Child Resistant Flip Top Cap with Adjustable Viewing Window

Abstract

A new design for a child resistant cap which features a flip open top which opens to reveal a viewing mechanism, which allows magnified viewing of the contents of a container upon which the cap is installed, is presented. The cap allows the content's of a container to be viewed without the necessity of removing the cap from the container. The cap of the present invention includes an outer cap and an inner cap. The outer cap includes a lens concentrically aligned with a viewing window in the inner cap. The outer cap is also equipped with a flip top lid which is operable to cover and uncover the lens and viewing window. The outer and inner caps are equipped with features that make the closure difficult for a child to open.

1 . A child resistant closure comprising:
 an outer cap having a top, a skirt depending downwardly therefrom, and a plurality of teeth, extending downwardly from the top;   an inner cap having a top and a skirt depending downwardly therefrom, the inner cap having a plurality of slots recessed into the top;   wherein the inner cap is removably attachable to a container;   wherein each tooth of the outer cap has a vertical closing face and an angled opening face;   wherein each slot of the inner cap has a vertical closing face and an angled opening face;   wherein, when rotated in a first direction, the vertical closing faces of the teeth of the outer cap engage the vertical closing faces of the slots of the inner cap and cause the inner cap to rotate with the outer cap in the first direction;   wherein, when rotated in a second direction, and upon the application of a predetermined downwardly directed force, the angled opening faces of the teeth of the outer cap engage the angled opening faces of the slots of the inner cap and cause the inner cap to rotate with the outer cap in the second direction;   wherein, when rotated in the second direction, and in the absence of a predetermined downwardly directed force, the angled opening faces of the teeth of the outer cap slide over the angled opening faces of the slots of the inner cap causing the inner cap to remain stationary while the outer cap rotates in the second direction;   wherein the inner cap includes a viewing window;   wherein the outer cap includes a magnifying lens concentric with the viewing window of the inner cap;   wherein the inner cap and the outer cap are configured such that the outer cap is axially adjustable with respect to the inner cap within a predetermined range; and   wherein the outer cap includes a removable cover that covers the magnifying lens.   
     
     
         2 . The child resistant closure of  claim 1 , wherein the removable cover of the outer cap is a flip top cover with a means for locking the cover to the outer cap. 
     
     
         3 . The child resistant closure of  claim 1 , wherein the magnifying lens of the outer cap is transparent or translucent. 
     
     
         4 . The child resistant closure of  claim 1 , wherein the window of the inner cap is transparent or translucent. 
     
     
         5 . The child resistant closure of  claim 1 , wherein the outer cap and inner cap are telescopically coupled. 
     
     
         6 . The child resistant closure of  claim 1 , wherein the skirt of the inner cap includes internal screw threads for engaging a container having external screw threads. 
     
     
         7 . The child resistant closure of  claim 1 , wherein the opening face of the teeth of the outer cap and the opening face of the slots of the inner cap are inclined at an angle within the range of 30 to 60 degrees from vertical. 
     
     
         8 . A child resistant closure comprising:
 an outer cap having a top, a skirt depending downwardly therefrom, and a plurality of teeth, extending downwardly from the top;   an inner cap having a top and a skirt depending downwardly therefrom, the inner cap having a plurality of slots recessed into the top;   wherein the inner cap is removably attachable to a container;   wherein each tooth of the outer cap has a vertical closing face and an angled opening face;   wherein each slot of the inner cap has a vertical closing face and an angled opening face;   wherein, when rotated in a first direction, the vertical closing faces of the teeth of the outer cap engage the vertical closing faces of the slots of the inner cap and cause the inner cap to rotate with the outer cap in the first direction;   wherein, when rotated in a second direction, and upon the application of a predetermined downwardly directed force, the angled opening faces of the teeth of the outer cap engage the angled opening faces of the slots of the inner cap and cause the inner cap to rotate with the outer cap in the second direction;   wherein, when rotated in the second direction, and in the absence of a predetermined downwardly directed force, the angled opening faces of the teeth of the outer cap slide over the angled opening faces of the slots of the inner cap causing the inner cap to remain stationary while the outer cap rotates in the second direction,   wherein the inner cap includes a circular opening;   wherein the outer cap includes a magnifying lens concentric with the circular opening of the inner cap; and   wherein the lens is axially adjustable with respect to the inner cap.   
     
     
         9 . The child resistant closure of  claim 8 , wherein the outer cap includes a magnifying lens concentrically aligned with a generally circular viewing window in the inner cap and wherein the inner and outer caps are configured such that the outer cap is telescopically adjustable with respect to the inner cap within a predetermined range. 
     
     
         10 . The child resistant closure of  claim 8 , wherein the inner cap includes a lens concentrically aligned with a generally circular opening in the outer cap. 
     
     
         11 . The child resistant closure of  claim 8 , wherein the inner cap includes a viewing window concentrically aligned with a generally circular opening in the outer cap. 
     
     
         12 . The child resistant closure of  claim 9 , wherein the viewing window is translucent. 
     
     
         13 . The child resistant closure of  claim 11 , wherein the viewing window is translucent. 
     
     
         14 . A child resistant closure comprising:
 an outer cap having a top, a skirt depending downwardly therefrom, and a plurality of asymmetric teeth, extending downwardly from the top;   an inner cap having a top and a skirt depending downwardly therefrom, the inner cap having a plurality of asymmetric slots recessed into the top;   wherein the inner cap is removably attachable to a container;   wherein, when rotated in a first direction, the teeth of the outer cap are configured to engage the slots of the inner cap and cause the inner cap to rotate with the outer cap in the first direction;   wherein, when rotated in a second direction, the teeth of the outer cap and slots of the inner cap are configured such that upon the application of a predetermined downwardly directed force, the teeth of the outer cap engage the slots of the inner cap and cause the inner cap to rotate with the outer cap in the second direction;   wherein, when rotated in the second direction, and in the absence of the predetermined downwardly directed force, the teeth of the outer cap are configured to slide over the slots of the inner cap causing the inner cap to remain stationary while the outer cap rotates in the second direction;   wherein the inner cap includes a viewing window;   wherein the outer cap includes a magnifying lens concentric with the viewing window of the inner cap; and   wherein the inner cap and the outer cap are configured such that the outer cap is telescopically adjustable with respect to the inner cap within a predetermined range.   
     
     
         15 . The child resistant closure of  claim 14 , wherein the upper cap includes a flip top cover with a means for locking the cover to the outer cap. 
     
     
         16 . The child resistant closure of  claim 14 , wherein the magnifying lens of the outer cap is transparent or translucent. 
     
     
         17 . The child resistant closure of  claim 14 , wherein the window of the inner cap is a transparent or translucent. 
     
     
         18 . The child resistant closure of  claim 14 , wherein the asymmetric teeth of the outer cap have vertical faces which engage vertical faces in the asymmetric slots of the inner cap when the outer cap is rotated in a first direction and wherein the asymmetric teeth of the outer cap have angled faces which engage angled faces in the asymmetric slots of the inner cap when the outer cap is rotated in a second direction. 
     
     
         19 . The child resistant closure of  claim 18 , wherein the angled faces of the asymmetric teeth of the outer cap and the angled faces of the asymmetric slots of the inner cap are inclined at an angle within the range of 30 to 60 degrees from vertical. 
     
     
         20 . The child resistant closure of  claim 14 , wherein the skirt of the inner cap includes internal screw threads for engaging a container having external screw threads.