Squeeze and turn child resistant package

• US 5,687,863 A
• Filed: 01/30/1996
• Issued: 11/18/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: BPRex Healthcare Packaging, Inc. (Berry Global Group Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Owens-Illinois Closure, Inc.
• Inventors: Kusz, Maximillian
• Primary Examiner(s): Shoap, Allan N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NEWHOUSE, NATHAN JEFFREY
• Application Number:
  US08/594,095
• Time in Patent Office: 658 Days
• Field of Search: 215/330, 215/331, 215/334, 215/216-223, 215/214, 215/44, 220/298, 220/301
• US Class Current: 215/216
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2251/065 the external skirt having a non-circular cross-section, e.g. square, elliptical
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2501/0081 Bottles of non-circular cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 41/0471 with means for positioning the cap on the container, or for limiting the movement of the cap, or for preventing accidental loosening of the cap
• 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 squeeze and turn child resistant package including a container having a finish and a closure having a base wall and an outer peripheral flexible wall depending from the base wall. The wall has an internal thread on the inner surface thereof, the finish has an external thread thereon. The closure has an internal surface with spaced flexible chordal lugs extending circumferentially in the direction of removal of the closure. The container finish has opposed radially extending abutments. Each abutment includes a radial abutting surface. The finish of the container includes an integral radial projection adjacent the radial abutting surface of the abutment which has a lesser radial extent than the abutment. The radial projection has a chordal surface extending to the intersection of the radial abutting surface on he finish such that the chordal lug on the closure is forced toward the intersection when a closure is rotated in a retrograde direction to remove the closure without flexing the peripheral wall. The finish has stops below the threads engaging a blunt end leading end of the thread on the closure to limit the movement of the closure and orient the closure.

Claims

1. A squeeze and turn child resistant package comprising a plastic container having a finish with external threads means,

a plastic closure having a base wall and an outer peripheral flexible wall depending from said base wall,

said peripheral wall of said closure having an internal thread means thereon complementary to said thread means on said finish,

said closure having opposed finger engaging portions on the outer surface of said peripheral flexible wall,

said peripheral flexible wall of said closure having an internal surface with spaced flexible chordal lugs,

each said chordal lug being attached along an axial area of said internal surface of said peripheral flexible wall,

each said chordal lug being spaced circumferentially from each finger engaging portion,

each said chordal lug having a free edge extending circumferentially in the direction of removal of the closure,

each said axial area of each chordal lug being spaced intermediate a finger engaging portion and the free edge of said respective chordal lug,

said container finish having diametrically opposed radially extending abutments spaced below said thread means,

each said abutment having a radially and axially engaging abutting surface,

said abutting surfaces being positioned circumferentially with respect to said finger engaging portions when said closure is fully applied on said finish,

said finish of said container including an integral radial projection adjacent said radial abutting surface of said abutment,

each said radial projection having a lesser radial extent than the associated abutment,

each said radial projection including a chordal surface intersecting said abutting surface at a right angle,

each said radial projection having a circumferential outwardly arcuate surface extending to the chordal surface,

such that when the closure is rotated to apply the closure to the container, the chordal lugs flex past the abutments, and when fully applied, the free end of each said chordal lug is positioned adjacent the intersection of said abutting surface and said chordal surface of said radial projection preventing the closure from being unscrewed, such that when the closure is to be removed, the wall is squeezed at finger engaging portions causing the chordal lugs to be moved outwardly beyond the abutment surfaces so that the closure can be unthreaded, and such if an attempt is made to remove the closure without flexing the wall, the free edges of said chordal lugs will engage the intersection of the axial abutting surfaces on the finish and the chordal surfaces on the radial projections on the finish causing the wall to flex outwardly and causing the chordal lugs to change their angular relationship further forcing the ends of the chordal lugs into the intersection.

2. The squeeze and turn package set forth in claim 1 including interengaging stop means on said container and closure, such that when said closure is applied to the container, the stop means on said closure engages said stop means on said finish to limit rotation of the closure and prevent overtightening of the closure to facilitate removal of the closure by an adult.

3. The squeeze and turn package set forth in claim 2 wherein said interengaging stop means comprises blunt ends on the threads of said closure, said stop means on said finish including stops, each said stop including an axial surface such that when the closure is applied to the container, the blunt ends on the threads of the closure engage the stops on the finish to limit the rotation of the closure and prevent overtightening to facilitate the removal of the closure by an adult.

4. The squeeze and turn child resistant package set forth in claim 3 wherein said container has a non-circular body portion and said closure has a peripheral wall having a non-circular cross section corresponding to that of the body, said finish of the container having downwardly extending axial stops extending downwardly from the threads thereof, said closure having said blunt leading end on the threads thereof abutting said downwardly extending stops on the finish to orient the closure with respect to the container.

5. The squeeze and turn child resistant package set forth in claim 4 wherein the configuration of said body of said container and said skirt of said closure are generally oval and have a long axis and a short axis and opposed vertical flat surfaces on the long axis on the container and the closure, said finger engaging portions on the closure comprising flat surfaces adjacent the lower portion of the peripheral wall for holding the container and squeezing the skirt.

6. The squeeze and turn child resistant package set forth in claim 1 wherein said chordal lugs are hinged to the inner surface of the skirt along a vertical axis and a horizontal axis.

7. The child resistant package set forth in claim 1 wherein said closure has an inner annular wall supporting said thread means.

8. The squeeze and turn package set forth in any one of claims 1-7 wherein said container has a shoulder below said finish and said abutments are on said shoulder.

9. The squeeze and turn package set forth in any one of claims 1-7 wherein said container has a neck below said thread means, a flange on said neck, and said abutments are on said flange.

10. A container for a squeeze and turn package comprising

a plastic container having a finish,

said container finish having an external thread thereon,

said container having opposed radially extending abutments, each abutment including a radial abutting surface,

said finish of said container including an integral radial projection adjacent said radial abutting surface of said abutment,

each said abutment having a radially and an axially engaging abutting surface,

said radial projection having a lesser radial extent than said abutment,

each said radial projection including a chordal surface intersecting said abutting surface at a right angle,

said radial projection having a circumferential outwardly arcuate surface extending to the chordal surface of said radial abutting surface of said finish.

11. The container set forth in claim 10 wherein said container has an axial stop extending downwardly from said threads of said finish and including an axial surface.

12. The container set forth in claim 10 wherein said container has a non-circular body portion and a circular finish, said downwardly extending axial stops outwardly of said finish and extending downwardly from the threads thereof, each said stop including an axial surface.

13. The container set forth in claim 12 wherein the configuration of said body of the container is generally oval and has a long axis and a short axis and has opposed vertical flat surfaces on the long axis.

14. The container set forth in any one of claims 10-13 wherein said container has a shoulder below said finish and said abutments are on said shoulder.

15. The container set forth in any one of claims 10-13 wherein said container has a neck below said thread means, a flange on said neck, and said abutments are on said flange.