Patents by Inventor Mark K. Branson

Mark K. Branson has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8474634
    Abstract: A child resistant closure having an outer cap and an inner cap each of which has a base wall on a peripheral skirt with sets of lugs on the inner surface of the outer closure member and on the outer surface of the inner closure member which are adapted to be engaged when the members are moved axially toward one another. The outer surface of the inner cap is provided with a plurality of vents to allow for increased evacuation of fluid between the inner and outer cap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Rexam Healthcare Packaging Inc.
    Inventors: Mark K. Branson, Brian J. Brozell
  • Patent number: 8292101
    Abstract: A child resistant dispensing system having a flip-top closure. The flip-top closure has a push button positioned in the skirt of the flip-top lid wherein an opposed squeeze disengages the child resistant latch mechanism. The child resistant latch mechanism includes a latch projecting from the flip-top lid and engaging a projection of the closure body. A latch guide assists in positioning the latch during engagement with the projection of the closure body. The push button may be positioned substantially flush with the outside surface of the flip-top lid and closure body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Remax Healthcare Packaging Inc.
    Inventors: Jason Bragg, Mark K. Branson, Clifton C. Willis
  • Patent number: 8123058
    Abstract: A closure having a stopping mechanism whereby a stop lug is positionable between a flexed and unflexed position relative to a spring gap. The stop lug may project from a skirt of the closure top wall. The spring gap is positioned adjacent the stop lug to provide an area for the stop lug to travel when outside forces are applied to the stop lug and subsequently return back to the unflexed position. The stop lug may have a substantially vertical support rib in combination with a plurality of annularly spaced ribs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Rexam Healthcare Packaging Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Brozell, Kiran M. D'Silva, C. Edward Luker, J. Nathan Marret, John D. Mitchell, Mark K. Branson, Clifton C. Willis
  • Patent number: 7861873
    Abstract: A child resistant dispensing system having a flip-top closure. The flip-top closure has a push button positioned in the skirt of the flip-top lid wherein an opposed squeeze disengages the child resistant latch mechanism. The child resistant latch mechanism includes a latch projecting from the flip-top lid and engaging a projection of the closure body. A latch guide assists in positioning the latch during engagement with the projection of the closure body. The push button may be positioned substantially flush with the outside surface of the flip-top lid and closure body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: Rexam Closures and Containers Inc.
    Inventors: Jason Bragg, Mark K. Branson, Clifton C. Willis
  • Patent number: 7832578
    Abstract: Complementary load bearing surfaces are provided on a child resistant closure and container combination forming at least one load carrying member preventing axial forces under stacking load conditions from causing biasing, child resistance, and/or seal failure when the closure is in a stacking position on the complimentary container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: Rexam Closures and Containers Inc.
    Inventors: Clifton C. Willis, Mark K. Branson
  • Patent number: 7703617
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2010
    Assignee: Rexam Closures and Containers, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark K. Branson, Clifton C. Willis
  • Patent number: 7510094
    Abstract: A closure having a top wall, an annular side wall depending downwardly from the top wall defining an open bottom, an optional internal thread projecting inwardly from the inner annular surface of the annular side wall, and at least two lugs or two slots in a thread wherein the at least two lugs extend inward from the inner annular surface and at least one lug has a different arc length and at least one of the at least two slots in a thread is of a different arc length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2009
    Assignee: Rexam Closures and Containers Inc.
    Inventors: Clifton C. Willis, Mark K. Branson
  • Patent number: 6866164
    Abstract: A child resistant dispenser comprising a double-shelled threaded closure and dual opposed motion child resistant features. The child resistant dispenser comprises a double shelled closure having a first squeeze and turn child resistant feature. Hingeably attached to the closure is a lid. The lid has a squeeze and lift feature used to open the lid and access the dispenser comprising the second child resistant feature. The child resistant dispenser may be disposed on a container and in fluid communication therewith.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2005
    Assignee: Rexam Medical Packaging Inc.
    Inventors: Mark K. Branson, Clifton C. Willis
  • Publication number: 20030201283
    Abstract: A child resistant dispenser comprising a double-shelled threaded closure and dual opposed motion child resistant features. The child resistant dispenser comprises a double shelled closure having a first squeeze and turn child resistant feature. Hingeably attached to the closure is a lid. The lid has a squeeze and lift feature used to open the lid and access the dispenser comprising the second child resistant feature. The child resistant dispenser may be disposed on a container and in fluid communication therewith.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2002
    Publication date: October 30, 2003
    Applicant: Rexam Medical Packaging Inc.
    Inventors: Mark K. Branson, Clifton C. Willis
  • Publication number: 20020166834
    Abstract: A modified thread design for use with a bottle and child resistant closure combination is described. The thread varies in thickness from the first end of the thread to the second end, but the thread pitch remains constant as the thread thickness varies. The modified thread design affects the rate at which the closure rises or falls along the bottle neck, and in a preferred embodiment, the thicknesses of the thread and the thread pitch are selected to allow the closure to rise at a rate that allows cap lugs on the closure to clear bottle lugs on the neck with no more than one revolution of the closure, and falls at a rate that allows the safety features to be engaged when the cap lugs pass over the bottle lugs one time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2001
    Publication date: November 14, 2002
    Inventors: Mark K. Branson, Narda A. Jones
  • Patent number: 6431380
    Abstract: A closure is described wherein a flip top is provided with a child-resistant opening mechanism. The flip top closure is attached to a neck finish, fitment or other container spout and includes a flip top that is hingedly attached to a depending sidewall. The child-resistant mechanism includes a retention tab that engages a retention bead when the flip top is closed, but allows the top to be opened by the alignment of the retention tab with a retention lug, located on the neck finish or fitment, over which the retention tab may slide when upward force is applied to a thumb tab attached to the top. The interaction of the retention tab and the retention lug when the flip top is closed prevents the closure from being automatically aligned for opening, after the closure is closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Assignee: Rexam Medical Packaging Inc.
    Inventor: Mark K. Branson
  • Patent number: 5927527
    Abstract: The present closure and container combination comprises a child resistant squeeze and turn closure having a tamper indicating band which is removed from the closure after the first removal of the closure from the container. The closure has dual squeeze pads located opposite one another on the outer wall of the closure. Formed at 90 degrees from the squeeze pads are two child resistant lugs which extend inwardly from the closure lower skirt wall. The child resistant lugs extend downwardly below the lowermost edge of the annular skirt of the closure. Frangible webs are positioned at 45 degrees from the external tabs and the squeeze pads and retain the tamper indicating band onto the closure side wall. A first and a second child resistant container lug contacts the closure lugs and are placed on the neck of the container above the tamper indicating bead. The child resistant feature of the closure needs to be overcome before the tamper indicating band is fractured from the closure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 27, 1999
    Assignee: Rexam Plastics, Inc.
    Inventors: Gary V. Montgomery, Elizabeth Rudolph, Mark K. Branson, Jeffrey C. Minnette, C. Ed Luker
  • Patent number: D589794
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2009
    Assignee: Rexam Closures and Containers Inc.
    Inventors: Mark K. Branson, Clifton C. Willis
  • Patent number: D607326
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2010
    Assignee: Rexam Closures and Containers Inc.
    Inventors: Mark K. Branson, Karla Koring, Clifton C. Willis