U.S. patent application number 13/455711 was filed with the patent office on 2012-11-01 for bottle cap.
This patent application is currently assigned to BIO CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT, INC.. Invention is credited to Andrew Krause.
Application Number | 20120273450 13/455711 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42036559 |
Filed Date | 2012-11-01 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120273450 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Krause; Andrew |
November 1, 2012 |
Bottle Cap
Abstract
A cap for sealing a container having a neck includes an annular
outer skirt having an inner surface and an outer surface, a top
portion of the outer skirt forming an annular rim. A generally
concave top wall extends inwardly from and below a plane defined by
the rim, the top wall having a top face and a bottom face. An
annular inner skirt extends downward from the top wall bottom face
and disposed radially inward from and concentric with the outer
skirt, wherein the inner skirt is configured to sealingly engage
with an inner surface of the container neck when the cap is
attached thereto.
Inventors: |
Krause; Andrew; (Oxford,
MI) |
Assignee: |
BIO CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT,
INC.
Farmington Hills
MI
|
Family ID: |
42036559 |
Appl. No.: |
13/455711 |
Filed: |
April 25, 2012 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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12476475 |
Jun 2, 2009 |
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13455711 |
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61099328 |
Sep 23, 2008 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
215/230 ;
215/329; 215/344 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 41/0414 20130101;
B65D 55/0854 20130101; B65D 51/245 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
215/230 ;
215/329; 215/344 |
International
Class: |
B65D 41/04 20060101
B65D041/04; B65D 53/02 20060101 B65D053/02; B65D 41/00 20060101
B65D041/00 |
Claims
1-20. (canceled)
21. A cap for a container comprising: a top wall comprising a top
face, a bottom face, and an annular rim; an annular outer skirt
attached to the bottom face of said top wall; the top wall further
comprising an annular inner skirt attached to the bottom face and
adjacent to the outer skirt, to selectively engage a container; the
outer skirt further comprising an outer surface and an inner
surface; the inner surface further comprising a threaded pattern;
and the outer surface further comprising a pattern for enhancing
grip.
22. The cap of claim 21, wherein the inner skirt comprises: an
outer edge that tapers toward the center of the top wall; and an
inner edge that is orthogonal to said top wall and contacts the
outer edge at the terminus of the inner skirt.
23. The inner skirt of claim 21, wherein the inner skirt further
comprises an inner skirt surface that is orthogonal to the top wall
and tapers toward the outer skirt surface.
24. The cap of claim 21, further comprising a sealing ring in the
annulus of the outer skirt and inner skirt for sealingly engaging a
container.
25. The cap of claim 21, wherein the pattern for enhancing grip is
a plurality of parallel ribs.
26. The cap of claim 21, wherein the threaded pattern is of a
helical type for selectively engaging a container.
27. The cap of claim 21, wherein the top face further comprises at
least one indicia.
28. The cap of claim 21, wherein the bottom face further comprises
at least one indicia.
29. The cap of claim 21, wherein the outer skirt is adjacent to the
rim on the bottom face.
30. A cap for a container comprising: a concave top wall comprising
a top face, a bottom face, and an annular rim; an annular outer
skirt, including an inner and outer surface, attached to the bottom
face of said top wall; and an annular inner skirt, including an
inner and outer surface, attached to the bottom face of the top
wall.
31. The inner skirt of claim 30, wherein the inner skirt further
comprises an inner skirt surface that is orthogonal to the top wall
and tapers toward the outer skirt surface.
32. The cap of claim 30, wherein the outer skirt is adjacent to the
rim.
33. The cap of claim 30, wherein the inner skirt is adjacent to the
outer skirt.
34. The cap of claim 30, wherein the top face further comprises at
least one indicia/logo.
35. The cap of claim 30, wherein the bottom face further comprises
at least one indicia/logo.
36. The cap of claim 30, wherein said inner skirt comprises an
inner and outer surface, the inner surface being tapered toward the
outer surface opposite of the attachment to the bottom face.
37. The cap of claim 30, wherein the outer skirt further comprises
a threaded pattern on the inner surface.
38. The cap of claim 30, wherein the outer surface of the outer
skirt further comprises a plurality of ribs for enhancing grip.
39. The cap of claim 30, further comprising a sealing ring situated
between the outer skirt and inner skirt for sealingly engaging a
container.
40. A cap for a container comprising: a concave top wall comprising
a top face, a bottom face, and an annular rim; a pair of concentric
skirts on the bottom face, the pair comprising an outer skirt,
along the perimeter of the annular rim, and an inner skirt; and a
sealing ring disposed in the annulus between the outer and inner
skirts.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 12/476,475, filed Jun. 2, 2009, which claims
the benefit of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 61/099,328
filed Sep. 23, 2008, all of which are incorporated by reference
herein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] This invention relates to a cap for sealing a containers,
such as a bottle.
[0004] 2. Background Art
[0005] Bottles or other containers intended to contain liquids
require a cap that is capable of establishing a seal of the
container which is effective to prevent leakage of the liquids
contained therein. In some prior bottles, an internal foam closure
of liner is disposed on an underside of the bottle cap in a
secondary process. As such, use of a foam liner introduces
additional material and labor into the construction of the bottle
cap. In addition, in the event that the foam liner becomes
compromised, the sealing capabilities of the foam liner can be
adversely affected, potentially resulting in leakage of the liquid
contents. Leakage can also occur as a result of internal pressure
changes in the container, such as can be introduced during freezing
and subsequent thawing of the liquid contents, which adversely
affect the seal between the foam liner and the container.
[0006] As a tamper-evident measure, bottles and other containers
are often packaged with a plastic shrink sleeve extending at least
partially over the container closure and downward onto the
container itself. Unfortunately, these shrink sleeves can often be
very difficult for a consumer to remove in order to open the
container and gain access to the product therein.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bottle cap according to
the present invention;
[0008] FIG. 2 is a top plan view of an interior of a bottle cap
according to the present invention;
[0009] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the interior of a bottle cap
according to the present invention;
[0010] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a bottle cap according
to the present invention taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 1; and
[0011] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional, partially cut away view of a
bottle cap denoting exemplary dimensions in accordance with an
aspect of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0012] As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention
are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the
disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that
may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are
not necessarily to scale, and some features may be exaggerated or
minimalized to show details of particular components. Therefore,
specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not
to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis
for teaching on skilled in the art to variously employ the present
invention.
[0013] According to an aspect of the present invention, a
leak-proof closure for a container is provided which also
facilitates easier removal of tamper-evident sealing means on the
exterior of the container. With reference to FIG. 1, a bottle cap
in accordance with an aspect of the present invention is
illustrated and designated generally by reference numeral 10. The
bottle cap 10 may be used for sealing a container (not shown), such
as a bottle, having a neck. The container may hold a liquid
substance which, according to one non-limiting aspect of the
present invention, may be a liquid energy supplement or an energy
drink. Such a liquid energy supplement or energy drink may contain
one or more of the following ingredients: niacin, vitamin B6 (e.g.,
as pyridoxine hydrochloride), folic acid, and vitamin B12 (e.g., as
cyanocobalamin), taurine, glucuronolactone, malic acid, N-acetyl
L-tyrosine, L-phenylalanine, caffeine, and citicoline.
[0014] Referring again to FIG. 1, as well as to FIGS. 2-5, bottle
cap 10 has a generally circular top wall 12 having a top face 14
and a bottom face 16. An annular outer skirt 18 having an outer
surface 20 and an inner surface 22 depends downwardly from the
outermost periphery of the top wall 12. The outer surface 20 may be
ribbed, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, for easier gripping by the
consumer. The inner surface 22 includes a threaded portion 24,
which may have a standard helical configuration, arranged to
cooperate with a correspondingly shaped threaded portion on an
exterior of the container neck (not shown) in order to secure the
bottle cap 10 to the container. Of course, other means for
attaching the bottle cap 10 to the container are also fully
contemplated. According to a non-limiting aspect of the present
invention, as depicted in FIG. 5, an outer diameter of the bottle
cap 10 may be approximately 0.9 inches, an inner diameter of the
bottle cap 10 between the outer skirt inner surfaces 22 may be
approximately 0.8 inches, the height of the bottle cap 10 may be
approximately 0.6 inches, and the length of the outer skirt 18 to
the top wall bottom face 16 may be approximately 0.5 inches. Of
course, it is understood that the bottle cap 10 according to the
present invention is not limited to these absolute or relative
dimensions.
[0015] The bottle cap 10 further includes an annular inner skirt
26, or plug, as depicted in FIGS. 2-5, arranged to sealingly engage
within the inner diameter of the container neck. Inner skirt 26
also depends downwardly from the top wall 12, set radially inward
from the outer skirt 18 in concentric relation thereto. The inner
skirt 26 also may act to guide the bottle cap 10 into position on
the container, and may include a taper, as best shown in FIG. 5,
which may further facilitate locating and inserting the inner skirt
26 with respect to the container neck. According to a non-limiting
aspect of the present invention, as depicted in FIG. 5, an outer
diameter of the inner skirt 26 may be approximately 0.6 inches, an
inner diameter of the inner skirt 26 may be approximately 0.03
inches, and depth of the inner skirt 26 may be approximately 0.04
inches. Therefore, the inner skirt 26 may have a length of about
20% of the length of the outer skirt 18. Again, it is understood
that the bottle cap 10 according to the present invention is not
limited to these absolute or relative dimensions.
[0016] When the bottle cap 10 is fitted onto the container, the
inner skirt 26 contacts an inner surface of the container neck
which abuts the top wall bottom face 16, such that the container
neck is tightly received between the outer and inner skirts 18, 26,
thereby sealing the container and impeding the loss of fluid
therefrom. A tight interference fit may be created by properly
sizing the inner skirt 26 and the container neck inner diameter in
order to prevent the liquid contents of the container from leaking,
even under conditions such as freezing/thawing which induce
internal pressure changes in the container.
[0017] In further accordance with an aspect of the present
invention, the bottle cap 10 may be injection molded and have a
one-piece construction formed from a plastic material. According to
one aspect of the present invention, the bottle cap 10 may be
constructed from polypropylene, or from a co-polymer of
polypropylene and ethylene propylene. The addition of ethylene
propylene to the base polypropylene material may reduce brittleness
and increase impact resistance of the bottle cap 10. Of course, it
is understood that other materials are also contemplated for the
construction of bottle cap 10.
[0018] Ingredients specific to liquid energy supplements or energy
drinks (these terms used interchangeably herein), such as vitamin
B6, vitamin B12, and folic acid, may oxidize and subsequently
undergo an unappealing color change. When prior art foam liners are
used for sealing purposes, soaking of the liquid into the edges of
the foam liner may result in oxidation, with the residue appearing
as a dark substance which is typically unappealing to a consumer.
Use of the bottle cap 10 with inner skirt 26 according to the
present invention eliminates this problem encountered with liquid
energy supplements or energy drinks. In addition, the plastic
material used for construction of the bottle cap 10 offers a much
higher level of impermeability to oxygen than does open cell foam
used in prior art foam liners, such that the shelf life of the
liquid energy supplement or energy drink can be extended.
[0019] With reference to FIGS. 1 and 4-5, according to one aspect
of the present invention, top wall top face 14 may be generally
concave and outer skirt 18 may include an annular rim 28 extending
upwardly from the top face 14 around the perimeter of the top wall
12. In accordance with one non-limiting aspect of the present
invention, a distance from a plane defined by the rim 28 to the top
face 14 may vary from approximately 0.095 inches near the rim 28 to
approximately 0.105 inches at or near the center of the top wall 12
to the plane defined by the rim 28 may be about 10%, 15%, or 20% of
the overall height of the bottle cap 10. However, it is understood
that the bottle cap is not limited to these absolute or relative
dimensions. It is also understood that the term "concave" as used
herein is not restricted to describing a surface with a constant
radius of curvature, but rather is used to denote the general
appearance of the surface.
[0020] In one embodiment, the concavity of the top wall 12 spans
about 80%, 85%, or 90% of the diameter of the bottle cap 10,
although other proportions are also contemplated. The concavity of
the top face 14 allows the shrink sleeve to span partially across
the concavity, and is of sufficient diameter to offer an avenue for
a finger or fingernail of a consumer to gain easier access to an
edge of the shrink sleeve on the bottle cap 10. The size of the
concave top face 14 also provides an ergonomic surface which
cooperates with the natural curve of a consumer's finger to aid in
removing the shrink sleeve packaging.
[0021] With continuing reference to FIGS. 1 and 4-5, the rim 28 may
serve several purposes. As described above, one purpose may be to
exaggerate the height difference between the shrink sleeve and the
concavity of top face 14, allowing a consumer easy access to the
edge of the shrink sleeve to facilitate its removal. A second
purpose of the rim 28 may be to reinforce the bottle cap 10 to
resist breakage should the container be dropped or the cap 10
otherwise impact a hard surface. A minimal amount of plastic
material is required for construction of the rim 28, which produces
a light yet strong bottle cap 10. In one embodiment, the rim 28 may
have a thickness of about 10% or 15% of the diameter of the bottle
cap 10, although other proportions are also contemplated.
Maintaining a lightweight bottle cap 10 is cost effective and
promotes fast cycle times during the injection molding process.
Still further, the combination of the rim 28 and the steepness of
its angled connection with the concave top face 14 create a unique
"shadow box" effect to highlight any indicia provided on the top
face 14, such as a logo 30 as depicted in FIG. 1. A consumer's eye
may be drawn, to the recessed logo 30 and the contrast between the
logo 30 and the background, and thus this configuration may create
a unique, three-dimensional brand identity. Of course, it is
understood that the specific logo 30 depicted herein is purely
exemplary, and that other logos or indicia are fully contemplated
according to the present invention.
[0022] While aspects of the invention have been illustrated and
described, it is not intended that these aspects illustrate and
describe all possible forms of the invention. It is understood that
the features of various implementing aspects may be combined to
form further aspects of the invention. The words used in the
specification are words of description rather than limitation, and
it is understood that various changes may be made without departing
from the spirit and scope of the invention.
* * * * *