Squeeze bottle cap
A bottle cap including a cover having a front end defining a pair of substantially parallel flanges extending generally perpendicularly from the cover, a deformable panel extending between the flanges, and an opposed rear end defining a pair of body-engaging hinges extending from a portion thereof. The cap includes a body having a top portion defining an outwardly projecting spout at one end and an inwardly projecting cavity at another end that may pivotally receive the body-engaging hinges for rotating the cover about an x-axis relative the body when attached thereto. Pressure applied to the flanges causes the panel to resiliently deform and disengage from the body allowing the cover to transition from a closed position mating the front end of the cover with the top portion of the body for providing a fluid-tight seal therebetween, and an open position retaining the rear end of the cover against the body.
The present invention relates to field of bottle caps and more specifically to portable water bottles having flip-top dispenser caps attached thereto.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS(Not Applicable)
STATEMENT RE: FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH/DEVELOPMENT(Not Applicable)
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONPortable water bottles are well known and typically used to hold water and other hydrating drinks. Such bottles are frequently tucked into backpacks, stored in handbags and other carrying totes that allow for relatively quick and simple access to the contents. Carrying portable water bottles are useful in staying hydrated when traveling outdoors, exercising at the gym, hiking, skiing, and countless other situations where it is necessary to continuously replenish one's bodily fluids.
When a consumer purchases a water bottle there are at least three factors they consider important to their decision. First, the size and amount of liquid the bottle can hold. Each size bottle serves it's own purpose and consumers may wish to purchase a larger size bottle when they plan to consume a large volume of liquid over a period of time when water may not otherwise be available. This is frequently the case on long hiking trips that may span an entire day or several days. On the other hand, a small size bottle may be useful when portability is an issue. Yet, whether the bottle is small or large, most of the water bottles available today implement a screw-cap and consumers are generally familiar with these types of caps. Therefore, there exists a need for a bottle cap that can fit upon either small or large bottles.
Second, the type of cap fitted upon the bottle is important to the consumer because the design of the cap may allow for easier hydration, depending upon their application. A twist-off cap is sometimes disadvantageous to those consumers who wish to have quick access to the bottle's contents without having to stop and unscrew the cap. Other types of caps such as the conventional pull-spout found on popular water bottles are quick and simple to use, but may be inadvertently opened to release the bottle's contents when traveling. To prevent such an occurrence, pull-spouts are sometimes fitted with a protective cap that requires the consumers to completely disengage the protective cap, pull the spout, drink from the bottle, close the spout, and finally re-engage the protective cap upon the spout. This type of design is cumbersome because the two-piece design allows for the possibility that the consumer will lose the protective cap, requires too many actions, and is generally difficult to drink from with one hand. This is especially a problem when hiking because a brief stop on the trail would require others ahead of the hiker to stop and wait for the consumer to finish drinking from their water bottle. Therefore, there exists a need for a bottle cap that minimizes the chance of accidental leakage when stored in a bag, allows access to the fluid contents without the need to hold and retain separate pieces, and operate simply with one hand.
Third, consumers are also concerned about the bottle design and how the design will aid their purpose. Standard cylindrical bottles are the most common bottles because they are easy to manufacture. However, such cylindrical bottles can become slick if water is spilled upon the surface. Therefore, there exists a need for a bottle having a grip portion that would allow the consumer to retain the bottle in their hand with relative ease, even when the bottle is wet.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a novel bottle cap that allows the consumer to attach it to a bottle and store liquid therein. The bottle cap is configured to prevent inadvertent disengagement of the cover from the body of the bottle cap. Advantageously, the bottle cap may only be opened by either exerting force upon a thumb tab located at a front end of the cover, or by squeezing together a pair of substantially parallel flanges to deform a panel and disengage a tab on the cover from the mateable engagement with the body of the cap. The cover is preferably a flip-top design that is hingedly connected to the body of the cap and allows the consumer to flip open the cap with one hand, either via a finger tip with the thumb tab or with the parallel flanges. Advantageously, pressure exerted in other directions, including pressure exerted against the panel or the outer surface of the cover will not disengage the cover from the body. Such features reduce occurrences of inadvertent disengagement of the cover from the body.
A further advantage of the present invention is the spill-proof feature of the bottle cap. The bottle cap is preferably fitted with a rubber-like plug that is retained within the cover and mateably engages a spout from the body of the cap. A liquid-tight seal may be formed between the spout and the plug such that when the cover is in a first closed position, no liquid may seep out therefrom. The shape and configuration of the spout also provides for a drip-proof pour such that is advantageous when compared to standard round openings. A concave and substantially flanged profile to the spout allows for liquid to be drawn away from the opening, allowing air to pass into the opening for quicker pouring. The curved flanged profile of the spout allows assists the flow of liquid such that any remaining liquid that may normally dribble from a standard round opening will flow back into the spout.
A further advantage of the present invention is the lockable cover. The cover may rotate up to 180 degrees from the first closed position to the second open position and removably lock itself within a cavity of the body. The locking protrusion engages a tab within the cavity so that the cover does not inadvertently fall and hit the consumer in the face when they try to take a drink. This may also be useful when pouring the liquid into a container so the that cover is out of the way and does not inadvertently close when tipped at an angle.
Another advantage of the present invention includes an alternate embodiment including a combination of a bottle and the cap. The novel cap as described herein may be attached to a bottle which preferably defines a substantially concave grip portion in a center portion of the bottle body. The concave grip portion is preferably formed having a plurality of ribs extending concentrically around the bottle body. The ribs allow for enhanced grip and may additionally aid in retaining the bottle in backpacks and other bags with water bottle containers due to the slim profile.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Referring now to the drawings wherein the showings are for purposes of illustrating preferred embodiments of the present invention only, and not for purposes of limiting the same, in
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The cover 12 and the body 24 are preferably fabricated from a plastic-like material, but it is anticipated that other materials may be used which are compatible with fluids and will not contaminate the same. The at least one release member may be configured as a thumb-tab 18 such that a consumer can simply apply pressure to the thumb tab 18 and disengage the cover 12 from the body 24. In the first closed position shown in
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Additional modifications and improvements of the present invention may also be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. Thus, the particular combination of parts described and illustrated herein is intended to represent only certain embodiments of the present invention, and is not intended to serve as limitations of alternative devices within the spirit and scope of the invention.
Claims
1. A bottle cap comprising:
- a cover having a front end defining at least one release member extending from a portion thereof, and an opposed rear end defining a pair of body-engaging hinges extending from a portion thereof, the body-engaging hinges defining a locking protrusion extending therebetween;
- a body having a top portion defining an outwardly projecting spout at one end thereof and an inwardly projecting cavity at another end thereof, the cavity being sized and configured to pivotally receive the body-engaging hinges for rotating the cover about an x-axis relative the body when attached thereto, the cavity further being sized and configured to slidably engage the locking protrusion, and a bottom portion at an opposite end thereof, the spout and the bottom portion cooperating to define an orifice for receiving fluid therethrough; and
- wherein the cover is positionable between a first closed position mating the front end of the cover with the top portion of the body for providing a fluid-tight seal therebetween, and a second open position retaining the rear end of the cover against the body via the locking protrusion.
2. The cap as in claim 1 wherein the cover further includes an a) outer surface extending between the front and rear ends, and b) a plug extending from the outer surface.
3. The cap as in claim 2 wherein the plug is sized and configured to mateably frictionally engage the spout when the cover is in the first closed position.
4. The cap as in claim 3 wherein the spout is formed having a substantially concave profile for preventing drips therefrom, and the plug is formed having a substantially convex profile.
5. The cap as in claim 2 wherein the cover further defines a recess therethrough and the plug is sized and configured to be frictionally retained within the cover via the recess.
6. The cap as in claim 5 wherein the plug is fabricated from a rubber-like material.
7. The cap as in claim 6 wherein the plug further includes advertising indicia visible on a surface thereof when the plug is frictionally retained within the recess and the cover is in the first closed position.
8. The cap as in claim 2 wherein the plug further includes advertising indicia visible when the plug is frictionally retained within the recess and the cover is in the first closed position.
9. The cap as in claim 1 wherein the at least one release member includes:
- a pair of substantially parallel flanges extending generally perpendicularly from the outer surface of the cover;
- a deformable panel extending between the flanges; and
- wherein external pressure applied to the flanges causes the panel to resiliently deform and disengage from the body allowing the cover to transition from the first closed position to the second open position.
10. The cap as in claim 9 further including a thumb tab extending generally perpendicularly from the panel.
11. The cap as in claim 1 wherein the cover is rotatable about the x-axis relative the body to provide up to 180 degrees of rotation between the first open position and the second closed position.
12. A fluid-container comprising:
- a substantially cylindrical bottle;
- a bottle cap including: a cover having a front end defining at least one release member extending from a portion thereof, and an opposed rear end defining a pair of body-engaging hinges extending from a portion thereof, the body-engaging hinges defining a locking protrusion extending therebetween; a body having a top portion defining an outwardly projecting spout at one end thereof and an inwardly projecting cavity at another end thereof, the cavity being sized and configured to pivotally receive the body-engaging hinges for rotating the cover about an x-axis relative the body when attached thereto, the cavity further being sized and configured to slidably engage the locking protrusion, and a bottom portion at an opposite end thereof, the spout and the bottom portion cooperating to define an orifice for receiving fluid therethrough; and
- wherein the cover is positionable between a first closed position mating the front end of the cover with the top portion of the body for providing a fluid-tight seal therebetween, and a second open position retaining the rear end of the cover against the body via the locking protrusion, the bottle cap being sized and configured to be removably engaged to the bottle.
13. The fluid-container as in claim 12 wherein the bottle further includes a bottle top and a bottle bottom at an opposite end thereof cooperating to define a bottle body therebetween, the bottle top having a substantially circular neck portion, the neck portion defining a substantially circular orifice.
14. The fluid-container as in claim 13 wherein bottle body defines a substantially concave grip portion between the bottle top and the bottle bottom.
15. The fluid-container as in claim 14 wherein the grip portion defines a plurality of ribs extending concentrically around the bottle body.
16. The fluid-container as in claim 12 wherein the cover further includes an a) outside surface extending between the front and rear ends, and b) a plug extending from the outer surface.
17. The fluid-container as in claim 16 wherein the plug is sized and configured to mateably frictionally engage the spout when the cover is in the first closed position.
18. The fluid-container as in claim 17 wherein the spout is formed having a substantially concave profile for preventing drips therefrom, and the plug is formed having a substantially convex profile.
19. The fluid-container as in claim 16 wherein the cover further defines a recess therethrough and the plug is sized and configured to be frictionally retained within the cover via the recess.
20. The fluid-container as in claim 19 wherein the plug is fabricated from a rubber-like material.
21. The fluid-container as in claim 20 wherein the plug further includes advertising indicia visible on a surface thereof when the plug is frictionally retained within the recess and the cover is in the first closed position.
22. The fluid-container as in claim 12 wherein the at least one release member includes:
- a pair of substantially parallel flanges extending generally perpendicularly from the outer surface of the cover;
- a deformable panel extending between the flanges; and
- wherein external pressure applied to the flanges causes the panel to resiliently deform and disengage from the body allowing the cover to transition from the first closed position to the second open position.
23. The fluid-container as in claim 22 further including a thumb tab extending generally perpendicularly from the panel.
24. The fluid-container as in claim 12 wherein the cover is rotatable about the x-axis relative the body to provide up to 180 degrees of rotation between the first open position and the second closed position.
25. A bottle cap comprising:
- a cover having a front end defining at least one release member extending from a portion thereof, the at least one release member including a pair of substantially parallel flanges extending generally perpendicularly from therefrom, the at least one release member further including a deformable panel extending between the flanges, and an opposed rear end defining a pair of body-engaging hinges extending from a portion thereof;
- a body having a top portion defining an outwardly projecting spout at one end thereof and an inwardly projecting cavity at another end thereof, the cavity being sized and configured to pivotally receive the body-engaging hinges for rotating the cover about an x-axis relative the body when attached thereto, and a bottom portion at an opposite end thereof, the spout and the bottom portion cooperating to define an orifice for receiving fluid therethrough; and
- wherein external pressure applied to the flanges causes the panel to resiliently deform and disengage from the body allowing the cover to transition from a first closed position mating the front end of the cover with the top portion of the body for providing a fluid-tight seal therebetween, and a second open position retaining the rear end of the cover against the body.
Type: Application
Filed: Dec 30, 2005
Publication Date: Jul 5, 2007
Inventor: William Yelland (Brampton)
Application Number: 11/322,957
International Classification: B65D 47/00 (20060101); B65D 5/72 (20060101);