Intergral, single material container cap

Abstract

The present invention relates to an single piece integral cap, made from a single material, for consuming a liquid from a container. The cap has at least one hole for the exit of liquid from the container and an inlet for the entrance of air into the container. This air inlet incorporates a check valve that allows for the entrance of air but not the exit of liquid. This check valve is built into the body of the cap.

Claims

1. A cap, made from a single material, having a top surface, a cover adapted to fit the top surface, and a perimetric side wall configured to be fitted on an opening of a liquid container, with at least one liquid outlet for the exit of liquid from the liquid container and at least one air inlet, flush with the top surface of the cap, for the entrance of air into the container, comprising a check valve configured to allow the entrance of air into the liquid container, and prevent the exit of the liquid from the liquid container; said check valve built into the cap and protruding inwardly from an inside of the top surface of the cap; said check valve further comprising a tubular body with two ends, such that a first end is located in the at least one air inlet, and the second end opposite the first comprises contacting walls configured to close the tubular body when at rest; said contacting walls further configured to separate and open the tubular body when said check valve in use or when vacuum is created inside the container; the perimetric side wall containing threads configured to screw the cap to the opening of the liquid container; wherein the cover, the check valve, the perimetric side wall, and the threads are an integral one-piece construction.

2. The cap according to claim 1 further comprising coupling means for coupling said cap to said container; said coupling means built into the cap so as to form a single body.

3. The cap according to claim 2, characterized in that said coupling means are a threading on the perimetric wall of the cap for fitting said cap on the container.

4. The cap according to claim 1, characterized in that said check valve comprises a tubular body with two ends, and wherein the tubular body extends into the container.

5. The cap according to claim 1, characterized in that the cap and the check valve are made of a substantially identical non-resilient rigid material.

6. The cap according to claim 1, characterized in that the non-resilient rigid material is made of a plastic material such as polyethylene or polypropylene.

7. The cap according to claim 1, characterized in that the non-resilient rigid material is manufactured by means of a single injection.

8. The cap according to claim 1, wherein the cover with internal projections is configured for plugging the at least one liquid outlet and the at least one air inlet.

9. The cap according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least one liquid outlet is open.

10. The cap according to claim 1, wherein the check valve is configured to self-seal mechanically.

11. The cap according to claim 1, wherein the check valve comprises two flaps that are biased to seal together.

12. The cap according to claim 11, wherein each of the two flaps are elongated.

13. The cap according to claim 11, wherein the two flaps and the cap are integral and constructed from one-piece.

14. The cap according to claim 1, wherein the check valve is formed by two flaps that extend from an inside of the top surface of the cap and an opening in the top surface of the cap.

15. The cap according to claim 14, wherein the opening is a slit.

16. The cap according to claim 1, wherein the check valve is configured to unseal due to a drop in pressure on an inside of the cap.

17. The cap according to claim 1, wherein the integral one-piece construction is made from a single material.

18. The cap according to claim 17, wherein said single material is not latex or silicone.

19. A cap according to claim 1, wherein said check valve has a length between the two ends and an opening on the top surface of the cap having a width; said length between the two ends of the check valve is greater than the width of the opening of the check valve.

20. A cap according to claim 1, wherein said check valve has an opening on the top surface of the cap; said opening have a width and a length, and wherein the length of said opening is greater than the width of the opening.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) To complement the description that is being made for the object of the invention and to aid in better understanding the features distinguishing it, a set of the following drawings is attached to the present specification which depict the following in an illustrative and non-limiting manner:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a top perspective view of a first embodiment of a cap with a cover object of the present invention.

(3) FIG. 2 shows a bottom perspective view of the cap of FIG. 1.

(4) FIG. 3 shows a perspective section of the cap of the preceding figures.

(5) FIG. 4 shows a detail of a valve of a cap according to the present invention.

(6) FIG. 5 shows a first embodiment of a cap object of the invention on a bottle.

(7) FIG. 6 shows an embodiment of a valve.

(8) FIG. 7 shows an alternative embodiment of a valve from the preceding figure.

(9) FIG. 8 shows a second embodiment of a closed cap object of the invention with a plug.

(10) FIG. 9 shows the cap of FIG. 8 open, wherein the flows of incoming air and of exiting liquid are observed.

(11) FIG. 10 shows the cap of FIG. 9 being used by a user.

(12) FIG. 11 shows a section of the partially open cap with a plug.

(13) FIG. 12 shows a section of the completely open cap with a plug showing the flows of air and liquid.

(14) FIG. 13 shows a detail of the section of FIG. 12.

(15) FIG. 14 shows a bottom view of a cap with a plug.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

(16) In view of the mentioned drawings and according to the numbers used, a preferred embodiment of the invention can be seen therein, comprising the parts and elements described in detail below.

(17) FIGS. 1 to 7 show a first embodiment of a cap object of the present invention. As can be seen in said figures, the cap 1 object of the present application incorporates a liquid outlet 2, which is preferably always open, placed in a nozzle 23, and an air inlet 3 comprising a check valve or control valve 4 for controlling the entrance of air into the recipient. The cap has a top surface 24 and a perimetric side wall 22. The liquid outlet 2 and the air inlet 3 are located on said top surface 24. The check valve is located in the bottom part 25 of said surface. In this example, the diameter of the cap is approximately 3.2 cm, a typical diameter in 0.33 and 0.5 liter recipients containing water, and the distance between the axis of symmetry of the liquid outlet and the axis of symmetry of the air inlet is approximately 1.3 cm, said distance being able to range between 1 and 1.5 cm.

(18) The cap 1 has as fixing means for fixing to a container or bottle 6 threading 21 in the perimetric wall 22 of the cap 1 for being fitted on the neck of the bottle 6 as well as a top or cover 7 integral with said cap 1.

(19) The cap 1 allows consuming the drink from inside the bottle 6 comfortably and without the risk of the liquid coming out through the air inlet 3. A consumer will suck on the spout or nozzle 23 of the liquid outlet 2, creating a pressure drop inside the bottle 6 which will cause the check valve 4 to open and air to therefore enter the bottle 6. When no pressure drop is generated because there is no suction, the valve 4 closes and remains in this situation.

(20) Said valve 4 forms part of the body or part of the cap 1 as it is made from the same material as said cap and in the same manufacturing process, such that the different components of the cap form a single part or body obtained by means of a one-step injection process. The material of the cap is preferably a rigid or semi-rigid plastic in solid state, preferably polyethylene, and although flexible it is not resilient in said state. In any case, a cap with two or more materials, at least one for the body of the cap and another for the valve, would also be possible, being able to be manufactured in a single injection or in two provided that they allow manufacturing the cap such that the components form a single body or part.

(21) The check valve 4 shown in FIG. 4 consists of a tubular body forming part of the body of the cap 1 per se, with the walls of the first end of said tubular body surrounding the air inlet 3, and the walls of the second end of said body, in contact with one another closing the conduit of the tubular body.

(22) The cap object of the present invention is preferably located in a bottle or container 6 by means of threading 21 for fitting on the neck of the bottle as well as a top or cover 7 integral with said cap. The top 7 can internally incorporate projections 72 adapting to the liquid outlet or outlets 2, as well as projections 73 adapting to the air inlet or inlets 3.

(23) As described above, the cap 1 allows consuming the drink from inside the bottle comfortably and without the risk of the liquid coming out of the bottle 6 through the air inlet 3. When a consumer or user wishes to drink directly from the bottle 6, he/she could either suck on it or drink a stream. If the consumer sucks on the liquid outlet 2, or through the nozzle or spout 23, a pressure drop is created inside the bottle that causes the check valve 4 to open when forcing the walls of the second end of the tubular body of the valve 4 to separate, thereby allowing the entrance of air into the bottle by going through the inlet 3 and the conduit of the tubular body to reach the inside of the bottle 6. The greater the suction, the greater will be the opening of the valve 4 since the separation of the walls of the second end of the tubular body is greater, and therefore the exit of liquid will be greater. The opposite also occurs. When no pressure drop is generated because there is no suction, the valve 4 closes when the walls of the second end come together.

(24) If the consumer wants to drink a stream, i.e., directly from the stream coming out through the liquid outlet 2 of the cap 1, if the bottle 6 allows doing so, the consumer can compress said bottle 6 on the outside such that the walls of the second end of the valve are sealed by the compressing action of the liquid contained therein, forcing the liquid to exit through the liquid outlet 2, as if the cap 1 only had a single hole on its surface.

(25) Said tubular body forms part of the body of the cap 1, forming one and the same single part, such that the tubular body is an extension into the container or bottle 6 of the air inlet 3, and in this case it has the form of a groove, although it could also have other forms, such as a circular form.

(26) The cap 1 and the check valve 4 object of the present invention are preferably applied in bottles for water or soft drinks, the valve 4 being incorporated in the cap 1. Said cap can also be used for consuming isotonic drinks.

(27) The material used for manufacturing the cap object of the present invention is preferably a low density polyethylene or polypropylene resin with a density between 0.85 and 1.2 gr/cm3, more preferably between 0.9 and 0.95 g/cm3. Some of the materials that can be used are PP575P or PP412MN40 by SABIC, PR280P1M by ISPLEN (REPSOL) or lDPE LD 104BR by ExxonMobil.

(28) FIGS. 8 to 14 show a second embodiment of a cap according to the present invention, said cap 100 particularly applied to bottles containing isotonic drinks for being used by people practicing a sport since they allow drinking the content of the bottle without needing to remove a cover or top, the plug 700 incorporated in the cap 100 for opening or closing the cap 100 is moved simply using the mouth. Said cap has a liquid outlet with a configuration different from that described and a valve 310 identical to that described above in the first embodiment. In this example, the diameter of the cap is approximately 3.9 cm, a typical diameter in 0.5 liter recipients containing isotonic drinks, and the distance between the axis of symmetry of the liquid outlet and the axis of symmetry of the air inlet is approximately 1.4 cm, said distance being able to range between 1 and 1.7 cm, approximately.

(29) In this embodiment, the liquid outlet is cylindrical and is surrounded by a coaxial wall 130 demarcating it, located in the top part of the surface of the cap 120, and it has a coaxial cylindrical guiding element 110 located inside the outlet and extending from the bottom part of the surface of the cap 120 to above the coaxial wall 130 located outside the outlet. Said cylindrical guiding element 110 is kept in that position, coaxial to the coaxial wall 130 and preferably centered with respect to the outlet, due to the arrangement of preferably three equidistant ribs 140. The ribs 140 extend from the bottom part of the surface of the cap 120 to the bottom end of the cylindrical guiding element 110 of the cap. The cylindrical guiding element 110 is plugged on its outer top end. This structure, together with the valve 310 communicating with the air inlet 300, forms the body or part of the cap since it is built into the body of the cap per se and is made from the same material by means of the same injection process.

(30) The plug 700 of the cap 100 is located on the cylindrical guiding element 110 serving as a guide for moving the plug 700 along the guiding element 110, and is formed by a hollow cylindrical body 740 open at its two ends, wherein the cylindrical guiding element 110 of the cap 100 is inserted, the plug 700 being able to move along said cylindrical guiding element 110 between two limit positions with other intermediate positions. The movement of the plug 700 causes, in one of the two limit positions (FIG. 8), the outer end of the cylindrical guiding element 110 to press against the outer opening 710 of the cylindrical body 740 of the plug 700, such that the cap 100 would be closed in this position. In the other limit position in which the cap 100 is completely open, the outer opening 710 of the plug 700 is elevated with respect to the outer or top end of the cylindrical guiding element 110 (FIG. 9).

(31) When the cap 100 is open, the liquid L circulates between the outer surface of the cylindrical guiding element 110 of the cap 100 and the inner surface of the cylindrical body 740, 760 of the plug 700, the liquid L thus coming out through the opening 710 at the outer end of the cylindrical body 740 of the plug 700. The outer surface of the cylindrical body 740 of the plug 700 is in contact with the inner surface of the wall of the cap 130 coaxial to the outlet. Said plug 700 can have stops 750 for limiting its movement and preventing the plug 700 itself from coming out of its position.

(32) When the cap 100 is closed, the bottom end 760 of the cylindrical body 740 of the plug 700 rests on a projection 160 arranged at the inner end of the cylindrical guiding element 110.

(33) The plug 700 incorporates a vertical surface externally surrounding the cylindrical body 740, preferably a curved surface, for the purpose of accommodating the lips on said surface. A curved horizontal surface also extends from the base of the plug 700 for, in addition to allowing support for the lips, also for preventing lips from plugging the air inlet 300, and therefore the valve 310, preventing the air A from entering the bottle.

(34) The top surface 120 of the cap can be slightly recessed with respect to the perimetric wall such that the ends of the surface of the plug 700 are introduced in said recess.

(35) The working of this cap 100 is similar in its conception to that described above, with the particularity of having the plug 700. The user uses his/her mouth to move the plug 700 outwards such that the liquid L can circular between the cylindrical body 740 of the plug and the cylindrical element 110 of the cap 100. By sucking on the outlet 710 of the plug 700, the valve 310 opens thereby allowing the entrance of air A into the bottle. Like in the embodiment described above, the consumer, who is usually an athlete, can consume the liquid either by sucking or by drinking the stream.