Patent Publication Number: US-9889977-B2

Title: Child-resistant closure

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     Benefit is claimed of U.S. Patent Application No. 62/136,861, filed Mar. 23, 2015, and entitled “Child-Resistant Closure” the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety as if set forth at length. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to screw-on container closures. More particularly, the invention relates to child-resistant closures. 
     Among numerous examples of child-resistant closures for small over-the-counter (OTC) medications (e.g., pills, capsules, tablets) is U.S. Pat. No. 5,671,853 of Herr, issued Sep. 30, 1997. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     One aspect of the disclosure involves a child-resistant container having a container body having an externally threaded neck and a first pair of engagement features. A cap closes the container body in a closed condition and is removable from the closed condition. The cap comprising the unitary combination of an inner sidewall and an outer sidewall. The inner sidewall has an internal thread for engaging the neck external thread. An outer sidewall for gripping by a user has a first pair of segments and a second pair of segments. The second pair of segments are hinged to the inner sidewall for depressably flexing from relaxed condition to a flexed condition and bear a second pair of engagement features. In the installed condition of the cap and relaxed condition of the second pair of segments, the first pair of engagement features and second pair of engagement features are positioned to collide to block an unscrewing rotation of the cap. An upper web joins the inner sidewall and the outer sidewall first pair of segments. A pair of respective hinges between the second pair of segments and the inner sidewall merge with the inner sidewall at a location recessed from an upper end of the inner sidewall. 
     The details of one or more embodiments of the invention are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a top oblique view of a child-resistant container. 
         FIG. 1A  is an enlarged view of a portion of the container of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 2  is a front view of the container of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a side view of the container of  FIG. 1  viewed orthogonal to  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4  is a top view of the container of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is a central vertical sectional view of the container taken along line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 5A  is an enlarged view of a portion of the container of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 6  is a central vertical sectional view of the container taken along line  6 - 6  of  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 7  is a downward transverse sectional view of a container taken along line  7 - 7  of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 8  is a bottom oblique view of a closure of the container. 
         FIG. 9  is a cutaway top oblique view of a body of the container of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 10  is a front view of the body of  FIG. 9 . 
         FIG. 11  is a side view of the body of  FIG. 9 . 
         FIG. 12  is a top view of the body of  FIG. 9 . 
     
    
    
     Like reference numbers and designations in the various drawings indicate like elements. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  shows a container  20  comprising a container body  22  and a closure  24 . The exemplary container body is a molded plastic single-piece member (e.g., roto-molded or blow molded or injection molded). The exemplary body has a base  30 , a sidewall  32  extending upward from the base, a shoulder  34  extending upward from the sidewall, and a neck  36  ( FIG. 10 ) extending upward from the shoulder and extending to a rim  38  to define a body opening or mouth  40  ( FIG. 9 ). The neck bears an external thread  42  for engaging an internal thread of the closure. The neck defines a central longitudinal/vertical axis  500 . The exemplary thread is a double lead thread. The double lead facilitates straight engagement and disengagement. 
     The exemplary closure  24  is a one-piece closure. An exemplary closure piece is molded plastic (e.g., injection molded). Exemplary plastics are polyolefins such as polypropylenes and polyethylenes. The closure may comprise an additional member such as an elastomeric or paper seal or gasket, safety seal, or the like. 
       FIG. 8  shows the exemplary closure as comprising an inner sidewall  50  extending upward from a lower end formed by a rim  52  to an upper end  54  merging with a transverse web  56  closing the upper end. The inner sidewall  50  has an inboard or inner diameter (ID) surface  58  and an outboard or outer diameter (OD) surface  60 . The ID surface  58  bears an internal thread  62  complementary to the external thread of the neck. In the fully installed condition, the underside of the web  56  inboard of the ID surface  58  may seal against the rim  38  or be in close facing proximity thereto ( FIG. 5A ).  FIG. 8  shows an underside  64  of the web and  FIG. 1  shows an upper surface  66  of the web. The upper surface may have, pre-molded thereto, instructional indicia  68 . 
     The closure further comprises an outer sidewall  70  ( FIG. 8 ). As is discussed further below, the outer sidewall  70  is segmented into an exemplary four portions with a first pair of opposed portions being intact gripping portions  72 A,  72 B (collectively or individually  72 ) and a second pair of portions being release tabs  74 A,  74 B (collectively or individually  74 ; orthogonal to the first pair). The portions  72  are gripping portions for gripping by the user to rotate the closure. Vertical gaps  76  separate adjacent circumferential edges/ends of the gripping portions and release tabs. 
     The gripping portions  72  extend from a lower rim  80  to an upper end  82 . The upper end  82  merges with a periphery of the web  56 . The gripping portions  72  each have an inboard or inner diameter (ID) surface  84  and an outboard or outer diameter (OD) surface  86 . The exemplary surface  86  bears a series of lands and grooves or other contouring to facilitate gripping. Between the outer sidewall ID surface  84  and the inner sidewall OD surface  60 , a plurality of radial webs  90  join the inner sidewall to the outer sidewall for structural integrity. 
     The release tabs  74  also extend from a lower rim  100  to an upper end  102  ( FIG. 1A ). The release tabs  74  each have an inboard or inner diameter (ID) surface  104  and an outboard or outer diameter (OD) surface  106 . The exemplary release tabs  74  are each connected by a respective associated web  110  to the inner sidewall  50 . As is discussed below, the web  110  forms a hinge. The web  110  has a lower surface or underside  112  and an upper surface  114 .  FIG. 5A  shows the web  110  vertically recessed along the inner sidewall well below the web  56 . A recessing height may be measured as one or more of a height between the surfaces  64  and  112  or between the upper surfaces or between horizontal medians of the webs  56  and  110 . This recessing may represent an exemplary at least 20% of an overall height H of the closure (more narrowly at least 25% or at least 30%; exemplary upper limits if desired may be 40% or 50% or 60% or in a range any pair of those upper and lower limits) The recessing may be measured as a height H RW  from a lowest point on the upper surface  114  to highest point on the web (even if measured to the peaks of molded indicia). Said overall height may be may be from the same point on the web down to the lowest point on the rim  80 . 
     Additionally or alternatively, recessing may be measured relative to inner sidewall height.  FIG. 5A  shows the inner sidewall lower rim vertically recessed by a height H RR  relative to the outer sidewall lower rim. Exemplary rim recessing conserves plastic in the molding process. This recessing leads to departures between the two alternative measurements. With recessing of rims, exemplary recessing of the hinge is at least 20% of the inner sidewall height (more narrowly at least 30% or at least 40%; exemplary upper limits if desired may be 60% or 70% or 80% or the recessing may be in a range of pairs of such upper and lower limits). Said inner sidewall overall height may be an inner overall height H II  or an outer overall height H IO . 
     The exemplary upper ends  102  are also recessed (e.g., by a height H RT ). This recessing both conserves material and helps locate the user&#39;s fingers downward from the webs  110  to provide leverage. Exemplary H RT  is at least 10% or at least 20% or at least 25%; exemplary upper limits if desired are 30% or 40% or the recessing may be in a range of pairs of such upper and lower limits. 
     As is discussed further below, the body and closure have two pairs of engagement features  120  ( FIG. 9 ),  122  ( FIG. 8 ) cooperating with each other. The engagement features allow the closure to be rotated about the axis  500  in a direction to install the closure (i.e., screw the closure onto the body). The engagement features may be manipulated to allow the closure to be rotated in an opposite unscrewing/removal rotation. The manipulation involves inwardly compressing lower portions of the release tabs  74 . This manipulation may require application of sufficient force/pressure or manipulation to qualify as a child-resistant action. Absent the manipulation, unscrewing rotation is blocked by the engagement features. 
     The exemplary engagement features  120  ( FIG. 9 ) are formed by a pair of ramps extending longitudinally upward from the shoulder  34  diametrically opposite each other. The ramps have a first circumferential surface or face  123  and opposite second circumferential surface or face  124 . These are joined by an inboard face  126  and an outboard face  128 . The surfaces  123  and  124  may also meet at an apex region  130 . 
     As is discussed further below, the surfaces  123  are ramp surfaces and the surfaces  124  are stop surfaces. The surfaces  124  are relatively longitudinal so as to cooperate with complementary surfaces of the closure engagement features  122  to resist unscrewing motion absent the aforementioned manipulation. The surfaces  123  allow the closure engagement features to override in a screwing/installing rotation as is discussed further below. 
       FIG. 8  shows further details of the features  122 . The exemplary features  122  comprise an inner wall  140  depending from the underside  112  of the web  110  and extending downward to a lower end  142 . The inner wall has a first circumferential end  144  and a second circumferential end  146 , an inboard or inner diameter (ID) surface  148 , and an outboard or outer diameter (OD) surface  150 . For structural integrity, the walls  140  are joined to the associated release tabs by a vertical web  152  having a lower extremity/end  154  upwardly recessed relative to the lower end  142 . Thus, the wall  140 , release tab, and web  152  form a downwardly open channel  170  or gap ( FIG. 5 ). 
       FIG. 7  shows an installed or screwed-on condition wherein the ends or surfaces  144  along a protruding lower portion of the wall (forming an inboard wall of the channel  170 ) are in abutting engagement with the surfaces  124  to prevent/block an unscrewing rotation of the closure about the axis  500 . 
     However, lower portions of the OD surfaces  106  of the tabs may be squeezed inward flexing the web/hinge  100  and bringing the channels  170  into radial registry with the features  120 . In this condition, while maintaining compression between the release tabs, the closure may be unscrewed via an unscrewing rotation about the axis  500  with the each of the features  120  passing circumferentially through the adjacent channel  170 .  FIG. 7  also shows encasement ribs  180  along lateral ends/edges of the tabs  74 . These ribs provide enhanced strength to the tabs to focus/concentrate deformation at the hinges 
     In an installing rotation, one need not squeeze the release tabs. Instead, the ends  146  (or a rounded transition between them and the lower ends  142 ) will engage the ramping surface  123  (and/or a curving transition to the apex region  130 ). The angling of the meeting surfaces is sufficient to flex the closure (e.g., radially outwardly flex the release tabs) to permit an overriding return to the installed condition. 
     One or more embodiments of the present invention have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, desirability of reusing existing molding and/or capping equipment may influence particular implementations. Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.