Bayonet closure container combination with angled bayonet lugs

• US 7,703,617 B1
• Filed: 11/19/2004
• Issued: 04/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rexam Healthcare Packaging Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Rexam Closures and Containers (Ball Corporation)
• Inventors: Branson, Mark K., Willis, Clifton C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stashick; Anthony
• Assistant Examiner(s): WALKER, NED ANDREW
• Application Number:
  US10/994,038
• Time in Patent Office: 1,985 Days
• Field of Search: 215216-222, 215329-332, 215/342, 215/349, 220/293, 220/298
• US Class Current: 215/332
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 41/06 with bayonet cams , i.e. removed by first pushing axially to disengage the cams and then rotating
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 41/065 with integral internal sealing means
• 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

Abstract

A safety closure for use on a container neck having a closure top wall, an annular sidewall depending downwardly from an outer periphery of the top wall defining an open bottom opposite the top wall. The sidewall has inner annular surface with a plurality of lugs projecting inward therefrom, wherein each lug has a lug top surface forming an angle of incidence of greater than 90° with the inner annular surface of the annular sidewall. The plurality of lugs are engageable with a plurality of lug receiving notches in a plurality of bayonet lugs on a container neck. A spring member depends from the closure top wall and is resiliently engageable with the container neck to bias the safety closure away from the container neck. Optional closure retaining means may be incorporated within the closure, container, or both.

Claims

1. An efficient manufacturable safety bayonet closure comprising:

a top wall and a depending annular sidewall, said annular sidewall having a plurality of closure bayonet lugs projecting inward therefrom, each of said plurality of closure bayonet lugs are substantially aligned in a horizontal plane spaced from said top wall, each of said bayonet lugs having a lug top surface forming an angle of incidence with said annular sidewall, said angle of incidence being greater than 90° and

at most about 150°

;

a biasing spring resiliently engageable with said top wall of said closure and engageable with a rim of a container to bias said closure bayonet lugs against a container neck finish;

wherein said closure bayonet lugs have two opposing sidewalls angled towards each other, said lug sidewalls having an inner top edge and an inner bottom edge, said inner top edges of said two opposing sidewalls being a first distance from one another, said inner bottom edges of said two opposing sidewalls being a second distance from one another, said second distance being greater than said first distance, and wherein an inner front wall joins the opposing sidewalls, said inner front wall is being tapered in the direction of said lug top surface from a larger width near said inner bottom edges to a smaller width near said inner top edges.

2. The bayonet closure of claim 1 wherein said angle of incidence is between about 115°

and about 150°

.

3. The closure of claim 1 wherein said closure has a reinforcing band circumferentially surrounding a periphery of said closure having said plurality of closure lugs.

4. The bayonet closure of claim 1 having a sealing disk adjacent said spring and encircled by said annular side wall of said closure.

5. The bayonet closure as in claim 1 wherein opposing sidewalls of each of said bayonet lugs tapering inwardly towards each other from a lower end of said bayonet lug into said top surface of said bayonet lug.

6. The bayonet closure as in claim 1 wherein opposing sidewalls of each of said bayonet lugs tapering inwardly towards each other from said annular sidewall of said closure into a front wall of said bayonet lug.

7. The bayonet closure of claim 1 wherein said horizontal plane of said bayonet lugs spaced an average of at most about 0.25 inches from said top wall.

8. The closure of claim 7 wherein said closure has a disk spring, said disk spring being separated from said closure top wall by a depending post.