Cap assembly and method therefor

• US 20080023103A1
• Filed: 07/31/2006
• Published: 01/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tarl Brandon
• Original Assignee: Tarl Brandon
• Inventors: Ballinger, Darren L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,635,013 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 141/338
• CPC Class Codes: B67C 11/00 Funnels, e.g. for liquids filter funnels B01D29/085; volume flow-meters G01F
• CPC Class Codes: B67C 2011/027 for filling oil into engines
• CPC Class Codes: B67C 2011/20 comprising closures, e.g. stoppers, caps or lids

Abstract

A cap assembly and method therefore is disclosed. The cap assembly preferably has a funnel coupled thereto. Preferably, the funnel is stored within the cap assembly so that it will always be available for use. Further preferably, the user could avoid getting any of the liquid on his/her hands because the funnel would be capable of being placed into position and stored without the user ever having to touch it.

Claims

1. A cap assembly for a liquid container comprising:

a base dimensioned to be coupled to an opening of a liquid container, said base having a bottom portion and an annular side wall coupled to said bottom portion of said base;

a lid having a top portion and an annular side wall coupled to said top portion;

a telescoping funnel, a bottom portion of said telescoping funnel coupled to an inner surface of said bottom portion of said base;

at least one slot defined by a top portion of said telescoping funnel; and

at least one protrusion coupled to an inner surface of said annular side wall of said lid, said at least one protrusion dimensioned to engage said at least one slot so that said lid being detachably coupled to said top portion of said telescoping funnel.

2. The cap assembly of claim 1 wherein said at least one slot having:

a wide end larger than said protrusion and dimensioned to receive said protrusion;

a tapered middle portion; and

a narrow end dimensioned to grip said protrusion.

3. The cap assembly of claim 1 wherein said annular side wall of said base and said inner surface of said annular side wall of said lid being threaded and dimensioned to removably mate with each other.

4. The cap assembly of claim 1 wherein said telescoping funnel comprising a series of slidably coupled concentric rings, each successive ring increasing in diameter.

5. The cap assembly of claim 4 wherein at least a top ring of said telescoping funnel being rotatably coupled to a preceding ring so that said at least one protrusion remains gripped by said at least one slot while said lid being twisted.

6. The cap assembly of claim 1 wherein said at least one protrusion being positioned above said threading on said inner surface of said annular side wall of said lid.

7. The cap assembly of claim 1 wherein said bottom portion of said telescoping funnel being integral to said inner surface of said bottom portion of said base.

8. The cap assembly of claim 1 wherein twisting said lid in one direction will disengage said lid from said base and wherein twisting said lid in an opposite direction after extending said telescoping funnel will disengage said at least one protrusion from said at least one slot.

9. The cap assembly of claim 1 wherein said at least one slot being four slots and wherein-said at least one protrusion being four protrusions.

10. The cap assembly of claim 1 wherein said top portion of said telescoping funnel having a greater diameter than said bottom portion of said telescoping funnel.

11. The cap assembly of claim 1 further comprising at least one rubber seal coupled to at least one of said bottom portion of said base and an inner surface of said top portion of said lid.

12. The cap assembly of claim 1 wherein said lid further comprising a center protrusion extending downwardly from an inner surface of said top portion of said lid, at least a portion of said center protrusion dimensioned to contact an inner surface of said bottom portion of said telescoping funnel when said cap assembly being in a closed position.

13. A cap assembly for a liquid container comprising:

a base dimensioned to be coupled to an opening of a liquid container, said base having a bottom portion and an annular side wall coupled to said bottom portion;

a lid having a top portion and an annular side wall coupled to said top portion;

threading coupled to said annular side wall of said base;

threading coupled to an inner surface of said annular side wall of said lid and dimensioned to removably mate with said threading coupled to said annular side wall of said base;

a tapered telescoping funnel comprising a series of slidably coupled concentric rings, each successive ring increasing in diameter, wherein a top ring of said telescoping funnel being rotatably coupled to a preceding ring and wherein a bottom ring of said telescoping funnel being coupled to an inner surface of said bottom portion of said base;

four slots defined by said top ring of said telescoping funnel, each slot having;

a wide end;

a tapered middle portion; and

a narrow end; and

four protrusions coupled to said inner surface of said annular side wall of said lid, each protrusion dimensioned to enter said wide end of one of said four slots when said top being placed onto said top ring of said telescoping funnel and to slide along said tapered middle portion by twisting said lid until said protrusion being gripped by said narrow end.

14. The cap assembly of claim 13 wherein said bottom ring of said telescoping funnel being integral to said inner surface of said bottom portion of said base.

15. The cap assembly of claim 13 further comprising at least one rubber seal coupled to at least one of said bottom portion of said base and an inner surface of said top portion of said lid.

16. A method for adding liquid to a liquid container of an engine:

providing a cap assembly for a liquid container comprising;

a base dimensioned to be coupled to an opening of a liquid container, said base having a bottom portion and an annular side wall coupled to said bottom portion;

a lid having a top portion and an annular side wall coupled to said top portion;

threading coupled to an inner surface of said annular side wall of said base;

threading coupled to an inner surface of said annular side wall of said lid and dimensioned to removably mate with said threading coupled to said annular side wall of said base;

a telescoping funnel, a bottom portion of said telescoping funnel coupled to an inner surface of said bottom portion of said base;

at least one slot defined by a top portion of said telescoping funnel; and

at least one protrusion coupled to an inner surface of said annular side wall of said top, said at least one protrusion dimensioned to engage said at least one slot so that said lid being detachably coupled to said telescoping funnel;

twisting said lid in a first direction to disengage said threading of said inner surface of said annular side wall of said lid from said threading of said annular side wall of said base;

pulling upwardly on said lid to extend said telescoping funnel;

twisting said lid in a second direction, said second direction being opposite from said first direction, to disengage said at least one protrusion from said at least one slot; and

pouring liquid into said top portion of said telescoping funnel.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising the steps of:

placing said lid onto said top portion of said telescoping funnel so that said at least one protrusion being inserted into said at least one slot;

twisting said lid in said first direction so that said at least one protrusion is tightly gripped by said at least one slot;

pushing down onto said lid to collapse said telescoping funnel;

twisting said lid in said second direction to mate said threading coupled to said inner surface of said annular side wall of said lid to said threading coupled to said annular side wall of said base.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein said at least one slot of said top portion of said telescoping funnel of said cap assembly having:

a wide end larger than said at least one protrusion and dimensioned to receive said at least one protrusion;

a tapered middle portion; and

a narrow end dimensioned to grip said at least one protrusion.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein said bottom portion of said telescoping funnel being integral to said inner surface of said bottom portion of said base.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein said cap assembly further comprises at least one rubber seal coupled to at least one of said bottom portion of said base and an inner surface of said top portion of said top.