PACKAGE

The present invention relates to child-resistant closures, containers and packages

of the type in which a user must squeeze opposite sides of the closure to be able to turn the

closure and remove the closure from the container. Such closures and packages are commonly

referred to as squeeze-and-turn closures and packages.

Background and Summary of the Invention

U.S. Patent 6,112,921 discloses a child-resistant closure, container and package

in which the closure is a dual-wall closure having an inner wall with internal threads for receipt

on a container finish and an outer wall for enclosing the child-resistance structure. The outer

wall has diametrically opposed gaps, and finger pads extend from the inner wall in alignment

with the gaps. When the closure is threaded clockwise onto the finish of the container, the finger

pads cam inside of lugs on the shoulder of the container. Stop faces on the lugs prevent

counterclockwise removal of the closure unless the finger pads are squeezed radially inwardly

so that the pads clear the insides of the lugs. It is a general object of the present invention to

provide a child-resistant closure, container and package that embody one or more improvements

on the closure, container and package disclosed in the noted patent.

A child-resistant package in accordance with one aspect of the present includes

a container having a finish with at least one external thread (or thread segment), at least one axial

lug on a shoulder spaced from the thread and an external abutment on the finish adjacent to the

lug. A closure of integrally molded plastic construction includes a base wall, a peripheral outer

wall, and an inner wall spaced from the outer wall and having at least internal thread (or thread

segment) for securement to the container finish. The outer wall has diametrically opposed gaps,

and the inner wall extends axially in radial alignment with the gaps for circumferential abutment

with the at least one lug on the container. The inner wall is flexible inwardly for clearing the lug

between the lug and the external abutment, and for permitting removal of the closure from the

container finish. The external abutment preferably is in the form of an external bead that extends

circumferentially around the finish in alignment with an edge of the lug.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the child-resistant

closure has external ribs on the finger pads that extend from the inner wall of the closure. The

ribs do not extend entirely to the bottom of the finger pads, so that the bottoms of the pads can

clear the lugs on the container shoulder beneath the ribs, while the ribs prevent the fingers of a

user from stubbing on the container lugs. The ribs also increase the mechanical advantage on

pressing the pads radially inwardly to clear the lugs, which can assist elderly users in removing

the closure. The ribs have an additional advantage in that, by extending the ribs upwardly along

the outer surface of the pads and the inner wall, the finger pads can be made stiffer for different

sizes or different materials of the closure. The ends of the ribs are interconnected by an arcuate

radially outwardly extending shelf to prevent the user's fingers from engaging the ends of the

ribs.

A container for a child-resistant package in accordance with a third aspect of the

invention includes a body having a finish with at least one external thread, at least one axial lug

on a shoulder spaced from the thread and an external abutment on the finish adjacent to the lug.

The external abutment in the preferred embodiment includes a circumferential bead radially

inwardly aligned with the edge of the lug.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The invention, together with additional objects, features, advantages and

aspects thereof, will be best understood from the following description, the appended claims

and the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a partially sectioned elevational view of two child-resistant packages

in accordance with an exemplary presently preferred embodiment of the invention stacked

one upon the other;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 2-2 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view on an enlarged scale of the portion of FIG. 2

within the area 3;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along the line 4-4 in

HG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a partially sectioned elevational view of the container in the package

of HG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the container in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the closure in the package of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 8 and 9 are sectional views taken substantially along the respective lines

8-8 and 9-9 in FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary elevational view taken from the direction 10 in FIG.

9; and

FIG. 11 is a partially sectioned elevational view taken substantially along the

line 11-11 in FIG. 7.

Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments

FIG. 1 illustrates a pair of closure and container packages 20, in accordance

with one exemplary but presently preferred embodiment of the invention, stacked one upon

another. Each package 20 includes a container 22 and a closure 24. Container 22 (FIGS. 1

and 5-6) includes a body 26 from which a finish 28 extends. Finish 28 is generally of

cylindrical construction, and has one or more external threads (or thread segments) 30 for

securement of closure 24. A pair of diametrically opposed lugs 32 extend axially from a

shoulder 34 of container 22. Each lug 32 has an abutment face 35 facing in a clockwise

direction (FIG. 6), and a cam edge 36 facing in a counterclockwise direction. Lugs 32 are

spaced radially outwardly from finish 28 for reasons to be described. An external abutment

70 is disposed on finish 28 adjacent to each lug 32. External abutment 70 preferably is in the

form of a circumferential bead that extends around finish 28. Bead 70 preferably is

circumferentially continuous, and preferably is radially inwardly aligned with the upper edges

of lugs 32 as best seen in FIG. 5. Bead 70 preferably lies in a plane perpendicular to the axis

of finish 28.

Closure 24 (FIGS. 1 and 7-11) includes a base wall 38 from which an outer

peripheral wall or skirt 40 axially extends. Base wall 38 has a circular periphery in the

embodiment illustrated in the drawings, and wall 40 is of frustoconical construction in the

illustrated embodiment. Wall 40 could be of non-circular cross section in other

embodiments of the invention to blend with the geometry of the container body. An inner

wall or skirt 42 extends axially from the underside of base wall 38 within outer skirt 40.

Inner wall 42 has one or more internal threads (or thread segments) 44 for securing closure 24

to external threads 38 of container finish 28. Outer wall 40 is not circumferentially

continuous, but has opposed edges that form a pair of diametrically spaced gaps 46, 48 (FIGS.

2 and 7). Decoration in the form of ribs may extend axially along the outer surface of outer

wall 40.

As best seen in FIGS. 2 and 9, a pair of diametrically opposed finger tabs or

pads 52, 54 extend from inner wall 42 in an axial direction parallel to but spaced radially

inwardly from outer wall 40. As best seen in FIGS. 7, 8 and 11, these finger pads 52, 54 are

in radial alignment with gaps 46, 48 in outer wall 40. A plurality of circumferentially spaced

external ribs 56 extend axially along each finger tab 52, 54. In the preferred embodiment,

ribs 56 extend from a position adjacent to closure base wall 38 to a position adjacent to but

spaced from the lower edges of the finger pads, being thickest in the radial direction (FIG. 9)

in the portions of pads 52, 54 that extend from inner wall 42. A flat arcuate radially

outwardly extending shelf 72 interconnects the lower ends of ribs 56. Shelves 72 lie in a

common plane perpendicular to the axis of inner wall 42.

To apply closure 24 to container finish 28, inner wall 42 is positioned over the

container finish and the closure is rotated clockwise with respect to the container finish (or

the container is rotated counterclockwise with respect to the closure). The lower ends of

finger pads 56 are positioned radially of the axis of rotation (the axes of finish 28 and wall

42) to engage the cam edges 36 of lugs 32. The inner face 58 of each lug 38 is rounded so as

to cam finger pads 52, 54 radially inwardly during clockwise rotation of the closure onto the

container finish, so that the finger pads clear the lugs. When it is attempted to remove the

closure by rotating the closure counterclockwise with respect to the container finish (or

rotating the container clockwise with respect to the closure), finger pads 52, 54 are brought

into engagement with abutment faces 35 of stop lugs 32, as best seen in FIGS. 2-4. Finger

pads 52, 54 must be manually pressed radially inwardly to clear lugs 32 in the spaces between

lugs 32 and the outside surface of container finish 28. Provision of a pocket or concavity on

the abutment face 35 of each lug 32 helps make the pads self-centering on the lugs in child-

resistant operation, which helps prevent inadvertent movement of the finger pad in the event

of brute-force turning of the closure with respect to the container finish.

Provision of ribs 56, coupled with the fact that the ribs stop short of the lower

edge of the finger pads 52, 54, helps prevent the fingers of a user from stubbing against lugs

36 when the closure is removed from the container. Ribs 56 also increase the mechanical

advantage on pressing the finger pads radially inwardly to clear the lugs, which can assist

elderly users in removing the closure. It will be noted in the drawings that ribs 56 are thickest

outside of the flexible portions of finger pads 52, 54, and are relatively thin along the outside

surface of inner wall 42. The radial thicker portions of ribs 56 may be extended upwardly

along wall 42 to make the finger pads stiffer for different sizes or different materials of the

closure. Abutment bead 70 limits radial inward movement of pads 52, 54, which cooperation

with shelves 72 further to prevent the user's fingers from stubbing on lugs 32.

A pair of arcuate ribs 60, 62 extend axially upwardly from the upper surface of

closure base wall 38. These ribs 60, 62 extend angularly around the base wall substantially in

alignment with the segmented portions of outer wall 40, as best seen in FIG. 7. These ribs 60,

62, which are concentric with the central axis of the closure, form a projection or protrusion

that is adapted to be received within a depression or pocket 64 on the bottom of container

body 26 for stacking the packages one upon another, as shown in FIG. 1.

There have thus been disclosed a child-resistant squeeze-and-turn closure,

container and package that fully satisfy all of the objects and aims previously set forth. The

invention has been disclosed in conjunction with an exemplary presently preferred embodiment thereof, and a number of modifications and variations have been discussed.

Other modifications and variations will readily suggest themselves to persons of ordinary

skill in the art. The invention is intended to embrace all such modifications and variations as

fall within the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims.