Patents Examined by Ned A Walker
  • Patent number: 9415909
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a closure with an external hinge arrangement. The closure includes a lower closure part (2) and an upper closure part (3) which are functionally interconnected to each other by an external hinge arrangement (4). The external hinge arrangement includes a first and a second articulation element (5, 6) and at least one intermediate element (7, 8, 23).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: Creanova Universal Closures Ltd.
    Inventors: Rodney Druitt, Louis Lagler
  • Patent number: 9409678
    Abstract: A bottle body structure includes a substrate accommodating a container bottle which includes an inner bottle body, an outer container bottle and a bottle cap. The bottle cap can be accommodated inside the outer bottle body and the side wall of the bottle cap is provided with a discharge hole. An ejecting mechanism, enabling the inner bottle body to displace axially relative to the outer bottle body to expose the discharge hole out of the outer bottle body, is provided between the inner bottle body and the substrate. As a result, the bottle body structure conceals the discharge hole in the outer bottle body and the ejecting mechanism enables the inner bottle body to eject automatically to expose the discharge hole, which is convenient to use and hygienic. Material in the bottle can be poured out easily with one hand. The bottle body is especially applicable to storage of spices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: NINGBO CHEFSHERE KITCHEN TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Lv Ding
  • Patent number: 9187209
    Abstract: A container having a lid includes a cavity defined by a bottom wall and a first plurality of upstanding sidewalls. A first flange is formed integrally with the first plurality of upstanding sidewalls at their respective uppermost ends and extends outwardly with respect to the cavity. A second plurality of upstanding sidewalls is mounted about the outer periphery of the first flange. A second flange is formed integrally with the second plurality of upstanding sidewalls at their respective uppermost ends and extends outwardly with respect to the cavity. The second flange has a tear tab adapted to be gripped by a user. The tear tab is corner-mounted in a first embodiment and is formed on a leading end of the second flange in a second embodiment. In both embodiments, the tear tab is bordered by perforation lines and clear cut lines and is easily seen if it has been torn.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: Highland Packaging Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Roger Hanna, Wade Carter
  • Patent number: 9150320
    Abstract: Base configurations for plastic containers having an inner wall and up-stand wall geometries to accommodate internal container pressures after hot-filling and sealing, corresponding plastic containers, and systems, methods, and base molds thereof. In some embodiments, the up-stand wall geometries include a plurality of stacked rings. The inner wall and up-stand wall geometries can be co-operatively operative to accommodate pressure variations within the jar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: GRAHAM PACKAGING COMPANY, L.P.
    Inventors: Michael P. Wurster, Scott E. Bysick
  • Patent number: 9144933
    Abstract: There is provided a receptacle for connecting to a curved wall of a container. The receptacle has a pair of spaced-apart flanges that extend about the container. The receptacle includes an outer wall member configured to be spaced-apart from the curved wall of the container. The receptacle includes an open back opposite the outer wall member of the receptacle. The receptacle includes a pair of spaced-apart ends that connect the flanges of the receptacle to the outer wall member of the receptacle. The receptacle includes a bottom that connects to and extends between the ends of the receptacle. The bottom of the receptacle has an outer edge connecting with the outer wall member of the receptacle. The bottom of the receptacle has a curved inner edge configured to abut with and partially extend about the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Inventor: James D. Gillingwater
  • Patent number: 9114916
    Abstract: A lid for closing a container is provided. The lid may be deep-drawn from a plastics material film or produced in an injection-molding method. The lid includes a substantially downwardly directed edge flange for engaging over a thickening that encircles the container's upper edge. The edge flange can be formed to be inclined outwardly at least slightly and is provided with a plurality of inwardly directed projections capable of engaging under the thickening of the container. The lid also comprises a plurality of depressions. The depressions have a depth that is greater towards an interior lid area than towards the edge flange. The depressions have width that is greater towards the interior lid area than towards the edge flange.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Assignee: HUHTAMAKI OYJ
    Inventor: Stephen Knipe
  • Patent number: 9090373
    Abstract: A container having sides with contours that readily and essentially automatically orient the container upon grasping the container. The container may have distinct, discontinuous contours on opposite sides, defining grasping sides of the container. If a dispensing portion is offset from the container's central axis, then upon grasping the container at the distinct contoured grasping sides, the dispensing orifice is automatically positioned at a predetermined orientation with respect to the user's grasping hand. Such contours thus provide a tactile indicator of the orientation of the container, permitting orienting of the container in a user's hand without the need for visual assessment or inspection of the container. The container closure may further be shaped and configured to provide another tactile indicator of the container orientation. For instance, the closure may be asymmetrical. Preferably, such asymmetry is about the axis extending between the container's contoured sides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: RECKITT BENCKISER (BRANDS) LIMITED
    Inventors: Laurent Hainaut, Simon Dutton
  • Patent number: 9079453
    Abstract: A container holder includes a base section and a top section. The base section has a base bottom that is configured to rest on a surface. The base section also has a base top which terminates in a circular lip. An area defined by the circular lip is substantially angled with respect to the base bottom. The top section has an opening configured to receive a container and a circular rim for slidably engaging the circular lip of the base section such that the top section is rotatable with respect to base section. A rotatable circular joint is formed between the top section and the base section. The top section is tilted by an amount that changes as the rotatable circular joint is rotated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Inventor: Grant Cox
  • Patent number: 9067729
    Abstract: A container is provided with a frame including one or more support structures each having a stacking post with a thin cross-sectional shape. Multiple support structures having such stacking posts can be provided along the length of the container to enable the container to be used in a stacked configuration. The container can provide an expanded interior loadable width for increased loading flexibility and capacity, and can have recessed upper and lower handling fitting joints in order to provide stronger and space-saving connections between a header and an upper handling fitting, between the upper handling fitting and a stacking post, between the stacking post and a lower handling fitting, and/or between the lower handling fitting and a floor component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: STI Holdings, Inc.
    Inventor: Gary L. Fenton
  • Patent number: 9055799
    Abstract: A portable reverse isolation box (PRIB) for protecting an object from the environment and/or protecting a user from the object. The PRIB includes a housing comprising a container and a lid, wherein the container has structural integrity and at least a portion of the lid is transparent, and further wherein the housing forms an airtight and watertight isolation bay when the lid is mounted on the container; a port formed in the container; and a disposable flexible element mounted in the port in an airtight and watertight relationship, the flexible element being capable of assuming a concave configuration so as to permit a user to manipulate the object within the isolation bay without opening the lid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Inventors: Elizabeth E. Cohn, William E. Cohn
  • Patent number: 9032698
    Abstract: A package includes a container and a lid adapted to mate with a brim of the container. The lid closes a top opening in the container when mounted on the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: Berry Plastics Corporation
    Inventors: Jeffrey C Minnette, David J Jochem, Ken Jochem
  • Patent number: 9016489
    Abstract: A container including a finish, a sidewall portion, a base portion, and an inwardly directed rib member. The finish has a thread portion and an opening formed by the finish. The sidewall portion extends from the finish. The base portion extends from the sidewall portion and encloses the sidewall portion to form a volume for retaining a commodity. The inwardly directed rib member is disposed circumferentially about the finish.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Amcor Limited
    Inventors: Ronald McFarlane, Terry D. Patcheak, James Stelzer
  • Patent number: 8978908
    Abstract: A dispensing head (103) for closing a vessel, mainly a tube or a vial, includes an outlet opening (135) and a hinged cap (104) for closing the opening (135) of the dispensing head. The dispensing head (103) and the hinged cap (104) are made of a single piece. The hinged cap (104) is molded over the dispensing head (103). The cap (104) can be secured onto the head (103) by anchoring even when the materials are not compatible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Lindal France SAS
    Inventors: Hans-Peter Lilienthal, Herve Bodet
  • Patent number: 8919593
    Abstract: A lid assembly includes a lid, which defines openings and a guide channel, and a body slidably engaging the lid and defining protrusions that correspond with the openings. A resiliently deformable member of the body is guided within the guide channel of the lid. The body is movable between a first position in which the openings and protrusions are aligned to block fluid flow and a second position in which the openings and protrusions are misaligned to allow fluid flow through the lid. The body is biased in the direction of the first position by the resiliently deformable member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Inventors: Russell Sinacori, Douglas Ramsey
  • Patent number: 8870019
    Abstract: A beverage container that includes at least a bottom portion with a side portion extending from the bottom portion, and a balance mass in pressing engagement with the bottom portion is disclosed. The balance mass is adjacent an inner surface of the bottom portion in a preferred embodiment, and adjacent an outer surface in an alternate preferred embodiment. In each embodiment, the balance mass includes at least a core portion encapsulated by an encapsulant, in which the density of the core is greater than the density of a beverage of the beverage container. In the alternate preferred embodiment, the balance mass further includes a tip lip portion with a condensate retention ridge, and a condensate aperture. The condensate retention ridge, in cooperation with a side portion of the balance mass, forms a condensate channel, and the condensate aperture drains condensate from the condensate channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Inventor: Gary L. Massad
  • Patent number: 8827093
    Abstract: A bottle nipple device featuring a generally circular base having a top surface, a side edge, and a bottom surface; and a thumb-shaped nipple extending upwardly from the top surface of the base, the thumb-shaped nipple is generally hollow and has a top end, wherein a slot is disposed in the top end. The base is adapted to be sandwiched between a top end of a standard bottle a standard bottle cap, the standard bottle cap has a center hole that allows the nipple to protrude outwardly away from the bottle, the slot is fluidly connected to the bottom surface of the base allowing liquid to flow through the base and out of the slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Inventors: Maria A. Mendez, Silvia M. Ramirez
  • Patent number: 8820554
    Abstract: A vessel cap is comprised of a body mounted at a vessel inlet through which a liquid material stored in a vessel is discharged outwardly and having a certain space therein. A pressing plate is disposed in the body to be movable in upper and lower directions. A cutter is formed at an edge of a lower surface of the pressing plate in a circumferential direction for penetrating a sealing member when the pressing plate is pressed and which cuts the sealing member when the body is rotated. A hooking member downwardly protrudes at the lower surface of the pressing plate for storing the sealing member cut by the cutter in the body. A connection portion is formed between an outer circumferential surface of the pressing plate and an inner circumferential surface of the body for guiding the pressing plate to be moved in upper and lower directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Inventor: Hee Kwon Rho
  • Patent number: 8820549
    Abstract: A multi-chamber beverage container. The container includes an insert having an opening. The insert also includes a first chamber containing a first set of contents and a second chamber containing a second set of contents. The first and second chambers are separated by a frangible seal. The frangible seal is ruptured to mix the first set of contents with the second set of contents in an interior of the insert. In one embodiment, the present invention includes a container shell to house the insert. The insert may also include a cap that accommodates a nipple assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Inventor: Christopher Estrada
  • Patent number: 8807371
    Abstract: A drinking cup lid for attachment to a disposable drinking cup, the lid having a surface with a drinking hole opening, a peripheral wall for engaging and removably sealing the lid to the drinking cup, and a plug disposed outside the peripheral wall connected to the peripheral wall by a pair of flexible support arms, the plug engaging the drinking hole opening in a friction fit relationship.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Inventors: Daniel J. Zuares, Robert M. Schwartz, Tony Licari
  • Patent number: 8807363
    Abstract: An anti-taint molded barrier tip system has a primary component and a tip component. The primary component is formed of an upper section, a lower section, and an intermediate section. The upper and lower sections are cylindrical. The diameter of the lower section is less than the diameter of the upper section. The intermediate section is formed as a cylindrical notch with a diameter less than the diameter of the lower section. The tip component has an exterior surface and a lower surface and an annular upper surface. The tip component has a recess extending downwardly from the annular upper surface. The recess has an enlarged cylindrical lower region receiving the lower section of the primary component. The recess has a cylindrical upper region receiving the intermediate section of the primary component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Inventor: James R. Gilliam