US20050045636A1 - Container cap assembly - Google Patents
Container cap assembly Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20050045636A1 US20050045636A1 US10/928,008 US92800804A US2005045636A1 US 20050045636 A1 US20050045636 A1 US 20050045636A1 US 92800804 A US92800804 A US 92800804A US 2005045636 A1 US2005045636 A1 US 2005045636A1
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- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- container
- cap assembly
- lid member
- cap body
- lid
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
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Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D43/00—Lids or covers for rigid or semi-rigid containers
- B65D43/14—Non-removable lids or covers
- B65D43/16—Non-removable lids or covers hinged for upward or downward movement
- B65D43/163—Non-removable lids or covers hinged for upward or downward movement the container and the lid being made separately
- B65D43/164—Non-removable lids or covers hinged for upward or downward movement the container and the lid being made separately and connected by interfitting hinge elements integrally with the container and the lid formed respectively
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D25/00—Details of other kinds or types of rigid or semi-rigid containers
- B65D25/28—Handles
- B65D25/32—Bail handles, i.e. pivoted rigid handles of generally semi-circular shape with pivot points on two opposed sides or wall parts of the conainter
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D2251/00—Details relating to container closures
- B65D2251/10—Details of hinged closures
- B65D2251/1016—Means for locking the closure in closed position
- B65D2251/105—The closure having a part fitting over the rim of the container or spout and retained by snapping over integral beads or projections
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D2543/00—Lids or covers essentially for box-like containers
- B65D2543/00009—Details of lids or covers for rigid or semi-rigid containers
- B65D2543/00018—Overall construction of the lid
- B65D2543/00064—Shape of the outer periphery
- B65D2543/00074—Shape of the outer periphery curved
- B65D2543/00092—Shape of the outer periphery curved circular
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D2543/00—Lids or covers essentially for box-like containers
- B65D2543/00009—Details of lids or covers for rigid or semi-rigid containers
- B65D2543/00018—Overall construction of the lid
- B65D2543/00259—Materials used
- B65D2543/00296—Plastic
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D2543/00—Lids or covers essentially for box-like containers
- B65D2543/00009—Details of lids or covers for rigid or semi-rigid containers
- B65D2543/00435—Lids secured to an intermediate ring or like annular member fixed to the container mouth
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D2543/00—Lids or covers essentially for box-like containers
- B65D2543/00009—Details of lids or covers for rigid or semi-rigid containers
- B65D2543/00444—Contact between the container and the lid
- B65D2543/00481—Contact between the container and the lid on the inside or the outside of the container
- B65D2543/0049—Contact between the container and the lid on the inside or the outside of the container on the inside, or a part turned to the inside of the mouth of the container
- B65D2543/00527—NO contact
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D2543/00—Lids or covers essentially for box-like containers
- B65D2543/00009—Details of lids or covers for rigid or semi-rigid containers
- B65D2543/00444—Contact between the container and the lid
- B65D2543/00481—Contact between the container and the lid on the inside or the outside of the container
- B65D2543/00537—Contact between the container and the lid on the inside or the outside of the container on the outside, or a part turned to the outside of the mouth of the container
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D2543/00—Lids or covers essentially for box-like containers
- B65D2543/00009—Details of lids or covers for rigid or semi-rigid containers
- B65D2543/00444—Contact between the container and the lid
- B65D2543/00592—Snapping means
- B65D2543/00601—Snapping means on the container
- B65D2543/00611—Profiles
- B65D2543/00629—Massive bead
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D2543/00—Lids or covers essentially for box-like containers
- B65D2543/00009—Details of lids or covers for rigid or semi-rigid containers
- B65D2543/00444—Contact between the container and the lid
- B65D2543/00592—Snapping means
- B65D2543/00601—Snapping means on the container
- B65D2543/00675—Periphery concerned
- B65D2543/00685—Totality
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D2543/00—Lids or covers essentially for box-like containers
- B65D2543/00009—Details of lids or covers for rigid or semi-rigid containers
- B65D2543/00824—Means for facilitating removing of the closure
- B65D2543/00833—Integral tabs, tongues, handles or similar
- B65D2543/00842—Integral tabs, tongues, handles or similar outside of the lid
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a hinged cap assembly for capping containers and particularly to large mouth containers where a liquid tight seal is desired.
- container caps including bottle-type caps that have been and are presently in use.
- the known caps differ in configuration and arrangement int hat some are formed as just single cap members having cooperative sizes to conform to the sizes of the containers or bottles. Some are defined as simple snap-on caps and others are provided with internal threads arranged to match the threaded arrangements of particular designed containers.
- caps inherently do not provide a positive seal to establish a long shelf life for liquids or edibles stored therein.
- the caps are commonly formed from plastic materials and are snapped onto the container mouth.
- Such bottle caps as these are generally not provided with any type of sealing means such as gaskets.
- Threaded lids generally include gaskets, but are not handy to use, especially for large mouth containers.
- Containers and lids for storing foodstuffs and the like are generally made of a plastic material such as polypropylene or polyethylene polymers or copolymers. Such containers and lids are normally fairly rigid, but may be subject to some amount of flexure especially where the lid or cover is arranged to be peeled off of the container mouth. Most such container/lid configurations provide a sealing bead or rim along the upper wall of the container with a mating channel on the lid which engages the bead as well as the adjacent inner and outer surfaces of the container wall. Such sealing arrangements generally require considerable effort to force the lid onto the sealing bead during the closing procedure and perhaps greater effort to peal the lid away from the container during the opening process.
- lids While some lids are provided with one or more outwardly extending tabs to accommodate a user's fingers, the opening procedure may be quite difficult for a person suffering from arthritis or tendinitis. In addition, the lids of such sealable containers often become misplaced making lid replacement difficult or impossible. See U.S. Pat. No. 4,765,506.
- a separate sealing member such as an o-ring or annular gasket is disposed between the container rim and the lid channel to provide a more secure seal.
- Such designs may rely on frictional forces to maintain the lid in place on the container or may rely on one or more latching arms carried by the lid which engage retention lips on the container or nut threaded onto the container.
- the separate sealing member i.e., o-ring or gasket involves not only added manufacturing costs, but is subject to being misplaced or lost during use of the container. See U.S. Pat. No. 5,582,314, issued to the assignee of this application.
- closures for small mouth containers in which a lid is connected to the cap body via a living hinge.
- the lid is formed with an inner circular slot which is arranged to snap over an upwardly extending annular flange on the cap body in the closed position. See the digital photograph of one such closure included in the information disclosure statement. It is not believed that the closure would provide a satisfactory seal if adapted to close large mouth containers and would not be easy to open for persons suffering from arthritis or tendinitis.
- the present invention comprises a container cover or lid member hingeably mounted to a cap body that is internally threaded so as to be readily secured to any compatible threaded neck portion of a container.
- the cap body has a lower section with an inner threaded wall, an outer wall forming a generally inwardly extending shelf joined to an upwardly extending flange defining an annular exterior sealing surface which tapers outwardly at an angle ⁇ with respect to the vertical and terminates in a free edge.
- the lid member has a top surface and a bottom surface, a peripheral rim or skirt and a downwardly extending flange spaced inwardly from the skirt and defining an interior sealing surface which tapers inwardly at an angle ⁇ with respect to the vertical.
- the lid flange is arranged to snap over the cap body flange to secure the lid member in a closed position when the lid member is pressed downwardly with the sealing surfaces forming an interference fit along a narrow ring circumscribing the contact between the sealing surfaces to provide a liquid tight seal between the lid and cap body.
- ⁇ is preferably greater than X with the difference between the angles being preferably with the range of about 2° to 8° depending upon the diameter of the container mouth.
- cap body and lid member are molded as a single piece connected together by a living hinge.
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container cap assembly as mounted on a large mouth container
- FIGS. 2 and 3 are top plan views of the disassembled cap body an lid member, respectively;
- FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the lid member.
- FIGS. 5 and 6 are side elevational views of the cap body and lid member, respectively;
- FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the assembled cap body and lid member showing the lid being rotated toward a closed position
- FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of the cap body and lid member with the lid in a closed position
- FIGS. 9 and 10 are side and front elevational views of an alternative embodiment of the invention in which the cap body is provided with a rotatable handle;
- FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the front of the assembled lid and cap outlined in the circle of FIG. 8 showing the sealing surface of the lid and cap flanges providing an interference fit along a ring circumscribing a portion fo such surface;
- FIG. 12 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the cap body flange of FIG. 11 illustrating the angular orientation of the sealing surface thereon;
- FIG. 13 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the lid flange of FIG. 11 illustrating the angular orientation of the sealing surface thereon;
- FIG. 14 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the portion of the cap body circled in FIG. 5 showing the lid Axle receiving slot with a lid axle disposed therein;
- FIG. 15 is a broken away perspective view of one of the lid axles and adjacent support
- FIG. 16 is a perspective view of another preferred embodiment of the present invention mounted on a container in which the assembly is molded as a single piece with a living hinge connecting the lid to the cap body;
- FIGS. 17 and 18 are top and bottom plan views, respectively, of the cap assembly of FIG. 16 ;
- FIGS. 19 and 20 are side elevational views of the cap/lid assembly of FIG. 15 with the lid in a closed position ( FIG. 19 ) and in a partially open position ( FIG. 20 );
- FIG. 21 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a single piece cap assembly in which the central portion of the lid top surface is planar to allow containers equipped with such cap assemblies to be stacked one on top of another;
- FIG. 22 is a perspective view of yet another embodiment in which the cap body is formed with a top wall having a plurality of openings therein for dispersing condiments and the like.
- FIG. 1 there is shown a pictorial view of a container 10 having a neck portion 11 on which is commonly formed an external thread (not shown).
- container 10 is illustrative of various types and sizes of containers, such as bottles, jars, and the like, that hold liquids as well as dry food products.
- a container cap assembly is shown mounted on the container 10 and is formed from a suitable rigid or semirigid thermoplastic material of, for example, the polyolifin group, such as high density polyethylene, more preferably from a polypropylene that provides some flexibility and memory.
- polyolifin group such as high density polyethylene
- polypropylene is believed to be the least expensive of most commonly used plastics for molding many consumer products and thus advantageous from the cost standpoint.
- the container 10 is illustrated as a large mouth container, for example, having a standard diameter of 53 mm, 63 mm, 89 mm, 110 mm or 120 mm.
- the container cap assembly 12 comprises a one piece annular cap body or nut 14 formed with a lower and upper section 16 , 18 , respectively, and a one piece lid member 20 .
- the lower cap body section is formed with threads 16 b on the interior surface 16 a thereof. See FIG. 12 .
- the outer surface 16 c of the lower section surrounds the neck of the container, as is illustrated in FIG. 1 .
- the lower section or wall 16 is formed with a hinge housing in the form of two spaced hubs 16 d which define upwardly extending slots 16 e terminating in semicylindrical bores 16 f for receiving a pair of stub axles formed on a lid member to be described. See FIG. 14 .
- the upper section 18 of the cap body is in the form of an upwardly extending flange joined to the lower section via a rib section 19 ( FIG. 12 ).
- the rib section includes a generally inwardly extending horizontal shelf 19 a and a vertically extending stub wall 19 b .
- the flange 18 has an interior surface 18 a providing substantially unobstructed access to the interior of the container when the lid is in the open position.
- the flange 18 terminates at its upper end in a substantially flat peripheral rim 18 b.
- the flange 18 defines an inner sealing surface 18 c which extends downwardly from the exterior corner 18 d of the rim at an angle of ⁇ degrees with respect to the vertical.
- a rounded corner 18 e is formed between the lower end of the sealing surface and the web section as is shown more particularly in FIG. 12 .
- the bottom surface 18 f of the flange forms a downwardly projecting lip 18 g for sealingly engaging the top rim of the container 10 .
- the rim corner 18 d preferably is relieved by a small radius e.g, about 0.040′′.
- the lid member 20 has a slightly convex shaped top surface 20 a , a bottom surface 20 b of matching curvature and a peripheral rim 20 c , ( FIGS. 3, 4 , and 8 ).
- a flange 22 extending downwardly from the rim 20 c , is arranged to engage the exterior surface of the cap body flange and provide a substantially leak proof seal between the lid and cap body and also to releasably lock the assembly together, as will be more fully explained in connection with FIGS. 11-13 .
- the flange 22 is provided with an interior sealing surface 22 a which is joined to a lower rounded surface 22 b , terminating at a free end 22 c .
- the exterior surface 22 d of the flange 22 is spaced from the interior surface 20 d of the depending portion of the peripheral rim 20 c as is illustrated in FIG. 13 .
- the sealing surface 22 a of the lid flange is oriented at an angle of ⁇ to the vertical in the unstressed condition of the flange, i.e., when the lid is in the open position and positioned horizontally. See FIG. 13 .
- a downwardly extending hinge plate 20 e is formed integrally with the lid peripheral rim and carries at it's lower end a pair of outwardly projecting axle stubs 20 f .
- the axle stubs are forced into the semicylindrical bores 16 f at the end of the slots 16 e in the cap body. See FIG. 14 .
- the slots are formed with a width slightly less than the diameter of the axle stubs to retain the lid on the cap body.
- the hinge plate includes protrusions 20 g adjacent the fixed end of the axle stubs which engage the exterior surface of the cap body lower section when the lid is rotated to an angle of about 90° from its closed position.
- the protrusions tend to force the axles outwardly as the lid is rotated past the 90° angle until the lid is positioned about parallel to the plane of the cap body, i.e., when the lid has rotated through about 180°.
- the lid is held in this open position until a small force is applied to the lid to rotate it toward its closed position.
- a downwardly extending tongue 20 h is positioned diametrically opposite the hinge and is formed integrally with the lid peripheral rim.
- the tongue 20 h includes, at its lower end, an outwardly extending finger engaging member 20 i.
- the lid member is pushed downwardly against the cap body and container causing the rounded end 22 b of the sealing flange to engage the corner 18 d of the cap body flange and flex outwardly a slight amount allowing the lid flange to continue to move downwardly along the tapered sealing surface of the cap body flange.
- the resilience of the material causes the lid flange to flex against the tapered cap body sealing surface and releasably lock the lid to the cap body in the position shown in FIG. 11 . This action eliminates the need for a separate latching mechanism as required, for example, in the '314 patent.
- the sealing surfaces of the two flanges form substantially a line or narrow annular band contact 24 on or adjacent the rounded corner 24 at the upper end of the cap body flange. See FIG. 11 . It is to be noted that a rib having s small radius adjacent the top of the cap body sealing surface, instead of the rounded corner, would also serve to provide an effective line seal.
- the container cap assembly of this invention is user friendly even to those individuals who have limited strength in the hands as a result of arthritis or tendinitis.
- angles ⁇ and ⁇ are important in achieving the above results.
- the angles ⁇ and ⁇ are preferably different with ⁇ being larger than ⁇ by about ⁇ or more depending upon the size of the containers for which the container cap assembly is designed and ⁇ can vary within the ranges of about 14° to 24° and 10° to 18°, respectively.
- ⁇ and ⁇ are within the ranges of about 16° to 20° and 12° to 16°, respectively.
- the cap body and lid are preferably injection molded from polypropylene having a Rockwell R hardness of between about 60 and 100 and most preferably about 80.
- a nominal wall thickness of 0.070′′ for the cap body and lid member provides adequate strength for the assembly.
- a wall thickness t 1 of about 0.045′′ for the neck at the upper end of the lid flange is adequate to provide the necessary flexibility to allow the flange 22 to flex outwardly over the rounded edge 18 d of the cap lid flange and snap into its locked position as shown in FIG. 11 when the lid is pressed downwardly in a closing mode.
- the thickness t 2 of the lid flange 22 at the intersection of the sealing surface 22 a and the rounded terminal end 22 b is preferably about 0.060′′ to be compatible with the foregoing dimensions.
- the periphery of this intersection is obviously greater than the periphery of the adjacent section of the flange 18 h (in the closed position) to releasably secure the lid to the cap body in the closed position. See FIG. 11 .
- FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate a container cap assembly in which the cap body is provided with integrally molded handle receiving housings 24 located on opposite sides of the outer wall 16 c .
- the housings form an inner slot 24 a , terminating in a semicircular recess 24 b and outer slot 24 c
- a handle 26 also preferably made of polypropylene, includes a circular disk 26 a mounted to each end of the handle via a reduced diameter axle 26 b .
- Each end of the handle can be snapped into a respective inner slot to allow a user to conveniently carry the container.
- FIGS. 16-20 illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention in which a container cap assembly 12 ′ is molded in one piece with a living hinge 26 connecting a lid member 20 ′ to a cap body or nut 14 ′.
- the cap assembly 12 ′ is the same as the cap assembly 12 described previously.
- the corresponding sections of the cap body and lid member are designated with prime numerals, e.g., the lower cap body section is designated at 16 c′.
- the living hinge comprises a central section 26 a and end sections 26 b with the central section functioning like an over center spring, i.e., when the lid is rotated through a set angle from it's closed position, say about 70°-80°, the central section causes the lid to rotate beyond 90° and remain in that position as is illustrated in FIG. 16 .
- the reverse action takes place during the closing mode except that the central section does have sufficient spring action to close the lid.
- FIG. 21 A container cap assembly 12 ′′ is illustrated in FIG. 21 , which assembly is identical to that shown in FIGS. 16-20 except that the lid member 20 ′′ is formed with a depressed flat top central section 20 a ′′ to receive the bottom of a container for nesting purposes.
- a modified container cap assembly 30 is shown in FIG. 22 in which the upper section 32 of the cap body 30 is formed with a flange 32 a like the flange 18 of FIG. 5 , a top wall 32 b circumscribed by the flange 32 a and having a plurality of openings 32 c therein for dispersing condiments and the like.
- the lid member 34 shown in the partially open position, includes downwardly projecting bosses 34 a which are in registry with and close the respective opening 32 c in the top wall 32 b of the cap body when the lid member is in the closed position.
- the sealing flanges and surfaces of the lid and cap body are the same as those shown in FIGS. 11-13 .
Abstract
Description
- This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 10/652,744 filed Aug. 29, 2003 entitled Container Cap Assembly.
- The present invention relates to a hinged cap assembly for capping containers and particularly to large mouth containers where a liquid tight seal is desired.
- There are many known varieties and shapes of container caps including bottle-type caps that have been and are presently in use. The known caps differ in configuration and arrangement int hat some are formed as just single cap members having cooperative sizes to conform to the sizes of the containers or bottles. Some are defined as simple snap-on caps and others are provided with internal threads arranged to match the threaded arrangements of particular designed containers.
- Conventional snap-lid type of caps inherently do not provide a positive seal to establish a long shelf life for liquids or edibles stored therein. The caps are commonly formed from plastic materials and are snapped onto the container mouth. Such bottle caps as these are generally not provided with any type of sealing means such as gaskets.
- Threaded lids generally include gaskets, but are not handy to use, especially for large mouth containers.
- Containers and lids for storing foodstuffs and the like are generally made of a plastic material such as polypropylene or polyethylene polymers or copolymers. Such containers and lids are normally fairly rigid, but may be subject to some amount of flexure especially where the lid or cover is arranged to be peeled off of the container mouth. Most such container/lid configurations provide a sealing bead or rim along the upper wall of the container with a mating channel on the lid which engages the bead as well as the adjacent inner and outer surfaces of the container wall. Such sealing arrangements generally require considerable effort to force the lid onto the sealing bead during the closing procedure and perhaps greater effort to peal the lid away from the container during the opening process. While some lids are provided with one or more outwardly extending tabs to accommodate a user's fingers, the opening procedure may be quite difficult for a person suffering from arthritis or tendinitis. In addition, the lids of such sealable containers often become misplaced making lid replacement difficult or impossible. See U.S. Pat. No. 4,765,506.
- In some designs a separate sealing member such as an o-ring or annular gasket is disposed between the container rim and the lid channel to provide a more secure seal. Such designs may rely on frictional forces to maintain the lid in place on the container or may rely on one or more latching arms carried by the lid which engage retention lips on the container or nut threaded onto the container. In either case the separate sealing member, i.e., o-ring or gasket involves not only added manufacturing costs, but is subject to being misplaced or lost during use of the container. See U.S. Pat. No. 5,582,314, issued to the assignee of this application.
- In addition there are closures for small mouth containers in which a lid is connected to the cap body via a living hinge. The lid is formed with an inner circular slot which is arranged to snap over an upwardly extending annular flange on the cap body in the closed position. See the digital photograph of one such closure included in the information disclosure statement. It is not believed that the closure would provide a satisfactory seal if adapted to close large mouth containers and would not be easy to open for persons suffering from arthritis or tendinitis.
- There is a need for a two-piece hingeable cap assembly for large mouth containers which is simple, relatively inexpensive to manufacture, substantially leak proof and easy to open and close.
- The present invention comprises a container cover or lid member hingeably mounted to a cap body that is internally threaded so as to be readily secured to any compatible threaded neck portion of a container. The cap body has a lower section with an inner threaded wall, an outer wall forming a generally inwardly extending shelf joined to an upwardly extending flange defining an annular exterior sealing surface which tapers outwardly at an angle θ with respect to the vertical and terminates in a free edge.
- The lid member has a top surface and a bottom surface, a peripheral rim or skirt and a downwardly extending flange spaced inwardly from the skirt and defining an interior sealing surface which tapers inwardly at an angle λ with respect to the vertical. The lid flange is arranged to snap over the cap body flange to secure the lid member in a closed position when the lid member is pressed downwardly with the sealing surfaces forming an interference fit along a narrow ring circumscribing the contact between the sealing surfaces to provide a liquid tight seal between the lid and cap body. Preferably λ≠θ. The angle λ is preferably greater than X with the difference between the angles being preferably with the range of about 2° to 8° depending upon the diameter of the container mouth.
- In a preferred embodiment the cap body and lid member are molded as a single piece connected together by a living hinge.
- It is an object of the present invention to provide an inexpensive, reliable and substantially leak proof hingeable container cap assembly which does not rely on a separate gasket or o-ring to provide the seal or a separate latch arrangement to lock the lid to the cap body in the closed position.
- It is a further object of this invention to provide a hingeable lid/cap body for large mouth containers which is easily opened by those suffering from arthritis or tendinitis problems.
- The construction and operation of the container cap assembly of the present invention may be best understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
-
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container cap assembly as mounted on a large mouth container; -
FIGS. 2 and 3 are top plan views of the disassembled cap body an lid member, respectively; -
FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the lid member. -
FIGS. 5 and 6 are side elevational views of the cap body and lid member, respectively; -
FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the assembled cap body and lid member showing the lid being rotated toward a closed position; -
FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of the cap body and lid member with the lid in a closed position; -
FIGS. 9 and 10 are side and front elevational views of an alternative embodiment of the invention in which the cap body is provided with a rotatable handle; -
FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the front of the assembled lid and cap outlined in the circle ofFIG. 8 showing the sealing surface of the lid and cap flanges providing an interference fit along a ring circumscribing a portion fo such surface; -
FIG. 12 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the cap body flange ofFIG. 11 illustrating the angular orientation of the sealing surface thereon; -
FIG. 13 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the lid flange ofFIG. 11 illustrating the angular orientation of the sealing surface thereon; -
FIG. 14 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the portion of the cap body circled inFIG. 5 showing the lid Axle receiving slot with a lid axle disposed therein; -
FIG. 15 is a broken away perspective view of one of the lid axles and adjacent support; -
FIG. 16 is a perspective view of another preferred embodiment of the present invention mounted on a container in which the assembly is molded as a single piece with a living hinge connecting the lid to the cap body; -
FIGS. 17 and 18 are top and bottom plan views, respectively, of the cap assembly ofFIG. 16 ; -
FIGS. 19 and 20 are side elevational views of the cap/lid assembly ofFIG. 15 with the lid in a closed position (FIG. 19 ) and in a partially open position (FIG. 20 ); -
FIG. 21 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a single piece cap assembly in which the central portion of the lid top surface is planar to allow containers equipped with such cap assemblies to be stacked one on top of another; and -
FIG. 22 is a perspective view of yet another embodiment in which the cap body is formed with a top wall having a plurality of openings therein for dispersing condiments and the like. - Referring more particularly to
FIG. 1 , there is shown a pictorial view of acontainer 10 having aneck portion 11 on which is commonly formed an external thread (not shown). It should be readily understood thatcontainer 10 is illustrative of various types and sizes of containers, such as bottles, jars, and the like, that hold liquids as well as dry food products. - A container cap assembly, generally designated at 12, is shown mounted on the
container 10 and is formed from a suitable rigid or semirigid thermoplastic material of, for example, the polyolifin group, such as high density polyethylene, more preferably from a polypropylene that provides some flexibility and memory. Polypropylene is believed to be the least expensive of most commonly used plastics for molding many consumer products and thus advantageous from the cost standpoint. Thecontainer 10 is illustrated as a large mouth container, for example, having a standard diameter of 53 mm, 63 mm, 89 mm, 110 mm or 120 mm. - Referring now to the remaining figures, the
container cap assembly 12 comprises a one piece annular cap body ornut 14 formed with a lower andupper section piece lid member 20. The lower cap body section is formed withthreads 16 b on the interior surface 16 a thereof. SeeFIG. 12 . Theouter surface 16 c of the lower section surrounds the neck of the container, as is illustrated inFIG. 1 . The lower section orwall 16 is formed with a hinge housing in the form of two spacedhubs 16 d which define upwardly extendingslots 16 e terminating insemicylindrical bores 16 f for receiving a pair of stub axles formed on a lid member to be described. SeeFIG. 14 . - The
upper section 18 of the cap body is in the form of an upwardly extending flange joined to the lower section via a rib section 19 (FIG. 12 ). The rib section includes a generally inwardly extendinghorizontal shelf 19 a and a vertically extendingstub wall 19 b. Theflange 18 has aninterior surface 18 a providing substantially unobstructed access to the interior of the container when the lid is in the open position. Theflange 18 terminates at its upper end in a substantially flatperipheral rim 18 b. - The
flange 18 defines aninner sealing surface 18 c which extends downwardly from theexterior corner 18 d of the rim at an angle of θ degrees with respect to the vertical. Arounded corner 18 e is formed between the lower end of the sealing surface and the web section as is shown more particularly inFIG. 12 . Thebottom surface 18 f of the flange forms a downwardly projecting lip 18 g for sealingly engaging the top rim of thecontainer 10. Therim corner 18 d preferably is relieved by a small radius e.g, about 0.040″. - The
lid member 20 has a slightly convex shapedtop surface 20 a, abottom surface 20 b of matching curvature and aperipheral rim 20 c, (FIGS. 3, 4 , and 8). Aflange 22, extending downwardly from therim 20 c, is arranged to engage the exterior surface of the cap body flange and provide a substantially leak proof seal between the lid and cap body and also to releasably lock the assembly together, as will be more fully explained in connection withFIGS. 11-13 . Theflange 22 is provided with an interior sealing surface 22 a which is joined to a lower roundedsurface 22 b, terminating at afree end 22 c. The exterior surface 22 d of theflange 22 is spaced from theinterior surface 20 d of the depending portion of theperipheral rim 20 c as is illustrated inFIG. 13 . - The sealing surface 22 a of the lid flange is oriented at an angle of λ to the vertical in the unstressed condition of the flange, i.e., when the lid is in the open position and positioned horizontally. See
FIG. 13 . - A downwardly extending
hinge plate 20 e is formed integrally with the lid peripheral rim and carries at it's lower end a pair of outwardly projectingaxle stubs 20 f. During assembly of the lid and cap body, the axle stubs are forced into the semicylindrical bores 16 f at the end of theslots 16 e in the cap body. SeeFIG. 14 . The slots are formed with a width slightly less than the diameter of the axle stubs to retain the lid on the cap body. The hinge plate includes protrusions 20 g adjacent the fixed end of the axle stubs which engage the exterior surface of the cap body lower section when the lid is rotated to an angle of about 90° from its closed position. The protrusions tend to force the axles outwardly as the lid is rotated past the 90° angle until the lid is positioned about parallel to the plane of the cap body, i.e., when the lid has rotated through about 180°. The lid is held in this open position until a small force is applied to the lid to rotate it toward its closed position. - A downwardly extending
tongue 20 h is positioned diametrically opposite the hinge and is formed integrally with the lid peripheral rim. Thetongue 20 h includes, at its lower end, an outwardly extending finger engaging member 20 i. - During the closing mode, the lid member is pushed downwardly against the cap body and container causing the
rounded end 22 b of the sealing flange to engage thecorner 18 d of the cap body flange and flex outwardly a slight amount allowing the lid flange to continue to move downwardly along the tapered sealing surface of the cap body flange. The resilience of the material causes the lid flange to flex against the tapered cap body sealing surface and releasably lock the lid to the cap body in the position shown inFIG. 11 . This action eliminates the need for a separate latching mechanism as required, for example, in the '314 patent. At the same time the sealing surfaces of the two flanges form substantially a line or narrowannular band contact 24 on or adjacent therounded corner 24 at the upper end of the cap body flange. SeeFIG. 11 . It is to be noted that a rib having s small radius adjacent the top of the cap body sealing surface, instead of the rounded corner, would also serve to provide an effective line seal. - The force exerted between the flange sealing surfaces along this line contact forms a substantially liquid tight seal preventing the contents in the container from spilling. It is to be noted that in the event that a filled container is turned upside down the pressure on the lower surface of the lid will increase the pressure between the sealing surfaces to prevent leakage.
- We have found that a minimum pressure of about 1.5 pounds square inch between the sealing surfaces, with container in an upright position, will provide the required seal while allowing the seal to be broken and the lid opened with reasonable effort. The container cap assembly of this invention is user friendly even to those individuals who have limited strength in the hands as a result of arthritis or tendinitis.
- The angles θ and λ are important in achieving the above results. The angles θ and λ are preferably different with θ being larger than λ by about θ or more depending upon the size of the containers for which the container cap assembly is designed and λ can vary within the ranges of about 14° to 24° and 10° to 18°, respectively. Preferably θ and λ are within the ranges of about 16° to 20° and 12° to 16°, respectively. Most preferably θ is about 18° and λ is about 14°.
- The cap body and lid are preferably injection molded from polypropylene having a Rockwell R hardness of between about 60 and 100 and most preferably about 80. We have found that a nominal wall thickness of 0.070″ for the cap body and lid member provides adequate strength for the assembly. We have also found that a wall thickness t1 of about 0.045″ for the neck at the upper end of the lid flange is adequate to provide the necessary flexibility to allow the
flange 22 to flex outwardly over therounded edge 18 d of the cap lid flange and snap into its locked position as shown inFIG. 11 when the lid is pressed downwardly in a closing mode. The thickness t2 of thelid flange 22 at the intersection of the sealing surface 22 a and the roundedterminal end 22 b is preferably about 0.060″ to be compatible with the foregoing dimensions. The periphery of this intersection is obviously greater than the periphery of the adjacent section of the flange 18 h (in the closed position) to releasably secure the lid to the cap body in the closed position. SeeFIG. 11 . -
FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate a container cap assembly in which the cap body is provided with integrally moldedhandle receiving housings 24 located on opposite sides of theouter wall 16 c. The housings form an inner slot 24 a, terminating in asemicircular recess 24 b andouter slot 24 c, ahandle 26, also preferably made of polypropylene, includes acircular disk 26 a mounted to each end of the handle via a reduceddiameter axle 26 b. Each end of the handle can be snapped into a respective inner slot to allow a user to conveniently carry the container. -
FIGS. 16-20 illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention in which acontainer cap assembly 12′ is molded in one piece with a livinghinge 26 connecting alid member 20′ to a cap body ornut 14′. Other than the living hinge and a modifiedtongue design 20 h′ thecap assembly 12′ is the same as thecap assembly 12 described previously. The corresponding sections of the cap body and lid member are designated with prime numerals, e.g., the lower cap body section is designated at 16 c′. - The living hinge comprises a
central section 26 a andend sections 26 b with the central section functioning like an over center spring, i.e., when the lid is rotated through a set angle from it's closed position, say about 70°-80°, the central section causes the lid to rotate beyond 90° and remain in that position as is illustrated inFIG. 16 . The reverse action takes place during the closing mode except that the central section does have sufficient spring action to close the lid. - A
container cap assembly 12″ is illustrated inFIG. 21 , which assembly is identical to that shown inFIGS. 16-20 except that thelid member 20″ is formed with a depressed flat topcentral section 20 a″ to receive the bottom of a container for nesting purposes. - A modified
container cap assembly 30 is shown inFIG. 22 in which theupper section 32 of thecap body 30 is formed with aflange 32 a like theflange 18 ofFIG. 5 , atop wall 32 b circumscribed by theflange 32 a and having a plurality ofopenings 32 c therein for dispersing condiments and the like. Thelid member 34, shown in the partially open position, includes downwardly projectingbosses 34 a which are in registry with and close therespective opening 32 c in thetop wall 32 b of the cap body when the lid member is in the closed position. The sealing flanges and surfaces of the lid and cap body are the same as those shown inFIGS. 11-13 . - It may be thus seen that the objects of the present invention set forth herein, as those made apparent from the foregoing description are efficiently attained. While preferred embodiments of the invention have been set forth for purpose of disclosure, modifications of the disclosed embodiments of the invention as well as other embodiments thereof may occur to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to cover all embodiments which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention.
Claims (34)
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US10/928,008 US20050045636A1 (en) | 2003-08-29 | 2004-08-27 | Container cap assembly |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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US10/652,744 US6981607B2 (en) | 2003-08-29 | 2003-08-29 | Container cap assembly |
US10/928,008 US20050045636A1 (en) | 2003-08-29 | 2004-08-27 | Container cap assembly |
Related Parent Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
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US10/652,744 Continuation-In-Part US6981607B2 (en) | 2003-08-29 | 2003-08-29 | Container cap assembly |
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US20050045636A1 true US20050045636A1 (en) | 2005-03-03 |
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ID=34217724
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US10/652,744 Expired - Lifetime US6981607B2 (en) | 2003-08-29 | 2003-08-29 | Container cap assembly |
US10/928,008 Abandoned US20050045636A1 (en) | 2003-08-29 | 2004-08-27 | Container cap assembly |
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US10/652,744 Expired - Lifetime US6981607B2 (en) | 2003-08-29 | 2003-08-29 | Container cap assembly |
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US (2) | US6981607B2 (en) |
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Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
WO2005021416A3 (en) | 2005-05-06 |
WO2005021416A2 (en) | 2005-03-10 |
US20050045577A1 (en) | 2005-03-03 |
US6981607B2 (en) | 2006-01-03 |
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