UNIVERSAL BOTTLE DISPENSING CAP

Abstract

The invention includes an assembly for dispensing liquid having an inlet configured to receive liquid from a bottle, at least two attachment means, a first attachment having a first fixed diameter and a second attachment having a second fixed diameter, and an outlet for dispensing liquid passing through said assembly.

Description

INDEX TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a non-provisional of and claims benefit to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/807,175, filed Apr. 1, 2013 the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to the general field of Cap and Closure Packaging and Baby Bottle Nipple and Sippy Cup systems. It is more particularly related to having a multi threaded cap and nipple or “sippy” top that fits standard 28 mm water and soda bottles as well as standard 20 fl oz drink bottles.

2. Prior Art

There are few prior arts that utilize a bottle cap fit and a baby bottle nipple as a closure to fit the standard bottle orifice, usually 28 mm. There is no prior art known to me that utilizes a bottle cap fit and a baby bottle nipple as a closure to fit larger drink bottles, usually holding 20 fl oz. There is no prior art known to me that utilizes a bottle cap fit and sippy cup nipple as a closure for either standard bottles, usually 28 mm, or larger drink bottles, usually 20 fl oz. The most similar prior art found in patent searches is the Baby Bottle Cap US 2001/0035387 A1. The Baby Bottle Cap and the Baby Bottle Multi Cap are similar in that they both offer a nipple already built into the cap that readily adapts to various 28 mm bottles into a baby bottle. The Baby Bottle Multi Cap differs in that it also fits standard 20 fl oz bottles in both the nipple cap and sippy cup cap versions. This minimizes limitations to the type of bottle that are readily available to use as a baby bottle or sippy cup.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The inventive Bottle Multi Cap has two versions. One is used to convert most any bottle into a baby bottle. The second one is used to convert most any bottle into a sippy cup. It is an object of this invention to provide an apparatus to allow both babies and toddlers to utilize standard and larger plastic drink bottles as a baby bottle or sippy cup. The present invention works by using multiple threaded caps that fit the original bottle, standard bottles, and larger opening bottles integrated into a baby bottle nipple or sippy cup version.

In one embodiment, the present invention is an assembly for dispensing liquid comprising:

• an inlet configured to receive liquid from a bottle;
• at least two attachment means, a first attachment having a first fixed diameter and a second attachment having a second fixed diameter;
• an outlet for dispensing liquid passing through said assembly.

In one embodiment, each of first attachment means are screw threads and said second attachment are screw threads.

In another embodiment, each of first attachment means are members that provide a snap-fit attachment to a bottle and second attachment are members that provide a snap-fit attachment to a bottle.

In another embodiment, the attachments means contain both screw threads and snap fit members.

In one embodiment, the assembly further comprises a third attachment means having a fixed diameter different from each of said first attachment means and said second attachment means. The third attachment means is either screw threads or snap fit members.

In one embodiment the outlet is fixedly attached to said assembly.

In one embodiment the outlet is removably attached to said assembly.

The assembly outlet is a bottle nipple, sippy dispenser, or sport bottle dispenser.

The present invention also includes a method of dispensing drinking solution from a bottle, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing an assembly according to any embodiment of the present invention;
• providing a liquid storage bottle;
• placing liquid in said bottle; selecting an attachment means configured to mate and attach with the provided bottle; and
• attaching the assembly to the bottle with the selected attachment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL EMBODIMENTS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view of one embodiment of the cap of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the cap the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a side-separated view of components of one embodiment of the cap present invention.

FIG. 4 is a side partial cross-section view of the present invention in an environment of use.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the present invention in an environment of use.

FIG. 6 is a side cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the present invention in an environment of use.

FIG. 7 is a side view of one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a side cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a side-separated view of components of one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a side view of one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a side cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the present invention

FIG. 12 is a side separate view of components of one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a side cross-section view of one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a side cross-section view of one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a side cross-section view of one embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In one embodiment, cap assembly 200 includes cap base 10 having a fixed thereto gasket bottle interface 12. Opposite gasket bio interface 12 on the upper portion of the assembly is valve 16. Valve 16 is any valve as known in the art relating to the dispensing of drinking liquids. These include, but are not limited to, sports valve caps as are known in the art.

In one embodiment, cap assembly 300 is formed with a first set of bottle receiving threads 18 a second set of threads being cap threads 20 and a third set of threads being first small bottle threads 22.

In some embodiments, cap assembly 400 is utilizing one particular dispensing cap 14, dispenser cap 14 will interact with second or cap threads 20. Further, according to the present invention assembly attaches to a liquid container 24 by virtue of the interaction with small bottle threads 22.

In another embodiment, cap assembly 500 is used with a liquid container 26 that has a different configuration on its neck, the first set of bottle receiving threads 18 will interact with liquid container 26.

As can be seen by the differences in FIGS. 4 and 6, a single cap assembly either 500 or 700 is provided to interact and mate with a plurality of bottle dispensing necks having differing diameters.

In an embodiment assembly 800 demonstrated in FIG. 7 and assembly 900 of FIG. 8, cap assembly has affixed thereto a sipper dispenser 30 for use with the present invention. When the sipper configuration is utilized, the assembly further contemplates an assembly 1000 having a closing cap 28 that will cover sipper dispenser 30. It is further contemplated that the assembly closing cap 28 securely attach an affix to the assembly by any acceptable means including, but not limited to, a snap fit securing relationship.

Additionally, one embodiment present invention provides the assembly 1100 having a nipple dispenser 32 as is commonly known and used with baby bottles. Assembly 1200 is an embodiment demonstrative of internal threads of differing diameters for attachment to screw-threaded bottles. Assembly 1300 is similar as described above in that the assembly includes assembly-closing cap 28.

In one embodiment, as demonstrated in FIGS. 13-15, the cap assembly has three internal threaded portions each encompassing a different diameter and configured for attachment on many bottle sizes. The following example is illustrative only as any contemplated diameters are possible. First threads 22 are configured as 22 mm threads, second threads 18 are configured as any of 24-20 mm threads, and third threads 40 are configured as 42 mm threads. Thus, a single cap assembly attaches to multiple bottle sizes.

As generally understood, bottles are typically threaded and capped at their open end. The diameter of the open end varies. The subject invention addresses the need to provide a single apparatus for use with multiple bottle sizes by configuring an apparatus with multiple diameter attachments. In providing an apparatus according to the current invention, the user can remove the cap of the desired bottle, match up the closure/attachment from the apparatus that corresponds to the diameter of the bottle, and secure the apparatus onto the bottle. In one embodiment, two or more internal threaded regions are provided and a user will mate the apparatus onto the bottle using a selected threaded portion corresponding to the bottle threads.

In one embodiment, the apparatus contains two or more closure means having members configured to attach to the bottle in a snap-fit attachment.

In the embodiment whereby the closure is a screw thread, the increase can be a gradual continuous increase in diameter, a step-wise increase in diameter, or a combination thereof.

The various outlets of the apparatus, in one embodiment, are fixedly attached to the apparatus.

In one embodiment, the outlets are removably and interchangeable as desired.

While the invention has been described in its preferred form or embodiment with some degree of particularity, it is understood that this description has been given only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction, fabrication, and use, including the combination and arrangement of parts, may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. An assembly for dispensing liquid comprising:

an inlet configured to receive liquid from a bottle;

at least two attachment means, a first attachment having a first fixed diameter and a second attachment having a second fixed diameter;

an outlet for dispensing liquid passing through said assembly.

2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said first attachment means are screw threads and said second attachment are screw threads.

3. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said first attachment means are members that provide a snap-fit attachment to a bottle and said second attachment are members that provide a snap-fit attachment to a bottle.

4. The assembly of claim 1 further comprising a third attachment means having a fixed diameter different from each of said first attachment means and said second attachment means.

5. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the outlet is fixedly attached to said assembly.

6. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the outlet is removably attached to said assembly.

7. The assembly of claim 5 wherein the outlet is a bottle nipple, sippy dispenser, or sport bottle dispenser.

8. The assembly of claim 6 wherein the outlet is a bottle nipple, sippy dispenser, or sport bottle dispenser.

9. A method of dispensing drinking solution from a bottle, said method comprising the steps of:

providing an assembly according to claim 1;

providing a liquid storage bottle;

placing liquid in said bottle;

selecting an attachment means configured to mate and attach with the provided bottle; and

attaching the assembly to the bottle with the selected attachment.