CAP WITH INTEGRATED SPOUT

• US 20110127232A1
• Filed: 11/30/2010
• Published: 06/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amphipod Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Amphipod Incorporated
• Inventors: Rosario, Antonio Del, Willows, Keith S., Angus, June A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,027,769 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 215/354
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 47/088 located at an edge of the base element
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 47/142 for threaded caps
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 47/143 with internal parts

Abstract

A cap having an integrated spout includes an overcap with an insert for providing a seal for the spout. In various versions, the spout or insert include ribs or other features to provide a watertight seal between the spout and insert. The spout is preferably formed from a resilient material.

Claims

1. A cap for a bottle, comprising:

a main cap body removably securable to the bottle, the main cap body having a spout defining a passageway through the spout and the main cap body, wherein when the main cap body is secured to the bottle a fluid within the bottle can pass through the passageway defined by the spout, the passageway further being sufficiently large to allow the fluid to freely pour from the spout; and

an overcap removably attached to the main cap body, the overcap having an insert snugly received by the spout to provide a substantially watertight seal when the overcap is attached to the main cap body.

2. The cap of claim 1, wherein the spout is formed from a resilient material.

3. The cap of claim 2, wherein the spout is removably attached to the main cap body.

4. The cap of claim 3, wherein the insert is integrally formed with the overcap.

5. The cap of claim 3, wherein the insert is snugly received within the spout when the overcap is attached to the main cap body.

6. The cap of claim 5, wherein the insert further comprises a stem extending downward from the overcap, the stem having an annular peripheral insert rib formed about an exterior surface of the stem, wherein the insert rib is sized to snugly abut an interior sidewall of the spout.

7. The cap of claim 6, wherein the stem is substantially cylindrical and extends downward along a central axis defined by the overcap, the insert rib being perpendicular to the central axis.

8. The cap of claim 6 wherein the spout further comprises an interior surface, the interior surface forming an annular spout rib, the annular spout rib being sized and configured to snugly receive the exterior surface of the stem.

9. The cap of claim 8, wherein the main cap body further comprises an interior main cap body surface having threads for engaging a mating threaded surface on the bottle, the main cap body further having a neck surrounding a base of the spout, the neck comprising neck threads, the overcap further having overcap threads for engaging the neck threads to removably secure the overcap to the main cap body.

10. A cap for a bottle, comprising:

a main cap body removably securable to the bottle, the main cap body having a first end forming a peripheral rim and a second end defining a spout, the spout defining an opening through the main cap body, wherein when the main cap body is secured to the bottle a fluid within the bottle can pass through the spout; and

an overcap removably attached to the main cap body, the overcap having an insert snugly received by the spout to provide a substantially watertight seal when the overcap is attached to the main cap body.

11. The cap of claim 10, wherein the insert surrounds a portion of the spout when the overcap is attached to the main cap body.

12. The cap of claim 10, wherein the spout defines a spout rim, and further wherein the overcap snugly abuts the entirety of the spout rim when the overcap is attached to the main cap body.

13. The cap of claim 10, wherein the insert is received within the opening of the spout when the overcap is attached to the main cap body.

14. The cap of claim 13, wherein the insert further comprises a stem extending downward from the overcap, the stem having an annular peripheral insert rib formed about an exterior surface of the stem, wherein the insert rib is sized to snugly abut an interior sidewall of the spout, further, wherein the stem is substantially cylindrical and extends downward along a central axis defined by the overcap, the insert rib extending somewhat perpendicular to the central axis. The spout further comprises an interior surface, the interior surface forming an annular spout rib, the annular spout rib being sized and configured to snugly receive the exterior surface of the stem.

15. The cap of claim 14, wherein the main cap body further comprises an interior main cap body surface having threads for engaging a mating threaded surface on the bottle, the main cap body further having a neck surrounding a base of the spout, the neck comprising neck threads, the overcap further having overcap threads for engaging the neck threads to removably secure the overcap to the main cap body.

16. The bottle closure of claim 15, wherein the insert is configured such that it freely spins in the overcap.

17. The cap of claim 15, wherein the spout is formed from a resilient material and the insert is formed from a substantially rigid material.

18. The cap of claim 10, wherein the overcap comprises an external upper surface and downwardly depending sidewalls that surround the spout when the overcap is attached to the main cap body, the external upper surface of the overcap further having a concavity.

19. The cap of claim 18, wherein the insert is formed separately from the overcap and affixed to the overcap, and further wherein the concavity is formed on the insert.

20. A closure for a bottle, comprising:

a main cap body removably securable to the bottle, the main cap body having a spout formed from a resilient material, the spout having an inside surface and an outside surface, the inside surface defining a passageway through the spout and the main cap body, wherein when the main cap body is secured to the bottle a fluid within the bottle can pass through the passageway defined by the spout, the passageway further being sufficiently large to allow the fluid to freely pour from the spout;

a spout cap having an insert snugly and removably received by at least a portion of the inside surface of the spout; and

a spout base, the spout base being in contact with an upper portion of the bottle, whereby the spout, in cooperation with the spout cap, provides a substantially watertight seal for the bottle.

21. The closure of claim 20, wherein the insert is integrally formed with the spout cap.

22. The closure of claim 20, wherein the insert further comprises a stem extending downward from the spout cap, the stem having an annular peripheral insert rib formed about an exterior surface of the stem, wherein the insert rib is sized to snugly abut the inside surface of the spout.

23. The bottle closure of claim 22, wherein the insert is configured such that it freely spins in the spout cap.

24. The bottle closure of claim 22, wherein the stem is substantially cylindrical and extends downward along a central axis defined by the spout cap, the insert rib extending perpendicularly to the central axis.

25. The bottle closure of claim 24, wherein the inside surface of the spout forms an annular spout rib, the annular spout rib being sized and configured to snugly receive the exterior surface of the stem.

26. The bottle closure of claim 25, wherein the main cap body further comprises an interior main cap body surface having threads for engaging a mating threaded surface on the bottle, the main cap body further having a neck surrounding the base of the spout, the neck comprising neck threads, the spout cap further having spout cap threads for engaging the neck threads to removably secure the spout cap to the main cap body.

27. The bottle closure of claim 20, wherein the spout is removably attached to the main cap body.

28. The bottle closure of claim 27, wherein the main cap body further comprises an interior main cap body surface having threads for engaging a mating threaded surface on the bottle, the main cap body further having a neck surrounding a base of the spout, the neck comprising neck threads, the spout cap further having spout cap threads for engaging the neck threads to removably secure the spout cap to the main cap body.

29. The bottle closure of claim 27, wherein the insert further comprises a stem extending downward from the spout cap, the stem having an annular peripheral insert rib formed about an exterior surface of the stem, wherein the insert rib is sized to snugly abut the inside surface of the spout.

30. The bottle closure of claim 29, wherein the stem is substantially cylindrical and extends downward along a central axis defined by the spout cap, the insert rib extending axially in a direction perpendicular to the central axis.

31. The bottle closure of claim 30, wherein the inside surface of the spout forms an annular spout rib, the annular spout rib being sized and configured to snugly receive the exterior surface of the stem.

32. The bottle closure of claim 31, wherein the main cap body further comprises an interior main cap body surface having threads for engaging a mating threaded surface on the bottle, the main cap body further having a neck surrounding a base of the spout, wherein the neck is removably securable to the spout cap.

33. The bottle closure of claim 20, wherein the insert surrounds a portion of the spout when the spout cap is attached to the main cap body.

34. The cap of claim 20, wherein the spout cap, insert and main cap body are formed from a substantially rigid material.