GB2087849A

GB2087849A - Tapping containers

Info

Publication number: GB2087849A
Application number: GB8026601A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Hundon Forge Ltd
Current assignee: Hundon Forge Ltd
Priority date: 1980-08-14
Filing date: 1980-08-14
Publication date: 1982-06-03
Also published as: GB2087849B

Abstract

A tapping device for use with a container, such as a bottle having a neck provided with a seal in the form of a bung or membrane of rubber, plastics or like pierceable material, comprises a body adapted to be sealingly secured to the container neck; a tubular apertured piercing member (11) adapted to pierce the container seal upon attachment of the body to the container neck; and an outlet (10) in fluid communication with the interior of the piercing member. A member (6) pivoting on a hinge portion (5) comprises a pair of spring arms which lock on either side of the container neck, thereby securing the device to the container. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Container caps Field of invention This invention relates to container caps and concerns a container cap adapted for use with a container, such as a bottle, having a neck provided with a seal in the form of a bung or membrane of rubber, plastics or like pierceable material. For convenience, such a container will be called herein "a container of the kind specified".

Background to the invention Various liquids, including certain veterinary preparations, are frequently supplied nowadays in containers of the kind specified. In order to extract liquid from such a container it is necessary firstly to break the seal, for example by piercing the seal with a pin. This is a rather delicate and awkward operation, and unless care is taken liquid may easily be spilt, particularly when dealing with collapsible containers.

Furthermore, subsequent removal of the liquid contents from such a container can also present problems, again particularly when dealing with collapsible containers. Such problems are particularly actue when handling liquids that should not be allowed to become contaminated, as is the case with certain veterinary preparations, and in cases where the liquid is to be fed to further apparatus or components, for example from which it is to be dispensed.

It is thus an object of the invention to provide a container cap adapted for use with a container of the kind specified to facilitate opening thereof and subsequent removal of the liquid contents.

The invention According to the present invention there is provided a container cap adapted for use with a container of the kind specified, and comprising a body adapted to be sealingly secured to the neck of such a container; a tubular apertured piercing member adapted to pierce the container seal upon attachment of the cap body to the container neck; and an outlet in fluid communication with the interior of the piercing member.

It is apparent that such apparatus may be easily and readily attached to a container of the kind specified, piercing the seal thereof in the process, and permitting the liquid contents to pass from the interior, via the piercing member to the outlet.

The construction of a cap in accordance with the invention, particularly the body thereof, may be varied as appropriate depending on the configuration of the container or containers with which the cap is intended for use. For example, for use with containers having a neck with a peripheral rim defining an upper shoulder, the body conveniently comprises a plate adapted to be seated over the container rim, with a pair of spring arms adapted to be latched in position extending on opposed sides of the container neck, below the shoulder of the container, for securing the cap to the container. Such arms are conveniently linked by a cross rod that is mounted for pivotai movement with respect to the plate to facilitate movement of the arms between such a latched position and a freed position.

The piercing member conveniently comprises a hollow pin that preferably has a sharply pointed tip. The piercing member may be formed with a coaxial bore opening at the tip of the member. Preferably, however, the piercing member has one or more apertures extending through the side face thereof from such a bore, rather than opening at the tip.

The outlet is conveniently adapted for attachment to an outlet tube or other component, such as a dispensing device, for example dispensing apparatus of the construction described in the specification of our co-pending Application No. . Thus, in a preferred arrangement the outlet comprises a threaded connector sleeve.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Description of the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of a container cap in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 is an end elevation of the cap of Fig. 1 viewed in the direction of arrow A of Fig. 1; Figure 3 is a plan view from above of the cap of Figs. 1 and 2; Figure 4 is a plan view from below of the cap of Figs. 1 to 3; and Figure 5 is a side elevation of the upper portion of a bottle with which the cap of Figs.

1 to 4 may be used.

Detailed description of the drawings Referring to the drawings, Figs. 1 to 4 show a container cap adapted for use with a container of the kind specified, such as the bottle illustrated in Fig. 1.

The illustrated container cap comprises a body portion in the form of an upper annular plate 1. Two opposed attachment lugs 2 and 3 depend from the periphery of the plate 1 at the rear thereof, each iug being formed with an inwardly curved end portion 2a and 3a, respectively. A mounting flange 4 depends from the periphery of the plate 1 at the front thereof, extending substantially perpendicularly to the lugs 2 and 3, and terminates in an outwardly curved hinge portion 5.

The cup further comprises a substantially Ushaped member 6 that includes a cross rod 7 interconnecting two spring arms 8 and 9. The arms 8 and 9 each diverge slightly at the free ends thereof, such ends being fitted with respective caps 8a and 9a to facilitate engagement by the fingers of a user.

The cross rod 7 of member 6 is located within the curved hinge portion 5 of mounting flange 4 so that the member 6 is capable of pivoting with respect to the body portion, towards and away from plate 1, as illustrated by arrow X in Fig. 1.

The spring arms 8 and 9 are capable of being moved towards one another, as illustrated by the arrows Y in Fig. 3, such movement conveniently being achieved by gripping the end caps 8a and 9a and squeezing the arms towards one another. Upon subsequently releasing such force, their inherent resilience causes the spring arms to move away from one another, in the opposite direction to that of arrows Y of Fig. 3. The member 6 may thus be moved between a closed or latched position, shown in Figs. 1 to 4, in which the arms 8 and 9 are located within and engaged by the lugs 2 and 3, and an opened or unlatched position (not shown) in which the arms are freed from engagement with the lugs, being located relatively outwardly thereof and below thereof.The member 6 may be easily moved between these two positions by appropriate squeezing of the arms 8 and 9 towards one another and pivoting of member 6 about cross rod 7. The inwardly curved end portions 2a and 3a of the lugs serve to prevent accidental movement of the member 6 between its closed and opened positions.

A connector sleeve 10 extends through a central aperture in annular plate 1, and is internally threaded to permit connection, if desired, to an outlet tube or other component, such as a dispensing device. The connector sleeve of the presently described embodiment is adapted to be connected to dispensing apparatus of the construction described in the specification of our co-pending Application No. in order to permit ready dispensing, e.g.

injecting, of liquid from a container.

A hollow pin 11 formed with a sharply pointed tip extends downwardly from the lower end face of sleeve 10, with the bore of the pin opening into the interior of the sleeve.

A pair of diametrically opposed bores 1 2 are formed in the lower portion of the pin 11, adjacent to the tip thereof, extending between the external and internal surfaces thereof, the pin 11 thus providing a path along which liquid can flow from the interior of a container to which the cap is attached to the interior of the connector sleeve.

The above described cap is formed entirely from metal. The cap may, of course, alternatively be formed from any other suitable material, such as rigid plastics material, although the spring arms 8 and 9 are normally preerably made of metal.

Referring now to Fig. 5, this figure illustrates a bottle 13, for example a collapsible bottle formed of plastics material, with which the above described cap may be used. The illustrated bottle 1 3 includes a neck portion 14 having a peripheral rim 1 5 that defines an upper shoulder 1 6. The neck of the bottle is sealed with a bung 1 7 of rubber or plastics material.

The above described cap may be readily attached to the bottle 1 3 by moving the member 6 to its opened position and placing the cap on the bottle so that the pin 11 pierces the bottle bung 1 7. The cap is secured in this position by moving the member 6 to its closed position, in which the spring arms 8 and 9 are latched under the end portions of the lugs 2 and 3. With the member 6 in this position, the arms 8 and 9 extend on opposed sides of the bottle neck 14, lying below the rim 1 5 and abutting against the upper shoulder 16. In this way, the cap may be firmly secured to the bottle.

With the cap in this position, the pin 11 extends through the bung, with the bores 1 2 of the pin 11 located in the interior of the bottle 1 3. Liquid may thus pass from the interior of the bottle, via bores 12, through the bore of pin 11 and into the interior of connector sleeve 10, to be passed to its intended destination, possibly via an attachment secured to sleeve 10.

After use, the cap may be easily removed from the bottle 1 3 by the reverse of the attachment procedure.

Claims

1. A container cap adapted for use with a container of the kind specified, and comprising a body adapted to be sealingly secured to the neck of such a container; a tubular apertured piercing member adapted to pierce the container seal upon attachment of the cap body to the container neck; and an outlet in fluid communication with the interior of the piercing member.

2. A container cap according to claim 1 and adapted for use with containers having a neck with a peripheral rim defining an upper shoulder, wherein the body comprises a plate adapted to be seated over the container rim, with a pair of spring arms adapted to be latched in position extending on opposed sides of the container neck, below the should of the container, for securing the cap to the container.

3. A container cap according to claim 2, wherein the arms are linked by a cross rod that is mounted for pivotal movement with respect to the plate.

4. A container cap according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the piercing member comprises a hollow pin.

5. A container cap according to claim 4, wherein the pin has a sharply pointed tip.

6. A container cap according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the piecing member is formed with a coaxial bore.

7. A container cap according to claim 6, wherein the coaxial bore opens at the tip of the member.

8. A container cap according to claim 6, wherein the piercing member has one or more apertures extending through the side face thereof from the axial bore.

9. A container cap according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the outlet comprises a threaded connector sleeve.

10. A container cap adapted for use with a container of the kind specified, substantially as herein described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.