초록 ▼

A child-resistant package includes a container having a finish with an open end, external thread, stop lug projecting radially outwardly from the finish, and a closure having a base wall, a skirt with internal thread for engagement with the thread on the container finish, spring element and pair of

A child-resistant package includes a container having a finish with an open end, external thread, stop lug projecting radially outwardly from the finish, and a closure having a base wall, a skirt with internal thread for engagement with the thread on the container finish, spring element and pair of internal lugs on the skirt and extending radially inwardly from the skirt. Each pair of internal lugs includes a first lug that cooperates with the stop lug on the container finish to prevent unthreading of the closure from the finish absent pressure on the closure against the spring element to push the first lug beneath the corresponding stop lug on the container finish, and a second lug circumferentially spaced from the first lug that cooperates with the stop lug to prevent over tightening of the closure on the finish.

대표청구항 ▼

The invention claimed is: 1. A child-resistant package that includes: a container having a cylindrical finish with an open end, at least one external thread including a first end adjacent to said open end and a second end spaced from said open end, and at least one external lug separate from said a

The invention claimed is: 1. A child-resistant package that includes: a container having a cylindrical finish with an open end, at least one external thread including a first end adjacent to said open end and a second end spaced from said open end, and at least one external lug separate from said at least one external thread and projecting radially outwardly from said finish adjacent to and circumferentially spaced from said second end of said thread remote from said open end, and a closure having a base wall, a skirt with at least one internal thread for engagement with said at least one external thread on said finish, at least one pair of internal lugs on said skirt adjacent to an end of said internal thread remote from said base wall, and at least one spring element for engaging said open end of said finish to bias said closure axially of said finish, said at least one external lug on said container finish having an axially oriented cam face that slopes in a clockwise direction away from said open end, said at least one pair of internal lugs on said closure skirt having a first lug with an axially oriented cam face that slopes toward said base wall such that threading said closure onto said finish in a clockwise direction causes said first lug on said skirt to cam axially away from said open end relative to said at least one external lug on said finish by compression of said at least one spring element, said at least one pair of internal lugs also having a second lug that engages said at least one external lug on said container finish when said closure is fully received on said container finish to limit clockwise rotation of said closure relative to said container finish, wherein said closure skirt has a stepped profile that includes a first portion on which said at least one internal thread is disposed and a second portion being connected to said first portion by inner and outer shoulders of said closure skirt and terminating at a skirt open end opposite of said base wall and being stepped to extend radially outwardly from said first portion and having an outer diameter larger than that of said first portion and having an inner diameter larger than that of said first portion on which said at least one pair of internal lugs is disposed, and said first lug is positioned proximate and just axially above said skirt open end and said second lug is positioned proximate and just axially below said inner shoulder of said closure skirt. 2. The package of claim 1 wherein said at least one external lug on said container finish includes a clockwise extending flange, and said flange includes a generally planar surface facing away from said open end, and said first lug on said skirt has a complementarily oriented surface adapted to be received closely adjacent to said generally planar surface of said flange to inhibit axial displacement of said first lug on said skirt in a direction toward said open end of said container finish. 3. A closure for a child-resistant package, including: a base wall, a skirt with at least one internal thread adapted for engagement with at least one external thread on a container finish, at least one pair of internal lugs on said skirt spaced from said at least one internal thread and extending radially inwardly from said skirt, and at least one spring element carried by one of said base wall or said skirt, said at least one pair of internal lugs on said skirt including a first lug for cooperating with a stop lug on the container finish to prevent unthreading of said closure from the container finish absent pressure on said closure against said spring element to push said first lug on said skirt beneath the stop lug on the container finish, and a second lug circumferentially spaced from said first lug for cooperating with the stop lug on the container finish to limit the threading of said closure onto the container finish, wherein said closure skirt has a stepped profile that includes a first portion on which said at least one internal thread is disposed and a second portion being connected to said first portion by inner and outer shoulders of said closure skirt and terminating at a skirt open end opposite of said base wall and being stepped to extend radially outwardly from said first portion and having an outer diameter larger than that of said first portion and having an inner diameter larger than that of said first portion on which said internal lugs are disposed, and said first lug being positioned proximate and just axially above said skirt open end and said second lug being positioned proximate and just axially below said inner shoulder of said closure skirt, and wherein said first lug includes an axially oriented cam face that slopes toward said base wall such that threading said closure onto the container finish causes said first lug on said closure skirt to cam axially away from an open end of the container finish relative to the stop lug on the container finish by compression of the spring element. 4. The closure of claim 3 wherein the first lug has a stop surface facing one direction and the second lug has a stop surface facing generally in the opposite direction of said one direction so that the stop lug limits rotation of the closure in opposite directions. 5. The closure of claim 4 wherein the stop surface of the first lug faces counterclockwise and the stop surface of the second lug faces clockwise. 6. The closure of claim 3 wherein said cam face extends circumferentially and is inclined axially. 7. The closure of claim 3 wherein said cam face extends circumferentially and is inclined radially. 8. The closure of claim 3 wherein said at least one spring element includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced spring segments, each spring segment being cantilevered to at least one of the base wall and the skirt and having a free end that is flexible and resilient. 9. A child-resistant package that includes: a container having a cylindrical finish with an open end, at least one external thread including a first end adjacent to said open end and a second end spaced from said open end, and at least one external lug separate from said external thread and disposed on a side of said external thread opposite said open end and circumferentially spaced from said second end of said external thread, and a closure having a base wall, and a skirt having a stepped profile that includes a first portion with at least one internal thread for engaging said at least one external thread on said finish and a second portion being connected to said first portion by inner and outer shoulders of said closure skirt and terminating at a skirt open end opposite of said base wall and being stepped to extend radially outwardly from said first portion and having an outer diameter larger than that of said first portion and having an inner diameter larger than that of said first portion, a spring element for urging said closure away from said finish, and at least one pair of internal lugs separate from said internal thread, said at least one pair of internal lugs on said skirt being carried on said second portion adjacent to but circumferentially spaced from each other, and being comprised of a trailing internal lug and a leading internal lug disposed clockwise of said trailing internal lug as viewed from above said package, said leading internal lug being positioned proximate and just axially above said skirt open end and said trailing internal lug being positioned proximate and just axially below said inner shoulder, there being one pair of internal lugs on said skirt for each external lug on said finish, said leading internal lug having an axially oriented cam face sloping toward said base wall such that threading said closure onto the container finish causes said leading internal lug on said closure skirt to cam axially away from the open end of the container finish relative to said external lug on said container finish by compression of the spring element such that said leading internal lug cams over said external lug as said closure is threaded onto said finish against a force supplied by said spring element to said finish until said external lug on said finish is received between said at least one pair of internal lugs on said skirt and said trailing internal lug on said skirt engages said external lug to prevent further threading of said closure onto said finish, removal of said closure from said finish requiring urging said closure onto said finish against the force of said spring element until said leading internal lug on said skirt is disposed beneath said external lug and permits unthreading of said closure from said finish, wherein said external lug on said finish has a cam face that is inclined away from said open end for engagement by said cam face of said leading internal lug on said skirt to pull said closure against said spring element as said closure is threaded onto said finish and said leading internal lug is cammed over said external lug, and wherein said external lug includes a body and a flange circumferentially extending from said body away from said cam surface and disposed so that said leading internal lug on said skirt will be received in a pocket formed between said body and said flange. 10. The package set forth in claim 9 wherein said spring element and said closure are of one-piece integrally molded plastic construction. 11. The package set forth in claim 10 wherein said spring element is a circumferentially segmented annular spring element. 12. The package set forth in claim 9 wherein spacing between said leading and trailing internal lugs is insufficient to permit passage of said external lug between said internal lugs. 13. A child-resistant package that includes: a container having a cylindrical finish with an open end, at least one external thread, and at least one external lug separate from said external thread and disposed on a side of said external thread opposite said open end, and a closure having a skirt with at least one internal thread for engaging said at least one external thread on said finish, a spring element for urging said closure away from said finish, and at least one pair of internal lugs separate from said internal thread, said pair of internal lugs on said skirt being adjacent to but circumferentially spaced from each other, and being comprised of a trailing internal lug and a leading internal lug disposed clockwise of said trailing internal lug as viewed from above said package, there being one pair of internal lugs on said skirt for each external lug on said finish, said leading internal lug having a cam face for camming said leading internal lug over said external lug as said closure is threaded onto said finish against a force supplied by said spring element to said finish until said external lug on said finish is received between said internal lugs on said skirt and said trailing internal lug on said skirt engages said external lug to prevent further threading of said closure onto said finish, removal of said closure from said finish requiring urging said closure onto said finish against the force of said spring element until said leading internal lug on said skirt is disposed beneath said external lug and permits unthreading of said closure from said finish, wherein said external lug extends radially outwardly from said cylindrical finish of said container and includes a cam surface defined by a generally circumferentially and axially extending peripheral face, wherein as said closure is rotated clockwise onto said finish of said container, said leading internal lug engages said external lug prior to said closure being fully received on said finish, such that engagement of said cam face with said cam surface of said external lug circumferentially stretches said closure skirt, and continued rotation of said closure causes said leading internal lug to cam radially over said external lug, and further rotation of said closure is limited by engagement of said external lug with said trailing internal lug, wherein counterclockwise rotation of said closure absent application of an axial force to said closure results in engagement of said leading internal lug with said external lug, and removal of said closure from said container includes application of axial force to said closure to move said leading internal lug axially beneath said external lug to allow said closure to be rotated counterclockwise. 14. A child-resistant package that includes: a container having a cylindrical finish with an open end, at least one external thread including a first end adjacent to said open end and a second end spaced from said open end, and at least one external lug separate from said external thread and disposed on a side of said external thread opposite said open end and being circumferentially spaced from said second end of said external thread, and a closure having a base wall, and a skirt having a stepped profile including a first portion with at least one internal thread for engaging said at least one external thread on said finish and a second portion being connected to said first portion by inner and outer shoulders of said closure skirt and terminating at a skirt open end opposite of said base wall and being stepped to extend radially outwardly from said first portion and having an outer diameter larger than that of said first portion and having an inner diameter larger than that of said first portion, a spring element for urging said closure away from said finish, and at least one pair of internal lugs separate from said internal thread and being carried on said second portion, said at least one pair of internal lugs on said skirt being adjacent to but circumferentially spaced from each other, and being comprised of a trailing internal lug and a leading internal lug disposed clockwise of said trailing internal lug as viewed from above said package, and said leading internal lug being positioned proximate and just axially above said skirt open end and said trailing internal lug being positioned proximate and just axially below said inner shoulder of said closure skirt there being one pair of internal lugs on said skirt for each external lug on said finish, said leading internal lug having an axially oriented cam face sloping toward said base wall such that threading said closure onto the container finish causes said leading internal lug on said closure skirt to cam axially away from the open end of the container finish relative to said external lug on said container finish by compression of the spring element such that said leading internal lug cams over said external lug as said closure is threaded onto said finish against a force supplied by said spring element to said finish until said external lug on said finish is received between said at least one pair of internal lugs on said skirt and said trailing internal lug on said skirt engages said external lug to prevent further threading of said closure onto said finish, removal of said closure from said finish requiring urging said closure onto said finish against the force of said spring element until said leading internal lug on said skirt is disposed beneath said external lug and permits unthreading of said closure from said finish. 15. A closure for a child-resistant package, including: a base wall, and a skirt extending from said base wall and having a stepped profile that includes: a first portion on which is disposed at least one internal thread, and a second portion being connected to said first portion by inner and outer shoulders, terminating at a skirt open end opposite of said base wall, being stepped to extend radially outwardly from said first portion, and having: an outer diameter larger than that of said first portion, and an inner diameter larger than that of said first portion and on which is disposed at least one pair of internal lugs extending radially inwardly and including: a first lug positioned proximate and just axially above said skirt open end, and second lug circumferentially spaced from said first lug and positioned proximate and just axially below said inner shoulder of said closure skirt, and at least one spring element extending from at least one of said base wall or said skirt for urging said closure away from a container, wherein said at least one internal thread is adapted for engagement with at least one external thread of the container, wherein said first lug is adapted for cooperation with a stop lug on the container to prevent unthreading of said closure from the container absent pressure on said closure against said spring element to push said first lug on said skirt beneath the stop lug on the container, wherein said second lug is adapted for cooperation with the stop lug on the container to limit the threading of the closure onto the container, and wherein said spring element includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced spring segments, and said closure also includes a plurality of axially extending spring stops to limit flexing of said spring element.