Patent Abstract:
The invention relates to a locking cover ( 1 ), made of a molded plastic material, for a vessel having a neck, intended for locking a plug ( 4 ) in the neck ( 3 ) of the vessel ( 2 ), including a wire-cap ( 6 ) which surrounds the plug and the neck, a ring ( 7 ) which is attached around the wire-cap ( 6 ) and shaped so as to have a central opening ( 17 ) providing access from the outside of the cover ( 1 ) to the inside of the vessel via the plug, and a cap ( 23 ) attached to the ring and shaped so as to close said opening ( 17 ). The cap ( 23 ) comprises attachment tabs ( 25 ) which are spaced apart from each other along the annular periphery of the opening ( 17 ) of the ring ( 7 ) and which are clamped between the ring ( 7 ) and the wire-cap ( 6 ).

Full Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a U.S. National Phase Patent Application based on International Application Serial No. PCT/EP2010/062413 filed Aug. 25, 2010, the disclosure of which is hereby explicitly incorporated by reference herein. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention concerns a locking cover made of a molded plastic material for a vessel having a neck. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     FR-2893922 discloses such a locking cover in which the cap is welded onto the ring. To access the contents of the vessel, the user breaks the connection between the cap and the ring, with the result that the cap is separated irreversibly from the cover, thus securizing the use of the vessel provided with said cover. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention concerns a locking cover made of a molded plastic material for a vessel having a neck, intended for fixing a stopper in the neck of the vessel, comprising a cage with locking tongues or catches, which is configured to surround the stopper and the neck and lock them in position relative to each other in a given axial direction, a ring that is fastened around the cage and is configured with a central aperture that preserves access from outside the cover to the inside of the vessel by way of the stopper, and a cap configured to close said aperture. 
     This cap, cover or lid is generally fastened to the ring in such a way that it can be detached therefrom, but in an irreversible manner, without the ability to be put back in place in its initial state of closing the aperture. 
     The invention applies more particularly to a locking cover for a necked vessel used particularly in the medical field. 
     The object of the invention is to offer such a locking cover in which the cap is mounted on the cover in another manner that also permits irreversible separation of the cap from the cover. 
     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 with locking catches which is configured to surround the stopper and the neck and lock them in position relative to each other in a given axial direction, a ring that is fastened around the cage and is configured with a central aperture preserving access from outside the cover to the inside of the vessel by way of the stopper, and a cap configured to close said aperture, characterized in that the cap has a flat head large enough to cover said aperture and attachment tabs that project substantially perpendicularly to the head, said tabs being spaced apart along the annular periphery of the aperture of the ring and being gripped as in a vice between the ring and the cage. 
     The idea underlying the invention is, therefore, to fasten the cap to the cover by means of a clamping system of attachment tabs for fastening the cap in the cover, which system applies a clamping stress to both faces of each tab and/or a bending stress to the tabs in a direction oblique (for example, perpendicular) to the axial direction, thus rendering irreversible the detachment of the cap from the cover and also preventing any new cap from being placed on the cover. 
     The invention extends to a method for fastening a cap with attachment tabs on a locking cover as defined above, consisting in:
     providing a cap with attachment tabs projecting perpendicularly to the flat head of the cap,   placing the cap on the ring, the tabs of the cap extending axially into the aperture of the ring,   inserting the cage into the ring so that the tabs of the cap are gripped, as in a vice, between the ring and the cage.   

     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 with locking tabs that is configured to surround the stopper and the neck and to lock them in position relative to each other in a given axial direction, a ring that is fastened around the cage and is configured with a central aperture that preserves access from outside the cover to the inside of the vessel by way of the stopper, and a cap configured to close the aperture, characterized in that the cap has a flat head large enough to cover the aperture and attachment tabs that project substantially perpendicularly relative to the head, the attachment tabs being spaced apart along the annular periphery of the aperture of the ring and being gripped as in a vice between the ring and the cage. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       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: 
         FIG. 1  schematically represents in axial section a locking cover according to the invention mounted on a stopper inserted in a vessel having a neck; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic perspective view of the cage of the locking cover according to the invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic perspective view of the ring of the locking cover according to the invention; 
         FIG. 4  is another schematic perspective view of the ring from  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic perspective view of the cap of the locking cover according to the invention; 
         FIG. 6  is another schematic perspective view of the cap from  FIG. 5 ; and 
         FIG. 7  schematically represents in axial section the locking cover according to the invention closed by a cap and mounted on a stopper. 
     
    
    
     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 
       FIG. 1  depicts 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 , the cover  1  being shown here merely placed on the neck  3  without being locked. 
     The neck  3 , which here has a circular opening, has at its end an outer peripheral 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 . 
     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, according to the invention, the cover  1  is provided with a removable safety cap  23  that is clamped between the ring  7  and the cage  6 . 
     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 . 
     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 . 
     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 . 
     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. 
     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 . 
     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 . 
     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 cap  1  is locked on the neck  3 . 
     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. 
     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 . 
     As can be seen in  FIG. 2 , each arm  12  of the cage  6  is further provided with an outer positive catch  15  that slants outward toward the first circlet  10  and is intended to fix the ring  7  on the cage  6 , the inclination of the catch  15  serving to facilitate the insertion of the cage  6  in the ring  7 . 
     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 clamp the stopper  4  in place in the mounted position of the cover  1 . 
     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 . 
     As can further be seen in  FIG. 2 , the top edge of aperture  11 A of the cage forms a chamfered (beveled) annular shoulder  30 . This chamfered shoulder can be bordered outwardly by an annular channel or groove (not shown) to improve the seating of the attachment tabs of the cap  23 . The shoulder  30  thus has a tapered (or flared) outer surface forming one face of a vice in which the attachment tabs of the cap  23  will be gripped, as will be described below with reference to  FIGS. 1 and 7 . 
       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, so as to leave an aperture  17  at the center of the ring  7 . Thus, when the ring  7  is nested on the cage  6 , the top end  7 B of the ring  7  partially overlaps the cage  6 , the respective apertures  17 ,  11 A of the ring  7  and the cage  6  being coaxial. When the cap  1  is mounted on the neck  3 , apertures  17 ,  11 A thus are coaxial with the neck  3 , to permit access to the stopper  4  and the vessel  2 . 
     Aperture  17  of the ring  7  has a bottom edge, which also forms an annular shoulder  18  that forms the second face of the vice in which the attachment tabs of the cap  23  are gripped. In the example, the two annular shoulders  18  and  30  here are circular and coaxial with each other in the mounted position of the cover. It can be provided that the cage  6  and the ring  7  are adjusted in relation to each other so that the attachment tabs  25  are clamped between the faces or jaws of the vice. It can also be provided that instead of or in addition to the clamping, the vice is configured to bend an end portion of the attachment tabs  25  in a direction oblique to axial direction A (for example perpendicular, that is, forming a 90° angle with axial direction A). 
     In addition, ring  7  is provided on its inner wall 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 of the ring  7 , to make for a compact cover  1  and to keep impurities from getting inside the cover  1 . 
     The ring  7  is further provided on its inner wall 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 internal 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 . 
     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. Shoulder  22  serves to create a space between the cap  23  and the ring  7  in direction A, once the cover  1  is assembled. 
       FIG. 5  shows a cap  23  or cover serving as a detachable lid for closing the central aperture  17  of the ring. This cap has tabs  25  which in the non-working position project perpendicularly to the flat head  23 A of the cap. The cap  23 , with the flat head  23 A and the tabs  25 , is here formed of a single molded piece. The flat head  23 A can have the shape of a disk or another, more complex shape, for example with sectors  24 . The tabs  25  are distributed circularly, and, in mounted position in the ring  7 , they are distributed along the periphery of the aperture  17  of the ring  7 . As is visible in  FIG. 5 , the tabs  25  are straight in the non-working position, and thus present a cylindrical configuration.  FIG. 5  shows a cap  23  with eight tabs  25 , which can have a free end  25 B that is beveled and/or provided with a locking bead  25 C. The locking bead  25 C preferably has larger dimensions than the space between the annular shoulder  18  of the ring  7  and the chamfered annular shoulder  30  of cage  6 , to further improve the protection of the cover  1 . 
       FIG. 6  shows the upper face  23 B of the cap  23 , which can be provided with gripping elements  26 , here in the form of reinforcing studs, to make the cap  23  easier to take hold of when it is to be removed from the cover  1 . The gripping elements could also be in the form of raised beads, for example circular-arc-shaped beads, or any element in relief facilitating the grasping of the cap  23 . 
     It will be understood that the overall cylindrical shape of the cage  6  and the ring  7  enables 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 . Similarly, owing to the circular shape of the cap  23 , there is no preferred angular orientation of the cap  23  on the ring  7 . 
     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. 
     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 . 
     The assembly operations for the ring, the cage and the lid of the cover  1  will now be described in more detail with reference to  FIGS. 1 ,  5  and  7 . 
     A cap  23  is first provided with straight attachment tabs  25  that extend axially in relation to the flat head  23 A of the cap, as can be seen in  FIG. 5 . 
     This cap  23  is then placed on the ring  7 , the sufficiently large head  23 A of the cap covering the aperture  17  of the ring  7 , as shown in  FIG. 7 , and the tabs  25  of the cap  23  passing through the aperture  17  of the ring  7 , extending axially in direction A. 
     The cage  6  is then inserted into the ring  7  in direction A as far as it will go, the openings  13 ,  14  of the cage  6  being lined up with the respective bosses  20 ,  21  of the ring  7 , as shown in  FIG. 7 . 
     During the insertion of the cage  6  into the ring  7 , the annular shoulder  18  of the ring  7  and the chamfered annular shoulder  30  of the cage  6  are made to approach each other, which has the effect that each tab  25  of the cap  23  is held as in a vice between the two facing surfaces of the ring  7  and the cage  6  respectively, as can be seen in  FIG. 1 . 
     When the cage  6  reaches abutment inside the ring  7 , the attachment tabs  25  of the cap  23  are deformed by bending, here in the middle portions of the tabs, and assume a configuration in which the tabs  25  splay out 90° from the axial direction A toward the outside of the cover  1 , thus effecting the clamping of the cap  23  between the ring  7  and the cage  6 . If need be, the beads at the free ends  25 B of the attachment tabs  25  can be inserted in the groove of the cage  6 . 
     It should be noted that the vice-like gripping of the attachment tabs  25  between the ring  7  and the cage  6  makes it possible to exceed the limit of elasticity of the attachment tabs  25 , with the result that if the cap  23  is separated from the cover  1 , the attachment tabs  25  of the cap  23  remain in a bent configuration. Thus, once the cap  23  has been separated from the cover  1 , it can no longer be put back between the ring  7  and the cage  6  of the cover  1 . It will be appreciated that this effect can be accentuated by the presence of beads at the free ends  25 B of the attachment tabs  25 . 
     When the cage  6  reaches abutment inside the ring  7 , the catches  15  of the cage  6  seat themselves in the notches  19  of the ring  7 , such that the cage  6  is locked in position in the ring  7  and the cap  23  remains clamped between the cage  6  and the ring  7 . 
     The head  4 A of the stopper  4  can then be 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 . 
     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 cap  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 so as to 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 . 
     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. 
     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 in the foot  4 B of the stopper  4  (not shown) 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 . 
     When it is desired to access the contents of the vessel  2 , the cap  23  is separated from the cover, for example by pulling on a sector  24  of the cap. After that, the upper portion  4 C of the stopper  4  need only be pierced with a needle to penetrate into the vessel  2 . The contents of the vessel  2  can then be used and, if need be, rehydrated. 
     Any attempt to remove the locking cover  1  from the vessel  2  will result in damage to the breakaway regions  10 A of the cage  6 , so single use of the vessel  2  is assured. 
     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. 
     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.

Technology Classification (CPC): 8