US2839210A

US2839210A - Container cap

Info

Publication number: US2839210A
Application number: US502364A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jr Max R England
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1955-04-19
Filing date: 1955-04-19
Publication date: 1958-06-17
Anticipated expiration: 1975-06-17

Description

June 17, 1958 M. R. ENGLAND, JR

CONTAINER CAP Filed April 19, 1955 INVENTOR. Max A. ENGLAND, JR.

BYJMM M A TTORNEVLS.

United States Patent ()fiice 2,839,210 Patented June 17, 1958 CONTAINER CAP Max R. England, In, Ottumwa, Iowa Application April 19, 1955, Serial No. 502,364

Claims. (Cl. 215-46) My invention relates to improvements in container or bottle caps.

Such caps are in wide use on food and pharmaceutical containers, for example, to such an extent that it is safe to assume almost everyone comes in daily contact with them. They are frequently being removed and replaced until the containers are empty and the experience of encountering tight fitting caps that seem to defy loosening is practically universal. Various means are employed to remove these caps at times such as wrapping a cloth around them to increase friction of the fingers, using a blunt instrument to tap it loose and even the use of some tool such as pliers or the like. The latter two methods can frequently result in a broken container which is of course very unsatisfactory.

It is the principal object of my invention to overcome this problem and this I have done by providing a novel friction finger tab in the side wall of the bottle cap so that it may be easily removed from a bottle or the like.

More particularly it is an object of this invention to provide a pair of spaced slits in the bottle cap which are designed to frictionally receive a friction tab that projects beyond the periphery of the cap.

Another object of this invention is to provide a bottle or container cap of the above class that is economical to manufacture and extremely efiicient for its intended use.

These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangements, and combination, of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained as hereinafter more fully set forth, specifically pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a perspective of a preferred embodiment of my new bottle cap shown in place on the neck of a bottle,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross sectional view of this new cap taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged elevational view of the friction tab used on the bottle cap and shows the inner side thereof, and

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional View of the tab taken from the line 44 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings a bottle or container cap of a common form is indicated generally at and no invention is claimed for such cap per se. It may be made of rubber, plastic, or any other suitable material and may be applied to neck portion of a bottle 12 by threads or a friction fit which is immaterial as relates to my invention. It will be appreciated that such type of caps 10 can and do get difficult "to remove at times from being unnecessarily tightened and also due to the fact that the contents of the bottle may be of a sticky nature which tend to effect an unusually tight bond between the cap and bottle neck portion.

Cap 10 consists of the top 14 and annular side wall 16 as shown and in the wall 16 I have made a pair of spaced openings 18 for frictionally removably receiving the tab or clip designated generally by the numeral 20 in Fig. 4. This tab 20, preferably made from some resilient material such as plastic or the like, is formed with an arcuate body 22 on which the respective end portions are turned under and towards each other to form the hook or

clip portions

24 and 26. It is these clips which are pressed through the respective openings 18 in cap 10 to engage the inner side thereof as shown in Fig. 2. When thus positioned it will be noted that the curvature of body 22 is such as to conform with the curvature of wall 16 and thereby creates a raised finger tab projection beyond the periphery of the cap wall. To increase the effectiveness of this tab as a friction grip means when removing the cap 10 from a bottle 12 I have covered the outer surface of body 22 with a friction material 28 which as shown extends around the curved ends thereof but does not cover the

clips

24 and 26. In this way, material 28 extends into openings 18 (Fig. 2) and provides an effective edge for gripping at points 30 near the openings 18. While any suitable friction material may be used to accomplish the purpose intended, I have used a strip of very fine sand paper held to body 22 by a bonding agent of which many types are commercially available and on the outer or exposed surface of material 22 I have applied a sealer such as shellac to protect it from deterioration in washing. Rubber may also be used for element 22 in an equivalent manner as the sand paper I have used.

When tab 20 is applied as described it provides a very adequate non-slip finger grip means for cap 10 that makes it possible to remove the cap from the bottle with ease and rapidity. It is thus submitted that the invention shown and described is aptly suited to achieve the purposes intended and is characterized by a combination of highly useful and mutually cooperating elements that combinetheir respective and proportionate functions in accomplishing the objects sought to be obtained.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of my container cap without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims, any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

Iclairn:

l. A closure for a container having a neck, said closure comprising an integrally formed cap shaped internally to engage the neck of a container, said cap provided with a pair of spaced openings in its outer surface, a tab member formed with a body portion terminating at each respective end in a clip portion, and said tab member mounted to the outer surface of said cap by the frictional engagement of said clip portions with said respective openings.

2. A closure for a container having a neck, said closure comprising an integrally formed cap shaped internally to engage the neck of a container, said cap provided with a pair of spaced openings in its outer surface, a tab member formed with a body portion terminating at each respective end in a clip portion, said tab member mounted to the outer surface of said cap by the frictional engagement of said clip portions with said respective openings, and friction material applied to the outer surface of said tab member.

3. A closure for a container having a neck, said closure comprising an integrally formed arcuate cap shaped internally to engage the neck of a container, said cap provided with a pair of spaced openings in its outer surface, an arcuate tab member formed with a body portion terminating at each respective end in a clip portion, and said tab member mounted to the outer surface of said cap by the frictional engagement of said clip portions vvith said respective openings so that said tab member projects from the periphery of said cap.

4. A closure for a container having a neck, said closure' comprising an integrally formed arcuatecap.

shaped'inter-nallyto-engage the neckvof a container, said cap provided with: a pair of spaced openings in. its outer surface, an arcuate. tab'- member formed with: a body,-por-- tion. terminating, at each respective end in a clip portion, said tab. memberimounted to the outer surface. of saidcap, by the frictional engagement of said clip portions with said respective openings, and the curvature of said tab member shaped to' conform to the curvature of said cap.

5. A- closure for a container having a neck, said closure comprising an integrally formed. arcuate; cap shaped internally to engage the neck of a container; said cap provided: with apair of spaced openings in its outer surface, an arcuate'tab member formed with abody p ortionrterminating, at each respective end in a clip por tion, said tab member mounted to the outer surface of said cap by the frictional engagement of said clip portions with said respective openings, the curvature of said tab member shaped to conform to the curvature of said cap, and friction material applied to the outer surface of said tab member.

References Citedin the file of this patent Roshkind Jan. 15, 1952