Two-Part Mountable Child-Resistant Vial

Abstract

A two-part vial assembly includes a one-piece container and a one-piece cap assembly that allows the container to be filled prior to attachment of the cap, thereby preventing the cap from obstructing the filling operation. The cap assembly comprises a mounting portion that is permanently attachable to the container, and a cap integrally formed with the mounting portion. The cap is pivotably mounted to the mounting portion for selectively closing the container in a sealed and lockable manner when the cap assembly is mounted on the container.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A child-resistant vial comprising:
 a one-piece container having a top peripheral edge and a first cooperating part; and   a one-piece cap assembly including
 i) a second cooperating part engageable with the first cooperating part for fixedly mounting the cap assembly to the container at the top peripheral edge thereof, 
 ii) a first latching part, and 
 iii) a cap, that is pivotably mounted to the second cooperating part, for selectively closing the container when the second cooperating part is fixedly mounted to the container; the cap including a second latching part for cooperating with the first latching part to lock the cap onto the container when the cap closes the container; 
   wherein the cap being unlockable from the container by simultaneously moving the cap away from the container and moving the first and second latching parts relatively to one another.   
     
     
         2 . The child-resistant vial as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the second cooperating part includes an annular element. 
     
     
         3 . The child-resistant vial as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the first cooperating part is a rim; the second cooperating part includes at least one tooth extending from the annular element; the at least one tooth being so positioned on the annular element as to be forced under the rim when the cap assembly is mounted to the one-piece container. 
     
     
         4 . The child-resistant vial as recited in  claim 3 , wherein the at least one tooth includes a bottom edge and a beveled hook portion at the bottom edge. 
     
     
         5 . The child-resistant vial as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the first latching part is mounted to the annular element. 
     
     
         6 . The child-resistant vial as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the annular element includes a first outer skirt and the cap includes a second outer skirt to cover the first outer skirt at least partially when the cap is moved to close the vial. 
     
     
         7 . The child-resistant vial as recited in  claim 6 , wherein one of the first and second latching parts is a tab that is part of one of the first and second outer skirts respectively, and the other one of the first and second latching parts is a cut in another one of the first and second outer skirts respectively. 
     
     
         8 . The child-resistant vial as recited in  claim 6 , wherein the first latching part is a tab that is part of the first outer skirt, and the second latching part is a cut in the second outer skirt. 
     
     
         9 . The child-resistant vial as recited in  claim 8 , wherein the tab extends from the annular element via a breakable bridge;
 whereby, the tab is removable to convert the vial from a child-resistant vial to a non-child-resistant vial.   
     
     
         10 . The child-resistant vial as recited in  claim 9 , wherein the annular element includes safety-related indication behind the tab. 
     
     
         11 . The child-resistant vial as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the cap is in the form of a disk-shaped body that includes inner and outer concentric skirts extending on one side of the disk-shaped body so as to receive the annular element therebetween when the cap closes the container. 
     
     
         12 . The child-resistant vial as recited in  claim 11 , further comprising a seal ring so positioned between the inner and outer concentric skirts as to contact the annular element when the cap closes the container. 
     
     
         13 . The child-resistant vial as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the cap is pivotably mounted to the second cooperating part via a hinge. 
     
     
         14 . The child-resistant vial as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the second cooperating part is configured to be mounted onto the one-piece container in a snap-fit manner. 
     
     
         15 . The child-resistant vial as recited in  claim 1 , wherein both the one-piece container and one-piece cap assembly are molded from a polymeric material. 
     
     
         16 . The child-resistant vial as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the first cooperating part is a rim at the top peripheral edge. 
     
     
         17 . A one-piece cap assembly for a child-resistant vial comprising:
 an annular cooperating part that is permanently attachable to a top peripheral edge of a container for fixedly mounting the cap assembly to the container;   a first latching part, and   a cap, that is pivotably mounted to the second cooperating part, for selectively closing the container when the second cooperating part is fixedly mounted to the container; the cap including a second latching part for cooperating with the first latching part to lock the cap onto the container when the cap closes the container; the first and second latching parts being further configured so that the cap being unlockable from the container by simultaneously moving the cap away from the container and moving the first and second latching parts relatively to one another.   
     
     
         18 . The one-piece cap assembly as recited in  claim 17 , wherein the annular cooperating part includes at least one tooth configured to be moved under a rim of the container when the annular cooperating part is mounted to the container. 
     
     
         19 . The one-piece cap assembly as recited in  claim 18 , wherein the at least one tooth includes a plurality of teeth spaced-apart along the annular cooperating part. 
     
     
         20 . The one-piece cap assembly as recited in  claim 17 , wherein the cap is pivotably mounted to the second cooperating part via a flexible hinge. 
     
     
         21 . A vial comprising:
 a one-piece container having a top peripheral edge and a rim at the top peripheral edge; and   a one-piece cap assembly including:   (i) an annular cooperating part configured to engage the rim and permanently mount the cap assembly to the container at the top peripheral edge;   (ii) a first latching part disposed on the annular cooperating part; and   (iii) a cap pivotably mounted to the annular cooperating part, the cap including a second latching part configured to cooperate with the first latching part to lock the cap onto the container when the cap is in a closed position.   
     
     
         22 . A two-part vial assembly comprising a one-piece container; and a one-piece cap assembly including i) a mounting portion that is permanently attachable to the container, and ii) a cap pivotably mounted to the mounting portion for selectively closing the container in a sealed and lockable manner when the cap assembly is mounted to the container.