AU675806B2

AU675806B2 - Cap assembly for a container

Info

Publication number: AU675806B2
Application number: AU51462/93A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Colin Martin Haines; Jevgenijs Selickis
Original assignee: VALPRO AUSTRALIA Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Pro Quip International Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1992-10-14
Filing date: 1993-10-14
Publication date: 1997-02-20
Anticipated expiration: 2013-10-14
Also published as: AU5146293A

Description

CAP ASSEMBLY FOR A CONTAINER

This invention relates to cap assemblies for containers. Particularly, the invention relates to cap assemblies for containers such as metallic jerry cans which are frequently used for storing fuel.

Jerry cans having a cap assembly which includes a pivotal cap and locking member have been known for many years. Whilst these jerry cans perform satisfactorily in most situations the cap will sometimes come open when the jerry can is dropped on the cap.

The object of the present invention is to provide a novel cap assembly for a container which is less likely to be inadvertently opened.

Accordingly the invention provides a jerry can of known form including a locking pin which prevents rotation of the locking member which is pivoted to the cap to thereby prevent inadvertent opening of the cap.

The invention also provides a cap assembly for a container having an outlet spout, said assembly including a cap pivotably coupled to the outlet spout, a first locking member pivotably connected to the cap, said first locking member including a pair of fingers which, in a closed position of the assembly, interlock with bracket means located on the outlet spout, and, in an open position of the assembly, disengage said bracket means to thereby enable the cap to pivotably move away from the outlet spout, said assembly being characterised by the provision of a second locking member which, in a locked position thereof, prevents rotation of the first locking member relative to the cap and, in an unlocked position thereof, enables rotation of the first locking member whereby the assembly can pass from its closed position to its open position.

Preferably, the second locking member comprises a pin which passes through openings in the first locking member and the cap. Preferably further, the pin is slidable along its axis to disengage the opening in the cap.

Preferably further, the pin is arranged such that it must be rotated prior to sliding along its axis.

Preferably further, the pin includes an eccentrically mounted ring at one end thereof which orients said pin by gravity to a position in which it cannot be slid along its axis.

The invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side view of a cap assembly for a jerry can constructed in accordance with the invention; FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the assembly;

FIGURE 3 is a side view partly in section;

FIGURE 4 is a side view with the locking member in its open position; FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary sectional view through the locking member; FIGURE 6 is a side view of the locking pin; and FIGURE 7 shows the shape of one of the openings in the locking member.

Figures 1 to 3 illustrate a cap assembly 2 for a metallic jerry can 4 which is typically of 10 or 20 litres capacity and used for storage of fuel such as petrol or diesel oil. The cap assembly includes an outlet spout 6, cap 8 and locking member 10. This part of the assembly is well known and its operation therefore need not be described in detail. Briefly, the lower end of the spout 6 is welded to the top of the jerry can 4. The spout has welded thereto a pair of side brackets 11 and 12 which are integrally formed with a pair of projecting plates 14 and 16. The cap 8 has welded thereto a cap support plate 20 which is loosely pivoted between the plates 14 and 16 by means of a pin 22. As best seen in Figure 3, the plate 20 is formed with an elongate loop 24 for receipt of the pin 22 so as to provide for both pivoting and sliding movement of the cap 8 relative to the spout 6. The plate 20 is formed with an opening 26 for receipt of a pin 28 which pivotally connects the locking member 10 to the plate 20 and cap 8.

The locking member 10 is formed with a pair of forwardly projecting fingers 27 and 29 which are received within the brackets 11 and 12 at the sides of the spout so as to firmly hold the cap 8 into engagement with the top of the spout 6. A gasket (not shown) is provided on the underside of the cap 8 to form a seal and thereby prevent spillage of the fuel within the jerry can. Normally when the user wishes to open the can, the locking member 10 is rotated (in an anti-clockwise direction as shown in Figure 1) about the pin 28 so that the fingers 27 and 29 disengage the brackets 11 and 12, as shown in Figure 4. In this position, the cap 8 and plate 20 can be pivoted and moved relative to the pin 22 to thereby open the can.

In accordance with the invention, the assembly 2 includes a locking pin 30 to prevent inadvertent movement of the locking member 10 to its open position. In the illustrated arrangement, this is achieved by arranging for the pin 30 to interlock with the cap plate 20 and the locking member 10. The cap plate 20 is formed with a second opening 32 into which the pin 30 extends. The pin 30 also passes through a first opening 34 in one side of the locking member 10, the opening 34 being approximately the same diameter as the diameter of the pin 30. The other end of the pin 30 is formed with a flat 36, as seen in Figures 5 and 6. The other side of the locking member 10 is provided with a somewhat oval shaped opening 38 which is dimensioned to pass the flat 36 when the flat 36 is aligned with the longer dimension of the opening 38 but to hold the pin captive when the flat 36 is not so aligned. Figure 1 shows the pin 30 in its captive position whereas Figure 5 diagrammatically illustrates the pin in its released position. The pin 30 is prevented from being disconnected from the member 10 because the flat 36 cannot pass through the opening

32.

The other end of the pin 30 is provided with a spring or circlip 40 which passes through a small hole 42 through the pin 30. The hole 42 is eccentrically mounted relative to the central axis of the pin 30. The arrangement is such that the weight of the ring 40 maintains the orientation of the pin 30 such that the flat 36 cannot pass through the opening 38 i.e. the pin is maintained by gravity in the position as shown in Figure 1. This tends to prevent inadvertent removal of the pin 30.

In use of the jerry can, in the closed position the pin 30 extends through the opening 32 of the plate 20 and passes through the opening 38 in the locking member 10. The flat 36 is in its position in which it is too wide to pass through the opening 38 and thus the assembly is kept closed. When it is desired to open the jerry can, the user grasps the ring 40 and rotates the pin 30 through 90° (in either sense) so that the flat 36 is able to pass through the wider dimension of the opening 38. The pin 30 is pulled out so that the flat 36 passes through the opening 32 of the plate 20 so that it is entirely clear of the opening 32. Once the locking pin 30 has been withdrawn, the locking member 10 can be rotated to the position shown in Figure 4 and the jerry can opened in the usual way. The flat 36 cannot pass through the opening 34 so that the flat 36 and the ring 40 prevent disengagement of the pin 30 from the locking member 10.

A prototype of the apparatus has been constructed and has been found to perform satisfactorily including passing drop tests of a filled can from various heights.

Many modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A cap assembly (2) for a container (4) having an outlet spout (6), said assembly including a cap (8) pivotably coupled to the outlet spout (6), a first locking member (10) pivotably connected to the cap, said first locking member including a pair of fingers (27,29) which, in a closed position of the assembly, interlock with bracket means (11,12) located on the outlet spout, and, in an open position of the assembly, disengage said bracket means to thereby enable the cap to pivotably move away from the outlet spout, said assembly being characterised by the provision of a second locking member (30) which, in a locked position thereof, prevents rotation of the first locking member relative to the cap and, in an unlocked position thereof, enables rotation of the first locking member whereby the assembly can pass from its closed position to its open position.

2. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the second locking member comprises a pin (30) which passes through openings (32,34,38) in the first locking member and the cap.

3. An assembly as claimed in claim 2 wherein the pin is slidable in its axial direction to its unlocked position in which the pin does not engage or pass through the opening (32) in the cap.

4. An assembly as claimed in claim 2 or 3 wherein the pin (30) is arranged such that it must be rotated prior to sliding along its axis from its unlocked position.

5. An assembly as claimed in claim 4 wherein the pin comprises a shaft having a lateral projection (36) and wherein there are first and second of said openings (34,38) in the locking member, the second opening (38) being wider in one direction and narrower in a second direction transverse thereto the arrangement being such that, in the locked position of the pin (30), the projection (36) is aligned with said second direction and the projection (36) cannot pass through the opening and, on rotation of the pin such that the projection is aligned with said one direction, the pin can be pulled so that the projection (36) passes through the second opening (38) and the opening (32) in the cap so that pin can be pulled to its unlocked position.

6. An assembly as claimed in claim 5, the lateral projection comprises a flat (36) formed at one end of the shaft and wherein flat (36) cannot pass through the first opening (34) regardless of orientation.

7. An assembly as claimed in claim 6 including biasing means (40,42) which operates in use to keep the flat (36) aligned with said second direction when the pin is in its locked position.

8. An assembly as claimed in claim 7 wherein the biasing means comprises a ring (40) which passes through a mounting hole (42) near the other end of the shaft of the pin, said mounting hole being eccentrically located relative to the axis of the shaft whereby the weight of the pin operates to keep the flat (36) aligned with said second direction and wherein the ring (40) and flat (36) prevent the shaft from being pulled clear of said first opening (34).

9. An assembly as claimed in claim 3 wherein the cap includes a cap plate (20) which forms part of the pivotal connection of the first locking member (10) thereto and forms part of said opening (32) in the cap.

10. A container (4) comprising: a container body having a spout (6); a cap assembly (2) as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9; and pivot means (22,24) for mounting the cap (8) for pivotal movement relative to the spout (6).

11. A container as claimed in claim 10 wherein the pivot means (22,24) permits pivotal movement and translational movement of the cap assembly (2) relative to the spout (6).