Audible closing feature for a threaded container and lid

Abstract

An audible closing feature for threaded containers with a threaded lid, the container and lid including a lug and notch arrangement that provides an audible indication that the lid is sufficiently closing the container as well as providing for minimal resistance when removing the lid from the container. The audible closing feature further reduces or eliminates backoff between the lid and container during transport and/or storage. The lid and container contain at least one of either the lugs and notches, such that a lug is received by a notch to provide the audible indication that the lid is sufficiently closing the container.

1 . A container with an audible closing feature, the container comprising:
 a body with a neck surrounding an opening;   external threading on the neck having at least one notch;   a lid having a top wall and a depending skirt therefrom; and   internal threading on the skirt for engagement with the external threading on the neck, at least one radially inward extending lug on the skirt and positioned between the internal threading and the top wall for insertion into the notches on the external threading with an audible indication.   
     
     
         2 . The container according to  claim 1 , wherein the external threading on the neck has at least three notches generally equidistantly spaced and at least three radially inward extending lugs generally equidistantly spaced. 
     
     
         3 . The container according to  claim 2 , wherein the external threading having at least three discontinuous external threads along an exterior surface of the neck, the external threading angled such that an uppermost end of a first external thread overlaps a lowermost end of a second external thread and the uppermost end of the first external thread contains the notch, and the internal threading having at least three discontinuous internal threads along an interior surface of the skirt, the internal threading angled such that an uppermost end of a first internal thread overlaps a lowermost end of a second internal thread and each of the lugs positioned between the uppermost end of the adjacent internal threading and an interior surface of the top wall, along the interior surface of the skirt. 
     
     
         4 . The container according to  claim 3 , wherein the at least three notches are positioned adjacent an end point of the at least three discontinuous external threads such that each of the discontinuous external threads comprises a long segment and a short segment separated by the notch. 
     
     
         5 . The container according to  claim 4 , wherein the at least three lugs are positioned adjacent an end point of the at least three discontinuous internal threads. 
     
     
         6 . The container according to  claim 5 , wherein the number of notches is different than the number of lugs. 
     
     
         7 . The container according to  claim 5 , wherein the number of notches and the number of lugs is four. 
     
     
         8 . The container according to  claim 6 , wherein the lug engages with the discontinuous external thread to uniformly deform at least one of the neck of the container and the skirt of the lid until the lug is aligned with the notch in the neck. 
     
     
         9 . The container according to  claim 8 , wherein the lug engages with a ramp portion of the discontinuous external thread, the ramp portion positioned on the short segment of the discontinuous external thread. 
     
     
         10 . The container according to  claim 9 , wherein the audible indication is created when the lug snaps into place within the notch, indicating that the lid is sufficiently rotated to a closed position. 
     
     
         11 . The container according to  claim 10 , wherein the lug has a circumferential length larger than the circumferential length of the notch. 
     
     
         12 . The container according to  claim 10 , wherein the engagement of the lug with the threads of the container prevents back-off between the lid and the container during transporting and movement of the container. 
     
     
         13 . The container according to  claim 10 , wherein each of the lugs has a leading edge and a trailing edge, the leading edge is the first edge of the lug to contact the notch and is curved. 
     
     
         14 . The container according to  claim 10 , wherein each of the lugs has a leading edge and a trailing edge, the leading edge is the first edge of the lug to contact the notch and is linear. 
     
     
         15 . The container according to  claim 1 , wherein the external threading having four discontinuous external threads along an exterior surface of the neck and each having a notch, the internal threading having four discontinuous internal threads along an interior surface of the skirt, and four lugs positioned between the uppermost end of the internal threading and an interior surface of the top wall, along the interior surface of the skirt. 
     
     
         16 . The container according to  claim 15 , wherein the lug has a circumferential length larger than the circumferential length of the notch. 
     
     
         17 . The container according to  claim 15 , wherein the audible indication is created when the lug snaps into place within the notch, indicating that the lid is sufficiently rotated into a closed position. 
     
     
         18 . A method of providing an audible indication of the position of a lid on a container comprising:
 providing at least three lugs generally equidistantly spaced between internal threading and a top wall of a lid;   providing at least three notches generally equidistantly spaced on external threading of a neck on a container body;   deforming at least one of the neck of the container and the skirt of the lid by engaging the lugs with the external threading; and   returning at least one of the neck of the container and the skirt of the lid to an undeformed state by aligning the lug with the notch in the external threading.   
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 18 , wherein the external threading has at least three discontinuous external threads along an exterior surface of the neck, the external threading angled such that an uppermost end of a first external thread overlaps a lowermost end of a second external thread and the uppermost end of the first external thread contains the notch, and the internal threading has at least three discontinuous internal threads along an interior surface of the skirt, the internal threading angled such that an uppermost end of a first internal thread overlaps a lowermost end of a second internal thread and each of the lugs positioned between the uppermost end of the adjacent internal threading and an interior surface of the top wall, along the interior surface of the skirt. 
     
     
         20 . A container with an audible closing feature, the container comprising:
 a lid having a top wall and a depending skirt therefrom;   internal threading on the skirt having at least one notch;   a body with a neck surrounding an opening;   external threading on the neck for engagement with the internal threading on the skirt, at least one radially outward extending lug on the neck positioned between the external threading and the opening for insertion into the at least one notch on the internal threading with an audible indication.