Two piece reversible child resistant closure

• US 7,000,789 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2003
• Issued: 02/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Altium Healthcare Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Tri State Distribution Incorporated (Loews Corporation)
• Inventors: Miceli, David A., Miceli, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Newhouse, Nathan J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smalley, James N.
• Application Number:
  US10/356,493
• Publication Number:
  US 20040226907A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,114 Days
• Field of Search: 215/228, 215216-221, 215/230, 215/277, 215/330, 215/331, 215/204
• US Class Current: 215/228
• 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 50/041 the closure comprising nested inner and outer caps or an inner cap and an outer coaxial annular member, which can be brought into engagement to enable removal by rotation

Abstract

A reversible child-resistant closure system including a closure and container. The closure has a child resistant mode when applied to the container in a first child-resistant position and has a non-child resistant mode when applied to the container in a second non-child resistant position. The closure includes an outer cap and an inner cap. The inner cap is coaxially positioned and nested within the outer cap such that a plurality of angular abutment surfaces of the inner cap engage a series of angular abutments of the outer cap upon rotation of the outer cap to rotate the inner cap in a closing direction. However, upon rotation of the outer cap member in an opening direction in the absence of an axial force, the angular abutment surfaces of the inner cap cam over and past the series of angular abutments of the outer cap, preventing rotation of the inner cap.

Claims

1. A reversible child resistant closure for use with a container comprising a neck and an engaging means, the closure having a child resistant mode when applied to the container in a first child resistant orientation and having a non-child resistant mode when applied to the container in a second non-child orientation, the closure comprising:

An outer cap comprising a first circumferential sidewall extending from a top edge to a bottom edge, and an inward depending wall segment connected to said first circumferential sidewall and forming an annular channel therebetween, said first circumferential sidewall having an inner surface comprising a ridge disposed about the bottom edge, a non-child resistant engaging means for rotateable engagement with an engaging means of the container, and said inward depending wall segment comprising a first child resistant engaging means comprising a series of angular abutments extending from the lower edge of the inward depending wall segment; and

an inner cap comprising an upper surface, a second circumferential sidewall extending axially from said upper surface through a closure plane and forming a first annular lip below the closure plane inside a third circumferential sidewall that is connected to said second circumferential sidewall at said closure plane, wherein said third circumferential sidewall extends above and below the closure plane and has a first inner surface below the closure plane provided with a second child resistant engaging means for rotateable engagement with the engaging means of the container, and above the closure plane, the third circumferential sidewall provides a second annular lip for engagement with annular channel on the outer cap; and

radially disposed from said second annular lip, adjacent the closure plane, is a third child resistant means having a plurality of angular abutment surfaces complementary to the series of angular abutments on the outer cap,

the inner cap being coaxially positioned and nested within the outer cap and axially movable between the first child resistant engaging means of the outer cap and the ridge at the bottom edge of the outer cap such that the plurality of angular abutment surfaces of the inner cap can engage the series of angular abutments of the outer cap upon rotation of the outer cap to rotate the inner cap in a closing direction and in the absence of an axial force, cam over and past the series of angular abutments of the outer cap upon rotation of the outer cap member in an opening direction to prevent rotation of the inner cap.

2. The closure of claim 1 further comprising means for indicating complete closure.

3. The closure of claim 2, wherein the inner cap comprises a complete-closure indicating means on the lower edge of the third circumferential sidewall designed to engage a complimentary means on the neck of the container.

4. The closure of claim 3, wherein the complete-closure indicating means on the lower edge of the third circumferential sidewall comprises one or more tabs, and the complimentary means on the container comprises one or more depressions in a flange on the neck of the container.

5. The closure of claim 3, wherein the complete-closure indicating means on the lower edge of the third circumferential sidewall comprises one or more depressions, and the complimentary means on the container comprises one or more tabs in a flange on the neck of the container.

6. The closure of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the outer cap further comprises griping means having a plurality of knerlments disposed about an outer surface of the outer cap.

7. The closure of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the angular abutments of the outer cap comprise a first sloped side and a second vertical side, wherein the first sloped side and second vertical side define a first angle in a range of about 22 degrees to about 45 degrees.

8. The closure of claim 7, wherein the first angle is a range from about 25 degrees to about 33 degrees.

9. The closure of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the angular abutments of the inner cap comprise a first sloped side and a second vertical side, wherein the first sloped side and second vertical side define a second angle in a range from about 22 degrees to about 45 degrees.

10. The closure of claim 9, wherein the second angle is a range from about 25 degrees to about 33 degrees.

11. The closure of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the first angle is substantially complementary but not equal to the second angle.

12. The closure of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the top edge of the outer cap surrounds a central opening to expose the inner cap.

13. The closure of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the closure further compromises a liner adjacent an inner surface of the inner cap.

14. The closure of claim 13, wherein the liner is a double imprinted liner.

15. The closure of claim 14, wherein on one side of the liner for use in the child-resistant mode is marked the mechanism for removal of the cap, and on the other side of the cap, for use in the non-child resistant mode, is marked a cautionary statement indicating that the is not child-resistant.

16. The closure of claim 15, wherein the marking indicating the mechanism for cap removal in the child-resistant mode is in green and the marking indicating that the cap is in the non-child resistant mode is in red.

17. The closure of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the upper surface of the inner cap comprises an inner surface on which is marked a warning.

18. The closure of claim 17, wherein the warning comprises the words CAUTION NOT CHILD RESISTANT.

19. The closure of claim 18, wherein the warning is molded into the plastic and highlighted with red ink.