Safety closure

Claim 2

A rigid closure member for a container, the closure member being shaped to give the appearance of a conventional screw cap with longitudinal flutes, serrations, ribs or ridges on its outer surface, an opening in the top of the closure member, a snap on lid adapted to open and close the opening and be retained in its closed position to give the appearance of the top of the closure member, the closure member having a portion of its outer surface which is displaceable inwardly to allow a finger of the user to engage under the snap on lid to overcome the snap action of the lid, the displaceable portion being a portion that is not readily distinguishable from the remainder of the closure member.

Claim 3

A closure member as defined in claim 1 wherein the closure member has a slot in its top edge, the outer wall of the slot forming the displaceable portion.

Claim 4

A closure member as defined in claim 1 wherein serrations are formed on the outer surface of the closure member, a number of serrations covering the area of the displaceable portion.

Claim 5

A closure member as defined in claim 1 wherein longitudinally spaced ribs, ridges or flutes are provided on the outer surface, the displaceable portioN extending between a pair of ribs, ridges or flutes the slot extending between the same pair of ribs, ridges or flutes and which are spaced to allow a finger of the user to engage the displaceable portion between the pair of ribs, ridges or flutes.

Claim 6

A closure member as defined in claim 1 wherein the lid has a depending flange with a circumferential bead adapted to engage a circumferential groove in the top of the closure member, the lid being hinged by a hinge integral with the closure member and lid.

Claim 7

A closure member as defined in claim 1 wherein the closure member, lid and container are integrally moulded from a plastics material.

Claim 8

A closure member as defined in claim 1 wherein the closure member is rotatably mounted in a non-removable manner on the container.

Claim 9

A closure member as defined in claim 1 wherein the lid has a stud protruding from its wall face to engage and seal in an aperture in a top wall of the closure member.

Claim 10

A closure member as defined in claim 1 wherein the closure member has internal threads adapted to engage the complementary threads on a container, bottle, collapsible tube or the like, the closure member on engaging the complementary threads being locked, sealed, or adhesively secured thereto to prevent removal.

Claim 11

A closure member as defined in claim 1 wherein the lid overlies the slot and the edge of the lid is sloped towards its upper surface.

Claim 12

A combination of a cylindrical container and a rigid closure member for the cylindrical container, the container having at its open end a closure member including an enlarged annular portion on the outer surface thereof, the annular portion having a depending annular flange and simulating a conventional screw cap, a snap on lid adapted to close the opening of the container and shaped to form the top of the simulated cap, the annular portion having an arcuate slot in its top surface providing a resilient portion on the outer wall of the annular portion, the snap on lid covering the slot, whereby a finger of the user can displace the resilient portion inwardly to allow the finger to engage under the snap on lid to remove same.

Claim 13

A combination of a cylindrical container and a rigid closure member for the cylindrical container, the container having at its open end a closure member including an enlarged annular portion on the outer surface thereof, the annular portion having a depending annular flange and simulating a conventional screw cap, a snap on lid adapted to close the opening of the container and shaped to form the top of the simulated cap, the annular portion having an arcuate slot in its top surface providing a resilient portion on the outer wall of the annular portion, the snap on lid covering the slot, whereby a finger of the user can displace the resilient portion inwardly to allow the finger to engage under the snap on lid to remove same.

Claim 14

A combination as in claim 11 where said snap on lid has a depending circular flange operatively engaging the wall of the opening and a radially outwardly extending top flange protruding beyond said circular flange but being shorter than the outer diameter of said annular portion, a portion of the lower surface of said top flange being exposed by pressing said resilient portion inwardly.

Claim 15

A combination as in claim 12 where said snap on lid engages said container to position the lower surface of said top flange immediately adjacent and overlying the end of said annular portion, and said circular flange has a rib thereon releasably engaging a recess in the wall of said opening.

Claim 16

A combination as in claim 12 where said slot extends only part of the length of said closure member and said resilient portion is at the top of the outer periphery of said annular portion.