Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
W092/00889 2 ~ 8 7 2 6 2 PCT/US91~04933
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8EALED 8NAP TOP CAP
Field of the Invention
The invention relates to bottles, particularly
laboratory sample bottles and dispensers for
pharmaceuticals and medicinal agents. Typically, this
type of dispenser requires a securely sealed cap which is
presently accomplished with a standard snap cap and
corresponding bottle neck finish. In the present
invention, a variety of safe-guard caps may be used with
one bottle.
Background
Many conventional containers have a standard
snap cap and neck finish; most aspirin bottles utilize
this type of container. In this basic snap cap design,
the extended skirt of the cap secures under a protrusion
; on the neck of the vial such that there is one point of
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contact between the skirt and vial upon sealing the
container. The protrusion on the neck of conventional
vials is of increased mass, therefore dimensional
tolerance is not closely controlled during the molding
process. Furthermore, the basic snap cap design does not
allow for self-aligning or secure retention of the cap
and the vial. Also, the conventional design of the snap
cap does not provide for ease of assembling the cap and
the vial.
Another common closure for bottles of this type
is a crimp cap, which is securely retained on the neck
finish by the crimping of a metallic (usually aluminum)
skirt under a lip on the neck of the bottle.
Conventional containers allow only one type of
cap per container, requiring suppliers to maintain large
inventories of several types of caps and several types of
corresponding containers. These containers also are not
conducive to simple industrial automation, as the only
convenient means of handling the containers is with
complicated and expensive equipment.
~rief Description of the Invention
In the present invention, there is provided a
container and cap combination. Circumferentially
displaced points of contact between the cap and the
container at axially displaced lines provide self-
alignment and secure retention of the cap and thecontainer. The neck of the container includes a top
flange and a lower flange with a snap groove between
them. $he resilient cap includes a top member and
locking ribs which fit into the groove. The inner
-~092/00~9 2 ~ 8 7 2 6 2 PCT/US91/04933
diameter of the cap and the container flanges on both
axially displaced sides of said groove and locking ribs
are of sufficiently small tolerance, as are said groove
and rib inner diameters (preferably plus or minus 5
thousandths of an inch) to provide multiple axially
displaced alignment means.
~rief Descript~on of the ~igures
Figure 1 illustrates a container and cap
combination in accordance with the claimed invention;
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Figure 2 is an expanded, cross-sectional view
of the upper part of the cap-container combination shown
in Figure 1, taken along plane 2-2;
Figure 3 is similar to Figure 2 with the
components dissembled; and
Figure 4 is a top view of the inside o~ the cap
of the combination shown in Figure 1, taken along plane
4-4 of Figure 3.
Detailed Description of the Invention
As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the present
invention includes a container and cap combination 20,
comprising container 10 and resilient cap 1 having an
axis, a. Three lines of contact 14, 16 and 18 exist
between cap 1 and container 10 which provide self-
aligning and secure retention of cap 1 and container 10.
Container 10 may be plastic or glass. Cap 1 is a
resilient plastic.
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Now referring to details of this cap-container
combination as better seen in Figs. 2-4, cap 1 includes
top member 9 with a center opening ~. Cap 1 has the
capacity to retain within itself liner 2 which may be
composed of silicone rubber, butyl rubber, natural rubber
or the like. Thus, liner 2 is resilient and underlies
top member 9.
- Cap skirt 5, the internal diameter of which
corresponds to or is only slightly greater than the outer
; diameter of the neck of container 10, extends vertically
downward from cap top g to cap lower flange 6 and
facilitates alignment of cap 1 and container lo, as they
are assembled. Four locking ribs 3 are located at
; 15 circumferentially spaced locations around the inside of
skirt 5 along contact line 16. Locking ribs 3 are placed
at an axially intermediate height inside skirt 5 to
provide, in combination with contact lines 1~ and 18,
alignment between cap 1 and container 10. The angular
shape of locking ribs 3 also allows for tolerance
variation of liner 2, + 0.010 of an inch, thus
accommodating thick and thin liners. Locking ribs 3, as
shown in Fig. 4, retain liner 2 and provide the pull down
. and lock mechanism which seals container 10.
- 25
Circular ridge 26 extends from the underside of
top member 9 of cap 1 and aligns with the neck of
container 10. Circular ridge 26 applies a slight
pressure to liner 2 urging liner 2 outward, thus more
securely sealing container 10.
To facilitate alignment, as well as retention
of cap 1 on container 10, the neck finish of container
10, includes upper flange 11 and lower flange 12, between
~092/00889 2 ~ 8 7 2 6 2 PCT/US91/04933
which is disposed snap groove 13. When cap 1 is mounted
on container 10 and force is applied to top member 9,
locking ribs 3 expand past upper flange 11 and engage
snap groove 13. Thus, snap groove 13 provides the pull
down and lock mechanism in conjunction with locking ribs
3 which seals container 10. Ridge 26 also acts as a
fulcrum, when ribs 3 are locked on snap groove 13 between
upper flange and lower flange, 11 and 12, pulling
downwardly on cap skirt 5.
There are three lines of contact 14, 16 and 18
between skirt 5 of cap 1 and the neck finish of container
lo. Locking ribs 3 engage snap groove 13 thus defining
line of contact 16, and the enlarged inner diameter of
skirt 5 above and below ribs 3 contacts flanges 11 and
12, thus defining lines of contact 14 and 18. The three
lines of contact self-align and securely retain cap 1 and
container 10.
Also, the snap groove 13 between flanges 11 and
12 causes the neck finish of container 10 to be of
reduced mass as compared to conventional neck finishes
for receiving a self gripping cap. This facilitates
tighter dimensional tolerance in the molding of the neck
finish (yet permits mating with the self-aligning cap of
the present invention and permits better gripping as
well) because thermal expansion and contraction is
controlled in the molding of the glass or plastic
article. Therefore, closer dimensional tolerance is
permitted as compared to conventional containers.
More importantly, the multiple axially
displaced alignment features of the mating cap and neck
finish of the present invention provide a self alignment,
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which in turn results in better, i.e. more secure, cap
retention, as well as more secure seating and sealing of
liner 2 between the mating opposing surfaces of cap 1 and
the top of the neck finish of container 10. ~o best
- 5 accomplish this, the dimensional tolerances of the
opposing surfaces of the inner diameters of skirt s and
the outer diameters of the container neck flanges 11, 12
and groove 13 are all tightly controlled, preferably to
plus or minus 5 - 10 thousandths of an inch, most
preferably 3 - 7 thousandths of an inch.
--- A crimp seal, not shown, composed of aluminum
for example, may also be used to seal container 10 by
securing the lower end of skirt 5, under lower flange 12
of container lo. Thus, the container of the claimed
invention allows the user a choice of capping, cap 1 or a
crimp seal, thus minimizing the container inventory
required.
Preferably also, maximum vertical clearance
between lower flange 6 of cap 1 and shoulder 8 of
container lO is provided most preferably at least 1/8 -
3/16 of an inch, to allow a point of contact 19, as seen
; in Fig. 2, for positioning container lo, either manually
or by automated equipment, such as robotically.
~- While this invention has been disclosed with
reference to specific embodiments, it is apparent that
other embodiments and equivalent variations of this
invention may be devised by those skilled in the art
without departing from the true spirit and scope of this
invention. The appended claims are intended to be
construed to include all such embodiments and equivalent
variations.
