1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a cap for sealing a containers, such as a bottle.
2. Background Art
Bottles or other containers intended to contain liquids require a cap that is capable of establishing a seal of the container which is effective to prevent leakage of the liquids contained therein. In some prior bottles, an internal foam closure of liner is disposed on an underside of the bottle cap in a secondary process. As such, use of a foam liner introduces additional material and labor into the construction of the bottle cap. In addition, in the event that the foam liner becomes compromised, the sealing capabilities of the foam liner can be adversely affected, potentially resulting in leakage of the liquid contents. Leakage can also occur as a result of internal pressure changes in the container, such as can be introduced during freezing and subsequent thawing of the liquid contents, which adversely affect the seal between the foam liner and the container.
As a tamper-evident measure, bottles and other containers are often packaged with a plastic shrink sleeve extending at least partially over the container closure and downward onto the container itself. Unfortunately, these shrink sleeves can often be very difficult for a consumer to remove in order to open the container and gain access to the product therein.
As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale, and some features may be exaggerated or minimalized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching on skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention.
According to an aspect of the present invention, a leak-proof closure for a container is provided which also facilitates easier removal of tamper-evident sealing means on the exterior of the container. With reference to
Referring again to
The bottle cap 10 further includes an annular inner skirt 26, or plug, as depicted in
When the bottle cap 10 is fitted onto the container, the inner skirt 26 contacts an inner surface of the container neck which abuts the top wall bottom face 16, such that the container neck is tightly received between the outer and inner skirts 18, 26, thereby sealing the container and impeding the loss of fluid therefrom. A tight interference fit may be created by properly sizing the inner skirt 26 and the container neck inner diameter in order to prevent the liquid contents of the container from leaking, even under conditions such as freezing/thawing which induce internal pressure changes in the container.
In further accordance with an aspect of the present invention, the bottle cap 10 may be injection molded and have a one-piece construction formed from a plastic material. According to one aspect of the present invention, the bottle cap 10 may be constructed from polypropylene, or from a co-polymer of polypropylene and ethylene propylene. The addition of ethylene propylene to the base polypropylene material may reduce brittleness and increase impact resistance of the bottle cap 10. Of course, it is understood that other materials are also contemplated for the construction of bottle cap 10.
Ingredients specific to liquid energy supplements or energy drinks (these terms used interchangeably herein), such as vitamin B6, vitamin B12, and folic acid, may oxidize and subsequently undergo an unappealing color change. When prior art foam liners are used for sealing purposes, soaking of the liquid into the edges of the foam liner may result in oxidation, with the residue appearing as a dark substance which is typically unappealing to a consumer. Use of the bottle cap 10 with inner skirt 26 according to the present invention eliminates this problem encountered with liquid energy supplements or energy drinks. In addition, the plastic material used for construction of the bottle cap 10 offers a much higher level of impermeability to oxygen than does open cell foam used in prior art foam liners, such that the shelf life of the liquid energy supplement or energy drink can be extended.
With reference to FIGS. 1 and 4-5, according to one aspect of the present invention, top wall top face 14 may be generally concave and outer skirt 18 may include an annular rim 28 extending upwardly from the top face 14 around the perimeter of the top wall 12. In accordance with one non-limiting aspect of the present invention, a distance from a plane defined by the rim 28 to the top face 14 may vary from approximately 0.095 inches near the rim 28 to approximately 0.105 inches at or near the center of the top wall 12 to the plane defined by the rim 28 may be about 10%, 15%, or 20% of the overall height of the bottle cap 10. However, it is understood that the bottle cap is not limited to these absolute or relative dimensions. It is also understood that the term “concave” as used herein is not restricted to describing a surface with a constant radius of curvature, but rather is used to denote the general appearance of the surface.
In one embodiment, the concavity of the top wall 12 spans about 80%, 85%, or 90% of the diameter of the bottle cap 10, although other proportions are also contemplated. The concavity of the top face 14 allows the shrink sleeve to span partially across the concavity, and is of sufficient diameter to offer an avenue for a finger or fingernail of a consumer to gain easier access to an edge of the shrink sleeve on the bottle cap 10. The size of the concave top face 14 also provides an ergonomic surface which cooperates with the natural curve of a consumer's finger to aid in removing the shrink sleeve packaging.
With continuing reference to FIGS. 1 and 4-5, the rim 28 may serve several purposes. As described above, one purpose may be to exaggerate the height difference between the shrink sleeve and the concavity of top face 14, allowing a consumer easy access to the edge of the shrink sleeve to facilitate its removal. A second purpose of the rim 28 may be to reinforce the bottle cap 10 to resist breakage should the container be dropped or the cap 10 otherwise impact a hard surface. A minimal amount of plastic material is required for construction of the rim 28, which produces a light yet strong bottle cap 10. In one embodiment, the rim 28 may have a thickness of about 10% or 15% of the diameter of the bottle cap 10, although other proportions are also contemplated. Maintaining a lightweight bottle cap 10 is cost effective and promotes fast cycle times during the injection molding process. Still further, the combination of the rim 28 and the steepness of its angled connection with the concave top face 14 create a unique “shadow box” effect to highlight any indicia provided on the top face 14, such as a logo 30 as depicted in
While aspects of the invention have been illustrated and described, it is not intended that these aspects illustrate and describe all possible forms of the invention. It is understood that the features of various implementing aspects may be combined to form further aspects of the invention. The words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/476,475, filed Jun. 2, 2009, which claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 61/099,328 filed Sep. 23, 2008, all of which are incorporated by reference herein.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61099328 | Sep 2008 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 12476475 | Jun 2009 | US |
Child | 13455711 | US |