Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
--~94/03372 212 ~ 7 3 :J PCT/GBg3/0l681
rlO~ure Device
This invention relates to a closure device for a bottle
or other container which has a screw-threaded cylindrical
opening or neck.
Various closure devices for bottles or other containers
5 have b~en devised which are resistant to being opened by
children, so that ~hese bottles are suitable for holding e.g.
medicine or pills. Generally such closures comprise an inn~r
cap which is scr~w-threaded to engage the screw-threaded n~ck
of the bottle, and an outer member which serves for driving the
inner member: in order to remove the clos-lre from the bottle,
the outer member must be pushed in to engage with the inner
member and then ~urned to unscrew the inner member from the
neck of the bottle. However i~ is often difficult, especially
~or the elderly or those who suffer from arthritis for example,
15 to push the outer member in and turn it at the same time.
Also, some medicines are very sticky with the result that the
inner member becomes stuck firmly to the bsttlé neck, again
making it difficult to unscrew the closure.
We have now devised an arrangement which overcomes the
20 problems outlined above~
~In accordance with this invention, there i5 provided a
;~closure device for a container having a screw-threaded neck,
the closure device comprising an inner member in the form of
a screw-threaded cap, and an outer member in the form of a cap
into which said inner member fits, said outer member engaging
with~said inner member for turning the latter for engaging it
with the container neck but normally being free to turn in the
opposite direction relative to said inner member, and said
inner member having a top with a non-circular formation which
30 can engage, throuqh an opening in the top of said outer member,
~; a compl~mentary-shaped formation of a fixed bracket, so that
the contain~r ~an then be turned to loosen the engagement
.
between said inner member and the container.
The closure device can be unscrewed by offering ~he
~5 clo~ure device to the bracket so that the formation e.q. d
projection of the bracket engages the formation e.g. a socket
of the inner member of the closure device, then turning the
containPr. The container can be gripped firmly and more easily
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wo 94/03372 2 1 2 0 7 3 ~ PCT/GB~3/Ot69~
than the outer member of the closure device, and the engagement
between the closure device and container can be loosened
easily.
Further in accordance with this invention, there is
5 provided a bottle or other container having a screw-thread~d
neck and a closure device engaged with said neck, in
combination with a bracket for securing to f~xed structure, the
closure device having an inner member in the form of a screw-
threaded cap, and an outer member in the form of a cap into
lD which said inner member fits, said outer member engaqing with
~said inner member for turning the latter for screwing it onto
the container neck but normally being free to turn in the
opposite direction relative to said inner member, and the top
of said inner member having a non-circular formation
15 engageable, through an opening in the top of said outer member,
with a complementary formation of said bracket so that the
~bottle or other container can then be turned to unscrew the
closure device therefrom.
Preferably the non-circular ~orma~ion on the inner
20 memher and the complementary formation on ~he bracket are an
interference fit with each other: this enables the closure
device of a ~ottle or other container to be offered to the
~bracket and then the bottle unscrewed from the closure devicP
to leave the closure device held in place on the bracket: the
25 user can therefore open the bottle using one hand only.
: Preferably the outer member can be pushed in or
depressed relatlve to the inner member so as to engage with the
inner member for~ turning the latter in the unscrewing
direction, by turning the outer member: this provides an
alternative way of removing the closurP device from the
container.
- ,Preferably the outer member has a series of teeth
. . .
formed around thP inside of its skirt, which engage, when the
oute~ member is pushed in, a complementary series of t eth
~35 formed around the outside of the skirt -~ the inner member, to
: enabIe the closure device to be unscrewPd from the container
by turning the outer member.
Also in accordance with this invention, there is
provided a closure device for a container having a screw-
~~'V 94~03372 212 0 7 3 ~ PCI'/GB93/01681
threaded neck, the c:losure device comprising an inner memberin the form of a screw-threaded cap, and an outer member in khe
form of a cap into which said inner member fits, said inner
member having a ~eries of teeth formed around the inside of its
5 skirt, said outer member having a complementary series of teeth
formed around the outside of its skirt, and said o~ter member
being displareable axially from a normal position to a ~econd
position in which the two'series of teeth interengage so that
said inner member can ~e turned by turning said outer member.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, khe closure
device comprises a bîassing means against which the outer
member is axially depressible relative to the inner member.
An embodiment of this invention will now be described
by way o~ ex~mple only and with reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which:
FIGUR~:l is an axial section through a closure device
: in acordancz with this invention;
FIGURE 2 is a top view of an inner member of the
closure device;
: 20 FI~URE 3 is a side view of the inner member of the
closure device;
,.
FTGURE 4 is an underside view of an outer memb~r of the
closure device~
FIGURE 5 is~an axial section through the outer member
25 ~of the Glosure device on the line V-V of Figure 4;
FIGURE 6~ is a front view of a bracket for use in
:~ ~ : unscrewing the closure device from a bottlei and
:~ ~ FIGURE 7 is a view to show a user unscrewing the
: closure device from a bottle using the bracket of Figure 6 when
fixed to the underside of a shelf or the like.
Referring to Figures 1 to 5, of the drawings, there is
- show~~~ closure :device for the screw-threaded cylindrical
; ~ opening or neck of a glass bottle or other container. The
closure device comprises an inner member 10 in the form of a
cap h~ving a top 1l ~nd a depending cylindrical skirt 12 formPd
~:: with an in~ernal screw-thread 13. The closure device further
comprises an outer member 20 in the form o~ a cap having a flat
top 21 and a depending cylin~rical skirt 22. The top 21 of th~
outer member 20 is formed with a circular aperture 23 in its
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W094/03372 2 1 2 ~ 7 3 ~ PC~/GB93/016~' ~
centre, which aperture is clossd by a circular portion 24
integral with the top 21 and frangibly connected thereto e.g.
by two thin webs 25. The top of the inner member lO i5 formed
at its centre wi~h a cylindrical projection 14 the top end of
5 which is formed with a socket 15 of square section.
The inner member 10 is received within the outer member
20 and held captive by snap-engagement of its outer rim 16 past
an annular ridge 26 on the inside of the skirt 22 of the outer
member 20.
lQ Four flexible fingers 27 projec~ ~rom the inside of the
- top 2~ of the outer member 20 in a peripheral direction. Wh~n
the outer member 20 is turned in a clockwise direction, thes~
fingers 27 ahut respective abutments or dogs 17 on the top 11
o~ the inner member, to correspondingly turn the inner member
for tightening it onto the bottle or container neck.
However, when the outer member 20 is turned in the opposite
i.e. counter clockwise direction, the flexible fingers 27 ride
over the tops o~ the abutments 17 and the outer member 20 turns
freely relative ~o ~he inner member lO, which therefore remains
20 tightly closed on the bottle or container neck. However, the
~uter member 20 can be pushed in the axial direction towards
the bottle or container, the outer member 20 sliding on the
inner member 10, the fingers 27 being uryed ~owards the
underside of the top 21 of the outer member 20 and the cover
25 portion 24 being broken away by penetration of the projection
14 of the inner member into the aperture 23 of the outer
membe~. This brings a series of teeth 2~, formed around the
inside of the skirt ~2 of the outer member 20, into engagement
with a series of teeth 18, which are formed around the outside
30 o~ the inner member 1~ adjacent its rim 16: the outer member
20 can now be turned in the counter clockwise direction in
; order- ~ correspondingly turn the inner member and unscrew it
from the bottle.
As shown in Figure 6 and 7, the closur~ device may be
3~ removed from ~he bottle B using a bracket 3G which is screw~d
or otherwise fixed to a wall or shelf unit, for examp~e:
preferably the bracket is fixed to the underside of a shelf,
f~r example, t~ face downwards. The bracket 30 comprises a
flat plastics plate having a square-section projection 32 on
~ ~94~03372 21~ ~ 7 3 5 PC~/GB93/016~1
its front face. In use, the bottle B is offered to the bracket
so that the projection 32 is received within the socket 15 of
the inner member lO (assuming that the cover portion of th~
outer member 20 has previously been broken away). The bracket
30 thus holds the inner member lO against rotation, whilst the
user rotates the b~ttle in a counter clockwise direction, and
so loosens the screw-threaded engagement between the botkle and
the closure device. Preferably the projection 32 of the
bracket ~0 is an inter~erence fit into the socket 15 of the
: lO closure device, so that the bottle B can be unscrewed from the
closure device, leaving the closure device held in place on the
brackek: the user can there~ore open the bottle with only one
hand. The closure device remains on the bracket whilst the
user removes some o~ the contents of the bottle, the user then
lS being able to re-fit the closure device using only one hand by
returning the bottle to the bracket.
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