Patent Publication Number: US-4223793-A

Title: Child resistant closure

Description:
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     A child resistant closure enclosed which can be applied by automatic capping devices and the customer can easily remove it and it can be constructed from a variety of raw materials. The closure is applied to the container by normal clockwise motion which secures the outer ring downward onto the inner cap and seats itself on outwardly curled wire of the inner cap, thus transmitting the turning force of the ring to the inner cap which in turn screws the inner cap onto the container. The closure is removed by lifting the outer ring, sliding it upward, so that the notches on its top edge engages a mating section on the inner cap and turning the ring counterclockwise. The ring is retained on the inner cap between the bottom wire of the inner cap which restricts the downward movement of the upper wall of the inner cap which has been deformed so that it collapses outwardly and over the notched section of the ring restricting its upward movement. 
     When using a metal inner cap, its construction is very inexpensive, but more important is the metal top which is exposed and which allows it to show a color design which may be very inexpensive applied to decorate the cap. 
     The cap may be automatically applied to containers on standard cap equipment with no modification and the cap is more receptive to the elderly which have difficulty operating closures that are presently marketed because of the use of pressure to make the concept function. 
     The outer ring having the top of the inner cap exposed requires an up and down sliding motion to achieve the concept as opposed to the normal squeezing technique, which is presently available. 
     REFERENCE TO PRIOR ART 
     Prior patents on outer resistant covers are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,710,701; 3,308,979; 3,435,978; 3,604,582; 3,757,979; 4,089,432; 3,923,185; 3,923,184; 3,904,059; 4,036,385; 3,782,755; 3,269,576; 3,656,646; 3,630,403; 3,308,979; 4,090,629 and 3,888,373. None of the above mentioned patents show the combination of elements that achieve the above mentioned results. 
     OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the invention to provide an improved child resistant cover. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide a child resistant cover that is simple in construction, economical to manufacture, and simple and efficient to use. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide an improved child resistant cover wherein the cap has downwardly facing teeth and a ring around the cap has upwardly facing teeth so that when the ring is held up in engagement with the teeth of the cap the cap can be rotated by cutting a force on the ring. 
     With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consists of the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the form size, proportions and minor details of construction without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention. 
    
    
     GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a top view of the container closure according to the invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a side view partly in cross section of the container closure, 
     FIG. 3 is a longitudinal cross sectional view of the ring. 
     FIG. 4 is a top view of the ring. 
     FIG. 5 is a partial view of the container closure in combination with the ring rotated to position for opening the closure. 
     FIG. 6 is a side view of the cap. 
     FIG. 7 is a top view of another embodiment of the invention. 
     FIG. 8 is a top view of the ring of the embodiment of FIG. 7. 
     FIG. 9 is a side view of the cap of the embodiment of FIG. 8. 
     FIG. 10 is a longitudinal cross sectional view taken on Line 10--10 of FIG. 8. 
     FIG. 11 is a partial view partly in cross section of the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 7 through 10 and showing the cap removed and outer shell locked. 
     FIG. 12 is a view similar to FIG. 11 showing the cap and ring just before the inner lugs engage the downward extending lugs on the cap. 
     FIG. 13 is a view partly in cross section showing the cap outer shell lock as when rotated counterclockwise for tightening the cap on a container. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Now, with more particular reference to the drawings, the child resistant closure 10 is made up of a cap 11 and an outer ring 12. The cap has internal threads 13 adapted to be received on the external threads around the neck of a container 14 and external thread 15 on the outer periphery of the cap. Threads 15 extend part way up the side of the cap. The cap has a downwardly facing flange 17 on its upper end and the flange 17 has downwardly extending teeth 18. A cylindrical portion 19 is disposed below downwardly directed flange 17. The outer periphery of the cap has the generally cylindrical smooth portion 19 between the flange 17 and the threads 18. The ring 12 has upwardly directed flange 21 and integral with this flange 21 are the upwardly extending teeth 22. The closure is applied to a container by normal clockwise motion of the outer ring which moves down on the inner cap 11 and seats its peripheral flange 24 on a second outwardly curled flange 23 of the cap; thus transmitting the turning force of the ring 12 to the inner cap 11 which in turn screws the inner cap onto the container 14. 
     Removal of the container is accomplished by lifting the outer ring 12 upward so that peripheral flange 25 surrounds flange 17 and its teeth 22 engage the teeth 18 on the flange 21 on the inner cap. Turning ring 12 counterclockwise, the ring is retained on the inner cap 11 by the bottom flange 23 of the inner cap which limits the downward movement of the ring by the upper wall of the inner cap which has been deformed so that it collapses outwardly and over the notched section of the ring restricting its upward movement. 
     The cap has a closed upper end 26 and generally cylindrical body extending downwardly thereform. The body is made up of the cylindrical portion 19 that extends downward from the outwardly extending flange which has the teeth 18 extending downward. The cylindrical portion 19 joins the external threaded portion 15 which terminates at its lower end in the outwardly extending flange 23. The ring 12 has the intermediate internal threads 20 that terminate at their upper side in the shoulder 21 which has spaced notches that define teeth 22 on its upper end. The upwardly extending peripheral flange 23&#39; extends upwardly from the teeth at a slightly larger diameter and the downwardly extending peripheral flange 24 extends downwardly from the threads 15 at a slightly larger diameter. 
     When the threads 20 of the ring 12 are received on the external thread 15 of the cap 11, the ring can be rotated clockwise bringing the shoulder 27 against the flange 23 stopping the relative rotation between ring and cap so that the cap can be tightened. When the ring 12 is rotated counterclockwise the internal threads of the ring 16 move up along the threads 15 on the cap until the internal threads 20 are disposed over the cylindrical surface 19. The cap can then be lifted until the teeth 22 on the ring engage the teeth 18 on the cap. The rotation of the ring can then be continued turning the cap 11 off of the container 14. When the cap 11 is moved up to its upper most position, the flange 23&#39; will slidably receive the flange 17 holding the cap and ring in alignment. When the cap is in its lower position, the flange 24&#39; will receive the wire 23 holding the cap and ring in alignment. 
     In the embodiment of FIGS. 7 through 13 a container cover 110 is shown comprising a cap 111 and an outer ring 112. The cap 111 has internal threads adapted to be received on a container in a conventional manner. The outer periphery of the cap is divided into a lower externally threaded part, an intermediate smooth cylindrical part and an upper part with flange. The lower part of the cap has external threads thereon which may be a molded thread design as shown in the embodiment, threads are indicated at 115 and 115&#39;. The intermediate cylindrical portion 119 is between the flange 117 and the threads 115 is generally cylindrical and the upper flange 117 has downward directed lugs 118 thereon. 
     The ring 112 has an inner cylindrical surface 123 and spaced interrupted threads 120. When the ring is turned counterclockwise the spaced lugs 120 ride up on the cap threads 115 and 115&#39; and the lugs 120 move up to a position shown in FIG. 11 and as the ring is further lifted and rotated counterclockwise the ring moves upward over the cylindrical part and the threads 120 engage the lugs 118 and transmit force from the ring to the cap to unscrew the cap from the can. 
     The multiple threads 115 and 115&#39; may be double threads, triple threads or any other suitable number of threads and said spaced lugs 120 on said ring may be of any suitable length and spacing according to the desires of the designer. When the ring is rotated counterclockwise lug 120 will first move up into engagement with the teeth 118 in the position shown in FIG. 11 and as rotation of the ring is continued the lugs 120 will engage the downward extending lugs 118 causing said cap to rotate with the ring. The teeth 118 may be bumps on said cap in metal cover design or in plastic caps the lugs may be plastic. The internal threads 120 may be formed inwardly on the ring in metal design. 
     The foregoing specification sets forth the invention in its preferred, practical forms but the structure shown is capable of modification within a range of equivalents without departing from the invention which is to be understood is broadly novel as is commensurate with the appended claims.