Closure system for sterile medical liquid container

Claim 2

For maintaining medical liquids in a sterile condition the combination of: a container having a dispensing mouth and an external annular bead adjacent to said mouth; an inner cap with a skirt removably secured to the container between the mouth and bead; a resilient annular band fitting over said inner cap, said resilient band overlying at least a portion of said inner cap skirt and at least a portion of said bead; and an external cap with a skirt crimpably compressing said resilient band against said bead, said resilient band that overlies said inner cap skirt adapted to be manually compressed against said cap for breaking the inner cap loose from the container after the external cap has been removed.

Claim 3

The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein the combination includes a resilient cup overlying the inner cap and the resilient band is a depending skirt portion of the resilient cup and at least one of the external cap and resilient cup is imperforate across its top and at its skirt area between the bead and mouth of the container.

Claim 4

The combination as set forth in claim 2 wherein the resilient cup and external cap form a unit with a vent means on said unit to eliminate a pressure piston effect when the resilient cup is forced inside the external cap.

Claim 5

The combination as set forth in claim 3 wherein the resilient cup is imperforate and the external cap has an opening therethrough for providing an air vent means.

Claim 6

The combination as set forth in claim 4 wherein the vent means is a C-shaped opening in a top wall of the external cap.

Claim 7

The combination as set forth in claim 4 wherein the vent is comprised of one or more louvered openings in a skirt of said external cap.

Claim 8

The combination as set forth in claim 3 wherein the external cap is the imperforate member and the resilient cup has a vent opening therethrough.

Claim 9

The combination as set forth in claim 3 wherein the external cap is the imperforate member and the resilient cup member has one or more rib means for spacing a portion of the resilient cup skirt a sufficient distance from the external cap skirt to permit air passage during telescopic assembly of the external cap and resilient cup.

Claim 10

The combination as set forth in claim 8 wherein the resilient cup has a top wall and a depending skirt, and has at least one rIb that extends along an external portion of said top wall and downwardly along an external portion of said skirt.

Claim 11

The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein the external cap has a frangible section and a pull tab for breaking loose the skirt of the external cap to relieve the resilient band from the bead so the inner cap can be broken loose from the container.

Claim 12

In a medical liquid container for sterile liquids having a threaded neck with a removable screw cap thereon and an external annular bead on the container below said screw cap, the improvement of: an annular resilient band encircling said container and overlying at least a portion of said bead and at least a portion of said screw cap; external annular compression means compressingly sealing the annular resilient band against said bead; and an imperforate sterility closure member fitting over said screw cap and integrally joined to one of said annular compressive means and said resilient band.

Claim 13

In a medical liquid container for sterile liquids having a threaded neck with a removable screw cap thereon and an external annular bead on the container below said screw cap, the improvement of: an annular resilient band encircling said container and overlying at least a portion of said bead and at least a portion of said screw cap; external annular compression means compressingly sealing the annular resilient band against said bead; and an imperforate sterility closure member fitting over said screw cap and integrally joined to one of said annular compressive means and said resilient band.

Claim 14

The combination as set forth in claim 11 wherein the screw cap has a depending skirt with an externally protruding flange portion that contacts the resilient band, whereby said resilient band can be manually grasped to break the screw cap loose from the container after removal of the annular compression means.

Claim 15

The combination as set forth in claim 11 wherein the annular resilient band is generally cylindrical in shape prior to being compressed against said bead.

Claim 16

The combination as set forth in claim 11 wherein the resilient annular band is rubber.

Claim 17

In a sterile medical liquid container having a dispensing outlet closed off by an inner cap, an outer tear-off cap superimposed over said inner cap, and a protruding annular external bead on the container below said inner cap, the improvement of: a resilient cup disposed between said inner and outer caps, said resilient cup having a depending skirt overlying said annular bead; and said outer tear-off cap crimpingly compressing said resilient cup skirt against said bead.

Claim 18

In a sterile medical liquid container having a dispensing outlet closed off by an inner cap, an outer tear-off cap superimposed over said inner cap, and a protruding annular external bead on the container below said inner cap, the improvement of: a resilient cup disposed between said inner and outer caps, said resilient cup having a depending skirt overlying said annular bead; and said outer tear-off cap crimpingly compressing said resilient cup skirt against said bead.

Claim 19

The combination as set forth in claim 15 wherein the resilient cup has a top wall that is integral with the skirt and said top wall is substantially thicker than the skirt for structural support of said compressible skirt.

Claim 20

The combination as set forth in claim 16 wherein the skirt has a thickness of from 0.020 to 0.080 inch.

Claim 21

The combination as set forth in claim 16 wherein the top wall has a thickness of 0.100 to 0.150 inch.

Claim 22

The combination as set forth in claim 15 wherein the resilient cup is of natural rubber with a Shore A hardness of from 40 - 70.

Claim 23

The combination as set forth in claim 15 wherein the resilient cup is of natural rubber and has a compression set of 10 to 40 percent.

Claim 24

The combination as set forth in claim 15 wherein the resilient cup skirt has an inner surface and an outer surface and a lower edge surface, said lower edge surface being upwardly beveled towards its inner skirt surface, thereby providing a substantial annular beveled throat for telescopic assembly of resilient cup over said inner cap and protruding annular bead of said container.

Claim 25

A sterile medical liquid container having a dispensing outlet closed off by a three part closure system that includes a removable inner closure member; an outer cup-shaped protective closure superimposed over said removable inner closure, which outer closure includes a top wall and a depending skirt secured to said container; said outer closure including a score line penetrating only partially through the top wall of the outer closure, which score line defines a removable portion of said top wall; a pull tab means connected to said removable portion for breaking the removable portion out from said top wall for gaining access to said inner closure, said top wall and depending skirt of the outer closure being imperforate for providing a bacterial sterility barrier for the inner closure prior to breaking the score line; and a rEsilient cup confined between the outer closure and inner closure for providing a watertight seal between the two closures when the container and closure system is subjected to steam sterilization.

Claim 26

A sterile medical liquid container having a dispensing outlet closed off by a three part closure system that includes a removable inner closure member; an outer cup-shaped protective closure superimposed over said removable inner closure, which outer closure includes a top wall and a depending skirt secured to said container; said outer closure including a score line penetrating only partially through the top wall of the outer closure, which score line defines a removable portion of said top wall; a pull tab means connected to said removable portion for breaking the removable portion out from said top wall for gaining access to said inner closure, said top wall and depending skirt of the outer closure being imperforate for providing a bacterial sterility barrier for the inner closure prior to breaking the score line; and a rEsilient cup confined between the outer closure and inner closure for providing a watertight seal between the two closures when the container and closure system is subjected to steam sterilization.

Claim 27

The combination as set forth in claim 22 wherein the score line forms a generally U-shaped pattern in the top wall with spaced apart legs of the score line continuing down the skirt of the outer closure.

Claim 28

The combination as set forth in claim 22 wherein the container has an external bead below the inner closure and the skirt of the outer closure is crimped around this bead.

Claim 29

For use in surgical or other medical procedures the combination of: a rigid glass bottle with a tubular dispensing neck having external screw threads located between an upper lip surface surrounding an outlet opening and an external annular neck bead below said lip; a sterile medical liquid within said bottle; a metal screw cap with a top wall, and a skirt threadingly received on said bottle neck, a gasket liner inside said screw cap held in pressure contact with the bottle lip; a rubber cup having a top wall engaging a top wall of the screw cap and an integral depending rubber skirt completely encircling and overlying the skirt of the screw cap and extending below said screw cap skirt to overlie the annular neck bead of the bottle; a tear-apart metal cup-shaped outer cap telescoped over said rubber cup, said outer cap having a top wall and a depending skirt overlying the rubber cup skirt and compressingly urging it into bacteria-tight contact with the annular neck bead; said outer cap having a break-apart section with a pull tab connected thereto for ripping apart the outer cap skirt to relieve compressive forces on the rubber cup skirt, whereby the rubber cup can thereafter be rotated for breaking loose the screw cap from the threaded bottle neck.

Claim 30

For use in surgical or other medical procedures the combination of: a rigid glass bottle with a tubular dispensing neck having external screw threads located between an upper lip surface surrounding an outlet opening and an external annular neck bead below said lip; a sterile medical liquid within said bottle; a metal screw cap with a top wall, and a skirt threadingly received on said bottle neck, a gasket liner inside said screw cap held in pressure contact with the bottle lip; a rubber cup having a top wall engaging a top wall of the screw cap and an integral depending rubber skirt completely encircling and overlying the skirt of the screw cap and extending below said screw cap skirt to overlie the annular neck bead of the bottle; a tear-apart metal cup-shaped outer cap telescoped over said rubber cup, said outer cap having a top wall and a depending skirt overlying the rubber cup skirt and compressingly urging it into bacteria-tight contact with the annular neck bead; said outer cap having a break-apart section with a pull tab connected thereto for ripping apart the outer cap skirt to relieve compressive forces on the rubber cup skirt, whereby the rubber cup can thereafter be rotated for breaking loose the screw cap from the threaded bottle neck.

Claim 31

The combination as set forth in claim 25 wherein the screw cap has an external flange at a lower portion of the skirt, which external flange extends outwardly beyond a major portion of the screw cap skirt and engages the rubber cup when breaking loose the screw cap, said flange causing the frictional engagement between the screw cap and rubber cup to be sufficiently small that the rubber cup can be vertically lifted and separated from the screw cap after said screw cap has been broken loose but still remains engaged with the screw threads of the bottle neck.