초록 ▼

A sealing cap and container combination primarily intended for use in medical applications. The sealing cap of the preferred embodiment includes a central dome-shaped portion, annular portion, and sealing portion. In use, these portions are initially received in the mouth of the container and assume

A sealing cap and container combination primarily intended for use in medical applications. The sealing cap of the preferred embodiment includes a central dome-shaped portion, annular portion, and sealing portion. In use, these portions are initially received in the mouth of the container and assume an initial concave shape with the sealing portion of the cap abutting and sealing against the inner surface of the container mouth. Thereafter, as the pressure within the container increases, the concave dome first moves toward a flattened shape and then inverts to a convex shape. As the pressure further increases, the annular portion of the cap then moves to a flattened position substantially perpendicular to the axis of the cap. During all this controlled movement, the sealing force of the cap progressively increases from an initial force to a maximum sealing force. An audible signal arrangement is also included in the design to clearly signal the user when the cap is sufficiently tightened on the container to effect an initial seal.

대표청구항 ▼

An invertible, pressure-responsive sealing cap and container combination including: a container with an open mouth having an inner sealing surface extending substantially about and along an axis and an invertible, pressure-responsive sealing cap having a central portion invertible from an initial co

An invertible, pressure-responsive sealing cap and container combination including: a container with an open mouth having an inner sealing surface extending substantially about and along an axis and an invertible, pressure-responsive sealing cap having a central portion invertible from an initial concave dome shape to a convex dome shade and extending outwardly from and about an axis, an annular portion extending outwardly of and about said initially concave, dome-shaped portion, and a sealing portion extending from said annular portion substantially about and along the axis of said cap, said initially concave, dome-shaped portion and said annular portion being joined at an angle to each other at a first flexure area and said annular portion and said sealing portion being joined at an angle to each other at a second flexure area, said initially concave, dome-shaped portion, annular portion, and sealing portion together assuming an overall concave shape and being receivable in the mouth of said container with at least a part of said sealing portion abutting and initially sealing against the sealing surface of the container mouth substantially about the axis of said container and with said annular portion and said initially concave, dome-shaped portion spaced from the sealing surface of said container mouth, said cap being responsive to pressure build up inside the container relative to pressure outside the container and including means for progressively pressing said part of the sealing portion of said cap tighter against the sealing surface of said container mouth as the pressure inside the container increases relative to the pressure outside the container, said means for progressively pressing said part of said sealing portion tighter against said sealing surface including said initially concave, dome-shaped portion and said annular portion and further including means for controlling the relative movement of said initially concave, dome-shaped portion and said annular portion as said pressure increases inside said container to first allow said initially concave, dome-shaped portion to move substantially about said first flexure area away from said initially concave, dome shape to a substantially flattened shape substantially perpendicular to the axis of said cap and then invert to a convex dome shape while maintaining said annular portion substantially stationary relative to said sealing portion and to the sealing surface of said container mouth, said movement controlling means thereafter allowing said annular portion to move substantially about said second flexure area to a position substantially perpendicular to the axis of said cap. An audible signal arrangement primarily intended for use with two threaded members to signal a user when a predetermined level of engagement has been achieved between the two members, said audible signal arrangement including: first and second members, each member having a threaded portion with said threaded portions engaging and mating with each other and being rotatable relative to each other to move said members relative to each other along an axis, said members respectively having surfaces spaced a first distance from each other when said threaded portions are engaged, said first member having a resilient, flexible reed extending from the surface of said first member in a relaxed state for a distance greater than said first distance wherein said reed extends toward and engages the surface of said second member and is flexed away from said relaxed state when said threaded portions are engaged, and said second member having a relatively rigid protuberance extending from the surface of said second member toward the surface of said first member when said threaded portions are engaged wherein said resilient, flexible reed contacts and rides onto the rigid protuberance as the two members are rotated toward the level of predetermined engagement and thereafter passes over said rigid protuberance and resiliently recoils to strike the surface of said second member as the two members are further rotated to said level of predetermined engagement.