Patent Publication Number: US-7721907-B2

Title: Child-resistant flip-top dispensing closure and package

Description:
The present disclosure is directed to hinged flip-top dispensing closures and packages, and more particularly to provision of a child-resistance feature on such a closure and package. 
     BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,638,916 and 5,489,035 disclose dispensing closures of one-piece integrally molded plastic construction. These closures include a base with a dispensing opening and an internally threaded skirt for securement to a container neck finish. A lid is integrally connected by a hinge to a periphery of the base. U.S. Patent document 2005/0023285A1 discloses a child-risistant dispensing closure that includes a base having a deck with a dispensing opening and a peripheral skirt. A lid is integrally molded with the base and coupled by a hinge to a periphery of the base so as to be pivotable between closed and open positions. One of the lid and the base has a latch arm resiliently extending from its periphery opposite the hinge. The latch arm has a pair of oppositely extending tabs adjacent to a free end of the arm. The other of the base and the lid has an axial passage for receiving the latch arm, and a pair of laterally spaced ledges in the passage for engagement by the tabs to lock the lid in the closed position. The latch arm is directly manually engageable by a user from a radial direction external to the closure to pivot the latch arm radially inwardly within the passage and release the tabs from the ledges so that the lid can be pivoted toward the open position. 
     The present disclosure embodies a number of aspects that can be implemented separately from or in combination with each other. 
     A child-resistant closure in accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure includes a base and a lid molded integrally with the base. The lid is coupled by a hinge to the base to be pivotable between a closed position and an open position. One of the base and the lid has a latch arm resiliently extending from a periphery opposite the hinge. The latch arm has a pair of oppositely extending tabs adjacent to a free end of the latch arm. The other of the base and the lid has an external recess for receiving the latch arm and a pair of laterally spaced ledges in the recess for engagement by the tabs to lock the lid in the closed position. The latch arm in the recess is directly manually engageable by a user from a radial direction external to the closure to pivot the latch arm radially inwardly within the passage and release the tabs from the ledges so that the lid can be pivoted toward the open position. The tabs on the latch arm and the ledges in the recess are recessed radially inwardly from the outer surface of the latch arm in the closed position of the lid with the tabs engaged beneath the ledges. In this way, the latch arm can be pushed radially inwardly to release the lid without the user&#39;s fingers touching the ledges in the recess. 
     The latch arm preferably is coupled to the lid by a hinge strap having a width that is less than the width of the latch arm adjacent to the lid. This hinge strap absorbs the flexure when the arm is pushed inwardly so that the remainder of the lid is undistorted. Internal reinforcing ribs preferably are provided on the skirt of the lid, to which the hinge strap is coupled, further to protect the lid from distortion when the latch arm is pushed radially inwardly. The outer surface of the latch arm preferably forms a smooth continuation of the outer surface of the lid to eliminate any abrupt change in surface contour that a user&#39;s finger may contact. The latch system preferably is positioned adjacent to the bottom of the closure sidewall so that the bottom of the latch arm is protected by a shoulder on the container. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The disclosure, together with additional objects, features, advantages and aspects thereof, will best be understood from the following description, the appended claims and the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  a sectional view laterally bisecting a child-resistant package in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along the line  2 - 2  in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale of the portion of  FIG. 1  within the area  3 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale of the portion of  FIG. 2  within the area  4 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along the line  5 - 5  in  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a top plan view of the closure in  FIG. 1  in the open position as molded; 
         FIG. 7  is a sectional view taken substantially along the line  7 - 7  in  FIG. 6 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a side elevational view taken from the direction  8  in  FIG. 7 ; 
         FIG. 9  is a side elevational view taken from the direction  9  in  FIG. 7 ; 
         FIG. 10  is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale of the portion of  FIG. 7  within the area  10 ; 
         FIG. 11  is a fragmentary perspective view taken from the direction  11  in  FIG. 7 ; and 
         FIG. 12  is a fragmentary perspective view taken from the direction  12  in  FIG. 7 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The disclosure of U.S. Patent document 2005/0023285A1 is incorporated herein by reference. 
       FIGS. 1-5  illustrate a dispensing package  20  in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure as including a closure  22  applied to the neck finish  24  of a container  26 . Closure  22  preferably, although not necessarily, is non-removably and non-rotatably mounted on neck finish  24 , as disclosed in copending U.S. application Ser. No. 11/285,245. Container  26  includes a body  28  from which neck finish  24  integrally extends. Container body  28  and neck finish  24  preferably are of one-piece integrally molded plastic construction, although neck finish  24  could be molded separately from body  28  and attached to body  28  in a post-molding operation. As another exemplary alternative, neck finish  24  could be insert molded to body  28  or vice versa. Container body  28  can be of any suitable geometry, with the geometry shown in the drawings being by way of example only. Engagement elements  30  ( FIG. 3 ) are provided on the external surface of neck finish  24  for engagement by closure  22  to secure the closure to the container neck finish. Container body  28  and neck finish  24  can be formed in any suitable molding operation of any suitable material, such a polypropylene for example. 
     Closure  22  ( FIGS. 6-12 ) is of one-piece integrally molded plastic construction including a base  32  pivotally connected to a lid  34  by a hinge  36 . The exemplary hinge  36  illustrated in the drawings is of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,041,477, although any suitable hinge can be employed. Base  32  has a deck  38  with a dispensing opening  40  and a skirt  42  extending from deck  38 . Deck  38  can be flat as shown, domed, slanted or of any suitable geometry. Likewise, dispensing opening  40  can be round as shown or of any other suitable geometry. Internal engagement elements  44  ( FIGS. 3 and 7 ) are provided on skirt  42  for engagement with external engagement elements  30  on neck finish  24  to secure closure  22  to container  26 . External engagement elements  30  may comprise ratchet pawls and internal engagement elements  44  may comprise rounded beads, as illustrated in the drawings and described in the above-noted copending application, to facilitate non-removable application of the closure to the container. Other suitable removable or non-removable engagement elements, including mating threads, can be employed. Skirt  42  and neck finish  24  are non-circular in the exemplary embodiment of the disclosure so that closure  22  is non-rotatable on container  26  as previously described. A laterally and axially opening external passage or recess  46  in base  32  opposite hinge  36  has a pair of laterally opposed ledges  48 . 
     Lid  34  preferably has a peripheral skirt  50 . Peripheral skirt  50  preferably has a continuous or segmented internal bead  52  ( FIGS. 4 and 7 ) that cooperates with a continuous or segmented external bead  54  on base deck  38  for releasable snap retention of lid  34  in the closed position of  FIGS. 1-5 . A latch arm  56  extends from skirt  50  opposite hinge  36 . Latch arm  56  has a pair of laterally extending tabs  58  that are releasably received beneath ledges  48  of deck recess  46  in the closed and latched position of lid  34  illustrated in  FIGS. 1-5 . To open lid  34 , latch arm  56  is manually engaged by a user and pushed radially inwardly until tabs  58  clear ledges  48 . At this point, latch arm  56  and lid  34  can be moved upwardly toward the open position, with latch arm tabs  58  passing behind or radially inwardly of ledges  48  in recess  46 . Closure  22  may be of any suitable molded plastic construction, such as polypropylene for example. 
     As best seen in  FIGS. 5 ,  7 ,  9  and  12 , latch arm  56  is integrally connected to skirt  50  of lid  34  by a hinge strap  60 . Hinge strap  60  preferably has a lesser width  61  ( FIG. 5 ) than the width  63  of latch arm  56  adjacent to skirt  50 . Hinge strap  60  thus is more flexible than latch arm  56  or skirt  50 , and helps isolate skirt  50  from bending and distortion when latch arm  56  is moved radially inwardly to unlatch the lid. Further to reduce or prevent distortion of skirt  50 , at least one internal rib  62 , and preferably a pair of internal ribs  62  on laterally opposed sides of hinge strap  60 , may be provided on skirt  50 . Ribs  62  preferably integrally extend from the base  64  of lid  34  to the edge of skirt  50  remote from base  64 . 
     As best seen in  FIG. 11 , latch arm  56  and hinge strap  60  preferably form a smooth continuation of the outer surface of lid skirt  50 , which is to say that latch arm  56  does not form an abrupt change in radial elevation of the skirt surface. As best seen in  FIGS. 6 ,  11  and  12 , tabs  58  on latch arm  56  are recessed radially inwardly from the outer surface of latch arm  56 . In the same way, ledges  48  in recess  46  are recessed radially inwardly from the outer surface of latch arm  56  in the closed and latched position of the latch arm. In this way, when latch arm  56  is pushed radially inwardly to unlatch the closure lid, the user&#39;s finger does not engage ledges  48 , which can be uncomfortable for the user. As best seen in  FIGS. 1 ,  3  and  5 , recess  46  in base  32  preferably extends to the lower edge of the base so that latch arm  56 , when positioned in recess  46 , is protected from contact by the shoulder  66  of container body  28 . 
     A child-resistant closure and package thus have been disclosed in conjunction with an exemplary embodiment, and a number of modifications and variations have been discussed. Other modifications and variations readily will suggest themselves to persons of ordinary skill in the art in view of the foregoing description. The disclosure is intended to embrace all such modifications and variations as fall within the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims.