Patent ID: 6854616

Claim:
A protective cap for a threaded valve stem, comprising: a generally cylindrical portion including a closed end, an open end and a cylindrical wall portion therebetween, the cylindrical wall portion having an external surface and an internal surface; a plurality of locating ribs located on the internal surface; and a plurality of fingers projecting radially inward from the internal surface and remotely from the open end, each finger being located between a pair of the locating ribs, each locating rib being located between a pair of the fingers, thus each finger and locating rib being in an alternating manner and having a free end and a flexible portion adjacent the internal surface for locating the fingers in unlocked state and a locked state, the free end of the fingers in the unlocked state extending toward but not extending beyond the open end and the fingers in the locked state curling toward the closed end.