GB1602612A

GB1602612A - Closures for containers

Info

Publication number: GB1602612A
Application number: GB2962180A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Metal Closures Ltd
Current assignee: Arconic Closure Systems International UK Ltd
Priority date: 1978-05-26
Filing date: 1978-05-26
Publication date: 1981-11-11

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO CLOSURES FOR CONTAINERS (71) We, METAL CLOSURES GROUP LIMITED, a British Company of P.O. Box 32, Bromford Lane, West Bromwich, West Midlands do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a Patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to closures for containers and, more particularly, to a safety closure assembly for a container having a dispensing aperture.

It is known to provide containers with a safety closure assembly in the form of double closure members, each assembly comprising an inner closure member within an outer closure member, the inner closure member being arranged to close the dispensing aperture of the container. Such a safety closure assembly may be used for containers intended to contain medicine and like pharmaceutical products; and the inner closure member is arranged to be removed from the container only by applying to the outer closure member a movement which is beyond the capacity of a child. In this manner, access to the contents of such a container can be made much more difficult, this reducing accessibility to. children.

In our copending British Patent Application No.: 22596/77 Serial No. 1,602,611 there is described and claimed a safety closure assembly for a container having a dispensing opening, said assembly comprising: an inner closure member adapted to close said dispensing opening, an outer closure member adapted to receive said inner closure member therein and formed with a resilient dished crown portion adapted to abut the inner closure member on assembly thereby to bias the inner and outer closure member to a disengaged condition, retaining means provided between the inner closure member and the outer closure member whereby the inner closure member is retained within the outer member for relative rotation with respect thereto and interengagement means provided between the inner closure member and the outer closure member whereby the inner closure member and the outer closure member rotate together, wherein torque between the inner and outer closure members for removal of the inner dosure member from the container is achieved by moving the outer closure member against the bias of the dished crown to move the interengagement means into an engaged condition, and wherein the dished crown further carries a yieldable abutment element adapted for complementary engagement with a yieldable abutment element carried on a face of said inner closure opposed to said crown, whereby relative rotation between said members causes the yieldable abutment members to ride over one another and to emit an audible indication of said relative rotation.

According to the present invention, there is provided a safety closure assembly for a container having a dispensing opening, said assembly comprising: an inner closure member adapted to close said dispensing opening, and the outer member being retained on said inner member to allow of relative rotation therebetween in a disengaged position, interengagement means provided between said members to lock said members together for a common rotation about the dispensing opening, characterised in that the crown portion of the outer closure member is resilient and forms in use a continuous, or substantially continuous dished shape from the circumferential edge thereof to,ward the centre thereof, the central portions of the crowns of the inner and outer members being spaced apart by a protuberance, whereby the crown of the outer member is normally spaced to a disengaged position, but may be mo,ved to an interengaged position by an axial force exerted on the crown of the outer member which exceeds the resilient forces inheret in the said outer member.

The resilient dished crown portion may have a central inwardly projecting blister. The central inwardly projecting blister is adapted to abut the inner closure member on assembly.

The inner and outer closure members may be formed of a resilient plastics material such for example as a high density polyethylene.

Following is a description by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings of one method of carrying the invention into effect.

In the drawings: The Figure is an exploded cross sectional view of an embodiment of a bottle, an outer and an inner closure member according to the invention.

Referring now to the drawings, a glass bottle 1 has a neck 2 having an external thread 3 and an aperture 4. The neck 2 is thereby adapted ta receive a cap 5 of plastics material, the cap 5 having an intemal thread 6 and knurled rim 7. The cap 5 has an upper outer surface 8.

The cap 5 is covered by an outer cap 10 of plastics material the outer cap 10 having an upper circular wall 11 and a circumferential skirt 12 depending therefrom. The skirt 12 has at a lower end portion thereof an inwardly circumferentially extending flange 13 and at an upper end portion thereof an inner circumferentially extending knurled band 14. The upper wall or crown 11 is dished and curves downwardly and inwardly, of the skirt 12 and has a central recessed portion or blister 15.

The aperture 4 of the bottle 1 is closed by screwing the cap 5 onto the neck 2 of the bottle. The outer cap 10 then is pressed onto the cap 5 until the flange 13 engages under the cap 5, the central recessed portion 15 bearing on the upper outer surface 8 of the cap. The dimensions of the cap 5 and the outer cap 10 are such that when the outer cap 10 is pressed onto the cap 5, the lower surface of the central recessed portion 15 of the outer cap 10 is in engagement with the upper outer surface 8 of the inner cap 5 and the bias of the upper wall 11 causes the outer cap 10 to be urged axially of the inner cap 5 so that the flange 13 engages under the lower rim of the inner cap 5 and the knurled band 14 is clear of the top of the inner cap 5.

The arrangement is such that when the outer cap 10 has been pressed onto the cap 5 which already has been screwed onto the bottle 1 and the outer cap 10 is provided with the said angular movement, that is the outer cap 10 is turned on an axis coaxial with the inner cap 5 ta unscrew the inner cap 5 from the bottle 10, the outer cap 10 will slip relative to the inner cap 5. The angular movement therefore will not be transmitted to the inner cap 5 and the inner cap S will not be unscrewed from the neck 2 of the bottle 1.

If axial thrust is applied to the outer cap 10 during the said angular movement, the axial thrust being applied towards the inner cap 5, the upper wall 11 will be temporarily deformed upwardly of the outer cap 10 and the knurled band 14 will engage the knurled rim 7 of the inner cap 5. In this manner, torque applied to the outer cap 10 is transmitted to the inner cap 5 to enable the inner cap 5 to be unscrewed from the neck 2 of the bottle 1.

When the applied thrust is released, the outer cap 10 is raised relative to the inner cap 5, due to the bias of the upper wall 11, returning to its undeformed condition until the flange 13 engages under the lower rim of the inner cap 5.

The end wall 11 is assisted in returning to its undeformed condition by the central recessed portion 15.

It will be appreciated that the force necessary to eftect relative axial movement of the inner and outer caps 5 and 10, so that the knurled band 14 engages the knurled rim 7 is beyond the capacity of a child. Thus, a closure assembly in accordance with the present invention provides an assembly which reduces significantly the ability of a child to, remove the assembly from the container.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A safety closure assembly for a container having a dispensing opening, said assembly comprising an inner, and an outer closure member, each comprising crown and skirt portions, the inner member being adapted to close said dispensing opening, and the outer member being retained on said inner member to allow of relative rotation therebetween in a disengaged position, interengagement means provided between said members to lock said members together for a common rotation about the dispensing opening, characterised in that the crown portion of the outer closure member is resilient and forms in use a continuous, or substantially continuous dished shape from the circumferential edge thereof toward the centre thereof, the central portions of the crowns of the inner and outer members being spaced apart by a protuberance, whereby the crown of the outer member is normally spaced to a disengaged position, but may be moved to an interengaged position by an axial force exerted on the crown of the outer member which exceeds the resilient forces inherent in the said outer member.

2. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the resilient dished crown portion has a central inwardly projecting blister adapted to abut the inner closure on assembly.

3. An assembly as claimed in claims 1 or 2 wherein the inner and outer closure members are formed of a resilient plastics material.

4. An assembly as claimed in claim 3 wherein the resilient plastics material is high density polyethylene.

5. An assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the outer closure member comprises an upper circular wall and a circumferential skirt depending therefrom

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. a central inwardly projecting blister. The central inwardly projecting blister is adapted to abut the inner closure member on assembly. The inner and outer closure members may be formed of a resilient plastics material such for example as a high density polyethylene. Following is a description by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings of one method of carrying the invention into effect. In the drawings: The Figure is an exploded cross sectional view of an embodiment of a bottle, an outer and an inner closure member according to the invention. Referring now to the drawings, a glass bottle

1 has a neck 2 having an external thread 3 and an aperture 4. The neck 2 is thereby adapted ta receive a cap 5 of plastics material, the cap 5 having an intemal thread 6 and knurled rim 7. The cap 5 has an upper outer surface 8.

The aperture 4 of the bottle 1 is closed by screwing the cap 5 onto the neck 2 of the bottle. The outer cap 10 then is pressed onto the cap 5 until the flange 13 engages under the cap 5, the central recessed portion 15 bearing on the upper outer surface 8 of the cap. The dimensions of the cap 5 and the outer cap 10 are such that when the outer cap 10 is pressed onto the cap 5, the lower surface of the central recessed portion 15 of the outer cap 10 is in engagement with the upper outer surface 8 of the inner cap 5 and the bias of the upper wall

11 causes the outer cap 10 to be urged axially of the inner cap 5 so that the flange 13 engages under the lower rim of the inner cap 5 and the knurled band 14 is clear of the top of the inner cap 5.

having at a lower end portion thereof an inwardly circumferentially extending flange con stituting the outer member retaining means and at an upper end portion thereof an inner circumferentially extending knurled band constituting the interengagement means.

6. An assembly as claimed in claim 5 wherein the dimensions of the inner closure member and the outer closure member are such that when the outer closure member is pressed onto the inner closure member the lower surface of the central recessed portion of the outer closure member is in engagement with the upper outer surface of the inner closure member and the bias of the dished crown portion causes the outer closure member to be urged axially of the inner closure member so that the knurled band is clear of the top of the inner closure member.