This disclosure relates generally to the cap arts and more particularly to a cap assembly for covering a container.
Caps have been used for sealing and covering containers with many applications. In the field of containers for dispensing a substance, a cap may function to at least partially seal the substance within the container, may serve to protect a portion of the container, or may simply be decorative in nature. Certain containers may include a dispenser such as a pump for dispensing the substance within the container. In the case of a container with a dispenser, the cap may serve to protect the dispenser and prevent unintended activation of the dispenser through inadvertent contact. Removal of such a cap may have the unintended consequence of activating or disturbing the dispenser, should said removal not be smooth.
Accordingly, a need is identified for a cap for covering a container with a dispenser that is capable of providing smooth removal.
An object of the disclosure is to provide a cap for a bottle with a dispenser, wherein the cap includes a contact surface for contacting at least a portion of the dispenser. The contact surface may provide sufficient static forces such as friction between the dispenser and the cap such that a constant or controllable force is required for removing the cap from the bottle.
In one embodiment, a cap is disclosed for use in combination with a container including a dispenser. The cap may include a first cap section with a base, said base including an aperture. The cap may further include a second cap section at least partially inside the first cap section and supported by the base, said second cap section including an inner surface defining a cavity for receiving the dispenser, and said chamber having a diameter substantially equal to a diameter of the dispenser. The inner surface may be adapted to contact the dispenser. Additionally, the diameter of the cavity may be substantially the same as a diameter of the aperture.
In one aspect, the second cap section may be retained wholly within the first cap section. Furthermore, the base may further include a shelf for at least partially supporting the second cap section. The second cap section may be adapted to frictionally engage the dispenser. The cap may further include a closed top.
In another aspect, the cap may further include a third cap section for surrounding the first cap section. The cap may include means for attaching the first cap section to the third cap section. The first cap section, the second cap section, and the third cap section may be separable, and each may comprise a different diameter. The first cap section, the second cap section, and the third cap section may nest concentrically.
In a further aspect, the second cap section may comprise PE. The first cap section may be made of a different material from the second cap section.
According to another embodiment of the invention, a cap is disclosed for use in combination with a container including a dispenser. The cap may include a first wall including a base, said base plate including an aperture and an inner shelf. It may further include a second wall section inside the first wall section, said second wall section supported by the shelf. The cap may also include a third wall section surrounding the first wall section and attached to the base.
In one aspect, the second wall is removably attached to the first wall and the third wall. Furthermore, the cap may be adapted to fully enclose the dispenser.
The second wall may include an inner surface defining a cavity with a diameter substantially equal to the aperture. The diameter of the cavity and the aperture may be adapted to be substantially equal to a diameter of the dispenser.
In another aspect, the first wall, the second wall, and the third wall nest concentrically with one another. Each of the first wall and the third wall may include a first cross-sectional shape, and the second wall may include a second cross-sectional shape different from the first cross-sectional shape. In one example, the first cross-sectional shape may be a rectangle and the second cross-sectional shape may be a circle.
A further aspect of the invention relates to a cap for use in combination with a container including a dispenser. The cap includes a first wall section including an open top and a base, said base plate including an aperture and an inner shelf. In addition, the cap includes a second wall section within the first wall section, said second wall section including an inner surface defining a cavity with a diameter substantially equal to the aperture, said inner surface adapted to contact the dispenser, wherein the second wall section includes an open top and is at least partially supported by the inner shelf. Furthermore, a third wall section may be included for surrounding the first wall section, said third wall section including a closed top and wherein the third wall section is attached to the base.
a is a cross section of an intermediate section of the cap of
a is a cross sectional view of the cap of
b is a cross sectional view of the cap of
a is an elevational view of a bottle for use with the cap of the present invention; and
b is an elevational view of the cap of
The description provided below and in regard to the figures applies to all embodiments unless noted otherwise, and features common to each embodiment are similarly shown and numbered.
Referring now to
In the disclosed embodiment, the cap 10 further includes an aperture 18 for allowing access to a cavity 19 within the cap 10. The cavity 19 may be adapted to receive at least a portion of the container being covered.
The cap 10 may further include means for attaching the intermediate section 24 and the outer section 20. For example, the outer section 20 may include a first fitment piece, such as receiver 22, for aligning with a second fitment piece, such as protrusion 26, associated with the intermediate section 24. The alignment of the receiver 22 with the protrusion 26, as shown in detail in
The inner section 28 includes the inner surface 14, which is adapted to contact a portion of the container which is received within the cavity 19 of the cap 10. In the case of a container with a dispenser, as described in further detail below, the inner surface 14 may be adapted to contact at least a portion of the dispenser.
The inner section 28 may be shaped in so as to correspond to the shape of the aperture 18 in the cap 10. Similarly, the size of a dimension of the inner section 28, such as the inner diameter, may be substantially equal in size to the size of the aperture 18. For instance, as illustrated, the inner section 28 is circular in cross-section, so as to match the circular aperture 18.
The aperture 18 and inner section 28 may be shaped so as to correspond to a portion of the container which will be received within the cavity 19. In the case of a bottle with a dispenser, the inner section 28 may be dimensioned substantially equal to a dimension of the dispenser to be received. In the case of a dispenser with a circular cross-sectional area, the inner section 28 may also be circular in cross section and may include a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the dispenser. The inner section 28 may be any size and shape that corresponds to a size and shape of a dispenser. The term “diameter” is not limited to a line associated with a circle, but rather may include line passing through the center of any shape, including an oval, any polygon such as a triangle or rectangle, or any other shape. Accordingly, any size or shape aperture 18 may be used, as may any similarly sized or shaped inner section 28 so as to correspond to a given size and/or shape of the portion of the container received within the cavity 19.
The inner section 28 may comprise a second material such as PE. In one embodiment, the inner section 28 comprises a different material than the outer section 20 and/or the intermediate section 24.
With further reference to
In regard to
While the disclosure presents certain embodiments to illustrate the inventive concepts, numerous modifications, alterations, and changes to the described embodiments are possible without departing from the sphere and scope of the present invention, as defined herein. Accordingly, it is intended that the present disclosure not be limited to the described embodiments, but that it has the full scope defined by the language of the following claims, equivalents thereof, and that which is in the purview of the ordinarily skilled artisan upon examination of the disclosure.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/784,095, filed Mar. 14, 2013, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61784095 | Mar 2013 | US |