CONTAINER WITH SAFETY CAP

• US 3,822,027 A
• Filed: 01/08/1973
• Issued: 07/02/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Samuel Cherba
• Original Assignee: Samuel Cherba
• Inventors: Cherba, Samuel
• Primary Examiner(s): Tollberg, Stanley H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stack, Jr., Norman L.
• Application Number:
  US05/321,830
• Time in Patent Office: 540 Days
• Field of Search: 215/9,44,46R 222/182
• US Class Current: 215/206
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 41/0421 and combined with integral sealing means contacting other surfaces of a container neck
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 50/061 being disengageable from container only after rotational alignment of closure, or other means inhibiting removal of closure, with container, e.g. tortuous path type B65D55/145 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/40 Closure caps actuator caps B65D83/205

Abstract

A container with a cap which cannot be readily removed by small children. The container neck and cap have cooperating interrupted thread-like formations which selectively retain them in fully telescoped, container-closed, position wherein turning of the cap does not further tighten or loosen it on the container neck; when the cap is turned to a predetermined angular position relative to the container neck, shown by indicia on the container and cap, the cap can be pulled axially outwardly to a position in which turning of the parts relative to each other effects the unscrewing of the cap. The thread-like formation on at least one of the cap and container may be such as to divide the cap unscrewing operation into stages, it being required that the cap be pulled axially outwardly between stages. The turning of the cap in successive stages may take place in the same direction, or it may take place in opposite directions.

Claims

1. In the combination of a container and a safety closure member rotatable on the container and adapted selectively to be locked thereon from ready removal therefrom, the improvement which comprises two parts, the first such part being a neck on the container, the neck having an axially directed peripheral surface, the neck having an axially directed dispensing passage therethrough, the second of said parts being the closure member, the closure member being a cap having an axially directed skirt adapted to be telescoped over the neck of the container and a transverse top disposed across the outer end of the skirt and spanning the outer end of the neck and closing the dispensing passage therein when the cap is applied thereto, the cap and neck having interacting cap-locking formations on their axially directed peripheral surfaces, one of said formations including a transverse annular flange having an annular end surface which is disposed axially inwardly of the neck when the cap is fully applied to the neck, said end surface of the flange lying in a transverse plane disposed at 90* with respect to the common axis of the assembled cap and container neck, said flange having an at least part-helical groove extending radially inwardly from the peripheral surface of said flange and through the flange from its axially inner annular surface to the axially outer surface thereof, the other of said interacting cap-locking formations including a land adapted to be received in said groove, the land lying axially inwardly of and contiguous to the axially inwardly disposed end surface of the flange and the cap being freely rotatable with respect to the container neck when the cap is fully applied to the neck, the land being able to enter the groove only when the cap is turned to a predetermined angular position relative to the neck, the land then entering the groove upon pulling the cap axially outwardly along the neck, the cap then being removable from the neck by the turning of the cap relative to the neck so that the land travels axially outwardly along the helical groove.

2. The combination according to claim 1, comprising cooperating indicia on the cap and containeR neck for displaying their relative disposition when they are in said predetermined angular position relative to each other.

3. The combination according to claim 2, wherein the indicium on one of the parts of the container neck-cap combination is a second, outer annular flange having a gap in its periphery, and the indicium on the other part of said combination is a part-circular third flange disposed adjacent the flange which subtends an angle at least approximating that subtended by the second flange, the said gap in the second flange and the third flange being so disposed that when they are aligned said cap is disposed at said predetermined angle relative to said neck.

4. The combination according to claim 1, wherein the land is of rhomboidal shape and has two opposite first sides disposed in a plane transverse to the axis of the neck and cap, the groove has parallel opposite sidewalls, the remaining two opposite sidewalls of the land being disposed parallel to the opposite sidewalls of the groove.

5. The combination according to claim 1, wherein the said one of the interacting cap-locking formations which includes a transverse annular flange is disposed on the container neck, the said other of said interacting cap-locking formations which includes a land is disposed on the inner surface of the skirt of the cap.

6. The combination according to claim 1, wherein the flange has an axially outwardly disposed annular end surface and the groove is helical throughout its length and extends directly from one transverse annular surface of the flange to the other.

7. The combination according to claim 1, wherein the groove has at least a first and a second successive at least generally helical portions joined by a dwell zone interposed therebetween, wherein the land moves in a transverse plane when the cap is rotated relative to the container neck, and an at least generally axially extending stop surface disposed beyond the dwell zone so that the leading axially outer end of the land substantially engages the stop surface when the land lies in the dwell zone, the groove in the dwell zone having an increased axial width whereby an axially outward pulling of the cap along the neck when the land is in said dwell zone causes the land to travel axially along the stop surface and to be ready for entry in the second helical portion of the groove upon further turning of the cap in an unscrewing direction.

8. The combination according to claim 7 wherein the successive helical portions of the groove are generally aligned and have substantially the same helix angle, whereby the cap is unscrewed in the same direction throughout its removal from the container neck.

9. The combination according to claim 7, wherein the successive helical portions of the groove extend at opposite helix angles, whereby the cap is turned in reverse directions during its removal as the land travels from one helical groove portion to the subsequent helical groove portion.

10. The combination according to claim 1, wherein the container is an aerosol can having a dispensing valve and a valve-operating member mounted on the top of the can, and the cap is a hood adapted to be removably mounted on the container to cover the valve and valve-operating member.

11. The combination according to claim 10, comprising an annular member mounted on the upper portion of the container and carrying an upstanding rim constituting said neck, the lower edge of the hood selectively interlocking with said neck.