US3278096A

US3278096A - Combination cap for containers

Info

Publication number: US3278096A
Application number: US421467A
Authority: US
Inventors: Christian F Miller
Original assignee: FORMOLD PLASTICS Inc
Current assignee: FORMOLD PLASTICS Inc
Priority date: 1964-12-28
Filing date: 1964-12-28
Publication date: 1966-10-11
Anticipated expiration: 1983-10-11

Description

Oct. 11, 1966 c. F. MILLER 3,278,096

COMBINATION CAP FOR CONTAINERS Filed Dec. 28, 1964 United States Patent Ofi ice 3,278,096 Patented Oct. 11, 1966 3,278,096 COMBINATION CAP FOR CONTAINERS Christian F. Miller, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Formold Plastics, Inc., Blue Island, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Filed Dec. 28, 1964, Ser. No. 421,467 Claims. (Cl. 222521) The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in a dispensing cap assembly for containers.

An object of the invention is to provide a simplified form of two-part dispensing cap wherein the parts may be assembled together as a unit and applied as such to a container and then relatively shifted to open or close a dispensing opening,

The two-part dispensing cap includes an outer cap member adapted to be secured to the neck of a container and an inner cap part initially assembled in captive fashion within the outer cap part and then transferred to a mounting position interiorly of the neck of the container when the cap assembly is attached to the container. When thus assembled to the neck of the container, the outer cap part may be rotated a partial turn, more or less, with respect to the inner cap part so as to shift the outer cap part outwardly with respect to the neck of the container. This outward shifting of the outer cap part serves to open a dispensing opening provided between adjacent surfaces of the inner and outer cap parts. The inner cap part may be attached interiorly of the neck of the container by an extended frictional surface and may be engaged with a portion of the outer cap part through a substantially reduced frictional surface permitting the outer cap part to be axially shifted relative to the neck of the container without correspondingly shifting the inner cap part.

With such a dispensing cap, the two cap parts may be assembled together at the point of manufacture and then assembled as a unit to a customer container with its contents.

In the accompanying drawing:

. FIG. 1 is a fragmentary view of the outer cap attached to the neck of the container and with the inner cap shown in full lines;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view showing the two cap parts before they are frictionally associated with one another;

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

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing the position of the cap parts with the dispensing opening closed;

FIG. 5 is a further enlarged fragmentary view showing the dispensing opening closed with the configuration of the sealing surfaces of the inner and outer cap parts; and

FIG. 6 is a vew, similar to FIG. 5, showing the cap parts in position for dispensing the contents of the container.

Referring more in detail to the accompanying drawing, and particularly at this time to FIGS, 1 and 2, the container 10 may be of the rigid type or of a plastic squeeze type from which the contents may be dispensed by shaking, pouring, or extruded by squeezing, as the case may be. In either type of container, there is provided a neck portion 12 having external threads 14 of bayonet or other suitable type of cap securing means. As shown in FIG. 2, the dispensing cap includes two parts, an outer cap member 16 and an inner cap member 18.

With continued reference to FIG. 2, the outer cap 16 is provided with a top closing portion 20 having a centrally disposed upstanding frusto-conical portion 22 terminating in a dispensing opening 24. Beneath the conical portion 22, there is a depending skirt portion 26 aligned with the opening 24. The outer skirt portion 28 is provided with internal threads 30 or other suitable types of securing means for cooperation with the complemental securing means 14 on the neck of the container,

The inner cap member 18 is provided with a laterally extending peripheral flange 32 adapted to rest on the lip 11 of the neck 12 of the container. The inner edge of the flange 32 merges with a peripheral depending wall portion 34 which, in turn, merges with an inwardly inclined wall portion 35 which terminates in an inwardly extending wall portion 36. This inwardly extending wall portion 36 terminates in a vertically extending wall 38 which provides a passage therein and through which the contents of the container may be dispensed. The upper edge portion of the wall 38 includes an outwardly extending portion 40 of quite limited vertical extent. Above this portion 40, the outer surface of the wall 38 is tapered inwardly, as at 42. The upper end of the wall portion 38 also includes a pair of strut portions 44 extending upwardly therefrom and carrying an integral valve or plug member 46 to cooperate with the dispensing opening 24 in the wall portion 22 of the outer cap member.

At the point of manufacture of the cap assembly, the inner cap member 18 is frictionally assembled within the skirt 28 of the outer cap member 16 by inserting the wall portion 38 of the inner cap member within the skirt portion 26 of the outer cap member to substantially the position shown in FIG. 4. In this position, the projecting portion 40 of the wall 38 frictionally engages the adjacent portion of the skirt 26 to hold the two cap members in assembled position at the point of manufacture of the cap members. In this position, there is a space 48 provided between the tapered surface 42 on the wall portion 38 of the adjacent inner surface of the conical wall portion 22 by reason of engagement between adjacent surfaces of the plug member 46 and the opening 24.

The internal surface of the dispensing opening 24 is inclined to the vertical and may be relatively inclined with respect to the adjacent inner wall surface of the conical portion 22, as more particularly shown in FIGS. 4, 5, and 6. The outer surface of the plug or valve member 46 is complementally inclined, as also shown in FIGS. 4, 5, and 6, thus providing cooperating seating surfaces closing the dispensing opening. When the assembled cap members are to be associated'with a container at the customer source, the parts will assume the positions shown in :FIGS. 1 and 4. Thus, the depending wall portion 34 on the inner cap member provides an extensive vertical surface of frictional contact with the adjacent inner surface of the container neck and the outward flange 32 of the inner cap member rests on the lip 11 of the neck of the container. Engagement between the flange portion 40 and the skirt 26 provides a seal against escape of the contents.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and *5, the complemental surfaces of the plug member 46 and the wall of the dispensing opening 24 are in mutually seated engagement closing the opening 24 and thus sealing the contents of the container. The space '48 between the tapered wall 42 and the adjacent surface of the conical wall 22 insures proper seating contact between the surfaces of the plug member 46 andthe dispensing opening 24. When the contents of the container are to be dispensed, the relative positions of the plug member and the dispensing opening assume substantially the position of FIG. 6. In this dispensing position, the outer cap member has been given a partial turn to elevate the conical wall portion 22 with respect to the plug 46 and thus provide dispensing clearance between the adjacent surfaces thereof. This outward movement of the outer cap member, without corresponding outward movement of the inner cap member, is accomplished by reason of the relatively light frictional contact between the projecting portion 40 on the inner cap member and 3 the skirt 26 on the outer cap member. In other words, relative sliding movement is permitted between these surfaces because of the extensive and heavier frictional contact between the wall portion 34 on the inner cap member and the adjacent inner surface of the neck of the container. Additionally, if desired, the flange '32 on the inner cap might be adhered to the lip of the container neck.

The wall portions 65, 3 6 of the inner cap member provide some resiliency or spring action so that when the surfaces of the valve plug and the dispensing opening are in sealing engagement, the contacting force acts through the struts 44 and the wall portion 38 to urge the

wall portions

35, 36 inwardly of the container. Such inward position is shown by dotted lines a in FIG. 4. In doing so, the clearance space 48 is maintained between the inner and the outer cap members, thus insuring proper closing of the dispensing opening without other contact between the tapered wall 42 and the adjacent inner surface of the wall 22. Preferably, the cap members are dimensioned so that contact between seating surfaces of the valve plug and the wall of the dispensing opening is accomplished before the undersurface of the top closing wall 20 engages the outward flange 32 on the inner cap member, thus insuring the proper limited resilient movement of the wall portions 35, '36 which react to maintain pressure between the seating surfaces. It should be further noted that the lower end of the sleeve portion 26 is spaced above the lateral wall portion 36 but the seal between the flange portion 40 and the sleeve portion 26 prevents escape of the contents into the area within the outer cap member and exteriorily of the sleeve portion. Thus, the contents are con-fined to the interior of the frusto-conical portion 22 above the flange portion 40. When in the open position of FIG. 6 for dispensing, the spaced strut portions 44 permit egress of the contents from the passage 38 to be discharged through the dispensing opening 24. The inner surface of the valve plug 46 is tapered, as at 46a, to assist in directing the contents outwardly for discharge through the space provided between the exterior surface of the valve plug and the interior surface of the dispensing opening.

While one form of the invention has been shown for purposes of illustration, it is to be clearly understood that changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

1 claim:

1. A dispensing cap assembly adapted for attachment to a container for controlled dispensing of the contents thereof; and comprising an outer cap member having a top closing portion and a depending outer skirt portion with means thereon for attachment to complemental means on a container, said top closing portion having a dispensing opening therethrough and an internal cylindrical portion concentric therewith, and an inner cap member with an outward flange to engage a container and having an outer peripheral wall portion dimensioned to engage an inner surface of a container with a predetermined degree of frictional surface contact and an inner upstanding peripheral portion within said cylindrical portion providing an egress passage and having a narrow outward flange portion engaging an adjacent portion of the surface of said cylindrical portion with a lesser degree of frictional surface contact for permissive sliding movement and preassembly of the inner and outer cap members and sealing the interior of the cylindrical portion against the contents gaining access to space between the inner and the outer cap members when assembled with a container, the inner upstanding peripheral portion of the inner cap member and the outer peripheral wall portion thereof being joined by wall means disposed below the internal cylindrical portion of said outer cap member, the upper end of the inner upstanding peripheral portion of the inner cap member terminating in spaced relation to the adjacent surface of the outer cap member and having a valve plug disposed outwardly of the egress passage and positioned by strut means connecting the valve plug and the inner upstanding peripheral portion, said valve plug and the bounding wall of the dispensing opening having complemental surfaces engaging one another and limiting inward movement of the outer cap member relative to the valve plug when the dispensing opening is closed whereby to maintain the space between the inner upstanding wall portion and the outer cap member and prevent contact therebetween above said outward flange.

2. A dispensing cap assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wall means joining the upstanding peripheral portion and the outer peripheral wall portion of the inner cap member is resiliently depressible when the dispensing opening is closed by the force transmitted thereto through the strut means whereby to resiliently urge the valve plug outwardly into constantly tight sealing engagement with the bounding wall of the dispensing opening.

3. A dispensing cap assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the wall means comprises a wall portion extending outwardly from said inner upstanding peripheral wall portion and an outwardly and upwardly inclined wall portion joining the same to the said outer peripheral wall portion.

'4. A dispensing cap assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the dispensing opening in the outer cap member is provided at the open end of upwardly and inwardly inclined wall means and wherein the outer surface of the upstanding peripheral portion is complementally inclined and spaced therefrom.

5. A dispensing cap assembly as claimed in claim 1, in combination with a container having a neck portion with means thereon for engaging the attachment means on the depending outer skirt portion of said outer cap member.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,017,140 10/1935 Worth 222521 3,010,619 11/1961 Gronemeyer 2 22-521 3,123,259 3/1964 'Musel et al. 222-521 3,131,836 /196 Van Baarn 22 2- 52l 3,175,741 3/1965 Porter 22252l 3,194,453 7/ 1965 Cherba 222-621 3,216,630 11/1965 Stull 222521 ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner.

WALTER SOBIN, Examiner.

Claims

1. A DISPENSING CAP ASSEMBLY ADAPTED FOR ATTACHMENT TO A CONTAINER FOR CONTROLLED DISPENSING OF THE CONTENTS THEREOF; AND COMPRISING AN OUTER CAP MEMBER HAVING A TOP CLOSING PORTION AND A DEPENDING OUTER SKIRT PORTION WITH MEANS THEREON FOR ATTACHMENT TO COMPLEMENTAL MEANS ON A CONTAINER, SAID TOP CLOSING PORTION HAVING A DISPENSING OPENING THERETHROUGH AND AN INTERNAL CYLINDRICAL PORTION CONCENTRIC THEREWITH, AND AN INNER CAP MEMBER WITH AN OUTWARD FLANGE TO ENGAGE A CONTAINER AND HAVING AN OUTER PERIPHERAL WALL PORTION DIMENSIONED TO ENGAGE AN INNER SURFACE OF A CONTAINER WITH A PREDETERMINED DEGREE OF FRICTIONAL SURFACE CONTACT AND AN INNER UPSTANDING PERIPHERAL PORTION WITHIN SAID CYLINDRICAL PORTION PROVIDING AN EGRESS PASSAGE AND HAVING A NARROW OUTWARD FLANGE PORTION ENGAGING AN ADJACENT PORTION OF THE SURFACE OF SAID CYLINDRICAL PORTION WITH A LESSER DEGREE OF FRICTIONAL SURFACE CONTACT FOR PERMISSIVE SLIDING MOVEMENT AND PREASSEMBLY OF THE INNER AND OUTER CAP MEMBERS AND SEALING THE INTERIOR OF THE CYLINDRICAL PORTION AGAINST THE CONTENTS GAINING ACCESS TO SPACE BETWEEN THE INNER AND OUTER CAP MEMBERS WHEN ASSEMBLED WITH A CONTAINER, THE INNER UPSTANDING PERIPHERAL PORTION OF THE INNER CAP MEMBER AND THE OUTER PERIPHERAL WALL PORTION THEREOF BEING JOINED BY WALL MEANS DISPOSED BELOW THE INTERNAL CYLINDRICAL PORTION OF SAID OUTER CAP MEMBER, THE