Patent ID: 8820554

Claim:
A vessel cap, comprising: a closed body mounted at a vessel inlet through which a liquid material stored in a vessel is discharged outwardly; an outer cylindrical sidewall surrounding a sealing member, the outer cylindrical sidewall having a mounting portion detachably fixed to a rim of the vessel and seated upon a peripheral edge of the sealing member; a pressing plate extending radially inward from the outer cylindrical sidewall and substantially overlaying the sealing member, the pressing plate and outer cylindrical sidewall cooperating to enclose the sealing member and the vessel inlet; one or more cutters protruding from a lower surface of the pressing plate, the cutters penetrating the sealing member when the pressing plate is pressed and cutting the sealing member when the body is rotated after the pressing plate is pressed; an elastic connection portion formed between an outer circumferential surface of the pressing plate and an inner circumferential surface of the outer cylindrical sidewall, the elastic connection portion allowing the pressing plate to be moved in upper and lower directions; and, a supporting rod downwardly extending from a center of a lower surface of the pressing plate, the supporting rod penetrating the sealing member when the pressing plate is pressed, the supporting rod comprising: an outer circumferential surface; a sharp distal end; a pair of flexible resilient hooking protrusions disposed above the distal free end for retaining the sealing member after the sealing member is cut by the cutters, each hooking protrusion of the pair of hooking protrusions extending from an integral pivoting connection with the outer circumferential surface to an outermost free end, the pair of hooking protrusions having: a pre-stressed configuration prior to penetration of the sealing member wherein the elongate body extends outward in a substantially radial direction and is spaced above the sealing member; a stressed configuration upon penetration of the sealing member wherein the sealing member forcibly bends the elongate body in a substantially axial direction; a post-stressed configuration after penetration of the sealing member wherein the elongate body is below the sealing member and the sealing member is seated upon the elongate body, and the elongate body extends outward in a substantially radial direction.