end portion and a recess means in said end portion, said disc being carried on said end portion and extending over said recess means, said disc including a disc opening providing the sole means in said disc for dispensing the contents of said container and a tab movable between an open position for opening said disc opening and a closed position for closing said disc opening, said tab being axially aligned with said recess means only when said disc is rotated to a predetermined position on said cap, said tab being deflectable in said closed position from a normal flat configuration to an inwardly curved configuration into said recess means when said tab is axially aligned with said recess means to open said tab, said cap end portion supporting said tab and preventing said inward deflection whenever said disc is rotated away from said predetermined position, and said recess means providing the sole means in said cap for receiving said inwardly curved tab and said tab being openable only when said disc is rotated to said predetermined position in which said tab is axially aligned with said recess means.

2. The combination defined by claim 1 wherein said tab includes a fixed end and a free end, and said blind recess is of smaller lateral extent than said tab whereby only a portion of said tab spaced from said free end is deflected into said blind recess and said free end is deflected in an outward direction to disengage said free end from its adjacent portion of said disc.

3. The combination defined in claim 1 including a cap opening in said end portion of said cap providing the sole means in said cap for dispensing the contents of said container, said recess is a blind recess, said cap opening is arcuately spaced from said blind recess, and said disc is rotatable from said predetermined position in which said tab is axially aligned with said recess means to a position in which said disc opening is axially aligned with said cap opening.

4. A container end closure comprising a stationary cap and a disc rotatably disposed on said cap, said cap including a laterally extending end portion, said cap end portion including a cap opening for providing the sole means in said cap for dispensing the contents of said container and a blind recess for extending axially into said container, said cap opening and said blind recess being arcuately spaced apart on said cap end portion, said disc being disposed on the outer surface of said cap end portion, said disc being generally flat and extending over said blind recess and over said cap opening, said disc including a disc opening providing the sole means in said disc for dispensing the contents of said container, said disc including a tab movable between an open position for opening said disc opening and a closed position for closing said disc opening, said disc being rotatable between a first position in which said tab is axially aligned with said blind recess and a second position in which said disc opening is axially aligned with said cap opening, said tab being normally flat and being openable only by deflection of said tab from said flat configuration to an inwardly curved configuration into said blind recess when said disc is in said first position, and said disc being rotatable from said first position to said second position after said tab is opened whereby the contents of said container is dispensed from said axially aligned cap opening and disc opening.

5. A container end closure as defined in claim 4 wherein said cap and said disc are each of single piece construction and are each of plastic.

6. A container end closure as defined in claim 5 wherein said blind recess is arcuately spaced 180.degree. from said cap opening on said end portion of said cap.

7. A container end closure as defined in claim 5 wherein said tab includes a fixed end and a free end, and said blind recess is of smaller lateral extent than said tab whereby only a portion of said tab spaced from said free end is deflected into said blind recess and said free end is deflected in an outward direction to disengage said free end from its adjacent portion of said disc.

8. A container end closure as defined in claim 7 including means for securing the outer periphery of said disc to said cap whereby said outer periphery of said disc is held in place on said end portion of said cap.