Spout-type safety dispensing cap

Claim 2

A safety dispensing cap for a container having an open mouth, said safety cap comprising: a closure member comprising a cap portion for overlying the container mouth, a generally cylindrical top portion projecting above said cap portion and having a channel extending laterally thereacross, and a dispensing opening through said closure member for communicating between the container mouth and said channel; a dispensing valve in said channel and movable therein between open and closeD positions, said valve having a dispensing passage therethrough which communicates with said dispensing opening when said valve is in said open position, and is out of communication with said opening when said valve is in said closed position; and a safety ring freely rotatable relative to and encircling a portion of said closure member and having an inside surface with at least one recess therein adjacent said top portion, said recess being alignable with, and dimensioned to receive a portion of, said valve whereby said valve can be moved from said closed position to said open position only by first aligning said ring carried recess with said valve portion and then moving said valve portion into said recess.

Claim 3

A safety dispensing cap as defined in claim 1 wherein said valve comprises: a spout upstanding from the side of an elongated base disposed in said channel, said base being movable relative to said channel between said closed position and said open position, and said dispensing passage extending through said base and said spout.

Claim 4

A safety dispensing cap as defined in claim 2 wherein: said base is slidable along said channel, and one end of said base includes an abutment which extends along said channel to form said valve portion received by said ring recess when said ring is rotated to align said recess with said valve portion and said base is moved along said channel.

Claim 5

A safety dispensing cap as defined in claim 2 wherein: said base is rotatable relative to said channel, and at least one end of said base includes an abutment which forms said valve portion received by said ring recess when said ring is rotated to align said recess with said valve portion and said base is rotated within said channel.

Claim 6

A safety dispensing cap as defined in claim 1 wherein: said channel has a generally circular cross-section; and said valve comprises a spout upstanding from the side of a generally cylindrical base co-axially disposed in said channel, said base being movable relative to said channel between said closed position and said open position, and said dispensing passage extends through said spout and diametrically through said base.

Claim 7

A safety dispensing cap as defined in claim 5 wherein: said base is rotatable within said channel and includes at least one eccentric end abutment having a generally semi-circular cross-section; and said recess is dimensioned and arranged to receive said abutment upon alignment of said recess with said abutment and rotation of said base within said channel from said closed position to said open position.

Claim 8

A safety dispensing cap as defined in claim 6 wherein: said base includes two eccentric end abutments, one extending from each end of said base; and said ring has two recesses spaced around said ring inside surface and alignable one with each of said end abutments.

Claim 9

A safety dispensing cap as defined in claim 7 wherein: said top portion comprises two generally cylindrical tiers of successively smaller diameter projecting co-axially above said cap portion, the axis of said channel being centered between said two tiers and lying along a diameter thereof; and said ring circumferentially surrounds the lower of said two tiers and a portion of the upper tier, said inside surface being a downwardly facing surface overlying the exposed upper end of said lower tier.

Claim 10

A safety dispensing cap for a container having a mouth and a neck, said safety cap comprising: a closure member comprising a cap portion overlying the container mouth, a depending skirt projecting below said cap portion and engaging the container neck, a generally cylindrical top portion projecting above said cap portion and having a generally cylindrical channel extending thereacross, and a dispensing opening communicating between said channel and the container mouth; a dispensing valve carried by said closure member, said valve having a generally cylindrical base rotatably receivEd in said channel and including a pair of eccentric end abutments extending along said channel and having a generally semi-circular cross-section, and a dispensing passage through said valve, said dispensing passage extending diametrically through said base and communicating with said dispensing opening when said valve is in an open position and being out of communication with said dispensing opening when said valve is in a closed position; and a rotatable safety ring encircling said top portion, said ring having an inside surface carrying a pair of spaced recesses each dimensioned to receive a portion of said base abutments, said recesses being alignable with one of said abutments whereby upon alignment, said base can be rotated to move said abutment portions into said recesses thereby opening said valve.

Claim 11

A safety dispensing cap for a container having a mouth and a neck, said safety cap comprising: a closure member comprising a cap portion overlying the container mouth, a depending skirt projecting below said cap portion and engaging the container neck, a generally cylindrical top portion projecting above said cap portion and having a generally cylindrical channel extending thereacross, and a dispensing opening communicating between said channel and the container mouth; a dispensing valve carried by said closure member, said valve having a generally cylindrical base rotatably receivEd in said channel and including a pair of eccentric end abutments extending along said channel and having a generally semi-circular cross-section, and a dispensing passage through said valve, said dispensing passage extending diametrically through said base and communicating with said dispensing opening when said valve is in an open position and being out of communication with said dispensing opening when said valve is in a closed position; and a rotatable safety ring encircling said top portion, said ring having an inside surface carrying a pair of spaced recesses each dimensioned to receive a portion of said base abutments, said recesses being alignable with one of said abutments whereby upon alignment, said base can be rotated to move said abutment portions into said recesses thereby opening said valve.

Claim 12

A safety dispensing cap as defined in claim 9 wherein: said top portion comprises two generally cylindrical tiers of successively smaller diameter co-axially projecting above said cap portion, the lower of said tiers having an upper end surface which defines a support shoulder for said safety ring; said base has a length substantially equal to that of the channel, the length of said abutments each extending the width of said support shoulder; and said inside surface is a downwardly facing surface overlying said support shoulder, said recesses extending upwardly from said downwardly facing surface whereby rotation of said base moves said abutment portions upwardly into said recesses.

Claim 13

A safety dispensing closure as defined in claim 10 wherein: said dispensing valve further includes a spout upstanding from the side of said base, said dispensing passage extending through said spout; and said recesses are aligned across said ring to lie on the same side of a ring diameter thereby to allow alignment of said recesses with said abutments only when said ring is in one preselected angular position relative to said valve.

Claim 14

A safety dispensing cap for a container having a mouth and a neck, said safety cap comprising: a closure member comprising a cap portion overlying the container mouth, a depending skirt projecting below said cap portion and engaging the container neck, a generally cylindrical top portion projecting above said cap portion and having a channel projecting thereacross, and a dispensing opening communicating between said channel and the container mouth; a dispensing valve carried by said closure member and movable relative thereto between open and closed portions, said valve having an elongated base slidably received in said channel and including an abutment extending from one end thereof, and a dispensing passage through said base communicating with said dispensing opening when said valve is in said open position and out of communication with said dispensing opening when said valve is in said closed position; and a rotatable safety ring encircling said top portion, said ring having an inside surface carrying a recess dimensioned to receive said base abutment, said recess being alignable with said abutment whereby upon alignment said base can be moved along said channel to move said abutment into said recess thereby opening said valve.

Claim 15

A safety dispensing cap for a container having a mouth and a neck, said safety cap comprising: a closure member comprising a cap portion overlying the container mouth, a depending skirt projecting below said cap portion and engaging the container neck, a generally cylindrical top portion projecting above said cap portion and having a channel projecting thereacross, and a dispensing opening communicating between said channel and the container mouth; a dispensing valve carried by said closure member and movable relative thereto between open and closed portions, said valve having an elongated base slidably received in said channel and including an abutment extending from one end thereof, and a dispensing passage through said base communicating with said dispensing opening when said valve is in said open position and out of communication with said dispensing opening when said valve is in said closed position; and a rotatable safety ring encircling said top portion, said ring having an inside surface carrying a recess dimensioned to receive said base abutment, said recess being alignable with said abutment whereby upon alignment said base can be moved along said channel to move said abutment into said recess thereby opening said valve.

Claim 16

A safety dispensing cap for a container having an open mouth, said safety cap comprising: a closure for overlying the mouth of the container and having an opening for communicating through said closure with the interior of the container; a dispensing valve mounted on said closure and movable relative thereto between open and closed portions, said valve having a dispensing passage communicating with said opening in said open position and out of communication with said opening in said closed position; a safety ring mounted on said closure around said dispensing valve, said ring being freely rotatable relative to said closure and selectively movable into and out of a preselected angular position relative to said dispensing valve preparatory to movement of the latter from said closed position to said open position; and means on said safety ring and dispensing valve cooperating to hold the latter in said closed position when said ring is out of said preselected position and to release the dispensing valve to permit independent movement to said open position when said ring is in said preselected position.

Claim 17

A safety dispensing cap for a container having an open mouth, said safety cap comprising: a closure for overlying the mouth of the container and having an opening for communicating through said closure with the interior of the container; a dispensing valve mounted on said closure and movable relative thereto between open and closed portions, said valve having a dispensing passage communicating with said opening in said open position and out of communication with said opening in said closed position; a safety ring mounted on said closure around said dispensing valve, said ring being freely rotatable relative to said closure and selectively movable into and out of a preselected angular position relative to said dispensing valve preparatory to movement of the latter from said closed position to said open position; and means on said safety ring and dispensing valve cooperating to hold the latter in said closed position when said ring is out of said preselected position and to release the dispensing valve to permit independent movement to said open position when said ring is in said preselected position.

Claim 18

A safety dispensing cap as defined in claim 13 wherein: said dispensing valve has a base rotatably supported on said closure, and a spout projecting laterally from one side of said base for tilting between said open and closed positions accompanied by rotation of said base relative to said closure; and in which said means include a first abutment eccentrically mounted on one end of said base, and a second abutment surface on said safety ring positioned to block eccentric movement of said first abutment and rotation of said base to said open position when said ring is out of said preselected position, and to permit eccentric movement of said first abutment and rotation of said base to said open position when said ring is in said preselected position.

Claim 19

A safety dispensing cap as defined in claim 14 wherein: said base is generally cylindrical and said first abutment extends axially of said one end, said abutment having a generally semi-circular cross section; and said second abutment surface has at least one recess therein for permitting said eccentric movement of said first abutment.

Claim 20

A safety dispensing cap as defined in claim 13 wherein: said dispensing valve is supported on said closure for transverse sliding thereon between said open and closed positions; and said means include an abutment surface on said safety ring positioned to block sliding movement of said valve to said open position when said ring is out of said preselected position.

Claim 21

A safety dispensing cap as defined in claim 16 wherein: said dispensing valve has an elongated base slidably supported on said closure, and a spout projecting laterally from one side of said base; and said means further include an abutment projecting from one end of said base and engaged by said abutment surface to block said sliding movement, and at least one recess is formed in said abutment surface to permit said sliding movement when said ring is in said preselected position.