Safety closures

Claim 2

A safety closure for a container having a neck including a threaded portion, closure means comprising an inner cap or cupshaped part to screw relative to the neck of said container, and an outer ring-shaped part mounted on said inner part, clutch means comprising a component on said inner and outer parts, said inner and outer parts including means limiting relative axial movement and rotationally being free from each other except when deliberately moved to the limit of relative axial movement, such movement in one direction causing the engagement of said clutch means, said clutch means components being engageable to rotate together to cause a rotary unscrewing motion imparted to the outer part to be transmitted to the inner part when the two parts are moved to one axial limit and are held firmly at the limit of movement.

Claim 3

A safety closure as claimed in claim 1 wherein said clutch means comprises buttresses on said outer part and said inner part respectively, said buttresses having working faces so inclined to the axial direction as to permit the two parts to slip out of engagement unless they are held firmly together.

Claim 4

A safety closure as claimed in claim 2 wherein an annulus is provided extending in from the inner surface of said outer part and an annular groove provided on the outer surface of said inner part with the axial length of said annulus substantially less than that of the groove, and with the clutch means provided between the co-operating faces of the ridge and the side of said groove.

Claim 5

Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein said clutch means for imparting an unscrewing motion from said ring to said inner part is provided between the top face of said annulus or ridge on the outer member and the upper or top side of the groove of the inner member, thereby requiring an upward axial movement to engage the clutch.

Claim 6

Safety closure as claimed in claim 4 wherein the mating surfaces which co-operate to form the clutch means are formed into a plurality of abutments of co-operating faces which are not parallel to the axis of the neck of the bottle but are sloped at an angle so that rotation of the sleeve will disengage the clutch unless the two parts are held firmly together.

Claim 7

Safety closure as claimed in claim 5 wherein the outer corner of the abutment face is rounded, further assisting in disengagement between the two members unless the axial engagement force is retained.

Claim 8

A safety closure for containers having a neck including a threaded portion, closure means comprising an inner cap or cup-shaped part to screw relative to the neck of said container, and an outer ring-shaped part mounted on said inner part, said inner and outer parts including means limiting relative axial movement and rotationally being free from each other except when deliberately moved to the limit of relative axial movement, such movement in one direction causing engagement of a first clutch comprising buttresses on said outer part and buttresses on said inner part engageable together to cause a rotary unscrewing motion imparted to the outer part to be transmitted to the inner part when the two parts move to the upper axial limit and are held firmly at the limit of the movement, and a second clutch comprising buttresses on said outer part and buttresses on said inner part engageable together to cause a rotary screwing motion imparted to the outer part to be transmitted to the inner part when the two parts move to the lower axial limit but with ratchet means between said buttresses to prevent any engagement of the second clutch tending to unscrew the inner part.

Claim 9

A safety closure for containers having a neck including a threaded portion, closure means comprising an inner cap or cup-shaped part to screw relative to the neck of said container, and an outer ring-shaped part mounted on said inner part, said inner and outer parts including means limiting relative axial movement and rotationally being free from each other except when deliberately moved to the limit of relative axial movement, such movement in one direction causing engagement of a first clutch comprising buttresses on said outer part and buttresses on said inner part engageable together to cause a rotary unscrewing motion imparted to the outer part to be transmitted to the inner part when the two parts move to the upper axial limit and are held firmly at the limit of the movement, and a second clutch comprising buttresses on said outer part and buttresses on said inner part engageable together to cause a rotary screwing motion imparted to the outer part to be transmitted to the inner part when the two parts move to the lower axial limit but with ratchet means between said buttresses to prevent any engagement of the second clutch tending to unscrew the inner part.

Claim 10

Safety closure as claimed in claim 7 wherein the abutment faces or steps in the second clutch are parallel to the axes of the respective parts so that engagement will take place with little axial pressure being inserted by the user.

Claim 11

Safety closure as claimed in claim 8 wherein the surfaces between the outermost point of the abutments are inclined to the foot of the next abutment thereby providing a ratchet which will disengage the second clutch upon a movement tending to unscrew the cap.

Claim 12

A safety closure for container having a threaded neck, said closure means comprising an inner cap-shaped part to screw onto the neck of the container, an annular groove provided in the outer surface of the inner cap part, an outer ring-shaped part mounted on said inner part, an annulus extending in from the inner surface of said outer ring part to engage within said annular groove with the axial length of the annulus substantially less than the axial length of the groove and with the ring rotationally free from the inner part except when deliberately moved to the limit of the relative axial movement with the outer part covering the cylindrical surface of the inner part irrespective of the axial position thereof such movement in one direction causing the engagement of a clutch comprising in turn buttresses on the inner part and buttresses on the outer part, said buttresses being engageable to rotate together to cause a rotary unscrewing motion imparted to the outer part to be transmitted to the inner part when the two parts are moved to one axial limit and are held firmly at the limit of movement.

Claim 13

A safety closure for container having a threaded neck, said closure means comprising an inner cap-shaped part to screw onto the neck of the container, an annular groove provided in the outer surface of the inner cap part, an outer ring-shaped part mounted on said inner part, an annulus extending in from the inner surface of said outer ring part to engage within said annular groove with the axial length of the annulus substantially less than the axial length of the groove and with the ring rotationally free from the inner part except when deliberately moved to the limit of the relative axial movement with the outer part covering the cylindrical surface of the inner part irrespective of the axial position thereof such movement in one direction causing the engagement of a clutch comprising in turn buttresses on the inner part and buttresses on the outer part, said buttresses being engageable to rotate together to cause a rotary unscrewing motion imparted to the outer part to be transmitted to the inner part when the two parts are moved to one axial limit and are held firmly at the limit of movement.

Claim 14

A safety closure as claimed in claim 10 wherein an inclined face is provided on the annulus extending in from the outer ring part and a complementary inclined face is provided on an outer rim of the inner part so that engagement between said separately formed inner and outer parts having an interference fit between the rim and the annulus is facilitated.