Claims
- 1. Tamper-proof selectively openable closure means, comprising a body including a neck with a circular axial-end opening having a conically tapered counterbore at the outward-end thereof, and a cap for selectively opening and closing said opening, said cap and the exterior of said neck having coacting telescoping parts for removably securing the same, and said coacting telescoping parts including axially extending means having circumferentially continuous resiliently loaded sealing contact with said opening when said cap is in secured position; said cap being of singlepiece integral molded plastic construction, comprising an outer relatively thick generally cylindrical annular portion having the means for removable securing to the exterior of said neck, a closure wall integrally and continuously and axially resiliently yieldably closing one axial end of said generally cylindrical portion, and a downwardly extending inner cylindrical sleeve projection radially spaced from said outer portion and connected to said outer portion via an integral and relatively thin annular portion of said closure wall, thereby establishing an axially yieldable connection of said sleeve projection and of said outer portion, said sleeve projection having a circumferentially continuous outwardly exposed edge short of the lower end of said sleeve projection and of substantially the maximum diameter of the taper of said counterbore, the lower end of said sleeve projection being characterized by an inwardly tapered relief below said edge, said edge interfering with said tapered counterbore in the course of establishing a secured cap and neck engagement, and the taper of said counterbore being of such axial extent that contact of said edge therewith is the only closure and sealing contact and is maintained throughout the range of relative axial displacement involved in establishing the disengaging a secured cap and neck engagement, whereby the essentially line-contact nature of edge-to-taper engagement assures against the cap ever "plugging" the neck opening, and whereby compliant axial deflection of said annular portion may provide a substantial axial preload upon said sealing contact.
- 2. Closure means according to claim 1, in which the axially yieldable annular portion of said closure wall is relatively thin and frusto-conical, and integrally connects said outer generally cylindrical portion to said inner cylindrical projection, said frusto-conical wall portion being concave on the outwardly exposed side of said cap.
- 3. Closure means according to claim 2, in which the flare angle of said frusto-conical portion is in the order of 10.degree. to 20.degree. from a radial plane through the axis of said cap.
- 4. Closure means according to claim 3, in which said flare angle is substantially 15.degree..
- 5. Closure means according to claim 1, in which the taper of said counterbore is in the order of 10.degree. with respect to the axis of said cap.
- 6. Closure means according to claim 1, in which the downwardly projecting end of the outer surface of said inner cylindrical projection is a frusto-conical chamfer which extends axially for an end portion only of said inner projection, the taper angle of said chamfer with respect to the cap axis being greater than the corresponding taper angle of said counterbore, the intersection of said chamfer with the remaining outer surface of said projection defining said circumferentially continuous outwardly exposed edge.
- 7. Closure means according to claim 6, in which the taper angle of said counterbore is in the order of one half the taper angle of said chamfer.
- 8. Closure means according to claim 6, in which the taper angle of said counterbore is in the order of 10.degree. and the taper angle of said chamfer is in the order of 20.degree..
- 9. Closure means according to claim 6, in which the cylindrical and chamfered parts of the outer surface of said inner projection are axially substantially coextensive.
- 10. Closure means according to claim 1, in which the axial extent of said tapered counterbore exceeds the axial distance from said edge to said closure wall, whereby neck contact with said closure wall will positively assure against said projection ever riding off the inner end of said counterbore to plug the neck opening.
- 11. Closure means according to claim 1, in which said neck and cap have bayonet-lock formations at the region of their telescoping overlap, whereby first axial and then radial manipulation are required to secure the cap to the neck, the axial displacement of said projection edge with respect to said tapered counterbore being such that in a sequence of actions to close the neck opening, edge-interference with the tapered counterbore occurs at a location sufficiently axially offset from the bayonet-lock position that said axially yieldable closure-wall position is held axially displaced when the closure is secured, thus establishing a resilient pre-load of a sealed edge-to-taper closure.
- 12. Closure means according to claim 11, in which the part of said closure wall which connects the inner projection with the outer cylindrical portion is frusto-conical and is concave on its outer exposed surface, whereby the axial deflection thereof to establish closure is in the direction of flattening said frusto-conical portion, so that accompanying radial compression of said part enhances axial compliance in the course of such flattening.
- 13. Closure means according to claim 12, in which the remaining part of said closure wall is a substantially flat radial section integrally connected to the radially inner limit of said frusto-conical portion at substantially the radius of integral connection of said projection thereto, whereby said flat radial section provides relatively stiff resistance to radial compression and therefore enhances the stiffness of axially compliant reaction upon closure operation.
- 14. Closure means according to claim 13, in which said bayonet-locking formations include an axial notch at an angular location following an angular region of axial-rise cam action, the axial depth of said notch being effectively less than the effective axial rise of said cam action, said edge-interference occurring substantially at the region of initial cam action, whereby after notch engagement said cap is retained on said neck with radial and axial loading of a sealed closure.
- 15. Closure means according to claim 6, in which the thickness of said projection is substantially uniform for both the cylindrical and chamfered portions thereof.
- 16. Closure means according to claim 6, in which the diameter of said edge exceeds the maximum diameter of the counterbore, to the extent of 2 to 7 percent of said maximum diameter.
- 17. Closure means according to claim 1, in which said neck includes a circumferentially continuous radially outward flange of at least substantially the maximum radius of said cap, the axial placement of said securing and sealing parts relative to the axial offset of said flange from the open end of said neck being such as to establish flange-cap interference while the open end of said neck is in axial clearance with the adjacent part of said cap.
- 18. A closure cap of single-piece molded plastic construction, comprising a relatively thick outer generally cylindrical annular portion having locking-lug means in the bore thereof for removably securing the cap to cooperating lug formations on a bottle neck, a closure wall integrally and continuously and axially resiliently yieldably closing one axial end of said generally cylindrical portion, and a downwardly extending inner cylindrical sleeve projection integral with an axially yieldable portion of said closure wall and having a circumferentially continuous outwardly exposed circular sealing edge at a location axially intermediate the ends of said cylindrical projection, said projection axially beyond said sealing edge being downwardly open and characterized by an inwardly converging taper and being radially inwardly deformable at least at the region of said sealing edge, and said projection being connected to said outer portion via an integral and relatively thin annular portion of said closure wall, thereby establishing an axially yieldable connection of said sleeve projection and of said outer portion, whereby compliant axial deflection of said annular portion may provide a substantial axial preload upon a sealing contact of said sealing edge with a suitable container neck to which said cap may be assembled.
- 19. A closure cap according to claim 18, in which the thickness of said projection is substantially uniform for both the cylindrical and inwardly tapered portions thereof.
- 20. A closure cap according to claim 18, in which the thickness of said projection at the axial region of said edge is relatively thin, the inner-wall surface of said inwardly tapered portion being inwardly tapered and smoothly faired into the inner wall at said region.
- 21. Closure means according to claim 1, in which the thickness of said sleeve projection at the axial region of said edge is relatively thin, the inner-wall surface at said inwardly tapered end being inwardly tapered and smoothly faired into the inner wall at said region.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Ser. No. 126,442, filed Mar. 22, 1971, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (4)
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
126442 |
Mar 1971 |
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