CAP FOR A CONTAINER

Abstract

A cap may be used in combination with a container including a dispenser. The cap may include three walls, such as an outer wall, an intermediate wall, and an inner wall. The cap may be adapted for contacting and/or frictionally engaging the dispenser. An opening such as an aperture may be provided for receiving the dispenser, and the inner wall may form a cavity of a similar size and shape as the dispenser for ensuring an effective fit.

Description

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/784,095, filed Mar. 14, 2013, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates generally to the cap arts and more particularly to a cap assembly for covering a container.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Caps have been used for sealing and covering containers with many applications. In the field of containers for dispensing a substance, a cap may function to at least partially seal the substance within the container, may serve to protect a portion of the container, or may simply be decorative in nature. Certain containers may include a dispenser such as a pump for dispensing the substance within the container. In the case of a container with a dispenser, the cap may serve to protect the dispenser and prevent unintended activation of the dispenser through inadvertent contact. Removal of such a cap may have the unintended consequence of activating or disturbing the dispenser, should said removal not be smooth.

Accordingly, a need is identified for a cap for covering a container with a dispenser that is capable of providing smooth removal.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the disclosure is to provide a cap for a bottle with a dispenser, wherein the cap includes a contact surface for contacting at least a portion of the dispenser. The contact surface may provide sufficient static forces such as friction between the dispenser and the cap such that a constant or controllable force is required for removing the cap from the bottle.

In one embodiment, a cap is disclosed for use in combination with a container including a dispenser. The cap may include a first cap section with a base, said base including an aperture. The cap may further include a second cap section at least partially inside the first cap section and supported by the base, said second cap section including an inner surface defining a cavity for receiving the dispenser, and said chamber having a diameter substantially equal to a diameter of the dispenser. The inner surface may be adapted to contact the dispenser. Additionally, the diameter of the cavity may be substantially the same as a diameter of the aperture.

In one aspect, the second cap section may be retained wholly within the first cap section. Furthermore, the base may further include a shelf for at least partially supporting the second cap section. The second cap section may be adapted to frictionally engage the dispenser. The cap may further include a closed top.

In another aspect, the cap may further include a third cap section for surrounding the first cap section. The cap may include means for attaching the first cap section to the third cap section. The first cap section, the second cap section, and the third cap section may be separable, and each may comprise a different diameter. The first cap section, the second cap section, and the third cap section may nest concentrically.

In a further aspect, the second cap section may comprise PE. The first cap section may be made of a different material from the second cap section.

According to another embodiment of the invention, a cap is disclosed for use in combination with a container including a dispenser. The cap may include a first wall including a base, said base plate including an aperture and an inner shelf. It may further include a second wall section inside the first wall section, said second wall section supported by the shelf. The cap may also include a third wall section surrounding the first wall section and attached to the base.

In one aspect, the second wall is removably attached to the first wall and the third wall. Furthermore, the cap may be adapted to fully enclose the dispenser.

The second wall may include an inner surface defining a cavity with a diameter substantially equal to the aperture. The diameter of the cavity and the aperture may be adapted to be substantially equal to a diameter of the dispenser.

In another aspect, the first wall, the second wall, and the third wall nest concentrically with one another. Each of the first wall and the third wall may include a first cross-sectional shape, and the second wall may include a second cross-sectional shape different from the first cross-sectional shape. In one example, the first cross-sectional shape may be a rectangle and the second cross-sectional shape may be a circle.

A further aspect of the invention relates to a cap for use in combination with a container including a dispenser. The cap includes a first wall section including an open top and a base, said base plate including an aperture and an inner shelf. In addition, the cap includes a second wall section within the first wall section, said second wall section including an inner surface defining a cavity with a diameter substantially equal to the aperture, said inner surface adapted to contact the dispenser, wherein the second wall section includes an open top and is at least partially supported by the inner shelf. Furthermore, a third wall section may be included for surrounding the first wall section, said third wall section including a closed top and wherein the third wall section is attached to the base.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a bottom perspective view of a cap forming one aspect of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the cap of FIG. 1;

FIG. 2a is a cross section of an intermediate section of the cap of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the cap of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3a is a cross sectional view of the cap of FIG. 3 as viewed through line R-R;

FIG. 3b is a cross sectional view of the cap of FIG. 3 as viewed through line 45-45;

FIG. 4 is a detailed view of the contact between an outer section and an intermediate section of the cap as shown in FIG. 3a;

FIG. 5a is an elevational view of a bottle for use with the cap of the present invention; and

FIG. 5b is an elevational view of the cap of FIG. 1 positioned on the bottle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The description provided below and in regard to the figures applies to all embodiments unless noted otherwise, and features common to each embodiment are similarly shown and numbered.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a removable cap 10 for a container is shown. The cap 10 may include a central axis, an outer surface 12 and an inner surface 14. The cap 10 may further include a lower surface 16 for contacting or opposing an upper surface of the container.

In the disclosed embodiment, the cap 10 further includes an aperture 18 for allowing access to a cavity 19 within the cap 10. The cavity 19 may be adapted to receive at least a portion of the container being covered.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exploded view of the cap 10 of FIG. 1. In this embodiment, the cap 10 may include an outer section 20 including the outer surface 12, an intermediate section 24 that may fit inside the outer section 20, and an inner section 28 that may fit inside the intermediate section 24. Any or all of the outer section 20, intermediate section 24, and inner section 28 may be concentric with the central axis of the cap 10.

The cap 10 may further include means for attaching the intermediate section 24 and the outer section 20. For example, the outer section 20 may include a first fitment piece, such as receiver 22, for aligning with a second fitment piece, such as protrusion 26, associated with the intermediate section 24. The alignment of the receiver 22 with the protrusion 26, as shown in detail in FIG. 4, may prevent relative movement between the outer section 20 and the intermediate section 24. The outer section 20 and/or the intermediate section 24 may each comprise a first material such as PET, COC, PCTA. As can be seen in FIGS. 1, 3, 3a, and 3b, the outer section 20 and the intermediate section 24 may include a cross-sectional shape in the form of a rectangle or square.

The inner section 28 includes the inner surface 14, which is adapted to contact a portion of the container which is received within the cavity 19 of the cap 10. In the case of a container with a dispenser, as described in further detail below, the inner surface 14 may be adapted to contact at least a portion of the dispenser.

The inner section 28 may be shaped in so as to correspond to the shape of the aperture 18 in the cap 10. Similarly, the size of a dimension of the inner section 28, such as the inner diameter, may be substantially equal in size to the size of the aperture 18. For instance, as illustrated, the inner section 28 is circular in cross-section, so as to match the circular aperture 18.

The aperture 18 and inner section 28 may be shaped so as to correspond to a portion of the container which will be received within the cavity 19. In the case of a bottle with a dispenser, the inner section 28 may be dimensioned substantially equal to a dimension of the dispenser to be received. In the case of a dispenser with a circular cross-sectional area, the inner section 28 may also be circular in cross section and may include a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the dispenser. The inner section 28 may be any size and shape that corresponds to a size and shape of a dispenser. The term “diameter” is not limited to a line associated with a circle, but rather may include line passing through the center of any shape, including an oval, any polygon such as a triangle or rectangle, or any other shape. Accordingly, any size or shape aperture 18 may be used, as may any similarly sized or shaped inner section 28 so as to correspond to a given size and/or shape of the portion of the container received within the cavity 19.

The inner section 28 may comprise a second material such as PE. In one embodiment, the inner section 28 comprises a different material than the outer section 20 and/or the intermediate section 24.

With further reference to FIG. 2a, intermediate section 24 may further include a flange 27 corresponding to the lower surface 16. This flange 27 may extend inward to form the aperture 18. The flange 27 may additionally form a shelf 29 for retaining the inner section 28 within the intermediate section 24. In this manner, the inner section 28 may be retained relative to the intermediate section 24 upon assembly. In one aspect, upon assembly of the cap 10, the inner section 28 may remain unfixed in position with respect to the intermediate section 24 and/or the outer section 20. This may allow the inner section 28 to float relative to the intermediate section 24 and/or the outer section 20 of the assembled cap 10, which may allow for some misalignment of components, while maintaining fitment of the cap 10 on a container. In a further aspect, as illustrated in FIG. 3a, the inner section 28 may extend axially from the shelf 29 to the outer section 20.

FIGS. 3, 3a, and 3b illustrate a fully assembled cap 10, including the outer section 20, the intermediate section 24, and the inner section 28. FIG. 3 is an overhead view of the cap 10, and shows that the cap 10 may include a closed upper surface 11. FIG. 3a illustrates a cross section of the cap 10 through line R-R of FIG. 3. As can be seen, the outer section 20, the intermediate section 24, and the inner section 28 may include cross-sectional dimensions of different sizes. In addition, the sections 20, 24, 28 may nest concentrically. FIG. 3b illustrates a cross section through the line 45-45 of FIG. 3. As can be seen in the illustrated embodiment, the outer section 20 and the intermediate section 24 may include walls of a first shape, such as square, while the inner section 28 may include a wall of a second shape, such as round. At least the shape of the inner section 28 may correspond to the shape of a portion of the container to be inserted into cavity 19.

In regard to FIG. 5a, a container 30 is illustrated for use with the cap 10. The container 30 may include a dispenser 32, such as a pump. The dispenser 32 may further include an outer surface 34 for contacting the inner surface 14 of the cap 10. FIG. 5b illustrates the cap 10 placed on the bottle 30. As can be seen, the outer surface 34 of the dispenser 32 may be in direct contact with the inner surface 14 of the cap 10. This direct contact creates a static force such as friction between the dispenser 32 and the cap 10. The friction may ensure that a constant or controllable force is required to remove the cap 10 from the bottle 30. The sizing of the aperture 18 and the inner section 28 may be specifically designed to correspond to the shape of the dispenser 32 such that during removal of the cap 10 (and recapping the cap 10 on the container 30), movement of the cap 10 is restricted to a single direction. For instance, in the illustrated embodiment, a round dispenser 32 that fits snugly within the inner section 28 may limit relative movement between the container 30 and the cap 10 other than in a Y direction, as illustrated in FIG. 5b.

While the disclosure presents certain embodiments to illustrate the inventive concepts, numerous modifications, alterations, and changes to the described embodiments are possible without departing from the sphere and scope of the present invention, as defined herein. Accordingly, it is intended that the present disclosure not be limited to the described embodiments, but that it has the full scope defined by the language of the following claims, equivalents thereof, and that which is in the purview of the ordinarily skilled artisan upon examination of the disclosure.

Claims

1. A cap for use in combination with a container including a dispenser, said cap comprising:

a first cap section with a base, said base including an aperture; and

a second cap section at least partially inside the first cap section and supported by the base, said second cap section including an inner surface defining a cavity for receiving the dispenser, said cavity having a diameter substantially equal to a diameter of the dispenser, and said inner surface adapted to contact the dispenser;

wherein the diameter of the cavity is substantially the same as a diameter of the aperture.

2. The cap of claim 1, wherein the second cap section is retained wholly within the first cap section.

3. The cap of claim 1, wherein the base further includes a shelf for at least partially supporting the second cap section.

4. The cap of claim 1, wherein the second cap section is adapted to frictionally engage the dispenser.

5. The cap of claim 1, wherein the cap further includes a closed top.

6. The cap of claim 1, further including a third cap section for surrounding the first cap section.

7. The cap of claim 6, further including means for attaching the first cap section to the third cap section.

8. The cap of claim 6, wherein the first cap section, the second cap section, and the third cap section are separable, and each section comprises a different diameter.

9. The cap of claim 8, wherein the first cap section, the second cap section, and the third cap section nest concentrically.

10. The cap of claim 1, wherein the second cap section comprises PE.

11. The cap of claim 1, wherein the first cap section is made of a different material from the second cap section.

12. A cap for use in combination with a container including a dispenser, said cap comprising:

a first wall including a base, said base including an aperture and an inner shelf;

a second wall section inside the first wall section, said second wall section supported by the shelf; and

a third wall section surrounding the first wall section and attached to the base.

13. The cap of claim 12, wherein the second wall is removably attached to the first wall and the third wall.

14. The cap of claim 12, wherein the cap is adapted to fully enclose the dispenser.

15. The cap of claim 12, wherein second wall includes an inner surface defining a cavity with a diameter substantially equal to the aperture.

16. The cap of claim 15, wherein the diameter of the cavity and the aperture is adapted to be substantially equal to a diameter of the dispenser.

17. The cap of claim 12, wherein the first wall, the second wall, and the third wall nest concentrically with one another.

18. The cap of claim 12, wherein the first wall and the third wall include a first cross-sectional shape, and wherein the second wall includes a second cross-sectional shape different from the first cross-sectional shape.

19. The cap of claim 18, wherein the first cross-sectional shape is a rectangle and the second cross-sectional shape is a circle.

20. A cap for use in combination with a container including a dispenser, said cap comprising:

a first wall section including an open top and a base, said base including an aperture and an inner shelf;

a second wall section within the first wall section, said second wall section including an inner surface defining a cavity with a diameter substantially equal to the aperture, said inner surface adapted to contact the dispenser, wherein the second wall section includes an open top and is at least partially supported by the inner shelf; and

a third wall section for surrounding the first wall section, said third wall section including a closed top and wherein the third wall section is attached to the base.