Adult friendly child-resistant package

• US 6,036,036 A
• Filed: 03/02/1998
• Issued: 03/14/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Declerck, Johan Willy, Vuijk, Jelle Dankert, Pucci, Maurizio, Bilani, Nady
• Primary Examiner(s): NEWHOUSE, NATHAN JEFFREY
• Application Number:
  US08/981,376
• Time in Patent Office: 743 Days
• Field of Search: 215/216, 215/217, 215/218, 215/219, 215/221, 215/253, 215/250, 215/330, 215/204, 215/207, 215/278, 220/281, 222/548, 222/551, 222/562
• 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

The child-resistant package (100) can be readily opened by an adult with a one-hand operation. The pushtab (123, 123'"'"'), which together with the interlocking tooth (119) form the child-resistant feature of the package, is placed on the closure (120). Therefore, an adult user may easily depress said pushtab and at the same time disengage said closure to open said package by using only one hand for both operations.

Claims

1. A child-resistant package (100) comprising a container (110) and a closure (120), said package being suitable for storing and dispensing potentially dangerous products, said container comprising an upper portion (115), said upper portion comprising a first engaging means (118) for releasably securing said closure to said container, said closure comprising an inner skirt (121) which comprises second engaging means (118a) corresponding to said first engaging means of said upper portion for releasably securing said closure to said container, said closure further comprising an outer skirt (122), generally concentrically aligned with said inner skirt, said upper portion of said container further comprises at least an interlocking tooth (119), and said closure further comprises at least one resiliently deformable pushtab (123), said upper portion (115) further comprises a neck portion (117) and a shoulder portion (116), said neck portion comprising an opening (112), said shoulder portion comprising at least said interlocking tooth (119), said shoulder portion (116) further comprises a surrounding wall (130), and said interlocking tooth (119) a cut (135) through the thickness of said surrounding wall, said cut being dimensioned to fully accommodate said pushtab (123), and at least part of said pushtab is inwardly moveable when a squeezing force is applied to said inwardly movable part of said pushtab, said pushtab having an exposed surface contour which generally conforms to the exterior surface contour of the adjacent portions of said outer skirt, said interlocking tooth and said pushtab being so formed and positioned to prevent removing of said closure from said container to open said package unless said pushtab is first depressed to disengage said pushtab from said interlocking tooth before said container is opened, and at least part of said exposed surface contour of said pushtab faces the innermost surface of said interlocking tooth when said closure is disengaged from said container.

2. A child-resistant package (100) comprising a container (110) and a closure (120), said package being suitable for storing and dispensing potentially dangerous products, said container comprising an upper portion (115), said upper portion comprising a first engaging means (118) for releasably securing said closure to said container, said closure comprising an inner skirt (121) which comprises second engaging means (118a) corresponding to said first engaging means of said upper portion for releasably securing said closure to said container, said closure further comprising an outer skirt (122), generally concentrically aligned with said inner skirt, said upper portion of said container further comprises at least an interlocking tooth (119), said closure farther comprises at least one resiliently deformable pushtab (123), said pushtab (123) is connected with a spring (126) to said inner skirt (121) of said closure (120), and at least part of said pushtab is inwardly moveable when a squeezing force is applied to said inwardly movable part of said pushtab, said pushtab having an exposed surface contour which generally conforms to the exterior surface contour of the adjacent portions of said outer skirt, said interlocking tooth and said pushtab being so formed and positioned to prevent removing of said closure from said container to open said package unless said pushtab is first depressed to disengage said pushtab from said interlocking tooth before said container is opened, and at least part of said exposed surface contour of said pushtab faces the innermost surface of said interlocking tooth when said closure is disengaged from said container.

3. A package according to claim 2 wherein said spring (326) comprises a lug (327) and said interlocking tooth comprises a roof (330).

4. A child-resistant package (100) comprising a container (110) and a closure (120), said package being suitable for storing and dispensing potentially dangerous products, said container comprising an upper portion (115), said upper portion comprising a neck portion (117) and a first engaging means (118) for releasably securing said closure to said container, said closure comprising an inner skirt (121) which comprises second engaging means (118a) corresponding to said first engaging means of said upper portion for releasably securing said closure to said container, said closure further comprising an outer skirt (122), generally concentrically aligned with said inner skirt, said upper portion of said container further comprises at least an interlocking tooth (119), said closure further comprises at least one resiliently deformable pushtab (123), said pushtab comprises an inner wall (312) and an outer wall (310), said inner wall further comprises a lateral wall (316) which is located slightly behind said inner wall towards said neck portion between said interlocking tooth and said neck portion when said closure is in its closing position, and at least part of said pushtab is inwardly moveable when a squeezing force is applied to said inwardly movable part of said pushtab, said pushtab having an exposed surface contour which generally conforms to the exterior surface contour of the adjacent portions of said outer skirt, said interlocking tooth and said pushtab being so formed and positioned to prevent removing of said closure from said container to open said package unless said pushtab is first depressed to disengage said pushtab from said interlocking tooth before said container is opened, and at least part of said exposed surface contour of said pushtab faces the innermost surface of said interlocking tooth when said closure is disengaged from said container.

5. A child-resistant package (100) comprising a container (110) and a closure (120), said package being suitable for storing and dispensing potentially dangerous products, said container comprising an upper portion (115), said upper portion comprising a first engaging means (118) for releasably securing said closure to said container, said closure comprising an inner skirt (121) which comprises second engaging means (118a) corresponding to said first engaging means of said upper portion for releasably securing said closure to said container, said closure further comprising an outer skirt (122), generally concentrically aligned with said inner skirt, wherein said upper portion of said container further comprises at least an interlocking tooth (119), said upper portion comprises a neck portion (117) and a shoulder portion (116), said shoulder portion further comprises a surrounding wall (130), said closure further comprises at least one resiliently deformable pushtab (123), said pushtab is preloaded to provide a force against said surrounding wall, said pushtab comprises lateral wings (225), which will maintain said pushtab locked within said skirt, and at least part of said pushtab is inwardly moveable when a squeezing force is applied to said inwardly movable part of said pushtab, said pushtab having an exposed surface contour which generally conforms to the exterior surface contour of the adjacent portions of said outer skirt, said interlocking, tooth and said pushtab being so formed and positioned to prevent removing of said closure from said container to open said package unless said pushtab is first depressed to disengage said pushtab from said interlocking tooth before said container is opened, and at least part of said exposed surface contour of said pushtab faces the innermost surface of said interlocking tooth when said closure is disengaged from said container.

6. A child-resistant package (100) comprising a container (110) and a closure (120), said package being suitable for storing and dispensing potentially dangerous products, said container comprising an upper portion (115), said upper portion comprising a first engaging means (118) for releasably securing said closure to said container, said closure comprising an inner skirt (121) which comprises second engaging means (118a) corresponding to said first engaging means of said upper portion for releasably securing said closure to said container, said closure further comprising an outer skirt (122), generally concentrically aligned with said inner skirt, said upper portion of said container further comprises at least two interlocking teeth (119), said closure further comprises two pushtabs (123) opposite to each other, said closure (400) comprises a housing (410) and a fitment (420), said housing comprising said outer skirt and cuts through the thickness of said housing corresponding to the location of said two pushtabs (423), and said fitment is inserted inside said housing, said fitment further comprising said inner skirt (421) and said two pushtabs, and at least a part of said pushtabs is inwardly moveable when a squeezing force is applied to said inwardly movable part of said pushtabs, said pushtabs having an exposed surface contour which generally conforms to the exterior surface contour of the adjacent portions of said outer skirt, said interlocking teeth and said pushtabs being so formed and positioned to prevent removing of said closure from said container to open said package unless said pushtabs are first depressed to disengage said pushtabs from said interlocking teeth before said container is opened, and at least part of said exposed surface contour of said pushtabs faces the innermost surface of said interlocking teeth when said closure is disengaged from said container.

7. A package according to claim 6 wherein said housing has an upper hole (407) and said fitment passes at least partially through said hole, said fitment providing the closure of said container.

8. A child-resistant package (100) comprising a container (110) and a closure (120), said package being suitable for storing and dispensing potentially dangerous products, said container comprising an upper portion (115). said upper portion comprising a first engaging means (118) for releasably securing said closure to said container, said closure comprising an inner skirt (121) which comprises second engaging means (118a) corresponding to said first engaging means of said upper portion for releasably securing said closure to said container, said closure further comprising an outer skirt (122), generally concentrically aligned with said inner skirt, wherein said upper portion of said container further comprises at least an interlocking tooth (119), said upper portion comprises a neck portion (117) and a shoulder portion (116), said shoulder portion further comprises a surrounding wall (130), said closure further comprises at least one resiliently deformable pushtab (123), said pushtab is preloaded to provide a force against said surrounding wall, said outer skirt (122) comprises lateral wings (225), which will maintain said pushtab locked within said skirt, and at least part of said pushtab is inwardly moveable when a squeezing force is applied to said inwardly movable part of said pushtab, said pushtab having an exposed surface contour which generally conforms to the exterior surface contour of the adjacent portions of said outer skirt, said interlocking tooth and said pushtab being so formed and positioned to prevent removing of said closure from said container to open said package unless said pushtab is first depressed to disengage said pushtab from said interlocking tooth before said container is opened, and at least part of said exposed surface contour of said pushtab faces the innermost surface of said interlocking tooth when said closure is disengaged from said container.