U.S. patent application number 11/361375 was filed with the patent office on 2007-08-30 for cap assembly for bottles.
Invention is credited to Ming-Hua Hung.
Application Number | 20070199914 11/361375 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38443014 |
Filed Date | 2007-08-30 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070199914 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hung; Ming-Hua |
August 30, 2007 |
Cap assembly for bottles
Abstract
A cap assembly includes a base member having a tube and a rod. A
cap member has an outer engaging tube and an inner engaging tube. A
top plate is connected on two respective top ends of the outer
engaging tube and the inner engaging tube. The inner engaging tube
is inserted into an annular gap between the rod and an inner
periphery of the tube and, the rod movably seals an outlet defined
in the cap member. A first flange extends from an inner periphery
of the outer engaging tube and is stopped by a top flange extending
radially outward from a top end of the tube to prevent the cap
member from being disengaged from the tube. A cover is mounted on
the base member and is connected with the cap member so that users
can simply open the cover to pull the cap member upward.
Inventors: |
Hung; Ming-Hua; (Tu-Cheng
City, TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
LIN & ASSOCIATES INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
P.O. BOX 2339
SARATOGA
CA
95070-0339
US
|
Family ID: |
38443014 |
Appl. No.: |
11/361375 |
Filed: |
February 24, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
215/311 ;
215/306; 215/387 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 47/243
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
215/311 ;
215/306; 215/387 |
International
Class: |
B65D 51/16 20060101
B65D051/16; B65D 55/16 20060101 B65D055/16; B65D 83/00 20060101
B65D083/00 |
Claims
1. A cap assembly comprising: a base member having a tube extending
from a top thereof and a rod located at a center of the tube, a top
flange extending radially outward from a top end of the tube, a
plurality of connection ribs connected between the rod and a bottom
of the tube, an annular gap defined between the rod and an inner
periphery of the tube, a plurality of apertures defined between the
connection ribs; and a cap member having an outer engaging tube and
an inner engaging tube which shares a common axis with the outer
engaging tube, a top plate connected on two respective top ends of
the outer engaging tube and the inner engaging tube, an outlet
defined through the top plate and located corresponding to the rod,
the inner engaging tube inserted into the annular gap of the base
member and a lower end of the inner engaging tube located
corresponding to the apertures, a first flange extending from an
inner periphery of the outer engaging tube and being stopped by the
top flange to prevent the cap member from being disengaged from the
tube.
2. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein a periphery of the
top plate on the cap member forms an annular lip.
3. The assembly as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a cover
which has an engaging portion located at an inside of the cover and
a stop extends from an inner periphery of the engaging portion, the
engaging portion of the cover is mounted on the cap member and the
stop is engaged with the annular lip.
4. The assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein the cover includes
an engaging flange extending from an inner periphery thereof and
the base member has a groove defined in an outer periphery thereof
so that the engaging flange is engaged with the groove.
5. The assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein a connection strip
extends from the cover and is connected with a collar which is
adapted to be mounted on a bottle.
6. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rod is a solid
rod.
7. The assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein the cover includes a
thumb flange extending outward therefrom.
8. The assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the top flange has a
triangular cross section.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a cap assembly for bottles,
which includes a cap member cooperated with a cover, so that a user
does not need to touch the cap member to drink the contents in the
bottles.
[0003] 2. The Prior Arts
[0004] Some bottled products such as water or sport drinks, are
designed for outdoor use and the cap assembly does not need to be
separated from the bottle when users drink the water or sport
drinks. This purpose is achieved by using a valve connected to the
cap assembly so that the users can have the water or sport drinks
without removing a cap member from the bottles.
[0005] FIGS. 7 and 8 show a conventional cap assembly that achieves
the purpose mentioned above. The conventional cap assembly includes
a base member "A" and a cap member "B". A tube A2 extends from the
base member A and a first flange A21 extends outward from an outer
periphery of the tube A2. A plurality of connection ribs are
connected between the tube A2 and a rod A1 in a center of the tube
A2. The cap member B has an inner engaging tube B2 and an outer
engaging tube B1, wherein a second flange B11 extends outward from
an inner periphery of the outer engaging tube B1. An outlet B3 is
defined through a center of the cap member B. The inner engaging
tube B2 is engaged with an inner periphery of the tube A2, and the
outer engaging tube B1 is mounted on the outer periphery of the
tube A2 when the cap member B is mounted on the base member A. When
the cap member B is pushed downward, the rod A1 is engaged with the
outlet B3 and seals the outlet B3 as shown in FIG. 7. When the cap
member B is pulled upward as shown in FIG. 8, the rod A1 is removed
from the outlet B3 and the water (for example) in the bottle flows
through the outlet B3.
[0006] However, wearing between the inner engaging tube B2 and the
tube A2 results a gap and the water leaks from the gap even when
the rod A1 is engaged with the outlet B3. When the cap member B is
pulled upward, the inner engaging tube B2 and the tube A2 contact
with each other only by a limited contact area, leakage might
happen at this position.
[0007] Besides, it is possible that the cap member B is disengaged
from the base member A if the users pull the cap member B too hard
to move the second flange B11 over the first flange A21.
Furthermore, the users have to hold and pull the cap member B so
that the cap member B is easily contaminated.
[0008] The present invention intends to provide a cap assembly
which does not require the users to contact the cap member when
drinking the water in the bottles.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there
is provided a cap assembly that includes a base member threadedly
connected to a bottle and having a tube extending from a top
thereof and a rod located at a center of the tube. A top flange
extends radially outward from a top end of the tube. A plurality of
connection ribs are connected between the rod and a bottom of the
tube. A plurality of apertures are defined between the connection
ribs. A cap member is movably mounted on the tube and includes an
outer engaging tube and an inner engaging tube which shares a
common axis with the outer engaging tube. A top plate is connected
on two respective top ends of the outer engaging tube and the inner
engaging tube. An outlet defined through the top plate and located
corresponding to the rod so that when the inner engaging tube is
inserted into an annular gap between the rod and an inner periphery
of the tube, the rod movably seals the outlet. A lower end of the
inner engaging tube is located corresponding to the apertures. A
first flange extends from an inner periphery of the outer engaging
tube and is stopped by the top flange to prevent the cap member
from being disengaged from the tube when the cap member is moved
upward.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] The present invention will be apparent to those skilled in
the art by reading the following detailed description of a
preferred embodiment thereof, with reference to the attached
drawings, in which:
[0011] FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a cap assembly in accordance
with the present invention;
[0012] FIG. 2 shows a base member and a cap member, both being
partly removed, of the cap assembly of the present invention;
[0013] FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the base member and the
cap member of the cap assembly of the present invention;
[0014] FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view showing that the cap member
is mounted to a tube of the base member, and a rod of the base
member seals an outlet of the cap member;
[0015] FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view showing that a cover is
connected with the cap member and mounted on the base member;
[0016] FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view showing that the cover is
opened and the cap member is pulled upward;
[0017] FIG. 7 shows a conventional cap assembly, and
[0018] FIG. 8 shows that the cap member of the conventional cap
assembly is pulled upward.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0019] With reference to the drawings and in particular to FIGS.
1-5, a cap assembly in accordance with the present invention
comprises a base member 1 which includes an inner threaded
periphery 14 so as to be threadedly connected to an outer threaded
periphery 31 of a bottle 3, a tube 11 extending from a top of the
base member 1 and a rod 12 located at a center of the tube 11. The
rod 12 can be a solid or a hollow rod. A plurality of connection
ribs 13 are connected between the rod 12 and an bottom of the tube
11. An annular gap 15 is defined between the rod 12 and an inner
periphery of the tube 11. A plurality of apertures 151 are defined
between the connection ribs 13, and a top flange 111 extends
radially outward from a top end of the tube 11. The top flange 111
has a triangular cross section.
[0020] A cap member 2 has an outer engaging tube 22 and an inner
engaging tube 23, and the inner engaging tube 23 shares a common
axis with the outer engaging tube 22. A top plate 24 is connected
on two respective top ends of the outer engaging tube 22 and the
inner engaging tube 23. A periphery of the top plate 24 on the cap
member 2 forms an annular lip 221. An outlet 21 is defined through
the top plate 24 and located corresponding to the rod 12. The inner
engaging tube 23 is inserted into the annular gap 15 of the base
member 1 and a lower end 231 of the inner engaging tube 23 is
located corresponding to the apertures 151. A first flange 222
extends from an inner periphery of the outer engaging tube 22 and
can be stopped by the top flange 111 to prevent the cap member 2
from being disengaged from the tube 11.
[0021] A cover 4 is connected with a connection strip 44 and a
collar 45 is connected to the other end of the connection strip 44.
The collar 45 is mounted on the bottle 3. The cover 4 has an
engaging portion 41 located at an inside of the cover 4 and a stop
42 extends from an inner periphery of the engaging portion 41. The
engaging portion 41 of the cover 4 is mounted on the cap member 3
and the stop 42 is engaged with the annular lip 221. An engaging
flange 43 extends from an inner periphery thereof and the base
member 1 has a groove 16 defined in an outer periphery thereof so
that the engaging flange 43 is engaged with the groove 16. The
cover 4 further includes a thumb flange 46 extending outward
therefrom.
[0022] As shown in FIG. 6, when a user wants to drink water in the
bottle 3, he or she can push the thumb flange 46 upward by his or
her thumb and the cover 4 is opened. Because the stop 42 is engaged
with the annular lip 221, so that the cap member 2 is pulled upward
together with the opening of the cover 4. The cap member 2 is
lifted and the rod 12 is disengaged from the outlet 21, so that the
water in the bottle 3 can flow through the apertures 151, the
annular gap 15 and the outlet 21.
[0023] All of the parts can be made by plastics materials so as to
have required flexibility and the users does not contact with the
cap member 2 when drinking the water in the bottle 3. Besides, the
connection strip 44 can be used as an alternative handle as
well.
[0024] Although the present invention has been described with
reference to the preferred embodiment thereof, it is apparent to
those skilled in the art that a variety of modifications and
changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present
invention which is intended to be defined by the appended
claims.
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