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US3718230A - Child-proof containers - Google Patents

Child-proof containers Download PDF

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Publication number
US3718230A
US3718230A US00143043A US3718230DA US3718230A US 3718230 A US3718230 A US 3718230A US 00143043 A US00143043 A US 00143043A US 3718230D A US3718230D A US 3718230DA US 3718230 A US3718230 A US 3718230A
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
cap
container
mouth
child
knob
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US00143043A
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
P James
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
QUARTZ INVESTMENTS Ltd
Original Assignee
QUARTZ INVESTMENTS Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by QUARTZ INVESTMENTS Ltd filed Critical QUARTZ INVESTMENTS Ltd
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3718230A publication Critical patent/US3718230A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D50/00—Closures with means for discouraging unauthorised opening or removal thereof, with or without indicating means, e.g. child-proof closures
    • B65D50/02—Closures with means for discouraging unauthorised opening or removal thereof, with or without indicating means, e.g. child-proof closures openable or removable by the combination of plural actions
    • B65D50/06—Closures with means for discouraging unauthorised opening or removal thereof, with or without indicating means, e.g. child-proof closures openable or removable by the combination of plural actions requiring the combination of different actions in succession
    • B65D50/066—Closures with means for discouraging unauthorised opening or removal thereof, with or without indicating means, e.g. child-proof closures openable or removable by the combination of plural actions requiring the combination of different actions in succession whereby parts of the container or closure having to be deformed, i.e. bi-stable movement

Definitions

  • a child-proof container for medications and other potentially injurious substances which comprises an unbreakable body having a mouth fitted with a snap action or other safety closure cap and also comprises a wall which closely surrounds the fitted cap so that the plane of its free edge is above the month and fitted cap when the container is standing upright on a horizontal surface.
  • This invention relates to containers for medicines and injurious substances.
  • a primary object of the invention is to provide a container whose closure cannot be removed by young children (particularly of pre-school age) who might otherwise'mistake pills, capsules, ointment or other medicaments inside the container for sweets, candy or food.
  • the present' invention takes into account the factors discussed above and provides inexpensive containers for medicines and injurious substances which containers can be opened easily by any adult who is aware of the extremely simple manipulation employed whilst nevertheless baffling the attempts of young children to open them in almost every case.
  • a container for medicines and injurious substances comprising a substantially rigid hollow body that is formed from an unbreakable material and which has a mouth provided with a safety closure cap that requires procedural knowledge to enable a user to release it from said mouth, wherein the container body also includes a substantially rigid wall formed integrally with said body which closely surrounds the mouth and the cap (when fitted to the mouth), the general plane of the free edge of said wall being located above both the mouth and the fitted cap when the closed container is standing upright on a horizontal surface.
  • unbreakable material as employed in this specification is to be interpreted as meaning a material such (for example) as metal, a strong synthetic plastic or thick glass which will not shatter or fracture when given the kind of treatment which a young child might employ in attempting to open the container.
  • a young child might, perhaps, bang the container several times against the floor, against a wall or against a cot or the like and it will be appreciated that the container would not serve its intended purpose unless its body were formed from a material capable of withstanding mechanical shocks of this kind without breakage.
  • the expression safety closure cap is to be interpreted in this specification as meaning a cap which incorporates a safety feature that prevents it from being removed ac,- cidentally or with a single simple movement.
  • a cap which was a simple frictional push-on fit on its container would not fall within the ambit of the expression safety closure cap as used in this specification nor would a cap having a simple screw-thread that co-operates with a matching screw-thread around the mouth of the associated container.
  • FIG. 1 is a plan view of a closed pill boxconstructed in accordance with the invention.
  • FIG. 2 is a section taken on the line IIII-of FIG. 1.
  • the pill box which is illustrated as an example of a container in accordance with the invention has a squat broad-based body 1 that may with an outwardly directed surrounding flange4. It will be apparent from FIG. 2 of the drawings that the flanged lip 3 defines a mouth of the body 1.
  • the mouth of the body 1 has a safety closure cap in the form of a domed metal cap 5 whose margin integrally carries a plurality,,such as ten, of downwardlydirected fingers 6 that are spaced apart from one another around said margin by narrow gaps 7.
  • the lowermost extremities of the fingers 6 are formed with inwardly bent-over claws 8 that all engage grippingly beneath/the flange 4 when the domed cap 5 occupies a first raised stable position that will be referred to again below and that is shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings in full lines.
  • a synthetic plastics knob 9 is secured centrally to the upper surface of the domed cap 5 by a rivet 10' and downward pressure on the knob 9 in the direction indicated by an arrow A in FIG. 2 of the drawingswill cause the cap 5 to move rapidly with a snap action between the first stable raised position that is shown in broken lines and a second stable depressed position that is illustrated in broken lines in which latter position the fingers 6 and their gripping claws 8 are displaced outwardly to clear the flange 4 and allow removal of the cap 5.
  • a cardboard or other sealing disc 11 is mounted on the lower surface of the cap 5 (prefera'bly with the aid of an adhesive) and this disc 11 will keep the interior 2 of the body 1 sealed from the atmosphere when the cap s'occupies its operative position.
  • sealing disc 11 is desirable because many medicine's lose their potency or otherwise deteriorate more rapidly when constantly in contact with the ambient atmosphere.
  • the body 1 of the pill box has an upstanding substantially rigid wall 12 which cylindrically surrounds the mouth of that body and the cap 5 when fitted thereto.
  • the general plane X--X (FIG. 2) of the free edge of the wall 12 is located above 'both the mouth of the body 1 and the cap 5 and its knob 9 when fitted to that mouth.
  • the pill box is opened by pressing downwardly in the direction A upon the knob 9 to cause the cap 5 to snap from its first stable raised position to its second stable depressed position in which the fingers 6 and their claws 8"are disengaged outwardly from the flange 4.
  • the knob 9v can then be gripped between finger and thumb to enable the cap 5 and its sealing disc 11 to be lifted away from the body 1 thus providing ready access to the hollow interior 2 in which the required pills or the like are kept.
  • This is immediately effective in causing the cap 5 to move with a snap action from its first to its second stable position whereafter access can be obtained to the hollow interior 2 of the body 1 by lifting or shaking off the cap 5 or by out and becoming lost.
  • a positive connection such as a light check chain, 'may be provided between the internal end of the rivet 10 and an internal anchorage at the bottom of the body 1. This will prevent the cap 5 from being lost.
  • the disc 11 would be replaced by an annulus under these circumstances but there would still be an airtight seal when the pill box was closed provided only that the rivet 10 and knob 9 provided a sealed closure for the central hole in the material of the cap 5.
  • the wall 12 of the body 1 is designed to overcome the disadvantages of known childproof containers and serves two primary purposes. Firstly, the wall 12 surrounds the flange 4 of the body 1 and the fingens 6 of the cap 5 with only just sufiicient clearance to ensure that the cap 5 can be raised clear of the mouth of the body 1 when its fingers 6 are displaced outwardly as illustrated in broken lines in FIG. 2. Thismakes it a physical impossibility for a child to engage his or her teeth with the fingers 6 or their claws 8 so that the principal source of strength of small children cannot be employed.
  • the knob 9 is not normally provided in a conventional cap because, in the use of a'conventional cap, there will not be a part equivalent to the wall 12 which prevents the cap from being gripped to raise it clear of the mouth of the container body which it closes. It is not, in fact, essential to provide the knob 9 since the cap 5 could always be. shaken free or dropped off by inverting the pill box. However, it will be evident that this is not really desirable and it would be possible,
  • a simple decorative vor informative cover could, if desired, be provided to co-operate with the wall 12 and hide from view the cap 5 and the associated parts until said vcover was removed.
  • the cap 5 will normally be formed from metal, this is not absolutely essential and it is within the scope of the invention to form it from a synthetic plastics material or any other material having the required degrees of durability, flexibility and strength. Whilst it is convenient to make the bodyl of the pill box in a single piece by moulding it from a synthetic plastics material, this is not essential and said body may be formed from interconnected parts provided that the interconnections are of a kind that could not be released by young children to gain access to the interior of the box.
  • both the body 1 and the cap 5, in addition to being unbreakable as hereinbefore defined, should be formed from materials which are such as to have a good degree of rigidity.
  • a .container in accordance with the invention would not serve its purpose if a child could burst it open and obtain access to its interior merely by applying his or her .weight to the container by stamping a foot thereon.
  • the bodies 1 and knobs 9 could be coloured red to indicate barbiturates, green to indicate alkaloid drugs, blue to indicate corrosive acids, orange to indicate caustic alkalis and so on. Corrosive acids and caustic alkalis are not normally contained in pill boxes but it will, of course, be understood that a pill box has been described merely as an example of a container to which the invention can be applied.
  • closure cap 5 Whilst it is preferred to employ the simple but effective snap action cap 5, this is not essential and other safety closure caps may be substituted.
  • a closure cap which co-operates with the container by way of a bayonet joint would be suitable for many purposes as would a closure cap that co-operates with the container mouth by way of a screw-thread but that first requires inward depression of the cap against resilient opposition before the screw-threads will co-operate to allow release.
  • the flange 4 has been described and illustrated as externally surrounding the lip 3 of the container.
  • the exterior of the lip 3 could be plain and a flange or other closure part or parts could be provided internally of the body 1 in which case the periphery of the cooperating safety closure cap would co-operate with said part or parts inside the cylindrical lip 3 instead of at the exterior thereof.
  • a container for medicines and injurious substances comprising a substantially rigid hollow body that is formed from an unbreakable material and which defines a mouth provided with a safety closure cap that requires procedural knowledge to enable a user to release it from said mouth
  • the improvement which comprises providing the container body with a substantially rigid wall formed integrally with said body which closely surrounds the mouth and the cap (when fitted to the mouth), the general plane of the. free edge of said wall being located above both the'mouth and the fitted cap when the closed container is standing upright on a horizontal surface.
  • a container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mouth of the container is of substantially cylindrical configuration and is provided externally with at least one part adapted to co-operate with the periphery of the safety closure cap to enable the container to be opened and closed.
  • a container as claimed in claim 2, wherein the safety closure cap is a domed cap which can be moved with a snap action between a first stable raised position in which marginal gripping fingers of the cap will grippingly engage a flange formed around said mouth, and a second stable depressed position in which the fingers are displaced outwardly and will clear said flange to allow removal of the cap.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Closures For Containers (AREA)
  • Packaging Of Annular Or Rod-Shaped Articles, Wearing Apparel, Cassettes, Or The Like (AREA)
US00143043A 1970-05-14 1971-05-13 Child-proof containers Expired - Lifetime US3718230A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB2351570 1970-05-14

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3718230A true US3718230A (en) 1973-02-27

Family

ID=10196882

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US00143043A Expired - Lifetime US3718230A (en) 1970-05-14 1971-05-13 Child-proof containers

Country Status (14)

Country Link
US (1) US3718230A (fr)
JP (1) JPS5225781B1 (fr)
AT (1) AT307306B (fr)
AU (1) AU2879071A (fr)
BE (1) BE767123A (fr)
CH (1) CH529030A (fr)
DE (1) DE2123658A1 (fr)
DK (1) DK125305B (fr)
ES (1) ES197171Y (fr)
FR (1) FR2088566A1 (fr)
GB (1) GB1348983A (fr)
IL (1) IL36776A0 (fr)
NL (1) NL7106636A (fr)
ZA (1) ZA712845B (fr)

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3837535A (en) * 1973-02-09 1974-09-24 Formold A Division Of Vca Corp Plastic dispensing nozzle with reclosable closure cap
US3871544A (en) * 1972-10-24 1975-03-18 Continental Can Co Child-proof closure cap
US3907103A (en) * 1973-07-16 1975-09-23 Howard G Shaw Safety container
US3934745A (en) * 1972-12-15 1976-01-27 Lovell Walter C Safety bottle cap
US4341324A (en) * 1980-07-09 1982-07-27 Dolco Packaging Corporation Bowl and cover assembly

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5119963A (en) * 1990-06-29 1992-06-09 Continental White Cap, Inc. Mechanical button and button enhancement techniques
DE102006033462B4 (de) * 2006-07-19 2014-05-22 Continental Automotive Gmbh Schutzvorrichtung und Anordnung mit einer Gehäusewand

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3871544A (en) * 1972-10-24 1975-03-18 Continental Can Co Child-proof closure cap
US3934745A (en) * 1972-12-15 1976-01-27 Lovell Walter C Safety bottle cap
US3837535A (en) * 1973-02-09 1974-09-24 Formold A Division Of Vca Corp Plastic dispensing nozzle with reclosable closure cap
US3907103A (en) * 1973-07-16 1975-09-23 Howard G Shaw Safety container
US4341324A (en) * 1980-07-09 1982-07-27 Dolco Packaging Corporation Bowl and cover assembly

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DK125305B (da) 1973-02-05
FR2088566A1 (fr) 1972-01-07
NL7106636A (fr) 1971-11-16
GB1348983A (en) 1974-03-27
CH529030A (de) 1972-10-15
ZA712845B (en) 1972-01-26
IL36776A0 (en) 1971-07-28
BE767123A (fr) 1971-10-01
AU2879071A (en) 1972-11-16
ES197171U (es) 1975-04-16
DE2123658A1 (de) 1971-12-02
AT307306B (de) 1973-05-25
ES197171Y (es) 1975-09-01
JPS5225781B1 (fr) 1977-07-09

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