Key Operated Security Cap

This invention relates to a key operated cap structure for use on containers, such as medicine bottles and the like, to prevent unauthorized access being obtained to the container, so that the container contents are available only to persons in possession of a suitable key.

It is of importance that containers such as medicine bottles and the like have security against unauthorized access, e.g. to prevent children from getting at the container contents. The need for security caps for such containers has long been recognized, and the art is replete with proposals of suitable security cap structures.

For example, the following U.S. patents disclose security closures and the like for containers.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,094,648

U.S. Pat. No. 3,396,864

U.S. Pat. No. 3,426,932

U.S. Pat. No. 3,485,402

U.S. Pat. No. 3,841,513

U.S. Pat. No. 3,893,581

U.S. Pat. No. 4,159,780

The prior art security cap structures tend to be of a complex construction, and certain of those which need keys to operate the cap, such as the structures shown in the Romaine and Kapphahn patents noted above, require the container or bottle neck to which the structure is applied to have a particular interior construction to enable the cap to be fitted.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a more simple form of key operated security cap structure which can be applied to a container without the container having to have a specialized internal construction.

The invention provides a security cap structure, particularly for medicine bottles and like containers, the cap structure comprising a cap member having a skirt portion for gripping around the neck of the container and a hollow cylindrical portion with an internal thread adapted to project above the rim of the container, a threaded plug for threading into the cylindrical portion of the cap member, the relative depths of the plug and cylindrical portion being such that the outer surface of the plug does not project substantially above the rim of the cylindrical portion when the plug is threaded into the cap member to a terminal position, at least one key-receiving depression formed in the outer surface of the plug, and a key having a projection related to the key-receiving depression in the plug, whereby the key may be used to thread the plug into and out of the cap member to open and close the container.

The cap member may be of metal or plastic and may be adhered or shrunk around the container neck without any internal modifications to the container being needed. Structures in accordance with the invention may be simply and economically manufactured and applied to a diversity of containers. The threaded plug may be readily applied and removed with a proper key, but offers good security against unauthorized access to the container for persons not having the requisite key.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a medicine bottle fitted with a security cap structure in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view on line 2--2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of parts of the bottle and cap structure.

Referring initially to FIG. 1 of the drawings, there is shown a medicine bottle 10 of known type, which may be a plastic molding, for example, the medicine bottle being fitted with a security cap structure comprising an outer cap member 12 secured around the neck of the bottle, a plug 14 which is threaded into the cap member, and a key 16 for unthreading the plug in order to obtain acccess to the bottle contents.

The neck 18 of the medicine bottle may have an external circumferential flange 20 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) and the cap member (which may be made of plastic or metal) has a skirt portion 22 which grips the neck of the bottle over flange 20 in a manner precluding removal of the cap member from the container in normal usage. For example, the cap member may be adhered over the neck of the bottle or it may be shrunk around the neck. Upstanding from the skirt portion 22, the cap member includes a hollow cylindrical portion 24 with an internal thread 26, the portion 24 projecting above the rim 28 of the bottle which forms an internal shoulder at the base of the thread.

Plug 14, which may be molded in plastic, has an outer thread 30 complementary to thread 26, and the thickness of the plug is such that when threaded down into the cap member against rim 28 of the bottle, the upper surface 32 of the plug is substantially flush with rim 34 of the cap member. For security purposes, surface 32 should not project substantially above rim 34.

The upper surface 32 of the plug is provided with a pair of diametrically spaced cylindrical depressions 36 conforming to projections 38 on key 16 to enable the plug to be threaded out of and into the cap member to open and securely close the bottle by insertion of and suitable rotation of the key. The key, which may also be a plastic molding, may comprise a flat plate 40 with an opening 42 for mounting the key on a key chain 44, and the projections 38 being suitably formed on one side of the plate 40. The key may also have other projections, as shown, for use with different plugs, for example.

The above described structure is simple and economical to manufacture and, by suitable shaping of the cap member, can be applied to diverse forms of containers without having to make substantial modifications to the container.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.