Container and Cap Assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025171211-A1
Application number	US-202418941962-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 8, 2024
Priority date	Nov 24, 2023
Publication date	May 29, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a container and a cap assembly. The container includes a component having an opening, and the cap assembly. The cap assembly includes a cap and an elastic arm. The elastic arm is disposed on the cap and extends obliquely with respect to a radial direction of the cap. At least a portion of the elastic arm is capable of being received in a recess and abuts against a second protrusion to prevent the cap assembly from rotating in a first direction relative to the component having the opening, such that the cap assembly is locked with the component having the opening; and the at least a portion of the elastic arm is capable of being released from the recess to unlock the component having the opening. The cap assembly of the present disclosure is capable of engaging with the component having the opening, such that the cap assembly cannot be unlocked without a specific tool (e.g., an operating tool).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A container, comprising:
a component having an opening, the component having the opening comprising a body surrounding the opening, and a first protrusion and a second protrusion, the first protrusion and the second protrusion being formed by extending outwardly from the body, a recess being formed between the first protrusion and the second protrusion, and the first protrusion being located upstream of the second protrusion in a first direction; and a cap assembly capable of locking or unlocking the component having the opening, the cap assembly comprising:
a cap; and
an elastic arm disposed on the cap and extending obliquely with respect to a radial direction of the cap;
wherein at least a portion of the elastic arm is capable of being received in the recess and abuts against the second protrusion to prevent the cap assembly from rotating in the first direction relative to the component having the opening, such that the cap assembly is locked with the component having the opening; and wherein the at least a portion of the elastic arm is capable of being released from the recess to unlock the component having the opening.

2 . The container according to claim 1 , wherein
an operating tool is capable of abutting against the elastic arm and removing the elastic arm from the recess to enable the cap assembly to rotate in the first direction relative to the component having the opening to unlock the component having the opening.

3 . The container according to claim 2 , wherein
the elastic arm is provided with a guide portion; wherein the guide portion is configured such that the operating tool is capable of removing the elastic arm from the recess when the operating tool is moved in an axial direction of the cap assembly and abuts against the elastic arm.

4 . The container according to claim 2 , wherein
the operating tool abuts against the elastic arm, after the cap assembly has been rotated relative to the component having the opening by a first predetermined angle in the first direction, the second protrusion abuts against the elastic arm so as to prevent at least part of the elastic arm from being received in the recess.

5 . The container according to claim 2 , wherein
after the cap assembly has been rotated relative to the component having the opening by a second predetermined angle in a second direction opposite to the first direction, the first protrusion abuts against the elastic arm to remove the elastic arm from the recess, so as to allow the operating tool to be inserted into the recess.

6 . The container according to claim 5 , wherein
the cap assembly further comprises a limiting portion formed by extending downwardly from the cap; and the first protrusion is higher than the second protrusion in an axial direction of the cap assembly;
wherein the limiting portion abuts against the first protrusion when the cap assembly is rotated relative to the component having the opening by the second predetermined angle in the second direction opposite to the first direction, so as to prevent the cap assembly from further rotating relative to the component having the opening in the second direction opposite to the first direction.

7 . The container according to claim 2 , wherein
the cap comprises a cap side wall and an additional peripheral portion, the additional peripheral portion being disposed around at least a portion of the cap side wall and connected to the cap side wall to form an accommodating cavity; and the elastic arm is disposed in the accommodating cavity and is formed by extending from the additional peripheral portion toward the cap side wall.

8 . The container according to claim 1 , wherein
a free end of the elastic arm is capable of being located in the recess and abuts against the second protrusion to prevent the cap assembly from rotating in the first direction relative to the component having the opening.

9 . The container according to claim 7 , wherein the cap assembly further comprises:
an additional top wall connected to the cap side wall and the additional peripheral portion, so as to fully cover the accommodating cavity; and a tool receiving through hole is provided in the additional top wall, the tool receiving through hole communicating with the accommodating cavity;
wherein the tool receiving through hole extends a distance in a circumferential direction of the cap assembly such that when the operating tool is inserted into the tool receiving through hole and abuts against the elastic arm, the cap assembly is capable of rotating by a first predetermined angle in the first direction relative to the operating tool and the component having the opening.

10 . The container according to claim 7 , wherein
the elastic arm is provided with a tool blocking portion, the tool blocking portion being located above the recess so as to prevent the operating tool from entering the recess after the operating tool abuts against the elastic arm and removes the elastic arm from the recess.

11 . The container according to claim 10 , further comprising:
an additional top wall connected to the cap side wall and the additional peripheral portion, so as to fully cover the accommodating cavity; wherein a tool receiving through hole is provided in the additional top wall, the tool receiving through hole being aligned with the recess and communicating with the accommodating cavity;
wherein after the operating tool is inserted into the tool receiving through hole and abuts against the elastic arm, the operating tool is capable of rotating with the cap assembly in the first direction relative to the component having the opening.

12 . The container according to claim 9 , further comprising:
a shielding component disposed on the cap and configured to shield the tool receiving through hole; wherein
at least a portion of the shielding component is movable relative to the cap, so as to expose the tool receiving through hole.

13 . The container according to claim 9 , further comprising:
a shielding component disposed on the cap and configured to shield the tool receiving through hole; wherein
the shielding component is configured such that upon the shielding component being separated from the cap, a recognizable separation mark is on the shielding component or the cap.

14 . The container according to claim 9 , further comprising:
a covering component mounted on the cap, at least a portion of the covering component extends into the tool receiving through hole, so as to prevent the operating tool from entering the tool receiving through hole.

15 . The container according to claim 14 , wherein
the covering component comprises a covering body, an insert piece, and a breakable portion, the covering body being connected to the insert piece by means of the breakable portion, and the covering body being separated from the insert piece when the breakable portion breaks; and the covering body is connected to the cap assembly by means of a snap-in structure, and at least a portion of the insert piece extends into the tool receiving through hole when the covering body is connected to the cap assembly.

16 . The container according to claim 15 , wherein the snap-in structure comprises a recess provided in the cap assembly and a protrusion provided on the covering body, the protrusion being capable of being accommodated in the recess.

17 . A cap assembly, the cap assembly being capable of locking and unlocking a component having an opening, the component having the opening comprising a body, and a

Assignees

• Illinois Tool Works

Inventors

• Han Zhiming
• Yan Mingqi
• Henker Michael

Classifications

• B65D2555/02

  Locking devices; Means for discouraging or indicating unauthorised opening or removal of closure · CPC title

• F01P11/028

  Deaeration devices · CPC title

• F01P11/029

  Expansion reservoirs · CPC title

• B65D51/26 Primary

  with means for keeping contents in position, e.g. resilient means · CPC title

• F01P11/0247 Primary

  Safety; Locking against opening · CPC title