CHILD-RESISTANT CAP AND CONTAINER ASSEMBLY

A child-resistant container assembly for selectively storing materials is provided. The child-resistant container assembly includes a cap and a container. The cap has a top wall and a sidewall. First and second levers are positioned in respective gaps in the sidewall and are pivotably connected thereto via hinges. The container includes a neck positioned at an upper end thereof, having a radially outwardly extending, circumferentially tapering locking rib. The locking rib defines at least one locking edge, at a largest diameter of the locking rib, and at least one base edge, at a smallest diameter of the locking rib. To remove the cap from the container, the first and second levers are manually pivoted to clear the at least one locking edge, in order to permit sufficient rotation of the cap relative to the container to remove the cap from the container.

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Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/990,418, filed on May 8, 2014, entitled “Child-Resistant Cap and Container Assembly,” the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The preferred invention relates generally to container assemblies and, more specifically, to a combination container and a removable, single wall child-resistant cap that remains generally easy to open by elderly users.

Container assemblies for pharmaceutical or nutritional products as well as other components are known. Container assemblies typically include a cap for containing a pharmaceutical or nutritional product within a bottle or other container. The cap may be “child-resistant,” which can mean that the cap is relatively difficult for children to remove from the container and/or the cap has passed performance tests with respect to a degree or level of difficulty for children and seniors in removing the cap from the container.

Conventional child-resistant caps may require squeezing sides of the cap while simultaneously turning the cap relative to the container to open the container or remove the cap from the container. The cap may include a threaded inner wall that engages matching threads located on the bottle neck and an outer wall that can be squeezed on either side to deform the shape of the closure. The inner wall and outer wall of such existing caps essentially create a cap within a cap that is difficult to manufacture and relatively expensive. When the outer wall of the known cap is squeezed at the designated opposing sides toward the inner wall, the deformed oval shape of the outer wall allows locking lugs located on the inside of the outer wall to move outward and away from matching lugs on the bottle. The lugs extend upwardly from a shelf on the bottle, thereby forming a generally U-shape with the neck of the bottle that is also difficult to manufacture. Such a design is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,927,526, wherein the bottle locking lugs are located in a position where the neck meets the body of the bottle. Such lugs located where the neck meets the body can be difficult to manufacture, particularly if using a blow molding process. Such double-wall closures and corresponding bottles are expensive to manufacture, difficult to manufacture, often result in out of tolerance goods that must be rejected and difficult to use.

It would be desirable to design and construct a container assembly the does not require full deformation of the cap to open and a bottle that has locking lugs located in a position that are readily manufacturable when compared to those of conventional containers or bottles. The assembly of the present invention overcomes and/or eliminates at least one of the above or other shortcomings of the conventional devices.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Briefly stated, a preferred embodiment of the present invention is directed to a child-resistant container assembly for selectively storing materials. The child-resistant container assembly comprises a cap having a top wall and a sidewall or skirt extending downwardly from the top wall to a terminal end and having internal threads defined on an internal surface thereof. A first gap is defined in the sidewall and a second opposing gap is defined in the sidewall. A first lever is positioned substantially in the first gap and connected to the sidewall by a first hinge or torsional stress member, and a second lever is positioned substantially in the second gap and connected to the sidewall by a second hinge or torsional stress member. The first and second levers include respective first and second proximal ends, respective first and second distal ends, and a generally smooth interior surface extending between the proximal and distal ends thereof. The respective distal ends of the first and second levers extend downwardly past the terminal end of the sidewall or the skirt.

In another preferred embodiment, the present invention is directed to a container assembly comprising a container having a cylindrical body, an upper end and a lower end, a shoulder and a neck positioned at the upper end. The neck has external threads formed on an external surface thereof for mating with internal threads of the cap. A circumferentially tapering locking rib extends radially outwardly from the external surface of the neck between the external threads and the shoulder, and defines at least one locking edge at a largest diameter of the locking rib, and at least one base edge, at a smallest diameter of the locking rib. The at least one locking edge of the locking rib impacts at least one of the first and second levers in a locked position of the cap, thereby resisting sufficient rotation of the cap relative to the container to remove the cap from the container. The first and second levers are manually pivotable about the first and second hinges or torsional stress members, respectively, such that the first and second proximal ends pivot radially inwardly toward one another and the first and second distal ends pivot radially outwardly away from one another, thereby clearing the at least one locking edge and permitting sufficient rotation of the cap relative to the container to remove the cap from the container.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of the invention, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there is shown in the drawings an embodiment which is presently preferred. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a container assembly in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the container assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is side perspective view of a container of the container assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a bottom perspective view of a cap of the container assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a magnified side perspective view of the container assembly of FIG. 1, focusing on a lever and associated torsional stress member of the cap and a locking rib of the container, wherein the cap is positioned in a locked position relative to the container; and

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the container assembly of FIG. 1.

 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Certain terminology is used in the following description for convenience only and is not limiting. Unless specifically set forth herein, the terms “a”, “an” and “the” are not limited to one element but instead should be read as meaning “at least one”. The words “right,” “left,” “lower,” “upper” and words of similar import designate directions in the drawings to which reference is made. The words “inwardly” or “distally” and “outwardly” or “proximally” refer to directions toward and away from, respectively, the geometric center or orientation of the device and related parts thereof. The terminology includes the above-listed words, derivatives thereof and words of similar import.

Referring to FIGS. 1-6, a container assembly, generally designated 10, includes a container 12 and a cap 14. The container assembly 10 may be used for storing and/or dispensing pharmaceutical or nutritional products, such as tablets, caplets, capsules or other forms of medication. The container assembly 10 is not limited to storing pharmaceutical or nutritional products and may store nearly any product that is able to fit into the container 12. The container assembly 10 may also be used for storing materials other than medication, such as a powder for drug reconstitution, cleaners, industrial chemicals or other related materials that are preferably shielded or locked from access by children or other categories of persons. The container 12 and cap 14 of the preferred container assembly 10 cooperate to selectively close and/or open to contain or provide access to the contents of the container 12. The container 12 is preferably formed of a polymeric material, such as a high density polyethylene (HDPE) or any material that is appropriate for the contents to be stored in the container 12, is able to be formed into the general size and shape of the container 12 and is able to withstand the normal operating conditions of the container 12. The cap 14 is preferably formed of a polymeric material, such as material exhibiting elastic and shape memory characteristics. The cap 14 may be constructed of various polymeric materials, for example, polypropylene or other related materials. The container 12 and cap 14 are not limited to constructions using polymeric materials and may be constructed of nearly any material that is able to take on the general size and shape of the container 12 and cap 14, perform the preferred functions of the container 12 and cap 14, as are described in greater detail below, and withstand the normal operating conditions of the container 12 and cap 14.

As used herein, the term “container” refers to any type of storage receptacle for holding solid, liquid or gaseous material, including but not limited to bottles, vials, tubes, vessels, or other receptacles, having at least one opening for depositing or dispensing contents therefrom. The term “cap” refers to any type of closure for closing the opening of a container, including but not limited to lids, covers and seals. The term “child-resistant” as used herein means that the cap 14 may be difficult for a child to remove from the container 12 or has been tested to qualify as a “child-resistant” cap.

Referring to FIG. 3, the container 12 preferably has a generally cylindrical body 12a defining a cavity or containment area 16 therein. The container 12 is not limited to having the generally cylindrical body 12a and may have any number of cross-sectional configurations, including cylindrical, oblong, rectangular, cube-shaped, box-shaped, polygonal or nearly any size and/or shape that is desired by the user or designer. The body 12a preferably has a first or upper end 12b and an opposing second or lower end 12c. The first end 12b preferably includes a shoulder 18 that separates the cylindrical body 12a from a neck 20 of the container 12 and an opening 22 at the top of the neck 20. The opening 22 preferably provides access into the containment area 16, so that medication, nutritional products or other components can be deposited into the container 12 and dispensed from the container 12.

Referring to FIG. 4, the cap 14 preferably includes a top wall 14a and a skirt or sidewall 14b that extends downwardly from the top wall 14a. The sidewall 14b preferably includes interior threads 24a on the inside of the sidewall 14b that interact with external threads 24b on an external surface of the neck 20. The interior threads 24a on the cap 14 interact with the external threads 24b to selectively secure the cap 14 to the container 12 and selectively remove the cap 14 from the container 12. The cap 14 and container 12 are not limited to inclusion of the internal 24a and external threads 24b and may include alternative engagement mechanisms and/or methods, such as a clamping mechanism, a ratchet mechanism or other mechanisms or systems that permit selective engagement of the cap 14 to the container 12 such that the top wall 14a covers the opening 22 in a closed or mounted configuration.

Referring to FIGS. 1-6, the skirt or sidewall 14b of the cap 14 preferably includes a terminal end 14c that is spaced from the top wall 14a with the internal threads 24a positioned on the internal surface of the sidewall 14b between the top wall 14a and the terminal end 14c. A pair of gaps 26 is preferably defined in the sidewall 14b and levers 28 are positioned in the gaps 26 that are substantially separated from the top wall 14a. The levers 28 are preferably movably attached to the sidewalls 14b such that the levers 28 are movable when a user grasps and squeezes the levers 28. The levers 28 are preferably connected to the sidewall 14b by torsional stress members or hinges 30 that connect to sides of the levers 28 and the sidewalls 14a at edges of the gaps 26. As shown best in FIG. 2, the torsional stress members 30 corresponding to each of the levers 28 are each comprised of a pair of members extending from side surfaces of the respective levers 28. In the illustrated embodiment, the pair of members have substantially oval cross-sections. However, the members are not limited to having oval cross-sections, but may alternatively define different cross-sectional shapes such as round, square, rectangular or the like. The cap 14 is not limited to including two levers 28 in two gaps 26 formed in the sidewalls 14b and the cap 14 may include only a single lever in a single gap or may include more than two levers and gaps in the cap 14. The pair of levers 28 in the two gaps 26 are preferred to simplify operation of the container assembly 10 for the user and for relative ease of manufacture. Each of the levers 28 preferably includes a distal end 28a that extends downwardly beyond the terminal end 14c of the sidewall 14b, a proximal end 28b that is positioned above the torsional stress members 30 and extends to a position preferably, substantially even with the top wall 14a, and a generally smooth interior surface extending between the proximal and distal ends 28b, 28a. The levers 28 are not limited to being connected to the sidewall 14b with the torsional stress members 30 and may be connected by mechanical hinges, mechanisms, assemblies or other devices that permit pivoting or movement of the levers 28 relative to the sidewalls 14b. Preferably, the torsional stress members 30 accommodate pivoting of the levers 28 such that the distal ends 28a move away from a central cap axis 14d of the cap 14 when the proximal ends 28b are depressed toward the central cap axis 14d, as is described in greater detail below.

The preferred cap 14 includes gripping surfaces 38 at least partially formed on the top wall 14a and the sidewall 14b that facilitate grasping of the cap 14 by the user and rotation of the cap 14 relative to the container 12. The gripping surfaces 38 are comprised of a plurality of gripping ribs 38 in the preferred embodiment that extend outwardly from the top wall 14a and the sidewalls 14b, having a substantially consistent external diameter. The gripping surfaces 38 are not limited to being comprised of the gripping ribs 38 and may be comprised of nearly any surface treatment or feature that facilitates gripping of the cap 14 by the user for rotation of the cap 14 relative to the container 12. The gripping surfaces 38 may be comprised of surface depressions, dots, knurled surfaces or other surface treatments that facilitate gripping by the user.

In the preferred embodiment, the container 12 includes a circumferentially tapering locking rib 32 that protrudes radially outwardly from the neck 20 between the external threads 24b and the shoulder 18. The locking rib 32 is preferably integrally formed with the container 12 and includes a first circumferentially tapering rib portion 32a and a second circumferentially tapering rib portion 32b. The first and second rib portions 32a, 32b preferably circumferentially taper from a respective locking edge 34, that has a first diameter relative to a central container axis 12d, to a respective base edge 36, that has a second diameter relative to the central container axis 12d. The first diameter is greater than the second diameter to define the locking edges 34, which are preferably defined at opposing sides of the container 12 on the locking rib 32. The locking rib 32 is not limited to including two opposing base edges 36 and locking edges 34 and may include a single locking edge and a single base edge or multiple additional locking edges and base edges, but the two opposing base edges 36 and locking edges 34 are preferred and correspond to the pair of levers 28 such that the levers 28 interact with the base edges 36 and the locking edges 34 during use.

The first and second rib portions 32a, 32b preferably taper relatively smoothly in a circumferential direction from the locking edge 34 to the base edge 36 to facilitate sliding of the distal ends 28a of the levers 28 along the locking rib 32 in a cap closing direction, as will be described in greater detail below, but are not so limited and may have nearly any size and/or shape that permits engagement with the levers 28 to permit tightening of the cap 14 onto the neck 20 of the container 12 and resistance of removal of the cap 14 from the container 12 by resisting movement of the levers 28 relative to the locking rib 32 in a loosening direction, as will also be described in greater detail below.

Referring to FIGS. 2-4, in the preferred embodiment, a first locking surface 35a is define between the locking edge 34 of the first locking rib 32a and the base edge 36 of the second locking rib 32b. The first locking surface 35a extends substantially perpendicularly outwardly from an outside surface of the neck 20. The first locking surface 35a preferably engages the side of one of the levers 28 in the mounted or locked configuration to prevent opening rotation of the cap 14 relative to the container 12. The container 12 also preferably includes a second locking surface (not shown) defined between the locking edge 34 of the second locking rib 32b and the base edge 36 of the first locking rib 32a. The first and second locking surfaces 35a are not limited to extending substantially perpendicularly outwardly relative to the outer surface of the neck 20, but preferably extend outwardly to create an impediment or block to limit or prevent rotation of the cap 14 relative to the container 12 until the levers 28 are pivoted such that the distal ends 28a clear the locking edged 34, as is described in greater detail below. The first and second locking surfaces 35a are also not limited to being constructed of surfaces and may be comprised of undercuts (not shown) that engage protrusions (not shown) on the levers 28 that prevent outward movement of the distal ends 28a away from the neck 20 until the cap 14 is moved a predetermined distance in the closing direction relative to the container 12 so that the protrusions move out of the undercuts.

Referring to FIGS. 1-6, in operation, medication or other material is inserted into the container 12 through the opening 22 for storage. The cap 14 is placed over the opening 22 and the user grasps the gripping surfaces 38 with one hand while holding the container 12 with the opposite hand or otherwise securing the container 12 from rotational movement relative to the cap 14. The cap 14 is preferably rotated in a clockwise direction, as instructed by a “TO CLOSE” arrow 40 (See FIG. 6) to engage the internal threads 24a of the cap 14 with the external threads 24b of the container 12. The distal ends 28a of the levers 28 move downwardly toward the shoulder 18 and come into contact with the locking rib 32 as the cap 14 moves toward the container 12. The torsional stress members 30 facilitate pivoting of the distal end 28a away from the central cap axis 14d and pivoting of the proximal end 28b toward the central cap axis 14d as the distal end 28a slides along the taper of the locking rib 32 from the base edge 36 toward the locking edge 34. The distal end 28a rides along the locking rib 32 until the distal ends 28a slide over the locking edges 34.

When respective trailing edges of the distal ends 28a clear the locking edge 34, the torsional stress members 30 cause the distal ends 28a to pivot inwardly toward the central cap axis 14d, preferably creating an audible “click” as the distal ends 28a impact the locking rib proximate the base edge 36 of the locking rib 32. The audible “click” is preferred to provide an audible indication to the user that the cap 14 is fully seated on the container 12 and is located in its locked position. The container assembly 10 may then be stored for later use with the cap 14 secured to the container in this locked position. If a child or other individual attempts to remove the cap 14 from the container 12, rotation of the cap 14 relative to the container 12 in a counterclockwise direction, per the “TO OPEN” arrow 42 of FIG. 6, results in the distal ends 28a of the levers 28 impacting the locking edges 34 and resisting removal of the cap 14 from the container 12.

To remove the cap 14 from the container 12, the user squeezes the proximal ends 28b of the levers 28 toward each other and toward the central cap axis 14d. When the proximal ends 28b are squeezed, the distal ends 28a of the levers 28 pivot radially outwardly about pivot axes 31 defined by the torsional stress members 30. The application of sufficient force to the proximal ends 28b causes the distal ends 28a to pivot to a diameter that is greater than the diameter of the locking edges 34 from the central cap axis 14d, i.e., the distal ends 28a clear the locking edges 34. The user concurrently grasps the gripping surfaces 38 to rotate the cap 14 relative to the container 12 in the counterclockwise direction, as indicated by the “TO OPEN” arrow 42. The pivoting of the distal ends 28a away from the central cap axis 14d permits the distal ends 28a to clear the locking edges 34 during the counterclockwise rotation. After approximately one-quarter turn of the cap 14 relative to the container 12, the distal ends 28a are able to slide along the first and second rib portions 32a, 32b of the locking rib 32 while the cap 14 is further rotated relative to the container 12. Continued rotation of the cap 14 relative to the container 12 results in disengagement of the internal threads 24a from the external threads 24b and the cap 14 may be removed from the container 12. The medication or other materials may be removed from the container 12 and the cap 14 may be re-attached to the container 12 for subsequent storage, as was described above.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes could be made to the embodiment described above without departing from the broad inventive concept thereof. It is understood, therefore, that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiment disclosed, but it is intended to cover modifications within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A child-resistant container assembly for selectively storing materials, the child-resistant container assembly comprising:

a cap having a top wall and a sidewall extending from the top wall to a terminal end and having internal threads defined on an internal surface thereof, a first gap defined in the sidewall and a second opposing gap defined in the sidewall, a first lever positioned substantially in the first gap and connected to the sidewall by a first hinge, a second lever positioned substantially in the second gap and connected to the sidewall by a second hinge, the first and second levers including respective first and second proximal ends, respective first and second distal ends, and each of the first and second levers having a generally smooth interior surface extending between the proximal and distal ends thereof, the respective distal ends of the first and second levers extending downwardly past the terminal end of the sidewall; and
a container including a cylindrical body, an upper end and a lower end, a shoulder and a neck positioned at the upper end, the neck having external threads formed on an external surface thereof for mating with the internal threads of the cap, a circumferentially tapering locking rib extending radially outwardly from the external surface of the neck between the external threads and the shoulder, the locking rib defining at least one locking edge at a largest diameter of the locking rib, and at least one base edge at a smallest diameter of the locking rib, wherein the first and second levers are configured such that the at least one locking edge of the locking rib impacts at least one of the first and second levers in a locked position of the cap, thereby resisting rotation of the cap relative to the container to remove the cap from the container, the first and second levers being manually pivotable about the first and second hinges, respectively, such that the first and second proximal ends pivot radially inwardly toward one another and the first and second distal ends pivot radially outwardly away from one another, thereby clearing the at least one locking edge and permitting sufficient rotation of the cap relative to the container to remove the cap from the container.

2. The child-resistant container assembly of claim 1, wherein the first and second hinges of the cap are torsional stress members.

3. The child-resistant container assembly of claim 1, wherein the cap further comprises a plurality of vertical ribs located circumferentially around the sidewall and spanning between an upper end and the terminal end of the cap, the plurality of vertical ribs having a substantially consistent external diameter.

4. The child-resistant container assembly of claim 1, wherein the first and second levers, the locking rib and the neck are configured such that an audible sound confirms that the cap has reached the locked position when the cap is rotated onto the container.

5. The child-resistant container assembly of claim 4, wherein the audible sound is created by tension of the first and second levers on the locking rib of the container after respective trailing edges of the first and second levers pass over the at least one locking edge of the locking rib, thereby causing the first and second levers to snap inwardly onto the neck of the container.

6. The child-resistant container assembly of claim 1, wherein the locking rib includes a first circumferentially tapering rib portion and a second circumferentially tapering rib portion, the first and second rib portions being configured to slidably engage the respective smooth interior surfaces of the first and second levers as the cap is rotated relative to the container.

7. The child-resistant container assembly of claim 6, wherein a first of the at least one locking edge is defined at a largest diameter of the first rib portion and a second of the at least one locking edge is defined at a largest diameter of the second rib portion.

8. The child-resistant container assembly of claim 7, wherein a first of the at least one base edge is defined at a smallest diameter of the first rib portion and a second of the at least one base edge is defined at a smallest diameter of the second rib portion.

9. The child-resistant container assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one locking edge includes a first locking edge and a second locking edge.

10. The child-resistant container assembly of claim 9, wherein the first locking edge is positioned on an opposite side of the neck relative to the second locking edge.

11. The child-resistant container assembly of claim 9, wherein the at least one base edge includes a first base edge and a second base edge.

12. The child-resistant container assembly of claim 11, wherein a first locking surface is defined between the first base edge and the first locking edge, the first locking surface extending substantially perpendicularly outwardly from an outside surface of the neck.

13. A child-resistant container assembly for selectively storing materials, the child-resistant container assembly comprising:

a cap having a top wall and a sidewall extending from the top wall to a terminal end and having internal threads defined on an internal surface thereof, a first gap defined in the sidewall and a second opposing gap defined in the sidewall, a first lever positioned substantially in the first gap and connected to the sidewall by a first torsional stress member extending from sides of the first lever, a second lever positioned substantially in the second gap and connected to the sidewall by a second torsional stress member extending from sides of the second lever, the first torsional stress member defining a first pivot axis and the second torsional stress member defining a second pivot axis, the first and second levers including respective first and second proximal ends, respective first and second distal ends, and each of the first and second levers having a generally smooth interior surface extending between the proximal and distal ends thereof, the respective distal ends of the first and second levers extending downwardly past the terminal end of the sidewall; and
a container including a cylindrical body, an upper end and a lower end, a shoulder and a neck positioned at the upper end, the neck having external threads formed on an external surface thereof for mating with the internal threads of the cap, a circumferentially tapering locking rib extending radially outwardly from the external surface of the neck between the external threads and the shoulder, the locking rib defining at least one locking edge at a largest diameter of the locking rib, and at least one base edge at a smallest diameter of the locking rib, wherein the first and second levers are configured such that the at least one locking edge of the locking rib impacts at least one of the first and second levers in a locked position of the cap, thereby resisting rotation of the cap relative to the container to remove the cap from the container, the first and second levers being pivotable about the first and second pivot axes, respectively, from a biased configuration wherein the interior surfaces of the first and second levers define a biased diameter, the biased diameter being less than the largest diameter of the locking rib.

14. The child-resistant container assembly of claim 13, wherein the first torsional stress member is comprised of a pair of members extending from side surfaces of the first lever, the pair of members having substantially oval cross-sections.

15. The child-resistant container assembly of claim 14, wherein the first pivot axis extends through the pair of members.

16. The child-resistant container assembly of claim 13, wherein the cap and the container are constructed of a polymeric material.

17. The child-resistant container assembly of claim 16, wherein the container is constructed of a high density polyethylene material.

18. The child-resistant container assembly of claim 16, wherein the cap is constructed of a material exhibiting elastic and shape memory characteristics.

19. The child-resistant container assembly of claim 16, wherein the cap is constructed of a polypropylene material.

20. The child-resistant container assembly of claim 13, wherein the first and second levers, the locking rib and the neck are configured such that an audible sound confirms that the cap has reached the locked position when the cap is rotated onto the container

Patent History
Publication number: 20150321804
Type: Application
Filed: May 8, 2015
Publication Date: Nov 12, 2015
Inventors: Nathaniel KOLLER (Boyertown, PA), Douglas S. CAMOMILE (Boyertown, PA), Lissa BIESECKER LONGACRE (Boyertown, PA), Bruce T. CLEEVELY (Boyertown, PA)
Application Number: 14/707,701
Classifications
International Classification: B65D 50/04 (20060101); B65D 41/04 (20060101); B65D 1/02 (20060101);