Abstract:
A toggle action dispensing closure has a locking mechanism which prevents the closure from being actuated to an open position. This closure includes a base, a lid and a movable lug. The lid is movably mounted to the base. The lug is attached to the lid and engages the base to prevent the lid from being toggled from a closed position to an open position. The lid is moved to an open position by displacing the movable lug to an actuating position.

Description:
[0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/168,699, filed Dec. 3, 1999. 
     
    
     
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a toggle action dispensing closure for dispensing a liquid or a semi-solid product from a container, and more particularly to a toggle action dispensing closure having locking means.  
         DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART  
         [0003]    Current toggle action dispensing closures typically contain a cap having a base and a lid pivotally mounted to the base. The lid is movable from a closed position to an open position by pressing downward on one side of the lid, thereby pivoting the lid on the base, lifting the opposite side of the lid and exposing a discharge opening. The problem with such closures is that they can easily be manipulated to an open position by a child or by accident, resulting in potential harm or spillage.  
           [0004]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,622,284 to Sawicki describes a child-resistant auxiliary control cap which overlies and is rotatable with respect to a toggle action closure cap. The control cap has a partial, sector-like top wall which covers only a portion of the closure cap and prevents one from opening the closure cap. The closure cap may be opened only by a probe acting through a restricted opening in the top wall of the control cap and then only when that wall overlies the press-to-open section of the closure cap. U.S. Pat. No. 5,622,284 is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.  
           [0005]    There is presently a need for an improved toggle action dispensing cap.  
         BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    The present invention is a toggle action dispensing closure having a locking means. The closure includes a base, a lid mounted to the base, and a movable lug attached to the lid. The lug has a back-angled bottom face which engages the base preventing the lid from being moved from a closed position to an open position.  
           [0007]    In one embodiment of the invention, the base includes a ridge which is engaged by the lug, locking the lid in a closed position. In another embodiment of the invention, the lug is integrally attached to the top of the lid and includes a downwardly extending portion which engages an abutment ledge of a cutaway portion of the base to lock the lid in a closed position. In a third embodiment of the invention, the lug is formed integrally with a sidewall of the lid and has a terminal end which engages an abutment ledge of a cutaway portion of the base to lock the lid in a closed position. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]    [0008]FIG. 1 is a perspective of a toggle action dispensing closure with locking means in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the two components comprising the closure;  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the closure with the cap shown prior to assembly;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 4 is a side elevational view similar to FIG. 3 showing the parts comprising the closure assembled in a closed position;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 5 is a transverse sectional view showing the closure in a closed position;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 5 a  is a detailed view of FIG. 5 taken from circular section  5   a  of FIG. 5;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 6 is a transverse sectional view showing the parts of the closure in an open position for dispensing product from the container;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 6 a  is a detailed view of FIG. 6 taken from circular section  6   a  of FIG. 6;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the closure lid;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 8 is a bottom plan view showing the closure lid;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 9 is a side elevational view showing the switch element;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 9 a  is an isometric bottom front view of the lid;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 9 b  is an isometric bottom rear view of the lid;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 10 is an enlarged side elevational view partly in section to show the switch in a locked position;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 10 a  is a detailed view taken from the circular section  10   a  of FIG. 10;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 11 is a side elevational view similar to FIG. 10, partially in sections to show the switch activated to a position to allow pivoting of the lid to an open position;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 12 shows the lid in a fully pivoted position, the switch locking arm in a displaced position;  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 13 is a perspective view of another embodiment of closure system in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 14 is an exploded perspective view of the lid and closure body;  
         [0027]    [0027]FIGS. 15 and 16 are side elevational views showing the lid before assembly and assembled to the closure body;  
         [0028]    [0028]FIGS. 17 and 18 are side elevational views partly in section showing the parts in a closed sealed position and in an opened position respectively;  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 17 a  is a detailed view taken from the circular section  17   a  of FIG. 17;  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 18 a  is a detailed view taken from the circular section  18   a  of FIG. 18;  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 19 is a top plan view of the lid;  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 20 is a bottom plan view of the lid;  
         [0033]    FIGS.  21 - 23 , inclusive, are sequential views showing the switch in a closed, activated and pivoted position, respectively.  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 21 a  is a detailed view taken from the circular section  21   a  of FIG. 21;  
         [0035]    [0035]FIGS. 24 and 25 are isometric side elevational views of a third embodiment of the invention showing the lid and closure body in a closed position and in an open position, respectively. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0036]    U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/168,699, filed Dec. 3, 1999 is incorporated by reference herein, in its entirety.  
         [0037]    Referring now to the drawings and particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2 thereof, there is shown a closure assembly generally designated by the numeral  10  for controlling dispensing of product from a container such as a bottle  12 .  
         [0038]    The closure assembly comprises a closure body or base  14  and a cover cap or lid  15  pivotally mounted on the base  14  and operable between open and closed positions. Preferably, the base  14  is of generally cylindrical shape having internal spiral threads  16  which cooperatively engage with threads  18  on the container finish  20  so that the closure assembly may be selectively applied and removed from the container  12 . The closure body  14  preferably has a transverse wall  22  spaced downwardly from its upper terminal end which has an upstanding discharge port  24  and a ridge  26  extending between the discharge port  24  and the interior sidewall of the closure body in the manner shown in FIG. 2. (Alternatively, the ridge may not extend the entire distance from the interior sidewall to the discharge port, but rather only a portion of the distance. Another alternative is for the ridge to be a cantilever extending from either the interior sidewall or the discharge port of the base.) The closure body or base  14  has a cutaway  30  defining an abutment ledge  32  to facilitate pivoting the lid to an open position and for a separate purpose and function to be described hereinafter.  
         [0039]    The cover cap or lid  15  is of generally disc-like form and is adapted to be pivotally mounted on the closure body or base  14  and to this end has a pair of diametrically opposed pivot projections  36  projecting radially from the sidewall  38  of the cover cap which engage in diametrically opposed recesses  40  in the closure body or base  14  to allow for pivoting movement to position the cover cap  15  in a closed position (FIG. 5) and in an open position (FIG. 6) to permit for discharge of contents from the container  12 . (Alternatively, the projections may be on the base  14 , and the recesses on the lid  15 .) The lid  15  has a first depending, generally cylindrical projection  50  having a discharge opening  52 . The discharge opening  52  extends through to an exterior sidewall  38  of the lid  15 .  
         [0040]    The lid  15  also has a smaller second depending, generally cylindrical projection  54  which depends from the inside of the lid  15  and seals with and overlies the discharge opening  24  in the closure body in the manner shown in FIG. 5. The first flange discharge opening  52  defines a nozzle when the lid  15  is activated to the open position as shown in FIG. 6 to permit discharge of contents from the container  12  in the manner shown by the arrows.  
         [0041]    In one embodiment, the closure cap or lid  15  includes a lug  60  pivotally mounted on a support  64  depending from the rear edge of the lid  15  diametrically opposed from the discharge opening or nozzle  52 , the lug  60  having a configuration which overlies and normally engages the top edge of the ridge  26  to secure the lid  15  in a closed position as shown in FIG. 10. The lug has a finger actuating portion  66  which protrudes through an opening  62  in the top of the lid  15  to facilitate pivoting the lug in a sideways direction to displace the terminal end of the lug  60  to one side of the ridge  26  whereby the lid  15  can be pivoted downwardly to raise it to an open position as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12.  
         [0042]    The lug  60  has an back angled bottom face which creates an angle alpha (α) with plane P 1 -P 1 , as shown in FIG. 10A. The back angled bottom face of lug  60  mates with the ridge  26  having a back angled top face with the same angle alpha (α). (Alternatively, the ridge may lack a back angled top face and rather be thin and flexible to allow the lug to be pivoted in a sideways direction to displace the lug to one side of the ridge.) The mating angled faces of lug  60  and ridge  26  work in cooperation to prevent unintentional unlocking of lug  60 ; thereby, preventing unintentional discharge of container  12 . The angle alpha (α) preferably has an acute range up to about 15°, but may be up to 30° or greater.  
         [0043]    There is shown in FIGS.  13 - 23 , inclusive, another embodiment of a closure assembly in accordance with the present invention. Parts which are generally the same as in the principal embodiment are designated with the same numeral with a subscript “a”. Thus, the assembly includes a closure body or base  14   a  which has threads  16   a  to assemble and remove it from the container  12  and a cover cap or lid  15   a  which is pivotally mounted between open and closed positions.  
         [0044]    In the present instance, the lug arrangement for actuating the cover lid between open and closed positions is of a somewhat different configuration, and comprises a lug  90  formed integrally with the top  17   a  and has a downwardly extending portion  92  which engages the abutment edge  32   a  of the scalloped portion  30   a  to lock the parts in the closed position as shown in FIG. 21. The lug  90  may be pressed radially inwardly in the manner shown by the arrow in the FIG. 22 to displace it radially inwardly off of the abutment edge  32   a , and whereby the lid  15   a  can be pivoted downwardly in the position shown in FIG. 23 to permit discharge of contents of the container  12 .  
         [0045]    The downwardly extending portion  92  of the lug  90  has an back angled bottom face which creates an angle beta (β) with plane P 2 -P 2 , as shown in FIG. 21A. The back angled bottom face of the downwardly extending portion  92  mates with abutment edge  32   a  having a back angled top face with the same angle beta (β). The mating angled faces of the downwardly extending portion  92  and abutment edge  32   a  work in cooperation to prevent unintentional unlocking of lug  90 , and thereby, prevent unintentional discharge of container  12 . The angle beta (β) preferably has an acute range up to about 15°, but may be up to 30° or greater.  
         [0046]    There is shown in FIG. 24 and FIG. 25 another embodiment of the closure assembly in accordance with the present invention. Parts which are generally the same as in the principal embodiment are designated with the same numeral with a subscript, “b”. Thus, the assembly includes a closure body or base  14   b  which is removably secured to container  12  (not shown) and a cover cap or lid  15   b  which is pivotally mounted between open and closed positions.  
         [0047]    In the present instance, the lug arrangement for actuating the cover lid between open and closed positions is of a somewhat different configuration, and comprises a lug  100  formed integrally with the lower portion of sidewall  38   b  and has a terminal end  102  which engages the abutment edge  32   b  of the scalloped portion  30   b  to lock the parts in the closed position as shown in FIG. 24.  
         [0048]    The lug  100  may be pressed radially inwardly in the manner shown by the arrow in the FIG. 24 to displace the terminal end  102  radially inwardly off of the abutment edge  32   b  and whereby the lid  15   b  can be pressed downwardly in the manner indicated by the arrow in FIG. 25 to pivot the lid  15   b  to an open position, thereby permitting discharge of the contents of the container  12 . The terminal end  102  has an back angled bottom face which creates an angle delta (Δ) with plane P 3 -P 3 , as shown in FIG. 24. The back angled bottom face of the terminal end  102  mates with abutment edge  32   b  having a back angled top face with the same angle delta (Δ). The mating angled faces of terminal end  102  and abutment edge  32   b  work in cooperation to prevent unintentional unlocking of lug  100 , and thereby prevents unintentional discharge of container  12  (not shown). The angle delta (Δ) preferably has an acute range up to about 15°, but may be up to 30° or greater.  
         [0049]    Although the invention has been described in terms of exemplary embodiments, it is not limited thereto. Rather, the invention is to be construed broadly to cover other variants and embodiments, which can be practiced by those of ordinary skill in the art, within the scope and range of equivalents of the appended claims.  
         [0050]    The exemplary embodiments provide benefits over the typical toggle action dispensing cap. By providing a means for locking the lid in a closed position, they are child-resistant and thereby reduce the likelihood of injury to or spillage by a child. They also reduce the likelihood of accidental movement to the open position and correspondingly, the possibility of spillage or drying of the container contents.