Child resistant package

Claim 1

A child resistant package comprising an open-mouthed container and a closure therefor including a top wall and depending skirt portion for receiving and sealing the mouth of said container, resilient means to urge said closure axially away from said container as said closure is drawn into the sealing position over the mouth of said container and cooperating sets of locking elements disposed on the inner surface of the depending skirt portion of said closure and rimming the open mouth of said container, the invention comprising: one set of said locking elements comprising latch members defining a retaining portion and a stop element and said other set comprising pairs of spaced apart projections defining an openended, through-running channel therebetween for receiving the stop element of a corresponding latch member, the projections providing a positive stop for the stop element to prevent removal of said closure by mere turning, one of the projections engaging the retaining portion of the corresponding latch member to retain said closure in opposition to the urging of the resilient member, there being required the combination of an axially downward force on and a turning of said closure with respect to said container to remove said closure from the sealed and locked position on said container, and in the event said projections are damaged by shearing due to forced removal of the closure and the like, the through-running channels permitting the latch members to be positioned in the channel toward the mouth of said container with the stop element thereof of contiguity with undamaged portions of the projections to retain the locking action between the cooperating sets of locking elements.