Source: http://patents.com/us-3892326.html
Timestamp: 2018-12-16 12:48:01
Document Index: 419112055

Matched Legal Cases: ['art.\n3', 'art 11', 'art 11', 'art 11', 'art 11', 'art 32', 'arts 11', 'art 32', 'art 11']

US Patent # 3,892,326. Safety closure for a metal container - Patents.com
United States Patent 3,892,326
Schneible July 1, 1975
Safety closure for a metal container
The invention contemplates a child-resistant safety cap and container -neck combination wherein the container is formed of multiple metal parts; the cap has a threaded engagement to the neck but a releasable ratcheting one-way engagement relation develops between the container and the neck, in approach to the closed relation of the parts. The particular feature of the invention resides in structural formation of the neck part of the container so as to readily accept assembly of a resilient plastic locking ring in axially located and angularly keyed relation to the neck part.
Appl. No.: 05/414,448
Current U.S. Class: 215/221 ; 215/216; 220/315; 222/153.14
Field of Search: 215/9,216,221 222/153 220/315
1. In combination, a metal container including a threaded neck part, said part comprising a cylindrical portion having said threads predominantly near the dispensing end and having means for attachment to a container-body part at the other end, there being an intermediate region of axial separation between the region of said attachment means and the region of said threads, first and second outwardly projecting bead means at each of two axially spaced radial planes of said intermediate region between said first and second bead means, said key means projecting outwardly at least substantially to the extent of radial projection of that one of said first and second bead means which is more near said threads, a plastic locking ring of relatively stiffly yieldable material having a splined bore engaged to said intermediate region and to said key means, said locking ring being axially confined by said first and second bead means, and a closure cap having a threaded bore coacting with the threaded region of said neck part, said cap and ring having releasable formations engageable with escaping ratchet action upon approach to the fully engaged relation of said threads and cap, said bead which is more near to said attachment means of greater maximum diameter than the other of said beads, whereby said greater-diameter bead may act as a stop for assembling application of said ring over said lesser-diameter bead and into said keyed engagement.
2. The combination of claim 1, in which the lower end of the bore of said ring is outwardly tapered for cammed riding over the lesser-diameter bead upon assembly of said ring to said neck part.
3. As an article of manufacture, for assembly to a metal container, a generally cylindrical metal neck part having threads predominantly near a dispensing end and having means for attachment to a container-body part at the other end, there being an intermediate region of axial separation between the region of said attachment means and the region of said threads, a first outwardly projecting circumferential bead at a radial plane between said threaded and intermediate regions, a second and radially larger outwardly projecting circumferential bead at a second radial plane between said intermediate region and the region of said attachment means, and outwardly projecting key means formed in said intermediate region between said first and second beads.
Other objects and various further features of novelty and invention will be pointed out or will occur to those skilled in the art from a reading of the following specification in conjuction with the accompanying drawings. In said drawings, which show, for illustrative purposes only, preferred forms of the invention:
The neck part 11 non-rotatably carries a locking ring 16 in the intermediate region 17 between the threaded region 18 and the base-end or container-attachment portion 19 of said ring part; as suggested by sectioning in FIG. 6, ring 16 is of suitable plastic, preferably injection-molded, and is proportioned for relatively stiffly compliant yieldability, for the deflections and transient deformations described below. The ring 16 may be of the type more fully discussed and disclosed in pending Landen application, Ser. No. 351,266, filed Apr. 16, 1973. Briefly, it suffices here to indicate that such a ring 16 includes a cylindrical body 20 with a bore characterized as by spline teeth 21 for anti-rotational engagement with one or more key formations 22 in the neck part 11; the spacing between ribs 22 is preferably an integer multiple of the pitch interval of the spline teeth 21. Peripheral-flange formations 23 terminate in substantially diametrically opposite axially compliant tabs 24 which extend radially outward for manual actuation, by downward depression to release an applied cap 12. Ratchet lugs 25 on the upper surface of tabs 24 have one-way ratcheting engagement with ratchet-tooth formations 26 in the bore 13 of cap 12, the relation of these formations being such as to permit escaping ratchet action as the cap approaches its full threaded advance on the threaded portion 18 of the neck part 11.
As shown, the axial-locating means comprises an upper circumferentially continuous bead or outward projection 28 near the lower end of threaded portion 18, and a lower circumferentially continuous bead or outward projection 29 near the upper end of attachment portion 19. The incremental radius or extent .DELTA.R.sub.1 of outward projection of bead 28 is less than that (.DELTA.R.sub.2) of bead 29, the relationship of .DELTA.R.sub.2 to .DELTA.R.sub.1 being preferably in the order of 2:1, as shown, and the effective axial separation S between beads 28- 29 is substantially the axial extent of the ring body 20. The keying formations 22 between beads 28-29 are shown as angularly spaced, longitudinally extending, outward projections or ribs, the same being rounded or otherwise formed to engage between spline teeth 21 in the bore of ring 16; preferably, ribs 22 extend outwardly to substantially the same extent as the lower bead 29, as shown in FIG. 5.
It will be seen that the described construction lends itself to low-cost realization of all stated objects, using to the maximum extent parts and technicques which are current and readily available. Ring assembly to preassembled container body and neck parts is a simple automated procedure may if desired be performed at the same time as automated application of the cap 12 is made. In other words, rotation and axial advance of a tool which simultaneously assembles a ring 16 and its cap 12 will assure against fouling the keyed engagement 21-22, thereby ensuring proper ring location, followed by complete threaded advance of cap 12 to its ratchet-locked position.
It will be appreciated that the construction of FIG. 7 lends itself to various methods of assembly, depending upon the nature of the particular material contents of and filling devices for the container. For example, cap 12, ring 16, and the neck part 11' may be a complete preassembly, the same being assembled by chime connection 33 after the containerbody part 32 has been filled. Alternatively, parts 11'-32 may be preassembled at chime 33, so that filling is via the opening in neck 11', the ring 16 and cap 12 being thereafter applied. Still further, alternatively, the cylindrical body 32 may have an open bottom, to be later closed by a chimed connection to a bottom-end panel (not shown); in this event, the cylindrical (open-bottom) body part 32, chime-connected to neck part 11', and with ring 16 and cap 12 applied, may all be a subassembly adapted for bottom filling, the container being completed and sealed by the bottom-chime connection to the bottom end panel.
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