US3137403A - Bottle cap - Google Patents

Description

June 16, 1964 v. R. WELBER 3,

BOTTLE CAP Filed Sept. 21, 1961 INVEN TOR.

F 5 f vmcu. R. WELBER ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,137,403 BOTTLE CAP Virgil R. Welber, 2015 Fernwood, Toledo, Ohio Filed Sept. 21, 1961, Ser. No. 139,638 1 Claim. (Cl. 215-46) This invention relates to an improved bottle cap and more particularly to abottle cap having an opening tab combined therewith.

Many types of container closures are now known, which closures are provided with various types of opening tabs to aid in the removal of the closures from the containers. Substantially all of these closures can be removed and replaced any numberof times and are designed to be used only after the original closures have been removed from the containers and discarded. Such closures generally have been made of rubber or resilient plastic material rendering them easy to remove and to replace which, however, has rendered them unsuitable for use as original closures on the containers. In addition, such closures generally have been too expensive for original use with the containers. 7

The present invention relates to a bottle cap which can be removed directly by hand without the necessity of employing a bottle opener, which are frequently unavailable just when needed. The new bottle cap is designed specifically for original use with bottles as sold to the consumer, and particularly for bottles containing consumable liquids under a positive pressure. This is particularly made possible because the new cap can be secured to a bottle as tightly as presently-known, conventional bottle caps so that the contents of the bottle will be as safe during shipping and handling with the new cap as with a conventionl one. Further, the new cap can be afiixed to a bottle by meansof a substantially conventional capping machine.

The new bottle cap includes an opening tab which provides a better lever action during opening of the cap so that the crimps thereof can be spread and the cap loosened and separated from the bottle with less effort. Further, the new tab does not interfere with the capping machine when the cap is applied to a bottle and the tab is'in a lower position against the side of the bottle. In this position, the tab also is less subjected to'forces which might tend to cause accidental opening of the bottle during shipping and handling.

It is, therefore, a principal object of the invention to provide an improved bottle cap, particularly for bottles containing liquids under pressure.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved bottle cap for original use with a bottle as sold to consumers.

A further object of the invention is to provide a metal bottle cap with an improved tab rendering the cap easier to open manually without the use of a bottle opener.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved bottle cap which is less expensive than manually-removable bottle caps now known.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a manually-removable bottle cap with crimps which spread more easily and which enable the cap to be removed more easily from a bottle. Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, reference being made to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary view in elevation of a bottle and a bottle cap embodying the principles of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, enlarged view in vertical cross section of the bottle cap shown in FIG. 1;

I FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view in cross' section taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the bottle capshown in FIGS. 1-3.

Referring tothe drawing, a neck of a typical bottle carrying liquid refreshments under pressure is indicated by the numeral 10 and includes a neck bead 12 (FIG. 3) and, in many instances,'a reinforcing ridge 14 located therebelow, a channel 16 being formed immediately below the bead 12. Bottles of this nature are commonly used for consumable liquids such as soft drinks and beer which are under pressure in the bottles.

A bottle cap according to the invention is indicated by the numeral 18 and includes a main cap portion 20 and an opening tab 22. The cap portion 20 is basically similar to a conventional bottle cap, including a circular top wall 24 with a sealing liner 26 and an annular side wall 28 having a multiplicity of crimps 30 spaced therearound. The crimps 30 differ substantially from the crimps of conventional bottle caps, the conventional crimps being generally V-shaped. In contrast, the crimps 30 (see FIG. 4 particularly) of the cap portion 20 terminate in outer blunt or generally flat walls 32 with side walls 34 which diverge from one another as they extend outwardly from the bottle. This configuration is of importance because it enables the crimps 30 to be spread more easily than the V-shaped crimps heretofore known. Hence, the cap portion 20 can be more easily removed fromthe bottle and yet the crimps 30 hold the cap portion 20 on the bottle substan'tially as effectively as crimps-of conventional caps. g 7

The side walls 34 of the crimps30 are connected by webs 36, each of which has a 'sharpprojection 38 (see FIG. 3) which can be formed by a capping machine when the cap portion 20 is aflixedto the bottle. The projections 38 fit more effectively with the channel 16 below the neck bead 12 to-provide a more secure fit. The projections, ina preferred form, are approximately 4 inch in diameter and ,4 inch long. 1 r

The tab 22 is made of a single strip of metal integral with an outer edge 40 of the side wall 28. The tab 22 has a first leg 42 including a short connecting portion 44, a second or generally diagonal leg 46 bent downwardly from the first one, and a third or generally horizontal leg 48 bent from the second leg 46 in the same direction as the second leg 46 is bent from the first leg 42 and extending radially outwardly from the lower edge of the annular side wall 28. A fourth leg 50 extends upwardly from the third leg 48 along the inner surface of the side wall 28 with an extension 52 of the leg 50 being located immediately under the circular top wall 24, between this wall and the liner 26. Between the first leg 42 and the second leg 46, and integral therewith, is a bearing projection 54, the purpose of which will be discussed shortly.

When the over-all cap 18 is to be afl'ixed in sealing relationship with the neck bead 12 of a bottle, the tab 22 is placed in a downward position as shown in FIG. 1 with the connecting portion 44 extending straight down from the side wall 28 to provide clearance for the capping machine which forms the projections 38 in the webs 36 to provide maximum sealing engagement between the cap 18 and the bottle 10. With the tab 22 in the downward position, the third leg 48 lies adjacent the neck and has a concave portion 56 to enable the tab to fit more closely with the reinforcing ridge 14 of the bottle 10. After capping, the bottle 10 is then shipped with the tab 22 in the downward position, not only because it would require an extra operation to move the tab 22 to'its upward or operative position but also because the tab is closer to the bottle and is less subject to any accidental force during shipping or handling which might tend to Patented June 16, 1964 3 force the tab 22 upwardly and separate the cap from the bottle.

When the consumer is ready to open the bottle and consume the contents thereof, he merely swings the tab 22 to its upward position, shown in FIG. 2, and then forces the tab 22 upwardly by applying force against the outer end of the third leg 48. When this is done, the bearing projection 54. bears against the side wall 28 between the crimps 3i? and the. circular top wall 24 to serve as a leverage point. As the third leg then moves upwardly, it pulls the fourth leg 50 outwardly, pivoting around the projection 54, thereby also pulling the adjacent portion of the'sicle wall 28 outwardly and separating the projections 38 of the crimps 30 from the channel 16 below the neck head 12. The force against the third leg 48 of the tab 22 is then continued until the remaining crimps 30 spread further and the cap portion 20 separates completely from the bead 12. It will thus be seen that the force applied through the tab 22 is similar to, that applied by a bottle opener except that this force can be applied directly manually, preferably by the thumb of the consumer. v

The extension 52 of the leg 50 remains fixed between the top 24 and the head 12 as the leg 48 is pushed upwardly to minimize the chance that the leg 50 can be pulled outwardly fromnnder the side wall 28 and thus render the tab 2 2 ineffective. The bearing projection 54 contacts the side wall 28 sufficiently below the top wall 24 to prevent the possibility that the projection 54 1 a pivot point as it bears against the side wall 28.

In one specific embodiment of the invention, aluminum with a thickness of 0.016 inch was used to make the cap 18. The tab 22v was bent from a strip A inch wide with the connecting portion 44 having a length of inch, the main portion of the leg 42 having a length of approximately the projection 54 having an over-all length of approximately the second leg 46 having a length of i inch, the third leg 48 having a length of inch, and the fourth leg 50 having an over-all length of inch including the extension 52 which has a length of approximately inch.

from a bottle. In such an instance, the cap can be 1 adapted for repeated use. Various modifications of the above described embodiment of the invention will betapparent to those skilled in the art and it is to be understood that such modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the in vention, if they are within the spirit and tenor of the accompanying claim.

I claim;

A one-piece bottle cap comprising a circular top wall, a side wall structurally integral with said top wall and extending away therefrom, said side wall having a multiplicity of crirnps in an outer portion thereof. to fit with a neck head of a bottle of the type containing liquid under pressure, a tab integral with an outer edge of said side wall, said tab including a first leg extending away from said outer edge, a second leg, a third leg bent from said second leg, said tab between said first and second legs contacting said side wall below said top wall when said third leg extends outwardly in a predetermined position from said side wall, said third leg having a concave portion near said second leg to fit with a reinforcing ridge of the bottle neck, and a fourthleg bent from said third leg and extending inside said side wall.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,978,272 Lawrence Oct. 23, 1934 2,046,173 Lenhoff June 30,1936

FOREIGN PATENTS 5 485,915 Italy Oct. 22, 1953 506,784 Italy Dec. 24, 71954 g The dimensions and coni

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