Safety locking closure

Claim 2

A safety locking closure for a container, said closure comprising: a base having an aperture through which the container contents can be removed from the container, a cap hinged to said base for hinging movement between a first position in which it closes said aperture and a second position in which it is removed from said aperture, the cap including: (a) a lock member mounted on said cap for pivotal movement with respect thereto, and (b) engagement means adapted to engage a portion of said base when the lock member is in a first orientation with respect to said cap, the engagement of said engagement means with said portion restraining said cap in said first position, the lock member being pivotable to a second orientation with respect to said cap, said engagement means being disengaged from said portion of said base when the lock member is in said second orientation, thereby releasing said cap to be hinged to said second position, and biasing means urging said lock member into said first orientation, the lock member having means by which it can be manually pivoted between said first and second orientations.

Claim 3

A safety locking closure as claimed in claim 1, in which said lock member is a disc centrally pivoted with respect to said cap, and in which the engagement means is a resilient arm secured to the disc and extending toward the base from the periphery of the disc in a direction normal to the plane of the disc, the resilient arm having at its extremity a tooth adapted to engage said portion of said base when the disc is in said first orientation.

Claim 4

A safety locking closure as claimed in claim 1, in which said biasing means is a torsion spring attached at one end to the cap and at the other to said lock member.

Claim 5

A safety locking closure as claimed in claim 1, in which the base is integral with the container.

Claim 6

A safety locking closure as claimed in claim 1, in which said lock member is a disc centrally pivoted with respect to said cap, and in which the engagement means is an arm hinged to the cap and extending toward the base in a direction substantially normal to the plane of the disc, the arm having remote from its own hinge a tooth adapted to engage said portion of said base, the disc having cam means for controlling said arm whereby when the disc is in said first orientation the tooth engages said portion and when the disc is in said second orientation the tooth is withdrawn from engagement with said portion.

Claim 7

A safety locking closure for a container, said closure comprising: a substantially cylindrical base having an aperture through which the container contents can be removed from the container, a substantially cylindrical cap hinged to said base for hinging movement between a first position in which it closes said aperture and a second position in which it is removed from said aperture, a torsion spring member attached at one end centrally to the cap and extending axially away from the container, and a lock member comprising a disc element attached centrally to the other end of said torsion spring member and adapted to pivot with respect to said cap between a first orientation in which the torsion spring member is substantially unstressed and a second orientation in which the torsion spring member is stressed and tends to return the disc element to said first orientation, the disc element having engagement means adapted to engage a portion of said base when the disc element is in said first orientation, thereby restraining said cap in the first position, the engagement means being disengaged from said portion of said base when the disc element is in said second orientation, thereby releasing said cap to be hinged to said second position, the disc element having means by which it can be manually pivoted between said first and second orientations.

Claim 8

A safety locking closure for a container, said closure comprising: a substantially cylindrical base having an aperture through which the container contents can be removed from the container, a substantially cylindrical cap hinged to said base for hinging movement between a first position in which it closes said aperture and a second position in which it is removed from said aperture, a torsion spring member attached at one end centrally to the cap and extending axially away from the container, and a lock member comprising a disc element attached centrally to the other end of said torsion spring member and adapted to pivot with respect to said cap between a first orientation in which the torsion spring member is substantially unstressed and a second orientation in which the torsion spring member is stressed and tends to return the disc element to said first orientation, the disc element having engagement means adapted to engage a portion of said base when the disc element is in said first orientation, thereby restraining said cap in the first position, the engagement means being disengaged from said portion of said base when the disc element is in said second orientation, thereby releasing said cap to be hinged to said second position, the disc element having means by which it can be manually pivoted between said first and second orientations.

Claim 9

A safety locking closure as claimed in claim 6, in which said engagement means is a resilient arm secured to the disc at a location remote from its pivotal center and extending toward the base in a direction substantially normal to the plane of the disc, the resilient arm having at its extremity an outward protuberance adapted to enter an opening in the cap when the disc element is in said first orientation, the opening constituting the said portion, the protuberance being beveled such that rotation of the disc element from said first to said second orientation causes the protuberance to slide out of said opening and move inwardly against the resilience of said resilient arm.

Claim 10

A safety locking closure as claimed in claim 6, in Which the base is integral with the container.

Claim 11

A safety locking closure for a container, said closure comprising: a substantially cylindrical base having an aperture through which the container contents can be removed from the container, a substantially cylindrical cap hinged to said base about a first hinge axis for hinging movement between a first position in which it closes said aperture and a second position in which it is removed from said aperture, a torsion spring member attached at one end centrally to the cap and extending axially away from the container, and a lock member comprising a disc element attached centrally to the other end of said torsion spring member and adapted to pivot with respect to said cap between a first orientation in which the torsion spring member is substantially unstressed and a second orientation in which the torsion spring member is stressed and tends to return the disc element to said first orientation, the cap having an arm hinged thereto about a second hinge axis substantially parallel with said first hinge axis, the arm having catch means remote from said second hinge axis, cam means between the arm and the disc element by which rotation of the disc from the second orientation to the first orientation urges the catch means into engagement with a portion of the base, thereby restraining the cap in said first position, and rotation of the disc from he first orientation to the second orientation withdraws said catch means from engagement with said portion, thereby releasing said cap to be hinged to said second position, the disc element having means by which it can be manually pivoted between said first and second orientations.

Claim 12

A safety locking closure for a container, said closure comprising: a substantially cylindrical base having an aperture through which the container contents can be removed from the container, a substantially cylindrical cap hinged to said base about a first hinge axis for hinging movement between a first position in which it closes said aperture and a second position in which it is removed from said aperture, a torsion spring member attached at one end centrally to the cap and extending axially away from the container, and a lock member comprising a disc element attached centrally to the other end of said torsion spring member and adapted to pivot with respect to said cap between a first orientation in which the torsion spring member is substantially unstressed and a second orientation in which the torsion spring member is stressed and tends to return the disc element to said first orientation, the cap having an arm hinged thereto about a second hinge axis substantially parallel with said first hinge axis, the arm having catch means remote from said second hinge axis, cam means between the arm and the disc element by which rotation of the disc from the second orientation to the first orientation urges the catch means into engagement with a portion of the base, thereby restraining the cap in said first position, and rotation of the disc from he first orientation to the second orientation withdraws said catch means from engagement with said portion, thereby releasing said cap to be hinged to said second position, the disc element having means by which it can be manually pivoted between said first and second orientations.

Claim 13

A safety locking closure as claimed in claim 9, in which said catch means is an outward protuberance adapted to enter an opening in the cap when the disc element is in said first orientation, the opening constituting the said portion, in which the arm is hinged at a location intermediate its ends and has a first end carrying said protuberance and a second end extending to a location adjacent said disc element, the disc element having a cam track adapted to move said second end as the disc element is rotated.