Locking cap apparatus and related methods
AssigneeProtectrx LLC
InventorDerek Dahl
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A locking cap apparatus includes a cap assembly having an outer cap and an inner cap received within the outer cap, and further includes lock setting members. The outer cap includes an actuator coupled with a plunger. The plunger and the actuator are movable within and relative to the outer and inner cap. The cap assembly is rotatably and releasably coupled with external threads of a bottle. The plunger has a locked position, an unlocked position, and a lock change position, where the outer cap is rotatable relative to the bottle when the plunger is in the locked position, unlocked position, and optionally in the combination change position. Lock setting members are interactively coupled with the shaft of the plunger.
Claims19
A locking cap apparatus comprising:
- a cap assembly including an outer cap and an inner cap received within the outer cap, the outer cap including an actuator coupled with a plunger, the plunger movable within and relative to the outer and inner cap, the actuator movable relative to the outer and inner cap;
- the cap assembly rotatably and releasably coupled with external threads of a bottle;
- the plunger having a locked position, an unlocked position, and a lock change position;
- the outer cap is rotatable relative to the bottle when the plunger is in the locked position, and unlocked position;
- the inner cap is rotatable relative to the outer cap when the plunger is in the locked position;
- the inner cap is not rotatable relative to the outer cap and rotates with the outer cap when the plunger is in the unlocked position, the plunger engaged with the inner cap and couples the inner cap with the outer cap in the unlocked position;
- and
- the cap assembly further including lock setting members.
A method comprising:
- rotatably coupling a cap assembly of a locking cap apparatus to a bottle, the cap assembly including an outer cap and an inner cap received within the outer cap, the outer cap including an actuator coupled with a plunger, the plunger movable within and relative to the outer and inner cap, the cap assembly rotatably and releasably coupled with external threads of a bottle, the plunger having a locked position, an unlocked position, and a lock change position, the outer cap is rotatable relative to the bottle when the plunger is in the locked position, unlocked position, and combination change position, the inner cap is rotatable relative to the outer cap when the plunger is in the locked position, the plunger engaged with the inner cap and couples the inner cap with the outer cap in the unlocked position, the inner cap is not rotatable relative to the outer cap and rotates with the outer cap when the plunger is in the unlocked position, the cap assembly further including lock setting members;
- placing the plunger in a lock change position;
- setting the lock setting members to a setting;
- and
- placing the plunger in the locked position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.