Easy to Open Reusable Bottle

Abstract

The invention described herein relates to a reusable bottle, including a threadless bottle; a cap comprising an outer cap and an inner cap, wherein the inner cap is received in the outer cap and creates a vacuum seal when the cap engages a bottle, wherein the cap engages the bottle using a threadless friction fit. To remove the cap from the bottle, one simply slides the cap off the bottle.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO PRIOR APPLICATION

This application claims priority to Provisional application Ser. No. ______, filed on Oct. 27, 2016, entitled An Easy to Open and Reusable Bottle for Children, naming Cameron Bishop as the inventor.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention removes the difficulty that children and older adults have in opening threaded bottle containers, e.g., soda bottles, sports beverage bottles like Gatorade® or PowerAde®, and other reusable bottles, particularly beverage bottles, sold empty. Bottle containers having a threaded bottle portion that mates with a threaded cap requires twisting the cap to remove it from the bottle. Opening these types of bottles can be difficult to open for individuals with limited hand strength such as young children and the elderly. Children, in particular, tend to use their teeth to open the caps to bottle containers or ask for an adult to open it for them. Children could break their teeth, as well as annoy adults by frequently asking for their assistance. In extreme circumstances a child may choke on a cap removed by pulling on it with his/her teeth. The invention gives the younger population, elderly adults or those with limited hand strength the ability of easily opening a bottle containing a beverage or other fluid.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention described herein relates to a reusable bottle, including a threadless bottle; a cap comprising an outer cap and an inner cap, wherein the inner cap is received in the outer cap.

When the cap engages the bottle, the cap and bottle assembly creates a vacuum seal between the bottle and cap, creating a leak proof seal. Further, the cap engages the bottle using a threadless friction fit. To remove the cap from the bottle, one simply slides the cap off the bottle.

To clean the bottle and components, simply slide the cap off the bottle. The cap may then be disassembled by snapping the inner cap out of the outer cap by applying pressure to a portion of the inner cap, dislodging it from its position inside the outer cap.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view of an embodiment of the bottle shown and described herein.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the bottle shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3. is a cross-sectional view of the cap for the bottle shown in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention described herein relates to a reusable bottle, including a threadless bottle; a cap comprising an outer cap and an inner cap, wherein said inner cap is received in the outer cap, and wherein said cap engages the bottle using a friction fit. In the embodiment described herein, the easy to open reusable bottle assembly 10 includes a threadless bottle 12, a cap 14 comprising an outer cap 16 and an inner cap 18. The design for the bottle assembly 10 could also be incorporated into the production of drug and prescription bottles, bottled beverages, and food containers.

Now turning to a more detailed description of an embodiment of the invention. As best seen in FIGS. 1 and 3, the bottle is unthreaded. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the bottle 12 is the type and construction known in the industry for containing beverages, such as Nalgene™ bottles, except the bottle 12 does not includes threads. As best seen in FIG. 3, the bottle 12 defines a hollow center for receiving contents to be stored, which may include a liquid, pills or other contents.

As best seen in FIG. 3, the bottle assembly 10 also includes a cap 14. The cap 14 is an unthreaded closure for the bottle 12 and includes an outer cap 16 and an inner cap 18. The outer cap 16 includes an outer body 20 having a top surface 22 and a sidewall 24 extending away from the top surface 22. The top surface 22 defines a central opening 26.

The outer cap 16 also defines an inner surface 28. The inner surface 28 defines a hollow opening surrounded by sidewall 24 and is partially closed at one end by the inner surface of top surface 22. The inner surface of top surface 22 defines a recessed wall 30 surrounding the opening 26.

The recessed wall 30 defines a lip 32 that extends laterally in the direction of the radius of the opening 26. The outer cap 16 may be made of a plastic or metal material. The outer cap 16 could be made using a plastics material such as, but not limited to, PVC. Alternatively, the outer cap 16 could also be made using a dense rubber or rubber-like material that would create a more pliable, easy to grip surface.

Turning now to FIG. 3, the inner cap 18 acts as a leak-proof piece to contain the contents located inside the bottle 12. The inner cap 18 may be made of a soft, flexible material such as rubber or polypropylene or other similar materials. As best seen in FIG. 3, the inner cap 18 includes an outer surface 40 and an inner surface 42. Both the outer surface 40 and the inner surface 42 are, in the embodiment described, smooth-wall surfaces.

The outer surface 40 of inner cap 18 includes a top surface 34 and a sidewall surface 36 extending away from the top surface 34 in a direction opposite the sidewall 36. The top surface 34 defines a nipple 38 that outwardly extends away from the top surface 34. The inner surface 42 of cap 18 defines a hollow center 44 (not shown) surrounded by the sidewall surface 36 and closed at one end by inner surface 42. As best seen in FIG. 3, the sidewall surface 36 is a smooth threadless surface.

Assembly One Embodiment of Cap 14

The inner cap 18 is designed to snap into and out of outer cap 16 for easy cleaning of the components. To assembly the cap 14, the inner cap 18 is press fit into the inner surface 28 of the outer cap 16. Pressure is applied to inner cap 18 until the inner cap 18 passes by the lip 32 and the nipple 38 is positioned in opening 26, wherein the lip 32 holds the inner cap 18 in place. To remove the inner cap 18 from the outer cap 16, pressure is applied to the nipple 38 and maintained until the inner cap 18 slides past the lip 32.

Once the inner cap 18 is assembled in outer cap 16, there is a gap (See FIG. 3) between the inner cap 18 and the outer cap 16 for receiving the top end of bottle 12, creating a threadless, friction fit between the bottle 12 and the cap 14. The cap 14 when assembled on the bottle 12 creates a vacuum seal, which creates a leak proof seal that prevents any liquid contents stored in the bottle from leaking out.

One of ordinary skill in the art would understand that the bottle 10 disclosed herein may be made using plastics injection and blow molding techniques. For example, inner cap 18 and outer cap 16 could be formed using injection molding techniques, whereas the bottle 12 could be formed using blow molding techniques. However, one of ordinary skill in the art will know that other fabrication techniques may be used to form the components of the described invention.

One of ordinary skill in the art will also appreciate that typical materials to be used for fabrication may include plastics, such as, but not limited to, pvc, clarified pvc, polypropylene, polyethylene, and some softer plastics or rubber or rubber-like materials, such as, but not limited to, polyurethane or polypropylene or similar materials. For instance, in the disclosed embodiment, the inner cap 18 was manufactured using polypropylene; the outer cap was manufactured using polyvinyl chloride (“PVC”); and the bottle was manufactured using clarified PVC. It will also be known to one of skill in the art that using rubber or rubber-like materials will give the cap 14 have a stronger sealing capacity.

An Example of One Embodiment of the Bottle 10 in Use

A person would first grab hold of the bottle 10 with one hand. The next step would be to grab the cap 14 with the other hand and pull the cap 14 so that it slides off the top of the bottle 12. To clean the bottle 12, remove the cap 14 and snap the inner cap 18 out of the outer cap 16 by applying pressure to the nipple 38 until the inner cap 18 slides past the lip 32.

It is to be understood that the above-referenced description is illustrative of the invention. Numerous modifications and alternative arrangements can be devised without departing from the spirt and scope of the present invention. While the invention has been shown in the drawings and described above in connection with the exemplary embodiment (s) of the invention, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that numerous modifications can be made without departing from the principles and concepts of the invention. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of this disclosure and protected by the following claims.

Claims

1. A reusable bottle, comprising:

a threadless bottle; and

a cap comprising an outer cap and an inner cap, wherein said inner cap is received in the outer cap, and wherein said cap engages the bottle using a friction fit.

2. The bottle defined in claim 1, wherein said outer cap supports a lip, wherein said inner lip holds the inner cap in place inside the outer cap.