Capping tool

Abstract

An objective of the present invention is to provide, on an opening part of a cylinder, a capping tool that does not easily loosen.　A capping tool 100 for attaching a cylinder cap by being attached to the opening part 1A of a cylinder 1 comprises: a first ring 10 that can be screwed to the screw section of the opening part 1A; and a second ring 20 that has an inner circumferential surface 21 on which a second screw section 22 that can be screwed to the screw section of the opening part 1A is formed. The second ring 20 has formed therein a recessed section 27 into which the first ring 10 can be incorporated. When having been incorporated into the second ring 20, the first ring 10 engages the bottom surface 28 of the recessed section 27.

Description

Cap fitting

[0001] The present invention relates to a cap fitting that is attached to the mouth of a cylinder to attach a cylinder cap.

[0002] Conventionally, cap fittings have been known that are screwed onto the mouth of a cylinder to attach a cylinder cap (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This type of cap fitting has a threaded hole that penetrates from the outer periphery to the inner periphery of the cap fitting. With the cap fitting attached to the mouth of the cylinder, a set screw is threaded into the threaded hole so that the tip of the set screw is pressed against the mouth of the cylinder. This fixes the cap fitting to the mouth of the cylinder so that it does not rotate and loosen, integrating the cylinder and the cap fitting. Furthermore, a cylinder cap is screwed onto the cap fitting to protect the valve of the cylinder.

[0003] In addition, especially in the field of specialty gases, the use of valves with nozzles conforming to overseas standards for cylinder valves has been increasing, and larger valves are being used more often. As a result, the cylinder caps used to protect the larger valves have also become larger in diameter, and cap fittings for large-diameter cylinder caps have become larger overall by attaching a neck collar to the neck ring attached to the cylinder.

[0004] Patent Publication No. 2021-8925

[0005] However, with the cap fittings of the above-mentioned conventional technology, there was a risk that the set screws would loosen when the attached cylinder cap was removed or due to vibrations during transportation of the cylinder, causing the neck collar to loosen from the neck ring. For this reason, it was necessary to retighten the set screws before shipping the cylinder.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the problems of the prior art and to provide a cap fitting that is difficult to loosen from the mouth of a cylinder.

[0007] The present invention relates to a cap fitting for attaching a cylinder cap to the mouth of a cylinder, comprising: a first ring having a first threaded portion formed on its inner surface that can be threaded onto the threaded portion of the mouth; and a second ring having a second threaded portion formed on its inner surface that can be threaded onto the threaded portion of the mouth, wherein the second ring has a recess formed therein into which the first ring can be fitted, and when fitted into the second ring, the first ring engages with the bottom surface of the recess.

[0008] In this case, a third threaded portion for attaching the cylinder cap may be formed on the outer peripheral surface of the second ring, and the recess may be surrounded by the third threaded portion. The first ring may have a first hole portion for hooking a tool. The first hole portion may extend parallel to the axis of the first ring. The first ring may have a pair of first hole portions formed at positions facing each other about the axis of the first ring. The second ring may have a second hole portion for hooking a tool formed in the third threaded portion. The second hole portion may extend perpendicular to the axis of the second ring. The second ring may have a pair of second hole portions formed at positions facing each other about the axis of the second ring. The first ring may have a first hole portion formed therein for hooking a tool, and the second ring may have a second hole portion formed in the third thread portion for hooking a tool, and when the first ring is fitted into the recess of the second ring, the direction in which the first hole portion extends may be perpendicular to the direction in which the second hole portion extends.

[0009] The present invention can provide a cap fitting that is difficult to loosen from the mouth of a cylinder.

[0010] 2A and 2B are cross-sectional views of the cap fitting according to the present embodiment attached to a cylinder. Fig. 2A shows a top view of the first ring, and Fig. 2B shows a cross-sectional view of the first ring. Fig. 3A shows a top view of the second ring, and Fig. 3B shows a cross-sectional view of the second ring.

[0011] A cap fitting according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of the cap fitting attached to a cylinder, Fig. 2(a) shows a top view of the first ring, Fig. 2(b) shows a cross-sectional view of the first ring, Fig. 3(a) shows a top view of the second ring, and Fig. 3(b) shows a cross-sectional view of the second ring.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1 , the cap fitting device 100 is adapted to be attached to the mouth 1A of a cylinder 1 to which a neck ring is attached. That is, the cap fitting device 100 according to this embodiment is a neck collar for attachment to the neck ring. The mouth 1A of the cylinder 1 is integrally formed by attaching the neck ring to the cylinder body by crimping, welding, or screwing. The outer circumferential surface of the neck ring is threaded to function as the threaded portion of the mouth 1A. The cap fitting device 100 is adapted to be attached to the container body via the neck ring by being screwed onto the neck ring. With the cap fitting device 100 attached to the mouth 1A of the cylinder 1, a valve 2 is attached within the mouth 1A. A cylinder cap 3 formed to accommodate the valve 2 is attached to the cap fitting device 100, and the valve 2 of the cylinder 1 is protected by the cylinder cap 3.

[0013] The cap fitting 100 is composed of a first ring 10 and a second ring 20, and when it is attached to the cylinder 1, the first ring 10 is assembled into the second ring 20.

[0014] As shown in Figure 2(a), the first ring 10 is formed in an annular shape, and has a first threaded portion 12 formed on its inner peripheral surface 11. Meanwhile, the first ring 10 has a smooth outer peripheral surface 13. The first threaded portion 12 is adapted to be screwed onto a threaded portion formed on the outer peripheral surface of the mouth portion 1A of the cylinder 1 (see Figure 1).

[0015] A pair of first holes 14, 14 for hooking a tool are formed with smooth surfaces in the annular surface of the first ring 10. The pair of first holes 14, 14 are formed on the circumference between the inner peripheral surface 11 and the outer peripheral surface 13 of the first ring 10, and are formed at positions facing each other centered on the first axis C1 of the inner peripheral surface 11. Each of the pair of first holes 14, 14 has a circular cross section and penetrates the first ring 10 so as to extend parallel to the first axis C1, as shown in FIG. 2(b).

[0016] As shown in Figure 3(a), the second ring 20 is formed in an annular shape, and a second threaded portion 22 is formed on an inner peripheral surface 21 having the same diameter as the inner peripheral surface 11 of the first ring 10. The second threaded portion 22 is adapted to be screwed onto a threaded portion formed on the outer peripheral surface of the mouth portion 1A of the cylinder 1 (see Figure 1).

[0017] On the other hand, the second ring 20 has a third threaded portion 24 formed on its outer surface 23 for screwing in the cylinder cap 3, and also has a flange portion 25 formed thereon for contacting the open end of the cylinder cap 3.

[0018] A pair of second holes 26, 26 for hooking a tool are formed in the outer peripheral surface 23 of the second ring 20. The pair of second holes 26, 26 are formed at positions facing each other around the second axis C2 on the inner peripheral surface 21 and the outer peripheral surface 23. The second holes 26, 26 have a circular cross section with a smaller diameter than the first holes 14, 14 of the first ring 10, and have smooth inner peripheral surfaces. As shown in FIG. 3( b), the second holes 26, 26 are formed to extend in a direction perpendicular to the second axis C2. When the cylinder cap 3 (see FIG. 1) is attached to the second ring 20, the second holes 26, 26 are blocked by the cylinder cap 3 and are not exposed to the outside.

[0019] The second ring 20 has a recess 27 formed therein into which the first ring 10 can be fitted so that the axis C1 of the first threaded portion 12 and the axis C2 of the second threaded portion 22 coincide. The recess 27 is formed so that a cross section perpendicular to the second axis C2 is a circular cross section centered on the axis C2, and the circular cross section of the recess 27 is concentric with the circular cross sections of the second threaded portion 22 and the third threaded portion 24. The diameter of the recess 27 is larger than the diameter of the outer peripheral surface 13 of the first ring 10 so that a gap is formed between the first ring 10 and the second ring 20 when the first ring 10 is fitted into the second ring 20. The depth of the recess 27 is greater than the thickness of the first ring 10 along the first axis C1. The recess 27 is located so as to be surrounded by the inside of the third threaded portion 24 and is formed large enough so that the second holes 26, 26 formed in the third threaded portion 24 do not pass through the recess 27. The second ring 20 has second holes 26, 26 that do not extend all the way to the recess 27, so that the second holes 26, 26 are not exposed within the recess 27. Furthermore, the bottom surface 28 of the recess 27 is farther from the end face of the second ring 20 on the flange portion 25 side than the second holes 26, 26. The second ring 20 has no through holes formed other than the inner peripheral surface 21 where the second threaded portion 22 is formed, so that the cylinder 1 and cylinder cap 3 are attached to seal the second ring 20 and prevent dust from entering.

[0020] 1, when the first ring 10 is fitted into the second ring 20 to form the cap fitting device 100, the direction in which the first holes 14, 14 of the first ring 10 extend is perpendicular to the direction in which the second holes 26, 26 of the second ring 20 extend. This allows an operator to hook a tool into each of the first holes 14, 14 and the second holes 26, 26, even when the first ring 10 is fitted into the recess 27 of the second ring 20 and the outer circumferential surface 13 of the first ring 10 is not exposed.

[0021] In addition, the thickness of the second ring 20, to which the bottle cap 3 is attached, in the direction of the second axis C2 is made thicker than the thickness of the first ring 10 in the direction of the first axis C1, thereby increasing the strength of the cap attachment device 100.

[0022] The following describes the procedure for attaching the cap fitting device 100 to the cylinder 1. When attaching the cap fitting device 100 to the cylinder 1, the worker first inserts the tool for the second ring 20 into the second holes 26, 26, and then screws the second ring 20 into the mouth 1A of the cylinder 1 until it is fully tightened.

[0023] After the second ring 20 has been fully tightened onto the mouth 1A of the cylinder 1, the worker inserts the tool for the first ring 10 into the first holes 14, 14, and, while using the tool for the second ring 20 to fix the second ring 20 so that it does not rotate, screws the first ring 10 into the mouth 1A of the cylinder 1. At this time, the worker fully tightens the first ring 10 until it is inserted into the recess 27 of the second ring 20 and is pressed firmly against the bottom surface 28.

[0024] After the first ring 10 has been tightened onto the bottom surface 28 of the second ring 20, the worker uses a tool for the first ring 10 to fix the first ring 10 so that it does not rotate, and then rotates the second ring 20 in the reverse direction toward the first ring 10, tightening it onto the first ring 10. This allows the cap fitting device 100 to be attached to the mouth 1A of the cylinder 1 with the first ring 10 and the second ring 20 creating a double-nut effect.

[0025] The cap fitting device 100 according to this embodiment comprises a first ring 10 having a first threaded portion 12 formed on its inner circumferential surface 11 that can be threaded onto the threaded portion of the mouth 1A of the cylinder 1, and a second ring 20 having a second threaded portion 22 formed on its inner circumferential surface 21 that can be threaded onto the threaded portion of the mouth 1A of the cylinder 1, the second ring 20 having a recess 27 into which the first ring 10 can be fitted, and the first ring 10 engages with a bottom surface 28 of the recess 27 when fitted into the second ring 20. This creates a double-nut effect when the cap fitting device 100 is fitted to the mouth 1A of the cylinder 1, making it difficult for the cap fitting device 100 to loosen from the mouth 1A of the cylinder 1.

[0026] The above is an embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the above example and can be modified as desired within the scope of the present invention. For example, the first threaded portion 12 of the first ring 10 and the second threaded portion 22 of the second ring 20 are not strictly limited to the example shown in the drawings as long as they are configured to be able to be threaded onto the threaded portion of the mouth portion 1A of the cylinder 1.

[0027] In addition, although the above embodiment describes the cap fitting 100 as a neck collar attached to a neck ring, the cap fitting is not limited to this. If the cylinder container body is threaded, the cap fitting may be a neck ring that is threaded directly onto the container body.

[0028] Furthermore, the number and arrangement of the first holes 14 and the second holes 26 are not limited to those shown in the drawings.

[0029] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...Cylinder 1A...Mouth 2...Valve 3...Cylinder cap 10...First ring 11...Inner peripheral surface 12...First threaded portion 13...Outer peripheral surface 14...First hole portion 20...Second ring 21...Inner peripheral surface 22...Second threaded portion 23...Outer peripheral surface 24...Third threaded portion 25...Flange portion 26...Second hole portion 27...Recess 28...Bottom surface 100...Cap attachment C1...First axis C2...Second axis

Claims

1. A cap fitting for attaching to the mouth of a cylinder to attach a cylinder cap, comprising: a first ring having a first threaded portion formed on its inner surface which can be screwed into the threaded portion of the mouth; and a second ring having a second threaded portion formed on its inner surface which can be screwed into the threaded portion of the mouth, wherein the second ring has a recess into which the first ring can be fitted, and when the first ring is fitted within the second ring, the first ring engages with the bottom surface of the recess.

2. A cap fitting as described in claim 1, characterized in that a third threaded portion for attaching the cylinder cap is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the second ring, and the recess is surrounded by the third threaded portion.

3. A cap fastener according to claim 1, characterized in that the first ring is formed with a first hole for hooking a tool.

4. A cap fitting according to claim 3, characterized in that the first hole portion extends parallel to the axis of the first ring.

5. A cap fitting as described in claim 3, characterized in that the first ring has a pair of first holes formed at opposing positions centered on the axis of the first ring.

6. A cap fastener according to claim 2, characterized in that the second ring has a second hole formed in the third threaded portion for hooking a tool.

7. A cap fitting according to claim 6, characterized in that said second hole portion extends perpendicular to the axis of said second ring.

8. A cap fitting as described in claim 6, characterized in that the second ring has a pair of second holes formed at opposing positions centered on the axis of the second ring.

9. A cap fitting device as described in claim 2, characterized in that the first ring has a first hole portion formed therein for hooking a tool, and the second ring has a second hole portion formed in the third threaded portion for hooking a tool, and when the first ring is fitted into the recess of the second ring, the direction in which the first hole portion extends and the direction in which the second hole portion extends are perpendicular to each other.

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