US3797688A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Safety cap unit
Assignee: VCA Corp
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Filing: 1972-06-14
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Granted: 1974-03-19
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Expires: 1992-06-14
Abstract
Abstract The invention relates to a safety cap unit for containers such as bottles and the like, whereby unauthorized removal of the cap from the container is prevented. More particularly, it relates to a closure unit comprising an inner or closure cap which is used to close the open end of a container cooperatively connected with an outer or actuator cap superimposed over the inner cap, with interlocking means between the outer and inner caps to permit the two caps to be rotated in unison to lock the inner cap as a closure for the container so that unlocking of the inner cap with respect to the container takes place only when the outer cap is moved axially upward relative to the inner cap so that there is an interengagement between the outer and inner caps. The outer cap has a top wall surface of such character as to permit it to flex or give sufficiently to permit interengagement of the outer and inner caps.
Inventors
- 👤 J Porcelli
- 👤 E Ostrowsky
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 05:08
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65D; B65D50/00; B65D50/02; B65D50/04; B65D50/041
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
239 words
A safety closure device including an inner or closure cap for application to a container, an outer or actuator cap superimposed on said inner cap and normally freely rotatable with respect thereto, means on the top wall of each of said caps securing said caps against unauthorized axial separation, the top wall of said outer cap being sufficiently yieldable to permit axial deflection thereof toward the top wall of the inner cap in response to the manual application of pulling up of said outer cap relative to said inner cap, said outer and inner caps having complementary engaging surfaces on the underside of the top wall of the outer cap and on the top wall of the inner cap to cause interengagement therebetween so that the rotation of the outer cap will rotate the inner cap to secure said inner cap on the container yet permit the outer cap to be rotated in the opposite direction with respect to the inner cap without effecting an unsecurement of said inner cap from the container, said outer and inner caps having interengaging means which interengage and lock with respect to each other only when the outer cap is raised relative to said inner cap, thereby flexing the top wall of said outer cap sufficiently to cause the interengagement, said caps when thus interengaged adapted to be rotated in a direction to cause unsecurement of said inner cap relative to the container.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
239 words
A safety closure device including an inner or closure cap for application to a container, an outer or actuator cap superimposed on said inner cap and normally freely rotatable with respect thereto, means on the top wall of each of said caps securing said caps against unauthorized axial separation, the top wall of said outer cap being sufficiently yieldable to permit axial deflection thereof toward the top wall of the inner cap in response to the manual application of pulling up of said outer cap relative to said inner cap, said outer and inner caps having complementary engaging surfaces on the underside of the top wall of the outer cap and on the top wall of the inner cap to cause interengagement therebetween so that the rotation of the outer cap will rotate the inner cap to secure said inner cap on the container yet permit the outer cap to be rotated in the opposite direction with respect to the inner cap without effecting an unsecurement of said inner cap from the container, said outer and inner caps having interengaging means which interengage and lock with respect to each other only when the outer cap is raised relative to said inner cap, thereby flexing the top wall of said outer cap sufficiently to cause the interengagement, said caps when thus interengaged adapted to be rotated in a direction to cause unsecurement of said inner cap relative to the container.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
65 words
A safety closure as set forth in claim 1 in which the complementary engaging surfaces are ratchet teeth which cause rotation of the outer cap in one direction to interlock with the ratchet teeth on the inner cap to simultaneously rotate the inner cap in the same direction and permit overriding of the ratchet teeth relative to each other when rotated in the opposite direction.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
75 words
A safety closure as set forth in claim 1 in which the inner cap has an internal thread for engagement with an external thread on the container for securement of said inner cap to said container, and in which the outer cap has inwardly extending projections adjacent the bottom thereof which interengage with the outwardly extending projections adjacent the bottom of the inner cap when the outer cap is raised relative to the inner cap.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
47 words
A safety closure as set forth in claim 2 in which the outer cap has inwardly extending projections adjacent the bottom thereof which interengage with the outwardly extending projections adjacent the bottom of the inner cap when the outer cap is raised relative to the inner cap.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
63 words
A safety closure as set forth in claim 4 in which the top wall of the outer cap has a central opening and in which the top wall of the inner cap has a stem extending through the central opening, which stem is deformed to form a bead to connect the two caps but to permit rotation of one relative to the other.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
31 words
A safety closure as set forth in claim 5 in which the top wall of the outer cap is provided with an annular raised surface spaced radially from the central opening.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
75 words
A safety closure as set forth in claim 3 in which the complementary engaging surfaces interengage when the outer cap is rotated in a clockwise direction to simultaneously rotate the inner cap in the same direction to effect a screwing on of said inner cap relative to the container and permit an overriding of said ratchet teeth when the outer cap is rotated counterclockwise without effecting an Unscrewing of the inner cap from the container.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
96 words
A safety closure as set forth in claim 1 in which the outer cap is formed of a polypropylene plastic material and in which the top wall of the outer cap is of a thickness to permit flexing of the central portion of said top wall when the outer cap is manually raised relative to the inner cap but which top wall will return to its normal unflexed position when the manual upward pressure is released from said outer cap to thereby effect disengagement between said interengaging means which interengage when the outer cap is raised.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
62 words
A safety closure as set forth in claim 1 in which the interengaging means which engage when the outer cap is raised are positioned adjacent the bottom of the inner and outer caps and are normally positioned a distance from each other so that there is no interference therebetween during the normal rotation of the outer cap relative to the inner cap.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3422978A
Cited
US3679085A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-03-18 | 1977-09-17 | 1978-03-19 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-03-18 | 1981-09-17 | 1982-03-19 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-03-18 | 1985-09-17 | 1986-03-19 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |