The present disclosure relates to caps for containers for fluids such as beverages and others. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a releasable container cap having releasable threads or other inward protruding male engagement features such as a rib or ring. The container cap may be operatively coupled at all times with the container with a tether or similar coupling structure such that the cap cannot be lost or removed from the bottle.
Conventional containers such as beverage bottles have threaded caps that are removed by rotation. Removal of the cap can take several turns before the threads of the cap are disengaged from the threaded neck of the container, and for some, both hands are required for the operation. In some uses, for example when driving or otherwise occupied, conventional caps are challenging or inconvenient.
Additionally, caps are oftentimes misplaced from the bottle. This causes a loss of functionality of the bottle, and also reduces recycling compliance. However, caps are not easily tethered to a bottle without the tethers becoming an interference, and tethers even more cumbersome for use with bottles having a cap that is removed by twisting movement of the cap.
Additionally, threaded caps that are tethered to the bottle often place the opened cap in a position that makes the bottle awkward or impractical to drink from or pour.
An improved container cap is needed.
This summary is provided to briefly introduce concepts that are further described in the following detailed descriptions. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it to be construed as limiting the scope of the claimed subject matter.
An improved releasable container cap according to at least one embodiment includes: a circular top piece for sealing a container; two sidewall sections connected to the top piece, each sidewall section having an internal threaded portion for engaging threads of the container, each sidewall section having two circumferential ends. Each circumferential end of each sidewall section is spaced from an adjacent circumferential end of the other sidewall section such that two diametrically opposed expandable gaps are formed as hollow protrusions defined between the spaced circumferential ends; and two tabs each spanning a respective one of the two gaps, the tabs bulging outward from the sidewall sections, wherein the tabs are configured to be pressed inward thereby causing the sidewall sections to flex outward to disengage the threads of the container permitting the cap to be removed therefrom. The hollow protruding tabs provide open space to allow compression without interrupting the continuous perimeter of the cap and hollow protrusions combined.
A container has an improved releasable cap according to at least one embodiment, the container including a neck having external threads. The cap includes: a circular top piece for sealing the container; two sidewall sections connected to the top piece, each sidewall section having an internal threaded portion for engaging the external threads of the neck of the container, each sidewall section having two circumferential ends, wherein each circumferential end of each sidewall section is spaced from an adjacent circumferential end of the other sidewall section such that two diametrically opposed expandable gaps are defined between the spaced circumferential ends; and two tabs each spanning a respective one of the two gaps, the tabs bulging outward from the sidewall sections, wherein the tabs are configured to be pressed inward thereby causing the sidewall sections to flex outward to disengage the internal threaded portions thereof from the external threads of the neck of the container permitting the cap to be removed therefrom.
Each tab may include two ends each connected to a respective sidewall section adjacent a circumferential end of the sidewall section, and a central part between the two ends, the central part spanning the respective gap.
The gaps may expand when the sidewall sections flex outward.
The tabs may be tapered, reducing radially toward the top piece.
The tabs may be configured to be pressed inward along a first diametric axis causing the sidewall sections to flex outward in opposite directions along a second diametric axis perpendicular to the first diametric axis.
The cap may be configured to be removed from the container by rotation without the tabs being pressed.
The internal threaded portion of each sidewall section may have threads having at least one tapered circumferential end.
A tamper-proof ring may be attached to the sidewall sections by frangible strips.
A container assembly is provided that includes a bottle for including contents. The bottle includes a bottle neck extending from the bottle, where the bottle neck including a first circumferentially extending outwardly threaded portion, and a discontinuous second circumferentially extending outwardly threaded portion. Medial portions between the first circumferentially extending outwardly threaded portion and the second circumferentially extending outwardly threaded portion are free of threads. The bottle further defines a radially extending shoulder that extends from the bottle neck. A cap is configured for being rotatably received on and engaged with the bottle neck, the cap defining a first circumferentially extending inwardly threaded portion, and a discontinuous second circumferentially extending inwardly threaded portion. Medial portions between the first circumferentially extending inwardly threaded portion and the second circumferentially inwardly extending threaded portion are free of threads. The cap is configured to engage and disengage the bottle neck, where engagement occurs in a first engagement mode where an interference fit occurs between the outwardly extending threads of the bottle neck and the inwardly extending threads of the cap, and where engagement occurs in a second engagement mode that is in response to general angular alignment of the medial portions of the bottle neck and the medial portions of the cap such that the threaded portions of the bottle neck and the threaded portions of the cap do not restrict upward movement of the cap in response to a user lifting the cap off of the bottle. A tamper proof retaining ring is received by the bottle neck. The tamper proof retaining ring is configured for rotational movement about the bottle neck and engaging a distal surface of the cap. The retaining ring is positioned above the radially extending shoulder of the bottle neck. A coupler extends between the retaining ring and the cap. The coupler allows for inversing movement of the cap from an engaged position to a stowed position in which the cap is hingedly pivoted away from the bottle neck and the distal surface of the cap is engaged with a bottom surface of the radially extending shoulder.
The above summary is to be understood as cumulative and inclusive. The above described embodiments and features are combined in various combinations in whole or in part in one or more other embodiments.
The previous summary and the following detailed descriptions are to be read in view of the drawings, which illustrate particular exemplary embodiments and features as briefly described below. The summary and detailed descriptions, however, are not limited to only those embodiments and features explicitly illustrated.
These descriptions are presented with sufficient details to provide an understanding of one or more particular embodiments of broader inventive subject matters. These descriptions expound upon and exemplify particular features of those particular embodiments without limiting the inventive subject matters to the explicitly described embodiments and features. Considerations in view of these descriptions will likely give rise to additional and similar embodiments and features without departing from the scope of the inventive subject matters. Although steps may be expressly described or implied relating to features of processes or methods, no implication is made of any particular order or sequence among such expressed or implied steps unless an order or sequence is explicitly stated.
Any dimensions expressed or implied in the drawings and these descriptions are provided for exemplary purposes. Thus, not all embodiments within the scope of the drawings and these descriptions are made according to such exemplary dimensions. The drawings are not made necessarily to scale. Thus, not all embodiments within the scope of the drawings and these descriptions are made according to the apparent scale of the drawings with regard to relative dimensions in the drawings. However, for each drawing, at least one embodiment is made according to the apparent relative scale of the drawing.
Like reference numbers used throughout the drawings depict like or similar elements. Unless described or implied as exclusive alternatives, features throughout the drawings and descriptions should be taken as cumulative, such that features expressly associated with some particular embodiments can be combined with other embodiments.
An improved releasable container cap 10 having releasable threads, according to at least one embodiment, is shown in
Once removed or loosened by rotation, the cap 10 can be tightened to reseal a container by opposite rotation and threaded re-engagement. The cap 10 can be repeatedly used in this fashion.
The container cap 10 also has novel features advantageously improved over prior container caps 10 that are also used conventionally as just described. In particular, the cap 10 has releasable internal threads that are disengaged from the threaded neck of a container when unique tabs are pressed by user action, permitting the cap 10 to be removed without necessitating its rotation.
Describing now in detail the structural features of the container cap 10, the main body 20 has a generally circular top piece 22 defining a longitudinal end of the cap 10. Two sidewall sections 24 are connected to and integral with the top piece 22 along its circular perimeter and extend longitudinally therefrom to define an interior 26 (
Each sidewall section 24 is formed as a partial semicircle and thus wraps circumferentially around the longitudinal axis 12 by less than one hundred and eighty degrees. Thus, the circumferential ends 40 (
A respective operable tab 50 spans each gap along the exterior of the cap 10. Each tab has two ends 52 (
The tabs 50 are diametrically opposed. A first diametric axis 60 between the two tabs 50 crosses the longitudinal axis 12 that defines the center of the cap 10. The tabs 50 are operated by user action, for example with an index finger and thumb, pressing them radially inward at the central parts 54 as represented by opposing pinching forces 62 in
As the sidewall sections 24 are flexed radially outward by user action pinching the central parts 54 of the operable tabs 50 radially inward, the threaded portions 34 of the two sidewall sections 24 are carried radially outward from the illustrated engagement configuration to disengage the threaded neck 2 of a container 4, permitting the cap 10 to be removed therefrom without rotation around the longitudinal axis by lifting the cap along the axis 12 away from the neck of the container. The sidewall sections are disallowed from flexing until the tamper-proof ring 14 is separated from the cap.
The threads 36 of the threaded portions 34 of the two sidewall sections 24 have tapered circumferential ends 38 (
The cap 10 can be fabricated as a unitary item by, for example, injection molding. A resilient and durable material, such as plastic, can be used to facilitate multiple uses of the cap 10 on a host container. For example, once removed from a container by disengagement of the threads 36 by user force on the operable tabs 50, or the cap 10 can be returned to the container by rotation and threaded engagement to reseal the container multiple times. The internal threads taper in such a way that the cap may be forced onto the bottle neck by expanding the sidewalls as the cap is forced over the bottle neck threads.
In the above descriptions and in the drawing, threads protrude inwardly within the cap to engage threads that protrude outward from the bottle neck. Thus, threads are a particular type of male protrusions by which the cap engages the bottle neck. Other types of male protrusions can be used in other embodiments such that these descriptions and drawings relate as well to other such male protrusions. For example, rings or partial rings (non-helical) can be used as inward extending male protrusions in the cap to engage outward extending male protrusions on the bottle neck. Thus, although the illustrated embodiment has threads, simple male details can be used that can be snapped past and able to be cleared when the cap is squeezed. For example, a male standing rib similar to a thread but entirely horizontal.
After the tamper-proof ring has been broken, the cap may be replaced by snapping it on directly onto the bottle neck. As the male protrusions of the cap are pushed past the male protrusions of the bottle neck, the hollow protrusions allow the walls containing the male protrusions of the cap to flex outward as they ramp past the male protrusions of the bottle neck. The tamper-proof ring disallows this flexure by holding these walls in the original cylindrical form.
Another embodiment is illustrated in
As illustrated, the bottle neck 114 defines a first circumferentially extending outwardly threaded portion 116, and a discontinuous second circumferentially extending outwardly threaded portion 120. The discontinuity between the first threaded portion 116 and the second threaded portion 120 is advantageous and will be described in greater detail further herein. Medial portions 122 between the first circumferentially extending outwardly threaded portion 116 and the second circumferentially extending outwardly threaded portion 120 is shown illustrated being free of threads. However, medial portion 122 may not be entirely free of threads, but instead have lesser radially extending threads.
A cap 124 is configured for being rotatably received on and engaged with the bottle neck 114. The cap 124 is illustrated in contact with the bottle neck 114. The cap 124 may be installed by pushing down onto the cap as will be described in more detail.
As illustrated well in
Engagement occurs in a first engagement mode where an interference fit occurs between the outwardly extending threads 116, 120 of the bottle neck 114 and the inwardly extending threads 126, 130 of the cap 124. This first engagement mode is well illustrated in
Advantageously, disengagement occurs in a second engagement mode that is in response to general angular alignment of the medial portions 122 of the bottle neck 114 and the medial portions 132 of the cap 124 such that the threaded portions 120, 122 of the bottle neck 114 and the threaded portions 126, 130 of the cap 124 do not prohibitively restrict upward movement of the cap 124 in response to a user lifting the cap 124 off of the bottle 112. The user thus rotates the cap 124 until there is thread disengagement or the threads bump against a stop (as will be described later herein), and then pulls upwardly on the cap 124 to separate the cap 124 from the bottle. A tamper proof retaining ring 134 is received by the bottle neck 114. The tamper proof retaining ring 134 is similar in some aspects to tamper proof retaining rings known in the art. The tamper proof retaining ring 134 is initially coupled to a distal surface 138 of the cap 124, but is severed upon rotational movement of the cap 124 with rotational movement of the cap in a counter clockwise movement (relative to the drawings provided herein). Due to the angle of the threads 116, 120 on the bottle neck 114, rotation of the cap 124 thus imparts upwards movement of the cap 124 relative to the retaining ring 134, which causes the severing of the engagement between the retaining ring 134 and distal surface 138 of the cap 124, except for the remaining attachment of the couplers 142, which maintain attachment between the retaining ring 134 and the cap 124 (as described later herein). This severing may be aided by perforations or areas of weakened structure at the interface between the retaining ring 134 and distal surface 138 of the cap 124. Or otherwise any feature providing frangibility can be employed. The retaining ring 134 is engaged upwardly of a radially extending shoulder 140 from the bottle neck 114.
Advantageously, a coupler 142 extends between the retaining ring 134 and the cap 124. The coupler 142 is well illustrated throughout the Figures, but in particular with reference to
The coupler 142 provides for at least two main advantages. The coupler 142 allows for inversing movement of the cap 124 from an engaged position as illustrated in
As illustrated with reference to
The user can then return the cap 124 to its proper position by inverting of the cap 124 back into a position generally illustrated in
Due to the fact that the threads 116, 120 of the bottle neck 114 are discontinuous and full circle rotations of the cap 124 are not required to disengage or engage the cap 124 with the bottle neck 114, the threads 116 and threads 120 do not lie within a same plane as is typical in the art. For example, as illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated well within
Particular embodiments and features have been described with reference to the drawings. It is to be understood that these descriptions are not limited to any single embodiment or any particular set of features, and that similar embodiments and features may arise or modifications and additions may be made without departing from the scope of these descriptions and the spirit of the appended claims.
This application is a continuation of PCT Patent Application No. PCT/US2022/029032 filed on May 12, 2022, which claims priority to U.S. Nonprovisional patent application Ser. No. 17/318,712 filed on May 12, 2021, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,542,067 issued on Jan. 3, 2023, the entire contents of all of which are incorporated by reference herein.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | PCT/US22/29032 | May 2022 | US |
Child | 18506498 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 17318712 | May 2021 | US |
Child | PCT/US22/29032 | US |