Tamper-evident child-resistant closure

A child-resistant closure assembly for a container having an externally-threaded neck finish, said child-resistant closure assembly comprising:

• an inner cap having an upper wall and an internally-threaded, surrounding sidewall which is constructed and arranged for threaded engagement with said neck finish, said upper wall having an upper surface;
• an outer cap assembled onto said inner cap with axial clearance and including a top wall and a surrounding sidewall, said top wall having an inside surface;
• an alternating series of circumferentially-extending ratchet-like first lugs and circumferentially-extending first intermediate portions in an end-to-end pattern as part of said inside surface, each first lug of said pattern having an abutment surface at a first end and a ramp surface at an oppositely-disposed second end;
• an alternating series of circumferentially-extending ratchet-like second lugs and circumferentially-extending second intermediate portions in an end-to-end pattern as part of said upper surface, each second lug of said pattern having an abutment surface at a first end and a ramp surface at an oppositely-disposed second end;
• said inner cap and said outer cap being cooperatively arranged such that the abutment surfaces of said first lugs are positioned against the abutment surfaces of said second lugs upon clockwise rotation of the outer cap, thereby threadedly advancing the inner cap onto said neck finish;
• and
• said inner cap and said outer cap being cooperatively arranged such that the ramp surfaces of said first lugs are positioned adjacent the ramp surfaces of said second lugs upon counterclockwise rotation of the outer cap whereby the first lugs are allowed to ride over the second lugs due to the axial clearance and whereby when a downward force is applied to the outer cap so as to eliminate the axial clearance while turning the outer cap in the counterclockwise direction, the outer cap is able to turn the inner cap due to the abutment of the ramp surfaces of the first lugs against the ramp surfaces of the second lugs.

A child-resistant closure for a container having an externally-threaded neck finish, said child-resistant closure comprising:

• an outer cap having a top wall portion and a surrounding sidewall;
• an inner cap having an upper wall and an internally-threaded, surrounding sidewall for engagement with the neck finish of the container, the outer cap overlying the inner cap and being substantially concentric therewith;
• an annular ring pattern of ratchet teeth in unitary construction with said annular ring top wall portion and oriented toward the upper wall of said inner cap, said upper wall having formed therein an annular ring pattern of receiving depressions and said ratchet teeth engaging said receiving depressions when the outer cap is turned in a clockwise advancing direction so as to rotate the inner and outer caps together and thereby cause the advancing threaded engagement of the inner cap onto the neck finish, the ratchet teeth sliding over the receiving depressions when the outer cap is turned in a counterclockwise removal direction, at least one series of axial ribs in unitary construction with the sidewall of said outer cap and oriented towards the sidewall of said inner cap;
• a plurality of axial ribs in unitary construction with the sidewall of said inner cap and oriented toward the sidewall of said outer cap, whereby ovalizing of said outer cap by oppositely and inwardly directed compressive forces brings a plurality of said axial ribs of said outer cap into the proximity of the axial ribs of said inner cap whereby turning of the outer cap in a counterclockwise removal direction results in axial rib engagement to enable the inner cap to be threadedly removed from the neck finish;
• and
• tamper-indicating means comprising a break-away annular ring depending from a lower edge portion of the sidewall of said inner cap, said tamper-indicating means further including a plurality of frangible elements detachably securing said annular ring to said lower edge portion, said tamper-indicating means further including a plurality of tabs bent upwardly, said frangible elements being radially spaced outwardly from said annular bead and defining therewith an annular channel, a portion of said tabs being positioned within said annular channel, whereby said annular bead is used to hold said tabs in their folded position, and whereby tab abutment against said annular lip during removal of said inner cap causes said frangible elements to break, separating said annular ring from the remainder of said inner cap.