Two-piece hygienic cap with resealable plug and tearable skirt with pull tab

A hygienic cap for enclosing drinking water or other potable liquid within a substantially rigid liquid dispensing container during storage and transportation thereof and for cooperating with a substantially rigidly mounted upstanding probe to drain liquid from and admit replacement air into said container when inverted, said container having a substantially cylindrical neck defining a discharge opening, said cap comprising, in combination,

• a lid portion adapted to overlie and sealingly close said discharge opening and an annular skirt portion extending axially away from said lid portion and adapted to surround and engage an outer axial portion of said container neck,
• said lid portion having an axially inwardly extending recess formed therein including a first annular sleeve portion located generally centrally in said lid portion and integrally connected thereto and a second annular plug and recess sealing portion connected to the inner end of said sleeve portion and extending axially inwardly therefrom,
• said plug and recess sealing portion having a substantially centrally disposed internal cavity with a closed inner end for normally closing said recess and being adapted to be axially separated from said sleeve portion upon the forcible insertion of said upstanding probe into said recess to drain liquid from and admit replacement air into said substantially rigid liquid dispensing container,
• said centrally disposed cavity of said plug and recess sealing portion being formed with internal gripping means therein for temporarily securing said plug and recess sealing portion on said upstanding probe when said probe is inserted in said recess and said plug and recess sealing portion is separated from said sleeve portion by said upstanding probe,
• said plug and recess sealing portion being formed with an annular surface including sealing means dimensioned for engaging complementary sleeve sealing means formed on an annular surface of said sleeve portion for resealing said recess when said plug and recess sealing portion is drawn into interfitting engagement with said sleeve portion as said upstanding probe is withdrawn from said recess,
• and said skirt portion being formed with a line of weakness extending toward said lid portion and including a pull tab extending axially away from said skirt portion to facilitate manually tearing said skirt portion along said line of weakness when said cap is removed from said container.