Threadable closure with split securing walls and locking notches

• US 8,051,999 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2009
• Issued: 11/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CVS Pharmacy Incorporated (CVS Health Corporation)
• Original Assignee: CVS Pharmacy Incorporated (CVS Health Corporation)
• Inventors: Rice, Chad E., Boyaval, Margaux, Beecroft, W. Gordon, Vassallo, John Anthony, Dombrowski, Brian, Bruchman, Joseph J., Carmody, Suzanne M., Foelsche, Gerhard Andrew, Petrie, Aidan, Nelsen, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Pickett; J. Gregory
• Assistant Examiner(s): WALKER, NED ANDREW
• Application Number:
  US12/398,456
• Publication Number:
  US 20090223985A1
• Time in Patent Office: 978 Days
• Field of Search: 215/216, 215/219, 215/330
• US Class Current: 215/330
• 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 closure construction of the present invention includes a container with male threading on the neck thereof with a pair of locking notches. The cap includes a pair of split arcuate walls with partial threading thereon, which provides, in cooperation with each other, a threaded connection between the cap and the male threading disposed thereby releasably securing the cap to the container. A pair of protrusions are connected to and emanate inwardly from the inner surface of the outer wall. The pair of protrusions are releasably respectively seated in the pair of locking notches when the cap is threaded past a predetermined point onto the neck of the container. When the cap is squeezed in a direction generally perpendicular to a line running through the protrusions, the protrusions lift out of their respective locking notches to permit the cap to be unthreaded from the container.

Claims

1. A closure construction, comprising:

a container having a bottom closed end with a neck defining a top open end;

male threading disposed on the neck and about the top open end;

a pair of locking notches residing in the neck on opposing sides of the top open end;

a cap removably connected to the neck of the container;

the cap including an outer shell with top wall, an outer wall, having an inner surface, and an open bottom end;

a pair of arcuate walls, each having a concave surface and connected to and downwardly depending from the top wall of the cap in spaced apart relation from each other defining a gap therebetween;

partial threading disposed on each of the concave surfaces of the arcuate walls to, in cooperation with each other, provide a threaded connection between the cap and the male threading disposed on the neck of the container thereby releasably securing the cap to the container;

a pair of protrusions connected to and emanating inwardly from the inner surface of the outer wall;

the pair of protrusions residing along a line running through the gap between the pair of arcuate walls and being releasably respectively seated in the pair of locking notches when the cap is threaded past a predetermined point onto the neck of the container to threadably lock the cap to the container.

2. The closure construction of claim 1, wherein the outer shell of the cap is flexible and compressible in a substantially perpendicular direction to the line running through the gap between the pair of arcuate walls;

whereby inward compression of the outer shell of the cap in a direction along the substantially perpendicular direction unseats the pair of protrusions from the pair of locking notches thereby permitting the cap to be unthreaded from the neck of the container.

3. The closure construction of claim 1, wherein the partial threading disposed on each of the concave surfaces of the arcuate walls is less than 360 degrees.

4. The closure construction of claim 1, wherein the outer shell of the cap has a width and a length, the width, as measured along the line running through the gap between the pair of arcuate walls, that is less than the length, as measured through a line substantially perpendicular to the line running through the gap between the pair of arcuate walls.

5. The closure construction of claim 1, wherein the pair of locking notches each includes a substantially vertical side and an angled side.

6. The closure construction of claim 1, wherein the pair of protrusions cam into respective locking engagement with the pair of locking notches.

7. The closure construction of claim 1, further comprising:

a stop member located on the container and engagable with the threading on at least one of the pair of arcuate walls.