Patent US4180174A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
← Back to Patent Explorer
US4180174A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Child-resistant closure

Assignee: AFA Products Inc
•
Filing: 1978-11-16
•
Granted: 1979-12-25
•
Expires: 1998-11-16
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract A child-resistant threaded closure for containers is presented which includes a lower ring-like portion attached to the closure by retractable and extendible legs and having a matching thread. With the closure screwed in place on a container, the ring is pushed down by means of tabs to a position below the last thread on the container with the legs extended whereupon, when an attempt is made to unscrew the closure, the thread segment of the ring interferes with the last thread of the container and prevents its removal. For the closure to be removed, the ring is lifted up by finger pressure applied to the tabs until the legs are fully retracted and the threads match up with the others after which action the closure can be unscrewed.

Inventors

  • 👤 David R. Quinn

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-05 20:08
CPC Classifications
B; B65; B65D; B65D50/00; B65D50/02; B65D50/04; B65D50/045; B65D50/048

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim 103 words
A child-resistant closure for closing a necked container with a screw thread formed on the neck, said closure including a top and a sidewall with the sidewall having an internal screw thread adapted to engage the screw thread of the container neck, said internal screw thread cut off at the lower edge of said sidewall in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal central axis of the closure and a screw thread segment adapted to match said cut off thread and to move selectively from a matched first position to a second position away from but in parallel relationship to the cut off thread.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 103 words
A child-resistant closure for closing a necked container with a screw thread formed on the neck, said closure including a top and a sidewall with the sidewall having an internal screw thread adapted to engage the screw thread of the container neck, said internal screw thread cut off at the lower edge of said sidewall in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal central axis of the closure and a screw thread segment adapted to match said cut off thread and to move selectively from a matched first position to a second position away from but in parallel relationship to the cut off thread.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 100 words
A child-resistant closure for closing a necked container with a screw thread formed on said neck, said closure including a top and an annular sidewall having an internal screw thread adapted to engage the screw thread of the container neck, an annular ring encircling said neck and having an internal wall including a thread segment, retractable and extendible means attaching said ring to said cap, and said ring movable from a retracted position with said thread segment aligned with the thread of the cap to an extended position with the thread out of alignment with the thread of the cap.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 100 words
A child-resistant closure for closing a necked container with a screw thread formed on said neck, said closure including a top and an annular sidewall having an internal screw thread adapted to engage the screw thread of the container neck, an annular ring encircling said neck and having an internal wall including a thread segment, retractable and extendible means attaching said ring to said cap, and said ring movable from a retracted position with said thread segment aligned with the thread of the cap to an extended position with the thread out of alignment with the thread of the cap.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 35 words
The invention set forth in claim 2 with the retractable and extendible means comprising at least one link member hingedly affixed at one end to the cap and at its other end to the ring.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 20 words
The invention set forth in claim 3 wherein the hinges are living hinges integral with the cap and the ring.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 24 words
The invention set forth in claim 3 with a recess in the closure adapted to receive one half of at least one link member.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 27 words
The invention set forth in claim 3 with at least one recess in the ring sufficiently large to receive one half of at least one link member.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 38 words
The invention set forth in claim 3 with a recess in both the closure wall and the ring with each sufficiently large to receive one half of a link and altogether large enough to receive a whole link.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 17 words
The invention set forth in claim 2 with at least one outwardly extended tab on the ring.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 22 words
The invention set forth in claim 2 with a plurality of outwardly extending tabs on the ring and spaced about its exterior.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 21 words
The invention set forth in claim 9 with two outwardly extended tabs on the ring and disposed on opposite sides thereof.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 22 words
The invention set forth in claim 9 with the tabs each located on the ring's exterior in the vicinity of a link.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3399796A Cited
US3514003A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1982-12-24 1983-06-25 1983-12-25 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1986-12-24 1987-06-25 1987-12-25 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1990-12-24 1991-06-25 1991-12-25 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag