Stand-up caulk dispenser

• US 9,120,602 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2012
• Issued: 09/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonoco Development Inc (Sonoco Products Company)
• Original Assignee: Sonoco Development Inc (Sonoco Products Company)
• Inventors: Lagace, Chad
• Primary Examiner(s): Nicolas, Frederick C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zadeh, Bob
• Application Number:
  US13/649,705
• Publication Number:
  US 20140103067A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,055 Days
• Field of Search: 222/562, 222/554, 222/563, 222 92-107, 222/552, 222/546, 222212-215, 215/43, 215/44, 248/128, 248/132, 248/134, 248/311.3
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 35/44 Closures closure members of interest apart from this application B65D39/00 - B65D55/00; forming bottom closures after filling B65B7/14
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 35/56 Holders for collapsible tubes B65D51/249 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 51/249 the closure being specifically formed for supporting the container

Abstract

The present application relates to a caulk dispenser. The dispenser includes a tube member having an internal chamber for holding caulk, where the chamber defines a volume. The tube member further comprises a first end with an outlet port and a second closed end. The dispenser further includes a cap member with a first end and a second end, where the cap member first end forms a substantially flat surface.

Claims

1. A caulk dispenser comprising:

a tube member having an internal chamber for holding caulk, the internal chamber defining a volume, the tube member further comprising a tube member first end defining an outlet port and a tube member second closed end; and

a cap member comprising a cap member first end and a cap member second end, wherein the cap member first end forms a substantially flat surface with a plurality of rounded corners, wherein at least two of the rounded corners comprise different radii of curvature, wherein the cap member first end has an outermost perimeter length that is greater than the outermost perimeter length of the cap member second end, and wherein the cap member second end is selectively attached to the tube member first end.

2. The caulk dispenser of claim 1, wherein the tube member comprises a flexible plastic.

3. The caulk dispenser of claim 1, wherein the cap member comprises a hard plastic, metal or both.

4. The caulk dispenser of claim 1, wherein the cap member comprises at least four corners.

5. The caulk dispenser of claim 1, wherein the outlet port comprises a conical shape.

6. The caulk dispenser of claim 1, wherein the tube member first end includes a lip for selectively mating with the cap member second end.

7. The caulk dispenser of claim 1, wherein the tube member first end comprises a threaded portion and the cap member second end comprises a threaded portion that are selectively mated with each other.

8. A caulk dispenser comprising:

a tube member having an internal chamber for holding caulk, the chamber defining a volume, the tube member further comprising a tube member first end defining an outlet port and a tube member second closed end and wherein the internal chamber volume decreases from the tube member second closed end to the tube member first end; and

a cap member comprising a cap member first end and a cap member second end, wherein the cap member first end forms a substantially flat surface with a plurality of rounded corners, wherein at least two of the rounded corners comprise different radii of curvature, wherein the cap member first end has an outermost perimeter length that is greater than the outermost perimeter length of the cap member second end, and wherein the cap member second end is selectively attached to the tube member first end.

9. The caulk dispenser of claim 8, wherein the tube member comprises a flexible plastic.

10. The caulk dispenser of claim 8, wherein the cap member comprises a hard plastic, metal or both.

11. The caulk dispenser of claim 8, wherein the cap member comprises at least four corners.

12. The caulk dispenser of claim 8, wherein the outlet port comprises a conical shape.

13. The caulk dispenser of claim 8, wherein the tube member first end includes a lip for selectively mating with the cap member second end.

14. The caulk dispenser of claim 8, wherein the tube member first end comprises a threaded portion and the cap member second end comprises a threaded portion that are selectively mated with each other.

15. A cap member for capping an outlet port on a container, the cap member comprising

a cap member first end and a cap member second end, wherein the cap member second end is configured to selectively attach to a container to cap an outlet port on the container, wherein the cap member first end has an outermost perimeter length that is greater than the outermost perimeter length of the cap member second end;

and

a substantially flat surface with a plurality of rounded corners formed at the cap member first end and wherein at least two of the rounded corners comprise different radii of curvature.

16. The cap member of claim 15, wherein at least one of the rounded corners has a radius of curvature greater than about 0.25 inches and at least one of the rounded corners has a radius of curvature less than about 0.25 inches.

17. The cap member of claim 15, wherein the cap member comprises a hard plastic, metal or both.

18. The cap member of claim 15, wherein the cap member comprises four corners.

19. The cap member of claim 18, wherein a first corner comprises a radius of curvature between about 0 inches to about 0.125 inches, a second corner comprises a radius of curvature between about 0.125 inches to about 0.25 inches, a third corner comprises a radius of curvature between about 0.25 inches to about 0.5 inches, and a fourth corner comprises a radius of curvature greater than about 0.5 inches.

20. A material dispenser comprising:

a tube member having an internal chamber for holding a material, the internal chamber defining a volume, the tube member further comprising a tube member first end defining an outlet port and a tube member second closed end; and

a cap member comprising a cap member first end and a cap member second end, wherein the cap member first end forms a substantially flat surface with a plurality of rounded corners, wherein at least two of the rounded corners comprise different radii of curvature, wherein the cap member first end has an outermost perimeter length that is greater than the outermost perimeter length of the cap member second end and wherein the cap member second end is selectively attached to the tube member first end.