Patents Examined by Robin Hylton
  • Patent number: 8322567
    Abstract: A container useful for singly dispensing a tablet includes a leaf integrally formed with the sidewall and projecting generally radially inward to a distal portion. One or more such leaves define a dispensing opening having a smaller diameter than the mouth of the container. The leaves or other undercut structure can be formed using a mold element having a leading portion for forming a portion of the part beyond the resilient projection and a following portion for forming a portion of the sidewall short of the resilient projection. The following portion is withdrawn at least partially away from the outside surface of the resilient projection, leaving a space between the leading and following portions. The leading portion is withdrawn from the mold cavity against an undercut portion of the resilient projection, folding the resilient projection into the space left by retracting the following portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Capitol Plastic Products LLC
    Inventor: Jean-Pierre Giraud
  • Patent number: 8322555
    Abstract: A lid includes a generally flat interior portion and an outer ridge area surrounding the interior portion. The outer ridge area includes a first ridge side, a ridge top, and a second ridge side. The first ridge side extends generally upward from the interior portion. The ridge top extends from the first ridge side and is generally parallel to the interior portion. The second ridge side extends generally downward from the ridge top. The second ridge side includes a top section and a bottom section. A thickness of the bottom section is smaller than a thickness of the top section. The bottom section includes at least one fixed tab and at least one tear band. The at least one fixed tab is separated from the at least one tear band by at least one vertical membrane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: PWP Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Allan K. Chen
  • Patent number: 8317049
    Abstract: A vacuum breaker arrangement for use with a container includes body parts holding a resilient valve member captive. The valve member includes an intermediate body part, intermediate and enlarged head and a valve part. The valve part is made of resilient material which defines an internal passageway communicating with an opening in the body parts. The valve part includes an end portion defining a slit which is closed at a first pressure and which is automatically opened at a second, reduced pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: The Protectoseal Company
    Inventors: Thomas C. Piotrowski, Christian A. Mutzbauer
  • Patent number: 8302794
    Abstract: A closure is provided for connection to a container. The closure includes a cap and a tamper band. The tamper hand includes retention tabs that retain the tamper band to the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Berry Plastics Corporation
    Inventor: Mark N. Russell
  • Patent number: 8297458
    Abstract: A cap includes a cap main body and a gasket, and the gasket includes an inner leg, a bent part, and a flange part. A portion of the gasket connected to an inner circumferential side of the inner leg is positioned lower than a portion of the gasket connected to an outer circumferential side of the inner leg. The top plate of the gasket includes a flange part disposed between the inner leg and the bent part, and the flange part is thinner than a portion of the top plate that is contiguous with the inner circumferential side of the inner leg.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Nihon Yamamura Glass Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsuaki Sumimiya, Hiroshi Hamana
  • Patent number: 8297463
    Abstract: A closure is shown for an equipment sub. A closure door is carried by a sub body and movable thereto between open and closed positions for providing access to a pressure vessel. Various improvements are disclosed including a new mechanism for positioning wedge shaped arcuate segments between the door and the sub body, a retainer mechanism for guiding movement of cross bars, a split hinge adjustment mechanism for adjusting planarity and concentricity between the closure door and the sub body, an increased annular wall body thickness region surrounding the sealing surface for reducing warpage during welding, a pressure lock rod member which also engages a combination of cross bars and a crank for driving the cross bars, and a pry bar that can facilitate better manually operated leveraging of the closure door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Perry Equipment Corporation
    Inventors: James G. McQuaid, Donald W. Ray, Firdosh Mehta P E
  • Patent number: 8297462
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for allowing a user to use the same mechanism to connect a container to another object and to open a normally-closed opening in the container. In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus comprises a closure body having an opening therein; a stopper that closes the opening; and a carabiner that comprises a spine that is fixed to said body and a gate that is operably connected to said stopper. In use, this embodiment of the invention is operated by moving the gate to a full open position, which causes the stopper to move away from the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Inventor: Jared L. Joyce
  • Patent number: 8292113
    Abstract: A push-up device for a fuel lid includes a holder adapted to be attached to a panel under the fuel lid, a cylindrical sleeve disposed in the holder and having a plurality of elongated grooves and a plurality of short grooves alternately arranged in a vertical direction at equal intervals in an inner surface thereof, a spring member disposed in the holder, a push rod disposed in the holder to protrude outwardly from the holder and engaging the spring member, and a cam disposed between the push rod and the cylindrical sleeve. When a depressing force is applied to the push rod in a fuel lid closing state, the cam located in the shoot grooves is moved to the elongated grooves, and when the depressing force is applied to the push rod, the cam located in the elongated grooves is moved to the short grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Nifco Inc.
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Nakaya
  • Patent number: 8267273
    Abstract: A conical hole plug for efficiently sealing various size and configuration holes and openings. The conical hole plug generally includes a first elongated portion including a first inner end and a first outer end, wherein the first inner end is opposite the first outer end and wherein the first elongated portion includes a first tapered outer surface extending inwardly toward the first outer end. A second elongated portion extends from the first elongated portion, wherein the second elongated portion includes a second inner end and a second outer end, wherein the second inner end is opposite the second outer end and wherein the second inner end extends from the first inner end and wherein the second elongated portion includes a second tapered outer surface extending inwardly toward the second outer end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Inventors: Lauren D. Volzke, Dennis M. Volzke
  • Patent number: 8267275
    Abstract: A beverage cooling container top apparatus includes a bottom reservoir wall portion which includes a cooling reservoir fill channel. A top reservoir wall portion includes a cooling reservoir access channel. The top reservoir wall provides a closed top. A side wall portion extends between the bottom reservoir wall portion and the top reservoir wall portion. A container-reception portion is connected to the side wall portion. The bottom reservoir wall portion, the top reservoir wall portion, and the side wall portion define a cooling reservoir. Preferably, cooling fins are located on the top reservoir wall portion. A main reservoir access channel can be provided to bypass the cooling reservoir when the contents of the beverage cup are no longer hot. The apparatus of the invention holds and cools a portion of the hot contents of a beverage cup to prevent a user from a very unpleasant burning of the lips and tongue from the hot beverage in the beverage cup.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Inventor: Stig E. Peitersen
  • Patent number: 8267274
    Abstract: A dispensing closure system is provided for a container that has an opening to the container interior. The preferred embodiment of the system includes a closure having a closure body for extending from the container at the container opening and a lid hingedly attached to the closure body. The closure body has a dispensing spout, and the lid includes a hollow spud for entering the spout. A spud rim can be provided on the spud, extending inwardly towards the hollow interior of the spud. A lid rim can additionally or alternatively be provided on the inside surface of the lid, positioned within the hollow interior of the spud.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: AptarGroup, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher A. Danks, John Wisniewski
  • Patent number: 8261926
    Abstract: A kit for temporarily protecting an electrical outlet box and its contents during construction. The kit includes retaining clips and a cover plate of the appropriate dimensions to cover a single or multiple electrical outlet box. The cover plate is constructed of a material that is not easily damaged by a rotary cutting tool and preferably can be located magnetically. The outer dimensions of the cover plate are selected to cover the face of the electrical box, the screw sockets and the contents of the electrical box. Two screw openings aligned on the center line of the cover plate are positioned to align with the screw sockets in the electrical box. The retaining clips are snap-wise removably attached to the screw openings of the cover plate and may be used to secure the cover plate temporarily to the electrical box by a friction fit into the screw sockets of the electrical box that allows the cover plate to be removed simply by pulling on the cover plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Inventors: Frank H. Bradley, Wade R. Bradley
  • Patent number: 8261927
    Abstract: A conical hole plug for sealing various types of holes and openings. The conical hole plug generally includes a first elongated portion having a first varying diameter that uniformly increases from a terminating outer end to a terminating inner end, a second cavity extending within the first elongated portion, the second cavity having a second varying diameter that uniformly decreases from a terminating outer end to a terminating inner end, a second elongated portion having a third varying diameter that uniformly increases from a terminating outer end to a terminating inner end, the second elongated portion linearly extends from the first elongated portion, a first cavity extending within the second elongated portion, the first cavity having a fourth varying diameter that uniformly decreases from a terminating outer end to a terminating inner end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Inventors: Lauren D. Volzke, Dennis M. Volzke
  • Patent number: 8256632
    Abstract: An opening device for a packaging container comprises a neck portion and a screw cap. The opening device comprises a wall of the first part of the screw cap being with a weakening extending in a circumferential direction of the first part and a recess extending in a longitudinal center axis direction of the first part. The recess is arranged to receive a projection of the neck portion, which projection is directly injection-molded in the recess. A tamper flap of the first part, which tamper flap is defined by the weakening and the recess, is automatically deformable in connection with a first time opening of the packaging container by cap rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance S.A.
    Inventors: Pär Andersson, Patrik Månsson, Cristiano Casale
  • Patent number: 8245865
    Abstract: A container includes a bottom and a plurality of walls that form a storage cavity. A primary lid is disposed over the storage cavity. The primary lid includes a top surface that defines a dispenser portion through which items within the storage cavity may be dispensed. A dispenser lid is pivotally attached to the primary lid. The dispenser lid has a closed position in which the dispenser lid is pivoted downwards relative to the primary lid to cover the dispenser portion and an open position in which the dispenser lid is pivoted upwards relative to the primary lid to expose the dispenser portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Nutek Disposables, Inc.
    Inventors: Robin Damaghi, William M. Child, Dan Allen Murray
  • Patent number: 8245873
    Abstract: A container (10) for solid or pasty products, as well as for those that are flowable or can be removed by dipping, in particular food products, includes a lower container part (11) for receiving the product, as well as an upper container part (12) embodied as a container lid, wherein the lower container part (11) has a continuous rim (15) extending around its container opening (12), wherein the upper container part (12) consists of a collar element (16), which extends around the container opening (14) and encloses it in a collar-like manner, and of a substantially flat lid element (17). The lid element (17) is fastened on the collar element (16) and is releasably fastened on the rim (15) of the lower container part (11). The collar element (16) has a circumferential wall (161), oriented with its free end toward the lid element (17), on which the lid element (17) is fastened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Arta Plast AB
    Inventor: Helge Steg
  • Patent number: 8240499
    Abstract: A trashcan has a hydraulic drop-deceleration mechanism including a can body, a lid, and a connection pole for push-open connection. The lid is connected to the connection pole at a top connection pole end. The connection pole is connected to the foot pedal via a lever at a bottom connection pole end. A hydraulic mechanism is for drop-deceleration. The hydraulic mechanism is connected to the connection pole by a connector. The hydraulic mechanism has a chamber filled with hydraulic fluid. The hydraulic mechanism has a gliding rod moving within the chamber. The gliding rod forms a tip at a gliding rod lower end. The mechanism has upper and lower fluid storage chambers. A piston is slidingly mounted in the hydraulic mechanism is biased in a lid open position by a spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Inventor: Huanbang Lu
  • Patent number: 8231027
    Abstract: A cover for a container fits with a sliding air tight fit over the container body. A cover air release valve allows escape of air from the container when removing and installing the cover to create a vacuum seal fit. A handle positioned adjacent to the air release valve enables a user to remove and install the cover with a single hand gripping the handle and pressing the air release valve. Protrusions extending from opposite sides of the container sleeve engage mating L-shaped openings in a bottom edge of the cover to lock the cover in place. Special dual sided cradles engage a top of a vacuum sealed container below each cradle and a bottom of a vacuum sealed container above each cradle so that a series of cradles are used to vertically stack a number of vacuum sealed containers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Inventors: Jui Te Wang, Jordan S. Tarlow
  • Patent number: 8215513
    Abstract: A self-closing resealable can end for a beverage container that opens the top of the beverage container through downward pressure that causes a gate to move downward relative to the top panel. The gate is retained by a resilient member and when the downward pressure ceases, the gate is moved into proximity with the top panel. Pressure from the carbonation presses the gate against a lip and the gate bends to form an enhanced seal. Other variations are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Popseal LLC.
    Inventor: Michael D. Grissom
  • Patent number: 8210375
    Abstract: A pour cap for a fluid container includes a cap body, a gasket mounted to the cap body, and a threaded ring attached to the cap body. The cap can be positioned on the container in a closed position wherein the container is hydraulically sealed with a high pressure seal, or in an open position wherein fluid flow occurs through flow passages on the gasket and the cap body with first and second low pressure seals preventing unwanted leakage between joining parts on the cap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: REV 8 Inc.
    Inventor: Robert A. Heiberger