CA2030609C - Sealing closure cap - Google Patents
Sealing closure capInfo
- Publication number
- CA2030609C CA2030609C CA 2030609 CA2030609A CA2030609C CA 2030609 C CA2030609 C CA 2030609C CA 2030609 CA2030609 CA 2030609 CA 2030609 A CA2030609 A CA 2030609A CA 2030609 C CA2030609 C CA 2030609C
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- cap
- container
- rim
- sealing
- annular
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired - Lifetime
Links
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D41/00—Caps, e.g. crown caps or crown seals, i.e. members having parts arranged for engagement with the external periphery of a neck or wall defining a pouring opening or discharge aperture; Protective cap-like covers for closure members, e.g. decorative covers of metal foil or paper
- B65D41/02—Caps or cap-like covers without lines of weakness, tearing strips, tags, or like opening or removal devices
- B65D41/04—Threaded or like caps or cap-like covers secured by rotation
- B65D41/0407—Threaded or like caps or cap-like covers secured by rotation with integral sealing means
Abstract
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A polyethylene cap, for use with containers, particu-larly polypropylene containers for containing medical speci-mens in preservative fluid such as formaldehyde, is provided with a 3-face seal, wherein a rim portion of the container is trapped in sealing, contacting relation on three mutually adjoining faces, whereby any tendency of the container rim to "relax" out of sealing engagement with a contacting face por-tion of the cap is effectively precluded by the geometry of the cap seal. In the case of polypropylene, which is suscept-ible to such "relaxation", the subject cap enables the effect-ive sealing of polypropylene containers so that advantage may be taken of the superior properties of polypropylene in non-reactive, secure containment of possibly contaminated medical specimens in liquids such as formaldehyde, a known carcinogen.
In a preferred embodiment the cap has a "feel" element, to give actual indication of engagement.
A polyethylene cap, for use with containers, particu-larly polypropylene containers for containing medical speci-mens in preservative fluid such as formaldehyde, is provided with a 3-face seal, wherein a rim portion of the container is trapped in sealing, contacting relation on three mutually adjoining faces, whereby any tendency of the container rim to "relax" out of sealing engagement with a contacting face por-tion of the cap is effectively precluded by the geometry of the cap seal. In the case of polypropylene, which is suscept-ible to such "relaxation", the subject cap enables the effect-ive sealing of polypropylene containers so that advantage may be taken of the superior properties of polypropylene in non-reactive, secure containment of possibly contaminated medical specimens in liquids such as formaldehyde, a known carcinogen.
In a preferred embodiment the cap has a "feel" element, to give actual indication of engagement.
Description
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.
., ~ SEALING CLOSURE CAP
. .
TECHNICAL FI~LD
This invention is directed to the field of containers, and in particular to a sealing closure cap system particularly suited for the sealed enclosure of medical samples.
BACKGROUND ~RT
In the field of medicine the safe handling of medical specimens has assumed a new criticality.
The onset of acquired immune deficiency (AIDS) stemming from the highly contagious HIV virus, combined with greater awareness of the carcinogenic pathology of substances in common medical use, such as formaldehyde has created an urgent demand for sample storage jars or containers that are of reasonable cost, not susceptible to breakage or leakage, readily sealed and unsealed, and suited to disposal by incineration.
The inherent dangers of breakage of glass containers, and the probability of generating dangerously sharp shards upon the occurrence of breakage that are susceptible to spreading infection, allied with the difficulty of ready, economical, safe and permanent disposal of glass containers militates against their continued use.
In the vast array of the plastics family polypropylene , -possesses many of the required characteristics in the field of medical use, possessing as it does the qualities of: high resistance to leakage; resilience (i.e. non-frangible under impact); highly resistant to chemical or biological infiltration; moderate cost; substantially inert; stable at the temperatures of normal use; may be relatively safely incinerated.
However, polypropylene possesses one inherent characteristic which generally renders it unsuitable for use, where high integrity seals are necessary. That characteristic is the tendency, when elastically deformed at a pressure point constituting a seal interface, the polypropylene gradually ~ .
~, :
. . , , --2--"draws back" at the point of contact, thereby reducing the contact pressure at the seal interface, to thus impair or - destroy the integrity of the seal.
In the medical field of use, this characteristic has substantially negated the possible use of polypropylene containers, at least for containment of potentially contaminated tissue samples.
, DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
.The present invention provides a rim seal closure cap for a plastic container to provide sealing between the closure cap and a peripheral rim portion of the container, the cap having a peripheral groove on one face thereof to receive the container rim in axially inserted relation therein, the groove having opposing side portions and an end portion in adjoining relation with the side portions, the opposing side portions each making sustained contact with the container rim to .
provide long term sustained sealing of the container by the ;closure cap.
,-,In the preferred embodiment the closure cap includes mechanical retaining means in use to secure the closure cap in axially secured relation with the container rim.
The use of polyethylene for the cap ensures that stiffness of the cap contact surfaces is such that in the case of a polypropylene container, the sealing surfaces are maintained in long term sealing engagement.
In the case of a cylindrical container the mechanical cap retaining means generally comprises inclined wedging ^'surfaces, generally of a screw thread form, to provide axial displacement of the cap, relative to the container, upon rela-~tive rotation therebetween.
-In one cylindrical embodiment of the subject cap, for use with a container having a circular rim portion, the clos-ure cap peripheral groove includes at least one protruberance extending into the groove, in use to make mechanical contact ~with a rim portion of the container in mechanical engaging :, ., . .
; ' :
:. , . :
- '--:
;
3 ~
, . .
relation therewith, the opposing face of the closure cap groove having a protrusion of axially limited extent extending into the groove, to make initial guiding contact with the container rim upon entry into the groove and to provide a feed-back feel indicating initial engagement between the closure cap and the container rim.
In the preferred embodiment the mechanical engaging portion of the cap comprises at least a partial thread segment, the axially limited protrusion comp:rising an annular bead extending about the periphery of a radially inner wall portion of the cap peripheral groove.
The preferred cap embodiment includes a guidance nose portion occupying a central portion of the cap, having a tapered annular guidance surface portion adjoining the cap peripheral groove, with the annular bead located adjacent the radially outer end of the guidance nose portion.
A central crown portion of the cap, connected in axially offset relation with the tapered guidance surface may be deformed, upon the insertion of a container rim into axially inserted engagement with the cap annular bead, to exert a radially outward force on the bead, by way of the tapered guidance portion, thereby applying a diminishing frictional torque against the surface of the container rim, upon further penetration of the rim into the sealing groove of the closure cap.
Connection of the cap central crown portion with the tapered guidance portion may be by way of a reversely tapered annular transition, to apply a dome-forming bending moment to the crown portion of the cap, on engagement thereof with a container rim.
In the preferred embodiment the axial annular end portion of the container rim makes sealing contact with the adjacent surface of the cap groove end portion, thereby providing three adjoining surfaces of the container rim in sealing engagement with the respective three adjoining surfaces of the cap groove.
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'In the case of a container of polypropylene, this effectively precludes relaxation of the container rim in seal compromising withdrawal from the sealing surfaces of the cap.
. ., .BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
Certain embodiments of the invention are described by way of illustration, without limitation of the invention ,thereto, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, .. wherein;
^~ Figure 1 is a side view of a cap in accordance with the . present invention, mounted on a rim portion of a cylindrical container;
. Figure 2 is a diametrical section of the closure cap of Figure 1;
~: Figure 3 is an interior plan view of the closure cap of Figure 1; and, Figure 4 is an enlarged view of a portion of Figure 2.
!
BEST MODE OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
The most convenient form of container and closure cap combination is of circular section, as illustrated in the drawings.
~ In Figure 1 there is illustrated a polyethylene closure cap 10 and a portion of a polypropylene container 12.
:. . The cap 10, Figures 2 and 4, has a peripheral skirt portion 14, a rim portion 16, a central crown portion 18 and ~- an interior seal groove 20.
` A vee shaped connection portion 22 extends between the crown portion 18 and the radially inner wall 24 of groove 20.
~ The connection portion 22 includes an annular guidance tapered :~ nose portion 26, having a protruberant annular bead 28 ~adjacent thereto, projecting outwardly into the groove 20.
;.The vee shape of connection portion 22 provides .resilience to the closure wall adjoining the annular bead 28, .urging it radially outwardly, to resist axial penetration of the container rim 30 in inserted relation therepast. The .` , -~ 2Q~6~
deformation of the radially inner wall 24 is sufficiently localized to the vicinity of the entry bead 28 that the sealing lntegrity at the root of groove 20 is unimpaired.
The vee form of the connection portion 22 causes initially high resistance to penetration of container rim 30 past the annular bead 28.
The mechanical engagement portion of closure cap 10 comprises a multi-start protruberant thread form 32, 33 for engagement with corresponding thread forms on the radially outer wall of the container. Rotation of the cap 10 produces axial displacement of container rim 30, relative to the seal groove 20, forcing the adioining faces of the rim 30 into sustained sealing contact with the corresponding faces of the seal groove 20.
A tapered protrusion 34 of the container serves as a supporting bridge, to safeguard a label (not shown) applied thereover, against tearing due to an otherwise abrupt change in section constituted by the lower edge of closure cap 10 INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
The presently disclosed sealing closure cap is particu-larly suited for use with plastic containers. It is particu-larly suited to surgical needs, as in hospitals. In particu-lar, the closure cap is suited for use with plastic contain-ers, and in particular is useful with polypropylene contain-ers, for use in handling infections or carcinogous materials.
`:
.
~ ."
A
~.`.,'.
. ~
; ' ' .~.'' ' ` ~ ' ' :
' ' ~, ~, .
r ~
.
., ~ SEALING CLOSURE CAP
. .
TECHNICAL FI~LD
This invention is directed to the field of containers, and in particular to a sealing closure cap system particularly suited for the sealed enclosure of medical samples.
BACKGROUND ~RT
In the field of medicine the safe handling of medical specimens has assumed a new criticality.
The onset of acquired immune deficiency (AIDS) stemming from the highly contagious HIV virus, combined with greater awareness of the carcinogenic pathology of substances in common medical use, such as formaldehyde has created an urgent demand for sample storage jars or containers that are of reasonable cost, not susceptible to breakage or leakage, readily sealed and unsealed, and suited to disposal by incineration.
The inherent dangers of breakage of glass containers, and the probability of generating dangerously sharp shards upon the occurrence of breakage that are susceptible to spreading infection, allied with the difficulty of ready, economical, safe and permanent disposal of glass containers militates against their continued use.
In the vast array of the plastics family polypropylene , -possesses many of the required characteristics in the field of medical use, possessing as it does the qualities of: high resistance to leakage; resilience (i.e. non-frangible under impact); highly resistant to chemical or biological infiltration; moderate cost; substantially inert; stable at the temperatures of normal use; may be relatively safely incinerated.
However, polypropylene possesses one inherent characteristic which generally renders it unsuitable for use, where high integrity seals are necessary. That characteristic is the tendency, when elastically deformed at a pressure point constituting a seal interface, the polypropylene gradually ~ .
~, :
. . , , --2--"draws back" at the point of contact, thereby reducing the contact pressure at the seal interface, to thus impair or - destroy the integrity of the seal.
In the medical field of use, this characteristic has substantially negated the possible use of polypropylene containers, at least for containment of potentially contaminated tissue samples.
, DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
.The present invention provides a rim seal closure cap for a plastic container to provide sealing between the closure cap and a peripheral rim portion of the container, the cap having a peripheral groove on one face thereof to receive the container rim in axially inserted relation therein, the groove having opposing side portions and an end portion in adjoining relation with the side portions, the opposing side portions each making sustained contact with the container rim to .
provide long term sustained sealing of the container by the ;closure cap.
,-,In the preferred embodiment the closure cap includes mechanical retaining means in use to secure the closure cap in axially secured relation with the container rim.
The use of polyethylene for the cap ensures that stiffness of the cap contact surfaces is such that in the case of a polypropylene container, the sealing surfaces are maintained in long term sealing engagement.
In the case of a cylindrical container the mechanical cap retaining means generally comprises inclined wedging ^'surfaces, generally of a screw thread form, to provide axial displacement of the cap, relative to the container, upon rela-~tive rotation therebetween.
-In one cylindrical embodiment of the subject cap, for use with a container having a circular rim portion, the clos-ure cap peripheral groove includes at least one protruberance extending into the groove, in use to make mechanical contact ~with a rim portion of the container in mechanical engaging :, ., . .
; ' :
:. , . :
- '--:
;
3 ~
, . .
relation therewith, the opposing face of the closure cap groove having a protrusion of axially limited extent extending into the groove, to make initial guiding contact with the container rim upon entry into the groove and to provide a feed-back feel indicating initial engagement between the closure cap and the container rim.
In the preferred embodiment the mechanical engaging portion of the cap comprises at least a partial thread segment, the axially limited protrusion comp:rising an annular bead extending about the periphery of a radially inner wall portion of the cap peripheral groove.
The preferred cap embodiment includes a guidance nose portion occupying a central portion of the cap, having a tapered annular guidance surface portion adjoining the cap peripheral groove, with the annular bead located adjacent the radially outer end of the guidance nose portion.
A central crown portion of the cap, connected in axially offset relation with the tapered guidance surface may be deformed, upon the insertion of a container rim into axially inserted engagement with the cap annular bead, to exert a radially outward force on the bead, by way of the tapered guidance portion, thereby applying a diminishing frictional torque against the surface of the container rim, upon further penetration of the rim into the sealing groove of the closure cap.
Connection of the cap central crown portion with the tapered guidance portion may be by way of a reversely tapered annular transition, to apply a dome-forming bending moment to the crown portion of the cap, on engagement thereof with a container rim.
In the preferred embodiment the axial annular end portion of the container rim makes sealing contact with the adjacent surface of the cap groove end portion, thereby providing three adjoining surfaces of the container rim in sealing engagement with the respective three adjoining surfaces of the cap groove.
`'~`
.~,.
. ~
. ~, ,.
.
- ~
.
. ' ' ' ... .
'' ~ ' ' ' " .
: . .: . .
. . . ~
~~ 2~3~
'In the case of a container of polypropylene, this effectively precludes relaxation of the container rim in seal compromising withdrawal from the sealing surfaces of the cap.
. ., .BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
Certain embodiments of the invention are described by way of illustration, without limitation of the invention ,thereto, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, .. wherein;
^~ Figure 1 is a side view of a cap in accordance with the . present invention, mounted on a rim portion of a cylindrical container;
. Figure 2 is a diametrical section of the closure cap of Figure 1;
~: Figure 3 is an interior plan view of the closure cap of Figure 1; and, Figure 4 is an enlarged view of a portion of Figure 2.
!
BEST MODE OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
The most convenient form of container and closure cap combination is of circular section, as illustrated in the drawings.
~ In Figure 1 there is illustrated a polyethylene closure cap 10 and a portion of a polypropylene container 12.
:. . The cap 10, Figures 2 and 4, has a peripheral skirt portion 14, a rim portion 16, a central crown portion 18 and ~- an interior seal groove 20.
` A vee shaped connection portion 22 extends between the crown portion 18 and the radially inner wall 24 of groove 20.
~ The connection portion 22 includes an annular guidance tapered :~ nose portion 26, having a protruberant annular bead 28 ~adjacent thereto, projecting outwardly into the groove 20.
;.The vee shape of connection portion 22 provides .resilience to the closure wall adjoining the annular bead 28, .urging it radially outwardly, to resist axial penetration of the container rim 30 in inserted relation therepast. The .` , -~ 2Q~6~
deformation of the radially inner wall 24 is sufficiently localized to the vicinity of the entry bead 28 that the sealing lntegrity at the root of groove 20 is unimpaired.
The vee form of the connection portion 22 causes initially high resistance to penetration of container rim 30 past the annular bead 28.
The mechanical engagement portion of closure cap 10 comprises a multi-start protruberant thread form 32, 33 for engagement with corresponding thread forms on the radially outer wall of the container. Rotation of the cap 10 produces axial displacement of container rim 30, relative to the seal groove 20, forcing the adioining faces of the rim 30 into sustained sealing contact with the corresponding faces of the seal groove 20.
A tapered protrusion 34 of the container serves as a supporting bridge, to safeguard a label (not shown) applied thereover, against tearing due to an otherwise abrupt change in section constituted by the lower edge of closure cap 10 INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
The presently disclosed sealing closure cap is particu-larly suited for use with plastic containers. It is particu-larly suited to surgical needs, as in hospitals. In particu-lar, the closure cap is suited for use with plastic contain-ers, and in particular is useful with polypropylene contain-ers, for use in handling infections or carcinogous materials.
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r ~
Claims (2)
1. A polyethylene rim closure cap for use in sealing closure at substantially atmospheric pressure of the wide mouth of a medical specimen container, said container being of polypropylene plastic subject to drawing back out of sealing contact when elastically deformed at a compressed sealing point;
said container having an axially extending upstanding annular upper rim of substantially rectangular section having three mutually adjoining annular seal surfaces for entry with-in said cap, and thread means on the outside of said container below said rim; said cap having a raised upper annular crown portion;
an outer skirt portion depending there from having internal thread means extending upwardly from adjacent the skirt lower edge to engage said container thread means;
an annular recess of substantially rectangular section within said crown, having three mutually adjoining annular seal surfaces;
a cap guidance nose portion located inwardly of and depending from said crown, having a downwardly and inwardly tapered conical surface in use to make guiding centering con-tact with the inner edge of said container rim;
said conical surface being upwardly bounded by an out-wardly protruberant annular bead projecting radially outwardly in underlying relation beneath a portion of said cap crown annular recess, to resist axial penetration of said container rim therepast; and wherein, in use, on screwing home of said cap said three adjoining annular seal surfaces of said rim are held in sustained sealing contact with said three adjoining annular surfaces of said cap crown recess.
said container having an axially extending upstanding annular upper rim of substantially rectangular section having three mutually adjoining annular seal surfaces for entry with-in said cap, and thread means on the outside of said container below said rim; said cap having a raised upper annular crown portion;
an outer skirt portion depending there from having internal thread means extending upwardly from adjacent the skirt lower edge to engage said container thread means;
an annular recess of substantially rectangular section within said crown, having three mutually adjoining annular seal surfaces;
a cap guidance nose portion located inwardly of and depending from said crown, having a downwardly and inwardly tapered conical surface in use to make guiding centering con-tact with the inner edge of said container rim;
said conical surface being upwardly bounded by an out-wardly protruberant annular bead projecting radially outwardly in underlying relation beneath a portion of said cap crown annular recess, to resist axial penetration of said container rim therepast; and wherein, in use, on screwing home of said cap said three adjoining annular seal surfaces of said rim are held in sustained sealing contact with said three adjoining annular surfaces of said cap crown recess.
2. The closure cap as set forth in Claim 1, in combina-tion with said container.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2030609 CA2030609C (en) | 1990-11-22 | 1990-11-22 | Sealing closure cap |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2030609 CA2030609C (en) | 1990-11-22 | 1990-11-22 | Sealing closure cap |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2030609A1 CA2030609A1 (en) | 1992-05-23 |
| CA2030609C true CA2030609C (en) | 1993-10-05 |
Family
ID=4146503
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2030609 Expired - Lifetime CA2030609C (en) | 1990-11-22 | 1990-11-22 | Sealing closure cap |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA2030609C (en) |
Families Citing this family (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CA2094317C (en) * | 1993-04-19 | 2003-01-07 | Victor Daykin | Biological specimen collection system |
| GB2437275B (en) | 2006-04-18 | 2011-04-20 | Packaging Innovation Ltd | A storage and drinking container |
-
1990
- 1990-11-22 CA CA 2030609 patent/CA2030609C/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| CA2030609A1 (en) | 1992-05-23 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| EEER | Examination request | ||
| MKEX | Expiry |