1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to bottle closures on bottles for dispensing liquids, such as liquid cleaners and the like. More particularly, the present invention relates generally to flip top and screw top closures on handled bottles with pouring spouts.
2. Description of the Related Art
A typical directional pour spout with a flip top cap is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,549,559 to Conroy et al. A child-proof closure for a flip top cap is described in U.S. Pat. 2007/0144996 to Sawyer. A typical bottle with an integral handle and method of making is described in U.S. 2005/0163952 to Beale and U.S. Pat. No. 4,629,598 to Thompson.
A variety of solutions have been disclosed for storage venting of screw top closures. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,202,870 to Pearce discloses ridges with slots or grooves on the inside top horizontal surface of a screw cap to allow venting from inside the bottle. Another example of screw cap venting is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,048,140 to Caldwell, where the screw cap is slotted through the threads and on the inside top surface. Other venting solutions applicable to screw top containers have used venting liners, i.e. U.S. Pat. No. 6,983,857, U.S. Pat. No. 4,121,728, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,789,074.
Accordingly, what is needed is a suitable flip top, child-resistant closure with a pour spout for a handled bottle.
In accordance with the principles of the present invention, in one embodiment, a bottle comprises a container having a threaded neck on the container top front surface and having an enclosed handle on the container top rear surface wherein the neck comprises a container outlet and a separate handle inlet; a dispensing closure comprising a base member, a cap having a top and sidewalls, and a hinge connecting the base member and the cap, wherein the base member has a top wall with a depending outer concave flared sidewall and a depending intermediate wall having a pair of latches and a thread segment and connecting to an intermediate deck with a depending inner wall connecting to a lower deck having a beveled spout wherein the cap has a pair of tabs each having a tab wall connecting a tab lug that locks into one of the latches.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, a bottle comprises a container having a threaded neck on the container top front surface and having an enclosed handle on the container top rear surface wherein the neck comprises a container outlet and a separate handle inlet; a dispensing closure comprising a base member, a cap having a top and sidewalls, and a hinge connecting the base member and the cap, wherein the base member has a top wall with depending outer sidewall and a depending inner wall with a pair of latches on opposite sides of the base member and a deck member wherein the deck member comprises a beveled spout; wherein the cap sidewall has a pair of tab cutouts each containing a tab having a tab wall with tab lug that locks into a corresponding latch.
According to a further embodiment of the present invention, a bottle comprises a container having a threaded neck on the container top front surface and having an enclosed handle on the container top rear surface wherein the neck comprises a container outlet and a separate handle inlet; a dispensing closure comprising a base member, a cap, and a hinge connecting the base member and the cap, wherein the base member has a depending outer sidewall and an inner threaded wall with a pair of latches on opposite sides of the base member and a deck member wherein the deck member comprises a beveled spout, wherein the cap has a pair of tabs having tab lugs that lock into the latches, wherein the base member is opaque and the cap is from a group consisting of translucent, transparent, or a combination thereof.
The use of the bottle of the present invention, from a consumer perspective, would not differ from the use of any conventional dispensing bottle known in the art. The user would simply open the closure mechanism to dispense fluid from the bottle. The user in one embodiment of invention must squeeze two opposing tabs while at the same time lifting the cap.
Further features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of the detailed description of embodiments below, when considered together with the attached drawings and claims.
The foregoing aspects and others will be readily appreciated by the skilled artisan from the following description of illustrative embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Reference will now be made to the drawings wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout. For ease of description, the components of this invention are described in the normal (upright) operating position, and terms such as upper, lower, horizontal, top, bottom, etc., are used with reference to this position. It will be understood, however, that the components embodying this invention may be manufactured, stored, transported, used, and sold in an orientation other than the position described.
Figures illustrating the components of this invention show some conventional mechanical elements that are known and that will be recognized by one skilled in the art. The detailed descriptions of such elements are not necessary to an understanding of the invention, and accordingly, are herein presented only to the degree necessary to facilitate an understanding of the novel features of the present invention.
All publications, patents and patent applications cited herein, whether supra or infra, are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety to the same extent as if each individual publication, patent or patent application was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.
As used herein and in the claims, the term “comprising” is inclusive or open-ended and does not exclude additional unrecited elements, compositional components, or method steps. Accordingly, the term “comprising” encompasses the more restrictive terms “consisting essentially of” and “consisting of”.
It must be noted that, as used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the” include plural referents unless the content clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to a “surfactant” includes two or more such surfactants.
Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the invention pertains. Although a number of methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice of the present invention, the preferred materials and methods are described herein.
The term “bottle”, as used herein, is meant to mean and include any plastic container and closure for holding a fluid.
In a suitable embodiment as shown in
The container 102 can have an enclosed handle 112 with an extended handle exterior 127 and an enclosed extended handle interior 128. The bottle has a thumb pad 130 on the extended handle exterior 127 and a forefinger alignment nub 132 on the extended handle interior 128. These handle easy-grip features are suitable for a forward directed pouring spout which is tipped during pouring to a lesser extent than is required for a more central directed pouring spout on the top of a bottle. A solid web 134 separates the handle top end 136 from the container front side 106 where the handle top end 136 and the container front side 106 both enter the neck 116. The handle bottom end 135 is fluidly connected to the container body portion 104 about half way up the container rear side 110. The handle top end 136 is fluidly connected to the dispensing opening 108 at the neck 116. Below the handle 112 is an indented label wall 138. As shown in
Suitably, the dispensing closure 120 of the invention is provided with an inner female thread typically located in the base member 122, as described hereinafter, and the container neck 116 is provided with an exterior male thread 150 formed adjacent its dispensing opening 108. Typically, the dispensing closure 120 is mounted onto the container 102 with the female thread of the base member 122 screwed on the male thread 150 of the container 102. Alternatively, the container 102 may not need having a neck 116. Instead the container 102 may consist of a just a body portion 104 with a dispensing opening 108. The dispensing closure 120 of the present invention is suitable for use with a variety of conventional or special containers having various designs, the details of which, although not illustrated or described, would be apparent to those skilled in the art. The container 102 may have a rigid wall or walls, or may have a somewhat flexible wall or walls.
In a suitable aspect of the invention shown in
The container neck 116 may be a simple threaded closure or may have in addition to the male thread 150, several functional elements to prevent removal of the base member 122 of the dispensing closure 120. As shown in
Showing the dispensing means 120 in an open position in
More specifically, and as shown in
Another embodiment of the dispensing closure 120 is shown in
When the bottle contains liquid contents that expand or generate gas during storage of the bottle when the nozzle is in the closed position, it may be necessary to include a storage venting means. This passive storage venting means can be achieved by a circuitous channel, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,202,870 to Pearce, or by a porous liner, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,730,306 to Costa et al., both of which are incorporated in the entirety herein. In one embodiment of the invention shown in
The bottle may have an integrated spout fitment such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,794,803 to Sprick, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein.
The inside of an open flip top closure 200 is shown in
The cap 204 has a cap top 240 and depending exterior cap sidewalls 242. A cap interior wall 244 depends from the cap top 240 and mates with the base inner wall 216 when the flip top closure 200 is closed. The exterior cap sidewall 242 is connected to the cap interior wall 244 by multiple bracing flanges 246. The exterior cap sidewall 242 is discontinuous broken by a pair tab cutouts 247 with tabs 248 on opposite sides and orthogonal to the hinge 206. Each of the tabs 248 is shorter than the corresponding tab cutout 247. Each of the tabs 248 have multiple finger grip flanges 250 attached to the tab wall 252. At the top of each of the tab walls 252 is a lug 254 shorter than the tab wall 252 and having at least one beveled edge 256. The beveled edge 256 is on the side of the lug 254 facing the hinge 206. The beveled edge 256 can have two parallel sides 258 and at least one curved side 260. The beveled edge 256 allows better snap fitment as the cap tab lugs 254 are inserted into the base member latches 232.
This invention has been described herein in detail to provide those skilled in the art with information relevant to apply the novel principles and to construct and use such specialized components as are required. However, it is to be understood that the invention can be carried out by different equipment, materials and devices, and that various modifications, both as to the equipment and operating procedures, can be accomplished without departing from the scope of the invention itself.
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