Child-resistant overcap
AssigneeBall Corporation
InventorJohn R. Ross
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems, methods, and apparatuses for enclosing containers with a child-resistant overcap and preventing unauthorized access to containers are provided. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to an overcap that can be placed onto a container or end closure, and the overcap may require a combination of forces to be removed from the container or end closure. Embodiments of the overcap can have a deflectable center portion where a force applied to the center portion deflects the center portion and causes snap features to release from a container or end closure. A second opposing force may then remove the overcap from the container or end closure. The forces and combination of features restricts the ability of a child or other to access potentially hazardous contents within the container.
Claims20
A flexible overcap to selectively prevent the opening of a container, comprising:
- a center portion that is deflectable between a first upper position and a second lower position, wherein said center portion is biased toward said first upper position;
- a plurality of downwardly-oriented snap features arranged at least partially around a perimeter edge of said center portion, wherein each snap feature of said plurality of snap features has a distal end, and said distal ends form an inner diameter;
- and
- wherein when said center portion is in said first upper position, said distal ends form a first inner diameter, and wherein when said center portion deflects to said second lower position, said distal ends move outwardly to a second inner diameter that is larger than said first inner diameter, wherein, in said second lower position, said overcap can be disengaged from said container.
An overcap system to prevent the unauthorized opening of a container, comprising:
- a container having a closed bottom portion, a sidewall extending upward from said closed bottom portion, and an upper portion of said sidewall that defines an opening end diameter;
- an overcap having:
- a center portion that is deflectable between a first position and a second position, wherein, in said first position, said center portion is biased upwardly and away from said container to form a convex cross-sectional shape, and, in said second position, said center portion has a concave cross-sectional shape;
- a plurality of snap features positioned about a perimeter edge of said center portion, wherein distal ends of said plurality of snap features form an inner diameter;
- wherein, in said first position, said distal ends of said plurality of snap features engage said upper portion of said sidewall, and wherein, in said second position, said distal ends of said plurality of snap features disengage from said upper portion of said sidewall.
An overcap system to prevent unauthorized opening of a container, comprising:
- a container having a closed bottom portion, a sidewall extending upward from said closed bottom portion, and an upper end having an end diameter;
- an overcap having:
- a center portion that is deflectable from a first position and a second position in response to a downward force;
- at least one snap feature positioned about a perimeter edge of said center portion, wherein distal ends of said at least one snap feature form an inner diameter;
- wherein, in said first position, said inner diameter is smaller than said end diameter such that said at least one snap feature engages said upper end, and wherein, in said second position, said inner diameter is larger than said end diameter such that said overcap is removable from said upper end in response to an upward force applied to said at least one snap feature.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.