US2620098A

US2620098A - Bottle cap with outlet means and having a resiliently supported closure member

Info

Publication number: US2620098A
Application number: US173461A
Authority: US
Inventors: Clifford B Kinley
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1950-07-12
Filing date: 1950-07-12
Publication date: 1952-12-02
Anticipated expiration: 1969-12-02

Description

Dec. 2 1952 Q a KlNLEY 2,620,098

BOTTLE CAP WITH OUTLET MEANS AND HAVING A RESILIENTLY SUPPORTED CLOSURE MEMBER Filed July 12, 1950 Inn ! INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 2, 1952 :BOT-TDE CAP "WITH OUTLET MEANS AND JHAYING .RES'ILIEN-ILY SUPPORTED CLOSURE f-MEMBER "Clilford B. iKinley, Falls .Chmtc'h, Ya. Application July :12, 1950, SetiaI NoJ-IWSMGI :8 Claims. (]..222-511) (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, "as :amended :April I130, 1928; 370 0. 6.3757) "The invention described herein, if patented, may be manufactured and-used by=or"for *the Government for governmental urposes, without the payment to *me of any royalty thereon.

"This invention *relates to bottle caps and more particularly to caps which are normally closed but which may .be opened :by 1 manually "pressing a "resilient element.

This invention has for its primary object to provide a bottle -'ca p having-'normally closed outlet V ports which may be =eonvenieritl-y *opened by pressing a a resilient element. -While such -"caps are known in the prior art my invention is an improvement-'enabling the same to be built more satisfactorily ='and-at't1ower cost.

A I further object df' my invention is *to provide a bottle cap with a readily =removable resilient closing meniber for' the port =openings.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear as this description proceeds.

Briefly speaking "the "invention utilizes a conventional bottle "cap with outlet holes in -the top'thereof. platenormally'covers these holes, the plate having a resilient support whereby it may be -depressed to -anoperating position. "In this position holes in the :plate "aligny-with those of *the cap to+-allow passage or: material from the bottle. The invention resides in the construction=and= mounting of the resilient: support. This support is held in its normal position solely 'by its own tension and emay" be moved to "operating positionibyreleasing that tension. I-Further details are :shown in the :drawing and hereinafter described, and the invention is defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a, perspective view o'f.one.;form oi the invention. Figure 2 is a top'view of the bottle cap "of Figure 1,-andFigure 3is a crosssection :of the cap when on aibottle. Figure *4 is -a'sperspective view or vthexca with the.:contro1 plate land iits -resilient -support :removed, rand Figure 55 is a perspective view :of the :control plate andzits resilient support.

Figure 6 is a perspective viewof another form of the invention. Figure 7 is a sectional view of the second form. Figure f8is a top view of Fah Figure 9 'is '"a perspective view of,*the bottle cap of the second form with the control plate and its resilient support removed. Figure 10 is a perspective view of the control plate and its resilient plate (in the second form of the invention).

Referring to Figure 1, a main bottle I (which may contain either a liquid, a gas, or a granuf2 lated *solid') has 1a first closure member, cap is threadeirto threadsfii of "the bottle I. The .cap has "an indent 5 and a main outlethole'lfi. .the latter "being .coaxial .with the 5-bcttle. Cap .14 also has a recess J (Figure 4) which constitutes a s'houlder-ior;receivin g one/end ill. of the resilient support :8 "and "holding "it against :upward and lateral displacement. The resilient support 3 has.a projection at-:end I'll whichfits into recess 1, and also has an upright 'arm *9. A second closure .member, control ;plate I I," has a first end terminating in endr'stop 12 :extending down {the side wall of *cap and "an :opposite second end connected "to .resilient support 8. The control plate "I I has anindent :13 which ,normallycovers the .jhole "6 "of theihottlew'hen the ;resi.lierit arm '9 "is' not being pressed; a'nole 11H in. controhplate H is ;out of "alignment withfholeiu ;in .cap 4, when resilient armfi of support! is notpressefd. "Under these ponditionslthe tension: in resilient support '8 fiorces the end-stop "I2 into engagement with the side wall of cap "4 (see'FigureU. However, when .the operator desires .to open .the outlet opening ,6, he presses "the rsnppnrt '58 toward .the left (see Fig. '3) .mitil tthe lindent jl3 ,ijumpsffrom hole .5 .into indent J5; Itliis alignsholes -6 and and permits dispensation .of I the contents of bottle "I therethrough. When (the .operator no longer desires for the .bottle to Ibeopen -Ihe releases tension onnsupport i8xand' infdent I {M umps backinto opening '6.

In .the modified .form of .Figure 6 the ',bottle 2,011has .thteaidsiZl which carry cap .12, .the'datter having a patternof openings j 23 through the=top thereof. .The resilient su port .24 .has .an .up-

rightmerr'iher T2 5 with tapro'ieotion "25. adapted to fitithe Iecessil!.,o?f1the:cap;22. ,lThe ,controlplate 21 ,has *aitip T28 .which is ,normally'ibiased against the ,;-side wan .Lcif nap 1'22 "toi-lhold Lthe .plate .21 Sin the "normal closed .Position. in the xclose'd ,position (seeZFigurel) none olf the .holes'ifl 9 df plat 21 are ing'alignment withiiho1es223 .ojfithe cap 22. However upon pressing upright 225;.to1theflit Figure 7.) each hole29;movesintoalignment with y its :col' gflementarfhqle i2 "LThepattern off .the "holes '29 .in plate 121 is the same as lthe pattern suitable resilient material. The material may be a. suitable resilient plastic such as is sold under the trade name Plexiglas. In depressing the resilient support the bottle maybe held in one hand and the tliumb o fthat' hand may exert a force perpendicular "to the axis of the opening in the cap, such force being applied about midway between reference numbers 8 and 9 (see Figure 3).

Figure 1 is primarily designed for liquids, and Figure 2 is primarily designed as a salt shaker. In both of these forms of the invention the contents of the bottle are isolated from moisture when the cap is closed by the cover plate.-

I claim to have invented:

1. A bottle cap comprising a cu shaped cap portion having internal threads to engage the bottle, said cap defining an opening through the base of the cup, and a flat elongated member having a li engaging a side wallof the cap with the, fiat member having its flat surface lying on.the outer surface .of the base of the cup, said 'member having a resilient portion connected to said fiat member'at said base and proceeding generally in a U-shape with. the legs of the U generally parallel to the axis of the cup, the free end of the U engaging the side wall of the capat aboutlBO degrees around the axis of the cap from said lip and exerting tension against the'wall of the cap to hold the fiat member in a normal position, 'said flat member .having an opening .therein which moves, into. alignment with the first-named opening when pressure in the direction of the." cap is exertedon the leg of the U farthest removed from 'the.cap;' and means .on said cap portion andjon the U-shaped resilient portion of said fiat elongated lmember for preventing relative rotation, said means comprising a recessed portion in the'wallof. said cap and an,inturned' projection at the free end .of said Ui-shaped resilient portion interfitting with said recessed portion.

2." The bottle cap of claim 1 in which said fiat member is held in position on the cap solely by the tension of said resilientjportion.

'3. The bottle cap of claim 2 in which the resilient portion and the flat membenincluding said lip, are in' one piece. H t

4. The bottle cap of claim 3 in which theresili ent portion and the flat member isa single ,strip' of material.

5. 'In a closure for containers, a 'cont ainer.

closure having a side wall including a recessed portion, and an end wall fonclosing the container, said end wall defining an opening therein; and .means for opening and closingsaid opening comprising: a, resilient member of U-shape one ofthe legs of the U beinglonger than the other andth'e long leg havinga projection extending into engagement with the recessed portionof the side wall of the container closure, the outer endof the short 18g, of the U being at the level of the end wall of. the closure, a'closure mem'- ber connected to said outer end of said short leg andextending contiguous with a portionthe outsidesurface of said end wall and normally closing said opening, and a lip connected to said closure member at the end thereof remote from said U-shaped member, said lip extending down the side wall of the container closure, said closure member defining an opening theretl' rough normally outs of alignment with the opening in said closure but which aligns with the ,opening in the closure when the resilient member is depressed.

- 6. The device of claim 5 in which the longer leg of the U is spaced from the closest point of the top'surface of said end wall equal to the spacing between the axes of said openings so that when the long arm is depressed against the side wall of the container the openings are brought into alignment.

7. The device of claim 5 in which said closure member has a raised portion that normally fills said opening in the end wall, said end wall defining an indent spaced from the hole therein by a distance equal to-the normal distance between-the axes of said holes. v

8. A bottle cap comprisinga first container closure member having a side wall and an end wall, the end wall defining an opening therethrough, and a second closure member the first end of which passes down the side wall of the first closure member, said second closure member-extending contiguous with the outer surface of said end wall and closing said opening, and resilient means connected to the second end of the second closure memberand biasing the latter toward said second end, said resilient means having one end connected to said second closure member and its other end pressing against the side wall of the first closure member, the tension in said resilient means being sufiicient tohold the same in normal position, said second closure member defining a hole therethrough normally out of alignment with said opening but which aligns therewith when the resilient means is depressed to move the second closure member; and means on said first and second closure members for releasably connecting them and-preventing relative rotation thereof, said means comprising a recessed shoulder portion in said first closure member and an inturned projection on the free end-ofq-the resilient means connected} to said second closure member, said projection interfitting with said recessed shoulder insaid first closure member and held by said recessed shoulder against upward and lateralidisplacement.

CLIFFORD BQKINLEY.

REFERENCES CITED h following references are of'record in th file of this patent;

UNITED STATES PATENTS 51,71,701, Great Britain f Sept. 9,5193?