Flip-top closure with child resistant packaging system

A flip-top closure for dispensing a product from a container, the flip-top closure comprising:

• a generally cylindrical base member having a neck facilitating attachment of the base member to a desired container, and the base member having a dispensing orifice communicating with the neck to facilitate dispensing product from a container;
• a generally oval shaped cap formed integral with the base member and connected thereto by a hinge which facilitates pivoting motion of the cap relative to the base member, a handle component located generally opposite to the hinge, and the cap being pivotable from an open position to a closed position and from the closed position to the open position, and the handle, when the cap is in its closed position, is retracted and is inaccessible by an user to facilitate pivoting of the cap to the open position and disengaging the sealing member from its sealing engagement with the orifice;
• and
• the cap carrying a sealing member which facilitates sealing of the orifice when the cap is in the closed position;
• wherein the flip-top closure includes a child resistant locking system which resists opening of the flip-top container by a child, the child resistant locking system comprises a releasable locking engagement between the dispensing orifice and the sealing member which facilitates retaining the cap in a locked position and resists opening of the flip-top container by a child when the cap is in the closed position, and upon squeezing opposed side walls of the cap, substantially midway between the hinge and the handle component, radially inwardly toward one another to deform the cap into a substantially circular configuration, the handle component is sufficiently moved radially outwardly away from the hinge so as to be accessible for actuation by a user to facilitate opening of the flip-top closure.

A method of providing a child resistant locking system for a flip-top closure, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a generally cylindrical base member with a neck facilitating attachment of the base member to a desired container, and forming a dispensing orifice in the base member communicating with the neck to facilitate dispensing product from a container;
• forming a generally oval shaped cap integral with the base member via a hinge which facilitates pivoting motion of the cap relative to the base member, locating a handle component opposite the hinge and sufficiently retracting the handle component from an outer perimeter of the base member so as to be inaccessible to a user for actuating the cap, and the cap being pivotable by the handle component from an open position to a closed position and from the closed position to the open position;
• providing the cap with a sealing member which facilitates sealing of the orifice when the cap is in the closed position;
• providing a child resistant locking system comprising a releasable locking engagement between the dispensing orifice and the sealing member which facilitates retaining the cap in a locked position and resists opening of the flip-ton container by a child when the cap is in the closed position but permits squeezing opposed side walls of the cap, substantially midway between the hinge and the handle component, radially inwardly toward one another, so that the handle component is moved radially outwardly and becomes accessible for actuation by a user to facilitate opening of the flip-top closure.