US20150284148A1

US20150284148A1 - Stop & go water bottle cap

Info

Publication number: US20150284148A1
Application number: US13/999,926
Authority: US
Inventors: William Y. Liu
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2014-04-07
Filing date: 2014-04-07
Publication date: 2015-10-08

Abstract

Stop & Go Water Bottle Cap is a water bottle cap with an opening in its face and means to close or open the opening. The opening is closed when the water bottle to which it is attached is standing upright or is being turned sideways to mount. The opening is opened when the water bottle to which it is attached is turned upside down and is sitting on a water cooler/dispenser. It functions alternatively as a water bottle cap and as an open faucet.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Installing a water bottle on a water cooler/dispenser, one should congratulate oneself if:
1. No water is splashed around,
2. Water bottle does not slip out of hand and drops on the floor and
3. Water bottle is not skewly sitting on the water cooler/dispenser.
The above mentioned mishaps can happen because the water bottle being turned upside down to mount on a water cooler/dispenser is open and the mounting is done in a fast hurry.
The above mentioned mishaps can be avoided if the water bottle being mounted is caped and the mounting is done leisurely. But water inside a caped bottle cannot go out of the caped bottle it is in and into the water cooler/dispenser underneath.
It is a dilemma and the present invention, Stop & Go Water Bottle Cap, is made to solve the dilemma.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is accordingly the object of the present invention to provide a water bottle cap with an opening in its face and means to open or close the opening. The said opening is closed when the water bottle to which it is attached is being turned sideways to mount, so that the mounting can be done leisurely. The said opening is opened when the water bottle to which it is attached is turned upside down and is sitting on a water cooler/dispenser so that water inside the bottle can go out of the bottle through the opened opening and into the water cooler/dispenser underneath.
Briefly, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a water bottle cap with an opening in its face and means to close or open the opening of the water bottle cap. The means to close or open the opening includes a button, which is movable in and out the opening of the water bottle cap and an elastic sheet, which has an opening in its center and is stationary next to the underside of the face of the water bottle cap. The size of the outer circumference of the button is slightly smaller than the size of the opening of the water bottle cap. The size of the opening of the elastic sheet is slightly smaller than the size of the outer circumference of the button.
When the button is inside the opening of the water bottle cap, its lower part is inside the opening of the elastic sheet. The outer circumference of the button and the inner circumference of the elastic sheet are engaged with each other. In this manner, water cannot go from one side of the elastic sheet to the other side, and reach the opening of the water bottle cap. The opening of the water bottle cap is closed in that no water is coming out of it. When the water bottle to which the water bottle cap is attached is turned upside down to sit on a water cooler/dispenser, the water bottle cap is bearing total water pressure inside the bottle. When the total water pressure is greater than the friction between the outer circumference of the button and the inner circumference of the elastic sheet, the button yields and separates itself from the elastic sheet and moves out of the opening of the water bottle cap. Water inside the water bottle now can go out of the bottle through the opening of the elastic sheet and the opening of the water bottle cap without hindrance. The opening of the water bottle cap is now opened in that water is coming out of it.
The button has a disk attached to one end and a loop attached to the opposite end. The button moves in and out the opening of the water bottle cap. The distance the button can travel is the distance between the disk and the width of the loop. The loop is made of flexible material, such as plastic, and in assembling, the loop can be bent slightly to pass through the opening of the water bottle cap from the face side of the water bottle cap. The result is the button, the disk and the loop are not connected to the water bottle cap, yet are retained by the water bottle cap.
The elastic sheet is held in place from underneath by an o-ring which is twisted unto the water bottle cap along its groves.
The aforementioned object, features and advantages of the present invention will, in part, be pointed out with particularity, and will, in part, become obvious from the following more detailed description of the present invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which form an integral part thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the Stop & GO Water Bottle Cap when the water bottle (not shown) to which it is attached is standing upright.

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view taken from FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the Stop & Go Water Bottle Cap when the water bottle (not shown) to which it is attached is turned upside down and is sitting on a water cooler/dispenser (not shown).

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view taken from FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the composing parts of Stop & Go Water Bottle Cap, in accordance with the present invention. FIG. 5A shows a water bottle cap with an opening in its face. FIG. 5B shows an elastic sheet with an opening in its center. FIG. 5C shows an o-ring. FIG. 5D shows the movable component compressing a disk, a button and a loop, in that order.

In the various figures of the drawing, like reference characters designate like parts.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the drawings. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the composing parts of the present invention, Stop & Go Water Bottle Cap. To assemble the composing parts:
firstly, place elastic sheet 21 next to the underside of face 13 of water bottle cap 11,
secondly, twist o-ring 31 unto water bottle cap 11 along its groves 14 until resting on elastic sheet 21,
finally, bend loop 45 slighly and pass it and button 43 through openings 12, 23 and 32, until stopped by disk 42, from the face 13 side of water bottle cap 11.
The assemblage is now complete.
In this completed assemblage, o-ring 31 restricts the movement of elastic sheet 21 relative to o-ring 31 itself and relative to water bottle cap 11. In turn, elastic sheet 21 restricts the movement of button 43 relative to elastic 21 itself. When outer circumference 44 of button 43 and inner circumference 22 of elastic sheet 21 are engaged with each other, water cannot pass from one side of elastic sheet 21 to the other side and reach opening 12 of water bottle cap 11. Opening 12 of water bottle cap is closed in that no water is coming out of it.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of Stop & Go Water Bottle Cap 10 when the water bottle (not shown) to which it is attached is standing upright. FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of Stop & Go Water Bottle Cap 10 taken from FIG. 1 showing the positions of composing parts relative to each other.
When a water bottle is turned upside down, the cap of the water bottle is bearing total water pressure inside the bottle.
When the water bottle (not shown) to which Stop & Go water Cap 10 is attached is turned upside down to mount, the total water pressure inside the bottle is on button 43. When the total water pressure inside the bottle is greater than the friction between inner circumference 22 of elastic sheet 21 and outer circumference 44 of button 43, button 43 yields and separates itself from elastic sheet 21 and moves out of opening 12 of water bottle cap 11, leaving behind a free path. Water inside the water bottle (not shown) now can go out of the bottle it is in through openings 23 and 12 of elastic sheet 21 and water bottle cap 11 respectively without hindrance and into the water cooler/dispenser (not shown) underneath. Opening 12 of water bottle cap 11 is now opened in that water is coming out of it.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of Stop & Go Water Bottle Cap 10 when the water bottle (not shown) to which it is attached is turned upside down and is sitting on a water cooler/dispenser (not shown). Movable parts, button 43, disk 42, and part of loop 45 are now separated from the rest of the composing parts but are still retained by part of loop 45 to water bottle cap 11 so that they can be retrieved for repeated use, by moving in the direction of arrow 52. Movement in the direction of arrow 51 of the movable part combination 41 allows water to come out of opening 12.
FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of Stop & Go Water Bottle Cap 10 taken from FIG. 3, showing the positions of composing parts relative to each other.
There has been disclosed heretofore the best embodiment of the invention presently contemplated. However, it is to be understood that various changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A Stop & GO Water Bottle Cap compromising:

a water bottle cap with an opening in its face;

a combination of two composing parts: a movable button and a stationary elastic sheet with an opening in its center, for closing said opening while the outer circumference of said button being engaged with the inner circumference of said elastic sheet and subsequentially, for opening said opening while the outer circumference of said button being separated from the inner circumference of said elastic sheet due to water pressure;

means to retain said button for repeated use;

an o-ring to keep said elastic sheet in place.

2. A Stop & Go Water Bottle Cap as in claim 1 wherein said means to retain said button includes a disk attached to one end of said button and a loop attached to the opposite end of said button.

3. A Stop & Go Water Bottle Cap as in claim 2 wherein the dia of said disk and the widest width of said loop are slightly greater than the dia of said opening in the face of said water bottle cap.

4. A Stop & Go Water Bottle Cap as in claim 3, wherein said loop, being made of flexible material, can be bent slightly to pass through said opening in the face of said water bottle cap.

5. A Stop & Go Water Bottle Cap as in claim 1, wherein said button moves in and out said opening in the face of said water bottle cap.

6. A Stop & Go Water Bottle Cap as in claim 5, wherein the distance being traveled by said button is the distance between said disk and the width of said loop.

7. A Stop & Go Water Bottle Cap as in claim 1, wherein said elastic sheet is placed next to the underside of said face of said water bottle cap.

8. A Stop & Go Water Bottle Cap as in claim 1, wherein said o-ring is twisted unto said water bottle cap beneath said elastic sheet along the groves of said water bottle, cap to keep said elastic sheet in place.

9. A Stop & Go Water Bottle Cap as in claim 1, wherein the size of said outer circumference of said button is slightly smaller than the size of said opening of said water bottle cap.

10. A Stop & Go Water Bottle Cap as in claim 1, wherein the size of said opening of said elastic sheet is slightly smaller than the size of said outer circumference of said button.

11. A Stop & Go Water Bottle Cap as in claim 1, wherein the size of said opening of said o-ring is the same as the size of said opening of said water bottle cap.

12. A Stop & Go Water Bottle Cap as in claim 1, wherein said outer circumference of said button, and said openings of said water bottle cap, of said elastic sheet, and of said o-ring are all aligned with each other.

13. A Stop & Go Water Bottle Cap as in claim 4, wherein said flexible material is a length of plastic.