Tamper evident valve outlet cap
AssigneeWorthington Cylinder Corporation
InventorsErich F. Wolf, Steven R. Peabody
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tamper-evident closure assembly (22) for a valve outlet (16) of a pressurized gas cylinder, or the like includes a cap (50) and a tamper-evident ring (52, 140, 200, 240). The assembly is threadably attached to the outlet prior to shipment and removed by a customer prior to dispensing fluid through the outlet. The ring includes tabs (84, 146, 204, 242) which snap fit into slots (90) in the cap and cause the ring to rotate with the cap. Fins (100, 162, 206, 260) on the ring engage a surface of the valve outlet during cap removal. When sufficient force is applied in the cap removal direction, part of the ring is severed, such as the tabs or the fins. This provide evidence that the cap has been removed.
Claims23
A tamper-evident closure for an outlet, the closure comprising:
- a cap which rotatably engages an associated outlet;
- and
- a tamper evident ring carried by the cap and having at least one projection, rotation of the cap in a cap removal direction being opposed by engagement of the at least one projection with a surface of the associated outlet until at least one of a portion of the ring and a portion of the cap breaks, allowing the cap to be removed from the associated outlet, wherein the portion of the ring or cap which breaks includes at least one tab on the ring or the cap which snap fits into at least one slot on the other of the ring and the cap.
A combination of a closure assembly and a valve assembly comprising:
- a valve assembly comprising a valve body and an outlet extending generally perpendicular to the valve body, the outlet having an internal bore with an opening for dispensing a fluid therefrom and a land on an exterior surface thereof, the valve body having an internal bore which is fluidly connected with the internal bore of the outlet, a sealing member received within the valve body internal bore for selectively closing a fluid connection between the valve body and the outlet internal bore;
- a closure assembly comprising:
- a cap configured for attachment to the outlet of the valve body so as to cover the opening;
- and,
- a tamper-evident ring operatively connected with the cap by at least one tab, which is located on one of the ring and the cap, the ring including at least one projection for engaging the land on the outlet to resist removal of the cap from the outlet until movement of the cap in a cap removal direction breaks one of the at least one tab and the at least one projection.
A method of providing evidence of removal of a cap from an outlet, the method comprising:
- engaging a tab on a ring with a slot on the cap, the engagement preventing rotation of the cap relative to the ring without breaking the tab;
- rotatably engaging the cap with the outlet until at least one projection carried by the ring contacts a surface of the outlet, the projection resisting rotation of the cap in a cap removal direction;
- and,
- applying a sufficient force to the cap in the cap removal direction to cause the tab to break, allowing the cap to be removed from the outlet.
A tamper-evident closure for an outlet, the closure comprising:
- a cap which rotatably engages the outlet, the cap including a slot;
- a tamper evident ring including:
- a tab, the tab including a frangible portion and at least one finger, the finger snap fitting into the slot on the cap, and
- a projection, rotation of the cap in a cap removal direction being opposed by engagement of the projection with a surface of the outlet until the frangible portion of the tab breaks, allowing the cap to be removed from the outlet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.