초록 ▼

A flip-top closure, for dispensing a product from a container, comprising a base member having a neck and a dispensing orifice. A cap is formed integral with the base member and connected thereto by a hinge which facilitates pivoting motion of the cap relative to the base member. The cap is pivotabl

A flip-top closure, for dispensing a product from a container, comprising a base member having a neck and a dispensing orifice. A cap is formed integral with the base member and connected thereto by a hinge which facilitates pivoting motion of the cap relative to the base member. The cap is pivotable from an open position to a closed position, and vice versa. The cap carries a sealing member which facilitates sealing of the dispensing orifice when the cap is in the closed position. The flip-top closure includes a child resistant locking system, which resists opening of the flip-top container by a child, comprising at least one hook member carried by one of the base member and the cap and at least one latching surface, carried by the other of the base member and the cap. The hook member is located to engage with the latching surface and retain the cap in a locked position and resist opening of the flip-top container by a child.

대표청구항 ▼

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

1. A flip-top closure for dispensing a product from a container, the flip-top closure comprising:a 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 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 opposite 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 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 inwardly in a squeeze direction to decrease a diameter of the cap and increase a diameter of the cap in a direction extending normal the squeeze direction, the handle component is sufficiently extending radially away from the hinge to be accessible and facilitate disengagement of the sealing member from the dispensing orifice and movement of the cap to the open position. 2. The flip-top closure according to claim 1, wherein an aperture is formed in a base surface of the base member and a downwardly facing surface of the base member forms a latching surface.3. The flip-top closure according to claim 1, wherein an annular rim is formed in a central most region of the base member and the annular rim defines the discharge orifice of the base member.4. The flip-top closure according to claim 1, wherein a pair of apertures are formed in the cap and a base surface of the base member supports a pair of hook members.5. The flip-top closure according to claim 1, wherein an annular shroud extends around a portion of a perimeter of the base member and the annular shroud has an inwardly extending annular edge, and the annular edge forms a latching surface.6. The flip-top closure according to claim 1, wherein the cap has a pair of hook members and the base surface has a pair of mating apertures formed therein, and the mating apertures are located, when the cap is in the close position, to each receive a respective one of the hook members, and the hook members each having a latching ledge which engages with a latching surface of the mating apertures to lockingly retain the cap in the closed position.7. The flip-top closure according to claim 6, wherein the hook members each have a remote end with an inclined surface, and the inclined surface of each respective hook member engages with the base member, upon returning the cap back to the closed position, to facilitate engagement between the hook member and the respective latching surface of the mating apertures.8. The flip-top closure according to claim 1, wherein the cap, the hinge and the base member are all manufactured from a resilient material.9. The flip-top closure according to claim 1, wherein the cap is provided with a pair of diametrically opposed hook members and the base member is provided with a pair of diametrically opposed apertures, the hook members are shaped and located to matingly engage with a respective one of the diametrically opposed apertures provided in the base member so as to retain the cap in the closed position, and each hook member is provided with an inclined surface, at the free end thereof, adjacent a latching ledge of the hook member, to facilitate radial inward movement of the hook members toward one another when returning the cap to the closed position.10. The flip-top closure according to claim 1, wherein the cap is provided with a pair of diametrically opposed hook members and the base member is provided with an annular shroud which carries a pair of diametrically opposed apertures, the hook members are shaped and spaced to matingly engage with a respective one of the two the apertures provided in the base member so as to retain the cap in the closed position, and each hook member is provided with an inclined surface, at the free end thereof adjacent the latching ledge, to facilitate radial inward movement of the hook members toward one another when returning the of the cap to the closed position.11. The flip-top closure according to claim 1, wherein the cap is provided with a pair of diametrically opposed apertures and the base member is provided with a pair of diametrically opposed hook members extending from a top surface of the base member, the hook members are shaped and spaced to matingly engage with a respective one of the diametrically opposed apertures provided in the cap so as to retain the cap in the closed position, and each hook member is provided with an inclined surface, at the free end thereof, adjacent a latching ledge of the hook member, to facilitate radial inward movement of the hook members toward one another when returning the of the cap to the closed position.12. The flip-top closure according to claim 1, wherein the handle component is sufficient retracted from an outer perimeter of the base member so as to be inaccessible by a user for gripping the cap and pivoting the cap to the open position and disengaging the sealing member from its sealing engagement with the dispensing orifice.13. The flip-top closure according to claim 1, wherein an exterior surface of the cap is provided with a pair of diametrically opposed wings, a remote free end of each one of the wings supports a hook member, and the base member is provided with an annular shroud which extends substantially around a perimeter of the base member, and the annular shroud has an inwardly extending annular edge which is located to engage with latching ledges of the hook members.14. The flip-top closure according to claim 1, wherein the cap has an oval insert which is accommodated within the interior compartment defined by the cap, the oval insert supports a pair of diametrically opposed hook members which each have a latching ledge, the oval insert has a pair of diametrically opposed extension elements, and each extension element is located adjacent one of the hook members, and the base member supports a pair of apertures located to receive one of the pair of diametrically opposed hook members.15. The flip-top closure according to claim 1, wherein the neck of the base member carries a thread and the desired container carries a mating thread which facilitate attachment of the base member to the desired container.16. The flip-top closure according to claim 1, wherein the sealing member of the cap has an interference fit with the dispensing orifice which facilitates sealing engagement between the sealing member and the dispensing orifice when the cap is in the closed position.17. The flip-top closure according to claim 1, wherein the cap, the hinge and the base member are all manufactured from a material selected from the group consisting of polypropylene, polypropylene copolymer, polyethylene.18. The flip-top closure according to claim 1, wherein at least one hook member is carried by one of the base member and the cap and at least one latching surface is carried by the other of the base member and the cap, and the at least one hook member is located to engage with the at least one latching surface to retain and forms part of the child resistant locking system.19. 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. 20. The flip-top closure according to claim 19, wherein the base member has a substantially planar perimeter base surface contiguous with a central section, and the annular rim, which supports the discharge orifice, is formed in a central most region of the central section, and the central section supports the neck.21. The flip-top closure according to claim 20, wherein the releasable locking engagement comprises an interference fit between the dispensing orifice and the sealing member.22. The flip-top closure according to claim 20, wherein the hinge and the handle component are located opposite one another and the handle component is generally flush with the planar perimeter base surface of the base member so that the handle component is retracted and inhibits undesired opening of the closure.23. The flip-top closure according to claim 22, wherein the hinge is fixedly connected to both the base member and the cap so that upon squeezing the opposed side walls of the cap, substantially midway between the hinge and the handle component, the side wall supporting the hinge remains substantially stationary while the opposite side wall supporting the handle component moves away from the hinge and extends sufficiently radially outward past an exterior side wall of the base member so as to be readily access.24. The flip-top closure according to claim 20, wherein the base member has an annular skirt extending around an outer periphery thereof, and the annular skirt is provided with a recess area through which the handle component extends upon squeezing the opposed side walls of the cap substantially midway between the hinge and the handle component.25. The flip-top closure according to claim 20, wherein the base surface is free of any surface or protrusion which inhibits the radial inward and outward movement of the side wall of the cap.26. 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.