Snap cap

Abstract

A snap cap for closing a receptacle has a deck and a circumferential skirt extending from the deck. The circumferential skirt has an inner side with a snap bead to attach the snap cap to an upper end ridge of the receptacle. The deck has an outer ring shaped zone, which extends radially from an outer periphery of the deck, and radially inward from the outer ring shaped zone, and an elevated ring shaped or circular zone which is elevated with respect to the outer ring shaped zone. At the outer periphery of the deck a peripheral rim is formed which protrudes from the deck and which has a free end. The free end of the peripheral rim is elevated with respect to the outer ring shaped zone.

1 . A snap cap for closing a receptacle, said snap cap having a deck, which in use covers an end of the receptacle, and furthermore having a circumferential skirt extending from the deck and having a free end remote from the deck, the circumferential skirt having an inner side on which a snap bead is formed to attach the snap cap to an end ridge of the receptacle, the deck having an outer ring shaped zone which extends radially from an outer periphery of the deck and the deck having radially inward from the outer ring shaped zone an elevated ring shaped or circular zone which is elevated with respect to the outer ring shaped zone,
 wherein at the outer periphery of the deck a peripheral rim is formed which protrudes from the deck and which has a free end,   wherein the free end of the peripheral rim is elevated with respect to the outer ring shaped zone, and   wherein the peripheral rim flares radially outward with respect to the circumferential skirt.   
     
     
         2 . The snap cap according to  claim 1 , wherein the peripheral rim has a conical radially inward facing surface. 
     
     
         3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . he snap according to  claim 2 , wherein the peripheral skirt has a recess at the free end, which recess has a smaller outer diameter than the inner diameter of the inwardly facing surface of the peripheral rim. 
     
     
         5 . The snap cap according to  claim 1 , wherein the elevated ring shaped or circular zone has an outer diameter which is adapted to substantially mate with a bottom side of a receptacle thereby facilitating stacking of capped receptacles. 
     
     
         6 . The snap cap according to  claim 1 , wherein the deck has said elevated ring shaped zone, and has a recessed central circular zone which is on a level below the outer ring shaped zone. 
     
     
         7 . The snap cap according to  claim 1 , which is made of a thermoplastic material. 
     
     
         8 . The snap cap according to  claim 7 , wherein the deck has a thickness within a range 0.4 mm-0.6 mm. 
     
     
         9 . The snap cap according to  claim 7 , wherein the skirt has a thickness within a range 0.4 mm-0.6 mm. 
     
     
         10 . The snap cap according to  claim 7 , wherein the snap cap has a diameter within a range of 80 mm-140 mm. 
     
     
         11 .- 14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . A snap cap for closing a receptacle, said snap cap having a deck, which in use covers an end of the receptacle, and furthermore having a circumferential skirt extending from the deck and having a free end remote from the deck, the circumferential skirt having an inner side on which a snap bead is formed to attach the snap cap to an end ridge of the receptacle, the deck having an outer ring shaped zone which extends radially from an outer periphery of the deck and the deck having radially inward from the outer ring shaped zone an elevated ring shaped or circular zone which is elevated with respect to the outer ring shaped zone,
 wherein at the outer periphery of the deck a peripheral rim is formed which protrudes from the deck and which has a free end,   wherein the free end of the peripheral rim is elevated with respect to the outer ring shaped zone, wherein the peripheral rim has a conical radially inward facing surface, and   wherein the peripheral skirt has a recess at the free end, which recess has a smaller outer diameter than the inner diameter of the inwardly facing surface of the peripheral rim.   
     
     
         16 . An assembly comprising:
 a receptacle having an upper end ridge near an upper end of the receptacle and a bottom side; and   a snap cap for closing the receptacle;   said snap cap having a deck, which in use covers an end of the receptacle, and furthermore having a circumferential skirt extending from the deck and having a free end remote from the deck, the circumferential skirt having an inner side on which a snap bead is formed to attach the snap cap to the upper end ridge of the receptacle, the deck having an outer ring shaped zone which extends radially from an outer periphery of the deck and the deck having radially inward from the outer ring shaped zone an elevated ring shaped or circular zone which is elevated with respect to the outer ring shaped zone,   wherein at the outer periphery of the deck a peripheral rim is formed which protrudes from the deck and which has a free end,   wherein the free end of the peripheral rim is elevated with respect to the outer ring shaped zone, and   wherein the elevated ring shaped or circular zone has an outer diameter which is adapted to substantially mate with the bottom side of a further one of such a receptacle thereby facilitating stacking of such capped receptacles.