Child resistant cap

Abstract

A child resistant cap for a bottle includes a cover portion with a periphery having a wall with an internal surface surrounds the neck when the cap is positioned on the bottle. The bottle includes a neck, an opening and a rib with a gap. A finger and a locking lug extend from the internal surface. The finger has a length less than a length of the gap. The locking lug has a length greater than the length of the gap. The locking lug and the finger engage the rib and permit a rotation between a first position, where the finger and gap are aligned and a series of second positions, where the finger and gap are not aligned. A tab extends from the cover portion for applying a force to the cover when the cap is in the first position to remove the cap from the bottle.

I/we claim:  
     
         1 . A child resistant cap for a bottle having a neck defining an opening, a rib extending almost entirely around a circumference of the neck except for a gap having a length, the rib being located adjacent the opening, said cap comprising: 
 a cover portion sized to cover said opening and having a periphery;    a wall extending from a first side of said periphery to surround said neck when the cap is positioned on the bottle, said wall having an internal surface;    a circumferentially extending finger located on said internal surface having a length that is less than the length of the gap;    a circumferentially extending locking lug located on an opposing side of said internal surface from said finger and having a length greater than the length of the gap, said locking lug and said finger engaging the rib of the bottle and guiding a rotary movement of the child resistant cap on the neck of the bottle between a first position wherein the finger and gap are aligned and a series of second positions wherein said finger and gap are not aligned; and    a tab extending from said cover portion away from said wall and adjacent said finger for applying a force generally perpendicularly and away from said cover portion when said cap is in said first position to readily remove said cap from the bottle.    
     
     
         2 . The child resistant cap of  claim 1  wherein said tab has a generally ring shape with a minor diameter defining an aperture which is large enough to permit passage of a human finger partially therethrough, said tab being pivotally connected to said cover adjacent to said finger such that said tab is permitted to pivot with respect to said cover from a resting position in facing engagement with said cover and a series of working positions spaced from said cover.  
     
     
         3 . The child resistant cap of  claim 2  wherein said tab is connected to said cover with a living hinge.  
     
     
         4 . The child resistant cap of  claim 2  wherein said tab has a terminal end which extends beyond said periphery of said cover when said tab is in a resting position in facing engagement with said cover.  
     
     
         5 . The child resistant cap of  claim 2  wherein said cover portion includes a depression extending under said tab when said tab is in said resting position, said depression being large enough to receive a tip of a human finger.  
     
     
         6 . The child resistant cap of  claim 5  wherein the tab is comprised of a main shaft extending from an attachment between the tab and the cover and a first finger and a second finger extending from the main shaft.  
     
     
         7 . The child resistant cap of  claim 1  wherein the child resistant cap is constructed of a unitarily molded, rigid polymeric material.  
     
     
         8 . The child resistant cap of  claim 1  wherein said tab has a generally thin ring shape with a major diameter slightly smaller than a diameter of said cover and a minor diameter defining an aperture large enough to accommodate the insertion of part of a human finger, said tab being pivotally connected to said cover near said periphery and adjacent to said finger to permit said tab to pivot from a resting position in facing engagement with said cover to a working position spaced from said cover.  
     
     
         9 . The child resistant cap of  claim 1  wherein said locking lug and said finger engage the rib such that the child resistant cap resists removal from the neck of the bottle when said finger is not in said first position.  
     
     
         10 . The child resistant cap of  claim 1  wherein said cap is generally T-shaped.