Patent · US Expired

Vial capping device

US5746042A · kind A · utility

7Cited by
16References
17Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateApr 2, 1996
Grant dateMay 5, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 2, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
  • CPC primaryB67B3/22
  • WIPO fieldHandling
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A hand-held device for installing caps on vials having a housing with an outer housing member and an inner housing member. The housing is sized to enable the device to be held in a hand of a user and placed over a vial to be capped. A shuttle member is rotationally disposed within the inner housing for transporting one of a plurality of caps stored in the housing from a cap storage station to a cap installation station within the housing when said device is operated. At approximately the same time, a plunger extending from an inner surface of the outer housing is installs the cap transported to the cap installation station onto a vial. Also described is a cap to be used in the hand-held device. The cap has a substantially flat endwall defining a peripheral edge surface and a sidewall extending therefrom. The peripheral edge surface defines a radius which is substantially less than 0.040 inches. Such a radius substantially reduces the likelihood of the cap jamming when a plurality of the caps are used in the hand-held device described above.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.