Bottles and jars – Closures – Having warning means or means impeding closure removal
Reissue Patent
2002-07-15
2004-01-27
Hylton, Robin A. (Department: 3727)
Bottles and jars
Closures
Having warning means or means impeding closure removal
C215S044000, C215S045000, C215S218000, C215S343000, C215S330000, C215S351000, C220S281000, C220S288000, C220SDIG003
Reissue Patent
active
RE038399
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a child resistant cap. The cap includes relatively thin threads which, when the cap is in a relaxed condition, are spaced from the bottle neck. This spacing permits the cap to be squeezed inward at points on opposite sides of the cap so that the cap responds to the squeezing by expanding outward at points ninety degrees from the squeezing points so that a lug on the cap at one or both of the cap expanding locations will miss the corresponding lug(s) normally engaged when in a relaxed condition, thereby permitting the cap to be removed from the bottle.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Caps, including child resistant caps, are known which taper outward from the top of the cap to the bottom of the cap, that is, caps which have the exterior geometric shape of the frustrum of a right circular cone. However, none of the known caps include inner cap threads which are relatively thin and which, when received on the bottle in a relaxed condition, provide for gaps between the threads and the bottle neck.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,752,060 teaches a container closure, sloping outward from cap top to cap bottom, wherein the inner cap threads engage the bottle neck thread receiving grooves with only a non-functional gap therebetween. In molding caps, the threads typically have a draft of ¼° to ½° to permit easier removal of the tool forming the threads. That is, a line perpendicular to the cap top and a line touching the ends of the threads will have an angle of ¼° to ½° therebetween. Any gap left between the cap threads and the bottle neck because of molding with the draft of ¼° to ½° is a non-functional gap as related to the present invention, which involves a functional gap.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a child resistant cap. The cap includes relatively thin threads which, when the cap is in a relaxed condition, are spaced from the bottle neck. This spacing permits the cap to be squeezed inward at points on opposite sides of the cap so that the cap responds to the squeezing by expanding outward at points ninety degrees from the squeezing points so that a lug on the cap at one or both of the cap expanding locations will miss the corresponding lug(s) normally engaged when in a relaxed condition, thereby permitting the cap to be removed from the bottle.
More particularly, the present invention comprises a child resistant cap for a bottle, the bottle having a neck portion and an adjacent opening, the neck portion having at least a first bottle lug extending outward therefrom, the neck portion having means for receiving a cap thread, the cap thread receiving means being positioned at a location nearer the adjacent opening than the bottle lug; the cap comprising: a cap top having a first diameter; a cap skirt extending from the cap top to a cap bottom; a cap interior portion, the interior portion having a threaded portion therein, the threaded portion being located toward the cap top; the threaded portion having at least one cap thread; the cap interior portion having at least a first cap lug, the cap lug being located toward the cap bottom; the cap being received on the bottle, the at least one cap thread being received by the cap thread receiving means; the first bottle lug and the first cap lug engagably preventing the cap from being removed from the bottle when the cap is in a relaxed condition, the at least one cap thread and the bottle neck portion having a gap therebetween, the gap having a first spacing; and, the cap being removed from the bottle by applying a pressure to the cap skirt at opposed pressure locations approximately transverse to the cap lug; the at least one cap thread thereby moving toward the bottle neck portion at the opposed pressure locations thereby reducing the first spacing, the cap threads thereby moving away from the bottle neck portion at the cap lug thereby enlarging the first spacing, thereby spacing the cap lug from the bottle lug permitting the cap to be removed from the bottle.
Further, the cap of the present invention can include a guide ring in the cap interior to guide the cap over the bottle neck to help ensure a proper fit. In the preferred embodiment, the bottom of the cap skirt has a second diameter greater than the cap top first diameter. However, with a guide ring, the cap can have approximately first and second diameters, so long as there is a sufficient spacing between the cap threads and the bottle neck to permit the cap to be squeezed and removed.
Also, the cap can include pressure pads on the cap skirt outside near the cap bottom showing the user where to press and stiffening the portion of the cap where pressure is to be applied. Finally, the cap can include a tamper indicating ring which will separate from the cap the first time the cap is removed from the bottle.
In an alternative cap and bottle combination, an imaginary line connecting the cap threads and an imaginary line defined by the bottle neck will intersect at an angle from one to eight degrees, thereby providing an increasing gap between the cap threads and the bottle neck as one gets further from the cap top. This angle can be created by non-vertical changes to the cap or the bottle or both.
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Hylton Robin A.
Lamb Charles G.
Middleton & Reutlinger
Rexam Medical Packaging Inc.
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