Selectively openable closure for a container

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11453535-B2
Application number	US-202117315920-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 10, 2021
Priority date	May 8, 2020
Publication date	Sep 27, 2022
Grant date	Sep 27, 2022

Abstract

A closure for a container, and more specifically a closure that is selectively openable and/or lockable providing, for example, one or more child resistant opening features is disclosed.

First claim

That which is claimed:

1. A package, comprising:
a container having a side wall and a bottom, the side wall and bottom at least partially defining a product storage region;
a pump configured to dispense product from the product storage region, the pump extending away from the container bottom in a first direction from a pump inlet to a dispensing outlet;
a closure configured to cooperate with the container to enclose the pump, the closure having a cover and a side wall blocking access to the pump when the closure is in a closed position;
wherein the closure side wall depends axially from the closure cover, the closure cover and closure side wall define a closure interior, and the pump extends in the first direction into the closure interior when the closure is in the closed position;
a collar disposed circumferentially around the pump and disposed axially between the dispensing outlet and the container bottom;
wherein the closure includes at least one locking tab and the collar includes at least one blocking tab and at least one slot, wherein the at least one slot is configured to allow axial movement of the at least one locking tab through it when the closure is in an unlocked position and the at least one blocking tab is configured to block axial movement of the at least one locking tab past it in the first direction when the closure is in a locked position;
wherein the closure is movable by a first user input between the locked position and the unlocked position;
wherein the closure is movable in the first direction by a second user input from the closed position to an open position when the closure is in the unlocked position, and movement of the closure by the second user input from the closed position to the open position is substantially blocked when in the locked position;
wherein the closure side wall includes at least one flute; and
wherein the closure includes at least one tab opening formed in a lower end of the at least one flute adjacent a closure rim, wherein the at least on tab opening is disposed adjacent and in axial alignment with at least one locking tab.

2. The package of claim 1 , wherein the closure is movable between the locked position and the unlocked position by rotation about an axis of the closure relative to the collar.

3. The package of claim 1 , wherein the closure is movable between the closed position and the open position by movement in the first direction.

4. A package, comprising:
a container having a side wall and a bottom, the side wall and bottom at least partially defining a product storage region;
a closure configured to cooperate with the container to enclose the product storage region, the closure having a cover and a side wall blocking access to the product storage region when the closure is in a closed position;
wherein the closure side wall depends axially from the closure cover, and the closure cover and closure side wall cooperate to define a closure interior;
a collar coupled to the container and disposed between the container side wall and the closure side wall when the closure is in the closed position;
wherein the closure includes a first locking tab and a second locking tab;
wherein the collar includes at least one blocking tab, a first slot, and a second slot, wherein the first slot is configured to allow axial movement of the first locking tab through it in a first direction and the second slot is configured to allow axial movement of the second locking through it in the first direction when the closure is in an unlocked position;
wherein the at least one blocking tab is configured to block axial movement of the first locking tab and the second locking tab past it in the first direction when the closure is in a locked position;
wherein the closure is movable by a first user input between the locked position and the unlocked position;
wherein the closure is movable by a second user input in the first direction from the closed position to an open position when the closure is in the unlocked position, and movement of the closure by the second user input from the closed position to the open position is substantially blocked when in the locked position; and
wherein the first locking tab is configured such that it can pass axially through the first slot but not the second slot.

5. The package of claim 4 , wherein the first locking tab has at least one of a length that is greater than a length of the second slot and a width that is greater than the width of the second slot.

6. The package of claim 4 ,
wherein the first locking tab has a first tab shape, the first slot has a first slot shape, the second locking tab has a second tab shape, and the second slot has a second slot shape; and
wherein the first tab shape, the first slot shape, and the second slot shape are configured such that the first tab can pass axially through the first slot but not the second slot.

7. The package of claim 4 , further comprising an unlocked indicium on at least one of the closure and the collar, wherein the unlocked indicium is configured to indicate when the closure is in the unlocked position.

8. A child resistant pump closure combination, comprising:
a pump configured to dispense product through a dispensing outlet, the pump extending axially in a first direction from a pump inlet to a dispensing outlet;
the pump including a push button configured to be actuated by a user to dispense product through the pump and the dispensing outlet;
a closure configured to enclose the pump, the closure having a cover and a side wall blocking access to the pump when the closure is in a closed position;
wherein the closure side wall depends axially from the closure cover in a second direction opposite the first direction, the closure cover and closure side wall define a closure interior, and the pump extends in the first direction into the closure interior when the closure is in the closed position;
a collar disposed circumferentially around the pump and disposed axially below the dispensing outlet in the second direction away from the closure cover when the closure is in the closed position;
wherein the closure includes a first locking tab and a second locking tab;
wherein the collar includes at least one blocking tab, a first slot, and a second slot, wherein the first slot is configured to allow axial movement of the first locking tab through it in the first direction and the second slot is configured to allow axial movement of the second locking through it in the first direction when the closure is in an unlocked position;
wherein the at least one blocking tab is configured to block axial movement of the first locking tab and the second locking tab past it in the first direction when the closure is in a locked position;
wherein the closure is movable by a first user input between the locked position and the unlocked position;
wherein the closure is movable by a second user input in the first direction from the closed position to an open position when the closure is in the unlocked position, and movement of the closure by the second user input from the closed position to the open position is substantially blocked when in the locked position; and
wherein the first locking tab is configured such that it can pass axially through the first slot but not the second slot, and the second locking tab is configured such that it can pass axially through the second slot but not the first slot.

9. The child resistant pump closure combination of claim 8 , wherein the first locking tab has at least one of a length that is greater than a length of the second slot and a width that is greater than the width of the second slot.

10. The child resistant pump closure combination of claim

Assignees

• Berry Global Inc

Inventors

• Telschow Samuel G
• Fisher Scott L
• Coffey Kelsey

Classifications

• B05B11/1059

  Means for locking a pump or its actuation means in a fixed position (B05B11/1091 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B05B11/1047

  the pump being preassembled as an independent unit before being mounted on the container · CPC title

• B65D50/061 Primary

  being disengageable from container only after rotational alignment of closure, or other means inhibiting removal of closure, with container, e.g. tortuous path type (B65D55/145 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B05B11/0037

  Containers (for several components B05B11/0078) · CPC title

• B05B11/0032

  Manually actuated means located downstream the discharge nozzle for closing or covering it, e.g. shutters (automatically removed during actuation of a spray pump B05B11/1053) · CPC title