Palm and turn child resistant closure

Abstract

A safety closure having an outer cap and an inner cap being rotatably received by the outer cap is disclosed. The outer cap includes a top wall having a plurality of lugs formed thereon. The inner cap includes a top wall and a cylindrical skirt depending therefrom. The inner cap includes a plurality of lug receiving recesses formed at an intersection of the top wall and cylindrical skirt. The recesses have at least one vertical wall and at least one inclined wall. The lugs of the outer cap engage the vertical walls, and are received by the recesses, only when the outer cap is turned in a closure application direction, causing the closure to be applied to a container. The inclined walls of the recesses act on the lugs to prevent the lugs from being received in the recesses until a downward force is applied to the outer cap. When the downward force is applied to the outer cap and the outer cap is simultaneously turned in the closure opening direction, the lugs will engage the inclined walls and remain received by the recesses, allowing the inner cap to be rotated and removed from the container.

1 . A safety closure comprising: 
 an outer cap, comprising a first top wall and a first cylindrical skirt depending from said first top wall, an inner surface of said first top wall having a plurality of lugs radially disposed thereon; and    an inner cap being rotatably received by the outer cap, said inner cap comprising a second top wall and a second cylindrical skirt depending from said second top wall, a plurality of recesses are radially disposed and formed at an intersection of said second top wall and said second cylindrical skirt,    wherein said recesses are configured such that said lugs are received by at least some of said recesses when said outer cap is turned in a closure application direction causing said closure to be applied to a container, said recesses are further configured such that said lugs are not received by said recesses when said outer cap is turned in a closure opening direction unless a downward force is applied to said outer cap, and when the downward force is applied to said outer cap and said outer cap is simultaneously turned in the closure opening direction said lugs are received by said recesses allowing said inner cap to be rotated and removed from the container.    
     
     
         2 . The closure of  claim 1 , wherein said recesses comprise a vertical wall and said lugs act on said vertical walls when said outer cap is turned in a closure application direction.  
     
     
         3 . The closure of  claim 1 , wherein said recesses comprise an inclined wall and said lugs slide up said inclined walls when said outer cap is turned in the closure opening direction and the downward force is not being applied to the outer cap.  
     
     
         4 . The closure of  claim 1 , wherein said inner surface of said first top wall contains at least twelve lugs formed thereon and a number of recesses is at least twelve.  
     
     
         5 . The closure of  claim 1 , wherein said inner surface of said first top wall contains twenty-four lugs formed thereon and a number of recesses is twenty-four.  
     
     
         6 . The closure of  claim 1 , wherein said second top wall and said second cylindrical skirt have a substantially uniform thickness at locations of said recesses.  
     
     
         7 . The closure of  claim 1 , wherein said first top cap contains a beveled edge and an outer surface of said first cylindrical skirt includes a plurality of ridges formed thereon.  
     
     
         8 . A child resistant safety closure comprising: 
 an outer cap, comprising a first top wall and a first cylindrical skirt depending from said first top wall, a plurality of lugs are radially disposed and formed at an intersection of said first top wall and said first cylindrical skirt; and    an inner cap being rotatably received by the outer cap, said inner cap comprising a second top wall and a second cylindrical skirt depending from said second top wall, a plurality of recesses are formed on an outer surface of said second top wall,    wherein said recesses are configured such that said lugs are received by at least some of said recesses when said outer cap is turned in a closure application direction, said recesses are further configured such that said lugs are not received by said recesses when said outer cap is turned in a closure opening direction unless a downward force is simultaneously applied to said outer cap.    
     
     
         9 . The closure of  claim 8 , wherein said recesses comprise a vertical wall and said lugs act on said vertical walls when said outer cap is turned in a closure application direction.  
     
     
         10 . The closure of  claim 9 , wherein said recesses comprise an inclined wall and said lugs slide up said inclined walls when said outer cap is turned in the closure opening direction and the downward force is not being applied to the outer cap.  
     
     
         11 . The closure of  claim 8 , wherein said recesses comprise an inclined wall and said lugs slide up said inclined walls when the downward force is not being applied to the outer cap.  
     
     
         12 . The closure of  claim 8 , wherein said plurality of recesses are radially disposed and formed at an intersection of said second top wall and said second cylindrical skirt.  
     
     
         13 . The closure of  claim 12 , wherein said second top wall and said second cylindrical skirt have a substantially uniform thickness at locations of said recesses.  
     
     
         14 . The closure of  claim 1 , wherein said first top cap contains a beveled edge and an outer surface of said first cylindrical skirt includes a plurality of ridges formed thereon.  
     
     
         15 . A safety closure comprising: 
 an outer cap, comprising a first top wall and a first cylindrical skirt depending from said first top wall, a plurality of lugs are radially disposed and formed at an intersection of said first top wall and said first cylindrical skirt; and    an inner cap being rotatably received by the outer cap, said inner cap comprising a second top wall and a second cylindrical skirt depending from said second top wall, a plurality of recesses are radially disposed and formed at an intersection of said second top wall and said second cylindrical skirt, each of said recesses comprise a vertical wall and an inclined wall,    wherein said lugs act on said vertical walls when said outer cap is turned in a closure application direction and said lugs slide up said inclined walls when said outer cap is turned in a closure opening direction and a downward force is not being applied to the outer cap.    
     
     
         16 . The closure of  claim 15 , wherein said second top wall and said second cylindrical skirt have a substantially uniform thickness at locations of said recesses.  
     
     
         17 . The closure of  claim 15 , wherein a number of lugs is at least twelve and a number of recesses is at least twelve.  
     
     
         18 . The closure of  claim 15 , wherein a number of lugs is twenty-four and a number of recesses is twenty-four.  
     
     
         19 . The closure of  claim 15 , wherein a number of lugs is at least twelve and a number of recesses is twenty-four.  
     
     
         20 . The closure of  claim 15 , wherein an outer surface of said top wall comprises indicia for providing operating instructions to a user of said closure.