Abstract:
The invention relates to a locking cap ( 1 ) made of a molded plastic material for a vessel ( 2 ) having a neck, intended for blocking a stopper ( 4 ) in said neck ( 3 ), including a wire-cap ( 6 ) adapted for surrounding the stopper ( 4 ) and the neck in the mounted configuration of the cap ( 1 ). The wire-cap includes first and second flexible tabs capable of being respectively blocked on the neck and on the stopper ( 4 ), said first tabs ( 8 ) being offset relative to said second tabs ( 9 ) in an axial direction relative to said neck ( 3 ). The cap ( 1 ) also includes a ring ( 7 ) surrounding the wire-cap ( 6 ) for preventing access to said tabs from outside the ring ( 7 ). The ring ( 7 ) and the wire-cap ( 6 ) are designed so as to be fitted and locked together. The tabs ( 8, 9 ) of the wire-cap are respectively arranged at an angle in first and second openings ( 13, 14 ) which are formed by the mesh of the wire-cap ( 6 ), and in which the tabs ( 8, 9 ) can disappear when mounting the cap ( 1 ) on the neck ( 3).

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application is a U.S. National Phase Patent Application based on International Application Serial No. PCT/EP2010/061982 filed Aug. 17, 2010, the disclosure of which is hereby explicitly incorporated by reference herein. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention concerns a locking cover made of a molded plastic material for a vessel having a neck. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    Patent document FR-2893922 discloses a locking cover as described above, in which the cage has a peripheral ring (503A) connected by its bottom edge alternatively to locking tongues of the neck (503G) and to arms (503D) provided with locking tongues for locking onto the stopper. Between the ring and the locking tongues there is a peripheral seat in which is inserted a locking element that pushes the tongues back onto the neck and thus fastens the cover on the neck. This, therefore, constitutes a two-stage locking process for locking the cover on the vessel. A disadvantage of this locking cover is that its production by molding entails a large amount of material and a complex mold. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The present invention concerns a locking cover made of a molded plastic material for a vessel having a neck, intended to fix a stopper in the neck of the vessel, comprising a cage adapted to surround the stopper and the neck in the mounted configuration of the cover, said cage having first flexible tongues adapted to fix themselves to the neck of the vessel and second flexible tongues adapted to fix themselves to the stopper, said first tongues being offset from said second tongues in a given axial direction relative to the neck of the vessel, said cover further comprising a ring that surrounds the cage in such a way as to prevent access to said first and second tongues from outside the ring. 
         [0007]    The invention applies more particularly to a locking cover for a necked vessel used particularly in the medical field, in which an elastomeric or rubber stopper is inserted in the neck of the vessel to close the latter in a leaktight manner and, if need be, to keep its contents sterile. Access to the contents of the vessel is obtained by inserting a needle in the stopper through the center of the cover without removing the stopper, thus eliminating any risk of contamination of the contents. The cover thus serves as a safety link between the stopper and the neck of the vessel. 
         [0008]    The object of the invention is to offer another locking cover for a vessel having a neck, which can be mounted on the neck quickly and easily, while at the same time being simple and inexpensive to produce. 
         [0009]    To this end, the invention is directed to a locking cover made of a molded plastic material for a vessel having a neck, intended to fix a stopper in the neck of the vessel, comprising a cage adapted to surround the stopper and the neck in the mounted configuration of the cover, said cage having first flexible tongues adapted to fix themselves to the neck of the vessel and second flexible tongues adapted to fix themselves to the stopper, said first tongues being offset from said second tongues in a given axial direction of the cover, said cover further comprising a ring that surrounds the cage in such a way as to prevent access to said first and second tongues from outside the ring, characterized in that the ring and the cage are designed to nest one inside the other and to interlock, the ring coming to surround the cage, and in that said first and second tongues of the cage are disposed slantingly respectively in the first and the second openings which are formed by the mesh openings of the cage and into which said tongues can deflect as the cover is being mounted on the neck of the vessel. 
         [0010]    With an arrangement of this kind, the locking cover is easy to mount on the neck of the vessel: once the cage has been introduced into and locked inside the ring and the stopper has then been inserted in the cage and locked in place by means of the second tongues, the cover, with the stopper, is then simply inserted onto the neck by the application of axial pressure until the first tongues lock onto the neck. The result, therefore, is a locking cover that is easy to mount on the neck of the vessel and permits quick, easy access to the contents of the vessel by way of the stopper. 
         [0011]    In addition, the locking cover can be produced very easily and economically by molding the cage and the ring in respective double-cavity, single-core molds. 
         [0012]    A locking cover according to the invention can advantageously have the following particularities:
       it is provided with breakaway regions for breaking away the cage, disposed on one and the other side of each first tongue;   the ring has a continuous cylindrical surface with internal guide bosses disposed to insert in the openings of the cage;   the interlock device of the cage and the ring is a catch and notch arrangement;   the ring has a central aperture intended to be closed by a removable cap adapted to snap onto the ring.       
 
         [0017]    In one form thereof, the present invention provides a locking cover made of a molded plastic material for a vessel having a neck, intended to fix a stopper in the neck of the vessel, including a cage adapted to surround the stopper and the neck in the mounted configuration of the cover, the cage having first flexible tongues adapted to fix themselves to the neck of the vessel and second flexible tongues adapted to fix themselves to the stopper, the first tongues being offset from the second tongues in a given axial direction of the cover, the cover further including a ring that surrounds the cage in such a way as to prevent access to the first and second tongues from outside the ring, characterized in that the ring and the cage are designed to nest one inside the other and to interlock, the ring coming to surround the cage, and in that the first and second tongues of the cage are disposed slantingly respectively in the first and the second openings which are formed by the mesh openings of the cage and into which the tongues can deflect as the cover is being mounted on the neck of the vessel. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0018]    The above mentioned and other features and objects of this invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the invention itself will be better understood by reference to the following description of embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
           [0019]      FIG. 1  is a schematic representation in axial section of a locking cover according to the invention, mounted on a stopper inserted in a necked vessel; 
           [0020]      FIG. 2  is a schematic perspective view of the cage of the locking cover according to the invention; 
           [0021]      FIG. 3  is a schematic perspective view of the ring of the locking cover according to the invention; 
           [0022]      FIG. 4  is another schematic perspective view of the ring from  FIG. 3 ; 
           [0023]      FIG. 5  is a schematic perspective view of the cap of the locking cover according to the invention; 
           [0024]      FIG. 6  is another schematic perspective view of the cap from  FIG. 5 ; and 
           [0025]      FIG. 7  is a schematic representation in axial section of the locking cover according to the invention, closed by a cap and mounted on a stopper. 
       
    
    
       [0026]    Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. Although the exemplifications set out herein illustrate embodiments of the invention, in several forms, the embodiments disclosed below are not intended to be exhaustive or to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention to the precise forms disclosed. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0027]    Represented in  FIG. 1  is a locking cover  1  for a vessel  2  having a neck  3  according to the invention, intended to fix a stopper  4  in the neck  3  of the vessel  2 , said cover  1  being shown here in a mounted position in which it is merely placed on the neck  3  without being locked. 
         [0028]    The neck  3 , which here has a circular opening, has at its end a peripheral outer lip  5  to which the locking cover  1  fixes itself when the cover  1  is locked on the neck  3  of the vessel  2 . The stopper  4  here has a conventional, generally cylindrical, “T” shape, with a head  4 A and a foot  4 B, the head being slightly larger in diameter than the foot  4 B, such that when the foot  4 B of the stopper  4  is inserted in the neck  3 , the head  4 A abuts against the lip  5  of the neck  3 . 
         [0029]    As can be seen in  FIG. 1 , the locking cover  1  comprises a cage  6  adapted to surround the stopper  4  and the neck  3 , in the locked configuration of the cover  1  on the vessel  2 , and a ring  7  adapted to nest over the cage  6 , surrounding it. The cage  6  serves to fix the stopper  4  in the neck  3  by means of flexible tongues  8 ,  9  disposed on the periphery of the cage  6 . In the mounted configuration of the cover  1 , the ring  7  laterally overlaps the cage  6  completely, thereby preventing any access to the cage  6  and the tongues  8 ,  9  from outside the ring  7 . In addition, the cover  1  is provided with a removable safety cap  23  adapted to snap onto the ring  7  to prevent access to the stopper  4 . 
         [0030]    As can be seen in  FIG. 2 , the cage  6  comprises two circlets  10 ,  11  connected to each other by a plurality of substantially identical arms  12  extending in an axial direction A and forming between them first and second openings  13 ,  14  corresponding to the mesh openings of the cage  6 . 
         [0031]    Depicted here are a first, lower circlet  10  that is to be inserted first into the neck  3  of the vessel  2 , and a second, upper circlet  11 , which is preferably smaller in diameter than the first circlet  10  and is intended to rest on an upper portion  4 C of the head  4 A of the stopper  4  when the cover  1  is mounted on the stopper  4 . Circlet  11  defines, at the center of the cage  6 , an aperture  11 A—here circular—that is coaxial with the neck  3  of the vessel  2  when the cover  1  is placed on the neck  3 , to permit access to the stopper  4  and the vessel  2 . 
         [0032]    It will be understood that circlet  11  and the arms  12  are sufficiently rigid so that they do not collapse as the cage  6  is inserted in the ring  7 . 
         [0033]    Shown here are six arms  12  evenly distributed over the periphery of the circlets  10 ,  11 , but their number can vary without departing from the framework of the invention. 
         [0034]    As visible in  FIG. 2 , first flexible tongues  8  adapted to fix themselves to the neck  3  of the vessel  2  and second flexible tongues  9  adapted to fix themselves to the stopper  4 —here, three of each—are disposed, preferably in alternation, on the periphery of circlet  10  between two consecutive arms  12 . 
         [0035]    The first and second tongues  8 ,  9  are disposed slantingly in, respectively, the first and the second openings  13 ,  14  formed by the mesh openings of the cage  6 , and are supported by circlet  10  and extend toward the inside of the cage  6  and in the direction of second circlet  11 . In this way, when the cage  6  is inserted onto the neck  3  or the stopper  4 , the first and second tongues  8 ,  9  can, in a first stage, deflect elastically into the first and the second openings  13 ,  14 , respectively, assuming a position substantially parallel to the arms  12 , and then, in a second stage, resume their slanted position to lock the cage  6  respectively on the neck  3  or on the stopper  4 . 
         [0036]    As visible in  FIG. 2 , the first tongues  8  are offset in axial direction A with respect to the second tongues  9 . More precisely, the second tongues  9  are raised in the direction of the second circlet  11 , such that the distance between the end of a second tongue  9  and circlet  11  substantially corresponds to the height of the head  4 A of the stopper  4 , so as to lock the head  4 A of the stopper  4  between second tongues  9  and circlet  11 . Likewise, the distance between the end of a first tongue  8  and circlet  11  is adapted to lock the first tongues  8  against the lip  5  of the neck  3  of the vessel  2  when the cover  1  is locked on the neck  3 . 
         [0037]    As represented in  FIG. 2 , disposed on one and the other side of each first tongue  8  are regions  10 A of first circlet  10  that are relatively thin compared to the thickness of the mesh openings, thus forming cut-downs on each side of the tongue  8  and making these regions into breakaway regions that yield if an attempt is made to remove the cage  6  from the vessel  2 . It will be understood that regions  10 A represent the smallest wall section of the cage  6 . Thus, as the cover  1  is locked onto the neck  3  by the application of an axial or other force to the cage  6 , the first tongues  8  are retained by the lip  5 , thereby producing a torsion torque in regions  10 A. One or more of these regions  10 A can then break under the effect of the torsion and indicate that the vessel  2  has been opened. It will be noted that tongues  8  here are shaped in such a way that their height allows them to pass under the lip  5  of the neck  3  of the vessel  2 , and a pull exerted on the cage  6  causes them to rotate under the lip  5 , thus further increasing the torsion effect in regions  10 A. 
         [0038]    It will be noted that first tongues  8  and the corresponding openings  13  here are wider than second tongues  9  and the corresponding openings  14 , thus making it possible for the cage  6  to be fixed more firmly to the neck  3  than to the stopper  4 . 
         [0039]    As can be seen in  FIG. 2 , each arm  12  of the cage  6  is further provided with an outer positive catch  15  that extends outward toward the first circlet  10  and is intended to fasten the ring  7  on the cage  6 , the inclination of the catches  15  serving to facilitate the insertion of the cage  6  in the ring  7 . 
         [0040]    It can also be seen in  FIG. 2  that each arm  12  of the cage  6  is reinforced, at the level of its upper portion adjoining second circlet  11 , by an inner bulge  12 A intended to wedge the stopper  4  in place in the mounted position of the cover  1 . 
         [0041]    In addition, formed on circlet  10  of the cage  6 , opposite every second tongue  9 , are respective notches  16  (here, three in number) intended to assist in orienting the cage  6  with respect to an automatic assembly machine during the assembly of the cage  6  and the ring  7  to form the cover  1 . 
         [0042]      FIG. 3  represents the ring  7  in the form of a sleeve having a continuous, substantially cylindrical surface, which in the mounted configuration of the cover  1  surrounds the cage  6  to prevent access to the tongues  8 ,  9 . The ring  7  has an open bottom end  7 A that is to be inserted first onto the cage  6  and a top end  7 B that is partially closed, with the result that when the ring  7  is nested on the cage  6 , the top end  7 B of the ring  7  overlaps the cage  6  while at the same time leaving at the center of the ring  7  an aperture  17 , circular in this case, that is coaxial with the aperture  11 A of the cage  6 , and, when the cover is mounted on the neck  3 , coaxial with the neck  3 , to permit access to the stopper  4  and the vessel  2 . 
         [0043]    Ring  7  is provided on an inner wall  18  with notches  19  designed to cooperate with the catches  15  of the cage  6  to form an interlock device that locks the ring  7  on the cage  6 . The notches  19  are preferably blind, that is, they do not pass all the way through the wall  18  of the ring  7 , to make for a compact cover  1  and to keep impurities from getting inside the cover  1 . 
         [0044]    The ring  7  is further provided on its inner wall  18  with internal guides  20 ,  21  intended to interpose themselves between the arms  12  of the cage  6  to guide the positioning of the cage  6  relative to the ring  7  as the cage  6  is inserted in the ring  7 . It will be understood that the guides  20 ,  21  preferably have dimensions respectively adapted to openings  13 ,  14 , with a height in the axial direction A that is less than the height of openings  13 ,  14 , to enable the tongues  8 ,  9  to deflect into the openings  13 ,  14  when the cover  1  is inserted on the neck  3 . Represented here for each guide  20 ,  21  is a pair of respective bosses that position themselves laterally in a mesh opening of the cage  6  respectively against adjacent arms  12  of the cage  6  when the ring  7  and the cage  6  are nested one inside the other. These bosses here have a beveled shape on the side abutting an arm  12 , to further facilitate the guiding of the cage  6  into the ring  7 . 
         [0045]    As represented in  FIG. 4 , the top end  7 B of the ring  7  is provided with a shoulder  22 , circular in this case, which borders aperture  17  and is truncated to form two substantially parallel sides  22 A, thus providing a means of orienting the ring  7  relative to the automatic assembly machine. 
         [0046]      FIG. 5  shows the cap  23  seen from its external side  23 A (that is, the external side of cap  23  when it is snapped onto cover  1 ). Cap  23  here has the shape of a disk with raised wings  24  (three wings in this case), equipped on external side  23 A with gripping elements  25 , here in the form of reinforcing studs, to make the cap  23  easier to take hold of when it is to removed from the cover  1 . The gripping elements could also be in the form of circular-arc-shaped beads or any element in relief facilitating the grasping of the cap  23 . 
         [0047]      FIG. 6  shows the cap  23  from the internal side  23 A (that is, the side of the cap  23  that is in contact with the cover  1  when snapped onto the cover  1 ). An annular bead  26  is formed here at the center of the internal side  23 A of the cap  23  and is intended to be inserted in the aperture  17  of the ring  7 . When the cap  23  is snapped onto the cover  1 , the bead  26  is preferably bent back toward the outside, assuming an L-shaped profile, to hold the cap  23  on the cover  1  as described below. 
         [0048]    The cap  23  can be mounted initially on the ring  7  by snap fastening or welding, or by any other irreversible method of attachment known to those skilled in the art. For example, to mount the cap by snap fastening, the cap  23  is first inserted on the ring  7  by inserting the bead  26  into the aperture  17  of the ring  7 , and the assembly is then heated to deform the bead  26  in order to bend it around the upper portion  7 B of the ring  7  and give it its L-shaped profile, thus making it possible to jam the cap  23  onto the ring  7 , as is visible in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0049]    It will be understood that the overall cylindrical shape of the cage  6  and the ring  7  makes it possible for the cover  1  to adapt to all types of vessels  2  having a lipped circular neck  3 , and does not require orienting either the cover  1  or the stopper  4  on the neck  3 . 
         [0050]    The cage  6 , the ring  7  and the cap  23  of the cover  1  are preferably made by molding a plastic material, adapted to withstand a lyophilization process if need be. In particular, the plastic material of the cage  6  is hard, so that the torsion described earlier above causes the breakaway regions  10 A to break rather than just elastically deform. 
         [0051]    The respective shapes of the cage  6 , the ring  7  and the cap  23  are relatively simple, thus permitting the use of double-cavity molds with a single core and axial stripping, and, consequently, easy and inexpensive production. In addition, the simplified shapes of these elements advantageously make it possible to reduce the amount of material necessary for the production of the cover  1 . 
         [0052]    The assembly of the cover  1  and the stopper  4  will now be described with reference to  FIG. 7 . The first step is to insert the cap  23  onto the ring  7  and to secure it as described above, such that the cap  23  closes the aperture  17  of the ring  7 . The cage  6  is then inserted in direction A into the ring  7  provided with the cap  23 , the openings  13 ,  14  of the cage  6  being lined up with the respective guides  20 ,  21  of the ring  7 , until the catches  15  of the cage  6  seat in the notches  19  of the ring  7 . The aperture  11 A of the cage  6  is then closed by means of the cap  23 . 
         [0053]    The stopper  4  is then placed in the cover  1  easily and without effort, merely by applying axial pressure in direction A. The head  4 A of the stopper  4  is inserted in the cage  6  until the upper portion  4 C of the stopper  4  comes into contact with the upper circlet  11  of the cage  6 . As the stopper  4  is inserted, the second tongues  9  deform elastically to let the stopper past and then go back to their initial shape once the stopper  4  is in place, positively engaging behind the head  4 A of the stopper  4 , so as to lock the stopper  4  in the position indicated in  FIG. 4 . The stopper  4  is then fixed over its periphery in the cage  6  by the bulges  12 A, in the position indicated in  FIG. 7 . 
         [0054]    The assembly formed by the locking cover  1  and the stopper  4  can then be mounted on a vessel  2  by inserting the foot  4 B of the stopper  4  into the neck  3  of the vessel  2  simply by applying axial pressure to the cover  23  in direction A, thereby forcing the first tongues  8  to deform elastically in order to get past the lip  5  of the neck  3 , and then to resume their initial shape and thus positively engage behind the neck  3  and lock the cover  1  on the neck  3 . At the same time, the second tongues  9  partially deflect against the neck  3  of the vessel  2 . 
         [0055]    The result is a closure for the vessel  2  that is leaktight due to the stopper  4  and tamper-proof by virtue of the locking cover  1 , since the cage  6  serves to lock the stopper  4  in the neck  3  and the ring  7  prevents any access to the cage  6 , and in particular to the tongues  8 ,  9 . It will be appreciated that the cage  6  therefore serves as a link that fastens together the vessel  2 , the stopper  4  and the second ring  7  provided with the cap  23 , and that the second ring  7  serves as a safeguard. 
         [0056]    For some medical applications, it may be necessary to lyophilize the contents of the vessel  2 . In that case, after contents for lyophilization have been introduced into the sterile vessel  2 , the foot  4 B of the stopper  4  locked in the cover  1  is placed in the neck  3  without pushing it all the way in and without engaging the first tongues  8  on the neck  3 , in the position shown in  FIG. 1 . An opening  4 D in the foot  4 B of the stopper  4  (more visible in  FIG. 7 ) then makes it possible to proceed with the desired lyophilization. Once the lyophilization has been performed, the stopper  4  with the cover  1  can be pushed the rest of the way into the neck  3 , as indicated above, to hermetically seal the vessel  2 . 
         [0057]    When it is desired to access the contents of the vessel  2 , the cap  23  need only be removed to expose the respective apertures  11 A,  17  of the cage  6  and of the ring  7 , and thus the upper portion  4 C of the stopper  4 , into which a needle can be inserted to penetrate into the vessel  2 . The contents of the vessel  2  can then be used and, if need be, rehydrated. 
         [0058]    It will be understood that once the cap  23  has been removed it cannot be reattached to the locking cover  1 , so single use of the vessel  2  is assured. Furthermore, the locking cover  1  cannot be removed from the vessel  2  without damaging the breakaway regions  10 A of the cage  6 , which is readily visible and eliminates any risk of reuse of the vessel  2 . 
         [0059]    It will also be noted that since the stopper  4  is inserted in the cover  1  after the assembly of the cage  6 , the ring  7  and the cap  23  to form the cover  1 , the cover  1  and the stopper  4  can advantageously be stored separately before use. 
         [0060]    While this invention has been described as having a preferred design, the present invention can be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims.