US2980275A - Screw cap locking device for jars - Google Patents

Description

p i 1 1961 R. A. l. LUNDGREN 2,980,275

SCREW CAP LOCKING DEVICE FOR JARS Filed Nov. 5, 1957 INVENTOR PVDOLF ADOLF AFAK LU/ DGEEN ATTORNEY United States Patent F 2,980,275 SCREW CAP LOCKING DEVICE FOR JARS Rudolf Adolf Isak Lundgren, Sanghus Gard, Overenhorna, Sweden, assignor to Aktiebolaget Astra, Apotekarnes Klemiska Fabriker, Sodertalje, Sweden, a company of Sweden Filed Nov. 5, 1957, Ser. No. 694,650 Claims priority, application Sweden Nov. 21, 1956 12 Claims. (Cl. 215-43) The present invention relates to a screw cap locking device for jars. The device according to the invention is characterized in that it consists of a ring of resilient material, said ring being arranged around the jar closely below the screw cap and being non-rotatable in relationship to the jar, and that the ring and the lower edge of the screw cap are provided with coacting serrations, the serration of the ring being able to be disengaged from the serration of the screw cap by the resilient ring being pulled away from the screw cap, which then can be unscrewed.

The locking device will be described in the following with reference to the attached drawing, in which Figures 1 and 2 show two embodiments of the device according to the invention. Fig. 3 shows a locking ring which may replace the locking ring above the bottle in Fig. 2, thereby to include a locking ring having teeth at apparently diametrically opposed points on it.

Figure 1 shows a jar 6, a screw cap 13 and a ring 1 of resilient material. The ring is provided with two diametrically opposed protuberances 2 and 4. In the protuberance 2 there is a notch 3 by means of which the ring is secured to the jar in a way which will be disclosed later. On the top side of the protuberance 4 three upstanding teeth 5 are provided, one side of which extends at right angles to the plane of the ring and the other side sloping to this plane.

In the usual manner the jar 6 is provided with a neck 7 having a thread 12 for the screw cap. The jar turns into the narrower neck by way of the rounded portion 8. Between the portion 8 and the neck there is a collar 11.

On the rounded portion 8 an upstanding shoulder 9 is arranged which is made integrally with the jar itself. This shoulder 9 and the notch 3 of the ring 1 are thus dimensioned that the ring 1 can be put on to the rounded portion 8 in such a way that the shoulder 9 engages the notch 3, whereby the ring 1 is secured against turning.

After the ring 1 has been put on its place, the cap 13 is screwed on. The cap is provided on the lower edge with a serration 18 which is adapted to coact with the teeth 5 on the ring 1 in such a manner that the teeth on the cap snap over the teeth on the ring when the cap is screwed on, whereby the cap can be tightened as desired. The serrations 5 of the ring 1 and serrations 18 of the cap 13 are so shaped that the cap can be screwed onto the jaw 6 against the spring action of the ring 5.

When the cap is to be unscrewed, the lip 4 on the ring 1 is pulled downwards, away from the cap. The

teeth 5 then disengage the serration 13 on the lower edge of the cap, whereby the cap is set free and may be unscrewed.

Figure 2 shows a jar 6, and a locking ring 14 somewhat difierently shaped. In order to prevent the ring 14 from being turned around the jar, the ring is provided in this case with a protuberance 15 on the outice side of which a recess 16 is arranged, adapted to cooperate with the shoulder 17 which is provided on the rounded portion 8 of the jar, closely below the neck. The protuberance 15 has a thickness increasing towards the periphery so that it abuts the rounded portion of e ar.

In Figure 3, the teeth 5a and the extension 4a adjoining them are located on locking ring 14 apparently diametrically opposite the teeth 5b and the extension 4b adjoining them. v

The locking ring should be made of a resilient material. This may be metal but we prefer to make the locking rings of a plastic material, such as polythene.

If the material of the ring has sufiicient ductility, that; part of the ring which carries the teeth 5 will not only be bent downwards, when pressing down the lip 4, but also slip downwards-outwards on the rounded portion 8. The same elfect may be attained with a less ductile ring material if the inner diameter of the ring is made so much larger than the outer diameter of the collar 11 of the jar, around which collar the ring is placed, that the ring, when pulling down the lip a little while assuming an oval shape.

In using locking rings of a plastic material, especially a fairly soft such a material, it is advisable to make the serration gently rounded off on the ring as well as on the screw cap, this for the purpose of reducing as far as possible the wear of the teeth which will occur when the cap is screwed on.

Possibly the serration may be made in such a man-i ner that the cap can only be screwed on if the lip 4 is kept down. However, from considerations of convenience the embodiment shown is to be preferred, the teeth hence slipping one over the other when the cap is screwed on.

In the embodiment shown the locking ring is fitted with teeth at one point of the periphery only. If desired, teeth may for instance be provided at two diametrically opposed points. Both these portions of the ring must then be pulled down simultaneously in order to release the cap. Such a jar will of course be more ditficult to open than that shown in the figures.

As a rule the lower edge of the screw cap need not be toothed all around the periphery. For instance, it may be suflicient to provide teeth along one fourth of the periphery, as usually the variations of. the position of the screw cap when fully screwed on are very small.

What I claim is:

1. In combination with a container such as a bottle or jar having (a) a neck closeable by a screw-cap with inside threads that engage in registry with threads on the outside of the container neck and (b) a radially relatively flat shoulder portion of the body of the container annularly encircling the base of the neck, a screwcap locking means comprising a locking ring whose opening is of such size to slip over the container neck and rest on the relatively flat shoulder portion, and extending from the ring a plurality of teeth shaped to allow correspondingly reciprocally shaped teeth projecting from the bottom of the skirt of the screw-cap to slip over them as the screw-cap is about reaching its closed position and to intermesh and engage with them when the screw-cap reaches its closed position; and, apart from said teeth, holding means on the locking ring adapted to engage with correspondingly reciprocal holding means in the shoulder portion of the container Patented Apr. 18, 19.61.,

4, can be stretched f w w 1 j j "steamers rically opposed parts or the circumference of the locking' ring.

5. Locking mea ns in combination as claimed in claim 3, wherein one face'ef the individual teeth on the looking fing'and on the "screw-cap is substantially vertical to tlie plane; of their resp'ective bases and the other face o f the individualteeth inthelocking ring slopes. graduallyjiiownwardly "to its base in the direction in which "the capwbula be rotated for unscrewing it, and the o'ther face ofthe individual teeth in the screw cap slopes gradual ly'upwardly to its base in'the direction in which the cap would be "rotated for closing.

7, wherein the recess extends from the opening in the into the "tab-like protrusion.

9. Locking means in combination as claimed in claim 7, wherein the recess extends into the tab-like protrusion from its outer periphery. J i t i t 10. Locking means iueon rbination as claimed in claim 1, wherein '-the;loe lring ring has at least one outwardly extending tab-like disengaging protrusion of suchlength to extend far enough outside ot the periphery of the screwwap in its "closed position "to-enable such :pro'trusion tobe grasped between "the fin'gers'and' pulled outwardl to disengage the teeth on the locking ring from the teeth on the bottoin'of. the screw-cap. t

"6. "Locking means in combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein the holding means on the locking ring is a recess 'on it and "the reciprocal holding means in the shoulder of the container is a protuberance ilocated adja'c'en't the relatively flat shoulder portion and with its upperpai't "shaped to serve as a male member to engage in registry .with therec'ess on the locking ring.

V "7. Locking lmeansin' conibination as c'laimedin claim 6, wherein the "holding means "recess in the locking ring extends tinto anoutwardly extending tab-like protrusion of'the 8]. Locking in m eombinati'on as claimed in ll. Locking means in combination "as claimed in claim l0,'wherein teeth are providedononly'part ofthe'circumference of the locking ringt-and the disengaging protrusion is located adjacent the teeth in the locking ring.

12. A locking ring for acornbination as claimed in claim 11, the opening of which ring is of suchsize to slip over the container neck "and rest on 'theicontainers relatively flat shoulder portion, and from which .ring there extends ajplurality of teeth shaped to allow them to be slipped over by correspondinglyt reciprocally shaped teeth projecting from the bottom of the skirt 'o'f'a screw-cap as it is near its closed position and to 'intermesh with ther'n'when it reaches its closedlposition, said teeth being provided only on atpa'ir of diametrically opposed parts of th e'ring, and a tab-like disengaging protrusion is located adjacent each of those two toothed partsof the-ring and extends outwardly from its outer periphery. References Cited in the file of'this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,918,786 Schrarnr July 18,1933

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