Patent ID: 8167156

Claim:
A convertible child-resistant vial comprising: a container having an aperture, a peripheral wall and a bottom and being provided with a first connection element in the form of a tooth; and a cap for closing the aperture, hingedly mounted to the container by a hinge integral to both the container and the cap; the cap including a second connection element in the form of a notch having a shoulder for engagement with the tooth for locking the vial; the tooth including a stem portion secured to the container and a locking portion so secured to the stem portion via a bridge as to extend in a direction towards the bottom of the container and generally parallel to the container; the locking portion of the tooth including a shoulder portion for engaging the shoulder of the notch and locking the vial in a child-resistant manner; whereby, when the vial is locked, the tooth is prevented from being released from the notch unless the tooth is moved towards the container simultaneously to lifting the cap; the bridge being breakable so as to allow removing the locking portion from the tooth to convert the child-resistant vial into a non-child-resistant vial.