Package exhibiting improved child resistance without significantly impeding access by adults

US4948002A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• The Procter & Gamble Company · US

Inventors

• Del M. Thornock · Concord, US
• James R. Goldberg · Novato, US
• Ronald W. Kock · Wyoming, US
• Robert Paul · Bartlesville, US
• Peter W. Hamilton · Cincinnati, US
• William Willhite, Jr. · Cincinnati, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 29, 1988
• Grant date: Aug 14, 1990
• Expiry date: Dec 29, 2008

Classification

• Technology area (CPC B): Performing Operations; Transporting
• CPC primary: B65D50/046
• WIPO field: Handling
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

A package for storing and dispensing potentially dangerous materials, such as medicament tablets or the like, said package being resistant to opening by children but readily openable by adults, particularly adults having impaired manual dexterity of their hands and/or fingers. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the package comprises a bottle, a collar which is secured in place over the uppermost portion of the bottle and a closure which is secured to the finish portion of the bottle by means of complementary screw threads. The collar preferably includes a pair of spring-like pushtabs containing vertical extensions which engage interlocking teeth on the innermost surface of the closure skirt when the closure is fully assembled onto the bottle. To remove the closure, the opposed pushtabs must be manually depressed prior to applying unscrewing torque to the closure to disengage the pushtab extensions from the interlocking teeth on the closure. In a particularly preferred embodiment, application of the closure to the finish portion of the bottle gives the user an audible confirmation that the package has been restored to its child resistant condition for the next dispensing cycle.…