Bottle Cap

Abstract

A stylized glass bottle cap that has at least one pull tab extending downward from an exterior edge of its skirt that may be used to release or replace the cap onto a bottle. It may be sealed onto bottles utilizing existing crimping technology. This configuration supports the removal or replacement of the cap without the use of a tool. Its physical configuration when placed onto a long neck glass bottle resembles that of a nineties “mullet head” and provides additional area for product branding.

Description

COPYRIGHT STATEMENT

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates, in general, to glass bottle sealing technology.

BACKGROUND

Beverage bottles, primarily made of glass and more recently made of aluminum, require sealing caps to maintain the freshness, carbonation and leakage of their contained fluids. Metal bottle caps are commonly used for glass bottles, and can be made from aluminum, steel, or tinplate. These materials are sturdy and can be easily sealed to prevent leaks. A plethora of designs exist that may be removed by simple hand manipulation or removed with a bottle opening tool. The commonality resides in their manner of sealed attachment around the top flange (collar) of the bottle neck.

The hand manipulation caps may be removed by twisting or pulling a central strip. This type of removal is hard for someone with long fingernails or weak wrists. The pull top style leaves a central sharp strip of metal, and the common bottle cap needs a bottle opener tool, and if it is tried to be opened without this tool, the tip flange on the bottle neck may chip leaving sharp edges and depositing a glass shard somewhere.

The last, and most problematic problem with existing bottle caps is that once they are opened, cannot be resealed with their original cap without specialized equipment. Hence, many partially drank bottles go flat or spoil because of the inability of resealing the caps.

A bottle cap that can be easily removed and resealed by anyone, safely, would fulfill a long felt need in the bottle industry. This new invention utilizes and combines known and new technologies in a unique and novel configuration to overcome the aforementioned problems and accomplish this.

BRIEF SUMMARY

In accordance with various embodiments, a mullet stylized bottle cap is provided.

In one aspect, a decorative bottle cap that can be inexpensively mass produced, able to be used with existing bottle cap sealing machines and technology and use existing sealing components, is provided.

In another aspect, a stylized bottle cap that may be sealed to a glass bottle using existing crimping technology and removed without a tool.

In yet another aspect, a stylized bottle cap with a stiffened opening tab, that may manually be removed and resealed without a tool, is provided.

In another aspect, a bottle cap that provides both a novel appearance and provides additional surface area for branding, is provided.

Various modifications and additions can be made to the embodiments discussed without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, while the embodiments described above refer to particular features, the scope of this invention also includes embodiments having different combination of features and embodiments that do not include all of the above described features.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A further understanding of the nature and advantages of particular embodiments may be realized by reference to the remaining portions of the specification and the drawings, in which like reference numerals are used to refer to similar components. It is to be noted that all drawings show the bottle cap in its removed configuration prior to the skirt being crimped around the collar of a bottle neck.

FIG. 1 is a top view of the mullet stylized bottle cap;

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the mullet stylized bottle cap;

FIG. 3 is a front view of the mullet stylized bottle cap;

FIG. 4 is a back view of the mullet stylized bottle cap;

FIG. 5 is a left-side view of the mullet stylized bottle cap; and

FIG. 6 is a right-side view of the mullet stylized bottle cap.

FIG. 7 is a rear view of the mullet stylized bottle cap showing the cross sectional line A-A;

FIG. 8 is a side cross section of the mullet stylized bottle cap taken through section A-A of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a bottom perspective view of the stylized mullet bottle cap;

FIG. 10 is a bottom perspective view of a dual mullet bottle cap;

FIG. 11 is a front view of a dual mullet bottle cap;

FIG. 12 is a rear view of a dual mullet bottle cap;

FIG. 13 is a bottom view of a dual mullet bottle cap;

FIG. 14 is a top view of a dual mullet bottle cap;

FIG. 15 is a bottom perspective view of a tri-mullet bottle cap;

FIG. 16 is a front view of a tri-mullet bottle cap;

FIG. 17 is a rear view of a tri-mullet bottle cap;

FIG. 18 is a bottom view of a tri-mullet bottle cap; and

FIG. 19 is a top view of a tri-mullet bottle cap.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN EMBODIMENTS

While various aspects and features of certain embodiments have been summarized above, the following detailed description illustrates a few exemplary embodiments in further detail to enable one skilled in the art to practice such embodiments. The described examples are provided for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first seal ring could be termed a second seal ring, and, similarly, a second seal ring could be termed a first seal ring, without departing from the scope of the inventive concept.

It will be understood that when an element or layer is referred to as being “on,” “coupled to,” or “connected to” another element or layer, it can be directly on, directly coupled to or directly connected to the other element or layer, or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on,” “directly coupled to,” or “directly connected to” another element or layer, there are no intervening elements or layers present. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

As used herein, the term “Mullet Tab” refers to a tab that extends longitudinally downward from the bottom perimeter of the cap's skirt, and can be used to leverage open or leverage closed, the crimp cap onto the collar of a bottle neck. Mullet is used as a descriptor as the tabs on a crimp style cap in conjunction with a long neck bottle resembles a human head with a mullet style haircut.

The present invention relates to a novel design for a crimp-on style bottle cap (“cap”) for sealing and resealing a glass bottle, predominantly but not exclusively for carbonated beverages.

Caps for glass bottles work by creating an airtight seal between the cap and the collar of the bottle, which prevents air and other contaminants from entering the bottle and compromising the contents. William Painter invented the Crown Cork bottle cap in 1892 and then patented the first tool to open his new bottle cap in 1894. Since then, tens of millions of crimp style bottle cap openers have been produced. This novel design provides a modified conventional bottle cap that does not require an opener tool for removal and also provides for a tool free, limited resealing of the bottle.

Generally, crimp on caps have a liner or seal made of a material such as rubber, cork, or plastic that is affixed to the underside of the cap and sits between the cap and the bottle neck's top collar (flange.) The cap typically has a peripheral edge on its planar body that extends beyond the outer extent of the bottle neck's top collar so it can be downwardly crimped about this top collar. As the cap is downwardly crimped onto the bottle neck, the liner compresses between the underside of the cap and the top edge of the bottle neck, and creates a seal that prevents air from entering the bottle. Removing the bottle cap requires the vertically upward uncrimping of a partial peripheral section of the bottle cap until it is loose enough to uncouple from the bottle neck.

Crimp style bottle caps are preferred for carbonated beverages such as beer because they protect the beer better from oxygen ingress and form a better seal. However, their drawback is that they require a bottle opener or an ingenious method to open. This apparatus is a crimp style bottle cap that is both stylish in design (representing a “business in front-party in back” mullet style haircut, common in the 90's), and is able to be easily opened or resealed by anyone without a tool, because of the mechanical advantage its design offers.

In the way of background, crimp style bottle caps are manufactured forming planar, metallic discs into cap shells by bending the outer periphery of the disc downward into what is known as the skirt. In this process the skirt also has a series of ridges formed contiguously about its outer peripheral edge. This crimped edge is the part of the cap shell that is folded or rolled onto the bottle neck during the crimping process. This edge helps to create a tight seal between the cap and the top collar of the bottle neck. On the underside of the cap shell is a bottle cap liner affixed, which is a circular disc that is generally made of a sterilized plastic. When the cap is pressed onto the bottle neck and the crimped edge secured around the top collar, a seal is formed.

Looking at FIG. 9, the bottle cap 2 in bottom side perspective is seen and the resemblance to a mullet style haircut provided by the mullet tab 4 is best visualized. This visualization is enhanced by the strengthening ridges 10 (FIGS. 3 and 4) that reside along the length of the mullet tab 4. These strengthening ridges, besides stiffening the tab 4 give the visual effect of hair in a mullet style. These strengthening ridges 10 are a continuation of the series of crimp ridges 12 uniformly spaced around the peripheral edge of the circular skirt 8. Looking at FIGS. 1-6 the design of the first embodiment bottle cap may best be explained.

The cap 2 is fabricated from a single piece of metal/steel. The main body of the cap 2 is called the cap shell 6 and sits on the top collar of a glass bottle's neck. Here, as compared to a conventional bottle cap, the cap shell 6 is a circular disc (FIGS. 1 and 2) with a circular planar top face 12, a circular planar bottom face 14 and a circular skirt 8 (FIGS. 5 and 6) that extends downward from the peripheral edge 16 of the top face 12. This skirt 8 forms an obtuse angle Ø between 195 and 175 degrees (preferably at 115 degrees) with the bottom face 14 of the cap shell 6.

Uniformly, radially spaced around the skirt 8 is a series of crimp ridges 18. These ridges 18 add strength to the skirt 8 to maintain is configuration and its location when crimped around the collar of a bottle. These ridges are form a crimping edge which is the part of the cap shell 6 that is folded or rolled onto the bottle neck during the crimping process. This crimping edge creates a tight seal between the cap and the bottle neck. The number of crimp ridges 18 set the pattern the mullet tabs will have in the various embodiments discussed herein.

An arced mullet tab 4 extends beyond the bottom perimeter edge 20 of the skirt 8. This mullet tab 4 has a series of strengthening ridges 10 running along its length to add rigidity and strength to the tab 4. These strengthening ridges 10 are linear extensions of the crimp ridges 18 found on the skirt. The mullet tab 4 also has at least one optional concentric ridge 36 formed across its width that lies transverse to the strengthening ridges 10. These strengthening ridges and concentric ridges 36 are necessary for allowing the manual resealing without tools as is discussed herein. This series of strengthening ridges 10 allow the tab 4 the strength to disengage a number of the crimp ridges 18 in the vicinity of the tab 4 without bending, while the concentric ridge limits the amount of twisting deformation the tab 4 can undergo if the tab 4 is torqued in operation by an off center force. Together these two ridges act as bidirectional ridges to ensure that there is sufficient strength and rigidity to the tab when bent or torqued to resist bending and no twisting. Additionally, the strengthening ridges 10, imparts the image of flowing hair in a mullet configuration. The mullet tab has a width Z (FIG. 9) that spans between 10 and 90 radial degrees of said skirt.

When the cap 2 is removed, the obtuse angle Ø between the tab 4 and the bottom face of the cap shell 6 will increase slightly. Once the cap 2 is loose enough to come free from the collar, the tab 4 will not be able to deform any further and increase the obtuse angle beyond that point. This lack of deformation of a tab 4 of a cap 2 is one of the features that allow the cap 2 to be resealed by applying downward pressure onto the mullet tab 4 s the remainder of the cap 2 is held on the bottle neck.

The skirt 8 has a height X from the planar top face of the cap shell 6 to the perimeter edge 20 of its skirt. (FIG. 7.) The mullet tab 10 has a height Y from the perimeter edge of the skirt to the bottom edge 34 of the mullet tab 10. (FIG. 7.) The height dimension of Y is two to six times greater than the height dimension of X. In the preferred embodiment Y is three times greater than X.

There is a polymer liner 26 (compression gasket) that is adhesively affixed to the bottom face 14 of the cap shell 6. (FIG. 8) The liner 26 in the preferred embodiment, has a pressure sensitive adhesive 24 applied on its top surface 28. In assembly, the liner 26 is pressed onto the bottom of the cap shell 6. This liner 26 comes into contact with the collar on the top of the bottle's neck. It is usually made of a polymer and helps to create an airtight seal between the cap and the bottle neck. Alternate embodiments of the liner may be a sprayed or formed-on polymer. The liner has at least, a first raised seal ring 30 that deforms and compresses slightly when the cap 2 contacts the top of the collar. This forms the seal to prevent carbonation gases from escaping and from the ingress of air. In the preferred embodiment there is a second seal ring 32.

These metal caps 2 are formed by metal stamping or die cutting (“clicking”) as is well known in the industry. The cap shell 6 may have features like embossing, brand labeling or a UPC code placed thereon.

Looking at FIGS. 10-14 the second embodiment bottle cap 60 (the dual mullet bottle cap) can best be seen and explained. This bottle cap 60 differs from the first embodiment 2 only in that there is a first mullet tab 62 and an opposing second mullet tab 64 spaced equidistantly around the skirt 8. The strengthening ridges 10 and concentric ridges 36 remain. It is to be noted, that the two mullet tabs 62 and 64 of the second embodiment bottle cap 60 need not each have the identical number of whole strengthening ribs 10 formed thereon. The number of whole and partial strengthening ribs on each mullet tab is a function of the width of the mullet tab (denoted dimensionally as A in FIG. 14) and the spacing between adjacent crimp ridges 36 in the skirt 8. As can be seen in FIGS. 13 and 14, the first mullet tab 62 has two whole strengthening ridges whereas the second mullet tab 64 has three. The first and second mullet tabs 62 and 64 are substantially identical except for the patterning of the strengthening ridges 10 across the tabs. If there is an even number of crimp ridges 36 on the skirt the first and second mullet tables 62 and 64 will be identical since their longitudinal centerlines reside 180 radial degrees apart. It is to be noted that the greater the number of mullet tabs, the easier it is to reseal the bottle cap.

Looking at FIGS. 15-19 the third embodiment bottle cap 60 (the tri-mullet bottle cap) can best be seen and explained. This bottle cap 70 differs from the first and second embodiment embodiments 2 and 60 only in that there is a first mullet tab 62, a second mullet tab 64, and a third mullet tab 72 that are spaced equidistantly around the skirt 8. The strengthening ridges 10 and concentric ridges 36 remain. It is to be noted, that the three mullet tabs 62, 64 and 72 of the third embodiment bottle cap 60 will only have the identical number of whole strengthening ribs formed thereon when the number of crimp ridges 8 are evenly divisible by three. The number of whole and partial strengthening ribs on each mullet tab is a function of the width of the mullet tab (denoted dimensionally as B in FIG. 18) and the spacing between adjacent crimp ridges 12 in the skirt 8. As can be seen in FIGS. 18 and 19, the first second and third mullet tabs 62, 64 and 72 each have three whole strengthening ridges. This embodiment is the easiest of all embodiment to reseal because of the extra mechanical advantage offered with the additional mullet tab/s.

Overall, the various parts of a crimp-on bottle cap work together to create a secure and airtight seal between the cap and the bottle, while also providing the aesthetics of a bottle cap that makes a bottle look like a person with a mullet haircut. As an additional feature, the mullet tabs offer additional area for the placement of advertising than a conventional crimp on bottle cap.

One of the largest advantages of the various embodiments of these three embodiments of the crimp on style bottle cap, is that the bottle may be resealed by hand after being opened and the remining carbonation constrained. Because of the mechanical advantage or leverage that is provided by the stiffened tabs of the single, dual or tri mullet cap 2, the cap 2 may be placed over the bottle's collar and firmly held in place with downward pressure placed on the front edge of the cap while the mullet tab (or tabs in the case of a dual or tri mullet cap) are pressed toward the neck of the bottle in concert. There will be a recrimping of the skirt that will enough to reseal the bottle's contents and maintain the carbonation pressure. This is a feature that no existing crimp style cap can offer.

Crimp style bottle caps can be crimped onto bottles using specialized machinery or hand-held tools. Crimping is a common method for installing caps on bottles that are used for carbonated beverages such as soda, beer, and sparkling water, as well as for some types of food and cosmetic products.

Crimping involves creating a tight seal between the cap and the bottle by folding or rolling the edges of the cap onto the neck of the bottle. This process is well known in the industry and must be carefully calibrated to ensure that the correct amount of pressure is applied to the cap to create a tight seal, without damaging the bottle or the cap. The process typically involves the following two steps, whether done in an automated production line or one at a time with a manual hand-held crimping tool, and regardless of the number of mullet tabs:

Placing the cap on the bottle: The cap is first placed onto the neck of the bottle, usually using automated machinery.

Crimping the cap onto the bottle: A capping head or crimper is then used to press the edges of the cap onto the bottle neck, creating a tight seal. The crimper applies pressure around the circumference of the cap, folding or rolling the edges of the cap onto the bottle neck.

While certain features and aspects have been described with respect to the three exemplary bottle cap embodiments, one skilled in the art will recognize that numerous modifications are possible, and it will be appreciated that the invention is intended to cover all modifications and equivalents within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A bottle cap comprising:

a cap shell having a circular peripheral edge, a circular planar top face, a circular planar bottom face, and a circular skirt that extends from said peripheral edge forming an obtuse angle with said bottom face of said cap shell;

a series of uniform crimp ridges formed thereon said skirt;

at least one arced mullet tab extending beyond a bottom perimeter edge of said skirt; and

a polymer cap liner affixed to said bottom face.

2. The bottle cap of claim 1 wherein said skirt has a first height, and said at least one mullet tab has a second height, and wherein said second height is between two and six times greater than said first height.

3. The bottle cap of claim 1 further comprising:

at least one strengthening ridge formed along said length of said at least one mullet tab; and

wherein said mullet tab has at series of concentric ridges formed across a width, said concentric ridges lying transverse to said at least one strengthening ridge formed thereon said mullet tab.

4. The bottle cap of claim 1 wherein said mullet tab has a width that occupies between 30 and 90 radial degrees of said skirt.

5. The bottle cap of claim 1 wherein said polymer cap liner has a top face and a bottom face, and wherein said top face has a pressure sensitive adhesive thereon.

6. The bottle cap of claim 1 wherein said obtuse angle between said mullet tab and said bottom face of said cap shell lies between 95 and 175 degrees.

7. The bottle cap of claim 5 wherein said bottom face of said polymer cap liner has at least one raised sealing ring formed thereon.

8. The bottle cap of claim 7 wherein the number of sealing rings is two.

9. A bottle cap comprising:

a cap shell having a circular peripheral top edge, a circular planar top face, a circular planar bottom face, and a circular skirt that extends from said peripheral edge forming an obtuse angle with said bottom face of said cap shell;

a series of uniform, inwardly crimpable, radial ridges formed thereon said skirt;

at least one mullet tab extending beyond a bottom perimeter edge of said skirt, said mullet tab having radial ridges formed along a length thereof; and

a polymer cap liner with at least one raised sealing ring formed on a bottom surface thereof, and an adhesive affixed to a top surface thereof, said cap liner attached to said bottom face of said cap shell; and

wherein said skirt has a first height between said top edge of said cap shell and said bottom perimeter edge of said skirt, and said mullet tab has a second height between said bottom perimeter edge of said skirt and a bottom edge of said mullet tab, where said second height is between two and six times greater than said first height.

10. The bottle cap of claim 9 wherein said mullet tab has a width that occupies between 30 and 90 radial degrees of said skirt.

11. The bottle cap of claim 1 wherein the number of mullet tabs is two.

12. The bottle cap of claim 1 wherein the number of mullet tabs is three.