Safety bottle closure

Claim 2

The combination with a rotarily actuated generally conventional closure cap for a container, said cap having a closed base with a skirt, a plurality of closely spaced exterior knurls on the skirt at the junction thereof with the base, said skirt including means for connecting the closure cap with respect to the container when the cap is turned in one direction, the cap being released from the container when turned in the opposite direction, of a safety overcap of resilient yieldable but self-sustaining plastic, said overcap including a base and a connecting skirt, a depressed area in the center portion of the base of the overcap, means adjacent the free edge of the skirt for engaging under the free edge of the closure cap skirt to hold the two caps together, a series of inwardly directed spaced projections on the overcap skirt adjacent the base thereof, said projections conforming in general to the knurls, the depressed base normally engaging the base of the closure cap and maintaining the projections of the overcap unengaged with respect to the knurls, pressure inwardly on the base of the overcap engaging the projections with the knurls, connecting the two caps to rotate together, the overcap being inoperative for this purpose when the pressure is released due to the resilience of the material of the overcap at the depressed area at the center of the overcap.

Claim 3

The combination of claim 1 wherein certain of said projections are longer than others providing a stiffening means for the skirt of the overcap.

Claim 4

The combination of claim 1 wherein the free edge of the skirt of the overcap is flared slightly outwardly for ease of snapping the overcap onto the closure cap.

Claim 5

The combination with a rotarily actuated closure cap for a container, means for connecting the closure cap with respect to the container when the cap is turned in one direction, said cap being released from the container when the cap is turned in the opposite direction, said cap including a base and a depending skirt, the means for connecting the closure cap with respect to the container being embodied in the skirt, the skirt having a free-ended annular edge, of a safety overcap, said overcap comprising a resilient yielding self-sustained base and a connecting skirt, the skirt having a free-ended annular edge, inwardly directed means at the edge of the skirt of the overcap engaging under the edge of the skirt of the closure cap, said inwardly directed means holding the two caps together against accidental escape of the overcap from the closure cap, the skirt of the overcap being longer than the skirt of the closure cap, the closure cap having a circumferential series of closely spaced indentations arranged on the exterior thereof adjacent the junction of its skirt and base, and inwardly directed closely spaced projections corresponding to said indentations on the overcap at the junction of its base and skirt; the base of the overcap extending inwardly, yieldably bearing on the base of the closure cap, the base of the overcap normally holding the overcap in a position wherein the inwardly directed projections on the overcap are free and clear of the indentations on the closure cap, so that rotative motion of the overcap does not affect the closure cap, but the inwardly directed projections on the overcap being engaged with the indentations on the closure cap upon deflection of the base of the overcap under downward pressure thereon, whereby the two caps are engaged under such pressure and the closure cap turns in accordance with rotary motion of the overcap.

Claim 6

The combination with a rotarily actuated closure cap for a container, means for connecting the closure cap with respect to the container when the cap is turned in one direction, said cap being released from the container when the cap is turned in the opposite direction, said cap including a base and a depending skirt, the means for connecting the closure cap with respect to the container being embodied in the skirt, the skirt having a free-ended annular edge, of a safety overcap, said overcap comprising a resilient yielding self-sustained base and a connecting skirt, the skirt having a free-ended annular edge, inwardly directed means at the edge of the skirt of the overcap engaging under the edge of the skirt of the closure cap, said inwardly directed means holding the two caps together against accidental escape of the overcap from the closure cap, the skirt of the overcap being longer than the skirt of the closure cap, the closure cap having a circumferential series of closely spaced indentations arranged on the exterior thereof adjacent the junction of its skirt and base, and inwardly directed closely spaced projections corresponding to said indentations on the overcap at the junction of its base and skirt; the base of the overcap extending inwardly, yieldably bearing on the base of the closure cap, the base of the overcap normally holding the overcap in a position wherein the inwardly directed projections on the overcap are free and clear of the indentations on the closure cap, so that rotative motion of the overcap does not affect the closure cap, but the inwardly directed projections on the overcap being engaged with the indentations on the closure cap upon deflection of the base of the overcap under downward pressure thereon, whereby the two caps are engaged under such pressure and the closure cap turns in accordance with rotary motion of the overcap.

Claim 7

The combination of claim 4 wherein the depressed base of the overcap normally holds the latter out Of locking engagement with the closure cap.

Claim 8

The combination of claim 4 wherein certain of the projections are longer in an axial direction, and shallower than the projections, stiffening the overcap.