GB2051753A

GB2051753A - Plug closures

Info

Publication number: GB2051753A
Application number: GB7943482A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: WEST PHARMARUBBER Ltd
Current assignee: WEST PHARMARUBBER Ltd
Priority date: 1979-07-04
Filing date: 1979-12-18
Publication date: 1981-01-21
Also published as: BR8003291A; GB2051753B; DE2926991A1; BE882341A; DE2926991C2

Abstract

This invention provides a container closure 1 made of soft resilient material with a plug 3 to seat within the mouth 2 of the container and a flange 4a to seat upon the top edge of the container around the mouth. The closure 1 is provided with a grip element 7 on its outer top surface 4 to make it easy to manipulate the closure e.g. on opening the container by removing the closure. The grip element 7 may provide a suitable flexible gripping tag or finger ring 15 and preferably, as shown, the grip element 7 and closure 1 are formed as two parts that can be fitted together. As shown, the closure 1 has a back cut groove 6 open at the top into which a connecting part 11 of the grip element is hooked. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Rubber stopper with pull-ring for infusion and rinsing solution bottles This invention is concerned with the provision of a container closure of soft resilient material such as rubber or a suitable elastomer,the stopper being of the type which includes a plug to seat within the mouth of the container and a flange to seat upon the top edge of the container around the mouth.

When inserting or removing such a closure the fingers of the person using the container generally cannot avoid touching the edge of the container mouth and gripping the parts of the closure which lie directly adjacent to the container mouth. In this way there is a danger that the mouth of the container may become contaminated and naturally that is undesirable especially if the container holds medicated preparations for example topical solutions, infusion solutions or the like. In addition removal and/or replacement of the closure may be difficult because the plug may be a very tight fit within the mouth of the container.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a closure of the type referred to above which is simple to use and which makes it possible to manipulate the closure manually without the fingers of the user contacting the parts of the closure which lie adjacent to the container wall when the closure is in position.

According to the present invention there is provided a container closure of the type referred to characterised in that the closure is provided with a grip element on its outer top surface to facilitate manipulation af the closure.

We therefore propose that the closure should have, in the area of its outer top, an element which may be gripped. This element may be gripped in an advantageous way so that any direct contact with the actual closure may be avoided, thus obviating the dangers mentioned above, in particular the danger of contamination being introduced through contact with the user's fingers. The grip element is preferably formed by a suitably integral flexible tag or ring, which is connected to the closure. Such a grip element can easily be brought from its resting position into an upright position, where it may be gripped more easily. In a further improved version the grip element and the closure are made separately and are then fitted together, the closure having a connecting part for the grip element, which also possesses a complementary attachment part.In addition to a simplified manufacturing process, this version also has the advantage that both the grip element and the closure can be produced out of different materials, each one specifically suited to its purpose.

According to one preferred form of manufacture the closure possesses, on the outer surface of its top, an open circular groove with an undercut or similar arrangement, into which the ring shaped complementary piece of the grip element can lock when in use. In this way, in addition to its simple manufacture, a comparatively large area of contact is created, with the result that any accidental separation of the two elements, even in the case of a closure seated fairly firmly in a bottle opening, is avoided.

In one embodiment the grip element possesses a suitable insert ring or tag, which is preferably provided with a flange at the top; the insert ring has a hooked projection which extends around the ring, interlocking with the undercut in the groove of the stopper to form a grip element which is easy to manufacture. The top flange preferably projects substantially radially outwards sufficiently to form in addition a suitable resting edge for any intended further closure over the stopper, which would for example be screwed or crimped in position.

It is preferred that the undercut be provided on the radially inner side of the groove and the wall of the insert ring should preferably taper conically at the end to be inserted into the groove. In this case the part enclosed by the groove forms the complementary attaching piece which is then joined to the grip element. Because of the somewhat conically tapered shape of the edge of the ring to be inserted, the operation of pushing the ring into the closure can be simplified. A further development of the invention provides that the gripper ring is preferably joined to the top flange so that the ring may move flexibly and in its starting position the ring is approximately concentric with the insert ring. In its inoperative position, i.e. when the grip element is not in use, any inconvenient sticking of the grip element can be avoided.On the other hand, however, because of its elasticity it can be slightly raised without difficulty and then caught hold of, and as a result of its ring shape in particular a finger may be used to remove the whole assembly.

In practice, at least the insert ring, preferably the top flange also, should consist of a more rigid material than that of the closure, in particular of plastics. In this way the grip element has good stability and permits also the transference of greater pulling power. In addition the holding pressure exerted on a rubber stopper by an extra closure, for example a crew stopper can be easily transmitted via the slightly more rigid grip element.

An advantageous characteristic of the invention is that when the gripping ring is in its inoperative or starting position it is in the same plane as the top flange and is connected to the flange, preferably on one side, by at least one connecting bridge. Thus the gripping ring and the whole grip element do not project beyond the edge of the closure in a disadvantageous way. In this way, amongst other things, any accidental removal of the closure from the container opening can be avoided e.g. also by the ring being caught on something. In particular, in the case of closures which are fairly large in diameter, there is the possibility that the gripping ring and the top flange can be attached by means of several connecting bridges.In particular, two connecting bridges lying diametrically opposite each other can be provided so that one finger can then pass through the two. in this case an approximately symmetrical transmission of the force applied can be given to the stopperwhen pulling it out.

By means of the drawing given by way of example a more precise description of the invention with its essential details follows: In the drawing:- Figure 1 is a representation of a closure inserted into a bottle opening and a screw cap holding it, in part section, to an enlarged scale.

Figure 2 is a representation of a closure with a grip element in its starting position, Figure 3 is a part sectional view of the area of a groove of a closure with a grip element adjacent.

Figure 4 is a somewhat different closure with 2 half-ring grips in the upright position.

Figure 5 is another different closure with gripping tag.

In Figure 1 a closure 1, is shown which consists for example of rubber or suitable elastomer. The closure has a plug 3 which can be inserted into a bottle opening 2 and top 4 with an outer flange 4a to rest on the edge of the neck 5 of a bottle 6. The closure 1 has, on its outer top side, a grip element, identified throughout by 7. This is formed, in accordance with the examples in Figures 1 - 4, as a separate part, which is attachable to the closure 1 and, in particular, which can fit together with the closure 1.

For this purpose the closure 1 possesses a groove 8 (Figures 1. and 3.), open to the outer top side, with an undercut 9 or the like, into which the preferably ring shaped connecting piece 10 of the grip element 7 can hook when inserted (Figure 1.) and, in particular, can lock in position because of the complementary shape of the parts. The part sectional view of the grip element 7 in Figure 3. shows clearly that the grip element 7 has an insert ring 11 which is provided at its outer end with a flange 12.

The insert ring 11 has on its inner insertable edge a preferably continuous hooked projection 14, which functions in connection with the undercut 9, provided on the groove 8 on the radially inner ide (Figure 1.). To connect the closure 1 and the grip element 7, the latter is pushed with its insert ring into the groove 8, whereby the groove in its outer area is slightly distorted because of the projection 14, until this projection 14 fits snugly behind the undercut 9 of the grooves. The grip element 7 and the closure are then attached to each other sufficiently securely.

The grip element 7 possesses a gripping ring 15 which is flexibly connected to the insert ring 11 or its flange 12; in its starting position (e.g. Figure 3.) the gripping ring 15 lies roughly inside the plane of the top flange 12.

In accordance with Figure 2. the gripping ring 15 is connected to the top flange 12 by means of a connection piece 16. On the side opposite the connecting point the gripping ring 15 can be slightly raised and for example pulled up into the position indicated in Figure 1. by the broken line. The ring can then be gripped by passing the finger through, so that the closure 1 can be pulled out. In the course of pulling out the closure any undesired contact with the parts of the bottle directly adjacent to the actual closure and also with the edge of the closure can be avoided in an advantageous way. This is of substantial importance in the case of bottles which are to be kept sterile. In addition, however, opening the bottle by pulling out the closure 1 is also simplified.

In order to make it easier to insert the grip element 7 with its insert ring 11 into the groove 8 the wall of the insert ring is tapered conically at the insertable end 13.

Figure 1 shows with dotted lines in addition a screw cap or similar which can serve where necessaryto secure the inserted closure 1. After the screw cap has been removed the closure can be pulled out by means of the grip element as already described.

Figure 4. shows a somewhat different construction of a grip element 7a, where the gripping ring 15 is connected to the top flange 12 or similar by a further connection piece 16a, as is indicated in Figure 2. by a dotted line. The connection pieces 16, 16a are preferably diametrically opposite each other so that 2 half rings 18, 18a are formed. This form of construction can be provided, particularly in the case of closures which are fairly large in diameter; in the case of such closures the open segment of the gripping half-rings should be at least big enough for a finger to pass through. In the case of a grip element 7a which is formed according to Figure 4. the closure will be drawn out of the bottle opening along the line of the centre axis L. This can possibly be of advantage in the case of stoppers and for bottles of a certain configuration.On the other hand a one-sided pull as in the case of the grip elements 7, as in Figures 1 - 3, has the advantage that the closure can be released more easily.

Figure 5 shows a closure 1a, which has on its outer top side a grip tag 19 as a grip element. In its starting position, if need be, this can be laid parallel to the upper surface of the lid as indicated by the dotted lines; on being gripped it can be bent upwards to pull out the closure.

At least the insert ring 11, preferably together with the top flange, should consist of a material which is more rigid than the material of the rest of the closure, in particular of plastics. In this way the grip element 7, 7a can be inserted easily into the groove 8 of the closure. In addition too great a distortion of the grip element will be avoided when the closure is pulled out.

The closure 1, la as described in the invention with grip elements 7, 7a, 7b is to be used in particular for medical containers for infusion and cleansing solutions, whereby the solution contained is to be removed after taking out the closure. By means of the grip element 7, 7a, 7b provided, it is possible in an especially advantageous way to open and close the bottle again without touching the underside of the closure or the edge of the bottle or the like.

Claims

1. A container closure of the type referred to characterised in that the closure is provided with a grip element on its outer top surface to facilitate manipulation of the closure.

2. A closure according to claim 1, wherein the grip element is basically formed by a suitably flexible gripping tag or ring which is attached to the closure.

3. A closure according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the grip element and the closure are formed in two parts that can be fitted together, and wherein the closure possesses a connecting partforthe grip element which has a complementary attaching piece which combines with the closure.

4. A closure according to any of claims 1 - 3 provided with a back cut groove open to its outer top side, into which the preferably circular connecting part of the grip element locks when in use in a hooking or similar way.

5. A closure according to claim 4, wherein the grip element has an insert ring or the like, preferably provided with a flange the insert ring having a suitably hooked projection extending around the insert ring and fitting with the back cut or similar of the groove.

6. A closure according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the back cut is provided on the radially inner side of the groove, the wall of the insert ring preferably tapering conically at the insertable end.

7. A closure according to any of claims 1 - 6, wherein the gripping ring is connected, preferably in an elastically flexible way, to the insert ring, in particular to the flange of the insert ring and wherein in its starting position it rests approximately concentrically with the insert ring.

8. A closure according to any of claims 1 - 7, wherein at least the insert ring, preferably together with the flange, consists of a material more stable in form than the material of the closure.

9. A closure according to any of claims 1 - 8, wherein the gripping ring in its starting position lies in the same plane as the flange and is connected to the flange by at least one connecting piece, preferably on one side.

10. A closure according to any of claims 1 - 9, wherein the grip element in its starting position lies roughly within the circumference of the stopper.

11. A closure according to any of the preceding claims wherein the grip element is a finger and thumb grip element or a ring.

12. A closure provided with a grip element substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any of the embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

13. A closure and container assembly wherein the closure is provided with a grip element substantially as herein before described with reference to any of the embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings.