1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to containers for drinks, such as water, beverage, and the like with non-removable closures, and more particularly to drink containers with non-removable closures that allow the user to open the containers without completely removing the closure from the containers.
2. Description of Related Art
It is known in the prior art that non-removable closures are used with containers for hazardous chemicals, highly corrosive products, cleaning detergents, pharmaceuticals, etc. to prevent removal of the closure. More specifically, by way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,698,605 to Clodfelter et al. discloses a bottle having a modified neck and intended for use with a child-resistant closure which allows the user to open the bottle without removing the closure completely from the bottle. U.S. Pat. No. 5,360,127 to Barriac et al. discloses a non-removable closure assembly for connecting a manually actuated liquid dispenser to a container. U.S. Pat. No. 5,000,332 to Whitacre discloses a waste disposal container having a non-removable, permanently sealing, threaded closure. U.S. Pat. No. 5,873,496 to Montaner et al. discloses a dispenser having its closure cap non-removably affixed to a cylindrical attaching portion of its dispenser body by a snap-fit engagement.
However, most of commercially available drink containers' closures such as bottle cap, lids, and the like are removable; children may choke on these closures if they are removed from the containers.
The background technology necessary to carry out the present invention is readily available; however, this inventive concept has not been suggested. None of these patents teaches utilizing non-removable closure for drink containers in order to decrease the hazards of children swallowing the bottle caps or lids.
Therefore, there exists a need to provide drink containers that have non-removable closures so that the closure can be opened but cannot be completely detached from the containers in order to provide children additional safety protection.
The primary object of the invention is to provide drink containers with non-removable closures so that children won't accidentally choke on or swallow the closures.
Another object of the invention is to provide drink containers with non-removable closures so that the users do not need to return the closures to the containers.
The first type of drink container according to the present invention has a non-removable cap that is provided with a pull and push spout, which has a blocker to open or close the aperture for water outflow. In one embodiment, the non-removable cap having ratchet teeth to cooperate with the ratchet teeth on the bottle neck such that the cap is locked onto the bottle body to prevent removal of the cap. The ratchet teeth system is known to persons having ordinary skills in the art. For example, the expired U.S. Pat. No. 4,345,691 discloses a child resistant bottle closure providing ratchet teeth inside the closure in engagement with ratchet teeth on the outside of the container neck finish. In another embodiment, other non-removable closure techniques known in the art such as heat sealing, ultrasound welding, gluing, etc. may be used. In one embodiment, the closure is a screw cap; in another embodiment, the closure is a snap-fit cap. The drink container of the present invention may further comprise a drinking tube inside the drink bottle.
The second type of drink container according to the present invention has a non-removable closure that is provided with a rotating disk on top of the receiving member to open or close the orifice on the receiving member on top of the drink bottle. When the rotating disk member's hole aligns with the receiving member's hole, a channel is formed for drink to leave from the bottle. When the holes are not aligned, the drink is blocked by the body of the rotating member. In this embodiment, the receiving member is an integral part of the drink bottle and the rotating top is a non-removable closure designed to permanently attach to the receiving member unless it is detached by strong force. The drink container may further comprise a spout and a drinking tube. In another embodiment, the drink bottle may have a spout on the side wall of the bottle and the cap containing an aperture on the side wall of the cap. When the aperture on the side wall of the cap aligns with the opening of the spout, a channel is formed to allow the liquid to flow out of the bottle. Otherwise, the opening of the spout on the side wall of the bottle is blocked by the cap.
The third type of drink container according to the present invention has a non-removable closure that is provided with a pouring spout. The non-removable cap having ratchet teeth to cooperate with the ratchet teeth on the bottle neck such that the cap is locked onto the bottle body to prevent removal of the cap. The non-removable cap may also be an integrally molded to the bottle. The cap further comprises a pouring spout that can be opened by depressing a thumb pad on the cap to allow the liquid flow out of the bottle. By releasing the thumb pad the pouring spout can be closed.
The more important features of the invention have thus been outlined in order that the more detailed description that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may better be appreciated. Additional features of the invention will be described hereinafter and will form the subject matter of the claims that follow.
Before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
The foregoing has outlined, rather broadly, the preferred feature of the present invention so that those skilled in the art may better understand the detailed description of the invention that follows. Additional features of the invention will be described hereinafter that form the subject of the claims of the invention. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that they can readily use the disclosed conception and specific embodiment as a basis for designing or modifying other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention and that such other structures do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention in its broadest form.
Other aspects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description, the appended claim, and the accompanying drawings in which similar elements are given similar reference numerals.
Referring to
Alternatively, the cap 20 can be snap-fit cap. There are a variety of means known in the art for making closure 20 a non-removable closure and permanently attached to the bottle, such as heat sealing, ultra sound welding, gluing, etc.
The spout 30 is mounted onto the top wall 26 of the cap 20. The spout 30 is in circular shape having a inner tube 31, which is connected to the top wall 26 of the cap 20; a outer tube 32, which is tightly held against the inner tube 31; a circular top wall with an aperture 38 at the center 33; a blocker 34 in circular shape; and a plurality of strings 35 that are connected to the upper end of the inner tube 31 to support the blocker. On the outside surface 36 of the inner tube 31, there exists one stopping tab member 37 around the exterior circumferential edge of the inner tube 31 to control the relative position between the outer tube 32 and inner tube 31. The stopping tab 37 holds up the outer tube 32 from falling and control how far the outer tube 32 can be pulled up. When the spout 30 is in open mode as shown in
The sports bottle with non-removable screw cap may further contain a drinking tube (not shown) attached to the inside wall surface of the inner wall 31.
Referring to
The receiving member 50 located on the top of the drink bottle body 60 has a solid panel 51 with a hole 52 that penetrates the panel 51 to control the liquid flow out of the bottle body 60, and a wall 53 extending upward from and around the circumferential edge 54 of the solid panel 51 to form a recess 55 that is similar in dimension to the rotating disk member 40. The receiving member 50 further has a circular groove 56 residing in the interior side of the wall 53 to fit the protrusion member 45, and an indentation 57 located at the center of the top surface of the solid panel 51 to hold the bottom tip 46 such that the receiving disk member 40 is placed within the recess 55 and suspended on top of the solid panel 51 of the receiving member 50. The distance between rotating disk member 40 and the solid panel 51 should be sufficiently far to allow free rotation of the rotating disk 40 but close enough to allow tight sealing.
The rotating disk member 40 can rotate 360 degrees within the recess on top of the solid panel 51 of the receiving member 50 through the protrusion member 45 being guided through the groove 56 and the bottom tip 46 spinning on top of the indentation 57. When the hole 44 in the rotating disk member 40 aligns with the hole 52 in the solid panel 51 of the receiving member 50, a channel is formed for drink to leave from the bottle body 60 as demonstrated in
The second embodiment 200 may further comprises a spout 47 connecting to the rotating disk member 40 around the border of the hole 44 in the rotating disk 40 and extending upwardly and outwardly away from the center of the rotating disk 40. Moreover, the second embodiment 200 may further comprises a drinking tube 58 that is connecting to the solid panel 51 of the receiving member 50 around the border of the hole 52 in the receiving member 50 and extending downward inside the bottle body 60.
Referring to
A pivot point 87 located inside the interior cavity and suspended downward from top wall 81 is designed to support a lever arm 86, which has a proximal end and a distal end. The distal end extends through the circumferential side wall 82 to form a thumb pad 88. The proximal end attach to a silicon valve 89 which is next to the rectangular bore 83.
A lever arm 86 has a proximal end closer to the aperture 84 and a distal end closer to the slot 83. A lever arm 86 supported by a pivot point 87 located within the interior cavity extends from the aperture 84, through the interior cavity, to the outside of the slot 83 such that the proximal end forms a thumb pad 88 and the distal end forms a planar upper spout portion 85b. When the thumb pad 88 is pressed, the lever arm 86 is raised at the distal end, the silicon valve 89 is raised up, and thereby the fluid channel is open to allow the liquid flow out of the bottle body 70 as disclosed in
While there have been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to the preferred embodiments, it will be understood that the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention and not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Obvious modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The embodiments discussed were chosen and described to provide the best illustration of the principles of the invention and its practical application to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the invention as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are entitled.