Bottles and jars – Closures – Closure pivoted about receptacle opening
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-29
2001-07-24
Shoap, Allan N. (Department: 3727)
Bottles and jars
Closures
Closure pivoted about receptacle opening
C215S243000, C215S306000, C215S329000, C220S291000, C220S375000, C220S837000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06264051
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The subject invention is generally directed to a closure for a container. More particularly, the invention relates to threaded closures for containers. Specifically, the invention relates to a closure for providing access to the contents of a container without the necessity of completely removing the entire closure and thereby subjecting the closure to loss or damage.
2. Background Information
Various containers for storing and transporting fluids such as water have been known and used for thousands of years. Prior to modern times, water containers were a necessity since homes and businesses did not have running water and therefore containers were needed to transport water from the local well to each house or business.
Many closures for containers have been developed including lids, corks, snap-ons, and screw caps. Since man's discovery that fluids could be stored within containers for later use, new and better means for closing, sealing, or otherwise controlling fluid flow into and out of the container have been sought.
More recently, i.e., over approximately the past one hundred years, a phenomenal growth in the distribution of bottled beverages has occurred. The storage of beverages such as milk, water, juices, carbonated beverages, iced tea, and alcoholic beverages in containers such as cartons, bottles, flasks or jugs made from paper, plastic, or glass has flourished. Specifically, these various containers include paper milk cartons, 12 and 16 glass bottles, 2 liter plastic bottles, and other such containers.
Bottled beverages typically come in either plastic or glass bottles with metal or plastic closures sealing the beverage therein until the time for consumption. These containers typically include a narrowing neck with a fluid access opening therein. A number of closures have been used to cover this fluid access opening including metal lids requiring a bottle opener to remove, twist off metal lids, snap on-off plastic caps, screw on-off plastic caps, and pull up and push down type caps. These caps all serve to provide access to the fluid contained within the container. The closure is preferably reusable in that it may be removed from and replaced onto the container thereby allowing only a portion of the fluid contained within the container to be used at a given sitting.
The need for closure of these containers is historically based upon a number of concerns including spillage, spoilage, evaporation, and contamination of the fluid contained within the container. More recent designs continue to take into account these historical needs as well as today's desired qualities such as ease and speed of use, and retention of carbonation.
However, one disadvantage of these closures is the requirement that the closure be completely removed to gain access to the container. Complete removal of the closure creates a risk that the closure will be misplaced or dropped.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Objectives of the invention include providing a container closure for providing access to the fluid contents of a container without the necessity of completely removing the entire closure and thereby subjecting the closure to loss or damage, and the fluid contents of the container to spillage, spoilage, evaporation, and contamination.
A further objective of the invention is to provide a two part closure connected together by a flexible hinge.
Still a further objective of the invention includes providing a closure which is only partially removed to allow access to the fluid within a container.
Another objective of the invention is to provide a closure which, when fully tightened down, seals off the fluid access opening thereby assuring continued quality of the beverage within the container.
A still further objective of the invention is to provide a closure with a position indicator to indicate that sufficient twisting has occurred to disengage the cap portion from the container while the sleeve portion continues to engage the container.
Yet a further objective of the invention is to provide a position indicator which also acts as a catch that tends to restrict rotation of the closure with references to the threaded nozzle.
Yet another objective is to provide a closure which is of simple construction, which achieves the stated objectives in a simple, effective and inexpensive manner, and which solves problems and satisfies needs existing in the art.
These and other objectives and advantages are obtained by the improved closure of the present invention that is securable to a nozzle of a container, the nozzle having a plurality of threads formed thereon, the general nature of which may be stated as including a first portion having a plurality of internal threads formed thereon, a second portion having a plurality of internal threads formed thereon, a flexible hinge connecting the first portion to the second portion, and the flexible hinge including at least a portion of the threads formed on the first portion and including at least a portion of the threads formed on the second portion, the hinge being adapted to selectively threadably engage the threads formed on the nozzle.
Other objectives and advantages are obtained from the closure and container assembly of the present invention, the general nature of which may be stated as including a container having a neck with an access port formed therein, the neck having a plurality of external threads formed thereon, a fluid access port closure having a cap portion and a sleeve portion separated by a substantially circumferential gap and connected by a hinge, the cap and sleeve portions each having threads to operatively engage the externally threaded neck thereby defining a fully threaded position where the threads of both the cap and the sleeve portions at least minimally engage the externally threaded neck, a partially threaded position where only the threads of the sleeve portion at least minimally engage the threaded neck, and a removed position where none of the threads engage any of the threaded neck, and the hinge including at least a portion of the threads on the cap portion and including at least a portion of the threads on the sleeve portion, the hinge being selectively threadable with the external threads of the neck.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2192361 (1940-03-01), McDonald
patent: 4043475 (1977-08-01), Wheeler
patent: 4289248 (1981-09-01), Lynn
patent: 4485934 (1984-12-01), Maguire
patent: 5040691 (1991-08-01), Hayes et al.
patent: 5215204 (1993-06-01), Beck et al.
patent: 5944207 (1999-08-01), Reidenbach
patent: 1020543 (1953-02-01), None
patent: 1272310 (1961-08-01), None
Eloshway Niki M.
Sand & Sebolt
Shoap Allan N.
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