Vial and closure

In combination, a two-compartment mixing vial having a constriction between the two compartments, a removable plug disposed within the constriction to provide a liquid-tight barrier between the two compartments, said vial having a neck at one end thereof for defining an opening communicating with one of said compartments, said neck defining an annular rim adjacent the free end thereof in surrounding relationship to said opening, and a closure structure attached to said vial for closing the opening in said neck, said closure structure including a substantially cylindrical stopper disposed within said neck, said stopper including a first substantially cylindrical portion of a resiliently flexible material and having an outside diameter which is normally slightly larger than the inside diameter of said neck, said first cylindrical portion being snugly and sealingly received within said neck, said stopper including a second portion of reduced diameter projecting outwardly beyond the free end of said neck and thereby forming a shoulder at the junction between said first and second portions, comprising the improvement wherein said closure structure includes:

• cap means having a fastening portion telescopically received onto and around the annular rim located adjacent the free end of said neck, said fastening portion grippingly engaging said rim for fixedly connecting said cap means to said vial, said fastening portion including a projecting portion disposed adjacent the free end of said neck and projecting radially inwardly thereof so as to overlie said shoulder to oppose the removal of said first stopper portion from said neck;
• said cap means also having a sleeve portion of reduced diameter snugly received on the second portion of said stopper in surrounding relationship thereto, and manually fracturable means integrally and fixedly connected between said sleeve portion and said projecting portion, said sleeve portion being slidably receivable with said second stopper portion into the neck of said vial by the application of a force which urges said sleeve portion toward said vial to cause breaking of said fracturable means followed by slidable displacement of said sleeve portion and said second stopper portion into said neck;
• and
• cooperable lock means on said sleeve portion and said fastening portion for positively opposing movement of said sleeve portion out of said neck after said sleeve portion has been moved a preselected distance into said neck.