US3782604A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Screw cap with safety cover
Assignee: Individual
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Filing: 1972-01-20
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Granted: 1974-01-01
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Expires: 1992-01-20
Abstract
Abstract To render screw-capped bottles containing dangerous substances safe from children, a unitary plastic cover is provided which fits loosely rotatably over the normal screw cap and prevents unscrewing of the cap unless a considerable downward pressure is exerted against the resilient element of the cover to force a portion of the cover into engagement with a portion of the screw cap so that the cap can be unscrewed.
Inventors
- 👤 M Kessler
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 22:55
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65D; B65D50/00; B65D50/02; B65D50/04; B65D50/041
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 2
Claim 1
Independent Claim
376 words
A. Safety screw cap means comprising b. a plastic screw cap for closing containers, the exterior sIde walls of said cap having a number of first projections extending outwardly of the cap near the top or closed end of the cap, c. a safety cover in the form of a second plastic cap having an open end and a closed end, fitted over said screw cap, d. said cover having an inner diameter slightly larger than the largest outer diameter of said screw cap so that when fitted over the screw cap it normally can rotate loosely thereon, e. said cover including integral latch means engaging a portion of the screw cap to prevent ready coaxial separation of the screw cap from the cover while permitting free relative rotation of the two, f. locking projections on said cover near the closed end thereof and extending inwardly from the interior of the wall thereof, said locking projections being normally out of engagement with said first projections, but engagable with said first projections to transmit rotary movement of the cover to the screw cap, g. said cover comprising resilient biasing means engagable with the top of said screw cap to normally maintain the said first projections and said lock projections out of engagement, but being resiliently deformable by axial pressure on said cover to engage said locking projections to permit the screw cap to be unscrewed by rotation of the cover while so engaged, h. said biasing means being in the form of a plurality of resiliently flexible fingers of plastic material extending integrally downward from the underside of the top of said cover into engagement with the top of said screw cap, i. said fingers extending at an angle from the perpendicular so that axial pressure will cause them to bend, j. said cap being of the snip-top type with an initially closed pouring spout extending outward from the center of the cap, said cover having a hole in the center of the top thereof through which said spout protrudes, k. and said fingers being arranged around said hole in a circular array and inclined from the perpendicular at such an angle that they bend away from the center when axial pressure is applied to the cover.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
376 words
A. Safety screw cap means comprising b. a plastic screw cap for closing containers, the exterior sIde walls of said cap having a number of first projections extending outwardly of the cap near the top or closed end of the cap, c. a safety cover in the form of a second plastic cap having an open end and a closed end, fitted over said screw cap, d. said cover having an inner diameter slightly larger than the largest outer diameter of said screw cap so that when fitted over the screw cap it normally can rotate loosely thereon, e. said cover including integral latch means engaging a portion of the screw cap to prevent ready coaxial separation of the screw cap from the cover while permitting free relative rotation of the two, f. locking projections on said cover near the closed end thereof and extending inwardly from the interior of the wall thereof, said locking projections being normally out of engagement with said first projections, but engagable with said first projections to transmit rotary movement of the cover to the screw cap, g. said cover comprising resilient biasing means engagable with the top of said screw cap to normally maintain the said first projections and said lock projections out of engagement, but being resiliently deformable by axial pressure on said cover to engage said locking projections to permit the screw cap to be unscrewed by rotation of the cover while so engaged, h. said biasing means being in the form of a plurality of resiliently flexible fingers of plastic material extending integrally downward from the underside of the top of said cover into engagement with the top of said screw cap, i. said fingers extending at an angle from the perpendicular so that axial pressure will cause them to bend, j. said cap being of the snip-top type with an initially closed pouring spout extending outward from the center of the cap, said cover having a hole in the center of the top thereof through which said spout protrudes, k. and said fingers being arranged around said hole in a circular array and inclined from the perpendicular at such an angle that they bend away from the center when axial pressure is applied to the cover.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-12-31 | 1977-07-02 | 1978-01-01 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-12-31 | 1981-07-02 | 1982-01-01 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-12-31 | 1985-07-02 | 1986-01-01 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |