Bottles and jars – Closures – Frangible member or portion
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-30
2001-09-04
Shoap, Allan N. (Department: 3727)
Bottles and jars
Closures
Frangible member or portion
C215S256000, C215S305000, C215S345000, C215S354000, C220S270000, C220S276000, C220S792000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06283318
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a bottle cap, and more particularly, to a bottle cap made of synthetic resin having a pull-tab allowing easy removal from a bottle, and as a result of the material from which it is made and its structure, has a variety of advantages.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The most widely-used bottle cap is the crown cork bottle cap which was invented by William Painter in 1982. The crown cork bottle cap is made of steel, and as it is used on the vast majority of glass bottles today, the crown cork bottle cap is familiar to most consumers throughout the world. The London Crown Cork Company was established resulting from this invention after which utilization of their bottle caps began in many countries.
A white cap was developed in the U.S. by the White brothers in 1926. The white cap is still used widely today.
However, there are many disadvantages of the above two types of bottle caps. For example, the crown cap cannot be opened without the use of a bottle opener. Also, because it is made of steel, the crown cap can corrode. This corrosion is unaesthetic and unhygienic. With regard to the white cap, although it can be opened without the use of a bottle opener, it cannot withstand gas pressure, limiting the scope of usage of the bottle cap to only bottles of un-carbonated beverages.
To solve these disadvantages, a screw-type PP cap (pilfer proof cap) made of aluminum was developed. The PP cap has the advantage of allowing opening without a bottle opener, but as a result of its construction, a skirt portion of the PP cap often becomes sharp after opening which can cut into a user's hands when the cap is screwed on and off. As a result, a PP cap made of synthetic resin is increasingly replacing the aluminum PP cap. However, the screw-type PP cap made of synthetic resin is difficult to open, and during the twisting packaging process, an extreme top end of a bottle can become damaged.
Another type of bottle cap is the ring pull cap made of metal. The ring pull cap is extensively used in the U.S. and Japan. However, the ring pull cap can also become sharp after opening like the aluminum PP cap, it can not reseal the bottle after opening, and due to the thinness of the ring pull cap, it cannot withstand pressure created in carbonated beverages.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in an effort to solve the above problems.
It is a first object of the present invention to provide a bottle cap which can be used regardless of the kind of material a bottle is made of.
It is a second object of the present invention to provide a bottle cap which is applicable for any capping method whether it be a pressurized method or a vacuum method.
It is a third object of the present invention to provide a bottle cap which has exceptional sealing attributes able to withstand pressures created in carbonated beverages.
It is a fourth object of the present invention to provide a bottle cap that does not corrode and is thus hygienic.
It is a fifth object of the present invention to provide a bottle cap which can be easily opened without the use of a separate implement (i.e., a bottle opener).
It is a sixth object of the present invention to provide a bottle cap that can reseal the contents of the bottle after opening.
It is a seventh object of the present invention to provide a bottle cap that is attractive in appearance.
And finally, it is an eighth object of the present invention to provide a bottle cap that does not produce any sharp edges such that the bottle cap is safe even for children.
To achieve the above objects, the present invention provides a bottle cap comprising an upper body including a plurality of longitudinal grooves formed around an outer circumferential surface, an inner cap extending downward from an inside of the upper body, at least two seals formed between an inner circumferential surface of the upper body and the inner cap, and at least one stopper projection for catching on an upper portion of a bottle;
a lower body connected to a lower end of the upper body and having a plurality of longitudinal grooves formed around an inner circumferential surface and at least one stopper projection;
wherein an upper cutting line is formed between the upper body and the lower body except for a non-cutting portion; and
a vertical cutting line is formed such that the upper body and the inner cap of the upper body can be separated from remaining parts of the bottle cap, and a pull-tab is further provided to cut the vertical cutting line and to allow the upper body and inner cap to be removed from the bottle by a user.
According to one aspect of the present invention, the upper cutting line is formed around a border between the upper body and the lower body and the pull-tab is formed on the upper body such that when the pull-tab is pulled, the upper cutting line is cut and the upper body is removed from the bottle.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the upper cutting line is formed around the border between the upper body and the lower body except for the non-cutting portion, and the upper cutting line extends downward to meet two vertical cutting lines formed at a predetermined distance extending to a bottom; of the lower body such that when the pull-tab is pulled upward, the vertical cutting lines are cut and the upper cutting line is cut while the upper body is removed from the bottle.
According to a feature of the present invention, there is provided a bottle cap comprising an upper body including a side portion, having a an upper surface, a bottle plug extending downward from the upper surface on an inside of the upper body, and a circumferential ring formed protruding on a lower end of the side portion;
a lower body including a vertical cutting line formed vertically on an outside thereof, and a circumferential groove formed on an inside portion, a connection between the circumferential groove and the circumferential ring securely fixing the lower body and upper body; and
a pull-tab, integrally fixed to one side of the vertical cutting line.
According to still another feature of the present invention, a catch protrusion, for connecting under an upper lip of a bottle, is formed on an inside circumference of the lower body, and a ring protrusion, for catching on an inside of a top of the bottle, is formed around an outside circumference of the bottle plug.
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Alston & Bird LLP
Eloshway Niki M.
Shoap Allan N.
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