Dispensing cap for a container

• US 10,065,775 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2015
• Issued: 09/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Granite State Product Development, LLC
• Original Assignee: Granite State Product Development, LLC
• Inventors: Estes, Allen, Porter, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Grano, Ernesto
• Application Number:
  US14/932,073
• Publication Number:
  US 20160052685A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,035 Days
• Field of Search: 220521
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 41/3428 the tamper element being integrally connected to the closure by means of bridges
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 51/2864 the element being a plug or like element closing a passage between the auxiliary container and the main container

Abstract

A dispensing cap for a container includes a body portion and an integrally formed chamber for holding an additive substance. An inner wall integrally formed with the body portion defines the chamber whose open end is sealed by a chamber closure member. The chamber closure member being configured for cooperating with the inner wall and seal the chamber, wherein the body portion, the closed top end, the plunger, and the inner wall are integrally formed.

Claims

1. A dispensing cap for a container, the dispensing cap comprising:

a generally cylindrically-shaped body portion having a closed top end and an open bottom end, the closed top end comprising a diaphragm portion;

a generally cylindrically-shaped inner wall axially extending from the closed top end towards the open bottom end of the generally cylindrically-shaped body portion and defining a chamber for holding an additive substance, wherein the chamber has an opening towards the open bottom end of the generally cylindrically-shaped body portion;

the generally cylindrically-shaped body portion and the generally cylindrically-shaped inner wall defining a receptacle therebetween for receiving a mouth of the container from the open bottom end of the generally cylindrically-shaped body portion and sealing the mouth of the container;

a plunger axially extending from the diaphragm portion towards the opening of the chamber, wherein the diaphragm and the plunger have a closed position and an open position; and

a chamber closure member for sealing the chamber'"'"'s opening attached to the plunger, wherein the chamber closure member is a disc-like structure having a sealing surface along its periphery and the generally cylindrically-shaped inner wall has a corresponding sealing surface that cooperates with the sealing surface of the chamber closure member for sealing the chamber when the diaphragm and the plunger are in the closed position,

wherein the chamber closure member has a top side that faces the closed top end of the generally cylindrically-shaped body portion and a bottom side that faces away from the chamber, and further wherein the chamber closure member is provided with one or more stress-relieving depressions on the top side, thereby when an activating force is applied to the diaphragm and the plunger is being moved from the closed position to the open position, the one or more stress-relieving depressions enable the chamber closure member to elastically collapse and facilitate unsealing of the chamber closure member from the generally cylindrically-shaped inner wall, and wherein the chamber closure member is provided with a bottom side depression for controlling the thickness of the chamber closing member,

wherein the one or more stress-relieving depressions comprise a first annular depression extending circumferentially along a periphery of the chamber closure member,

wherein the generally cylindrically-shaped body portion, the closed top end, the plunger, and the generally cylindrically-shaped inner wall are integrally formed.

2. The dispensing cap according to claim 1, the one or more stress-relieving depressions further comprising:

a second annular depression extending circumferentially about the chamber closure member, wherein the second annular depression has a smaller diameter than the first annular depression; and

a plurality of radially oriented depressions extending between the first annular depression and the second annular depression.

3. The dispensing cap according to claim 1, wherein the sealing surface of the chamber closure member comprising an inner sealing surface and an outer sealing surface, wherein the inner sealing surface is configured to cooperate with the corresponding surface on the generally cylindrically-shaped inner wall to seal against higher external ambient pressure condition and the outer sealing surface is configured to cooperate with the corresponding surface on the generally cylindrically-shaped inner wall to seal against higher internal ambient pressure condition.

4. The dispensing cap according to claim 3, wherein the inner sealing surface is sloped at about 30°

-32°

relative to the longitudinal axis of the generally cylindrically-shaped body portion.

5. The dispensing cap according to claim 3, wherein the outer sealing surface is sloped at about 10°

-12°

relative to the longitudinal axis of the generally cylindrically-shaped body portion.

6. The dispensing cap according to claim 1, wherein the chamber closure member and the generally cylindrically-shaped inner wall form a liquid tight seal.

7. The dispensing cap according to claim 1, wherein the receptacle includes a screw threading for threadably connecting the dispensing cap to the mouth of the container, thereby sealing contents of the container therein when the dispensing cap is mounted for use on the container.

8. The dispensing cap according to claim 7, further comprising a tamper ring for preventing unintentional unthreading of the dispensing cap from the mouth of the container.

9. The dispensing cap according to claim 1, wherein the receptacle is configured for snap-fitting onto the mouth of a container, thereby sealing contents of the container therein when the dispensing cap is mounted for use on the container.

10. The dispensing cap according to claim 1, further comprising a flip-top lid that is attached to the generally cylindrically-shaped body portion by a hinge and a locking ridge provided on the body portion for locking the flip-top lid closed over the diaphragm and prevent accidental actuation of the diaphragm.

11. The dispensing cap according to claim 10, wherein the chamber closure member and the plunger are configured to be press-fitted to each other and the flip-top lid is provided with a diaphragm supporting pedestal for supporting the diaphragm during assembly of the dispensing cap when the chamber closure member is being pressed on to the plunger and seal the chamber.

12. A dispensing cap for a container, the dispensing cap comprising:

a generally cylindrically-shaped body portion having a closed top end and an open bottom end, the closed top end comprising a diaphragm portion;

a generally cylindrically-shaped inner wall axially extending from the closed top end towards the open bottom end of the generally cylindrically-shaped body portion and defining a chamber for holding an additive substance, wherein the chamber has an opening towards the open bottom end of the generally cylindrically-shaped body portion;

the generally cylindrically-shaped body portion and the generally cylindrically-shaped inner wall defining a receptacle therebetween for receiving a mouth of the container from the open bottom end of the generally cylindrically-shaped body portion and sealing the mouth of the container;

a plunger axially extending from the diaphragm portion towards the opening of the chamber, wherein the diaphragm and the plunger have a closed position and an open position; and

a chamber closure member for sealing the chamber'"'"'s opening attached to the plunger, wherein the chamber closure member is a disc-like structure having a sealing surface along its periphery and the generally cylindrically-shaped inner wall has a corresponding sealing surface that cooperates with the sealing surface of the chamber closure member for sealing the chamber when the diaphragm and the plunger are in the closed position,

wherein the chamber closure member has a top side that faces the closed top end of the generally cylindrically-shaped body portion and a bottom side that faces away from the chamber, and further wherein the chamber closure member is provided with a stress-relieving depression on the top side, thereby when an activating force is applied to the diaphragm and the plunger is being moved from the closed position to the open position, the stress-relieving depression enables the chamber closure member to elastically collapse and facilitate unsealing of the chamber closure member from the generally cylindrically-shaped inner wall,

wherein the stress-relieving depression is an annular depression extending circumferentially along a periphery of the chamber closure member.

13. The dispensing cap according to claim 12, wherein the chamber closure member is provided with a bottom side depression for controlling the thickness of the chamber closure member.

14. The dispensing cap according to claim 12, wherein the receptacle includes a screw threading for threadably connecting the dispensing cap to the mouth of the container, thereby sealing contents of the container therein when the dispensing cap is mounted for use on the container.

15. The dispensing cap according to claim 12, further comprising a flip-top lid that is attached to the generally cylindrically-shaped body portion by a hinge and a locking ridge provided on the generally cylindrically-shaped body portion for locking the flip-top lid closed over the diaphragm and prevent accidental actuation of the diaphragm.

16. The dispensing cap according to claim 15, wherein the chamber closure member and the plunger are configured to be press-fitted to each other and the flip-top lid is provided with a diaphragm supporting pedestal for supporting the diaphragm during assembly of the dispensing cap when the chamber closure member is being pressed on to the plunger and seal the chamber.