Child-resistant closure for pill containers

• US 6,095,364 A
• Filed: 04/09/1999
• Issued: 08/01/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Medex Packaging Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Medex Packaging Incorporated
• Inventors: Tousson, Maurice, Dickie, Robert G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shoap, Allan N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Eichwald, Rodrigo L.
• Application Number:
  US09/296,713
• Time in Patent Office: 480 Days
• Field of Search: 220/838, 220/837, 220/834, 220/833, 220/254, 220/259, 220/265, 215/235, 215/237, 206/459.5, 206/534
• US Class Current: 220/259.5
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 47/0852 consisting of a strap of flexible material
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 50/045 where one action elastically deforms or deflects at least part of the closure, the container or an intermediate element, e.g. a ring B65D50/041, B65D50/043 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/04 for dispensing annular, disc-shaped, or spherical or like small articles, e.g. tablets or pills

Abstract

A unitary child-resistant closure for pill containers, comprises a substantially rectangular base having an opening therein. A first fixed cover portion overlies more than 50% of the opening. There is a moveable closure member, and a hinge--usually, a living hinge--connecting the moveable closure member to the rectangular base. The moveable closure member has first and second major surfaces, which are its upper surface and lower surface when the moveable closure member is in its operative closure position. A camming member is upstanding from the second major surface of the moveable closure member at a first end thereof, and presents a sliding cam surface which is sloped in a direction towards the second major surface and away from the hinge. The first end of the camming member has a latch member formed therein, which extends beyond the first end of the moveable closure member and is spaced away from the second major surface by a distance which is at least equal to the thickness of the first fixed cover portion. A flexible spring member is formed between the second end of the camming member and the hinge, and terminates at one end thereof in the hinge. When the moveable closure member is in its operative closure position, the latch member extends beneath a first end of the fixed cover portion, and the first end of the moveable closure member is urged against the first end of the first fixed cover portion by the spring action of the flexible spring member.

Claims

1. A unitary child-resistant closure for pill containers, comprising:

a substantially rectangular base portion having opposed first and second end walls and opposed first and second side walls, and defining an opening therebetween;

a first fixed cover portion overlying more than 50% of said opening, more than 50% of said first and second side walls, and said second end wall;

a second moveable closure member; and

a hinge connecting said moveable closure member to said first end wall;

wherein said second moveable closure member has first and second major surfaces;

wherein said first major surface of said moveable closure member is the upper surface thereof when said moveable closure member is in its operative closure position so as to cover the remaining less then 50% of said opening, the remaining less than 50% of said first and second side walls, and said first end wall;

wherein said second major surface of said moveable closure member is the lower surface thereof when said moveable closure member is in its operative closure position;

wherein a camming member is upstanding from said second major surface of said moveable closure member at a first end thereof, and presents at least one sliding cam surface having a portion which is sloped in a direction towards said second major surface and having another portion slopped in a direction away from said hinge;

wherein said camming member has first and second ends, with said sliding cam surface terminating at said first end thereof;

wherein said first end of said camming member has a latch member formed therein, which latch member extends beyond said first end of said moveable closure member and is spaced away from said second major surface; and

wherein a flexible spring member is formed between said second end of said camming member and said hinge, and terminates in said hinge at the end of said flexible spring member which is remote from said second end of said camming member;

whereby, when said moveable closure member is in its operative closure position, said latch member extends beneath a first end of said fixed cover portion which is remote from said second end wall, and said first end of said moveable closure member is urged against said first end of said first fixed cover portion by the spring action of said flexible spring member.

2. The unitary child-resistant closure for pill containers of claim 1, wherein said hinge is a living hinge.

3. The unitary child-resistant closure for pill containers of claim 1, wherein said latch member is spaced away from said second major surface by a distance which is at least equal to the thickness of said first fixed cover portion.

4. The unitary child-resistant closure for pill containers of claim 1, wherein said camming member comprises a pair of opposed upstanding camming walls formed near the edges of said moveable closure member on the second major surface thereof;

and

wherein said latch member is formed in each of said opposed upstanding camming walls.

5. The unitary child-resistant closure for pill containers of claim 4, wherein said camming member comprises said pair of opposed upstanding camming walls and a pair of opposed first and second upstanding end walls;

wherein said first upstanding end wall is upstanding from said second major surface of said moveable closure member in a location behind said latch member; and

wherein said flexible spring member terminates at its end remote from said hinge in said second upstanding end wall.

6. The unitary child-resistant closure for pill containers of claim 1, wherein a portion of the edges and a portion of the first major surface of said moveable closure member each have serrations formed therein.

7. The unitary child-resistant closure for pill containers of claim 1, wherein said first fixed cover portion extends outwardly beyond said second end wall, and beyond said first and second side walls.

8. The unitary child-resistant closure for pill containers of claim 1, wherein, when said moveable closure member is in its operative closure position, it extends outwardly beyond said first end wall, and beyond said first and second side walls.

9. The unitary child-resistant closure for pill containers of claim 1, wherein said first fixed cover portion overlies from 60% to 75% of said opening in said rectangular base portion, leaving from 25% to 40% of said opening to be covered by said moveable closure member when it is in its operative closure position;

and

wherein, when said moveable closure member is in its operative open position, said 25% to 40% of said opening is uncovered by said moveable closure member.

10. The unitary child-resistant closure for pill containers of claim 1, wherein a downwardly extending projection is formed on the underside of said first fixed cover portion at said first end thereof.

11. The unitary child-resistant closure for pill containers of claim 1, in combination with a pill container, said pill container having a rectangular cross-section with a substantially rectangular open mouth formed at one end thereof.

12. The combination of claim 11, wherein engaging means are formed in said first and second end walls of said child-resistant closure, and in first and second end walls of said pill container, whereby said child-resistant closure is engagably retained by said engaging means in said pill container and on said end wall of said child-resistant closure with said substantially rectangular base portion thereof extending into said pill container past said substantially rectangular open mouth thereof.

13. The combination of claim 11, further comprising a label adhesively affixed to at least one side surface of said pill container and at least to the top surface of said first fixed portion of said child-resistant closure.

14. The combination of claim 13, wherein a portion of said label is also adhesively affixed to said first major surface of said moveable closure member.

15. The combination of claim 14, wherein said label has an opening therein through which serrations which are formed in said first major surface and at the edges of said moveable closure member will extend.

16. The combination of claim 15, wherein perforations are made in said label in the region thereof which is defined at the intersection of the at least one side surface of said pill container and said first major surface of said moveable closure member.