CONTAINER TOP AND A METHOD OF PROTECTING A CONTAINER TOP SEPTUM
A container top having an integral cover, for example, an integral dust cover, is provided. The container top includes a cap having a cylindrical skirt with a top, a bottom, a first outside diameter at the top of the skirt, a second outside diameter at the bottom of the skirt, and an inside surface adapted to engage a container; and a ring mounted to the top of the cylindrical skirt, the ring having an opening; and a cover removably mounted to the cap and occluding the opening in the ring. The container top may include a septum positioned in the opening, for example, a septum that can be pierced with a syringe. The container cap may be used in a wide range of industries, for example, the medical, pharmaceutical, the general scientific community, or in any industry where liquid or gaseous samples are handled.
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The present invention relates to a perforated cap having an integral cover. More particularly, the present invention relates to a perforated cap having a flexible septum and a removable protective cover protecting the flexible septum during handling and storage.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONContainer caps having apertures in their tops and flexible sealing elements mounted across the apertures are common in the medical, pharmaceutical, and general scientific community for storing samples, sera, and other liquid or gaseous contents. The flexible sealing element, or septum, typically provides a fluid-tight seal between the apertured cap and the container, for example, a vial, to which the cap is mounted while permitting access to the inside of the container by piercing the septum with, for example, a syringe, to introduce a fluid or withdraw a fluid.
Due to the nature of the contents of these vials or containers in the medical and pharmaceutical fields, among others, it is typically imperative that such caps and septa be protected from pollutants and contaminants during use, transfer, storage, and other handling. For example, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established standards under 40 C.F.R. § 136 entitled “Guidelines for Establishing Test Procedures for the Analysis of Pollutants” and 40 C.F.R. § 141 entitled “National Interim Primary Drinking Water Regulations: Control of Trihalomethanes in Drinking Water,” among others, which describe acceptable testing procedures for the handling of samples during water analysis. These EPA standards specify a vial/cap/septum construction as well as detailed cleaning and sampling procedure that are designed to ensure that the sample is not contaminated or lost prior to analysis. These EPA regulations specify an open top cap and a septum comprised of silicone rubber laminated with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), for example, Dupont's Teflon PTFE, where the face of the PTFE lamination is exposed to the sample in the vial.
Among other things, these EPA procedures specify that the exposed elastomeric septum in the cap be protected from contamination during shipping, storage, and other handling. According to conventional practice, the caps and septa are typically protected by a removal cap or “dust cover,” for example, as shown and described with respect to
However, these removable dust covers and caps to which the dust covers are mounted are typically provided by separate suppliers and, prior to assembly by the end user, must each be cleaned. In accordance with conventional practice, the end user typically washes both the dust cover and the cap prior to assembly. This washing and handling by the end user is not only labor intensive, but also introduces the potential of introducing undesirable contaminants, including moisture, between the dust cover and the cap during the washing and handling process. Therefore, there exists a need for a cap having an integrated dust cover that overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art. Aspects of the present invention address this need while having other advantages compared to the prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAspects of the present invention eliminate the need of a separate dust cover and its consequent handling and washing. One aspect of the invention is a container top comprising a cap with a cylindrical skirt having a top, a bottom, a first outside diameter at the top of the skirt, a second outside diameter at the bottom of he skirt, and an inside surface adapted to engage a container; and a ring mounted to the top of the cylindrical skirt, the ring having an opening; and a cover removably mounted to the cap and occluding the opening in the ring, the cover having substantially no structure extending beyond the first outside diameter of the skirt. In one aspect, the container top further includes a septum positioned in the cap to occlude the opening in the ring. In another aspect, the ring includes a first annular retaining structure, such as, an annular recess or an annular projection, and the cover includes a complementary second annular retaining structure adapted to engage the first annular retaining structure to retain the cover on the ca. In another aspect, the first annular retaining structure and the second annular retaining structure comprise the only means of engagement between the cap and the cover.
Another aspect of the invention is a method of protecting a cap septum including providing a cap comprising a cylindrical skirt having top, a bottom, a first outside diameter at the top of the skirt, and a second outside diameter at the bottom of the skirt; and a ring mounted to the top of the cylindrical skirt, the ring having an opening; inserting a septum into the cap wherein the septum occludes the opening; mounting the cap with the septum on a container wherein at least some of the septum is exposed through the opening in the ring; and mounting a removable cover on the cap to protect the septum while providing no structure extending beyond the first outside diameter of the skirt. In one aspect, the cap further comprises a first annular retaining structure and the cover comprises a second annular retaining structure, and wherein mounting the removable cover on the cap comprise engaging the first annular retaining structure with the second annular retaining structure.
A further aspect of the invention is a container top having a cap including a cylindrical skirt having a top, a bottom, a first outside diameter at the top of the skirt, a second outside diameter at the bottom of the skirt, and an inside surface adapted to engage a container; and a ring mounted to the top of the cylindrical skirt, the ring having an opening and a first annular retaining structure; and a cover removably mounted to the cap and occluding the opening in the ring, the cover having a second annular retaining structure adapted to engage the first annular retaining structure of the ring to retain the cover on the cap. In one aspect, the container top further comprises a septum positioned in the cap to occlude the opening in the ring. In another aspect, the first annular retaining structure comprises one of an annular recess and an annular projection. In one aspect, the cover comprises substantially no structure extending beyond the first outside diameter of the skirt.
These and other aspects, features, and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the various aspects of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings
The subject matter, which is regarded as the invention, is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at the conclusion of the specification. The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be readily understood from the following detailed description of aspects of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
However, the presence, handling, and manipulation of dust cover 12 can be problematic. For example, dust cover 12 may be made from a material that can contaminate cap assembly 10, specifically contaminate septum 20. For example, when dust cover 12 is fabricated from an inadequate thermoplastic, the dust cover 12 can react or otherwise contaminate the material from which septum 20 is made, for example, a silicone rubber. Also, the presence of dust cover 12 upon arrival at a facility requires that dust cover 12 be removed from cap assembly 10, discarded, or washed with cap assembly 12 prior to use or re-use. For these and other disadvantages of the prior art shown in
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According to an aspect of the invention, skirt 34 includes a first outside diameter 46 at the top 36 of skirt 34, a second outside diameter 48 at the bottom 38 of skirt 34, a height 49, and an inside surface 50 adapted to engage a container (not shown), for example, a bottle similar to bottle 14 shown in
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In a fashion similar to annular retaining structure 52 of cap 32, cover 33 includes an annular retaining structure 58, for example, a second annular retaining structure, adapted to engage an annular retaining structure, for example, a second annular retaining structure, in cap 32, for example, annular retaining structure 52 discussed above. In one aspect, the annular retaining structure 58 of cover 33 may be associated with annular or ring portion 56, for example, annular retaining structure 58 may be mounted on the inside diameter or the outside diameter of annular portion 58. In one aspect of the invention, annular retaining structure 58 may comprise one or more annular recesses or one or more annular projections, for example, one substantially continuous annular recess or projection. For instance, as shown in
According to an aspect of the present invention, cover 33 is removably mounted to cap 32 and occludes opening 42 in ring 40 of cap 32. Moreover, cover 33 may include substantially no structure extending beyond the first or upper outside diameter 46 of skirt 34. For example, cover 33 may be so mounted to cap 32 that the outside diameter 60 of cover 33 is substantially no greater than the first outside diameter 46 of skirt 34. By providing cover 33 within the dimensions of cap 32, several advantages are provided, including limiting the modification of the molding tooling required to fabricate cap 32 and ensuring compatibility with existing cap and bottle handling equipment, for example, automated handling equipment, among other advantages. It is to be understood that, though in one aspect of the invention, outside diameter 60 of cover 30 may be substantially no greater than the first outside diameter 46 of skirt 34, practical considerations of manufacturing tolerances, material flexibility, and other material deviations, among other things, may create an outside diameter 60 somewhat greater than first outside diameter 46. Since such minor deviations may still effect one aspect of the desired invention, that is, compatibility with existing tooling and handling equipment, it will be understood by those of skill in the art that such deviations are within the scope of the present invention.
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Similar to the aspect of the invention illustrated in and described with respect to
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Container covers 10 and 100 may be fabricated from any conventional metallic or non-metallic material, but is typically fabricated from plastic. For example, container covers 10 and 100 may be fabricated from one or more of the following plastics: a polyamide (PA), for example, nylon; a polyamide-imide; a polyethylene (PE); a polypropylene (PP); a polyester (PE); a polytetraflouroethylene (PTFE); an acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS); a polycarbonate (PC); or a vinyl, such as, polyvinylchloride (PVC), among other plastics.
The outside diameter 60 of cover 33, the outside diameters 46 and 48 of cap 32, the outside diameter 76 of cover 63, and the outside diameter 90 of cap 62 may vary from about 0.25 inches to about 12 inches, but are typically between about 0.5 inches and about 3 inches, for example, about 1 inch. The thickness of membrane portion 54 of cover 33 and the thickness of membrane portion 84 of cover 63 may vary from about 0.01 inches to about 1.0 inch, but is typically between about 0.010 inches and about 0.020 inches, for example, about 0.015 inches. The height 49 of cap 32 and the height 79 of cap 62 may vary from about 0.25 inches to about 6 inches, but is typically between about 0.40 inches and about 0.75 inches, for example, about 0.60 inches.
According to aspects of the invention, container covers 10 and 100 provide improvements over the container covers according to the prior art, in particular, when container covers 10 and 100 include flexible septa. Aspects of these inventions minimize or eliminate the need to handle and wash separate dust covers while imposing little or no impact upon the manufacture and handling of such container covers. These and other advantages of aspects of the invention will be apparent to those of skill in the art.
While several aspects of the present invention have been described and depicted herein, alternative aspects may be effected by those skilled in the art to accomplish the same objectives. Accordingly, it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such alternative aspects as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.
Claims
1. A container top comprising:
- a cap comprising: a cylindrical skirt having a top, a bottom, a first outside diameter at the top of the skirt, a second outside diameter at the bottom of the skirt, and an inside surface adapted to engage a container; and a ring mounted to the top of the cylindrical skirt, the ring having an opening; and
- a cover removably mounted to the cap and occluding the opening in the ring, the cover having substantially no structure extending beyond the first outside diameter of the skirt.
2. The container top as recited in claim 1, wherein the container top further comprises a septum positioned in the cap to occlude the opening in the ring.
3. The container top as recited in claim 1, wherein the ring comprises a first annular retaining structure and the cover comprises a second annular retaining structure adapted to engage the first annular retaining structure to retain the cover on the cap.
4. The container top as recited in claim 3, wherein the first annular retaining structure on the ring comprises an annular recess and the second annular retaining structure on the cover comprises an annular projection adapted to engage the annular recess.
5. The container top as recited in claim 4, wherein the ring comprises an inside diameter and an outside diameter, and wherein the annular recess on the ring is positioned on one of the insider diameter and the outside diameter of the ring.
6. The container top as recited in claim 5, wherein the annular recess is positioned on the outside diameter of the ring.
7. The container top as recited in claim 3, wherein the first annular retaining structure on the ring comprises an annular projection and the second annular retaining structure on the cover comprises an annular recess adapted to engage the annular projection on the ring.
8. The container top as recited in claim 7, wherein the ring comprises an inside diameter and an outside diameter, and wherein the annular projection on the ring is positioned on one of the insider diameter and the outside diameter of the ring.
9. The container top as recited in claim 8, wherein the annular projection is positioned on the outside diameter of the ring.
10. The container top as recited in claim 1, wherein the second outside diameter of the skirt is greater than the first outside diameter of the skirt.
11. The container top as recited in claim 1, wherein the first annular retaining structure and the second annular retaining structure comprise the only means of engagement between the cap and the cover.
12. A method of protecting a cap septum comprising:
- providing a cap comprising: a cylindrical skirt having top, a bottom, a first outside diameter at the top of the skirt, and a second outside diameter at the bottom of the skirt; and a ring mounted to the top of the cylindrical skirt, the ring having an opening; inserting a septum into the cap wherein the septum occludes the opening; mounting the cap with the septum on a container wherein at least some of the septum is exposed through the opening in the ring; and mounting a removable cover on the cap to protect the septum while providing no structure extending beyond the first outside diameter of the skirt.
13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the cap further comprises a first annular retaining structure and the cover comprises a second annular retaining structure, and wherein mounting the removable cover on the cap comprise engaging the first annular retaining structure with the second annular retaining structure.
14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the first annular retaining structure on the cap comprises a annular recess and the second annular retaining structure on the cover comprises an annular projection, and wherein engaging the first annular retaining structure with the second annular retaining structure comprises engaging the annular recess and the annular projection.
15. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the first annular retaining structure on the cap comprises an annular projection and the second annular retaining structure on the cover comprises an annular recess, and wherein engaging the first annular retaining structure with the second annular retaining structure comprises engaging the annular projection and annular recess.
16. A container top comprising:
- a cap having: a cylindrical skirt having a top, a bottom, a first outside diameter at the top of the skirt, a second outside diameter at the bottom of the skirt, and an inside surface adapted to engage a container; and a ring mounted to the top of the cylindrical skirt, the ring having an opening and a first annular retaining structure; and
- a cover removably mounted to the cap and occluding the opening in the ring, the cover having a second annular retaining structure adapted to engage the first annular retaining structure of the ring to retain the cover on the cap.
17. The container top as recited in claim 16, wherein the container top further comprises a septum positioned in the cap to occlude the opening in the ring.
18. The container top as recited in claim 17, wherein the first annular retaining structure comprises one of an annular recess and an annular projection.
19. The container top as recited in claim 17, wherein the first annular retaining structure on the ring comprises an annular recess and the second annular retaining structure on the cover comprises an annular projection.
20. The container top as recited in claim 16, wherein the cover comprises substantially no structure extending beyond the first outside diameter of the skirt.
Type: Application
Filed: Sep 12, 2007
Publication Date: Mar 12, 2009
Applicant: INTEGRATED LINER TECHNOLOGIES, INC (ALBANY, NY)
Inventors: PAUL M. PETROSINO (SCHOHARIE, NY), JAMES CROUCH (E. GREENBUSH, NY), KEVIN FRAKE (BRISTOL, PA), MICHAEL FAULKNER (GARDNER, MA)
Application Number: 11/854,203