Patent ID: 6729487
Filing Date: 2004-05-04
Classification: B65D

Abstract:
A container system selectable between adult-use and child-resistant modes, comprising:a container comprising a volume and an opening, said opening comprising peripheral teeth; a closure comprising an upper surface and a turning axis, said closure comprising engaging members adapted to engage said peripheral teeth; said closure comprising at least a deflecting member deflectable along said turning axis, said deflecting member deflecting from a distal to a proximal orientation relative to said opening when said engaging members are engaged to said peripheral teeth, said deflecting member having a variable spring rate; an invertible bi-stable spring element in said upper surface, said invertible bi-stable spring element having a substantially convex first stable orientation and a substantially concave second stable orientation, said first stable orientation having a first associated spring rate of said deflecting member, said second stable orientation having a second associated spring rate of said deflecting member; wherein said second spring rate is greater than said first spring rate; wherein said invertible bi-stable spring element may be converted from said first to said second stable orientation by finger pressure; and wherein said invertible bi-stable spring element is substantially nonconvertible by manual manipulation from said second to said first stable orientation when said engaging members are engaged to said peripheral teeth; whereby the container system is in the adult-use mode when said invertible bi-stable spring element is in said first stable orientation, and is in the child-resistant mode when said bi-stable element is in said second stable orientation, and whereby the container system is substantially nonconvertible from the child-resistant mode when the closure is engaged to the opening.