Patent Publication Number: US-4730731-A

Title: Child-resistant container

Description:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
     This invention relates to an improved child-proof container of unitary molded synthetic plastic construction including closure latching means preventing unauthorized opening by a child, but which are readily operable by an adult. 
     Child-proof containers for medicinal pills, tablets, capsules and the like are well known in the art, as evidenced, for example, by the prior patents to Foster U.S. Pat. No. 3,749,230, Ostrowsky U.S. Pat. No. 3,968,880 and Reeve U.S. Pat. No. 4,561,544. One drawback of the prior child-resistant containers is that the means which prevent opening by a child often make the container difficult to open by an adult. Moreover, the prior containers are relatively expensive to manufacture, particularly when complex latching means are provided for maintaining the container in a closed condition. 
     The present invention was developed to avoid the above and other drawbacks of the known child-resistant containers. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A primary object of the present invention is to provide a unitary child-proof container including a tray-shaped body member, a top closure member connected with the body member by integral hinge means, and latch means for releasably fastening the top closure member in the closed position. The unitary container is preferably formed by molding from a suitable synthetic plastic materal, such as polypropylene. 
     According to a more specific object of the invention, the top closure member includes a front wall that extends downwardly in face-to-face relation with the outer surface of the corresponding front wall of the body member, the latching means including at least one horizontal projection extending from one of the front walls for normal reception within a corresponding recess contained in the other wall. A release button connected with the resilient container front wall extends horizontally forwardly through, and outwardly beyond, a corresponding opening contained in the closure front wall, whereby to open the container, the release button is inserted to displace the container front wall to unlock the latch means, thereby permitting pivotal opening of the closure member. 
     According to a further object of the invention, the top closure member is provided on its bottom surface with a plurality of stiffening ribs that frictionally engage the inner surfaces of the side walls of the body member when the closure member is in the closed condition, thereby affording means for frictionally resisting opening of the container. To assist in overcoming this frictional resistance, the top closure member is provided at its forward end with a pair of lifting tabs that extend laterally outwardly beyond the side walls of the body member. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification when viewed in the light of the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     FIGS. 1 and 2 are perspective views of the container of the present invention in the closed and partially open conditions, respectively; 
     FIGS. 3 and 4 are detailed sectional views along lines 3--3 and 4--4, respectively, of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 5 is a detailed sectional view illustrating the latching means of FIG. 4 in the fully released condition; 
     FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the container in the fully open condition; and 
     FIG. 7 is a partially sectioned side elevational view taken along line 7--7 of FIG. 6. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring first more particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, the child-resistant container is of unitary construction formed by injection molding from a suitable synthetic plastic material, such as polypropylene, and includes a tray-shaped body member 2, a rectangular generally planar top closure member 4, and integral hinge means 6 connecting the top member for pivotal movement between closed (FIG. 1), partially open (FIG. 2) and fully open (FIGS. 6 and 7) positions relative to the body member. Releasable latch means operable by a release button 8 are provided for normally locking the top closure member in the closed position of FIG. 1. 
     The body member 2 includes a pair of side walls 2a and 2b, front and rear end walls 2c and 2d, respectively, and a bottom wall 2e. The top closure member 4 is of a generally planar rectangular configuration having a rear edge portion connected with the upper edge of the rear end wall 2d of the body member by the integral hinge means 6. At its forward end, the top closure member includes a downwardly extending front wall portion 4a that extends in face-to-face relation adjacent the outer surface of the body member front wall 2c when the top member is in the closed latched condition of FIGS. 1 and 4. 
     The top closure member 4 is provided on its lower surface with a pair of stiffening ribs 4b and 4c that extend parallel to, and in frictional contact with, the inner surfaces of the body member side walls 2a and 2b, respectively, when the top member 4 is in both the closed latched condition of FIG. 4, and the unlatched partially open condition of FIG. 5. The top closure member 4 is provided at its forward end with a pair of laterally extending lifting tabs 4d that extend beyond the body member side walls to provide lifting means for pivoting the unlatched top member to the open position. 
     The releasable latch means are operable by a release button 8 integrally formed with, and extending horizontally forwardly from, the body front wall 2c via an opening 11 contained in closure member front wall 4. A pair of horizontal latch projections 9a and 9b are integrally formed with front wall 2c for normal insertion within corresponding recesses 10a and 10b, respectively, contained in the closure member front wall 4a, as shown in FIG. 4. According to an important feature of the present invention, body front wall 2c contains on opposite sides of the latch release button a pair of downwardly extending slots 12 and 14, as shown in FIG. 6, that define in the body front wall 2c a deformable center portion 2c&#39; carrying the release button 8a. 
     To open the closed, normally latched container, the user with one hand merely merely inserts release button 8 to the fully-released portion of FIG. 5 to deform front wall portion 2c&#39; of the resilient front wall to release projections 9a and 9b from their corresponding recesses 10a and 10b, respectively, and with the other hand the user lifts up on tabs 4d to pivot the top closure member upwardly against the frictional resistance provided between the ribs on the closure member and the side walls of the body member. Upon return of the closure member 4 to its closed position, the latch means is automatically locked by the insertion of projections 9a and 9b into the corresponding recesses.