CA1107239A - Antibackoff threaded ring closure using ratchet means - Google Patents

Antibackoff threaded ring closure using ratchet means

Info

Publication number
CA1107239A
CA1107239A CA298,771A CA298771A CA1107239A CA 1107239 A CA1107239 A CA 1107239A CA 298771 A CA298771 A CA 298771A CA 1107239 A CA1107239 A CA 1107239A
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
outer ring
overcap
teeth
bottle
rotation
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
Application number
CA298,771A
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Thomas A. Fowles
David A. Winchell
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Baxter International Inc
Original Assignee
Baxter Travenol Laboratories Inc
Priority date (The priority date 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 date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Baxter Travenol Laboratories Inc filed Critical Baxter Travenol Laboratories Inc
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA1107239A publication Critical patent/CA1107239A/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65DCONTAINERS 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
    • B65D41/00Caps, 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
    • B65D41/62Secondary protective cap-like outer covers for closure members
    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65DCONTAINERS 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
    • B65D50/00Closures with means for discouraging unauthorised opening or removal thereof, with or without indicating means, e.g. child-proof closures
    • B65D50/02Closures with means for discouraging unauthorised opening or removal thereof, with or without indicating means, e.g. child-proof closures openable or removable by the combination of plural actions
    • B65D50/06Closures with means for discouraging unauthorised opening or removal thereof, with or without indicating means, e.g. child-proof closures openable or removable by the combination of plural actions requiring the combination of different actions in succession
    • B65D50/067Closures with means for discouraging unauthorised opening or removal thereof, with or without indicating means, e.g. child-proof closures openable or removable by the combination of plural actions requiring the combination of different actions in succession using integral or non-integral accessories, e.g. tool, key

Abstract

ANTIBACKOFF THREADED RING
CLOSURE USING RATCHET MEANS

Thomas A. Fowles David A. Winchell ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

A ratchet mechanism is provided for preventing disassembly of an outer ring used to jack a hermetically sealed overcap from the neck of a container. The ratchet mechanism comprises a set of teeth on the outer ring which act in cooperation with a set of teeth on the overcap thereby providing a means for preventing rotation of the outer ring in a direction tending to unscrew the outer ring from the overcap, but permitting rotation of the outer ring in the jacking direction.

Description

8ACKG~OUND OF THE INVENTION

Containers for storing and dispensing sterile li~uids are known which have an outer or overcap on the bottle neck. Such containers are in common use for various medical and hospital procedures, such as the administration of irrigating solutions.
Such sterile li~uid medical containers have a common purpose of maintaining the sterility of their liquid contents during storage, shipping and dispensing.
It is necessary that the closure system be easy for the nurse or physician to open, preferably by a customary continuous counterclockwise rotation of the closure on the container.
One prior art closure for a container having a neck defining a dispensing outlet is disclosed in Choksi U.S. Patent No. 3,923,182. The closure includes an overcap fitted on the bottle neck closing the dis-pensing outlet and connected to the bottle neck to define a hermetic seal. The overcap is threaded on its outer surface. An outer xing fits over the overcap and has internal threads engaged with the threads on the overcap. Downward rotation of the outer ring with respect to the overcap serves to jack the overcap off the bottle neck, breaking the hermetic seal.
Difficulty has been experienced when the nurse or physician turns the outer ring in the wrong direction removing the outer ring from the overcap without severing the hermetic seal and without removing the overcap. In addition, the outer ring may become disassembled from the overcap during handling or shipment.

In the normal assembly operation of the overcap ~1~7239 to a bottle neck, the overcap is heat fused to the bottle neck to form the hermetic seal. It is necessary that the overcap be accessible to the heat and pressure die during assembly. Thus difficulty would be experienced if the outer ring were assembled to the ovexcap prior to sealing the container. The outer ring is commonly assembled after installation of the overcap on the container.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a container closure system having an outer jacking ring which cannot become unscrewed inadvertently.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a container system in which the person desiring to remove the closure is prevented from unscrewing a portion of the closure in the wrong direction.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a closure system for a container which has an antibackoff feature, is simple in construction and is relatively easy to assemble.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the description pro-ceeds.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a hermetically sealed container for storing and dispensing sterile liquids. The container is of a type including a bottle with a neck which comprises a dispensing outlet, with the bottle having a transverse abutment means on the neck surrounding the outlet.
An overcap is provided having a cylindrical sidewall and a top wall fitted on the bottle neck 11~7Z39 enclosing the dispensing outlet. The overcap is her-metically sealed to the bottle neck. An outer ring is threadedly interfitted over the overcap and is adapted for rotation in the downward direction to exert a down-ward force against the abutment means to jack the over-cap off the bottle neck. A ratchet mechanism is provided, having teeth on both the overcap and the outer ring so as to prevent rotation of the outer ring in a direction which would cause the outex ring to move away from the bottle neck.
In one embodiment, the ratchet mechanism com-prises teeth having an inclined side and a generally flat side. The teeth on the overcap and the outer ring are arranged such that (a) with rotation of the outer ring in the downward direction, the inclined sides of the teeth pass over each other permitting the rotation, and (b) with rotation of the outer ring in the opposite direction the flat sides of the teeth abut thereby pre-venting further rotation of the outer ring in the opposite direction.
A more detailed explanation of the invention is provided in the following description and claims and is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an improved closure constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention, showing the outer ring in position to be screwed onto the overcap;
FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional elevation thereof, with the outer ring being in position;
FIGURE 3 is an enlarged top plan detail view 1~7239 illustrating a pair of ratchet teeth;

FIGURE 4 is a top view of the closure of FIGURE 2; and FIGURE 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view illustrating the heat and pressure seal of the overcap providing a frangible section.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
. _ Referring now to the drawings, there is fragmen-tarily illustrated a thermoplastic container 10 including a thermoplastic bottle 12 and bottle neck 14. Container 10 has a dispensing outlet extending through bottle neck 14. Container 10 contains sterile medical liquids, such as normal saline, sterile water or other commonly supplied hospital li~uids. A primary cap 16 is used to seal the dispensing outlet. The primary cap 16 may be of a known type, which is threadedly connected to the bottle neck, or it may be heat sealed to the bottle.
An overcap 18 is provided to enclose primary cap 16 and to form a hermetically sealed enclosure over primary cap 16. To this end, overcap 13 is fused to bottle neck 14.
Overcap 18 is formed of thermoplastic material of an inverted cup-shape initially having an annular radially outwardly extending flange positioned on bottle neck 14. The flange of the overcap has been removed from the overcap and forced into an annular bead 22 as a result of downward heat and pressure, which also forms a depression 23 around the top surface of neck 14. A
frangible section 24 is thus formed normal to depression 23 with frangible section 24 forming the vertical sidewall of depression 23. A chamfer 25 is provided adjacent frangible section 24~ Frangible section 24 forms a hermetic seal between the overcap 19 and container 10.
~ n outer ring 30 is positioned over overcap 18 and is provided with complementary internal threads 36 operatively associated with the external threads 32 on overcap 18. Outer ring 30 has a knurled portion 37 to aid in grasping and turning. The threads are preferably left-hand threads so that counterclockwise rotation of the outer ring will move the outer ring downwardly with respect to the overcap. The outer ring is assembled so that its bottom edge is adjacent the top surface (abut-ment surface) 23 of neck 14. When turned in the counter-clockwise direction, the outer ring will abut surface 23 and jack the overcap upwardly away to break the frangible section 24 in tension.
When the closure is assembled in the manner shown in FIGURE 2, the outer ring cannot be removed from the overcap by upward rotation of the outer ring. To this end, ratchet teeth 40 and 43 provide an interference mechanism for preventing upward rotation.
Outer ring teeth 40 include a flat side 42 normal to the inside cylindrical sidewall of the outer ring and inclined side 41 having an increasing slope ramp, one end ending at the junction of flat side 42 and the other at the junction with the inside cylindrical sidewall of outer ring 30. Overcap teeth 43 extend out-ward from the outside cylindxical sidewall of overcap 18.
Overcap teeth 43 include an inclined side 45, a flat side 44 which is normal to the outside cylindrical sidewall of the overcap, and a truncated surface 46. Outer ring teeth 40 may slide over surfaces 45 and 46 during rota-tion in the proper direction.

1~7Z39 The distance between the outside cylindrical sidewall of the overcap 18 and the inside cylindrical sidewall of the outer ring 30 as measured in the plane in which the respective teeth of each lie is such that, as illustrated in FIGURE 3, the teeth 40, 43 must over-lap. The proper direction of rotation of the outer ring 35 as viewed in FIGURE 3 is counterclockwise with respect to overcap 19. Proper rotation of the outer ring will cause the inclined side 41 of outer ring teeth 40 to come into contact with the inclined side 45 of overcap teeth 43. Continuing rotation in the proper direction, each tooth 40 will begin to travel upward along the sloping side 45 of a tooth 43, which is allowed by the outward deformation of the outer ring. Slight deforma-tion of the overcap 18 may also occur. The deformation continues until the tip of tooth 40 reaches the flat surface 46 of tooth 43. As tooth 40 slides past the flat surface 46 of tooth 43, tooth 40 snaps back into its normal position as the outer ring returns to its original shape. Thereby rotation of the outer ring in the proper counterclockwise direction is permitted.
Clockwise rotation or rotation in the wrong direction will cause the flat surface 42 of each tooth 40 to abut the flat side 44 of a tooth 43 thereby causing an interference to the rotation of the outer ring.
Therefore, once the outer ring is in the position of abutting the abutment means 23 on the bottle neck thereby aligning the outer ring teeth and the overcap teeth in the same plane, the ratchet mechanism is completed captivating the outer ring.

In assembling the outer ring 30 over the overcap 18, the outer ring is screwed downward over the overcap ~lW7~39 until the bottom edge 50 of the outer ring rests upon depressed surface 23 of bottle neck 14. As the outer ring is screwed onto the overcap, the outer ring deforms slightly enabling the inclined teeth on the outer ring to slide over the inclined teeth on the overcap.
With the bottom edge 50 of the outer ring resting on the bottle neck, both sets of ratchet teeth 40, 43 lie in the same plane. Thus, rotation of the outer ring 30 in the downward direction with respect to the overcap 18 is not inhibited by the ratchet mechanism, because the teeth are inclined to allow the teeth 40 of the outer ring 30 to pass over the teeth 43 of the overcap 18.
However, rotation in the wrong direction is inhibited because the flat sides 42, 44 of the ratchet teeth 40, 43, respectively, engage thereby restricting further rotation of the outer ring. In this manner, removal of the outer ring 30 without ~acking the overcap 18 upwardly to break the seal is prevented.
Although an illustrative embodiment of the inven-tion has been shown and described, it is to be understood that various modifications and substitutions may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the novel spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims (9)

    WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:
  1. Claim 1. A hermetically sealed container for storing and dispensing sterile liquids, which comprises:
    a bottle with a neck defining a dispensing outlet, said bottle having a transverse abutment means on the neck surrounding the outlet; an overcap having a cylindrical sidewall and a top wall fitted on said bottle neck enclosing said dispensing outlet, said overcap being hermetically sealed to said bottle neck; an outer ring threadedly interfitted over said overcap and adapted for rotation in the downward direction to exert a downward force against said abutment means to jack said overcap off said bottle neck; and a ratchet mechanism having teeth on both said overcap and said outer ring so as to prevent rotation of the outer ring in a direction which would cause the outer ring to move away from the bottle neck.
  2. Claim 2. A container as described in Claim 1, wherein said overcap and bottle are formed of thermo-plastic material and said hermetic seal comprises a heat fused seal between said overcap and said bottle neck.
  3. Claim 3. A container as described in Claim 1, wherein said outer ring is formed of a thermoplastic material enabling said outer ring to deform as the teeth in the ratchet mechanism slide over one another.
  4. Claim 4. A container as described in Claim 1, wherein the outer surface of said outer ring is knurled to assist in turning said outer ring.
  5. Claim 5. A container as described in Claim 1, wherein said ratchet mechanism comprises teeth having an inclined side and a generally flat side, the teeth on said overcap and said outer ring arranged such that (a) with rotation of the outer ring in the downward direction the inclined sides of the teeth pass over each other and (b) with rotation of the outer ring in the opposite direc-tion the flat sides of the teeth abut thereby preventing further rotation of the outer ring in said opposite direction.
  6. Claim 6. A hermetically sealed container, which comprises: a bottle with a neck defining a dispensing outlet, said bottle having a transverse abutment means on the neck surrounding the outlet; a cup-shaped overcap having a cylindrical sidewall and a top wall hermetically bonded to the bottle neck, said overcap enclosing an inner primary seal and having teeth projecting outward on the outside cylindrical sidewall near the top of said overcap, each tooth having an inclined side and an abut-ment side; an outer ring threadedly interfitting over said overcap and adapted for rotation in the downward direction to exert a downward force against said abutment means on the bottle neck and jack said overcap off said bottle neck, said outer ring having teeth projecting inwardly on the inside cylindrical sidewall near the top of the outer ring, each tooth having an inclined side and an abutment side; said teeth positioned such that the teeth on the overcap and the teeth on the outer ring lie in a common plane initially and operate in conjunction with each other to allow rotation of the outer ring in the downward direction by the outer ring teeth sliding over the overcap teeth but preventing rotation in the upward direction of the outer ring by an interference created by the abutment side of the outer ring teeth and the abutment side of the overcap teeth.
  7. Claim 7. A container as described in Claim 6, wherein said outer ring, overcap and bottle are formed of thermoplastic material.
  8. Claim 8. A container as described in Claim 6, wherein said outer ring is formed of a thermoplastic material enabling said outer ring to deform as the outer ring teeth and the overcap teeth pass over each other.
  9. Claim 9. An improvement as described in Claim 6, wherein the outer surface of said outer ring is knurled to assist in turning said outer ring.
CA298,771A 1977-03-14 1978-03-13 Antibackoff threaded ring closure using ratchet means Expired CA1107239A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US777,751 1977-03-14
US05/777,751 US4091949A (en) 1977-03-14 1977-03-14 Antibackoff threaded ring closure using ratchet means

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA1107239A true CA1107239A (en) 1981-08-18

Family

ID=25111145

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA298,771A Expired CA1107239A (en) 1977-03-14 1978-03-13 Antibackoff threaded ring closure using ratchet means

Country Status (5)

Country Link
US (1) US4091949A (en)
CA (1) CA1107239A (en)
DE (1) DE2811090A1 (en)
FR (1) FR2383848A1 (en)
GB (1) GB1580307A (en)

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CA1112417A (en) * 1978-03-13 1981-11-17 David A. Winchell Method of making frangible seal
US4467930A (en) * 1982-04-06 1984-08-28 Baxter Travenol Laboratories, Inc. Overmolded closure seal
US4441620A (en) * 1982-06-28 1984-04-10 Baxter Travenol Laboratories, Inc. Heatseal plug with resealing feature
US4778070A (en) * 1987-04-23 1988-10-18 James Walker Tamper-evident bottle cap cover
US4991733A (en) * 1989-09-25 1991-02-12 West Penn Plastic, Inc. Closure and container having pass over inter-engaging ratchet teeth
NL1004059C2 (en) * 1996-09-18 1998-03-19 Plastic Moulding Appliances B Assembly of container and snap closure and method for the manufacture thereof.
US7168581B2 (en) 2001-12-21 2007-01-30 Rexam Medical Packaging Inc. Closure for a retort processed container having a peelable seal
WO2004005156A1 (en) * 2002-07-03 2004-01-15 Crown Packaging Technology, Inc. Water-soluble container
US7644902B1 (en) 2003-05-31 2010-01-12 Rexam Medical Packaging Inc. Apparatus for producing a retort thermal processed container with a peelable seal
US20050070853A1 (en) * 2003-08-25 2005-03-31 Brian Gatton Medicament dispensing assembly
MY137973A (en) 2003-10-31 2009-04-30 Obrist Closures Switzerland A tamper-evident closure
EP1773674B1 (en) * 2004-06-23 2014-02-12 Obrist Closures Switzerland GmbH Method of sealing a container with a wadless closure
MXPA06014641A (en) * 2004-06-30 2008-03-11 Obrist Closures Switzerland Dispensing closure.
US7798359B1 (en) 2004-08-17 2010-09-21 Momar Industries LLC Heat-sealed, peelable lidding membrane for retort packaging
ATE525305T1 (en) * 2005-04-29 2011-10-15 Obrist Closures Switzerland CLOSURE WITH ORIGINALITY SECURITY
US8100277B1 (en) 2005-07-14 2012-01-24 Rexam Closures And Containers Inc. Peelable seal for an opening in a container neck
US7780024B1 (en) 2005-07-14 2010-08-24 Rexam Closures And Containers Inc. Self peel flick-it seal for an opening in a container neck
US20070267379A1 (en) * 2005-11-22 2007-11-22 Palm-N-Turn, Llc Reversible two-function cap for vial
GB0608433D0 (en) * 2006-04-28 2006-06-07 Obrist Closures Switzerland Closure with RFID device
GB2450940B (en) * 2007-07-13 2011-11-30 Obrist Closures Switzerland Tamper-evident closure
GB2450939B (en) 2007-07-13 2012-02-01 Obrist Closures Switzerland Tamper-Evident closure
US20090057260A1 (en) * 2007-08-27 2009-03-05 Sunil Mohindra Tamper-Evident Container
GB0721330D0 (en) * 2007-10-31 2007-12-12 Obrist Closures Switzerland Tamper Evident closure
US8251236B1 (en) 2007-11-02 2012-08-28 Berry Plastics Corporation Closure with lifting mechanism
US20100320168A1 (en) * 2008-02-19 2010-12-23 Martin Carey Bull Child-resistant closure
GB0806190D0 (en) * 2008-04-04 2008-05-14 Obrist Closures Switzerland A closure
GB0816643D0 (en) * 2008-09-11 2008-10-22 Obrist Closures Switzerland A closure
USD630093S1 (en) 2010-06-11 2011-01-04 Obrist Closures Switzerland Gmbh Closure
US9758281B2 (en) 2014-03-06 2017-09-12 Fisher Scientific Company, L.L.C. Tamper-evident closure assembly having two tamper-evidencing members, and related methods
US10035627B2 (en) * 2014-06-06 2018-07-31 Fisher Scientific Company, L.L.C. Tamper-evident closure assembly including outer shell, and related systems and methods
US9586730B2 (en) * 2014-06-06 2017-03-07 Fisher Scientific Company, L.L.C. Tamper-evident closure assembly including outer shell, and related systems and methods
US10173814B1 (en) 2014-07-03 2019-01-08 Tot Years LLC Bottle with storable flexible spout
US9499315B1 (en) * 2014-07-03 2016-11-22 Tot Years LLC Bottle with storable flexible spout
US11905082B2 (en) * 2021-12-07 2024-02-20 Owens-Brockway Glass Container Inc. Child-resistant, pressurizable, and resealable package

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US2950832A (en) * 1957-01-10 1960-08-30 Brune Herbert Screw closure with safety ring
US3923184A (en) * 1973-03-07 1975-12-02 American Hospital Supply Corp Double screw cap system for sterile medical liquid container and method of opening same
US3923182A (en) * 1973-03-07 1975-12-02 American Hospital Supply Corp Frangible closure system for medical liquid container
US3923183A (en) * 1973-03-07 1975-12-02 American Hospital Supply Corp Container for medical liquid with separable outer and inner closures
US3923179A (en) * 1973-03-07 1975-12-02 American Hospital Supply Corp Medical liquid container with tactile sterility indicator and method of testing container
US3923185A (en) * 1973-03-07 1975-12-02 American Hospital Supply Corp Pouring container with double cap protector for sterile dispensing lip
BE802220A (en) * 1973-07-16 1973-11-05 Astra Plastique DOUBLE STOPPER CLOSURE FOR VIALS, BOTTLES AND SIMILAR CONTAINERS
US3945525A (en) * 1974-06-06 1976-03-23 American Hospital Supply Corporation Closure system for medical liquid container having low-torque breakaway ring

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB1580307A (en) 1980-12-03
DE2811090A1 (en) 1978-09-28
FR2383848A1 (en) 1978-10-13
US4091949A (en) 1978-05-30
FR2383848B1 (en) 1983-03-18

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