Child-resistant container
OwnerClarence W. Wielandinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A child-resistant container includes a receptacle having an open top and a threaded cap covering the open top. The threads are preferably left-hand threads to help prevent the opening of the container by small children. The outer surfaces of the receptacle and cap define a common groove along their abutting edges. A removable elastic band is mounted within the groove with its inner surface fitting snuggly against the groove surfaces so that relative rotary motion between the cap and receptacle is resisted by the band. When young children try to remove the cap, turning of the cap is resisted by the band; when the cap is let go the cap tends to spring back to its original position. However, an adult can remove the cap by first removing the band from the common groove. The cap can then be removed with very little resistance.
Claims12
A child-resistant container comprising:
- a receptacle having an open top;
- a cap configured for covering said open top;
- rotational engagement means for securing said cap to said receptacle;
- said receptacle and cap having juxtaposed external grooves formed about their respective outer surfaces, said grooves bounded by juxtaposed groove surface portions of said outer surfaces;
- and
- means, removably mounted within said grooves, for inhibiting relative rotary motion between said cap and said receptacle.
A child-resistant cap comprising:
- a receptacle having an open top;
- a cap sized for covering said open top;
- said cap and receptacle having complementary left-hand threads for securing said cap to said receptacle;
- said cap and receptacle having adjacent groove surfaces about their outer surfaces, said groove surfaces bounding adjacent external grooves formed in said outer surfaces;
- an elastic band sized to fit snuggly within and substantially cover both said grooves, said band having a tab for grasping by a user, said band and groove surfaces adapted to resist relative motion between said groove surfaces and said band, whereby relative rotary motion between said receptacle and said cap is resisted by said band where said band is in said grooves but such relative rotary motion is substantially unhindered when said band is removed from said grooves.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.