Bottle closure with easy open tabs

Abstract

A cap for a bottle is provided with taps that make it easy for someone with a disability, e.g., arthritis, to twist the cap off of the bottle. The cap can have two or more rectangular vertical tabs arranged along the perimeter of the top surface of the cap so as to face each other in parallel on opposite sides of the top surface of the cap. The tabs have an extended height, i.e., greater than th inch and are separated by a distance approximately equal to the diameter of the top surface of the cap. The top corners of the tabs are squared (90 degree angles) to provide better gripping of a corner against which the tabs are placed while twisting the bottle so as to cause the cap to be released from the bottle.

Claims

1. A twist closure for a container, the closure comprising: a circular upper surface; a depending perimeter side wall that extend completely around the upper surface from the upper surface to a bottom edge, said sidewall being directly engaged and disengaged from the container by a twisting force; a first upstanding tab and a second upstanding tab spaced apart on the upper surface, said tabs having a generally rectangular shape and being arranged in parallel along the perimeter of the upper surface, said rectangular shapes of said tabs having flat top surfaces extending over the entire tab and generally parallel with the upper surface and flat inner surfaces facing each other on opposite sides of the upper surface, outer surfaces of the tabs being curved along the perimeter of the upper surface of the closure; said tabs being about inch in height or higher, have a thickness at their thickest point of about .sup.th inch or more, and a length of about .sup.th inch or more, the distance between the tabs being sufficient to promote gripping of a corner surface of a stationary object so as to allow a torque to be transferred to the closure by applying the twisting force to the container and being about 1 inches or more; and ribs located about the periphery of the closure to assist a user in gripping the cap, said ribs being generally parallel to each other and extend to the tops of the tabs where the tabs are located, said ribs having semi-circular tops and flat bottoms and extending all the way to the bottom edge of the cap.

2. The twist closure of claim 1 wherein the rectangular shapes of the tabs make four points of contact with the object to reduce the likelihood the tabs will slip off the corner of the stationary object.

3. The twist closure of claim 1 wherein the closure is a circular cap.

4. The twist closure of claim 1 wherein the tabs make a 90 degree angle with the upper surface.

5. The twist closure of claim 1 wherein the rectangular shapes have rounded corners at their tops.

6. The twist closure of claim 3 wherein the outer surface of the tabs follows the contour of the cap.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The subject matter which is regarded as the invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. The invention, however, both as to organization and method of practice, together with the further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of the cap of the present invention mounted on a rectangular bottle;

(3) FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of the cap of the present invention mounted on a rectangular bottle;

(4) FIG. 3 is a right side elevation of the cap of the present invention mounted on a rectangular bottle;

(5) FIG. 4 is a top view of the cap of the present invention;

(6) FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the cap of the present invention mounted on a bottle and engaging the corner of a piece of furniture as it is twisted to disengage it from the bottle;

(7) FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the cap of the present invention mounted on a bottle and engaging the corner of a door frame as it is twisted to disengage it from the bottle;

(8) FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the cap of the present invention mounted on a bottle and engaging the corner of a shelf as it is twisted to disengage it from the bottle; and

(9) FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the cap of the present invention mounted on a bottle and engaging the corner of a desk as it is twisted to disengage it from the bottle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(10) FIGS. 1-4 illustrate a rectangular bottle 10 whose opening is closed by a circular cap 11. However, the bottle may have a different shape, e.g., it may be a cylindrical bottle. Further, while the cap is shown as having a round shape it may have a square, rectangular or other shape, just so long as it engages and disengages the bottle by a twisting motion.

(11) The cap is characterized by two rectangular vertical tabs 16 arranged along the perimeter of the top surface 12 of the cap. The tabs 16 face each other in parallel on opposite sides of the top surface 12 of the cap. The tabs have an extended height, i.e., greater than 1/4 .sup.th inch. For example, each may measure approximately 3/8 .sup.th inch in height or inch in height. In addition, the tabs may be .sup.th inch in length and have a thickness at their thickest point of 1/8 .sup.th inch. The two tabs are separated by a distance approximately equal to the diameter of the top surface of the cap. In an example the distance is 1 1/4 inches on the surface of the cap. See FIG. 4. Naturally, the available separation distance will depend on the size of the cap. In some embodiments where the cap is large the tabs can be set in from the perimeter of the top surface of the cap and still provide sufficient torque.

(12) As shown in FIG. 4, the outer surfaces of the tabs may take on the shape of the cap, i.e., circular, and the inner surfaces are flat planar surfaces to provide maximum contact with the corner. However, the outer surfaces need not follow the shape of the cap and can, for example, also be flat planar surfaces. In addition, while a flat surface is preferred for the inner surface so as to distribute the torque load over the body of the tabs, they can also be curved like the outer surfaces. In such a case the torque is concentrated at the ends of the tabs.

(13) As best seen in FIG. 2 the tabs make a 90 degree angle with the top surface of the cap. FIG. 3 shows that the top corners 18 of the tabs are squared (90 degree angles). However, this is not critical and a more rounded attachment would still work.

(14) If desired the tabs and base of the cap may be provided with ribs 14 which aid in gripping the cap. The ribs may be of any convenient size and distribution. While helpful, the ribs are not essential to the invention.

(15) The squared top corners 18 of the cap permit maximal surface for gripping a corner surface, and the right angle at the juncture of the tab and top surface of the cap minimize slipping of the cap off the corner surface while twisting the cap off of the bottle. Nevertheless, some rounding of the top corners is permitted without departing from the invention, so long as the tabs are sufficiently high at the ends of the tabs to create a secure grip on the corner.

(16) The 1 separation of the two tabs permits the necessary distance for grabbing of a corner surface by the cap, especially for the many corner surfaces that are rounded. To the extent the cap is too small to permit this distance, it may be compensated by making the tabs higher, or create an extended platform on the surface of the cap from which the tabs can project upward (not shown).

(17) As an alternative, the tabs can have a cutout 17 with a square shape, U-shape or V-shape, so that there are 4 tabs on the cap (shown in dotted line in FIG. 3). This allows some additional flexibility in the tabs that enhances their ability to grip a corner.

(18) In use the bottle 10 with the cap 11 is grasped by the user and is located so that the tabs 16 are on either side of a corner of some structure 20, e.g., furniture in FIG. 5. Then the user twists the bottle, which applies torque on the cap because the tabs cause it to resist turning with the bottle. The corner can be part of any convenient object or structure, e.g., a door frame as illustrated in FIG. 6, a shelf as illustrated in FIG. 7 or a desk as illustrated in FIG. 8. Typically a corner is selected so that the contents of the bottle do not fall or spill out while torque is applied to the cap. However, if sufficient threads are provided on the bottle and cap, torque can be applied to loosen the cap without the contents falling out. Then the bottle can be placed in an upright position and manually opened before the cap is sufficiently loosened to allow the contents to spill.

(19) While the cap illustrated has a circular shape, the invention is not limited to such caps and may be used on square caps or caps with other configurations.

(20) The present design with its square cornered tabs provides more gripping ability than the rounded tabs of the inventor's prior design patents or the v-shaped tabs of U.S. Pat. No. 4,731,512 of Barriac, which easily slip off from a corner surface while twisting the bottle. Further, it is an improvement over the Barriac tabs which are aligned with the center or midline of the cap and instead are arranged along its periphery. It also provides four points of contact with a corner, i.e., one at each edge of the two tabs, thus increasing the ability to grasp the corner.

(21) While the invention has been described in detail herein in accordance with certain preferred embodiments thereof, many modifications and changes therein may be effected by those skilled in the art. Accordingly, it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.