Self resealing elastomeric closure

• US 20020131902A1
• Filed: 01/28/2002
• Published: 09/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Abner Levy
• Original Assignee: Abner Levy
• Inventors: Levy, Abner
• Granted Patent: US 6,752,965 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/99
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/044 pierceable, e.g. films, membranes
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/50825 Closing or opening means, corks, bungs closures for containers B65D; means for removing stoppers B67B7/02
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/2575 Volumetric liquid transfer

Abstract

A closure for containers has a septum of elastomeric material which is self-resealing when punctured by a blunt ended tubular implement to access to the contents of the container. In one application the elastomeric closure is incorporated in a cap for a bottle or vial and is self-resealing after being punctured by a laboratory pipette.

Claims

1. A self-resealing closure for a container comprising a septum of elastomeric material disposed for closing an opening in said container, said septum having a depressed portion including an area of minimum thickness, said depressed portion increasing in thickness from said minimum thickness to much thicker elastomeric material, the increase in thickness occurring over a substantial distance along a direction transverse to said thickness;

said depressed portion and said area of minimum thickness being shaped and configured to elastically distend to pass an implement through a tear in said area of minimum thickness and to be self-reclosing by returning opposite edges of said tear to a substantially contiguous closed condition after withdrawal of the said implement.

2. The closure of claim 1 wherein said area of minimum thickness is in an initially unbroken condition and said tear is made by rupturing said area of minimum thickness with the said implement.

3. The closure of claim 2 wherein the said implement has a blunt tip of tip width greater than a width of said area of minimum thickness.

4. The closure of claim 1 wherein said septum has a pre-existing tear in said area of minimum thickness for passing the said instrument through the septum.

5. The closure of claim 4 wherein said pre-existing tear comprises at least one cut through said septum.

6. The closure of claim 5 wherein said least one cut comprises two or more cuts intersecting each other in said area of minimum thickness.

7. The closure of claim 1 wherein said depression is circular.

8. The closure of claim 1 wherein said depression is elongated.

9. The closure of claim 1 wherein said depression is not circular.

10. The closure of claim 1 wherein said depression is polygonal.

11. The closure of claim 1 wherein said depression is generally rectangular.

12. The closure of claim 1 wherein said increase in thickness is substantially continuous between said minimum thickness and said much thicker elastomeric material.

13. The closure of claim 1 wherein said increase in thickness defines a smooth convex curve along a surface of the septum between said minimum thickness and said much thicker elastomeric material.

14. The closure of claim 1 wherein said elastomeric material is a mixture of hydrogenated isoprene-propylene.

15. The closure of claim 1 further comprising a cap having a cap periphery engageable with a rim of the said container, and said septum is supported in an opening defined in said cap.

16. The closure of claim 15 wherein said cap periphery is of relatively inelastic material.

17. The container cap of claim 1 wherein said area of minimum thickness has a minimum thickness of a few mils.

19. The self resealing closure of claim 18 wherein said cut includes at least two cuts intersecting each other in said area of minimum thickness.

20. The self resealing closure of claim 18 wherein said two cuts are made by cutting with a cutting edge.

21. The self-resealing closure of claim 18 wherein said depressed portion is initially unbroken and said cut is a tear made by pushing through said depressed portion a blunt ended implement having a tip width greater than said minimum thickness.

22. The self-resealing closure of claim 21 wherein said tip width is much greater than said minimum thickness.

23. The container cap of claim 18 wherein said area of minimum thickness has a minimum thickness of a few mils.

24. The container cap of claim 18 wherein said depressed portion is a depression of generally continuous curvature in a radial direction between said area of minimum thickness and said relatively thick outer portion.

25. The container cap of claim 18 wherein said depressed portion is a generally hemispherical depression in said septum.

27. The container cap of claim 26 wherein said central area of minimum thickness has a minimum thickness of a few thousandths of an inch.

28. The container cap of claim 26 wherein said outer portion and said central area are generally concentrically circular.

29. The container cap of claim 26 wherein said circular depression is a depression of generally spherical curvature.

30. The container cap of claim 26 wherein said circular depression is a generally hemispherical depression in said septum.

31. The container cap of claim 26 wherein said area of minimum thickness has a diameter about equal to or smaller than the tip width of the blunt ended implement such that said annular outer portion is radially compressed against said cap periphery upon insertion of the blunt ended implement through said cuts.

18. A self-resealing closure for a container comprising a septum of elastomeric material supported for closing an opening in the container, said septum having a relatively thick outer portion encompassing a depressed portion, said depressed portion diminishing in thickness to a central portion of much smaller thickness relative to said outer portion, said central portion being cut to admit an implement such as a pipette tip through said central portion, said depressed portion and said outer portion being configured to provide sufficient restorative elastic force to return opposite edges of said cut to a substantially contiguous closed condition following withdrawal of the implement from the septum.

26. A self-resealing container cap puncturable by a tubular implement having a blunt ended tip of given tip width, comprising:

a cap periphery of relatively inelastic material configured to make closing engagement with a container and an initially unbroken septum of elastomeric material supported in a hole defined in said cap periphery, said septum having an outer portion radially contained by said cap periphery and a depression in said outer portion, said depression diminishing in thickness from said outer portion to an area of minimum thickness, said minimum thickness being less than the thickness of said outer portion, two cuts through said septum intersecting each other in said area of minimum thickness, said septum being arranged, shaped and sized for returning to a condition substantially sealed against significant leakage of liquid from the container through said septum after admitting through said cuts in said area of minimum thickness a blunt ended implement having a tip width substantially greater than said minimum thickness.

32. A self-resealing container cap puncturable by a tubular implement having a blunt ended tip of given tip width, comprising:

a cap periphery of relatively inelastic material configured to make closing engagement with a container and a septum of elastomeric material having a relatively thick outer portion radially contained by said cap periphery, said outer portion having an exterior surface and an interior surface, a dished depression in one said surface, said dished depression including a depressed surface defining a central area of minimum thickness as measured between said depressed surface and said interior surface of the septum, said septum being shaped and sized such that said area of minimum thickness is substantially self-closing by elastically holding together opposite edges of a pair of intersecting cuts in said area of minimum thickness following insertion of an implement having a tip width substantially greater than said minimum thickness through said cuts.

33. The container cap of claim 32 wherein said area of minimum thickness is a small portion of said depressed surface relative to the total area of the septum.

34. The container cap of claim 32 wherein said dished depression is generally spherically curved.

35. The container cap of claim 32 wherein said area of minimum thickness increases in thickness in a radial direction so as to form a continuously curved cross-section.

36. The container cap of claim 32 wherein said septum has an undersurface and a top surface and said dished surface is said top surface.