초록 ▼

Caps, containers embodying such caps, and methods of enhancing cap safety. Air flow passages through the cap enable one, who accidentally swallowed the cap, to breathe/pass air through the cap. Some air passages extend top to bottom. Openings in the outer side wall, and an air flow path across the c

Caps, containers embodying such caps, and methods of enhancing cap safety. Air flow passages through the cap enable one, who accidentally swallowed the cap, to breathe/pass air through the cap. Some air passages extend top to bottom. Openings in the outer side wall, and an air flow path across the cap, allow air to enter the cap on a first side, flow transversely through the cap, and exit an opposing side. The top-to-bottom air flow passages, and the air flow path across the cap, including the openings in the outer wall of the cap, collectively support air flow through the cap, thus through the person's airway, if/when the cap becomes accidentally lodged in a person's airway. The openings can be used to engage and extract an accidentally swallowed cap. Elements of an optional tamper evident ring remain attached to the cap after the cap is removed from the container.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A cap adapted to be mounted to a receptive portion of a container, said cap having a top and a bottom, and comprising: (a) a cap body, comprising (i) an inner wall, and(ii) an outer wall extending about said inner wall;(b) a tamper evident ring proximate the bottom of said cap; and(c) at least a

1. A cap adapted to be mounted to a receptive portion of a container, said cap having a top and a bottom, and comprising: (a) a cap body, comprising (i) an inner wall, and(ii) an outer wall extending about said inner wall;(b) a tamper evident ring proximate the bottom of said cap; and(c) at least a first axial passage extending entirely through said cap, from the top of said cap to the bottom of said cap, said outer wall having a top and a bottom, and an inner surface and an outer surface, and wall thicknesses between the inner surface and the outer surface, further comprising a plurality of openings extending between the inner and outer surfaces of said outer wall and being bounded on all sides by said outer wall, the plurality of openings defining passages which are displaced from the top of said outer wall, and which convey air between the inner and outer surfaces of said outer wall, and wherein the thickness of said outer wall at a top of a respective such opening is representative of a generally constant thickness about an entirety of a circumference of said outer wall at the respective distance from the bottom of said outer wall. 2. A cap as in 1, further comprising a cross-cap path across said cap enabling air to flow between one or more of the openings in said outer wall on a first side of said cap, along the cross-cap path to respective one or more of the openings in said outer wall on a second side of said cap, such that air can flow through said cap by entering said cap through a first such opening in said outer wall on the first side of said cap, flowing along the cross-cap path across said cap, and leaving said cap through a second such opening in said outer wall at the second side of said cap. 3. A cap as in claim 1, further comprising at least one connector connecting said outer wall and said inner wall to each other, and an aperture bounded on all sides by, and extending through, at least one said connector. 4. A cap as in claim 1 wherein sizes and spacings of the openings through said outer wall, in combination with a cross-cap path across said cap, collectively, conveys such volume of air at breathing pressure as to enable a person, who may have swallowed said cap, to at least temporarily breathe enough air through such openings and along the cross-cap path, and thus through said cap, to at least temporarily sustain life. 5. A cap as in claim 3, said at least one connector having a connector top disposed toward the top of said cap, and a cross-cap path, at least a portion of the cross-cap path passing over the top of said at least one connector. 6. A container, comprising an inner receptacle,a coupling connected to said receptacle, anda cap as in claim 1 mounted to said coupling and thereby closing off said receptacle from the ambient environment. 7. A cap adapted to be rotated about a longitudinal axis thereof as said cap is being mounted to a receptive portion of a container, said cap having a cap top and a cap bottom, and comprising a cap body having a body top and a body bottom, said cap comprising (a) an outer wall,(b) an inner wall, having a wall top and a wall bottom, and a wall height between the wall top and the wall bottom, a first outer surface, and a first inner surface, the inner surface of said inner wall having threads which define a thread-engaging portion of the inner surface, the thread-engaging portion of the inner surface having a top and a bottom, said inner wall extending between the bottom of said cap and the top of said cap, said outer wall extending about said inner wall, said inner wall having a wall thickness comprising a first radially-extending thickness increment (T1), of constant magnitude, extending from the top of said inner wall to the bottom of said inner wall, said first thickness increment, less any threads, defining a constant thickness which extends from the inner surface of said inner wall toward the outer surface of said inner wall along an entirety of a height of the first thickness increment, and wherein the first thickness increment, of constant magnitude, comprises the entirety of the thickness of said inner wall from the top of said inner wall to an intermediate location substantially displaced from the top of said inner wall, said inner wall having a second thickness increment (T2) extending from the inner surface of said inner wall to the and outer surface of said inner wall, the second thickness increment (T2) having a top at the intermediate location, said second thickness increment comprising a first lower wall thickness portion (ΔT1) having a thickness equal to said first thickness increment (T1), plus a second wall thickness portion (ΔT2), the second wall thickness portion (ΔT2) being confined to the second thickness increment (T2) and having a top at the top of said second thickness increment, a bottom at the bottom of said inner wall, and a top-to-bottom height therebetween extending upwardly along at least one third of the top-to-bottom height of said inner wall, the second thickness increment having a thickness magnitude which increases, the thickness magnitude increase starting at the top of the second thickness increment and extending to the bottom of said inner wall, whereby the outer surface of said inner wall, along substantially the entire height of said second thickness increment, is disposed radially outwardly of the outer surface of said inner wall at said first thickness increment, and(c) at least a first connector connecting said outer wall and said inner wall to each other. 8. A cap as in claim 7, the second wall thickness portion (ΔT2) terminating at a height approximately corresponding to the top of the thread-engaging portion of the inner surface of said inner wall. 9. A cap as in claim 7 wherein said second wall thickness portion continually increases in thickness from the top of said second wall thickness portion to the bottom said second wall thickness portion. 10. A cap adapted to be mounted to a receptive portion of a container, said cap having a top and a bottom, and comprising: (a) a cap body having a top and a bottom, and comprising (i) an inner wall, having a top and a bottom, a first outer surface, and a first inner surface, said inner wall extending directionally between the bottom of said cap and the top of said cap, said inner wall being imperforate between the top of said inner wall and the bottom of said inner wall,(ii) an outer wall spaced from said inner wall, and extending about said inner wall, and(iii) at least a first connector connecting said outer wall and said inner wall to each other;(b) a tamper evident ring proximate the bottom of said cap body and connected to said cap body; and(c) at least a first axial passage extending entirely through said cap, from the top of said cap to the bottom of said cap, and said outer wall having a top and a bottom, a second inner surface and a second outer surface, and a wall thickness between the second inner surface and the second outer surface, further comprising a plurality of openings extending between the second inner and outer surfaces of said outer wall and bounded on all sides by said outer wall, the plurality of openings defining passages which are displaced from the top of said outer wall which convey air between the inner and outer surfaces of said outer wall, and wherein the thickness of said outer wall at a top of a respective such opening is representative of a generally constant thickness about an entirety of a circumference of said outer wall at the respective distance from the bottom of said outer wall. 11. A container, comprising an inner receptacle,a coupling connected to said receptacle, anda cap as in claim 10 mounted to said coupling and thereby closing off said receptacle from the ambient environment. 12. A cap as in claim 10, said tamper evident ring bearing radially-extending engagement fingers having circumferentially-facing engagement surfaces adapted and configured to engage engagement surfaces on a container to which said cap may be mounted. 13. A cap as in claim 10, said tamper evident ring being connected to said cap body by one or more ring retaining tabs, all of said ring retaining tabs remaining connected to both said cap body and to said tamper evident ring when said cap is disconnected from such receptive portion. 14. A cap as in claim 10, said tamper evident ring comprising at least one ring element, and at least one engagement finger having a circumferentially-facing engagement surface which engages the at least one resistant element on such receptive portion of such container when said cap is disconnected from such receptive portion of such container. 15. A cap as in claim 10, further comprising a tamper evident ring proximate the bottom of said cap body and connected to said cap body. 16. A cap adapted to be rotated about a longitudinal axis thereof in a first forward direction as said cap is being mounted to a receptive portion of a container, said cap being further adapted to be rotated in a second reverse direction when being dismounted from such receptive portion, said cap having a first top and a first bottom, and comprising a cap body having a second top and a second bottom, said cap comprising (a) an outer wall structure,(b) an inner wall structure having a third top, a third bottom, an outer surface, and a first inner surface, said inner wall structure being connected to said outer wall structure by at least one connecting tongue, and(c) a tamper evident ring proximate the bottom of said cap body and connected to said cap body, said tamper evident ring having at least first and second circumferentially-extending ring elements, connected to each other by circumferentially-extending breakable bridges, and at least one engagement finger extending from at least one of said ring elements toward the longitudinal axis, said tamper evident ring having inner and outer surfaces, the outer surface of said tamper evident ring (i) being spaced radially inwardly from the outer surface of said outer wall structure, and(ii) being spaced radially inwardly from the outer surface of said inner wall structure. 17. A cap as in claim 16, each said ring element being connected to said cap body by a single ring retaining element which remains connected to said cap body when said cap is dismounted from such receptive portion of such container. 18. A cap as in claim 16, said tamper evident ring being connected to said cap body by one or more ring retaining tabs, all of said ring retaining tabs remaining connected to both said cap body and said ring when said cap is disconnected from such receptive portion. 19. A cap as in claim 16, said tamper evident ring comprising said at least one engagement finger which extends radially to the second engagement surface on such receptive portion of such container when said cap is being dismounted from such receptive portion of such container. 20. A cap as in claim 19, further comprising a ring retaining tab (66), at least a portion of said ring retaining tab extending axially from said tamper evident ring to said inner wall. 21. A container, comprising an inner receptacle,a coupling connected to said receptacle, anda cap as in claim 16 mounted to said coupling and thereby closing off said receptacle from the ambient environment. 22. A cap as in claim 16, said tamper evident ring being devoid of any connection directly to said at least one connecting tongue. 23. A cap as in claim 16, a said circumferentially-extending ring element being connected to said cap body, when said cap is disconnected from such receptive portion of such container, by a single ring retaining tab. 24. A cap adapted to be rotated about a longitudinal axis thereof in a first forward direction when being mounted to a receptive portion of a container, said cap being further adapted to be rotated in a second reverse direction when being dismounted from such receptive portion, said cap having a cap top and a cap bottom, and comprising a cap body having a body top and a body bottom, said cap comprising: (a) an outer wall;(b) an inner wall, having a wall top and a wall bottom which defines a wall height therebetween, a first outer surface, and a first inner surface, the inner surface of said inner wall having threads which define a thread-engaging portion, the thread-engaging portion of the inner surface having a top and a bottom, said inner wall extending directionally between the bottom of said cap and the top of said cap, said outer wall extending about said inner wall, said inner wall having a wall thickness, a first portion of a height of said inner wall having a first wall thickness increment which extends from the top of said inner wall to an intermediate location proximate the top of the thread-engaging portion of the inner surface, and which first thickness increment extends from the first inner surface to the first outer surface, and which first thickness increment has a constant top-to-bottom thickness from the first outer surface to the first inner surface,a second portion of the height of said inner wall having a second wall thickness increment having a top proximate the top of the thread-engaging portion of the inner surface, and a bottom at the bottom of said inner wall,the second wall thickness increment having a thickness which varies in magnitude proximate the top of said second wall thickness increment and having a thickness at the bottom of said inner wall greater than a thickness thereof at the top of the second thickness increment; and(c) at least a first connecting tongue connecting said outer wall and said inner wall to each other. 25. A cap as in claim 24 wherein the thickness of said second wall thickness increment increases in magnitude, increasing constantly from the top of said second wall thickness increment to the bottom of said inner wall. 26. A container, comprising an inner receptacle,a coupling connected to said receptacle, anda cap as in claim 7 mounted to said coupling and thereby closing off said receptacle from the ambient environment. 27. A container, comprising an inner receptacle,a coupling connected to said receptacle, anda cap as in claim 24 mounted to said coupling and thereby closing off said receptacle from the ambient environment.