Child safety closure

• US 3,896,959 A
• Filed: 12/03/1973
• Issued: 07/29/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gerald L. Roy
• Original Assignee: Gerald L. Roy
• Inventors: Roy, Gerald L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hall, George T.
• Application Number:
  US05/421,340
• Time in Patent Office: 603 Days
• Field of Search: 215/9,222,341,348,349,350
• US Class Current: 215/222
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 41/06 with bayonet cams , i.e. removed by first pushing axially to disengage the cams and then rotating

Abstract

This invention relates to a safety closure which is relatively safe in the hands of children as it requires a simultaneous downward shifting with a force in excess of five pounds and a simultaneous rotational torque to release and remove the enclosure for the container. The closure has lugs thereon biased into locking engagement with surfaces in downwardly opening notches on projections formed on the container by means of a foam plastic disk which is compressed to 50 to 80 percent of its original uncompressed thickness when the closure is secured on the container. The displacement to compress the foam disk and to lower the locking lugs for release requires a force of at least four pounds and a force not greater than 14 pounds.

Claims

1. A combination comprising a container having a closed bottom wall and an upwardly extending wall terminating in an upper cylindrical end wall, a plurality of circumferentially spaced projections on said upper cylindrical end wall extending radially outwardly, each projection being formed with a downwardly opening notch and having surfaces defining said notches, a closure for securing to said container and closing the upper end of said container and to be child-resistant to opening, said closure including a one-piece plastic cap having a top wall and an integrally depending cylindrical skirt wall, a plurality of radially extending lugs on inner side of said depending skirt wall being spaced circumferentially about said skirt wall, said lugs having upper portions for fitting into said notches in said projections and for abutting said surfaces with attempted turning of said cap while in said notches, and a discrete foam disk means disposed between the inner side of said top wall of said cap and top portions of said lugs, said foamed disk means being resilient and being compressed between said container rim and said top end wall to within 50 to 80 percent of its uncompressed thickness, said foam disk means being free for further compression to shift said lugs axially downwardly from said notches with a compressive force of between 4 to 14 pounds to allow turning of said lugs to positions free of said notches for axially upward movement of the closure for removal from the container, said disk means comprising a flat foam disk body having an outer impermeable noncellular skin layer for engaging the said upper cylindrical end wall and an integral closed cell foam layer for compression and resilience and having a low compression set.

2. A combination in accordance with claim 1 in which said foam disk means comprises a flat foam disk body of closed cellular polyethylene having a density betWeen about 4.5 to 9 pounds per cubic foot.

3. A combination in accordance with claim 2 in which said foam disk body has a thickness between about 0.100 to 0.180 inch.

4. A combination in accordance with claim 1 in which said foam disk means comprises a foamed body formed of closed cellular polyethylene and an impervious non-cellular face on at least one side of said foamed body for engagement with said upper cylindrical end wall.

5. A combination in accordance with claim 4 in which said foam body has a density of between about 4.5 to 9 pounds per cubic foot, a thickness of between about 0.100 to 0.180 inch and a Bayshore resilience of about 42%.

6. A closure for securing to a container having projections on a side wall of the container with downwardly facing notches therein formed by surfaces on said projections, said closure comprising a one-piece plastic cap having a top wall and an integrally depending cylindrical skirt wall, a plurality of radially extending lugs on inner side of said depending skirt wall being spaced circumferentially about said skirt wall, said lugs having upper portions for fitting into said notches in said projections and for abutting said surfaces with attempted turning of said cap while in said notches, and a discrete foam disk means disposed between the inner side of said top wall of said cap and top portions of said lugs, said foamed disk means being resilient and being compressed between said container rim and said top end wall to within 50 to 80 percent of its uncompressed thickness, said foam disk means being compressible to shift said lugs axially downwardly from said notches through a predetermined distance to lower said lugs from said notches with a compressive force of between 4 to 14 pounds to allow turning of said lugs to positions free of said notches for axially upward movement of the closure for removal from the container, said disk means comprising a flat foam disk body having an outer impermeable non-cellular skin layer for engaging the said upper cylindrical end wall and an integral closed cell foam layer for compression and resilience and having a low compression set.

7. A combination in accordance with claim 6 in which said foam body is formed of closed cellular polyethylene having a density between about 4.5 to 9 pounds per cubic foot, a thickness between about 0.100 to 0.180 inch and a Bayshore resilience of about 42%.