Child-resistant closures with limited spout accessibility

Claim 2

In a dispensing closure having a cap adapted to be secured to a container and having a spout rotatably mounted on said cap so as to be capable of being rotated about an axis when said spout is physically engaged between a closed position in which said spout extends horizontally and seals off an opening through said cap and an open position in which said spout extends other than horizontally and is in alignment with said opening, the improvement which comprises: two vertically extending walls located on said cap so as to extend vertically along and adjacent to both of the sides of said spout when said spout is in said closed position, said vertically extending walls surrounding the sides of said spout when said spout is in said closed position so that only the tip of said spout can be engaged to rotate said spout from said closed position to said open position, a horizontally extending wall located on said cap so as to extend beneath the tip of said spout when said spout is in said closed position, said horizontally extending wall extending from the central part of said cap beyond the tip of said spout when said spout is in said closed position, an end wall located on the extremity of said horizontally extending wall remote from the central part of said cap and extending upwardly from said horizontally extending wall so as to be aligned with the tip of said spout when said spout is in said closed position, said horizontally extending wall and said end wall being located so as to cooperate to define a passage extending transversely of the tip of said spout, at least one end of said passage being open to provide access to an under portion of said tip of said spout when said spout is in said closed position, said vertically and horizontally extending walls and said end wall serving to prevent said spout from being directly engaged by a finger when it is in said closed position so that said spout cannot be rotated from said closed position to said open position by a finger but serving to permit an under portion of said tip of said spout to be engaged by an extending implement inserted through an end of said passage so that a force can be applied beneath said tip when said spout is in said closed position to rotate said spout to said open position.

Claim 3

A dispensing closure as claimed in claim 1 wherein: said end wall is spaced from said tip of said spout when said spout is in said closed position.

Claim 4

A dispensing closure as claimed in claim 1 wherein: said end wall has a notch formed therein, and said tip of said spout fits within said notch when said spout is in said closed position.

Claim 5

A dispensing closure as claimed in claim 1 including: interengaging detent means on said spout and said cap for holding said spout in said closed position against undesired rotation to said open position.

Claim 6

In a dispensing closure having a cap adapted to be secured to a container and having a spout rotatably mounted on said cap so as to be capable of being rotated about an axis wHen said spout is physically engaged between a closed position in which said spout extends horizontally and seals off an opening through said cap and an open position in which said spout extends vertically and is in alignment with said opening, the improvement which comprises: two vertically extending walls located on said cap so as to extend vertically along and adjacent to both of the sides of said spout when said spout is in said closed position, said vertically extending walls surrounding the sides of said spout when said spout is in said closed position so that only said tip of said spout can be engaged to rotate said spout from said closed position to said open position, a horizontally extending wall located on said cap so as to extend beneath the tip of said spout when said spout is in said closed position, said horizontally extending wall extending from the central part of said cap beyond the tip of said spout when said spout is in said closed position and being so closely spaced relative to the tip of said spout when said spout is in said closed position so that a finger of a user of said closure cannot be inserted between said tip and said horizontally extending wall, said tip of said spout having a rounded, tapered configuration, and said vertically extending walls having resilient curved extremities which engage said tip of said spout so as to hold said spout in said closed position against undesired rotation to said open position, said tip and said curved extremities serving as interengaging detent means on said spout and said cap for holding said spout in said closed position against undesired rotation to said open position, said vertically and horizontally extending walls serving to prevent said spout from being directly engaged by a finger when it is in said closed position so that said spout cannot be rotated from said closed position to said open position by a finger but serving to permit said tip of said spout to be engaged by an extending implement such as a fingernail so that a force can be applied beneath said tip when said spout is in said closed position to rotate said spout to said open position.

Claim 7

In a dispensing closure having a cap adapted to be secured to a container and having a spout rotatably mounted on said cap so as to be capable of being rotated about an axis wHen said spout is physically engaged between a closed position in which said spout extends horizontally and seals off an opening through said cap and an open position in which said spout extends vertically and is in alignment with said opening, the improvement which comprises: two vertically extending walls located on said cap so as to extend vertically along and adjacent to both of the sides of said spout when said spout is in said closed position, said vertically extending walls surrounding the sides of said spout when said spout is in said closed position so that only said tip of said spout can be engaged to rotate said spout from said closed position to said open position, a horizontally extending wall located on said cap so as to extend beneath the tip of said spout when said spout is in said closed position, said horizontally extending wall extending from the central part of said cap beyond the tip of said spout when said spout is in said closed position and being so closely spaced relative to the tip of said spout when said spout is in said closed position so that a finger of a user of said closure cannot be inserted between said tip and said horizontally extending wall, said tip of said spout having a rounded, tapered configuration, and said vertically extending walls having resilient curved extremities which engage said tip of said spout so as to hold said spout in said closed position against undesired rotation to said open position, said tip and said curved extremities serving as interengaging detent means on said spout and said cap for holding said spout in said closed position against undesired rotation to said open position, said vertically and horizontally extending walls serving to prevent said spout from being directly engaged by a finger when it is in said closed position so that said spout cannot be rotated from said closed position to said open position by a finger but serving to permit said tip of said spout to be engaged by an extending implement such as a fingernail so that a force can be applied beneath said tip when said spout is in said closed position to rotate said spout to said open position.

Claim 8

A dispensing closure as claimed in claim 5 wherein: an end wall located on the extremity of said horizontally extending wall remote from the central part of said cap and extending upwardly from said horizontally extending wall so as to be aligned with the tip of said spout when said spout is in said closed position, said end wall serving to limit the access to said tip of said spout when said spout is in said closed position.

Claim 9

A dispensing closure as claimed in claim 6 wherein: said end wall has a notch formed therein, and said tip of said spout fits within said notch when said spout is in said closed position.

Claim 10

A dispensing closure as claimed in claim 6 wherein: said end wall is spaced from said tip to said spout when said spout is in said closed position.