Cap-member

Details Cap-member Cap-member

1998-10-20

2001-09-25

Shoap, Allan N. (Department: 3727)

Receptacles

Closures

Removable closure situated by resilient distortion and...

C220S326000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06293423

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a structure for locking a cap-member to a cylindrical body.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIGS.5 and 6
show a prior art locking structure of a cap-member to a cylindrical body disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 7-153529 (hereinafter “JP '529”).
In this structure, a plurality of locking projections
53
, facing each other, are provided on an inner surface of a peripheral wall
52
of a cap-member
51
, and an annular engaging groove
55
relative to the locking projections
53
is provided on a cylindrical body
54
.
With respect to the above structure of JP '529, however, the cap-member
51
having been locked to the cylindrical body
54
can not be easily detached since the locking projections
53
are not resilient.
Further, the locldng projection
53
is apt to be plastically deformed on fitting of the cap-member
51
, which causes incomplete lock of the cap-member
51
to the cylindrical body
54
.
Japanese, Patent Application Laid-open No. 8-279372 (hereinafter “JP '372”) therefore discloses another locking structure of a cap-member to a cylindrical body as shown in
FIGS. 7 and 8
.
In this structure, a pair of resilient locking arms
64
with respective slits are provided oppositely to each other in a fitting direction (V-direction) of a cylindrical body
61
and a cap-member
62
, and a free end portion of each of the locking arms
64
is provided with a locking projection
65
. With respect to the structure of JP '372, however, it would be difficult to make the locking arm
64
have sufficient resilience because of a short arm-length D. D.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing, an object of the present invention is to provide a locking structure of a cap-member capable of giving sufficient resilience to a locking arm provided thereon.
In order to achieve the above-described object, as a first aspect of the present invention, a locking structure of a cap-member to a cylindrical body consists of: a resilient locking arm provided on a peripheral wall of the cap-member in a peripheral direction thereof by making a slit on the peripheral wall; and an engaging groove provided on the cylindrical body for engaging the locking arm; wherein the locking arm engages the engaging groove simultaneously with fitting of the cap-member on the cylindrical body so as to easily and surely lock the cap-member to the cylindrical body.
In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, the locking arm is provided with an engaging projection projecting from a free end portion thereof toward a longitudinal axis of the cap-member, the engaging projection being provided with a tapered surface inclined in a fitting direction of the cap-member for facilitating to fit the cap-member on the cylindrical body and with an engaging plane on a back of the tapered surface to engage the engaging groove.
In accordance with a third aspect of the present invention, a plurality of the locking arms are arranged on the peripheral wall of the cap-member.
In accordance with a fourth aspect of the present invention, the locking structure further includes an annular sealing member to be retained between the cap-member and a holder body, formed continuously from the cylindrical body and having a larger diameter than the cylindrical body, simultaneously with locking of the cap-member to the cylindrical body.
And, in accordance with a fifth aspect of the present invention, the cap-member is axially fixed to the cylindrical body by means of the engaging plane of the locking arm and an annular plane inside the cap-member.
According to the present invention as described hereinabove, since the locking arm is formed on the peripheral wall of the cap-member in a peripheral direction, the locking arm can bend surely and easily even in case of a cap-member with small thickness, thereby enabling easy locking and lock-releasing.
And, since the tapered surface of the engaging projection at the free end portion of the locking arm is inclined in the fitting direction of the cap-member, force for fitting the cap-member on the cylindrical body can be small, thereby facilitating the fitting. This prevents damage of the engaging projection when fitting the cap-member. Also, the cap-member can be locked to the one end portion of the cylindrical body upon fitting the cap-member on the one end portion of the cylindrical body, and simultaneously the cap-member can be positioned.
Also, since the engaging projection can engage the engaging groove with high holding force by means of the locking arm capable of surely bending and resiling, detachment of the cap-member from the cylindrical body after the locking can be surely prevented.
Further, since a plurality of the locking arms are arranged oppositely to each other on the peripheral wall of the cap-member, the cap-member can be surely locked to the cylindrical body.
Still further, since the sealing member is arranged between the holder body and the cap-member, movement of the sealing member can be surely prevented, and the cap-member can be used as a retainer of the sealing member without using any other member, thereby reducing the production cost.
The above and other objects and features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing figures.


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patent: 2254559 (1941-09-01), Andresen
patent: 3499574 (1970-03-01), Yates, Jr.
patent: 3776406 (1973-12-01), Milbourne, Sr.
patent: 4214782 (1980-07-01), Boyer
patent: 4966302 (1990-10-01), Hjordie
patent: 5147060 (1992-09-01), Lima et al.
patent: 5449086 (1995-09-01), Harris
patent: 5918956 (1999-07-01), Scholder
patent: 1 599 743 (1981-10-01), None

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