Child resistant container

Abstract

A child-resistant container configured to receive and store a plurality of items having a hollow receptacle provided with a neck, a cap releasably engaging the neck and a child-resistant lock assembly. The lock assembly includes one or more helical threads formed on the outer circumference the receptacle's neck or on the inner surface of the cap. One or more pins are formed on the inner surface of the cap or around the outer circumference of the neck of the receptacle. One or more resilient elements are formed on the cap or the receptacle's neck. The thread has two ends with a hook at a first end and a V-shaped region between the first end and a second end of the thread. The hook points toward a trough of the V-shaped region, the thread forming a channel of a width sufficient to accommodate sliding travel of the pin therein.

1 . A container comprising: 
 a hollow receptacle having a neck with an outer circumference;    a cap having an inner circumference; and    a pin formed on and radially extending inward from the inner circumference of the cap, or formed on and radially extending outward from the outer circumference of the neck of the receptacle;    a thread extending helically around the outer circumference of the neck of the receptacle if the pin is on the inner circumference of the cap, or extending helically around the inner circumference of the cap if the pin is on the outer circumference of the neck of the receptacle, the pin and thread formed and positioned to be capable of engaging one another so as to allow substantially rotational motion of the cap and the receptacle relative to one another, the thread having two ends with a hook at a first end and a V-shaped region between the first end and a second end of the thread, the hook pointing toward a trough of the V-shaped region, the thread forming a channel of a width sufficient to accommodate sliding travel of the pin therein, the hook extending toward the trough of the V-shaped region to form a channel there between of a sufficient width to permit sliding travel of the pin therein; and    a resilient element formed on the cap or the receptacle so as to axially bias the cap and the receptacle away from one another during displacement of the cap between the engaging and locking positions.    
   
   
       2 . The container of  claim 1 , comprising a plurality of interleaved substantially identical threads with a hook of one thread pointing toward a trough of a V-shaped region of another thread.  
   
   
       3 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the thread comprises: 
 at least one first thread having two ends with a hook at a first end and a V-shaped region between the first end and a second end of the first thread;    at least one second thread positioned along one side of each first thread at its first end to form a channel there between of a sufficient width to permit sliding travel of the pin therein, a portion of each second thread proximate the hook of each first thread having a flank formed therein to form a part of a trough such that the hook of the respective first thread points toward the trough of the respective second thread to form a channel there between of a sufficient width to permit sliding travel of the pin therein; and    at least one third thread positioned along a second side of the second end of each first thread to form a channel there between of a sufficient width to permit sliding travel of the pin therein, an end of each third thread proximate the trough of the V-shaped region of each first thread having a hook pointing toward the trough of the respective first thread to form a channel there between of a sufficient width to permit sliding travel of the pin therein.    
   
   
       4 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the pin is formed on and radially extends inward from the inner circumference of the cap, and the thread extends helically around the outer circumference of the neck of the receptacle.  
   
   
       5 . The container of  claim 2 , wherein the pin is formed on and radially extends inward from the inner circumference of the cap, and the thread extends helically around the outer circumference of the neck of the receptacle.  
   
   
       6 . The container of  claim 3 , wherein the pin is formed on and radially extends inward from the inner circumference of the cap, and the thread extends helically around the outer circumference of the neck of the receptacle.  
   
   
       7 . The container of  claim 3 , comprising a plurality of first, second and third threads.  
   
   
       8 . The container of  claim 6 , comprising a plurality of first, second and third threads.  
   
   
       9 . The container of  claim 4 , comprising a plurality of pins circumferentially spaced apart along the inner circumference of the cap.  
   
   
       10 . The container of  claim 6 , comprising a plurality of pins circumferentially spaced apart along the inner circumference of the cap.  
   
   
       11 . The container of  claim 8 , comprising a plurality of pins circumferentially spaced apart along the inner circumference of the cap.  
   
   
       12 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the thread has an end portion at each end of the thread separated by the V-shaped region, and wherein the two end portions are parallel to one another.  
   
   
       13 . The container of  claim 2 , wherein the thread has an end portion at each end of the thread separated by the V-shaped region, and wherein the two end portions are parallel to one another.  
   
   
       14 . The container of  claim 3 , wherein the first thread has an end portion at each end of the first thread separated by the V-shaped region, and wherein the two end portions are parallel to one another.  
   
   
       15 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the thread has an end portion at each end of the thread separated by the V-shaped region, and wherein the two end portions are not parallel to one another.  
   
   
       16 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the resilient element is formed on the cap.  
   
   
       17 . The container of  claim 11 , wherein the resilient element is formed on the cap.  
   
   
       18 . The container of  claim 1 , wherein the cap is formed as a single piece of material.  
   
   
       19 . The container of  claim 2 , wherein the cap is formed as a single piece of material.  
   
   
       20 . The container of  claim 3 , wherein the cap is formed as a single piece of material.  
   
   
       21 . The container of  claim 4 , wherein the cap is formed as a single piece of material.  
   
   
       22 . The container of  claim 8 , wherein the cap is formed as a single piece of material.  
   
   
       23 . The container of  claim 11 , wherein the cap is formed as a single piece of material.  
   
   
       24 . The container of  claim 16 , wherein the cap is formed as a single piece of material.  
   
   
       25 . The container of  claim 17 , wherein the cap is formed as a single piece of material.