Child-resistant closure for pill containers

A unitary child-resistant closure for pill containers, comprises a substantially rectangular base having an opening therein. A first fixed cover portion overlies more than 50% of the opening. There is a moveable closure member, and a hinge--usually, a living hinge--connecting the moveable closure member to the rectangular base. The moveable closure member has first and second major surfaces, which are its upper surface and lower surface when the moveable closure member is in its operative closure position. A camming member is upstanding from the second major surface of the moveable closure member at a first end thereof, and presents a sliding cam surface which is sloped in a direction towards the second major surface and away from the hinge. The first end of the camming member has a latch member formed therein, which extends beyond the first end of the moveable closure member and is spaced away from the second major surface by a distance which is at least equal to the thickness of the first fixed cover portion. A flexible spring member is formed between the second end of the camming member and the hinge, and terminates at one end thereof in the hinge. When the moveable closure member is in its operative closure position, the latch member extends beneath a first end of the fixed cover portion, and the first end of the moveable closure member is urged against the first end of the first fixed cover portion by the spring action of the flexible spring member.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to child-resistant closures for pill containers. 
More particularly, this invention relates to child-resistant closures for 
pill containers, where the closure has a unitary construction--that is, 
the closure for pill containers is molded as a single piece molded item. 
Still further, the present invention is directed to the combination of the 
unitary child-resistant closure for pill containers, a pill container, and 
a label by which a sealed pill container has an indicator whereby it can 
be determined whether the pill container has been tampered with after it 
has been filled with the prescribed medication and sealed by the 
dispensing pharmacist. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
There is an increasing awareness of the requirement to protect children 
from inadvertently gaining access to medications, especially prescribed 
medications. Sometimes, ingestion of only one or two pills of certain 
prescribed medications may prove fatal to a child. Moreover, there is an 
increasing awareness of the necessity to provide containers for prescribed 
medications which may otherwise may be readily and easily opened by an 
adult--that is, any person having the cognitive ability to understand the 
instructions for opening a pill container which requires certain 
manipulation and manual dexterity. Such persons are assumed, as well, to 
have the ability to understand that opening a pill container to gain 
access to the prescribed medication therein is a deliberate action, and is 
only undertaken when there is a necessity to attain access to the 
prescribed medication in the pill container. 
It is also recognized that an adult person, as described above, may have 
sufficient manual dexterity to open a pill container, especially prior art 
pill containers as discussed hereafter, but may suffer from a debilitating 
condition such as arthritis. Such persons may generally be more elderly 
than the general population but, because of their living arrangement or 
perhaps the continuing expectation of visits by active and curious 
grandchildren, they may instruct their pharmacist to dispense their 
prescribed medications in pill containers that require specific 
manipulation and manual dexterity, but with lesser physical effort, but 
which are still child-resistant. The present invention will accommodate 
those criteria, unlike prior art pill containers. 
Moreover, there is an increasing awareness that patients who receive a pill 
container of prescribed medications may wish to be assured in their own 
minds that the pill container has not been tampered with in the interval 
between when the dispensing pharmacist closed the container and when the 
container was delivered to the patient or a caregiver looking after the 
patient. The present invention provides a means for determining whether a 
container having prescribed medications therein has been tampered with 
after it was sealed by the dispensing pharmacist. 
There are several well-known, so-called, child-proof or child-resistant 
pill containers in the market, and which are generally employed by 
dispensing pharmacists for using in filling prescriptions, where the 
prescription requires that the pharmacist dispense one or more of a 
plurality of pills, tablets, gel-caps, capsules, or the like. They include 
the so-called "push-and-turn" closures for pill containers, or 
"arrow-alignment" closures for pill containers. In both cases, the pill 
containers are of the standard cylindrical variety. 
The push-and-turn system for pill containers requires that the closure or 
cap for the pill container be pushed axially downwardly and rotated at the 
same time. Sometimes, very considerable force is required; sometimes the 
force which is required is beyond that which can easily be exerted by 
arthritic patients, for example. Moreover, it has been observed that the 
specific force required between two otherwise identical closures and pill 
containers, each employing the push-and-turn system, may be different from 
one to the other. 
The arrow-alignment system for pill containers requires relatively good 
eyesight in order to align an arrow on the closure or cap with an arrow 
which is usually embossed on the pill container. Even when the arrows are 
aligned, there is sometimes very considerable force which is required to 
push up the cap away from the container, so as to remove the cap; and, 
sometimes, once again, that force is more than can be applied by an 
arthritic patient. 
The question of whether a cap or closure for a pill container is 
child-resistant or child-proof or not is generally determined by the 
following criteria: 
A child-resistant package must be such that, first, when it is tested by a 
group which comprises children, the child-resistant package cannot be 
opened by at least 85% of those children prior to a demonstration to them 
as to the proper means of opening the package; but still cannot be opened 
by at least 80% of those children after the demonstration to them of the 
proper means for opening the package. In the case where a child-resistant 
package is provided to a test group of adults, it must be capable of being 
opened by at least 90% of those adults; and, where the package is designed 
so that it may be re-closed, it can be re-closed by at least 90% of those 
adults but still cannot be opened by at least 85% of children to whom no 
demonstration as the proper method of opening the package has been given, 
nor by 80% of those children after a demonstration has been made. 
The general format for pill containers is that they are cylindrical 
containers, which are not space efficient--in that it may not be easily 
stacked except in an end-to-end fashion, and even then only precariously. 
Moreover, placement of a number of cylindrical pill containers together 
results in an inefficient use of the volume in which they are placed due 
to the spaces left between the curved cylindrical walls. Still further, so 
as to read the directions for consumption of the prescribed mediation 
contained in a cylindrical pill container, the patient or caregiver must 
turn or rotate the cylindrical pill container to read all of the 
directions which are placed on a label which is adhesively affixed to the 
cylindrical pill container. 
A particular disadvantage of prior art closures for pill containers, such 
as those described above, is that, when the cap or closure is removed from 
the pill container, it is then physically separated from the pill 
container. This may lead to loss of the closure, in some instances. 
Moreover, where the patient or caregiver is removing a number of pills 
from different pill containers to be consumed by the patient at one time, 
there is a risk that the wrong cap or closure will be put back on any 
given pill container. 
Still further, there is also a risk with cylindrical pill containers in 
general that children may place the cap in their mouth. In the case where 
the cap is loose, this might result in choking. In the case where the cap 
is in place on the pill container, it could result in an advertent opening 
of the pill container. 
If an open cylindrical pill container is dropped or upset, there is a 
significant risk that all of the remaining pills in the container will be 
spilled out of it. As will be described hereafter, one of the purposes of 
the present invention is to minimize that risk. 
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
Apart from the generally described prior art closures and pill containers, 
of the push-and-turn system or the arrow-alignment system, described 
above, there are several more specific closures and containers which are 
otherwise representative of advances in the art and which represent 
differing approaches to the provision of child-proof or safety containers. 
FRANCHI U.S. Pat. No. 4,535,903 teaches a child-proof medicine vial whereby 
a panel is inset into a recess formed in a cap, and is slidable into and 
out of that cap. The device is said to be child safe when the panel is 
fully inserted into the cap. An integral hinge is provided so that the cap 
may be flipped away from, but remain attached to, the vial or container 
for which it is the closure member. 
CONTI U.S. Pat. No. 5,423,441 teaches a child-proof system which has a 
tamper indicator. Here, there is an annular tear strip on a cap, and a 
rotatably indexing latch finger which engages a raised annular retainer 
ridge with a by-pass opening on the neck of the container. A tactile 
indicator is provided for determining the rotation location of the by-pass 
opening under the tear strip by sensing it with a finger which is in 
simultaneous contact with the cap, when the tear strip is removed. 
However, this closure system still provides for a separate cap which is 
totally removed from the container. 
MAR U.S. Pat. No. 5,887,736 teaches a safety container which requires two 
simultaneous movements so as to open the container. Essentially, the 
container is provided with a hinged stopper having a safety latch. The 
underside of the stopper is provided with a channel which carries a slide 
pin which can be moved from a first to a second position. In the first 
latching position, an enlargement at the end of the slide pin is seated in 
a recess in the lip of the container; and in the second unlatched 
position, the enlargement is freed from the recess, thereby enabling the 
stopper to be opened. The slide pin is biassed to its latched position. To 
open the container, the slide pin is pushed against the bias and, at the 
same time, the stopper is opened by being hinged upwardly. It is said that 
these two simultaneous pushing motions are beyond the capability of most 
young children. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION: 
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a 
unitary child-resistant closure for pill containers. The unitary 
child-resistant closure for pill containers comprises a substantially 
rectangular base portion having opposed first and second end walls and 
opposed first and second sidewalls, defining an opening therebetween. A 
first fixed cover portion overlies more than 50% of the opening, more than 
50% of each of the first and second sidewalls, and the second end wall; 
there is a second moveable closure member; and a hinge connecting the 
moveable closure member to the first end wall of the rectangular base 
portion. 
The second moveable closure member has first and second major surfaces, 
which will be the upper surface and the lower surface of the moveable 
closure member when it is in its operative closure position. Thus, the 
first major surface of the moveable closure member is the upper surface 
when the moveable closure member is in its operative closure position 
whereby it covers the remaining less than 50% of the opening in the 
rectangular base portion, the remaining less than 50% of the first and 
second sidewalls of the rectangular base portion, and the first end wall 
of the rectangular base portion. 
The second major surface of the moveable closure member is the lower 
surface thereof when the moveable closure member is in its operative 
closure position. 
A camming member is upstanding from the second major surface of the 
moveable closure member at a first end thereof. The camming member 
presents at least one sliding cam surface which is sloped in a direction 
towards the second major surface and away from the hinge. The camming 
member has first and second ends, with the sliding cam surface terminating 
at the first end thereof. 
Moreover, the first end of the camming member has a latch which is formed 
therein, which latch extends beyond the first end of the moveable closure 
member. The latch is also spaced away from the second major surface of the 
moveable closure member by a distance which is at least equal to the 
thickness of the first fixed cover portion. 
There is a flexible spring member which is formed between the second end of 
the camming member and the hinge. The flexible spring member terminates in 
the hinge at the end of the flexible spring member which is remote from 
the second end of the camming member. 
Typically, the hinge is a living hinge, but it is noted hereafter that the 
hinge may also comprise two mating hinge halves which are hingingly 
secured together by a hinge pin. 
When the moveable closure member is in its operative closure position, the 
latch member extends beneath a first end of the fixed cover portion, which 
first end is remote from the second end wall of the rectangular base 
portion, and the first end of the moveable closure member is urged against 
the first end of the first fixed cover portion by the spring action of the 
flexible spring member. 
The precise mechanical manipulations to open and close the unitary 
child-resistant closure of the present invention by manipulating the 
moveable closure member from its operative closure position to an 
operative open position are described in detail hereafter. 
A particular feature of the present invention is that the camming member 
usually comprises a pair of opposed upstanding camming walls which are 
formed near the edges of the moveable closure member on the underside or 
second major surface thereof. Thus, the latch member is actually formed in 
each of the opposed upstanding camming walls. 
Still further, the camming member may also comprise a pair of opposed first 
and second upstanding end walls, as well as the opposed upstanding camming 
walls. In this embodiment, the first upstanding end wall is upstanding 
from the second major surface of the moveable closure member in a location 
which is behind the latch member, and the flexible spring member 
terminates at its end which is remote from the hinge in the second 
upstanding end wall of the camming member. 
To provide assistance in opening and closing the moveable closure member 
from its operative closure position to its operative opening position, as 
described in detail hereafter, a portion of the edges of the moveable 
closure member, and a portion of the first major surface of the moveable 
closure member, may have serrations formed therein. 
Generally, the first fixed cover portion of the child-resistant closure of 
the present invention extends outwardly beyond the second end wall and 
beyond the first and second sidewalls of the rectangular base portion 
thereof. 
Moreover, in general, the moveable closure member also extends outwardly 
beyond the first end wall, and beyond the first and second sidewalls of 
the rectangular base portion, when the moveable closure member is in its 
operative closure position. 
Typically, the first fixed cover portion overlies from 60% to 75% of the 
opening in the rectangular base portion, and the remaining 25% to 40% of 
the opening is covered by the moveable closure member when it is in its 
operative closure position. Thus, the 25% to 40% of the opening which is 
covered by the moveable closure member will be uncovered when the moveable 
closure member is in its operative open position. 
Another aspect of the present invention provides the combination of the 
unitary child-resistant closure, as described above, together with a pill 
container. The pill container also has a substantially rectangular 
cross-section, with a substantially rectangular open mouth formed at one 
end thereof. The rectangular cross-section dimensions of the pill 
container are such as to accommodate the rectangular base portion of the 
child-resistant closure. 
There may be engaging means which are formed in the first and second end 
walls of the rectangular base portion of the child-resistant closure, and 
also in first and second end wall of the pill container. Thus, the 
child-resistant closure may be engagably retained by the engaging means in 
the pill container and on the end walls of the child-resistant closure, 
with the substantially rectangular base portion of the child-resistant 
closure extending into the pill container past the substantially 
rectangular open mouth thereof. 
To assist for a more positive latching condition when the moveable closure 
member is in it operative closure position, there may be a downwardly 
extending projection which is formed on the underside of the first fixed 
cover portion at its first end--against which the first end of the 
moveable closure member is urged by the spring action of the spring member 
when the moveable closure member is in its operative closure position. 
The present invention particularly provides for the further combination of 
the child-resistant closure, a pill container, and a label which is 
adhesively affixed to at least one side of the surface of the pill 
container and at least to the top surface of the first fixed portion of 
the child-resistant closure. This will provide for further structural 
integrity to the pill container with its respective child-resistant 
closure, once they have been assembled to each other, as discussed in 
detail hereafter. 
Moreover, a portion of the label may also be adhesively affixed to the 
first major surface of the moveable closure member. Generally, in such 
circumstances, the label is die-cut so as to have an opening therein 
through which serrations which are formed on the first major surface and 
on the edges of the moveable closure member will extend. 
In such circumstances as described immediately above, a tamper indicator is 
thereby provided. In order to assist the patient or caregiver to open the 
child-resistant closure when access to the medications contained in the 
pill container is required, perforations may be made in the label in the 
region thereof which is defined at the intersection of the at least one 
side surface of the pill container and the first major surface of the 
closure member.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS: 
It has been noted that the present invention particularly provides a 
unitary child-resistant closure for pill containers. By "unitary", it is 
meant that the child-resistant closure may be molded as a single piece, 
using injection molding techniques; or that the child-resistant closure 
may be constructed and assembled in such a manner that, once it is 
assembled, it is not ordinarily possible to be disassembled. Thus, in any 
and all events, the child-resistant closure of the present invention will 
exhibit the characteristics of being a unitary or one-piece whole 
structure. 
Moreover, throughout the present disclosure, the use of the word "pill" in 
describing a pill container or a prescribed medication which is placed in 
the pill container is meant to refer to any particulate prescribed 
medications of the sort generally embodied by pills, tablets, caplets, 
capsules, gel-caps, and the like. Any such medications are prescribed and 
dispensed by numbers of units--for example, a prescription requiring 
consumption of three pills daily for ten days requires that thirty such 
pills be dispensed. 
The child-resistant closure is shown generally at 10; a pill container is 
shown generally at 12. It will be seen from FIGS. 9 and 10, for example, 
that the size of the pill container 12 may vary, depending on the volume 
which is required. For example, a pill container into which thirty pills 
might be dispensed may have a general appearance such as that shown in 
FIG. 10, whereas a pill container into which ninety pills will be 
dispensed may have a general appearance such as that shown in FIG. 9. 
Referring particularly to FIGS. 1 through 4, it will be seen that the 
child-resistant closure comprises a substantially rectangular base portion 
20. The base portion 20 has first and second end walls 22 and 24, 
respectively, and opposed first and second sidewalls 26 and 28, 
respectively. The end walls 22 and 24 and side walls 26 and 28 define an 
opening therebetween. 
There is a first fixed cover portion 30 which overlies more than 50% of the 
opening which is defined by the end walls 22, 24 and sidewalls 26, 28 of 
the rectangular base portion 20. It will be seen from FIGS. 1, 2, and 4, 
in particular, that the first fixed cover portion 30 overlies more than 
50% of the opening, and also overlies more than 50% of the first and 
second side walls 26, 28. As well, the first fixed cover portion 30 
overlies the second end wall 24. 
The child-resistant closure 10 further comprises a second moveable closure 
member shown generally at 40. Between the moveable closure member 40 and 
the first end wall 22 there is a hinge 32. 
Typically, the hinge 32 is a living hinge, whereby the moveable closure 
member 40 is adjoined to the first end wall 22 of the base portion 20. 
However, the hinge 32 may be formed as a two-piece bolt-type or piano-type 
hinge, where two mating hinge halves are hingingly secured together by a 
hinge pin. In this case, the hinge pin is put into place and upset at both 
ends so as to make it impossible to be removed, thus resulting in a 
unitary structure for the child-resistant closure 10. 
The moveable closure member 40 has a first major surface 42, and a second 
major surface 44. The first major surface 42 is the upper surface of the 
moveable closure member 40 when the moveable closure member is in its 
operative closure position, as seen in FIG. 8. When the moveable closure 
member is in its operative closure position, the opening 34, which is the 
less than 50% of the opening defined by the end walls and the sidewalls of 
the rectangular base portion 20, is covered. 
A camming member is shown generally at 46, and it is formed so as to be 
upstanding from the second major surface 44 at a first end 58 thereof. As 
will be understood from the discussion hereafter which is particularly 
directed to FIGS. 5 through 8, the camming member 46 may comprise a single 
upstanding structure. More typically, however, as can be seen in FIGS. 1, 
2, and 3, the camming member 46 comprises a pair of opposed upstanding 
camming walls 48 which are formed near the edges of the moveable closure 
member 40. 
In any event, the camming member 46 presents at least one sliding cam 
surface 50. Each sliding cam surface 50 is sloped in a direction towards 
the second major surface 44 and away from the hinge 32. The operation and 
purpose of the camming member 46 and the sliding cam surfaces 50 are 
described in greater detail hereafter. 
The camming member 46 has first and second ends such that the sliding cam 
surface 50 terminates at the first end. Of course, the first end of the 
camming member 46 is located at the first end 58 of the moveable closure 
member 40. 
Also located at the first end of the camming member 46 is a latch member 
shown at generally at 52. It will be seen that the latch member extends 
beyond the first end 58 of the moveable closure member 40, and that it is 
spaced away from the second major surface 44 by a distance which is at 
least equal to the thickness of the first fixed cover portion 30. 
A flexible spring member 54 is formed between the second end of the camming 
member 46 and the hinge 32. The flexible spring member 54 terminates at 
its end which is remote from the second end of the camming member in the 
hinge 32. 
It will be seen from each of FIGS. 1 through 8 that the child-resistant 
closure 10 is, indeed, formed as a unitary structure. The fixed cover 
portion 30 is molded integrally with the substantially rectangular base 
portion 20; the camming member 46 is formed integrally with the moveable 
closure member 40; and the moveable closure member 40 is formed integrally 
with the flexible spring member 54 which, in turn, is either formed 
integrally with the first end wall 22 of the rectangular base portion 20 
as part of a living hinge, or is formed with a two-part hinge which is 
permanently assembled with an unremovable hinge pin. 
Thus, it can be seen from FIGS. 1, 2, 4, and 5, for example, that the 
moveable closure member 40 has an operative open position as shown in 
those Figures. Moreover, as seen particularly from FIG. 8, the moveable 
closure member has an operative closure position. When the moveable 
closure member is in its operative closure position, the latch member 52 
extends beneath a first end 56 of the first fixed cover portion 30. 
Moreover, the first end 58 of the moveable closure member 40 will be urged 
against the first end 56 of the fixed cover portion 30 by the spring 
action of the flexible spring member 54. 
Typically, the camming member 46 comprises the pair of opposed upstanding 
camming walls 48 noted above, and a pair of opposed first and second 
upstanding end walls 60 and 62. The end wall 60 is upstanding from the 
second major surface 44 of the moveable closure member 40 in a location 
behind the latch member 52. The flexible spring member 54 terminates at 
its end remote from the hinge 32 in the second upstanding end wall 62. 
For purposes particularly of opening the child-resistant closure 10, as 
described in greater detail hereafter, the edges of the moveable closure 
member 40 and the first major surface 42 thereof may have serrations 62 
formed therein. 
It will be noted from FIGS. 1 through 4, in particular, that the first 
fixed cover portion 30 extends outwardly beyond the second end wall 24 and 
the beyond the first and second sidewalls 26 and 28. Likewise, it will be 
understood from a review of FIGS. 1 and 2, in particular, together with 
FIG. 8, that when the moveable closure member 40 is in its operative 
closure position as shown in FIG. 8, it will extend outwardly beyond the 
first end wall 22 of the base portion 20, and beyond the first and second 
sidewalls 26 and 28. In particular, the fact that the first fixed cover 
portion 30 extends outwardly beyond the second end wall 24 and beyond the 
first and second sidewalls 26 and 28, respectively, assures that the 
child-resistant closure 10 may be fitted to a pill container 12 in such a 
manner that the substantially rectangular base portion 20 of the 
child-resistant closure 10 extends downwardly into the rectangular pill 
container 12, but only to the extent that there is an interference between 
the upper surface at the mouth of the pill container 12 and the 
undersurface of the overhanging portions of the fixed cover portion 30. 
Typically, the first fixed cover potion 30 overlies from 60% to 75% of the 
opening in the rectangular base portion 20 defined by the end walls 22, 24 
and the sidewalls 26, 28. That leaves 25% to 40% of the opening to be 
covered by the moveable closure member 40 when it is in its operative 
closure position as shown in FIG. 8, for example. Of course, it follows 
that, when the moveable closure member 40 is in its operative open 
position, that 25% to 40% of the opening in the rectangular base portion 
20 is uncovered by the moveable closure member 40. From that, it follows 
that a dispensing pharmacist may choose from differing configurations of 
child-resistant closures in keeping with the present invention, where each 
closure has the same external dimensions, to be placed over the open mouth 
of a pill container which may have large pills or small pills therein. If 
the pills are small, then a configuration of the child-resistant closure 
member may be chosen by the dispensing pharmacist such that only 25%--or 
even less--of the opening in the rectangular base portion is open when the 
moveable closure member 40 is in its operative open position. 
To assist the action of the child-resistant closure of the present 
invention, when the moveable closure member is in its operative closure 
position, a downwardly extending projection 70 may be formed on the 
underside of the first fixed cover portion 30, at the first end 56. Thus, 
when the moveable closure member 40 is in its operative closure position, 
there will be an interference engagement between the latch 52 and the 
downwardly extending projection 70. That engagement may be an enhancement 
to both opening and closing the child-resistant closure of the present 
invention, so as to gain or preclude access to the prescribed medication 
in the pill container 12, as discussed hereafter. 
It has been noted above that the child-resistant closure of the present 
invention is intended for use with a pill container 12, also having a 
substantially rectangular cross-section, and with a substantially 
rectangular open mouth formed at one end thereof. 
So as to provide for engagement of the child-resistant closure 10 to a pill 
container 12, engaging means such as ridges 74 may be formed in the first 
and second ends walls 22 and 22 of the base portion 20, and they may also 
be formed in complimentary first and second end walls 76 and 78 of a pill 
container 12. Thus, the child-resistant closure 20 may be engagably 
retained by the respective engaging means in the pill container 12 and on 
the end walls 22 and 24 of the base portion 20, with the rectangular base 
portion 20 extending into the pill container past its substantially 
rectangular open mouth. 
Moreover, a label 80 may be adhesively affixed to at least one side surface 
82 of the pill container 12, and also at least to the top surface of the 
first fixed portion 30. This provides for integrity of the assembled 
child-resistant closure 10 and its respective pill container 12 such that, 
once the child-resistant closure 10 has been assembled to a pill container 
12 , and a label 80 affixed thereto, it cannot then be re-opened. 
As can be seen in FIGS. 9 and 10, a portion 84 of the label 80 is also 
adhesively affixed to the first major surface 42 of the moveable closure 
member 40. 
It is also seen in FIGS. 9 and 10 that the label 80 may be die-cut so as to 
have an opening 86 formed therein, through which the serrations 62 will 
extend. 
Moreover, perforations 88 may be made in the label 80, in the region which 
is defined at the intersection of the at least one sidewall 82 of the pill 
container 12 and the first major surface 42 of the moveable closure member 
40. 
The operation of the child-resistant closure 10, in association with a pill 
container 12, will now be discussed. 
First, it will be assumed that the dispensing pharmacist has filled a 
prescription by placing the requisite number of pills into a pill 
container 12 having a suitable volume, and has placed an appropriate 
child-resistant closure 10 over the pill container 12. At that time, the 
child-resistant closure 10 will still have a configuration such as that 
shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4--which, it will be clearly understood, is also 
essentially the configuration that the unitary child-resistant closure 10 
of the present invention will assume when it has been opened. In any 
event, the manipulation and physical movements that are required to close 
the child-resistant closure 10 are particularly revealed in FIGS. 5 
through 8. It will be seen in FIG. 5 that there is still an essentially 
unrestricted access through opening 34 to the interior of the pill 
container 12. However, from FIG. 6 it will be seen that the moveable 
closure member 40 will be moved into its closure position about the hinge 
32 so that, in the first instance, there will be an engagement of the 
sliding cam surface or surfaces 50 with the first end 56 of the fixed 
cover portion 30. It will be seen from an examination of FIGS. 6 and 7 
that, pushing down against the serrations 62 of the moveable closure 
member 40, in the direction of arrow 90, will cause the first end 58 of 
the moveable closure member 40 to recede somewhat downwardly and 
backwardly towards the hinge 32. This, in turn, will have the effect of 
compressing the flexible spring member 54, as again will be noted from an 
examination of FIGS. 6 and 7. The purpose of the sliding cam surface or 
surfaces 50 is, of course, to assure a smooth transition of the position 
of the moveable closure member 40 from the position shown in FIG. 6 
ultimately to the position shown in FIG. 8. 
Once the latch 52 has cleared the first end 56 of the fixed cover portion 
30, the action of the flexible spring member 54 will be to urge the latch 
52 to a position beneath the undersurface of the fixed cover portion 30, 
and thereby so as to urge the first end 58 of the moveable closure member 
40 against the first end 56 of the fixed cover portion 30. 
The strength of the flexible spring 54 may be varied from one configuration 
of child-resistant closure to another, by adjusting the width--or, in some 
instances, the thickness--of the flexible spring member 54. This 
adjustment may be necessary, for example, depending on whether the opening 
34 is larger or smaller. 
To open the child-resistant closure so that the moveable closure member 40 
assumes its operative open position, is more or less a reversal of the 
manipulation required to close the child-resistant closure, except that is 
also requires a deliberate lifting motion. Thus, reviewing FIGS. 8 and 7, 
it will be seen that first the moveable closure member 40 must be moved in 
a direction towards the hinge 32, so that the latch 52 clears the first 
end 56 of the fixed cover portion 30--and also that it clears the 
downwardly extending projection 70, if present. That sliding motion is 
easily accomplished, particularly by engaging the serrations 62 with the 
thumb or finger. However, it is not enough that the moveable closure 
member be moved in a direction towards the hinge 32, because unless it is 
lifted so as to assume a position such as that shown in FIG. 7, the action 
of the flexible spring member 54 will merely cause the moveable closure 
member 40 to re-assume a closed position such as that shown in FIG. 8. In 
other words, a very deliberate slide-and-lift action is required. 
The labels 80 are generally die-cut, as shown. However, almost every 
dispensing pharmacist has a tractor-feed printer on which the labels which 
will be affixed to any pill container are to be printed. The labels have 
an adhesive surface on their underside, but they are placed on a release 
surface on a web which is tractor-fed through the printer. Thus, it will 
be clearly understood that the printing of labels 80 with any medication 
instructions, prescription number, the name of the prescribing doctor, and 
so on, will be no different than has been the case with labels placed on 
cylindrical pill containers. 
It will also be understood that, once the dispensing pharmacist has filled 
the prescription and placed the child-resistant closure 10 on the pill 
container 12, and put the label 80 on both the pill container 12 and the 
child-resistant closure 10, the portion 84 of the label 80, together with 
the perforations 88, provides a tamper indicator. If the perforations 88 
have been broken by a sliding action of the moveable closure member 40, as 
described above, it will be very evident. Thus, the patient or caregiver 
can be assured that, in the first instance when they are opening the pill 
container to gain access to the prescribed medication, it has not been 
tampered with, and the prescribed medication will be precisely that which 
has been dispensed by the pharmacist. 
Obviously, of course, the labels 80 may be preprinted to place the name of 
the dispensing drug store location, its logo, or other information such as 
the telephone number, etc. Moreover, the label 80 can be preprinted with 
specific instructions as to how to open and close the pill container 12 
having the child-resistant closure 10 and label 80 in place thereon. 
Of course, it is evident that further instructions, or further medication 
information, can be placed on the end surface 78 of a pill container 12, 
or on the top surface, if required. 
Turning briefly to FIGS. 11 and 12, a further advantage of the 
child-resistant closure of the present invention, when used in conjunction 
with a substantially rectangular pill container, and a label such as that 
described above, can be determined. 
FIGS. 11 and 12 show a closure 100 placed on a pill container 12. The 
closure 100 has a typical fold-back tab 102 which is hinged at 104 to the 
top of the closure 100 so that, when it is opened in the manner shown in 
FIG. 11, access is provided through opening 106 to the medications 
contained within the pill container 112. The tab 102 is generally such 
that it will snap into place, having an opening edge 108 which snaps over 
a ledge 110 to close the opening 106. 
However, it will be noted from FIGS. 11 and 12 that the closure 100 is such 
that it functions in much the same manner as ordinary candy dispensers. In 
other words, the tab 102, being that portion of the closure 100 which 
covers the opening 106, is opened by being swung upwardly away from the 
end surface 76 of the pill container 12. 
In contradistinction thereto, the moveable closure member 40 swings open in 
the other direction, away from an end wall 76 of a pill container 12. This 
is unexpected, and it is particularly to be unexpected by a child who may 
have knowledge of candy dispensers and their operation. 
On the other hand, at least one advantage of the present invention may be 
obtained even from the use of a closure 100 such as that shown in FIGS. 11 
and 12, and that is by use of the label 80. It can happen that use of a 
closure such as closure 100 may be particularly required for patients who 
are arthritic or who have other reasons for not wanting to use a 
child-resistant closure 10. Another example, of course, is that of a 
caregiver such as a registered nurse in a hospital or nursing home 
environment, who may want to access prescribed medications for a patient 
more quickly than might otherwise be possible when opening a 
child-resistant closure in keeping with the present invention. 
Nonetheless, that caregiver may be quite concerned that the medication 
within the pill container is precisely that which was dispensed by the 
dispensing pharmacist; and, to that end, use of the label 80 having 
perforations 88 formed therein assures the caregiver that there has been 
no tampering with the sealed pill container 12 after the label 80 has been 
placed thereon by the dispensing pharmacist. 
A particular advantage to both the pharmacist and the patient from the use 
of rectangular pill containers, in general, is the fact that a rectangular 
container may fit more easily into a pocket or purse. Moreover, it has 
been noted above that the use of rectangular pill containers provides a 
greater packing density and therefore a better storage efficiency than the 
use of cylindrical pill containers. 
When a rectangular pill container is placed in a medicine cabinet, and 
particularly when certain information is provided at an end surface 78 or 
76 thereof, it may be much more easily determined by the patient or 
caregiver which pill container contains which medications; and less 
shelf-space may be required, as well. 
The dispensing pharmacist, of course, also can take advantage of the 
utilization of rectangular pill containers, and their increased storage 
efficiency. Of course, when the pharmacist is dispensing a prescription, 
there is access to the interior of a rectangular pill container 12 across 
the entire width of the pill container at the open mouth thereof, making 
the placement of the prescribed medication into the pill container more 
easy. Indeed, the prescribed medication may essentially be swept into the 
pill container 12. It has also been noted above that various 
configurations of child-resistant closure 10 may be used with various 
sizes of pill containers 12, depending on the volume of the overall 
prescription, and the size of each individual pill of that prescription. 
Once the child-resistant closure 10 has been placed on a pill container 12 
and a label 80 affixed thereto it is sealed and there is no easy surface 
or ledge for a child to have access to, either with its fingers or with 
its mouth and/or teeth. Thus, inadvertent or accidental opening of the 
sealed pill container is much less likely to happen. 
The child-resistant closure of the present invention is typically injection 
molded using polypropylene--which provides for a pharmaceutically 
acceptable material, and one which will permit formation of a living hinge 
in keeping with the present invention. Also, polypropylene has sufficient 
elastic memory that the spring action of the flexible spring member 54 may 
be assured. Moreover, polypropylene may be molded with sufficient detail 
that a two-part hinge may be accurately molded, if necessary or if 
required. 
Typically, pill containers 12 are formed from crystal-polystyrene or 
mixtures of polypropylene, in much the same manner and using the same 
materials as conventional cylindrical pill containers. 
Indeed, in many respects, a pill container for use with a child-resistant 
closure in keeping with the present invention may be more easily and less 
expensively molded, since there is no necessity for special serrations or 
the like to be formed at the lip or mouth of the pill container. 
There has been described a child-resistant closure, and the combination of 
a child-resistant closure together with a pill container and a label, all 
in keeping with the general principles of the present invention as defined 
as described above. It will be understood, of course, that variations may 
be made to any configuration in keeping with the present invention, and 
modifications may be made to specific features of the child-resistant 
closure of the present invention, without departing from the spirit and 
scope of the appended claims. 
Throughout this specification and the claims which follow, unless the 
context requires otherwise, the word "comprise", and variations such as 
"comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of 
a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps but not to the 
exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps. 
Moreover, the word "substantially" when used with an adjective or adverb is 
intended to enhance the scope of the particular characteristic; e.g., 
substantially rectangular is intended to mean rectangular, nearly 
rectangular, and/or exhibiting characteristics associated with a 
rectangular configuration.