Safety closure container

• US 3,984,021 A
• Filed: 06/03/1974
• Issued: 10/05/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Owens-Illinois Closure, Inc. (O-I Glass, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Gerhardt E. Uhlig
• Inventors: Uhlig, Gerhardt E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hall, George T.
• Application Number:
  US05/475,593
• Time in Patent Office: 855 Days
• Field of Search: 215/217.9, 215/216, 215/218
• US Class Current: 215/216
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 50/046 and such deformation causes the disengagement of locking means, e.g. the release of a pawl-like element from a tooth or abutment, to allow removal of the closure by simultaneous rotation

Abstract

A container and closure construction featuring locking arrangements in the form of registering dent(s) and projection(s) formed on said container and closure which engage easily and disengage only through purposeful mind-controlled manipulation thereof, coupled with flexing of one of said container or closure to accomplish said disengagement. A screw thread coupling of closure and container represents a preferred embodiment.

Claims

1. The combination of a container and a closure which comprises:

a container having an upstanding neck-defined opening, said neck having attachment means for a closure formed on the exterior surface thereof, and

a closure including a top wall spanning said opening of said container, attachment means rotationally, releasably engageable with said neck attachment means, and a connected skirt which extends downwardly to embrace said neck, said top wall fluidly sealing said opening when said attachment means on said container and said closure are substantially, fully, rotationally engaged, each of said container and closure having two inner, generally vertical, abutment surfaces in generally diametric positions and which are proximately and mutually located for radially coincident registration and abutment generally as said top wall achieves sealing contact with said neck-defined opening, said respective abutment surfaces while in abutment precluding opening rotation of said closure and skirt, preventing accidental, nonpurposeful, rotational removal of said closure, said skirt and neck being constructed and arranged to allow inward lateral squeezing most effectively at points 90°

displaced from said diametric inner abutments on said skirt to cause simultaneous outward lateral deflection of said closure at said abutments and consequent cessation of abutment of said abutment surfaces to thereby permit opening rotation of said closure, said closure and skirt each having regions of clearance adjacent said abutment surface, which regions of clearance and nonobstruction permit tightening rotation of said closure without further contact or deflection of said closure or said container which would otherwise induce distortion and stress therein.

2. The combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein said attachment means comprises male and female threads formed respectively on said neck and said skirt.

3. The combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein said vertical abutment surface are enclosed by said skirt and accordingly cannot be seen in side elevation.