AU2007200642A1 - Screw-On Closure for a Container - Google Patents

Description

SCREW-ON CLOSURE FOR A CONTAINER Technical Field The present invention relates generally to closures for containers. More specifically, the present invention relates to screw-on closures with a releasable latch and to such closures additionally with a tamper-evident member.

Backgqround Safety lids or lids with safety mechanisms are known to be useful for preventing, for example, children from opening containers the contents of which should not be accessible to them. Such lids or closures are used in a range of other circumstances also, including making it more difficult for a container containing poisons or other harmful material to be opened. This effectively emphasises to the user that he or she is opening a container with such material.

Safety closures for such containers generally comprise a screw cap which threadably engages at or around the neck of a container. In certain known arrangements, at least one engagement tab extends from an end of the circumferential wall or skirt of the closure. The tab is adapted to engage with a protrusion or a correspondingly shaped recess in or near the threaded portion of the neck of the container. These corresponding tabs, protrusions or recesses interact to prevent the closure from being removed from the container unless, typically, an additional force is applied to the closure. For example, this force could be a downwards force or opposed lateral forces applied to the closure.

Such safety closures are often designed so that a user must apply lateral pressure on diametrically opposed sides of the circumferential wall or skirt of the closure before it can be removed. Application of such pressure causes deformation of the circular shape of the circumferential wall or skirt of the closure resulting in the tab being released from the protrusion of recess of the container.

In other prior art forms of safety closures, the tab or engagement means prevents the closure from being unscrewed by virtue of a blunt or substantially planar portion at the end of the thread on the neck of the container. The mechanism employed to enable a user to unscrew the closure in such prior art forms is similar to that described above such that when the lateral pressure is applied, the tab or engagement means is released from being effectively locked in behind the flat or planar portion of the end of the thread.

A problem with such safety closures is that for a user with, for example, a weakness in the fingers, such as an elderly person, or a person with a disability, it may be difficult to undertake the appropriate action to apply the necessary "squeezing" pressure to the diametrically opposed portions of the circumferential wall or skirt.

Persons with such difficulties, are required to ask other individuals to assist them in opening the containers.

Also, safety closures have a broad range of uses for closing containers containing, for example, foods or industrial chemicals. In some such cases it is desirable to include a tamper-evident portion to alert a potential purchaser to any tampering that may have occurred with the contents of the container prior to using or purchasing it.

Typically, the tamper-evident alert comprises a band of plastic or other material (for example, the same as the material used in the manufacture of the lid or closure) which extends around the circumference of the closure at or toward the end of its circumferential wall or skirt. This tamper evident "band" is typically connected to the closure, and sometimes also the container, by virtue of a series of frangible joins which must be torn, or broken, to be removed. In some prior art containers, the act of forcefully unscrewing a closure results in the frangible joins being broken. This arrangement is quite common on plastic milk containers.

As many of the prior art tamper-evident portions of safety closures are usually circumferential, a large amount of the material from which they are made is wasted when they are removed and discarded.

The present invention seeks to ameliorate some of these problems, and to provide a new, improved and/or alternative safety closure mechanism. In a preferred form, the present invention also seeks to provide an improved or alternative tamperevident system for container closures.

Summary of Invention In a first aspect, the present invention provides a screw-on closure for a container, said closure including a latching member which comprises: at least one rotation inhibiting element adapted to cooperate with at least one engagement means of the container, said rotation inhibiting element and said engagement means being adapted to releasably inhibit removal of the closure from the container; and a release element operably associated with the rotation inhibiting element; wherein actuation of the release element releases the rotation inhibiting element from the engagement means, thereby enabling the closure to be removed from the container.

In some preferred embodiments, the rotation inhibiting element is connected to the release element. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the rotation inhibiting element and the release element are integrally formed.

The rotation inhibiting element of preferred embodiments is specifically formed so as to accommodate co-operation with engagement means formed in the container on which the closure is to be used. Commercially available containers are formed with a variety of differently shaped engagement means for closures. For example, some such engagement means take the form of a groove adjacent a thread on the neck of a container. Other commercially available containers provide engagement means taking the form of recesses or protrusions. Whatever the particular form taken by the engagement means on the container, preferred embodiments of the closure of the present invention would be formed such that the rotation inhibiting element is adapted to co-operate with such engagement means.

In one preferred embodiment, the rotation inhibiting element includes a protruding portion adapted to abut or engage a section of the engagement means. In one preferred variation, the protruding portion is located adjacent an end section of the rotation inhibiting element. In such embodiments, the protruding portion can co-operate with, engagement means taking the form of, for example, a protruding knob or a circumferential protrusion adjacent a thread on the neck of the container. In another preferred variation, the protruding portion is located adjacent a side edge of the rotation inhibiting element. In such embodiments, the protruding portion is adapted to co-operate with an engagement means taking the form of, for example, a correspondingly shaped groove or protrusion adjacent a thread on the neck of the container.

Provided that the rotation inhibiting element and the engagement means can cooperate to releasably inhibit removal of the closure from the container, there is no specific limitation on the respective shapes or formations of the rotation inhibiting element or the engagement means.

In preferred embodiments, the release element is pivotally connected to a portion of a skirt of the closure. In one preferred variation, the pivotal connection is formed by at least one join between a portion of the release element and a portion of the skirt. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the pivotal connection is formed by a first join between a portion of a first side edge of the release element and a portion-of the skirt, and a second join between a portion of the second side edge of the release element and a portion of the skirt. In this embodiment, the first join, the second join, a surface of the skirt, and a surface of the release element define an opening in the skirt. This opening enables the rotation inhibiting element to extend through the skirt to engage the engagement means.

The above pivotal connection is preferably located substantially intermediate a top edge and a bottom edge of the release element. In this embodiment, an upper section of the release element is located above the pivotal connection and a lower section of the release element is located below the pivotal connection. Preferably, the rotation inhibiting element is located on the lower section of the release element and typically extends inwardly from the lower section. In this embodiment an external force applied (inwardly) to the upper section of the release element causes the lower section of the release element to pivot (outwardly) away from the engagement means of the container, thereby releasing said rotation inhibiting element.

In an alternative embodiment, the pivotal connection is formed by a hinge mechanism connecting the release element to a portion of the skirt of the closure.

Provided that the pivotal connection enables actuation of the release element, there is no particular limitation on the mechanism used to create the pivotal connection.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the rotation inhibiting element and the release element form a tab-like structure.

In one preferred embodiment, a skirt of the closure comprises an innerthreaded surface adapted to threadably engage a threaded portion of the container. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the closure has an outer skirt section wherein the skirt and said outer skirt section are concentric, and they preferably extend from a top section of the closure.

In such preferred embodiments, the latching member is located on or about a portion of the outer skirt section. In further preferred embodiments, the skirt includes an inner threaded surface adapted to threadably engage the threaded portion of the container.

In some preferred embodiments of the closure having a skirt and an outer skirt section, there is at least one strengthening means extending radially between the skirt and the outer skirt section. In a particularly preferred variation of this embodiment, there are a plurality of strengthening means extending radially between the skirt and the outer skirt section. Preferably, the strengthening means are substantially equally spaced apart between the skirt and outer skirt section. Such strengthening means in preferred embodiments, provide structural integrity to the closure. In some preferred embodiments, the structural integrity provided by the strengthening means inhibits the skirt and/or outer skirt section of the closure from being deformed, or squeezed, thereby providing an additional mechanism to prevent the rotation inhibiting element from being disengaged from the engagement means on the container without actuation of the release element.

In a further preferred embodiment, the rotation inhibiting element includes a substantially curved surface and a substantially planar surface. In such embodiment, the substantially curved surface is adapted to enable the or each rotation inhibiting element to slide past the or each engagement means when the closure is being threadably engaged to the threaded portion of the container. Conversely, the substantially planar surface is adapted to inhibit the or each rotation inhibiting element from disengaging from the or each engagement means when an attempt is being made to threadably disengage the closure from the container without actuation of the release element.

In particularly preferred embodiments, the latching member is biased towards a rotation inhibiting condition, in which the rotation inhibiting element is engaged with the engagement means of the container and the closure is releasably inhibited from being removed from the container. Preferably, the bias is adapted to be counteracted by actuation of the release element. According to such preferred embodiments, if the closure is screwed on to the container and the release element is not actuated, the latching member will remain in the rotation inhibiting condition, and the closure will be inhibited from being removed from the container until such time as the release element is actuated.

The abovementioned bias is typically effected by biasing means, such as a spring. This spring may be of any suitable size and shape and may be formed of any suitable material. In one preferred embodiment, the spring comprises a short resilient tubular element having opposed side walls adapted so that when said side walls are forced towards each other, the resilience of said tubular element biases the side walls back to their original rest position. The tubular element may have a cross-sectioned shape which is circular, oval, diamond-shaped or some other suitable shape. In the abovementioned embodiment in which the release element comprises an upper section and a lower section, with the pivotal connection located between said upper and lower sections, the spring abuts the upper section of the release element. In this embodiment, when the latching member is actuated, by applying a force to the upper section of the release element, the spring is compressed, thereby biasing the latching member back towards its original rotation inhibiting condition.

In some preferred embodiments, the latching member is located in a cut-out portion of a skirt of the closure. In other preferred embodiments, the latching member is located in a carved-out portion of a skirt of the closure. In alternative embodiments, the latching member is connected to an outer portion of the skirt of a closure. In another alternative embodiment, the latching member is connected to an inner portion of a skirt of the closure.

In other preferred embodiments, the screw-on closure of the invention further comprises a removable tamper-evident member which inhibits actuation of the release element as long as the tamper-evident member remains intact. Preferably, the removable tamper-evident member is connected to the closure by at least one frangible join. In particularly preferred embodiments, the removable tamper-evident member is connected to the container closure by frangible joins on either side of the latching member.

In such preferred embodiments, the tamper-evident member can alert a user or purchaser to any tampering that may have occurred with the contents of the container.

In particular, as an intact tamper-evident member will inhibit actuation of the release element, a closure of the subject invention is inhibited from being removed until such time as the frangible joins connecting the tamper-evident member to the closure have been broken. This preferably means that as long as the tamper-evident member is intact, the contents of the container are unlikely to have been tampered with.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the closure of the present invention can be manufactured and/or used with or without the tamper-evident member.

Throughout this specification, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise", or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps, but not the exclusion of any other element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps.

Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like which has been included in the present specification is solely for the purpose of providing a context for the present invention. It is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the present invention as it existed in Australia before the priority date of each claim of this specification.

In order that the present invention may be more clearly understood, preferred embodiments will be described with reference to the following drawings and examples.

Brief Description of the Drawinqs Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be further explained and illustrated by reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a top view of a container closure incorporating a releasable latching means and removable tamper-evident member of a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 is a front view of a container closure incorporating a releasable latching means and removable tamper-evident member of a preferred embodiment.

Figure 3 is a side view of a container closure incorporating a releasable latching means and removable tamper-evident member of preferred embodiments.

Figure 4 is a top perspective view of a container closure incorporating a releasable latching means and removable tamper-evident member of preferred embodiments.

Figure 5 is an underside perspective view of a container closure incorporating a releasable latching means and removable tamper-evident member of preferred embodiments.

Figure 6 is another underside perspective view of a container closure incorporating a releasable latching means and removable tamper-evident member of preferred embodiments.

Figure 7 is a top view of a container closure incorporating a releasable latching means and a spring for biasing said releasable latching means towards a rotation inhibiting condition, according to a particularly preferred embodiment of this invention.

Figure 8 is a top view of the spring shown in Figure 7.

SMode(s) for Carryingq Out the Invention Figures 1 to 7 illustrate a container closure 1 incorporating a releasable latching means 10 and a tamper-evident member 13 according to preferred embodiments of the invention.

The releasable latching means 10 of preferred embodiments comprises closure engagement means 12 adapted to cooperate with container engagement means (not Ishown) associated with a container (not shown). Cooperation between the closure

O

Oengagement means 12 and the container engagement means releasably inhibits the container closure 1 from being removed from the container. A release member 11 is operably associated with the closure engagement means 12. Actuation of the release member 11 causes disengagement of the closure engagement means 12 from cooperation with the container engagement means, enabling the container closure 1 to be removed from the container.

As is best illustrated in Figure 6, the closure engagement means 12 of some preferred embodiments is connected to or integral with the release member 11. In a preferred embodiment depicted in Figure 6, the closure engagement means 12 and the release member 11 are shown as one piece, with the closure engagement means partially visible behind the removable tamper-evident member 13.

In some preferred embodiments, the closure engagement means 12 is specifically formed to accommodate cooperation with container engagement means in commercially available containers. With reference to Figures 1, 5 and 6, the closure engagement means 12 of the illustrated preferred embodiments is a protruding member extending along a portion of a side edge of the release member 11. The closure engagement means 12 illustrated in the Figures is adapted to cooperate with container engagement means provided by one or more grooves, recesses or protrusions in the container.

As is illustrated in Figure 4, the release member 11 is pivotally connected to a portion of a skirt 16 of the container closure 1. This pivotal connection forms a fulcrum about which the release member 11 actuates. In the preferred embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 to 6, the pivotal connection is formed by a first join between a portion of a first end of the release member 11 and a portion of the skirt 16 and a second join between a portion of a second end of the release member 11 and a portion of the skirt 16. For ease of reference, the first and second joins are both identified as reference numeral 14 in Figure 2. Figure 4 also illustrates one of these joins 14. The joins 14 are located substantially intermediate a top edge 30 and a bottom edge 31 of the release member 11. Accordingly, the pivotal connection is also located substantially intermediate the top edge 30 and the bottom edge 31. An upper section 32 of the release element 11 is, consequently, located above the pivotal connection and a lower section 33 of the release element 11 is located beneath the pivotal connection.

As best shown in Figure 5, the closure engagement means 12 is formed on the lower section 33 of the release element 11.

As illustrated, a preferred embodiment of the closure engagement means 12 has a cross-section including a substantially curved surface 17 and a substantially planar surface 18. In preferred embodiments, the substantially curved surface 17 is adapted to enable each closure engagement means 12 to slide past each container engagement means when the container closure 1 is being threadably engaged to the container, and the substantially planar surface 18 is adapted to inhibit each closure engagement means 12 from disengaging from cooperation with each container engagement means when an attempt is being made to threadably disengage the container closure 1 from the container without actuation of the release member 11.

The releasable latching means 10 of preferred embodiments has a bias adapted to inhibit the container closure 1 from being removed from the container. That bias is counteracted by actuation of the release member 11. As soon as actuation of the release member 11 ceases, the bias immediately acts to cause the releasable latching means 10 (by virtue of engagement of the closure engagement means 12 with the container engagement means) to inhibit the container closure 1 from being removed from the container.

The bias may be effected by any suitable biasing means, such as a spring.

Figure 7 shows a suitable spring 40. This spring 40 is located intermediate a recessed wall section 45 of the skirt 16 and the upper section 32 of the release element 11. This spring 40 is a small hollow tubular element having a diamond-shaped cross-sectional shape. The spring 40 has opposed sidewalls 41, 42 which can be pressed towards each other. When this occurs, inherent resilience of the tubular element biases the spring back to its original rest condition.

As is well illustrated in Figure 4, the releasable latching means 10 is located in a carved-out portion 15 of the skirt 16 of the container closure 1.

In the preferred embodiments illustrated in Figures 1 to 6, the tamper-evident member 13 cooperates with the releasable latching means 10 so as to inhibit actuation of the release member 11 as long as the tamper-evident member 13 remains intact. In preferred embodiments, the tamper-evident member is connected to the container closure 1 by a frangible join 19 on either side of the releasable latching means Some preferred embodiments of the closure 1 provide an outer skirt and an inner skirt located concentrically within the outer skirt. Figures 5 6 illustrate the two skirts.

For ease of reference, the outer skirt is identified with reference numeral 16 (which is the reference numeral referring to the skirt in the other Figures also). The inner skirt is referred to with reference numeral 20. In some preferred embodiments, the inner skirt has an inner threaded surface 21 which is adapted to threadably engage the container.

A plurality of strengthening means 22 are substantially equally spaced apart between the inner skirt 20 and the outer skirt 16. The strengthening means 22 provide structural integrity to the closure 1 in preferred embodiments.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that numerous variations and/or modifications may be made to the invention as shown in the specific embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as broadly described. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.

Claims (29)

1. A screw-on closure for a container, said closure including a latching member which comprises: at least one rotation inhibiting element adapted to cooperate with at least one engagement means of the container, said rotation inhibiting element and said engagement means being adapted to releasably inhibit removal of the closure from the container; and a release element operably associated with the rotation inhibiting element; wherein actuation of the release element releases the rotation inhibiting element from the engagement means, thereby enabling the closure to be removed from the container.

2. The screw-on closure of claim 1, wherein the rotation inhibiting element is connected to the release element.

3. The screw-on closure of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the rotation inhibiting element and the release element are integrally formed.

4. The screw-on closure of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the rotation inhibiting element includes a protruding portion adapted to abut or engage a section of the engagement means.

The screw-on closure of claim 4, wherein the protruding portion is located adjacent an end section of the rotation inhibiting element.

6. The screw-on closure of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the protruding portion is located adjacent a side edge of the rotation inhibiting element.

7. The screw-on closure of any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the engagement means of the container includes one or more grooves, recesses, or protrusions, and the protruding portion is adapted to engage said one or more grooves, recesses or protrusions.

8. The screw-on closure of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the release element is pivotally connected to a portion of a skirt of the closure.

9. The screw-on closure of claim 8, wherein the pivotal connection is formed by at least one join between a portion of the release element and a portion of the skirt.

The screw-on closure of claim 8 or 9, wherein the pivotal connection is formed by a first join between a portion of a first side edge of the release element and a portion of the skirt and a second join between a portion of a second side edge of the release element and a portion of the skirt.

11. The screw-on closure of claim 10, wherein the pivotal connection is located intermediate a top edge of the release element and a bottom edge of said release element.

12. The screw-on closure of claim 11, wherein an upper section of the release element is located above the pivotal connection and a lower section of the release element is located below the pivotal connection.

13. The screw-on closure of claim 12, wherein the rotation inhibiting element is formed on the lower section of the release element.

14. The screw-on closure of any one of claims 8 to 13, wherein the rotation inhibiting element and the release element form a tab-like structure.

The screw-on closure of any one of the preceding claims, wherein a skirt of the closure comprises an inner threaded surface adapted to threadably engage a threaded portion of the container.

16. The screw-on closure of any one of claims 8 to 15, further having an outer skirt section wherein the skirt and said outer skirt section are concentric and they extend from a top section of the closure.

17. The screw-on closure of claim 16, wherein the latching member is located on or about a portion of the outer skirt section.

18. The screw-on closure of any one of the preceding claims wherein the latching member is biased towards a rotation inhibiting condition, said bias being adapted to be counteracted by actuation of the release element.

19. The screw-on closure of claim 18, wherein the latching member is biased by a spring.

The screw-on closure of claim 12 and claim 19, wherein the spring abuts the upper section of the release element and is adapted so that, when the latching member is actuated by applying a force to the upper section of the release element, the spring is compressed, thereby biasing the latching member back towards its rotation inhibiting condition.

21. The screw-on closure of any one of claims 16 to 20, wherein at least one strengthening means extends radially between the skirt and the outer skirt section.

22. The screw-on closure of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the rotation inhibiting element includes a substantially curved surface and a substantially planar surface.

23. The screw-on closure of claim 22, wherein the substantially curved surface is adapted to enable the or each rotation inhibiting element to.slide past the or each engagement means when the closure is being threadably engaged to the threaded portion of the container, and the substantially planar surface is adapted to inhibit the or each rotation inhibiting element from disengaging from the or each engagement means when an attempt is being made to threadably disengage the closure.from the container without actuation of the release element.

24. The screw-on closure of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the latching member is located in a cut-out portion of a skirt of the closure.

The screw-on closure of any one of claims 16 to 24, wherein the latching member is located in a cut-out portion of the outer skirt section.

26. The screw-on closure of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a removable tamper-evident member which inhibits actuation of the release element as long as the tamper-evident member remains intact.

27. The screw-on closure of claim 26, wherein the removable tamper-evident member is connected to the closure by at least one frangible join.

28. The screw-on closure of claim 26 or 27, wherein the removable tamper-evident member is connected to the container closure by a frangible join on either side of the latching member.

29. A screw-on closure for a container, said screw-on closure being substantially as herein before described with reference to any one or more of the accompanying drawings.