The present invention relates to a child-resistant container closure assembly of the kind stated in the pre- amble of claim 1.

It is common practice in respect of containers for medicine, which is risky to take in large doses or which is harmful to smaller children, to mount a closure, which is child-resistant. A prerequisite for the attainment of such proof against tampering by children is that the outer cap o the closure is pressed downwards against the container during the screwing off of the closure, the ratchet ramps o the outer cap engaging the ratchet teeth on the closure. Normally, the toothing is made in such a way that the ratchet ramps are released, if the axial pressure stops.

A drawback in these child-resistant devices is that very often access to the medicine is made difficult for par ticularly the kind of users, which are most in need for an uncomplicated access to the medicine protected against bein tampered by children, namely for instance elderly people with weak hands and with a need for pain-stilling remedies or the like. The child-resistant device will in many cases also make the breaking of a sealing difficult, which by the opening of the closure for the first time presupposes the tearing of some comparatively weak, axially extending tongues, which connect the outer cap the closure with a rin pressed down over the neck of the container, but which can ^¬ not be taken off again. There is, therefore, a need for con tainer closures which are protected against being tampered by children, said child-resistant device being blockable when needed and normally blocked, when the sealing is to be torn.

This object is met according to the invention by a container closure assembly of the kind stated in the characterizing clause of claim 1.

In such a container closure assembly a safety releas means can be inserted in or mounted on a coupling means on the closure and can thereby produce a non-rotatable couplin

between the closure and the outer cap, as long as the safety release means is mounted.

In an embodiment according to claim 2 of such a con ^¬ tainer closure assembly the child-resistant device is blocked thereby that the cylindrical portion of the safety release means is placed within the coupling means consisting of a circle of tongues, which is thereby brought into enga¬ gement with the central aperture establishing a permanent driving connection between the outer cap and the closure. By removal of the cylinder, the tongues are released and return to a neutral position, in which they solely have the normal function of limiting the axial displaceability between the closure and the outer cap.

The invention discloses two embodiments, in which this safety release effect can be achieved. In the first em¬ bodiment as stated in claim 3, the non-rotatability between the closure and the outer cap is achieved by means of a non- rotatable coupling of the tongues and the outer cap, the axial clearance between the outer cap and the closure being preserved. In respect of certain types of sealing it is practical that the outer cap can be lifted for immediate in¬ spection of whether the sealing positioned around the neck of the container co-rotates or not.

In the second embodiment the non-rotatablitity is established between the closure and the outer cap by a blocking of the axial displaceability between the two parts, in such a way that the ratchet ramps permanently engage the teeth of the closure. By this embodiment the container closure assembly with the child-resistant device in a blocked position acts as an integrally manufactured closure with a subsequent bigger operational comfort.

The preferred embodiment of the container closure as ^¬ sembly can be seen in claim 5. In this embodiment the safety release means is provided with an outer toothing and an in- ternal toothing and fills, when clipsed on the coupling means, the clearance between mutually corresponding internal and external toothings on the outer cap and the coupling means, respectively, and thereby forms a non-rotatable driv-

ing connection between them.

According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention the safety release means is constructed as stated in claim 6. By letting the collar cover the open end surface of the outer cap, the collar may cover an inter¬ space, in which an instruction can be placed, which partly informs about the use of the content of the container, part¬ ly about the functioning of the closure. The removal of the instruction establishes the child-resistance of the closure and the probability that a user, which wants the closure to be child-resistant, inadvertently re-establishes the safety release means, has been essentially reduced.

According to a particularly advantageous embodiment the removable cylinder may form part as a cover in a handy batch packing, which may for instance be used for carrying a daily dose of a drug in a pocket.

The invention will be described in detail in the fol¬ lowing with reference to the drawing, in which

Fig. 1 is an axial sectional view through a closure forming a part of a container closure assembly according to the invention.

Fig. 2 is an axial sectional view through an outer cap forming a part of the container closure assembly accord¬ ing to the invention, Fig. 3 is an axial sectional view through a removable cylinder for the blocking of the child-resistant safety de¬ vice in the container closure assembly according to the in¬ vention,

Fig. 4 is an axial sectional view of the removable cylinder with collar used as a cover in a daily dose pack¬ ing.

Fig. 5 shows the complete container closure assembly in an axial sectional view.

Fig. 6 is an axial sectional view through an alterna- tive embodiment of the child-resistant container closure as¬ sembly without blocking of the child-resistant safety de¬ vice.

Fig. 7 shows the container closure assembly according

to Fig. 6 with blocked child-resistant safety device, and

Fig. 8 is an axial sectional view through another em¬ bodiment of the container closure assembly according to the invention without blocking of the child-resistant safety de- vice, and

Fig. 9 shows the container closure assembly according to Fig. 8 with blocked child-resistant safety device.

The container closure assembly according to the in¬ vention is shown in disassembled condition in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4 and comprises the parts shown in the four figures, viz. the closure 1 shown in Fig. 1, the outer cap 2 shown in Fig. 2, the removable safety release means 3, and the cover 4 shown in Fig. 4.

The closure 1 consists of a top plate 11 and a pend- ing shirt 13 provided with an internal screw 12 and with a smooth, cylindrical outer surface 14. The cylindrical outer surface functions as a bearing surface when the closure 1 is inserted in the outer cap 2. Internally in the top plate 11 a sealing rim 15 is provided, which, when the closure is screwed onto the neck of a bottle or container, seals effec¬ tively. On the outer side of the top plate ratchet teeth 16 are provided, said teeth serving for the screwing off and on of the closure by engaging corresponding ratchet ramps on the outer cap. The toothing of the toothed rim has steep flanges on the side of the teeth, which are used for the screwing on, and less steep flanges on the side used for the screwing off, so that the ratchet ramps are to be pressed down positively against the toothed rim in order to preserve an effective engagement between the ratchet ramps and the toothed rim 16 during the screwing off.

On the upper surface of the top plate 11 a number of upstanding, resilient tongues are mounted in a circle. At their free ends the tongues are provided with a ledge 18 for limiting the axial movement of the closure in the outer cap 2. Ribs are placed under the ledges 18, said ribs forming part of a blocking mechanism, which is able to release the child-resistant safety device allowing a clearance between the outer cap and the closure, when the outer cap 2 is not

pressed hard downwards against the closure 1. These ribs may be made in two different ways, one being shown in the left side of the figure, while the other one is shown in the right side. The rib 19a shown in the left side serves as an extra ledge, when the tongue is pressed radially outwards. The axial ovability of the closure 1 in relation to the outer cap is thereby limited by the length of the rib 19a, the closure 1 being locked in a position in relation to the outer cap 2, in which the ratchet ramps placed therein are in constant engagement with the ratchet teeth 16.

The ribs 19b shown in the right side are in the shape of teeth, which by radial bending of the tongues get in non- rotatable engagement with a corresponding internal toothing on the outer cap. The outer cap shown in Fig. 2 comprises a bottom plate 201 with a central, cylindrical recess 202. The walls of the recess partly consists of a cylindrical side wall 203, partly of a top wall 204. The cylindrical side wall 203 co-operates with the cylindrical outer surface 14 on the closure 1 as a bearing surface for the mutual rotatability and the axial displaceability between the closure and the outer cap 2. In the top wall 204 a central aperture 205 is provided, said aperture being limited by bevelled side walls 206. The bevelling of the sidewalls ensures an easy inser- tion of the closure 1, the upstanding tongues 17 of which are to pass through the aperture 205, the ledges 18 passing past the top wall 204. The tongues 17 have such a length that the closure is secured a suitable axial movability, be¬ fore the ledges 18 hit the upper side of the top wall 204. On the bottom side of the top wall 204 a circle of ratchet ramps 213 are placed, said ramps corresponding as to shape with the ratchet teeth 16 on the closure 1. The rat¬ chet ramps 213 are pressed by the user during the screwing off and on into engagement with the teeth, and on account of the saw-tooth-shape of the ratchet teeth, it will be easy to keep the latter in engagement during the screwing on but fairly difficult during the screwing off.

The outer cap 2 furthermore comprises an outer, up-

standing wall, which together with the cylindrical wall 203 defines an annular interspace 208, which can be used for keeping a folded instruction for use or for dosing of the content of the container to be closed by the closure assemb- ly. The wall 207 may have an outer profiling, which makes it easier for the user to hold the outer cap 2, or it may as shown have some notches 209, in which the user during the screwing off of the closure may place a pencil and the like in order to apply more easily the necessary torque. The outer cap 2 may further comprise a sealing ring 210, which by means of comparatively frail tongues is connected with the outer cap. The sealing ring 210 has internal projections or beads 212 acting as ledges, when the ring 210 is removed from the container neck, which has a circumferential bead, but which does not prevent the ring from being fairly easy to press down over the bead on the neck of the container, said bead having an oblique upper surface in order to faci¬ litate the putting on thereof. When screwing off the contai¬ ner closure assembly the tongues 211 will as the most frail part be torn as a sign that somebody has at least tried to open the container.

In order to block the child-resistant safety device a removable safety release means 3 is used. Primarily, it con¬ sists of a tubular sleeve 301 having such a diameter that when inserted in the inner room, which defines the circle of tongues 17, it distends them so much radially that the ribs 19a or 19b engage the side wall 206 of the central aperture. The ribs 19a grip the upper side of the top wall 204, where¬ by the teeth 16 permanently engage the ratchet ramps 213, while the ribs 19b according to the alternative embodiment are adapted to engage a toothing 214 in the side wall 206. Thereby, the ribs 19b establish a permanent, non-rotatable connection between the closure 1 and the outer cap 2. The axial displaceability between the closure 1 and the outer cap 2 is not influenced by the latter arrangement.

For holding the sleeve 301 in the circle of tongues 17, the tongues have a rounded projection 20 on the inner side. Likewise, the sleeve 301 is provided with a circumfe-

rential bead 302, which co-operates with the projections 20. With a view to facilitating the removability of the sleeve 301 it is provided with a collar 303 corresponding in re¬ spect of diameter to the inner diameter of the wall 207. When the sleeve is pressed down in the circle of tongues 17, the collar 303 thereby closes the annular space 208. The collar 303 is furthermore adapted to form the lid of a cover 304, shown in Fig. 4. The cover has side walls 305, a bottom 307 and a central sleeve 308, the diameter of which fits in- to the sleeve 301. The sleeve 308 has at its free end a cir¬ cumferential rim 309 keeping the collar 303 as a lid on the cover in the position shown in Fig. 4 with a full-drawn li¬ ne. The cover may, however, also be placed as shown with dot-and-dash-lines. In that case the rim 309 is placed in a circumferential groove 310. In the latter case the cover 305 can be placed on top of the closure as an entity, which can be mounted on the neck of a container with automatic mount¬ ing equipment, and which contains a protected space for keeping the instruction for use or for dosing or a dosing warning and which has a small extra container holding for instance a daily dose of the drug kept in the container.

Fig. 5 shows the container closure assembled as de¬ scribed above.

The container closure assembly according to Fig. 6 comprises a closure 6, which in the same way as the closure according to Fig. 1 comprises a screw 612 placed internally in a sloping skirt 613 with a smooth, cylindrical outer bearing surface 15. The top plate 611 of the closure is equipped with a circle of teeth 616. On the upper side of the top plate a coupling means 601 is placed, which in the embodiment shown forms an elevation of the top plate 611, but which eventually may be shaped as an upright, cylindri¬ cal sleeve. The coupling means 601 has an external toothing 602. The closure is inserted in an outer cap 7 correspond¬ ing to the outer cap 2 according to Fig. 2, apart from the fact that the cylindrical side wall 603 is provided with a locking rim 604 limiting the displaceability of the closure

1 in the central recess 605. The coupling means 601 has such a height that it in at least one of the 6 positions of the closure in relation to the outer cap is positioned with a clearance in the central opening 606 in the top wall 607 of the outer cap 2.

The container closure assembly has in the same way as the container closure assembly according to Figs. 1 - 5 a sealing function on account of the sealing ring constructed in the same way as in respect of the outer cap according ot Fig. 2 and a child-resistant safety device functioning as described in connection with Figs. 1 and 2, a driving con¬ nection between the outer cap 7 and the closure being only establishable, when the outer cap is pressed downwards against the container, the ratchet ramps 613 on the outer cap 7 engaging the toothed rim 616. The child-resistant safety device can also in this embodiment of the container closure assembly be blocked by insertion of a safety release means as can be seen from Fig. 7. The safety release means, generally designated 608, comprises a tubular portion 625 provided with an internal toothing 626 fitting externally on the toothing 602, and an external toothing 627 fitting in¬ ternally in a toothing 624 in the side wall of the central opening. By insertion of the safety release means 8 a perma¬ nent driving connection is established between the closure 6 and the outer cap 7. The tubular portion need not be a proper tube for the attainment of the desired driving con¬ nection, but may be slotted or reduced to a number of fin¬ gers positioned in a circle, which fingers can be inserted in correspondingly shaped teeth in the coupling means and in the side wall of the central opening. The embodiment with two relatively finely toothed surfaces is, however, advan¬ tageous in that the safety release means is fairly ease to bring correctly in engagement.

The safety release means 8 is preferably shaped with a collar 630 corresponding to the collar 303 in Fig. 3, so that the safety release means, when mounted, closes a room in the outer cap 7, in which a printed instruction for the use of the closure may be placed.

Fig. 8 shows a further alternative embodiment of the container closure assembly according to the invention. The container closure assembly shown in Fig. 8 corresponds to the embodiment shown in Fig. 6 apart from the fact that on the top wall of the outer cap 9 a circle of upright, resili¬ ent tongues 805 is placed, which on the radially inwards facing side has some axially extending projections 806, which, when pressed inwards, are adapted to engage an exter¬ nal toothing 807 on the coupling means 801 on the closure 10. If the tongues 805 are in a released, neutral position, the projections are not in touch with the toothing on the coupling means, and the container closure assembly is then child-resistant in that the closure cannot be screwed off unless the outer cap 9 simultaneously with being turned is pressed down against the container.

In Fig. 9 is shown how the child-resistant safety de¬ vice may be blocked by insertion of a safety release means 100. The safety release means has a tubular portion 808, which can be pressed down over the outer side of the tongues 801, where they have a rounded projection 803 fitting into a recess 809 on the inner side of the tubular portion 808 of the safetey release means. The resilient tongues 805 produce together with the rounded projections 803 and the recess 809 a spring lock effect, which ensures the safety release means against unintentional loosening. The safety release means according to Fig. 9 is like in the other embodiments pro¬ vided with a collar and adapted together with a cover to be used as lid in a daily dose container consisting of a cover and a safety release means.