Safety-cap bottle assembly

Abstract

A safety-cap container with a cap assembly that couples with a finish to close the opening into the interior space. The cap assembly includes an outer cap with an outer wall. A spring member extends from an inner face of the upper wall. An inner cap nests within the outer cap. The inner cap includes an outer cylindrical wall with an inner thread configured to engage with the thread of the finish. The inner cap is rotatable with respect to the outer cap and the spring member engages with an upper face of the transverse wall of the inner cap to bias the transverse wall of the inner cap away from the upper wall of the outer cap.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A safety-cap bottle comprising:
 a container, including:
 a body enclosing a interior space, the body including a first end, a second end, and a sidewall, the sidewall extending between the first end and the second end; 
 a finish having an opening into the interior space, the finish including an upper wall, an upper rim defining the opening, and a thread, the thread extending at least partially around a circumference of the upper wall; and 
   a cap assembly coupled with the finish to close the opening into the interior space, the cap assembly including:
 an outer cap including an outer wall, a first end of the outer wall enclosed by an upper wall, a spring member extending from an inner face of the upper wall; 
 an inner cap nested within the outer cap, the inner cap including an outer cylindrical wall with an inner thread configured to engage with the thread of the finish, a first end of the outer cylindrical wall enclosed by a transverse wall; 
 a seal, the seal positioned within the inner cap between the transverse wall and the upper rim of the finish; and 
 an upward projection on the first end of the inner cap and a downward projection on the first end of the outer cap; 
   wherein the inner cap is rotatable with respect to the outer cap and the spring member engages with an upper face of the transverse wall to bias the transverse wall of the inner cap away from the upper wall of the outer cap;   wherein the spring member comprises a proximal end attached with the inner face of the upper wall and a distal end extending away from the proximal end in a first circumferential direction;   wherein the spring member is curved from the proximal end towards the distal end;   wherein the transverse wall includes a ramp, the ramp including a slope and an end face, the slope raised above the upper face of the transverse wall and extending away from the end face in the first circumferential direction;   wherein the ramp is aligned with the distal end of the spring member such that rotation of the outer cap relative to the inner cap in the first circumferential direction engages the distal end of the spring member with the end face of the ramp and rotation of the outer cap relative to the inner cap in a second circumferential direction, opposite the first circumferential direction, passes the distal end of the spring member over the slope of the ramp;   wherein rotation of the cap assembly in the first direction tightens engagement of the thread with the inner thread and rotation of the cap assembly in the second direction loosens engagement of the thread with the inner thread;   wherein the inner cap is movable within the outer cap along a longitudinal axis relative to the outer cap;   wherein the outer wall of the outer cap includes an inner circumferential protrusion and the outer cylindrical wall of the inner cap includes an outer circumferential protrusion and the inner circumferential protrusion contacts the outer circumferential protrusion to maintain the inner cap nested within the outer cap;   wherein the upward projection engages with the downward projection to transfer a rotational force from the outer cap to the inner cap when an axial force on the outer cap overcomes a biasing force between the spring member and the inner cap;   wherein the upward projection of the inner cap includes a ramped surface.   
     
     
         2 . A safety-cap bottle comprising:
 a container, including:
 a body enclosing a interior space, the body including a first end, a second end, and a sidewall, the sidewall extending between the first end and the second end; 
 a finish having an opening into the interior space, the finish including an upper wall, an upper rim defining the opening, and a thread, the thread extending at least partially around a circumference of the upper wall; and 
   a cap assembly coupled with the finish to close the opening into the interior space, the cap assembly including:
 an outer cap including an outer wall, a first end of the outer wall enclosed by an upper wall, a spring member extending from an inner face of the upper wall; and 
 an inner cap nested within the outer cap, the inner cap including an outer cylindrical wall with an inner thread configured to engage with the thread of the finish, a first end of the outer cylindrical wall enclosed by a transverse wall; 
   wherein the inner cap is rotatable with respect to the outer cap and the spring member engages with an upper face of the transverse wall to bias the transverse wall of the inner cap away from the upper wall of the outer cap.   
     
     
         3 . The bottle of  claim 2 , wherein the spring member comprises a proximal end attached with the inner face of the upper wall and a distal end extending away from the proximal end in a first circumferential direction. 
     
     
         4 . The bottle of  claim 3 , wherein the spring member is curved from the proximal end towards the distal end. 
     
     
         5 . The bottle of  claim 3 , wherein the transverse wall includes a ramp, the ramp including a slope and an end face, the slope raised above the upper face of the transverse wall and extending away from the end face in the first circumferential direction. 
     
     
         6 . The bottle of  claim 5 , wherein the ramp is aligned with the distal end of the spring member such that rotation of the outer cap relative to the inner cap in the first circumferential direction engages the distal end of the spring member with the end face of the ramp and rotation of the outer cap relative to the inner cap in a second circumferential direction, opposite the first circumferential direction, passes the distal end of the spring member over the slope of the ramp. 
     
     
         7 . The bottle of  claim 6 , wherein rotation of the cap assembly in the first direction tightens engagement of the thread with the inner thread and rotation of the cap assembly in the second direction loosens engagement of the thread with the inner thread. 
     
     
         8 . The bottle of  claim 2 , wherein the inner cap is movable within the outer cap along a longitudinal axis relative to the outer cap. 
     
     
         9 . The bottle of  claim 8 , wherein the outer wall of the outer cap includes an inner circumferential protrusion and the outer cylindrical wall of the inner cap includes an outer circumferential protrusion and the inner circumferential protrusion contacts the outer circumferential protrusion to maintain the inner cap nested within the outer cap. 
     
     
         10 . The bottle of  claim 2 , wherein the cap assembly further comprises a seal, the seal positioned within the inner cap between the transverse wall and the upper rim of the finish. 
     
     
         11 . The bottle of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 an upward projection on the first end of the inner cap and a downward projection on the first end of the outer cap;   wherein the upward projection engages with the downward projection to transfer a rotational force from the outer cap to the inner cap when an axial force on the outer cap overcomes a biasing force between the spring member and the inner cap.   
     
     
         12 . The bottle of  claim 11 , wherein the upward projection of the inner cap includes a ramped surface. 
     
     
         13 . The bottle of  claim 2 , wherein the transverse wall includes one or more raised concentric rings.