Container with improved ratchet teeth
AssigneeAbbott Laboratories
InventorRichard W. Grabenkort
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Improved flexible ratchet teeth are provided for allowing relative rotational movement of one peripheral surface relative to an encompassing peripheral surface. Such teeth allow relative rotational movement in one direction of rotation only during which the ratchet teeth of one peripheral surface slide over the ratchet teeth of the other. The flexible teeth which may be disposed on either or both peripheral surfaces prevent distortion of the encompassing peripheral surface obtained in the prior art when ratchet teeth of solid construction are employed.
Claims15
A first container having an access port for interlocking engagement in communicating, complementary relationship with a port of another container having an annular array of ratchet elements therearound;
- said first container including an annulus, having an annular array of ratchet teeth mounted thereon adapted to allow rotation of said annulus in a first direction of rotation and prevent rotation of said annulus in a second direction of rotation opposite to said first direction relative to such compatible ratchet elements;
- each of said ratchet teeth of said annular array having flexible blade-like body portion including a proximal end integrally formed with said annulus and being increasingly flexible along its width from its proximal end to its distal end;
- each of said teeth also being integrally formed at one longitudinal end with said first container whereby each of said teeth is decreasingly flexible along its length as said one longitudinal end is approached;
- and each of said teeth sloping in said first direction of rotation and being sufficiently flexible so as to avoid the generation of any forces tending to distort said annulus or such mating port in the course of any rotation of said ratchet teeth.
In a threaded port for receiving mating threads of a medicament container of the like, the improvement comprising flexible ratchet means for engaging complementary ratchet teeth of a medicament-containing vial or the like in the course of effecting a threaded engagement with the threads of such port, each of said ratchet means being decreasingly flexible along its length and slidably flexing relative to the ratchet teeth of the vial or the like in the normal course of said threaded engagement;
- each of said teeth also being integrally formed with said port at a proximal width-defining proximal end and being increasingly flexible along its width to its distal end;
- said ratchet means assuming a rigid mode when engaged by the ratchet teeth of the vial or the like on attempted threaded disengagement of such vial or the like;
- flexing of said ratchet means being effected in the absence of any peripheral distortion or enlargement of said threaded port of any peripheral distortion of such medicament-containing vial.
In combination, a first plurality of ratchet teeth annularly arranged about the outer periphery of a convex surface;
- a second plurality of ratchet teeth arranged about the inner periphery of a concave surface encompassing said convex surface;
- said ratchet teeth of said concave and convex surfaces being so compatible that each of said peripheries may rotate in one permissible direction of rotation relative to the other;
- the two permissible directions of rotation being opposite to each other;
- said ratchet teeth being arranged on their respective peripheries so as to slope in their permissible direction of rotation;
- said ratchet teeth being so compatible that said ratchet teeth of said two peripheries are in slipping engagement during permissible rotation thereof and each peripheral surface is prevented from rotating relative to the other peripheral surface when rotated in a direction of rotation opposite to its permissible direction of rotation;
- each of said ratchet teeth of at least one of the peripheral surfaces being anchored at proximal width-defining and length-defining ends so as to be increasingly flexible along both its length and width whereby it is sufficiently flexible to avoid the generation of any forces on the convex peripheral surface and the encompassing concave peripheral surface tending to distort the peripheries thereof in the course of any rotation of said ratchet teeth.
In combination, a first container having a access port for interlocking engagement in communicating, complementary relationship with a mating port of a second container, said second container having an annular array of ratchet elements disposed about the outer periphery thereof;
- said first container mating port having an annular array of ratchet teeth mounted about the inner periphery thereof which are adapted to allow rotation of said second container upon mating engagement with said ratchet elements in a first direction of rotation and prevent rotation of said second container and ratchet elements in a second direction of rotation opposite to said first direction relative to such first container and ratchet teeth;
- each of said ratchet teeth of said first container having a flexible blade-like body extending from a proximal end formed integrally with said mating port and being of decreasing thickness across its width from its proximal end to its distal end whereby each ratchet tooth is increasingly flexible across its width from its proximal end to its distal end;
- each of said teeth being integrally formed at one longitudinal end with said first container whereby each of said teeth is decreasingly flexible along its length as said one longitudinal end is approached;
- and each of said teeth sloping in said first direction of rotation and being sufficiently flexible so as to avoid the generation of any forces tending to distort said second container or said mating port in the course of any relative rotation between said ratchet teeth and said ratchet elements.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.