Tube closure member

Claim 2

A plastic closure member for enclosing an open end of a tubular body and for maintaining a seal of said opening during pressure fluctuations within said tubular body comprising: a. an annular outer lip shaped to fit snugly in frictional engagement over the outer end section of a tube such that when in position on the tube, its first end extends around the circumference of the tube while the second end thereof is positioned adjacent the opening of the tube; b. a seating section extending inwardly from said second end for receiving the end of said tube in seating relationship; c. an inner section, generally conforming to the internal configuration of the tube comprising continuous sidewalls extending from said seating section and in opposed relationship to said lip and enclosing an end section comprising a continuous flexible web, said end section being deformable in an arcuate manner toward the interior of said tube and also toward the open end thereof in response to pressure fluctuations within said tube, said sidewalls adjoining said end section, being flexible to thereby allow inversion of said end section therewithin and overlapping of said sidewalls adjacent said end section in response to a pressure increase within said tube said sidewalls adjacent said seating section having a thickness of from about 1.5 to about four times the thickness of said end section and said sidewalls adjacent said end section, and the thickness of the sidewalls therebetween tapers from said seating section to said end section to allow said inversion.

Claim 3

The closure member of claim 1 further comprising an integrally molded bead positioned on the outside of said first end of said lip.

Claim 4

The closure member of claim 1 wherein said lip and said sidewalls are approximately of equal length such that said first end of said lip and said end section of said inner section are in opposed spacial relationship.

Claim 5

The tubular closure member of claim 1 shaped to fit the end of a cylindrical conduit.

Claim 6

A tube closure member molded from a resilient plastic material for enclosing the open end of a tubular body and for maintaining a seAl of said opening during pressure fluctuations within said body comprising: a. an annular outer lip shaped to fit snugly in frictional engagement over the outer end section of a tube such that when in position on the tube, its first end extends around the circumference of the tube while the second end thereof is positioned adjacent the opening of the tube, said lip having an inner continuous arcuate surface, a diameter which is slightly smaller than the outside diameter of said tube, and a length which is at least one-half the average diameter of said tube; b. a seating section extending inwardly from said second end for receiving the end of said tube in seating relationship; c. an inner section generally conforming to the internal configuration of the tube comprising continuous sidewalls having approximately the same length as said lip and extending from said seating section and in opposed relationship to said lip and enclosing an end section comprising a continuous flexible web, said end section being deformable in an arcuate manner toward the interior of said tube and also toward the open end thereof in response to pressure fluctuations within said tube, said sidewalls adjoining said end section, being flexible to thereby allow inversion of said end section therewithin and overlapping of said sidewalls adjacent said end section in response to a pressure increase within said tube said sidewalls adjacent said seating section having a thickness of from about 1.5 to about four times the thickness of said end section and said sidewalls adjacent said end section, and the thickness of the sidewalls therebetween tapers from said seating section to said end section to allow said inversion.

Claim 7

A tube closure member molded from a resilient plastic material for enclosing the open end of a tubular body and for maintaining a seAl of said opening during pressure fluctuations within said body comprising: a. an annular outer lip shaped to fit snugly in frictional engagement over the outer end section of a tube such that when in position on the tube, its first end extends around the circumference of the tube while the second end thereof is positioned adjacent the opening of the tube, said lip having an inner continuous arcuate surface, a diameter which is slightly smaller than the outside diameter of said tube, and a length which is at least one-half the average diameter of said tube; b. a seating section extending inwardly from said second end for receiving the end of said tube in seating relationship; c. an inner section generally conforming to the internal configuration of the tube comprising continuous sidewalls having approximately the same length as said lip and extending from said seating section and in opposed relationship to said lip and enclosing an end section comprising a continuous flexible web, said end section being deformable in an arcuate manner toward the interior of said tube and also toward the open end thereof in response to pressure fluctuations within said tube, said sidewalls adjoining said end section, being flexible to thereby allow inversion of said end section therewithin and overlapping of said sidewalls adjacent said end section in response to a pressure increase within said tube said sidewalls adjacent said seating section having a thickness of from about 1.5 to about four times the thickness of said end section and said sidewalls adjacent said end section, and the thickness of the sidewalls therebetween tapers from said seating section to said end section to allow said inversion.

Claim 8

The tube closure member of claim 5 further comprising an integrally molded bead positioned on the exterior of the end of said lip.

Claim 9

The tube closure member of claim 6 wherein the thickness of said engaging lip adjacent said seating section is greater than the thickness of said engaging lip adjacent said bead.

Claim 10

The tube closure member of claim 7 wherein the thickness of said engaging lip adjacent said seating section is from about 1.5 to about four times the thickness of said engaging lip adjacent said bead, and the thickness of said engaging lip therebetween tapers from said seating section to said bead.