US3653530A

US3653530A - Closure with removal means

Info

Publication number: US3653530A
Application number: US45794A
Authority: US
Inventors: Hal C Winfrey
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1970-06-12
Filing date: 1970-06-12
Publication date: 1972-04-04
Anticipated expiration: 1989-04-04

Abstract

A closure cap which may be used on a fingernail polish bottle or glue tube, and which may be made as by molding in conventional form from plastic material, has a transverse tunnel in which is inserted a small metal rod or shaft so that when grasped in the fingers a twist or torque may be applied to the cap to exert considerable force to remove stuck caps. The cap may be one or two-piece, solid or hollow, with the upper part carrying and concealing the rod normally inserted into an opening in the bottom part of the cap for concealment but easily removed to insert into the transverse tunnel; or the shaft or rod may be a separate member left in the transverse tunnel, separate therefrom or suspended by a cord.

Description

I United States Patent [151 3,653,530 Winfrey [4 1 Apr. 4, 1972 [54] CLOSURE WITH REMOVAL MEANS 3,485,402 12/1969 Tunstall ..21s/4e x [72] Inventor: Hal C. Winfrey, 4160 Hawkeye Way, De

Kalb County, near Stone Mountain, Ga. "7" Emmnier M'flenson 30083 Assistant Examiner-Thomas C. Culp, Jr.

- Attorney-Patrick F. Henry [22] Filed: June 12, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 45,794 [57] ABSTRACT A closure cap which may be used on a fingernail polish bottle or glue tube, and which may be made as by molding in conven- [g%] 8i tional form fromplvasfic material a transverse tunnel in h 215/43 46 which is inserted a small metal rod or shaft so that when 1 le o are grasped in the fingers a twist or torque may be applied to the l 5 6] R e e ces Cit d cap to exert considerable force to remove stuck caps. The cap e r n e may be one or two-piece, solid or hollow, with the upper part UNITED STATES PATENTS carrying and concealing the rod normally inserted into an opening in the bottom part of the cap for concealment but 1 Fay removed to insert into [he [ransyerse tunne]; or the shaft 1,912,969 6/1933 Cal'VQlhQ 215/46 or rod may be a separate member left in the transverse tunnel,

B g separate therefrom or suspended by a cord. arn 2,132,878 10/1938 Palmeri ..2I5/46 9 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION l. Field of the Invention Caps and closures with means to aid removal thereof. Also, devices for removing caps and closures.

2. Description of the Prior Art The patent to Bamby US. Pat. No. 2,018,006 discloses a device for bottles and fruit jars with a special, exposed channel or groove to receive a knife or other instrument to aid in loosening and unscrewing the cap. This is not suitable for smaller closures such as plastic caps on fingernail bottles in all instances because it requires an exposed channel in the top of the closure and a relatively large instrument such as a knife or screwdriver substantially flat and which would not always be available and could slip from the channel during use. The exposed channel would be unattractive and unsuitable for decorative, smaller bottles. Finger tabs like those in Lee US. Pat. No. 2,644,608 would require considerable force for a stuck fingernail polish bottle and could break before a stuck cap like that on a glue or fingernail bottle would loosen. Also, such caps are uncomfortable for many people especially those with arthritis or bursitis. Also, while those cap removal means are functional the physical appearance is not in keeping with the merchandising of small curved bottles and it would be difficult to apply the aforementioned devices to small bottles.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The problem of finding the instrument to remove the cap and keep the cap decent looking is solved by having a small rod or shaft like an ordinary nail for the means for applying the force to loosen the cap and the problem of providing enough force from even weak or arthritic fingers is solved by the length and position of the rod and the amount of surface it contacts whereby much torque is produced from little force and slipping is practically eliminated because it is so easy to grasp the nail-like rod in the fingers and hold on. Cap breaking can be eliminated by using enough material relative to the size of the tunnel and the cap.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one form of the invention in which the cap is separable and the removal member is part of the cap.

FIG. 2 is a slightly modified form of the invention shown in FIG. 1 in which the removal member is a separate member not carried in the cap.

FIG. 3 is a cross section view taken along lines 33 in FIG. 1.

' DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The complete bottle shown in FIG. 1 is designated by reference numeral and comprises the usual glass or plastic container portion 12 of conventional construction especially suited and designed for fingernail polish which of course is a substance that dries in air to a hard, fast substance and often seals the cap to the bottle like glue. The closure or cap is designated by number 14 and comprises a mostly solid plastic form shaped for design purposes and separated into two parts top portion 16 and bottom portion 18 which has the threaded interior 20 cooperating with the threaded exterior 22 of the bottle neck 24 of bottle container portion 12. Top 16 is made from solid plastic in the tapered, frustro-conical like' shape shown and has embedded therein a short shaft or rod number 28 made from a nail like member and nonnally inserted into an opening 30 or bore substantially centrally located in the bottom 18 of cap 14. Bottom 18 may also carry the small plastic member 34 having the fingernail brush 36 thereon. Member 28 performs as a handle when in place. While the axis X of member 28 is shown perpendicular to axis C-L, the longitudinal center line of cap 14, it may vary.

In operation, the bottle 10 resembles any fingernail polish bottle and is used in the same way for ordinary fingernail polish use. If the cap 14 is stuck, the operator simply removed the top portion 16 by sliding the rod 28 from the bore 30 and manipulates it into position shown in FIG. 1 and inserts it in a transverse tunnel or bore or passage 40 formed in the bottom portion 18 and then twists the bottom portion 18 by means of the rod 28 to exert torque in the same direction as normally used to twist off a cap with the fingers thereby breaking the seal and loosening the cap 14.

In the modified form shown in FIG. 2,the upper or top portion 16 has been eliminated and the rod 28 is no longer a part of the cap top 16 but may be either a separate rod member 46 or else can be inserted in a tunnel 41 substantially longitudinally of the cap 48 attached by a small decorative rope 50 one end of which is tied to the knob 52 of the rod 46 and the other end attached to the cap 48. The operation is the same as in the previous embodiment in that the rod 46 is inserted in the opening in a transverse bore 54 and twisted to remove a stuck cap 48. Obviously, the tunnel 47 can be eliminated and left out and the rod 46 carried in the bore 54 or simply hanging by the rope 50.

While I have shown and described a particular embodiment of my invention together with suggested revisions, this is by way of illustration only as various changes, alterations, modifications, eliminations, substitutions, deviations and departures may be made in the forms shown and described without departing from the scope of my invention within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed:

1. In a container closure:

a. a container including fingernail polish bottles and glue containers having a product opening therein normally closed by a removable closure, said closure having disen gageable means between it and said container whereby said closure may be detached from said container as by manipulative pressure from the fingers, such as screwthreaded means on said closure engageable with screw threads means on said container,

b. a second opening spaced below the upper end of and through the material of said closure and extending substantially inwardly into said closure from the outside towards the interior center to receive a member inserted therein to provide a handle gripping means and to serve as a manipulative tool for the fingers,

c. and a closure loosening member insertible in said second closure opening and projecting therefrom to provide a grasping surface for the fingers of the hand which may be manipulated to grasp and exert force from said member on said closure.

2. The device in claim 1: said closure being provided with an opening in the form of a tunnel extending towards the central longitudinal axis, said closure loosening member being a separate member from said closure.

3. The device in claim 1: there being a third opening in said closure in which said member is normally inserted for storage when not in use, said third opening being to a longitudinal tunnel formed centrally and normally substantially vertical when said closure is on the container in normal position on a surface.

I 4. The device in claim 3: said member having a decorative knob thereon normally concealing the top of the end of the member and also covering the third opening entrance.

5. The device in claim 1: said closure being constructed in two parts, a top one of which carries the closure loosening member which is normally concealed by insertion into a third opening in said closure.

6. The device in claim 5: said top part of said closure being elongated and matching with said bottom part to form what appears to be a continuous cap closure member, there being a transverse abutment between the bottom of said top part and the top of said bottom part, said third opening extending sub stantially longitudinally of said closure in said bottom part.

7. The device in claim 5: said closure loosening member being attached to said top part substantially medially and centrally thereof to extend substantially longitudinally of said entire closure, and said third opening being in alignment therewith when said top part and bottom part are fitted in alignment.

8. In a container closure:

a. a container including fingernail polish bottles and glue containers having a product opening therein normally closed by a removable closure, said closure having disengageable means between it and said container whereby said closure may be detached from said container as by manipulative pressure from the fingers, such as screwthreaded means on said closure engageable with screw threads means on said container,

b. a second opening in said closure extending substantially inwardly into said closure from the outside towards the interior center to receive a member inserted therein to provide a handle gripping means and to serve as a manipulative tool for the fingers,

c. and a closure loosening member insertible in said second closure opening and projecting therefrom to provide a grasping surface for the fingers of the hand which may be manipulated to grasp and exert force from said member on said closure,

d. said closure being provided with an opening in the form of a tunnel extending towards the central longitudinal axis, said closure loosening member being a separate member from said closure,

e. said closure loosening member being attached to said closure by a flexible means such as a cord.

9. The device in claim 8: and there being a third opening in said closure in which said member is normally inserted for storage when not in use.

Claims

1. In a container closure: a. a container including fingernail polish bottles and glue containers having a product opening therein normally closed by a removable closure, said closure having disengageable means between it and said container whereby said closure may be detached from said container as by manipulative pressure from the fingers, such as screw-threaded means on said closure engageable with screw threads means on said container, b. a second opening spaced below the upper end of and through the material of said closure and extending substantially inwardly into said closure from the outside towards the interior center to receive a member inserted therein to provide a handle gripping means and to serve as a manipulative tool for the fingers, c. and a closure loosening member insertible in said second closure opening and projecting therefrom to provide a grasping surface for the fingers of the hand which may be manipulated to grasp and exert force from said member on said closure.

4. The device in claim 3: said member having a decorative knob thereon normally concealing the top of the end of the member and also covering the third opening entrance.

6. The device in claim 5: said top part of said closure being elongated and matching with said bottom part to form what appears to be a continuous cap closure member, there being a transverse abutment between the bottom of said top part and the top of said bottom part, said third opening extending substantially longitudinally of said closure in said bottom part.

8. In a container closure: a. a container including fingernail polish bottles and glue containers having a product opening therein normally closed by a removable closure, said closure having disengageable means between it and said container whereby said closure may be detached from said container as by manipulative pressure from the fingers, such as screw-threaded means on said closure engageable with screw threads means on said container, b. a second opening in said closure extending substantially inwardly into said closure from the outside towards the interior center to receive a member inserted therein to provide a handle gripping means and to serve as a manipulative tool for the fingers, c. and a closure loosening member insertible in said second closure opening and projecting therefrom to provide a grasping surface for the fingers of the hand which may be manipulated to grasp and exert force from said member on said closure, d. said closure being provided with an opening in the form of a tunnel extending towards the central longitudinal axis, said closure loosening member being a separate member from said closure, e. said closure loosening member being attached to said closure by a flexible means such as a cord.