Disinfectant caps

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018361003-A1
Application number	US-201715623430-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 15, 2017
Priority date	Jun 15, 2017
Publication date	Dec 20, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A cleaning device for LADs, and other such threaded devices, comprising a cap and a cleaning agent. The cap comprises a casing having an opening to an interior cavity. A threaded coupling mechanism is located on the inner surface of the casing proximate the opening. The coupling mechanism has retention features that provide localized pressure points on the threads of the LAD to accommodate thread variance and reduce the chance of premature disengagement.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A cleaning device comprising:
a cap comprising
a casing having an opening to an interior cavity, the casing having an inner surface and an outer surface;
a coupling mechanism on the inner surface of the casing proximate the opening, the coupling mechanism comprising
a thread that starts proximate the opening and spirals into the interior cavity;
a first lug; and
a second lug,
wherein the first and second lugs do not intersect the thread, the first lug is closer to the opening of the casing than the second lug, and the volume of the second lug is greater than the volume of the first lug; and

a cleaning agent in the interior cavity of the casing.

2 . The cleaning device of claim 1 , wherein the cap further comprises a wall that circumscribes the outer surface of the casing, the wall joined at the top of the casing and cantilevered over at least a portion of the outer surface of the casing to create an annular gap between the wall and the outer surface.

3 . The cleaning device of claim 2 , wherein the casing is made of a resilient material that can flex into the annular gap when the cap is threaded onto an externally threaded device.

4 . The cleaning device of claim 1 , wherein the coupling mechanism is unitary with the casing.

5 . The cleaning device of claim 1 , wherein the cap is made of high density polyethylene (HDPE).

6 . The cleaning device of claim 1 , wherein the height of the first lug is no greater than the height of the thread proximate thereto, and the height of the second lug is no greater than the height of the thread proximate thereto.

7 . The cleaning device of claim 1 , wherein the width of the second lug is greater than the width of the first lug.

8 . The cleaning device of claim 1 , further comprising one or more additional lugs.

9 . The cleaning device of claim 1 , wherein the height of the thread increases with increasing distance from the opening.

10 . The cleaning device of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning agent is selected from the group consisting of alcohols, chlorhexidine, povidone-iodine, hydrogen peroxide, soap, hydrochloric acid, chloroxylenol (PMCX), polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB), octenidene, benzalkonium chloride, aqueous solutions thereof, and combinations thereof.

11 . A cap comprising:
a casing having an opening to an interior cavity, the casing having an inner surface and an outer surface; and a coupling mechanism on the inner surface of the casing proximate the opening, the coupling mechanism comprising
a thread that starts proximate the opening and spirals into the interior cavity;
a first lug; and
a second lug,
wherein the first and second lugs do not intersect the thread, the first lug is closer to the opening of the casing than the second lug, and the volume of the second lug is greater than the volume of the first lug.

12 . The cap of claim 11 , further comprising a wall that circumscribes the outer surface of the casing, the wall joined at the top of the casing and cantilevered over at least a portion of the outer surface of the casing to create an annular gap between the wall and the outer surface.

13 . The cap of claim 11 , wherein the cap is made of a thermoplastic polymer.

14 . The cap of claim 11 , wherein the cap is made of high density polyethylene (HDPE).

15 . The cap of claim 11 , wherein the coupling mechanism comprises dual threads that do not intersect.

16 . The cap of claim 11 , wherein the height of the first lug is no greater than the height of the thread proximate thereto, and the height of the second lug is no greater than the height of the thread proximate thereto.

17 . The cap of claim 11 , wherein the width of the second lug is greater than the width of the first lug.

18 . The cap of claim 11 , further comprising one or more additional lugs.

19 . The cap of claim 11 , wherein the height of the thread increases with increasing distance from the opening.

20 . A method for molding the cap of claim 11 , comprising:
providing an open and close mold comprising at least a first side and a second side, the first side comprising a mold core for forming the thread and lugs; injecting a liquid polymer into the mold; allowing the polymer to cool so as to form the cap; axially removing the first side of the mold from the second side of the mold; and axially removing the cap from the first side of the mold.

Assignees

• 3M Innovative Properties Co

Inventors

• Dombrowski Alan R
• Mcfarland Timothy C
• Detloff John C

Classifications

• B22F3/225

  by injection molding · CPC title

• A61M2005/312

  comprising sealing means, e.g. severable caps, to be removed prior to injection by, e.g. tearing or twisting · CPC title

• A61L2103/15

  Laboratory, medical or dentistry appliances, e.g. catheters or sharps · CPC title

• A61M2207/00

  Methods of manufacture, assembly or production · CPC title

• B29L2001/00

  Articles provided with screw threads · CPC title