Container and cap assembly

• US 10,189,614 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2014
• Issued: 01/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bissell Inc.
• Original Assignee: Bissell Homecare, Inc. (Bissell Inc.)
• Inventors: Pruiett, Jason W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Niesz, Jason K
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hakomaki, James
• Application Number:
  US14/212,179
• Publication Number:
  US 20140263314A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,782 Days
• Field of Search: 141325
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4083 Liquid supply reservoirs; Preparation of the agents, e.g. mixing devices
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 47/2031 the element being formed by a slit, narrow opening or constrictable spout, the size of the outlet passage being able to be varied by increasing or decreasing the pressure B65D47/2025 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 47/32 with means for venting

Abstract

A cap for closing an opening in a container, the container having a top wall in which the opening is formed, a bottom wall, and at least one container side wall extending between the top wall and the bottom wall defining a cavity for storing a material for dispensing through the cap includes an end face having at least one fluid inlet adapted to allow air to flow through the cap and at least one fluid outlet, separate from the at least one fluid inlet, adapted to allow liquid to flow through the cap, a side wall extending from the end face, and a retaining element provided on at least a portion of the side wall.

Claims

1. A cap for closing an opening in a container, the container having a top wall in which the opening is formed, a bottom wall, and at least one container side wall extending between the top wall and the bottom wall defining a cavity for storing a material for dispensing through the cap, the cap comprising:

an end face having at least one fluid inlet adapted to allow air to flow through the cap and at least one fluid outlet, separate from the at least one fluid inlet, adapted to allow liquid to flow through the cap;

a seal provided adjacent the end face and configured to fluidly seal the at least one fluid outlet and the at least one fluid inlet;

a side wall extending from the end face, the side wall having an interior surface configured to couple the cap with the container and an exterior surface opposite the interior surface; and

at least a first retaining element extending from at least a portion of the exterior surface of the side wall;

wherein air flows through the at least one fluid inlet and through the opening of the container into the cavity to pressurize the cavity to displace at least a portion of the material through the opening of the container and the at least one fluid outlet to dispense the material stored within the container.

2. The cap of claim 1 wherein the first retaining element comprises a shoulder extending outwardly from the side wall at an angle with respect to a longitudinal axis extending through the end face, with an outer surface of the shoulder forming a camming surface.

3. The cap of claim 2 wherein the shoulder extends only partially around a perimeter of the cap.

4. The cap of claim 1 wherein the first retaining element comprises at least two bosses protruding from the side wall, each boss having an outer surface forming a camming surface, wherein the camming surface is formed at an angle with respect to a lateral axis extending through the side wall, parallel to the end face.

5. The cap of claim 1 wherein the seal comprises a first seal configured to fluidly seal the at least one fluid outlet and a second seal configured to fluidly seal the at least one fluid inlet.

6. The cap of claim 1 wherein the seal comprises at least one fluid outlet valve, at least one fluid inlet valve, or both, configured to open at a predetermined cracking pressure.

7. The cap of claim 1 wherein the end face comprises multiple fluid inlets and the cap further comprises a seal having a channel fluidly connecting the multiple fluid inlets.

8. The cap of claim 1 wherein the at least one fluid outlet comprises a single fluid outlet surrounded by multiple fluid inlets.

9. The cap of claim 1, further comprising an air leak in the cap to control the flow of air through the at least one fluid inlet and the dispensing of the material through the at least one fluid outlet.

10. The cap of claim 1 wherein the cap is separable along the side wall to separate a first portion of the cap including the end face and the first retaining element from a second portion of the cap which is received on the container and remains on the container after separation of the first portion.

11. The cap of claim 10, further comprising a second retaining element provided on the side wall and wherein the second retaining element remains on the second portion of the cap after separation of the first portion.

12. The cap of claim 10, further comprising at least one line of weakness in the side wall, wherein the first portion is separable from the second portion along the at least one line of weakness.

13. The cap of claim 10, further comprising a removable section of the side wall between the first portion and the second portion, wherein the removable section is removed from the side wall to separate the first portion from the second portion.

14. The cap of claim 13 wherein the removable section includes a tab configured to be grasped by a user to remove the removable section of the side wall.

15. The cap of claim 10, further comprising an air leak in the cap to control the flow of air through the at least one fluid inlet and the dispensing of the material through the at least one fluid outlet.