Patent Publication Number: US-2021188495-A1

Title: Clamp ring for lid

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent App. No. 62/950,628, filed Dec. 19, 2019, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     The present disclosure generally relates to containers and more particularly for a clamp ring for retaining a lid on a container. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Various types of containers require a lid to be maintained over a mouth of the container. Clamp rings are sometimes used to hold lids in place on container mouths. The clamp rings are not user friendly and require significant force to install and remove. Improvements in clamp rings for lids are needed. 
     SUMMARY 
     In one aspect, a clamp ring for maintaining a lid on a mouth of a container comprises a collar including an arcuate collar body. The arcuate collar body includes opposite first and second end portions. The arcuate collar body defines an inner arcuate channel arranged to receive the lid and the mouth of the container. A clamping mechanism supported by the collar includes a pull and a wheel. The pull has a first segment connected to the first end portion of the arcuate collar body. The pull has a second segment engageable by the wheel and the wheel being turnable to pull the first segment of the pull toward the wheel to pull the first end portion of the arcuate collar body closer to the second end portion to change the collar from an unclamped configuration to a clamping configuration. 
     In another aspect, a method of installing a lid on a container comprises installing a clamp ring in an unclamped configuration on the container such that an arcuate channel of the clamp ring is located adjacent a mouth of the container and a lid on the mouth of the container. The method further comprises actuating a clamping mechanism of the clamp ring to draw end portions of the clamp ring toward each other to change the clamp ring from the unclamped configuration to a clamping configuration. The arcuate channel of the clamp ring in the clamping configuration receives the lid and the mouth in the arcuate channel and presses the lid against the mouth to form a seal therebetween. Actuating the clamping mechanism comprises turning a wheel to pull a pull to draw the end portions of the clamp ring toward each other. 
     Other objects and features of the present disclosure will be in part apparent and in part pointed out herein. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a top perspective of a container having a mouth covered by a lid with a clamp ring received over the lid and mouth, the clamp ring being shown in an unclamped configuration. 
         FIG. 2  is a view similar to  FIG. 1  but showing the clamp ring in a clamped configuration. 
         FIG. 3  is a fragmentary view of end portions of a collar of the clamp ring connected to each other by a clamping mechanism of the clamp ring. 
         FIG. 4  is a view similar to  FIG. 3  but showing a pull of the clamping mechanism moved into a housing of the clamping mechanism for changing the clamp ring to the clamped configuration. 
         FIG. 5  is a bottom fragmentary view of the clamp ring having a housing portion removed to show a pinion and lock inside the housing. 
     
    
    
     Corresponding reference numbers indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a clamp ring of the present disclosure is indicated by  10 . The clamp ring can be used for securing a lid  12  to a mouth of a container or other structure. In one embodiment, the clamp ring can be used to secure a lid to a mouth of a container holding phosphorous pentasulfide. The mouth of the container comprises a circular lip on which the lid is receivable. The lid  12  includes a cover portion and a circular flange extending downward from the cover. The flange extends around the mouth of the container. The lid  12  covers the mouth of the container. The lid forms a sealed connection with the mouth when the lid is covering the mouth of the container and the clamp ring  10  is clamped to press the lid against the lip of the mouth. 
     The clamp ring  10  includes a collar  20  sized and shaped to fit over the lid  12  and mouth of the container. The collar  20  includes a collar body defining an inner channel configured to capture the mouth of the container and the flange of the lid  12  to press the cover portion of the lid onto the lip of the mouth. The collar  20  is arcuate and includes a first end portion  20 A and a second end portion  20 B opposite the first end portion. In an unclamped configuration, the end portions  20 A,  20 B are spaced from each other, and the collar has a diameter greater than a diameter of the lid  12  and mouth such that the collar can be positioned over the lid and mouth. 
     The clamp ring  10  includes a clamping mechanism  30  configured to draw the end portions  20 A,  20 B of the clamp ring toward each other to configure the clamping ring in a clamping configuration to clamp the collar on the lid and mouth. The clamping mechanism  30  includes a pull  32 , a housing  34 , and a wheel  36  ( FIG. 5 ). A wall of the housing  34  is removed in  FIG. 5  to expose an interior of the housing and show internal components. 
     The pull  32  comprises a generally rigid bar and has a first segment  32 A connected to the first end portion  20 A of the collar  20  and has a second segment  32 B opposite the first pull segment. The first segment  32 A of the pull  32  is connected to the collar  20  by a linkage  40  (e.g., a chain link). The linkage  40  is pivotally connected by a first pin  40 A to brackets on the first end segment  20 A of the collar  20 . The linkage  40  is pivotally connected to the first segment of the pull  32 A by a second pin  40 B. 
     The housing  34  is rigidly connected to the second end portion  20 B of the collar  20 . The wheel  36  is connected to the housing  34  by a pin  42  defining an axis of rotation RA about which the wheel rotates. The wheel  36  is configured to be rotated to pull the first collar portion  20 A toward the second collar portion  20 B by pulling the pull  32 . In the illustrated embodiment, the pull  32  comprises a rack including a set of teeth  32 C. The wheel  36  comprises a gear or pinion including teeth  36 A configured to mesh with the teeth of the pull. The meshed teeth  32 C,  36 A cause the pull  32  to move in response to rotation of the wheel  36 . The teeth  32 C and/or  36 A can be chamfered or tapered on their opposite sides to facilitate smooth operation and reduce likelihood of binding of the clamping mechanism. 
     The clamping mechanism  30  includes a hub  50  operatively connected to the wheel  36  for conjoint rotation with the wheel. The hub  50  defines a tool receiver for facilitating rotation of the hub and thus the wheel  36 . In the illustrated embodiment, the tool receiver  50  comprises a socket sized and shaped to receive a head of a drive tool  58 , and in particular a square head of a ratchet wrench or torque wrench. Other types of tool receivers can be used. As shown by comparison of  FIGS. 1 and 2 , rotation of the tool  58  and thus rotation of the hub  50  and wheel  36  causes the pull  32  to move into the housing  34  to pull the first end portion  20 A of the collar  20  toward the second end portion  20 B of the collar. It will be appreciated that the wheel may be turned less than 360 degrees to change from the unclamped configuration to the clamping configuration. Although a circular wheel  36  with teeth  36 A around its entire circumference is shown, it will be appreciated that wheels having other shapes (e.g., partial circle or other shape) can be used. 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , the housing  34  defines a track  60  (e.g., guide passage) that guides travel of the pull  32  in the housing. The track  60  guides the pull  32  in a generally linear travel path along a travel axis TA. The connection of the pull  32  to the first end portion  20 A of the collar  20  by the linkage  40  and two pivot connections facilitates generally linear travel of the pull along the track  60  without bending or applying undue torque to the pull that might cause the clamping mechanism to bind. As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 5 , when the collar  20  is in the unclamped configuration, a linkage axis LA (extending between the pivot axes of the pins) is askew with respect to an axis PA of the pull. As shown by comparison of  FIGS. 3 and 4 , as the end portions  20 A,  20 B of the collar  20  are drawn toward each other, the linkage axis LA converges toward a generally codirectional orientation with respect to the pull axis PA and the travel axis TA. 
     The clamping mechanism  30  includes a lock  70  configured to maintain the collar  20  in the clamping configuration. In the illustrated embodiment, the lock  70  is configured to engage the pull  32  to limit movement of the pull out of the housing  34  to retain the collar in the clamping configuration. The lock  70  is configured to automatically lock the pull  32  as the pull advances in the housing  34 . In the illustrated embodiment, the lock  70  comprises a toggle plate (broadly, “lock body”) configured to engage the teeth  32 C of the pull  32  in a ratcheting manner to successively lock the pull as the pull is advanced farther into the housing  34 . The toggle plate  70  includes an opening through which the pull  32  extends. The toggle plate  70  is biased by a spring  72  toward a locking position (e.g.,  FIG. 5 ). The toggle plate  70  is temporarily deflectable against the bias of the spring  72  to an unlocking position to permit a tooth  32 A of the pull  32  to pass through the opening in the toggle plate, after which the spring  72  moves the toggle plate back to the locking position to prevent the tooth from passing back through the toggle plate. The pull  32  lacks teeth on the second portion of the pull such that the toggle plate does not engage a tooth of the pull and thus does not begin locking the pull until the pull is advanced substantially into the housing  34 . The housing  34  includes a cover  76  to receive the pull  32  as the pull advances into the housing. 
     In use, the lid  12  and collar  20  are positioned on the mouth of the container to be closed by the lid. A tool  58  is engaged with the tool receiver  50  and pivoted about the pivot axis PA to turn the wheel  36  and thus draw the pull  32  into the housing  34 . About 180 degrees of pivoting of the tool  58  causes sufficient rotation of the wheel  36  to clamp the collar  20 . The tool  58  is removed from the tool receiver  50  and the clamp ring  10  is left in the clamped configuration on the mouth. If desired, a safety tie or tamper lock (not shown) may be connected to brackets  80 ,  82  to ensure the collar  20  is not permitted to unclamp. When it is desired to remove the lid  12 , the safety tie or tamper lock is removed (e.g., cut off). The tool  58  is engaged with the tool receiver  50  and rotated to tend to draw the pull  32  farther into the housing  34  such that the toggle plate  70  moves to the unlocking position. While the user holds the tool  58  in position, the user applies manual pressure to the toggle plate  70  (e.g., to an exposed end of the toggle plate or “release”) to maintain the toggle plate in the unlocking position, at which time the user can permit the resilience of the collar  20  to move the end portions  20 A,  20 B of the collar  20  apart and thus pull the pull  32  out of the housing  34 . The user can control release of the collar  20  by maintaining pressure on the tool but permitting slow and smooth unclamping of the collar. 
     It will be appreciated that the clamping collar  10  is configured to be easily clamped by application of minimal manual force amplified by mechanical advantage of the tool lever arm and meshed engagement of the wheel  36  with the pull  32 . 
     In another aspect, the collar  20  extends in a plane across the mouth and the clamp ring  10  comprises a prop on an underside of the housing  34  extending transverse (downward) with respect to the plane. The prop is configured to engage the container to support and locate the collar  20  in a position to clamp the mouth when the collar is received over the mouth and the wheel  36  is rotated. 
     It will be apparent that modifications and variations are possible without departing from the scope of the invention defined in the appended claims. 
     As various changes could be made in the above constructions and methods without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.