Patents Examined by Vanessa Caretto
  • Patent number: 5386924
    Abstract: A cap member for fitment over a gas outlet nozzle having a plurality of serrations on the exterior thereof, is disclosed. The cap member comprises a peripherally disposed main body portion having an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner surface defining a nozzle receiving recess, an open first end, a generally closed second end, and a lock member. The lock member has a projecting lock portion movable between a first locking position and a second unlocking position. When the projecting lock portion is in the first locking position, the projecting lock portion projects into the nozzle receiving recess so as to be in interfering relation with one of the plurality of serrations on the exterior of the gas outlet nozzle, so as to thereby lock the cap member in place and preclude the cap member from being removed from the nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 7, 1995
    Inventors: Frank J. Flinta, Garrey D. Green
  • Patent number: 5385256
    Abstract: A push-on filler neck cap for a fill passageway of a tank. The cap is provided with a push top and a dependent housing sized to fit within the fill passageway and with a fill passageway seal that is located at the lower inserted end of the housing and wherein the can is also provided with a restraining mechanism located between the push top and the fill passageway seat for securing the cap to the passageway in a sealed manner. The restraining mechanism is defined by a plurality of lugs which: 1) engage into a recess in the fill passageway; 2) pivot outward from the housing to engage the recess in response to movement of a spring biased lever pivotedly mounted to the push top with the recess; and (3) are biased to pivot outwardly for engagement with the recess by a spring located within the housing, which spring also urges the seal into its sealing relationship within the fill passageway.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 31, 1995
    Assignee: Stant Manufacturing Inc.
    Inventor: David M. Brown
  • Patent number: 5385254
    Abstract: The top of a metal beverage container, opened with a non-removable fulcrum-type lift tab, is modified, by the inclusion of a shallow channel, in order to facilitate initial lifting of the tab. The channel is positioned directly adjacent the pushing end of the tab and configured such that operative lifting of the tab causes the pushing end of the tab to fit within the channel and into pushing engagement with the container top at the base of the channel. The channel is configured into mirrored conformity with the pushing end of the tab, with the depth of the channel conforming to the shape of the pushing end of the tab to maintain full pushing engagement. The initial engagement of the lift tab with the channel results in a delay in container top opening and substantially less lifting pressure being needed to elevate the tab end for a finger to be more easily inserted for completion of the opening of the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 31, 1995
    Inventor: Charles N. Hannon
  • Patent number: 5383564
    Abstract: A child resistant attachment for containers used for storing and dispensing potentially dangerous materials, such as medicament tablets or the like, the attachment being resistant to opening by children but readily openable by adults, particularly adults having impaired manual dexterity of their hands and/or fingers. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the attachment comprises a finish portion including thread ring with an integrally molded annular tab ring or collar generally concentric to the thread ring and a closure which is releasably secured to the thread ring by means of complementary screw threads. The tab ring or collar preferably includes a pair of resiliently deformable spring-like pushtabs containing vertical extensions which engage interlocking pawls on the innermost surface of the closure skirt when the closure is fully assembled onto the finish portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 24, 1995
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Peter W. Hamilton, Robert S. Dirksing, Reuben F. Oder
  • Patent number: 5381924
    Abstract: A reuseable non-spill drinking vessel is adapted to be used with a straw. The drinking vessel comprises an open-top container for holding a liquid and a removable lid which is configured to fit over the open-top container to effectively contain liquid therein. The lid has an orifice for receiving a straw and further the orifice has a sealing means which sealingly encompasses the straw in a liquid-tight manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 17, 1995
    Assignee: Carol A. Kiefel
    Inventor: Stanley A. Kiefel
  • Patent number: 5379910
    Abstract: A threaded closure and container arrangement having complementary annular surfaces on the closure and container which engage each other during threading and unthreading to guide the closure and container into axial alignment and to shape the relatively flexible neck opening of the container into an accurate circular shape so that complementary sealing surfaces are brought into accurate engagement with each other and so that the complementary surfaces maintain an axial force tending to maintain the closure and container in sealing relationship during at least initial unthreading movement of the closure from a fully closed position on the container
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1992
    Date of Patent: January 10, 1995
    Assignee: Sunbeam Plastics Corporation
    Inventor: Gary V. Montgomery
  • Patent number: 5379914
    Abstract: A filtering device for a beverage container with a tab opening system, which acts as a protector for a drink opening of the beverage container, allowing a user to drink through it. The device is not manually activated, and prevents entry of insects or foreign objects, while at the same time filtering beverages enclosed in the container. This filtering device consists of a concave net filter in the shape of half of an egg, which is placed underneath a shearable tab portion of the tab opening system of the container, and is fastened into place by three rivets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 10, 1995
    Inventor: Alvaro F. Martins
  • Patent number: 5377859
    Abstract: A cookware cover is provided for standard size cookware of nominally varying diameters. Specifically, one cookware cover is provided that will adequately cover frying pans, sauce pans, stock pots and other cookware of one standard size and manufactured by a variety of manufacturers. One cookware cover is provided that will fit the variations of nominal conventional dimensions and rim configurations that exist from manufacturer to manufacturer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 3, 1995
    Assignee: Anchor Hocking Corporation
    Inventor: Terry F. Hacker
  • Patent number: 5377861
    Abstract: An injection molded closure and a container has a closure with external ribs for preventing jamming together of adjacent closures in stacked relation, and facilitating self-alignment of stacked closures. The closure has a central circular panel and a sidewall extending generally upwardly therefrom. The sidewall has upper and lower vertical portions with a lateral offset portion extending therebetween, which define a plug-like portion of the closure. Upon engagement of the closure with a container, the plug-like section is inserted into the container opening. The ribs are spaced peripherally about the outside of the closure and include an upper closure-engaging surface for contact with the rim of another closure stacked therebelow, and a lower closure-engaging surface for contact with the lateral offset portion of the other closure stacked therebelow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 3, 1995
    Assignee: Landis Plastics, Inc.
    Inventor: H. Richard Landis
  • Patent number: 5373955
    Abstract: A neck finish on a wide mouth container to accept a tamper evident cap to provide multiple sealing surfaces therebetween. The neck finish having cooperating upper and lower locking ribs and grooves holding the cap in place until a majority portion of the cap is removed by tearing along a horizontal frangible line, disengaging one of the locking ribs from the neck finish. The neck finish provides multiple sealing surfaces in both vertical and horizontal alignment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 1993
    Date of Patent: December 20, 1994
    Assignee: West Penn Plastics, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael Marino
  • Patent number: 5372268
    Abstract: A reinforced sheet material suitable for making innerseals and sealing membranes for containers. The sheet material comprises a layer of sealing material for bonding the sheet to a container, a layer of material substantially impermeable to air and moisture, and a reinforcing layer comprising at least two plies of monoaxially oriented film combined in lamination with the strong direction of at least one ply crossing the weak direction of another ply. Tabbed innerseals made from the sheet material of this invention exhibit less springback than do tabs of conventional tabbed innerseals. The invention also includes innerseals and sealing membranes made from the aforementioned sheet material and containers utilizing these innerseals and sealing membranes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 1992
    Date of Patent: December 13, 1994
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing
    Inventor: Hak-Rhim Han
  • Patent number: 5372270
    Abstract: A shoe seal for effecting a vapor barrier between a lightweight internal floating roof and a tank wall of a tank includes a plurality of shoe sections; a plurality of hanger brackets connected to perimeter sections of the lightweight internal floating roof; a plurality of braces connected to corresponding hanger brackets and the floating roof for supporting the hanger brackets; a plurality of pivoting support arms pivotally connected to corresponding hanger brackets and to corresponding upper portions of the shoe sections; a plurality of biasing members connected to the internal floating roof and to lower portions of the shoe sections; and a vapor barrier fabric connected between the shoe sections and the floating roof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 1993
    Date of Patent: December 13, 1994
    Assignee: Allentech, Inc.
    Inventor: David J. Rosenkrantz
  • Cap
    Patent number: 5370252
    Abstract: A cap (1) adapted for co-operation with a container (2) to provide a resealable enclosed space, said cap comprising an upper portion (3) including an elongate member (12) and a lower portion (4) having a barrier (5) or flap disposed on the lower portion to substantially prevent container contents contacting the elongate member when the cap is in a closed position, and to substantially reduce leakage of container contents when the cap is in an open or access position. An air space or cushion (6) may also be provided between the upper portion (3) and the barrier (5). A ring (8) may further be provided to seal between the upper and lower portions of the cap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 1991
    Date of Patent: December 6, 1994
    Assignee: Joseph Parsons Nominees Pty. Ltd.
    Inventors: Joseph R. B. Parsons, Joanna M. Parsons
  • Patent number: 5368176
    Abstract: A snap hinge closure has a lid which pivots about a main axis of rotation with film hinges aligned therewith. When the lid is closed, no parts of the hinge project beyond the surfaces of the closure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1991
    Date of Patent: November 29, 1994
    Assignee: Zeller Plastik GmbH
    Inventor: Klaus Thanisch
  • Patent number: 5368178
    Abstract: An improved container and closure therefore particularly adapted for use in storing pressurized liquid contents, such as carbonated beverages. As contrasted with conventional crown seals which employ a sealing gasket, the closure effects a sealing action between corresponding frustoconical sealing surfaces on the container finish and an inner surface of the cap, thus eliminating the need for a gasket. The closure includes a tamper indicating means at a lower peripheral edge thereof which is damaged upon engagement with an opening tool or other object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 1992
    Date of Patent: November 29, 1994
    Inventors: Edward J. Towns, Edward M. Brown
  • Patent number: 5368182
    Abstract: The lid seal for wide-mouthed barrels (2) blow-molded of a synthetic resin utilizes a solid sealing ring (9) of plastic, this ring being in contact with the underside of a solid flange (10) projecting radially outwardly at a spacing below the barrel opening from the barrel wall, as well as a counter ring (11 ), likewise produced of plastic, this counter ring resting on a flange (12) molded on the bottom to the outer lid rim (4). Locking sleeves (13, 14) are formed on the clamping rings (9, 11), distributed about the circumference, these sleeves engaging in corresponding bores (15, 16) in the barrel flange (10) and in the lid flange (12). The clamping rings (9, 11) and the locking sleeves (13, 14) molded thereon have conical aligned through bores (17, 18). For closing the lid (1) placed on the wide-mouthed barrel (2), clamping bolts (19) of plastic or metal are pressed, by a pressing tool, from above into the conical bores (18, 17 ) of the two clamping rings (11, 9).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1992
    Date of Patent: November 29, 1994
    Inventor: Udo Schutz
  • Patent number: 5361928
    Abstract: A closure assembly for sealingly closing the open top end of a material holding drum includes a cover and a rubber gasket. The cover has a central circular wall of a size corresponding to the drum open end and a peripheral flange which defines a downwardly opening annular channel for receiving the drum top end. The channel has a pair of radially spaced sidewalls, and each of the sidewalls has an annular rib for defining a seal receiving space within the channel. An annular rubber gasket is provided in the seal receiving space and has a contoured surface seated on a rounded chime on the top of the drum. The ribs engage opposite sides of the gasket to prevent lateral displacement of the gasket when the cover is fastened to the drum. An annular V-shaped groove on a top surface of the gasket defines a void between the gasket and the cover and in which a portion of the gasket is received when the gasket is deformed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 1993
    Date of Patent: November 8, 1994
    Inventor: Michael D. Stolzman
  • Patent number: 5360132
    Abstract: A collecting container (20) for waste, such as waste to be recycled, consisting of a container bin (1) provided with a lid (4) which functions to close the opening of the bin and is pivoted thereon so that the lid may be swung between a closed position and an open position. So that the container may be easily filled without difficulty, the container (20) is provided with at least one additional smaller opening, such as openings (8, 8').
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1992
    Date of Patent: November 1, 1994
    Assignee: Edelhoff Polytechnik GmbH
    Inventor: Gustav D. Edelhoff
  • Patent number: 5360127
    Abstract: A non-removable closure assembly for connecting a manually actuated liquid dispenser to a container includes a closure cap having internal threads for mating engagement with similar threads on the outside of the container neck finish, both the cap and the neck finish having mutually engageable ratchet teeth locking the closure onto the container. The teeth inside the cap each have a trailing face extending radially at an upper end thereof and lying in a plane sloping toward the thread loosening direction of the cap at an angle greater than or equal to 1.degree. relative to the central axis of the cap for creating a camming action between the closure teeth and the neck finish teeth tending to cam the closure down on the container in response to closure rotation in the loosening direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 1, 1994
    Assignee: Calmar Inc.
    Inventors: Jacques J. Barriac, Ron E. Harriman
  • Patent number: 5356025
    Abstract: A packaging device for cosmetics includes a body defining a chamber with a lid articulated thereto. The packaging device has an operating element rotatably mounted on the body which has an inclined ramp. The lid has, in the vicinity of its articulation on the body, a tongue which engages a vertical guide provided in a wall of the body. The tongue is slidably attached to the ramp and moves in a vertical direction as the operating element is rotated. The rotational movement of the operating element relative to the body and to the tongue provides for a guided translational movement of the tongue along the wall of the body and the tilting of the lid around its articulation axis on the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 18, 1994
    Assignee: L'Oreal
    Inventor: Philippe Renault