Cap for vial

Abstract

There is provided a snap-on vial cap with a protective cover, which can be removed from a cap body by a constant removal force, and can hardly be attached to the cap body again, once being removed. A cap body 5 and a protective cover 6 are molded integrally by an insert molding method or a two-color-molding method, which generates moderate adhesive strength therebetween. An annular convex portion 12, 13 having a concave section 14 formed on the outer circumferential surface thereof is provided on the cap body 5, and an engagement portion 18 for engaging with the concave section 14 is provided on the protective cover 6, thereby enabling the protective cover 6 to be easily removed from the cap body 5 with good operativity while preventing the protective cover 6 from accidentally detaching. Alternatively, projections 23 provided on a top plate of the cap body 5 are engaged into a plug 4 to prevent the cap 1 from rotating.

Claims

1. A vial cap comprising a synthetic resin cap body having an upper surface and a synthetic resin protective cover; wherein the cap body is fitted onto a mouth of a vial and is provided with a through hole vertically penetrated in the central part thereof; and wherein the protective cover is removably attached to the upper surface of the cap body to close the through hole, characterized in that an adhesive strength is generated between mutual contacting surfaces of the cap body and the protective cover by injection-molding either one of the cap body and the protective cover making the contacting surface of the other, preliminarily formed by an injection molding method and inserted in an injection mold for forming the one, serve as a shaping surface for forming the contacting surface of the one, wherein the cap body comprises a top plate; the upper surface of the top plate is the contact surface against the protective cover; the through hole is provided in the central part of the top plate; and at least one anti-rotation projection, dug into the upper surface of a plug fitted into the mouth of the vial, is provided on the undersurface of the top plate, an annular rib positioned in the periphery of the through hole is provided on the undersurface of the top plate; and said annular rib is in airtight contact with the upper surface of the plug, and a recess hollowed upward is formed on the undersurface of the top plate in a region between the annular rib and the periphery of the top plate, thereby the plate thickness of the top plate in the region, where the recess is formed, is thinner than that of the periphery of the top plate.

2. The vial cap according to claim 1, wherein there are a plurality of anti-rotation projections which are allocated circumferentially spaced apart.

3. The vial cap according to claim 2, wherein the anti-rotation projections are provided at positions vertically opposing to the upper surface of the mouth of the vial.

4. The vial cap according to claim 2, wherein the annular rib is formed so as to pass between the periphery of the through hole and the anti-rotation projections.

5. A cap for a vial comprising: a synthetic resin cap body having a top plate with a periphery, an undersurface, and an upper contacting surface, said cap body being adapted to fit onto a mouth of a vial and including a central through hole; a synthetic resin protective cover having a contacting surface and being removably attached to the upper surface of the cap body to close the through hole, said attachment of said protective cover to said cap body being an adhesion between the cap body contacting surface and the protective cover contacting surface formed by injection-molding one of the cap body and the protective cover in an injection mold wherein the contacting surface of the other of the cap body and protective cover defines a shaping surface in the injection mold for forming the contacting surface of the one of the cap body and protective cover; a plug adapted to fit in the mouth of the vial and including an upper surface; at least one anti-rotation projection on the undersurface of the top plate and dug into the upper surface of the plug; an annular rib on the top plate undersurface of the top plate around the through hole and in airtight contact with the upper surface of the plug; and a recess in the top plate undersurface between the annular rib and the periphery of the top plate wherein the top plate thickness in the region of the recess is less than the thickness of the periphery of the top plate.

6. A vial cap comprising: a synthetic resin cap body having a top plate with a periphery, an undersurface, and an upper contacting surface, said cap body being adapted to fit onto a mouth of a vial and including a central through hole; a synthetic resin protective cover having a contacting surface and being removably attached to the upper of the cap body to close the through hole, said attachment of said protective cover to said can body being an adhesion between the cap body contacting surface and the protective cover contacting surface formed by injection-molding one of the cap body and the protective cover in an injection mold wherein the contacting surface of the other of the cap body and protective cover defines a shaping surface in the injection mold for forming the contacting surface of the one of the cap body and protective cover; a plug adapted to fit in the mouth of the vial and including an upper surface; at least one anti-rotation projection on the undersurface of the top plate and dug into the upper surface of the plug; an annular rib on the top plate undersurface of the top plate around the through hole and in airtight contact with the upper surface of the plug; and a recess in the top plate undersurface between the annular rib and the periphery of the top plate wherein the top plate thickness in the region of the recess is less than the thickness of the periphery of the top plate; wherein the annular rib is between the periphery of the through hole and the anti-rotation projections.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional perspective view in general showing a snap-on vial cap fated on a vial, according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

(2) FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional enlarged perspective view of a cap body of the cap.

(3) FIG. 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional enlarged perspective view of a protective cover of the cap.

(4) FIG. 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional perspective view showing the cap with the protective cover removed.

(5) FIG. 5 is a longitudinal cross-sectional enlarged view showing a snap-on vial cap according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

(6) FIG. 6 is a longitudinal cross-sectional enlarged perspective view of the cap body of a snap-on vial cap according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

(7) FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of the cap body of a snap-on vial cap according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

(8) FIG. 8 is an enlarged front view of the cap.

(9) FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a snap-on vial cap fitted on a vial, according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

(10) FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the cap with the protective cover removed.

(11) FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a plug.

(12) FIG. 12 is a sectional view in general showing a snap-on vial cap fitted on a vial, according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention.

(13) FIG. 13 is a bottom view of a top plate of the cap.

(14) FIG. 14 is a parallel projection seen from the bottom side of the cap.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

(15) Hereinafter, the suitable embodiments of the present invention are described based on drawings.

Embodiments

(16) FIGS. 1 to 4 show a snap-on vial cap 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. This cap 1 is attached with a snap by pressing in from above toward a mouth 3 of a vial 2, which prevents a plug 4 made from elastomer, such as butyl rubber, fitted into the mouth 3, from being removed from the mouth 3, wherein a central part of the upper surface of the plug 4, through which an injection needle runs, is covered, so that fine floating particles, such as dust, are prevented from adhering.

(17) The cap 1 is formed of a cap body 5, made of a thermoplastic synthetic resin material, and a protective cover 6, made of a thermoplastic synthetic resin material. The cap body 5 and the protective cover 6 are molded integrally by an insert molding method or a two-color-molding method, so that the protective cover 6 is removably attached to the upper surface of the cap body 5.

(18) The cap body 5 is provided with a top plate 7 for pressing down the plug 4 fitted into the mouth 3 of the vial 2 from above, and a cylinder 8 fitted onto the mouth 3 of the vial 2 so as to cover an outer periphery of this mouth 3. Although the cylinder 8 is extended downward from the outer periphery of the top plate 7 in the illustrated example, the outer periphery of the top plate may be radially projected outward from the cylinder. Snap portions of plural elastic engagement pieces 9 are integrally molded on the inner circumferential surface of the cap body 5, and they pass through the flange of the mouth 3 by reducing their each diameter at the time of attachment to the mouth 3, but they prevent the cap body 5 from being removed from the mouth 3 by engagement with a lower end of the flange after attachment. According to the illustrated embodiment, three elastic engagement pieces 9 are allocated circumferentially spaced apart at equal intervals.

(19) In axial central part of the top plate 7 of the cap body 5, a through hole 10 vertically penetrated is formed, wherein the diameter of this through hole 10 is equivalent to the diameter of the vial mouth 3. The inner circumferential surface of the through hole 10 is tapered where the upper-limit side is radially inclined outward. Further, a die-cut hole 11 is formed in an outer periphery of the top plate 7 above each elastic engagement piece 9. This die-cut hole 11 is formed by being released from a mold for injection molding the elastic engagement pieces 9. The upper surface of the top plate 7 is in contact with the undersurface of the protective cover 6 throughout.

(20) An annular convex portion, positioned around the through hole 10 on the upper surface of the top plate 7 of the cap body 5 and projected upward, is integrally provided. In this embodiment, the annular convex portion includes a ridge 12 extending over the whole circumference along the inner periphery of the upper surface of the top plate 7, that is, the upper edge of the through hole 10, and plural claw portions 13 extended further upward from the upper limit of this ridge 12.

(21) The inner circumferential surface of the ridge 12 is formed into a tapered surface where the upper-limit side is inclined radially outward, the inclination angle being slightly larger than that of the inner circumferential surface of the through hole 10. A concave portion 14 radially depressed inward is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the ridge 12. In this embodiment, this concave portion 14 is formed into a circumferentially extended groove having a circular-arcuate cross section wherein the depth of the depression of the concave portion 14 is less than 1 mm.

(22) The plural claw portions 13 are allocated circumferentially spaced apart. The claw portions 13 each is further projected upward from the upper limit of the ridge 12, and also the upper-limit side of each claw portion 13 is radially inclined outward. The inner circumferential surface of this claw portion 13 is formed into a continuous surface with the inner circumferential surface of the ridge 12, while the outer circumferential surface of the claw portion 13 is formed into a continuous surface with the outer circumferential surface of the ridge 12. Therefore, the above-mentioned concave portion 14 is depressed radially inward more greatly on the outer circumferential surface of the claw portion 13 than in the region where the claw portion 13 does not exist. It is preferred that the claw portions 13 are provided circumferentially in at least three places, one place or two places, however, may be acceptable. A relatively large space is formed at the position, where the above-mentioned die-cut hole 11 is provided, under the protective cover 6. Therefore, if the upper position of the die-cut hole 11 is made into a fingerplate region for removal of the protective over 6, it becomes easy to hook a finger on the protective cover 6. In order to separate the protective cover 6 easily from the claw portion 13 when a finger is hooked on this fingerplate region to remove the protective cover 6, the claw portions 13 can also be provided at the position spaced apart circumferentially from the above-mentioned fingerplate region without claw portion 13 at the position corresponding to the above-mentioned fingerplate region.

(23) The above-mentioned protective cover 6, removably attached to the upper surface of the cap body 5, is used to fill the through hole 10. This protective cover 6 includes a boss portion 15, having a truncated cone shape, fitted into the through hole 10 of the cap body 5, and a flange 16 extended radially outward from this boss portion 15, and is approximately formed into a disk in general. On the undersurface of the protective cover 6, a concave portion 17, into which the ridge 12 and the claw portion(s) 13 of the cap body 5 are fitted is formed circumferentially in the periphery of the boss portion 15. The region, which defines the outer periphery of this concave portion 17, is formed into an engagement portion 18, which engages with the above-mentioned groove 14 of the cap body 5 so as to fill the groove 14. The above-mentioned flange 16 is extended radially outward from the engagement portion 18, and the above-mentioned engagement portion 18 can preferably be formed by the inner periphery of the flange 16, as shown in the illustrated example. This engagement portion 18 is formed annularly over the whole circumference. In order to compensate the strength reduction of the protective cover 6 by presence of the concave portion 17, a reinforcement rim portion 19 having a ring shape is integrally molded on the upper surface of the protective cover 6 above the concave portion 17.

(24) The protective cover 6 has a diameter larger than that of the top plate 7 of the cap body 5, thereby, space as a fingerplate is formed over the whole circumference under the outer periphery of the protective cover 6. The space as a fingerplate just exists in at least one part of the circumferential direction.

(25) According to the cap 1 of this embodiment, the cap body 15 is molded by an injection molding method using an injection mold for the cap body, and then the cap body 15 is inserted in an injection mold for molding the protective cover 6, while the contact surface of the cap body 15 with the protective cover 6 (that is, the upper surface of the top plate, the inner circumferential surface of the through hole, and the surface of the annular convex portion, in this embodiment) is served as a shape-imparting surface for the undersurface of the protective cover 6, so that the protective cover 6 is formed by an injection molding method. By this molding method, between the contact surfaces of the cap body 15 and the protective cover 6, adhesive strength is generated sufficiently to release the protective cover 6 by pushing up the protective cover 6 with a fingertip.

(26) The concave portion 14 of the annular convex portion of the cap body 5 is undercut at the time of injection molding of the cap body 5. However, since the depth of its depression is small, it can be released from the mold by a temporary elastic deformation of the annular convex portion. When the depth of the depression is relatively large, which makes it difficult to be released from a mold, it can also be undercut by using a slide mold or the like.

(27) To generate moderate adhesive strength, the cap body 15 and the protective cover 6 are preferably formed by different materials from each other, for example, examples of molding materials for the cap body 15 include polypropylene and high density polyethylene, while examples of molding materials for the protective cover 6 include straight-chain low density polyethylene, and polystyrene.

(28) According to the cap 1 of the present embodiment, an engagement structure is adopted such that the protective cover 6 cannot be substantially attached to the cap body 15 in the case where the cap body 15 and the protective cover 6 are molded individually. However, since the cap body 15 and the protective cover 6 are integrally molded by an insert molding method or a two-color-molding method, it can be securely assured that the protective cover 6 will not be removed till the time of administration to a patient. Further, by reduced adhesive strength between the cap body 15 and the protective cover 6, and the fitting force of the ridge 12 and the claw portion 13 with the engagement portion 18, the protective cover 8 can be prevented from being separated accidentally, and the protective cover 6 can be removed with a good operativity by pushing up the protective cover 6 with a finger.

(29) The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and the design can be varied properly.

(30) For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the projection height of claw portions 13 may be further increased.

(31) As shown in FIG. 6, an annular convex portion may be formed only by ridge 12 without a claw portion.

(32) As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, by providing level difference portions 20 in the radially intermediate position of a top plate 7 of a cap body 5, a larger space can also be formed under the outer periphery of a protective cover 6.

(33) As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, slits 21 vertically extended are formed circumferentially at plural places of a cylinder 8 of a cap body 5, while connecting pieces 22 to fill the respective slits 21 can be integrally molded with a protective cover 6. It is preferred that respective end faces of the cylinder 8 and the connecting pieces 22 are concavo-convex fitted, wherein these connecting pieces 22 are formed with the cylinder 8 as a mold face at the time of injection molding of the protective cover 6. Due to the concavo-convex fitting of the cylinder 8 and the connecting pieces 22, and also the adhesive strength between contact faces therebetween, the connecting pieces 22 are prevented from being accidentally separated from the cylinder 8, thereby deformation of the cylinder 8 in such a manner that slits 21 are widened can be prevented. When the protective cover 6 is compulsorily pushed up with a finger, the connecting pieces 22 are separated from the cylinder 8, which allows that cylinder 8 to deform in such a manner that slits are widen, and thus the cap body 5 can be removed from the vial mouth 3. According to this embodiment, separate disposal of the vial 2 and the cap body 5 can be easily conducted. In the illustrated embodiment, three connecting pieces 22 are provided, however, only one piece may be acceptable, or two or four or more pieces may be acceptable. Claw portions may not be provided in the region diametrically opposed to the connecting pieces 22 so that the protective cover can also be easily pushed up from this region.

(34) The above-mentioned plug 4 is preferably made of butyl rubber, which has tackiness on its surface. Therefore, if many plugs 4 are fed into an automatic capping device, the top panels of a pair of plugs 4 may adhere. In order to prevent adhesion of these plugs 4 each other, as shown in FIG. 11, plural small convex portions are formed in the top panel of the plug 4. The plug 4 may be made from thermosetting elastomer, such as vulcanized rubber and thermosetting elastomer, or may be made from thermoplastic elastomer.

(35) FIGS. 12 to 14 show another embodiment of the present invention, wherein the same reference numerals are used about the similar structure as in the above first embodiment, detailed description is omitted, and different structure and operation effect are explained. FIG. 13 illustrates only a top plate, in which other component parts of a cap are not shown. FIG. 14 is a three-dimensional parallel projection figure which is rendered by three-dimensional CAD system.

(36) A cap 1 of this embodiment is not provided with a ridge and a claw portion, and a protective cover 6 is attached to a cap body 5 only by the adhesive strength of the contact surfaces therebetween.

(37) On the undersurface of a top plate 7 of the can body 5, plural anti-rotation projections 23, engaged into the upper surface of a plug 4 fitted into a mouth 3 of a vial 2, are projected downward. These plural projections 23 are annularly allocated circumferentially spaced apart at approximately equal intervals in the periphery of a through hole 10. Each projection 23 is positioned so as to vertically oppose to the upper surface of the vial mouth 3. In a suitable embodiment, each projection 23 is tapered into a pin shape. Further, the technical concept, of providing receiving projection on the undersurface of a top plate is disclosed by Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2011-229844. This receiving projection, however, is meant to prevent a flange of a plug from shifting and moving toward a reduced diameter, and it is formed into a continuous annular ring shape over the whole circumference, and thus, such a structure cannot prevent a cap body from rotating.

(38) An annular rib 24 positioned in the periphery of a through hole 10 is projected downward from the undersurface of a top plate 7. The annular rib 24 is installed horizontally so as to pass between the periphery of the through hole 10 and each projection 23. The projection height of this annular rib 24 is lower than that of the projection 23. The annular rib 24 is to be contact with the upper surface of a plug 4 in an airtight state, when a cap 1 is placed over a vial mouth 3. The sectional shape of the annular rib 24 may be any shape, and may be an inverted triangle shape, as shown in the figure, or a square shape, or any other suitable shapes.

(39) A recess 25 dented upward is formed on the undersurface of the top plate 7 in a region between the annular rib 24 and the periphery of the top plate 7, so that the plate thickness of the top plate 7 in the region, where the recess 25 is formed, is thinner than that of the periphery of the top plate 7.

(40) In the internal surface of the cylinder 8 of the cap body 5, there is provided ribs 26 for centering the cylinder 8 on the mouth 3 during the capping process of the cap 1. Under the periphery of the protective cover 6, there is provided space to be hooked by a finger from under in the periphery of the protective cover 6.

(41) According to this embodiment, when the cap 1 is placed over the vial mouth 3 with the plug 4 fitted, plural projections 23 of the cap body 5 are engaged into the plug 4 to prevent the cap 1 from relatively rotating about the vial 2. The annular rib 24 is to be contact with the upper surface of the plug 4 in an airtight state over the whole circumference of the through hole 10, the central part of the upper surface of the plug 4 is isolated from the open air, and thus, can be prevented from being contaminated. Further, a recess 25 is formed over the whole undersurface of the top plate 7 except for the periphery and the annular rib 24, and thus, the top plate 7 is intended to be thinned so that sink marks can be avoided, from being generated on the upper surface of the top plate by resin cooling after injection molding, and also only the annular rib 24 can be brought into contact with the plug 4 locally, which leads to improved airtightness of the contact portion of the annular rib 24 and the plug 4.

(42) The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and the design can be varied properly. For example, the cap related to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 12 to 14 can be provided with elements for the cap shown in FIGS. 1 to 10, such as a ridge, a claw part, or the like.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

(43) 1 Snap-on vial cap 2 Vial 3 Vial mouth 4 Vial plug 5 Cap body 6 Protective cover 7 Top plate 8 Cylinder 9 Snap portion(s) 10 Through hole 12 Annular convex portion (ridge) 13 Annular convex portion (claw portion) 14 Concave portion 15 Boss portion 16 Flange 18 Engagement portion 19 Reinforcement rim portion 21 Slit(s) 22 Connecting piece(s) 23 Anti-rotation projection(s) 24 Annular rib 25 Concave portion