Tamper-evident, child-resistant closure and method

Claim 2

A tamper-evident, child-resistant closure for containers comprising an inner cap member having a skirt member and a top member, said skirt member having an internal thread for engaging a mating thread of said container for securing said inner cap to said container, an outer cap member having a skirt portion and a top portion for axially receiving said inner cap member for rotational movement relative thereto, said outer cap top portion having a frangibly connected, axially located, removable element, said inner cap top member having an upwardly protruding member axially aligned with said frangible member, one of said outer cap skirt portion and said inner cap skirt member having first and second circumferentially directed stop regions, the other of said inner skirt member and said outer cap skirt portion having a radially directed circumferential flange for engaging said stop regions, said flange and said stop regions being cooperatively contoured for allowing insertion of said inner cap member into said outer cap member and for inhibiting removal of said inner cap member from said outer cap member after insertion therein, said flange and said stop regions providing first lower and second upper axially spaced stop positions, and said inner and outer cap members at their top member and top portion respectively, having a non-interfering relationship in said first lower position and an interfering relationship in said second upper position wherein said protruding member causes detachment of said frangible element in said second position, and wherein said inner and outer cap members, in said second position, form an assembly which rotatably cannot be removed from a cap sealing condition with the container, and said upper and lower cup members cooperatively having a biased third axial position wherein said upper and lower cap members can be rotated for removal from said container sealing condition.

Claim 3

The tamper-evident, child-resistant closure of claim 1 wherein said outer cap skirt portion has said first and second circumferentially directed stop regions, and said inner cap skirt member has said radially directed circumferential flange for engaging said stop regions.

Claim 4

The tamper-evident, child-resistant closure of claim 2 wherein said outer cap member has, at an inner top section of its skirt portion, a plurality of two component structure drive lugs having a lower ramp-like surface section and for reducing, in the second stop position, the rotational force transmitted to the inner cap member to a level insufficient for unseating the cap assembly, and an upper squared-off surface section for transmitting, in said third position, sufficient rotational force to said inner cap member for unseating said cap assembly.

Claim 5

The tamper-evident, child-resistant closure of claim 1 wherein said protruding member has a top surface which makes an acute angle to a plane normal to the rotational axis of said cap assembly.

Claim 6

The tamper-evident, child-resistant closure of claim 1 wherein said protruding member has a top surface easily distinguishable when said frangibly connected element has been displaced from the top surface of an otherwise intact outer cap member.

Claim 7

A tamper-evident, child-resistant closure for containers comprising an inner cap member having a skirt member and a top member, said skirt member having an internal thread for engaging a mating thread of said container for securing said inner cap to said container, an outer cap member having a skirt portion and a top portion for axially receiving said inner cap member for rotational movement relative thereto, said outer cap top portion having a frangibly connected, axially located, removable element, said inner cap top member having an upwardly protruding member axially aligned with said frangible member, said outer cap skirt portion having first and second circumferentially directed stop regions, said inner cap skirt member having a radially directed circumferential flange for engaging said stop regions, said flange and said stop regions being cooperatively contoured for allowing insertion of said inner cap member into said outer cap member and for inhibiting removal of said inner cap member from said outer cap member after insertion therein, said flange and said stop regions providing first lower and second upper axially spaced stop positions, and said inner and outer cap members at their top member and top portion respectively, having a non-interfering relationship in said first lower position and an interfering relationship in said second upper position wherein said protruding member causes detachment of said frangible element in said second position, and wherein said inner and outer cap members, in said second position, form an assembly which rotatably cannot be removed from a cap sealing condition with the container, said upper and lower cup members cooperatively having a biased third axial position wherein said upper and lower cap members can be rotated for removal from said container sealing condition, said protruding member having a top surface which makes an acute angle to a plane normal to a rotation axis of said cap assembly, and which is easily distinguishable when said frangibly connected element has been displaced from the top surface of an otherwise intact outer cap member, and wherein said outer cap member has, at an inner top section of its skirt portion, a plurality of two component structure drive lugs having a lower ramp-like surface section and for reducing, in the second stop position, the rotational force transmitted to the inner cap member to a level insufficient for unseating the cap assembly, and an upper squared-off surface section for transmitting, in said third position, sufficient rotational force to said inner cap member for unseating said cap assembly.

Claim 8

A tamper-evident, child-resistant closure for containers comprising an inner cap member having a skirt member and a top member, said skirt member having an internal thread for engaging a mating thread of said container for securing said inner cap to said container, an outer cap member having a skirt portion and a top portion for axially receiving said inner cap member for rotational movement relative thereto, said outer cap top portion having a frangibly connected, axially located, removable element, said inner cap top member having an upwardly protruding member axially aligned with said frangible member, said outer cap skirt portion having first and second circumferentially directed stop regions, said inner cap skirt member having a radially directed circumferential flange for engaging said stop regions, said flange and said stop regions being cooperatively contoured for allowing insertion of said inner cap member into said outer cap member and for inhibiting removal of said inner cap member from said outer cap member after insertion therein, said flange and said stop regions providing first lower and second upper axially spaced stop positions, and said inner and outer cap members at their top member and top portion respectively, having a non-interfering relationship in said first lower position and an interfering relationship in said second upper position wherein said protruding member causes detachment of said frangible element in said second position, and wherein said inner and outer cap members, in said second position, form an assembly which rotatably cannot be removed from a cap sealing condition with the container, said upper and lower cup members cooperatively having a biased third axial position wherein said upper and lower cap members can be rotated for removal from said container sealing condition, said protruding member having a top surface which makes an acute angle to a plane normal to a rotation axis of said cap assembly, and which is easily distinguishable when said frangibly connected element has been displaced from the top surface of an otherwise intact outer cap member, and wherein said outer cap member has, at an inner top section of its skirt portion, a plurality of two component structure drive lugs having a lower ramp-like surface section and for reducing, in the second stop position, the rotational force transmitted to the inner cap member to a level insufficient for unseating the cap assembly, and an upper squared-off surface section for transmitting, in said third position, sufficient rotational force to said inner cap member for unseating said cap assembly.

Claim 11

The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of selectively displacing said frangibly connected element at said connections so that said connections break in a selected sequence whereby said element is not forcefully propelled from its connected position.

Claim 12

The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of easily distinguishing a top surface of said protruding member from the top surface of the outer cap member when said frangibly connected element has been displaced.