Child-resistant closure
A closure includes a body that is adapted to mate with a container, a flip-top cap coupled to the body, and a hinge interconnecting the body and the flip-top cap. The body is configured to be mounted onto container to cover a discharge outlet formed in the container. The flip-top cap is configured to protect a product-dispensing spout formed on the body and block a child, for example, from accessing the product dispensing spout and removing contents from the container.
1 . A child-resistant closure comprising
a body including an upper wall formed to include a product-dispensing spout, an inner wall appended to the upper wall and arranged to extend axially away from upper wall relative to a central axis of the body, wherein the inner wall includes an interior mount rim appended to an inside surface of the interior wall and adapted to mate with a discharge outlet formed on a container, and an outer wall appended to the upper wall and arranged to extend axially away from the upper wall relative to the central axis, wherein the outer wall is located radially outward of the inner wall relative to the central axis, and wherein the inner wall and the outer wall cooperate to define a first tab-receiving space located radially between the outer wall and the inner wall relative to the central axis and a second tab-receiving space located radially between the outer wall and the inner wall relative to the central axis,
a flip-top cap including a top wall, a side wall coupled to the top wall and arranged to extend axially away from the top wall, a first deformable tab coupled to a bottom end of the side wall and aligned with the first tab-receiving space, and a second deformable tab coupled to the bottom end of the side wall and aligned with the second tab-receiving space, and
a hinge coupled between the body and the flip-top cap to support the flip-top cap for movement relative to the body from a closed position on the body covering the product-dispensing spout to an open position away from the body uncovering the product dispensing spout,
wherein each deformable tab includes a cap latch extending radially outward from the deformable tab and arranged to engage a corresponding body latch extending radially inward from an inside surface of the outer wall in the closed position, and wherein the cap latch disengages the body latch upon deformation of each deformable tab so that the flip-top cap is movable from the closed position to the open position,
wherein the body further includes first and second front wall supports and first and second rear wall supports that each extend radially relative to the central axis to interconnect the inner wall and the outer wall and to define the first tab-receiving space circumferentially between the first front wall support and the first rear wall support and the second tab-receiving space circumferentially between the second front wall support and the second rear wall support,
wherein the first and second front wall supports are appended to the upper wall and are arranged to extend downwardly away from the upper wall relative to the central axis from an upper end at a lower surface of the upper wall to a lower end at a lower end of the inner wall, wherein the first and second rear wall supports are appended to the upper wall and are arranged to extend downwardly away from the upper wall relative to the central axis from an upper end at the lower surface of the upper wall to a lower end at the lower end of the inner wall, and
wherein each deformable tab includes a tab panel, wherein each tab panel has a height that extends each corresponding deformable tab downward along a majority of a height of the outer wall and past a lower end of the inner wall to each corresponding body latch when the flip-top cap is in the closed position.
2 . The child-resistant closure of claim 1 , wherein the first deformable tab is coupled to a first portion of the bottom end of the side wall, the second deformable tab is coupled to a second portion of the bottom end of the side wall, wherein the first portion of the bottom end of the side wall and the second portion of the bottom end of the side wall are each radially inward relative to the central axis of a third portion of the bottom end of the side wall and a fourth portion of the bottom end of the side wall, and wherein the first deformable tab and the second deformable tab each extend axially away from the side wall relative to the central axis.
3 . The child-resistant closure of claim 2 , wherein the first deformable tab is arranged to lie in spaced-apart, opposing relation to the second deformable tab relative to the central axis such that a central point of the first deformable tab is about 180° from the a central point of the second deformable tab.
4 . The child-resistant closure of claim 1 , wherein the cap latch of the first deformable tab is spaced a first distance from the inner wall when the flip-top cap is in the closed position and the cap latch of the second deformable tab is spaced a second distance from the inner wall when the flip-top cap is in the closed position, wherein the cap latch of the first deformable tab is spaced a third distance from the inner wall upon application of a first force to the first deformable tab and the cap latch of the second deformable tab is spaced a fourth distance from the inner wall upon application of a second force to the second deformable tab, and wherein the third distance is smaller than the first distance and the fourth distance is smaller than the second distance.
5 . The child-resistant closure of claim 4 , wherein the first distance is equal to the second distance.
6 . The child-resistant closure of claim 1 , wherein the outer wall includes a front wall segment, a rear wall segment, a first tab-receiving space segment, and a second tab-receiving space segment, and wherein the first tab-receiving space segment is separated from the second tab-receiving space segment by at least one of the front wall segment and the rear wall segment.
7 . The child-resistant closure of claim 6 , wherein the body includes an upwardly extending lip that extends axially away from the front wall segment relative to the central axis and that includes a distal, upper end arranged to lie above an interface between the flip-top cap and the body to block access to the interface.
8 . The child-resistant closure of claim 1 , wherein the outer wall includes a front wall segment, a rear wall segment, a first latch-support segment, and a second latch-support segment, wherein each body latch includes an upper edge, and wherein the upper edge is configured to guide the cap latch of each corresponding deformable tab as the flip-top cap is moved from the open position to the closed position to cause deformation of each deformable tab so that an upper surface of each cap latch engages a lower surface of each body latch when the flip-top cap reaches the closed position.
9 . The child-resistant closure of claim 1 , wherein each body latch is coupled to a latch-support panel included in the outer wall of the body, and the cap latch is located above a lower end of each corresponding latch-support panel such that each corresponding latch-support panel overlies each corresponding cap latch to block access to each corresponding cap latch when the flip-top cap is in the closed position.
10 . A child-resistant package comprising
a container including a discharge outlet, and
a child-resistant closure including:
a body including an upper wall formed to include a product-dispensing spout, an inner wall appended to the upper wall and arranged to extend axially away from upper wall, wherein the inner wall includes an interior mount rim appended to an inside surface of the interior wall and adapted to mate with the discharge outlet formed on the container, and an outer wall appended to the upper wall and arranged to extend axially away from the upper wall relative to a central axis of the body, wherein the outer wall is located radially outward of the inner wall relative to the central axis, and wherein the inner wall and the outer wall cooperate to define a first tab-receiving space located radially between the outer wall and the inner wall relative to the central axis and a second tab-receiving space located radially between the outer wall and the inner wall relative to the central axis,
a flip-top cap including a top wall, a side wall coupled to the top wall and arranged to extend axially away from the top wall, a first deformable tab coupled to a bottom end of the side wall and aligned with the first tab-receiving space, and a second deformable tab coupled to the bottom end of the side wall and aligned with the second tab-receiving space, and
a hinge coupled between the body and the flip-top cap to support the flip-top cap for movement relative to the body from a closed position on the body covering the product-dispensing spout to an open position away from the body uncovering the product dispensing spout,
wherein each deformable tab includes a cap latch extending radially outward from the deformable tab and arranged to engage a corresponding body latch extending radially inward from an inside surface of the outer wall in the closed position, and wherein the cap latch disengages the body latch upon deformation of each deformable tab so that the flip-top cap is movable from the closed position to the open position,
wherein the body further includes first and second front wall supports and first and second rear wall supports that each extend radially relative to the central axis to interconnect the inner wall and the outer wall and to define the first tab-receiving space circumferentially between the first front wall support and the first rear wall support and the second tab-receiving space circumferentially between the second front wall support and the second rear wall support,
wherein the first and second front wall supports are appended to the upper wall and are arranged to extend downwardly away from the upper wall relative to the central axis from an upper end at a lower surface of the upper wall to a lower end at a lower end of the inner wall, wherein the first and second rear wall supports are appended to the upper wall and are arranged to extend downwardly away from the upper wall relative to the central axis from an upper end at the lower surface of the upper wall to a lower end at the lower end of the inner wall, and
wherein each deformable tab includes a tab panel, wherein each tab panel has a height that extends each corresponding deformable tab downward along a majority of a height of the outer wall and past a lower end of the inner wall to each corresponding body latch when the flip-top cap is in the closed position.
11 . The child-resistant package of claim 10 , wherein the first deformable tab is coupled to a first portion of the bottom end of the side wall, the second deformable tab is coupled to a second portion of the bottom end of the side wall, wherein the first portion of the bottom end of the side wall and the second portion of the bottom end of the side wall are each radially inward relative to the central axis of a third portion of the bottom end of the side wall and a fourth portion of the bottom end of the side wall, and wherein the first deformable tab and the second deformable tab each extend axially away from the side wall relative to the central axis.
12 . The child-resistant package of claim 11 , wherein the first deformable tab is arranged to lie in spaced-apart, opposing relation to the second deformable tab relative to the central axis such that a central point of the first deformable tab is about 180° from the a central point of the second deformable tab.
13 . The child-resistant package of claim 10 , wherein the cap latch of the first deformable tab is spaced a first distance from the inner wall when the flip-top cap is in the closed position and the cap latch of the second deformable tab is spaced a second distance from the inner wall when the flip-top cap is in the closed position, wherein the cap latch of the first deformable tab is spaced a third distance from the inner wall upon application of a first force to the first deformable tab and the cap latch of the second deformable tab is spaced a fourth distance from the inner wall upon application of a second force to the second deformable tab, and wherein the third distance is smaller than the first distance and the fourth distance is smaller than the second distance.
14 . The child-resistant package of claim 13 , wherein the first distance is equal to the second distance.
15 . The child-resistant package of claim 13 , wherein the first force is applied between the side wall and the cap latch of the first deformable tab and the second force is applied between the side wall and the cap latch of the second deformable tab.
16 . The child-resistant package of claim 10 , wherein the outer wall includes a front wall segment, a rear wall segment, a first tab-receiving space segment, and a second tab-receiving space segment, and wherein the first tab-receiving space segment is separated from the second tab-receiving space segment by at least one of the front wall segment and the rear wall segment.
17 . The child-resistant package of claim 16 , wherein the body includes an upwardly extending lip that extends axially away from the front wall segment relative to the central axis and that includes a distal, upper end arranged to lie above an interface between the flip-top cap and the body to block access to the interface.
18 . The child-resistant package of claim 10 , wherein the outer wall includes a front wall segment, a rear wall segment, a first latch-support segment, and a second latch-support segment, wherein each body latch includes an upper edge, and wherein the upper edge is configured to guide the cap latch of each corresponding deformable tab as the flip-top cap is moved from the open position to the closed position to cause deformation of each deformable tab so that an upper surface of each cap latch engages a lower surface of each body latch when the flip-top cap reaches the closed position.
19 . A child-resistant closure comprising
a body including an upper wall formed to include a product-dispensing spout, an inner wall coupled to the upper wall and arranged to extend axially away from upper wall relative to a central axis of the body, wherein the inner wall includes an interior mount rim appended to an inside surface of the interior wall and adapted to mate with a discharge outlet formed on a container, and an outer wall coupled to the upper wall and arranged to extend axially away from the upper wall relative to the central axis, wherein the outer wall is located radially outward of the inner wall relative to the central axis, and wherein the inner wall and the outer wall cooperate to define a first tab-receiving space located at least partially radially between the outer wall and the inner wall relative to the central axis and a second tab-receiving space located at least partially radially between the outer wall and the inner wall relative to the central axis,
a flip-top cap including a top wall, a side wall coupled to the top wall and arranged to extend axially away from the top wall, a first deformable tab coupled to the side wall and aligned with the first tab-receiving space, and a second deformable tab coupled to the side wall and aligned with the second tab-receiving space, and
a hinge coupled between the body and the flip-top cap to support the flip-top cap for movement relative to the body from a closed position on the body covering the product-dispensing spout to an open position away from the body uncovering the product dispensing spout,
wherein each deformable tab includes a cap latch extending in a radial direction from the deformable tab and arranged to engage a body latch coupled to the body when the flip top cap is in the closed position, and wherein the cap latch disengages the body latch upon deformation of each deformable tab so that the flip-top cap is movable from the closed position to the open position, and
wherein each body latch is coupled to a latch-support panel included in the outer wall of the body, the latch-support panel has a first height from a lower end of the outer wall to an upper end of the latch-support panel, and each deformable tab has a second height from the side wall of the flip-top cap to a lower end of each deformable tab, the second height being greater than the first height, and
wherein the body further includes first and second front wall supports and first and second rear wall supports that each extend radially relative to the central axis to interconnect the inner wall and the outer wall, the first and second front wall supports and the first and second rear wall supports extend at least partially along the first height of the latch support panel to reinforce the latch support panel.
20 . The child-resistant closure of claim 19 , wherein the first and second deformable tabs extend downwardly beyond a lower end of the inner wall of the body when the flip-top cap is in the closed position.