US2070377A

US2070377A - Bottle closure

Info

Publication number: US2070377A
Application number: US615987A
Authority: US
Inventors: Simmons Elta
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1932-06-08
Filing date: 1932-06-08
Publication date: 1937-02-09
Anticipated expiration: 1954-02-09

Description

Feb.'9, 1937.- E. SIMMONS BOTTLE CLOSURE Filed June 8, '1932 ITTOR/VEY.

Patented Feb. 9, 193'] STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 (Hal.

This invention has reference to elastic caps made of rubber or other similar elastic material, adapted for closures for bottlesand similar containers, which caps may in the process of pasteurization or sterilization be adapted to permit the discharge of steam or vapor rising from the liquid contents of bottles on which they are fitted. The invention is especially useful as applied to caps for nursing bottles.

A principal object of my invention is to provide a bottle cap having a valve in the crown thereof which is adapted to open under internal pressure exerted in a bottle on which it is positioned, close upon the pressure being released, and hold the vacuum created in the bottle by the cooling of the contents thereof.

Another principal object of my invention is to provide means on theunder side of the tabs on the cap for holding the ends of the tabs sumciently away from the bottle with which the cap is used to enable a person to readily grasp the same preparatory to removing the cap from the bottle.

Another principal object of the invention is to provide means in the cap adapted to register with the inside mouth of the bottle on which it is used to hold the crown portion against lateral shifting. I

Another principal object of the invention is to provide a relatively stifi' crown to resist the pull of a vacuum created in the bottle on which the cap is used.

Another principal object of the invention is to construct the head of the cap adapted to fit over the bottle opening in such manner as to insure snugness of the cap on the bottle when in place.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for conveniently manipulating the cap and putting the same into place on a bottle or other container or removing the same, which means are in the form of a tab or tabs.

Another object is to provide a cap which may be placed upon a bottle without the hands coming into contact with the mouth of the bottle or the inside of the cap.

Other objects will be'apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a side view of a cap embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is an end view ofthe same;

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a horizontal cross section taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 3 looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Figure 5 is a cross section of my cap in position on a bottle.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, in which similar characters refer to similar parts throughout, 9 represents the bowl of the cap which is preferably made of elastic material, such as rubber. At the base of the interior .of the bowl is provided a head It extending circumferentially thereof and providing a constricted annulus adapted to fit over the mouth of a bottle, the upper part of said head being adapted to be engaged by the lip of the bottle. The inner circumference of this head preferably tapers so as to flare in an outward and downward direction as shown. The outer circumference of this bead forms a rounded connection with the bowl, which is desirable for sanitary purposes. A tab H forming part of the bead and having its base coincident with substantially half of the circumference thereof extends downwardly from said head and may exist either singly or be duplicated as shown, one on each side of the cap. Projections or knobs 20 are provided on the under side of the tabs for the purpose of holding the lower ends of the-tabs away from the bottle when in use to enable ready handling of the respective tabs in the act of removing the cap from the bottle. The effect of the wide base for the tab is to distribute the strain of pulling the same over a large part of the bead. The sanitary method of placing the cap on the bottle is to fit one side of the bead under the lip of the bottle, hold the adjacent tab with the forefinger of one hand and grasp the opposed tab with the thumb and forefinger of the other hand, the thumb being adjacent to the neck of the bottle, and turn the tab upwards thereby reversing a portion of the same with a portion of the bead and stretching the tab and with it the bead away and upward from the lip of the bottle, and pulling the tab arcuately and downwardly until the bead isentirely under the lip of the bottle. It is obvious,

of course, that the cap may be put on the bottle in any other suitable way.

The crown of the bowl is thickened so as to stiffen the same, and in it I have provided a valve body l2, which projects in an upward direction. The valve body is provided witha valve slit l3 and a recess l4 over which recess the projecting portion of the valve body is' positioned. On each side of the slit are provided ribs l8 adapted to reinforce the material adl jacent the valve slit l3, said ribs preferably being disposed at right-angles to the valve slit. The purpose of this arrangement is to facilitate the emission of steam and vapor from the bottle on which the cap is placed, and to close the valve upon the release of pressure of such steam or vapor, and thereafter resist a collapsing tendency of the valve into the bottle upon a vacuum being formed therein.

A circumferential rib I9 is provided'on the outside of the bowl which acts as a grip in pressing the bead I 0 in placed under the lip of the bottle, and another rib 2| along the edge of the tabs is provided to strengthen the tabs and add to their finished appearance and also to make them easier to grasp.

In operation, the cap is manually drawn over the opening of the bottle, the bead l0 thereof engaging the underside of the lip H. of the bottle and by reason of its angular tapered shape fits snugly against the neck and under the lip, giving the same a firm and tight joint. The tabs ll follow the line of the shoulder of the bottle with the knobs 20 holding the ends of the tabs sufliciently away from the bottle to enable a ready pickup of the respective tabs when its desired to remove the cap from the bottle.

To pasteurize or sterilize the contents of the bottle, the cap is placed in position as described and the bottle and contents are heated in any well-known manner. The pressure of the expanding steam or vapor rising from the liquid contents of the bottle will force apart the lips of the valve body l2 and the steam or vapor generated in the bottle will be released, passing throughthe recess l4 and the communicating slit l3 of the valve into the open atmosphere. When the temperature in the bottle is reduced so as to relieve the valve of the inner pressure, the valve again closes and the lips of the same are pressed together forming an air-tight seal for the contents of.the bottle, and as the bottle cools further a vacuum is formed within it which tends to draw the crown 'of the cap into the mouth of the bottle. To resist this tendency, the diametrical ends of the valve body rest upon the lip of the mouth of the bottle with the rib 22 positioned within the bottle mouth, thus overcoming any tendency to collapse the crown of the cap into the mouth of the bottle or laterally shift the same thereon. Furthermore, the adjacent ends of the ribs l8, upon the vacuum condition being formed in the bottle are drawn intimately into association with each other and form a bridge, and also resist the tendency of the vacuum to draw the crown of the cap into the mouth of the bottle.

It is, of course, obvious that some features of the cap described may be embodied in the form of a nipple for a feeding bottle or adapted to other analogous uses. I do not wish to be confined, therefore, to the embodiment shown, but what I desire to cover by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An elastic cap, having a substantially rectangular head at the base thereof, a tab extending downward from said bead and forming a continuation of the bead and extending at its base substantially half-way around the circumference of said head and having a projection thereunder adapted to-provide a ready finger hold for said tab when said cap is in position on a bottle.

2. An elastic cap, having a crown adapted to cover the mouth of a bottle and of sufiicient thickness and rigidity to resist collapse when subjected to suction from within the bottle, said crown having a slit therethrough, a bead spaced from the crown for fitting under the lip of the bottle to retain the crown normally in contact with the bottle mouth, and a tab extending downward from said bead andextending at its base substantially half-way around the circumference of said bead, and having a projection at the inside of the lower end thereof which forms a ready finger hold for said tab when said cap is in position on a bottle.

3. An elastic cap, having a bead at the interior base thereof, a rib at the outer base thereof, a tab extending downward from said bead, said tab extending at its base substantially half-way around the circumference of said bead, and a rib on said tab, said tab having a projection thereunder adapted to provide a ready finger hold for said tab when said cap is in position on a bottle.

4. An elastic cap member for mounting upon the neck of a nursing bottle or the like, having a bead at the interior base thereof adapted to fit under the lip of a bottle upon which said cap' is positioned, a tab extending downwardly from said bead in suchdirection as to tend to lie against the neck of the bottle and a projecting knob on the under side of the tab near its lower end adapted to space the lower end of said tab away from the bottle neck so as to provide a ready finger hold to enable the tab to be grasped when the cap is to be removed.

5. In an elastic cap for sealing a bottle against external pressure while permitting the escape of internal pressure therefrom, a bowl having an arched crown concentric with and shaped to rest .on the mouth of abottle and provided interiorly with a downwardly projecting circumferential rib for engaging the interior of the bottle mouth, said crown being of sufiicient thickness and rigidity to resist collapse when subjected to suction from within the bottle, said crown having a slit therethrough, and an internal bead spaced from the crown for fitting under a lip of the bottle to retain the crown normally in contact with the bottle mouth.

6. The structure defined in claim 5 in which the downwardly projecting circumferential rib with which the crown is provided has a frustoconical outer surface for engaging the interior of the bottle mouth to support the arched crown.

ELTA SIMMONS.