US20080078787A1

US20080078787A1 - Carabiner bottle closure

Info

Publication number: US20080078787A1
Application number: US11/538,047
Authority: US
Inventors: William Yelland
Original assignee: Sun Coast Merchandise Corp
Current assignee: Sun Coast Merchandise Corp
Priority date: 2006-10-02
Filing date: 2006-10-02
Publication date: 2008-04-03
Also published as: CN101156724A

Abstract

A closure for removably sealing a container and for attaching to external articles having an external hooking device. The closure includes a container cap configured to removably engage the container and having a strip engaging portion formed proximate an end of the cap. The closure includes an attachment member that has a resilient hooking strip extending from the lid to define a hooking aperture therebetween. The attachment member has a cap engaging portion formed adjacent an end thereof and releasably engaged to the strip engaging portion. The engaging portions are configured such that the cap engaging portion is releasable from engagement by applying disengaging force upon any portion of the hooking strip.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

(Not Applicable)

STATEMENT RE: FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH/DEVELOPMENT

(Not Applicable)

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to field of a container closures and carabiner bottle caps that can be removably attached to external articles. The attachment member may be configured to be openable for detaching the closure from the external articles by applying downward pressure upon any portion thereof.
Portable containers such as bottles for containing drinking water, beverage, or other small articles are commonly used in everyday life in various circumstances. Many people carry such containers with them for repeated use, treating those as part of their personal belongings. Most of such portable containers are, however, not designed or structured to be attachable to other objects. So, for carrying them after use, one has to keep holding them with a hand or retain them in another bigger container such as a backpack. Having to hand-carry such portable containers all the time would be very inconvenient, and further, susceptible to potential loss due to forgetfulness. Carrying them in another bag is inconvenient too because in many occasions people do not find a separate bag for retaining them in the first place, and also, even if they do, there is a risk of accidental spillage to contaminate other articles in the bag.
Some of the prior art bottle caps exist that combine carabiner-type attachment devices with containers or container caps. U.S. Pat. No. 5,270,909 discloses a carabiner-type openable handle attached to a mug or flashlight, by which the mug or flashlight may be attached to external devices. U.S. Patent Application No. 2004/0250386 A1 discloses a carabiner-type attachment member integrally formed with either the container or the container cap. If, however, such carabiner-type attachment means is made of light and flexible material commonly used for the container cap for reducing cost and weight, there may be a risk that the section adjacent the openable gate in a typical carabiner, which is usually configured to permit the gate opened under force directed to only one direction, may collapse under oppositely directed force to unintentionally let the gate opened.
One disadvantage in using many of prior art bottle caps utilizing carabiner-type attachments is that two-handed operation is typically required. For example, one must normally clutch the bottle while releasing the carabiner-type attachment. Such two-handed operation may be undesirable during outdoor activities such as hiking or mountain climbing.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a container closure that may be easily and removably attached to external articles such as belt loops, backpacks, shopping bags, directly, or indirectly via some intervening hooking devices such as rings, hooks, clips, or clasps. It is also desirable that such attachment member is formed in the container cap rather than in the container body so that the container, while being conveniently interchanged with another, may continue to be attachable to external articles just by keeping the cap. Further, it is highly desirable that such attachment member is so structured that first, even if it is made of light and flexible material commonly used for the container cap, it would sustain securably a fully filled container without accidental disengagement against its weight, and second, it is easily and conveniently openable for detaching the container from external articles simply by applying downward pressure upon any portion of it.
Moreover, since such containers with the attachment member are likely to be constantly exposed to observers while being attached to external articles such as belts, bags, or backpacks, they would be a highly effective vehicle for advertisement if some advertising materials are placed upon some visible outer surfaces of them. Therefore, it would be also desirable to provide a container and a cap having previously described attachment member that has some advertising materials imprinted upon some visible outer surfaces thereof, and further, to provide a method of advertising so.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a container closure for a container that has an attachment member formed upon the container cap and so structured as to render, thereby, the cap and a fully filled container to be securely attached to external devices, and further, allow them to be conveniently detached simply by applying pressure of adequate strength on the attachment member directed downward, that is, from the attachment member toward the container cap below.
The container closure with such attachment member made according to the present invention comprises a container cap sized and configured to fit over a given container and having a top lid and a circumferential side wall extended vertically from its edge; and an integrally formed attachment member extending from the container cap, by which the cap and the container may be attached to external articles, such as belts or backpacks, directly, or indirectly via intervening connectors such as a ring or a clip.
More particularly, the attachment member comprises an elongated strip made of resilient material, extending from and disposed over the top lid. It is generally bent so as to define a closed aperture between the strip and the top lid into which external articles such as a belt or backpack, or intervening connectors such as a ring or a clip may be hooked. At one end it is connected to and integrally formed with a first end of the cap, located preferably at a portion of the peripheral edge of the top lid. Near the other end, the strip has a male engagement member which can releaseably engage with a corresponding female engagement member formed near a second end of the cap located diametrically opposite the first end.
The engagement members are configured such that the strip is releaseable from the cap by applying on any portion of the hooking strip disengaging force of adequate magnitude directed toward the top lid. In the preferred embodiment, the male and female engagement members are, respectively, a L-shaped hook pointing upward and a slot defined upward. Further, the hooking strip and the cap are configured such that if the downward force continues to be applied on the hooking strip after the male engagement member is disengaged vertically downward, the male engagement member moves further and laterally away from the cap.
The attachment member may further comprise a supporting strip extended between the hooking strip and the top lid, a raised ridge formed on the supporting strip and the inner surface of the hooking strip, and a cavity formed therebetween, all for the purpose of providing structural rigidity and sustainability to the hooking strip.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container with the closure in the preferred embodiment made according to the present invention with the attachment member engaged to the container cap;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a container with the closure in the preferred embodiment made according to the present invention, being attached to an external article via the attachment member in the exemplary way;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of a container with the closure in the preferred embodiment made according to the present invention, being hooked to an intervening device via the attachment member in the exemplary way for attachment to an external article thereby;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of a container with the closure in the preferred embodiment made according to the present invention, with the attachment member fully disengaged from the cap;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of a container with the closure in the preferred embodiment made according to the present invention, with the attachment member in a first position under continuous application of downward pressure;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of a container with the closure in the preferred embodiment made according to the present invention, with the attachment member in a second position under further application of downward pressure after reaching the first position described in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a cross sectional side view of a container with the closure in the preferred embodiment made according to the present invention, with the attachment member engaged to the cap; and

FIG. 8 is an enlarged cross sectional side view of the closure in the preferred embodiment made according to the present invention, with the attachment member engaged to the cap.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a container closure that can removably attach, via an attachment means formed thereon, to external articles, wherein the attachment means are configured to have the closure conveniently detached from the external articles simply by applying downward pressure upon any portion thereof.
The preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to figures (‘FIGS.’) 1-8, wherein like components are designated by like reference numerals throughout the figures. Although the present invention is generally described in terms of the preferred embodiments, it should be understood that it is shown and described, only by way of illustration of the best mode contemplated in carrying out the invention, but not intended to limit in any way the spirit and scope of the invention to the particular embodiments described.
Now referring to the figures, FIG. 1 shows the general overview of the preferred embodiment of the container closure 1 made according to the present invention, which is shown as fitted over a container 2. The container closure 1 comprises essentially a container cap 10 sized and configured to engage with and close a mouth of a given container 2 and an attachment member 20 disposed over the cap 10.
The container cap 10 comprises a generally flat, or preferably, a slightly convex top lid 11 for removably closing on a container mouth, and a circumferential side wall 12 extending substantially perpendicularly from the peripheral edge 11 a of the top lid 11 for fitting over a neck of the container 2 extending from its mouth. In the preferred embodiment described in FIGS. 1-8, the top lid 11 and the side wall 12 have a substantially circular shape to fit over the container 2 having a circular mouth and neck. But the container closure contemplated by the present invention can be used with a container having a mouth of any size and shape in general. For a container with given size and shape, the container cap 10 can be accordingly sized and shaped to fit over such a container. Additionally, the container cap 10 may be adapted to engage with the container 2 via any engagement method well known in the art including but not limited to a screw-type engagement and snap-fit engagement. The side wall 12 is, preferably, integrally formed with the top lid 11, and may have a plurality of longitudinal grooves 13 defined therealong for providing a friction to ease the fastening or unfastening of the cap 10 with fingers grasping around the side wall 12. These grooves 13 may be formed as any shape so long as traction is provided thereby. The container cap 10 has two diametrically opposed ends, 10 a and 10 b, respectively for connecting, and removably engaging to the attachment member 20. In the preferred embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-8, the first and second cap ends 10 a and 10 b are located at two diametrically opposite points on the peripheral edge 11 a of the top lid 11. But in other embodiments, those ends may be located on the side wall 12 of the cap 10 proximate the peripheral edge 11 a of the top lid 11.
Now referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, the attachment member 20 comprises an elongated hooking strip 21 having first and opposed second strip ends, 21 a and 21 b respectively, and inner and opposed outer strip surfaces, 23 a and 23 b respectively. The first strip end 21 a is connected to the first cap end 10 a and the second strip end 21 b is free to be removably engaged to the container cap 10. The body of the hooking strip 21 is generally disposed above the plane of the top lid 11 defined by its peripheral edge 11 a, and in the preferred embodiment, the plane defined by the body of the strip 21 is oriented substantially perpendicular to the plane of the top lid 11 as shown in FIGS. 1-7. But the present invention contemplates other orientations as well, in which the hooking strip 21 may stand slanted with respect to the top lid 11.
The hooking strip 21 has a generally bent body between its two ends 21 a and 21 b so as to define a hooking aperture 22 between the strip 21 and the top lid 11 of the cap 10. Although it is depicted as having a generally curvilinear shape in the preferred embodiment, any other shape is also contemplated by the present invention. When the second strip end 21 b is engaged to the container cap 10, the hooking aperture 22 becomes closed to define a closed loop as shown in FIGS. 1-3, by which the container closure 1 may be hooked and attached, together with the container 2 it closes on, to some external articles 30 such as belt loops, backpacks, shopping bags, utility belts, luggage, towel racks, or wall hooks as shown in FIG. 2, either directly, or indirectly via an intervening hooking device 31 such as a ring, hook, clip, clasp, or the like as shown in FIG. 3, which is then hooked to the external articles 30.
The hooking strip 21 is preferably fabricated of resilient material so that it may slightly bend or straighten up as the second strip end 21 b engages or disengages from the cap 10. Preferably, the attachment member 20 including the hooking strip 21 is fabricated of the same material composing the container cap 10, which is typically, plastic, rubber, ceramics, synthetic, polymeric material, combinations thereof, or any other suitable resilient material well known in the art. In such a case, the attachment member 20, or more specifically, the first strip end 21 a of the hooking strip 21, may be integrally attached to the container cap 10 at the first cap end 10 a.
The hooking strip 21 further comprises a cap engaging portion formed proximate the second strip end 21 b, which engages a strip engaging portion formed on the container cap 10 proximate the second cap end 10 b. The present invention requires that the cap and strip engaging portions, together with the hooking strip 21, be configured such that the cap engaging portion disengages from the strip engaging portion by applying upon any part of the hooking strip 21 pressure of adequate strength directed downward, that is, from the hooking strip 21 toward the top lid 11.
FIGS. 1-9 show how such requirement of the present invention is implemented in the preferred embodiment. Again referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, the container cap 10 has a radial protrusion 14 formed at the second cap end 10 b, which extends below on the side wall 12 and protrudes radially away therefrom. The protrusion 14 has substantially planar top and bottom surfaces, a front surface substantially parallel to the side wall 12, and two side surfaces substantially perpendicular to the side wall 12. In the preferred embodiment, the cap engaging portion is a L-shaped hook 24 formed on the inner strip surface 23 a of the hooking strip 21 at the second strip end 21 b, and the strip engaging portion is an upwardly directed rectangular slot 15 defined on the bottom surface of the protrusion 14, which is sized to fully receive the hook 24 therein. Further, the hooking strip 21 has a portion near the second strip end 21 b that is parallel to the front surface of the protrusion 14. And the L-shaped hook 24 is oriented to be parallel to the parallel portion of the strip 21 such that its tip may direct toward the first strip end 21 a, that is, vertically upward. From such orientation of the L-shaped hook 24 and the slot 15, those two may be removably engaged with each other, and thereby engaging the hooking strip 21 to the container cap 10. FIGS. 1-3 show closure 1 while the hook 24 and slot 15 being in engagement with each other so as to define a closed hooking aperture 22. FIG. 7 shows the cross sectional view of the container closure 1 with the hook 24 engaged with the slot 15, when the container closure 1 is cut along the plane 7-7 in FIG. 1. FIG. 8 provides another cross sectional view of the closure 1 in FIG. 7, magnifying the region where the L-shaped hook 24 and the slot 15 are in engagement. As also seen from FIGS. 7 and 8, the protrusion 14 and the hook 24 may be all integrally formed with the container cap 10 and hooking strip 21 in the preferred embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 5, the disengagement of the hooking strip 21 and the cap 10 occurs by pressing any portion of the hooking strip 21 downward. When a downward pressure of adequate magnitude is applied on any part of the hooking strip 21, the hooking strip 21 having a generally upwardly convex contour is slightly and resiliently deformed and transmits the pressure to the second strip end 21 b, and thereby, pushes the substantially L-shaped hook 24 vertically downward to have it disengaged out of the slot 15. It is contemplated that the hook 24 and slot 15 may be formed as different shapes and configurations including those which are of the male and female interlocking-type respectively. This feature enables one to easily and conveniently detach the container from some external article, for example his or her belt, simply by pressing down anywhere on the hooking strip with one hand. FIG. 4 shows the container closure 1 when the hooking strip 21 has been fully disengaged from the container cap 10. To reduce potential slippage when a finger presses the hooking strip 21, the hooking strip 21 may further comprise a plurality of slightly raised parallel ridges 25 defined on the outer strip surface 23 b near the second strip end 21 b as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3.
As shown in FIG. 6, another feature of the present invention is that it is configured such that if the downward pressure is continuously applied on a portion of the hooking strip 21 after its disengagement from the cap 10, the second strip end 21 b of the hooking strip 21 further moves, not only vertically, but also laterally away from the container cap 10. This feature is advantageous because having a lateral separation of the hooking strip 21 from the cap 10 as shown in FIG. 4 would make it easier to detach the container from an external article, and in the present invention such separation is achieved simply by keeping pressing down the hooking strip 21 using only one hand, without having to use another hand to laterally separate the strip 21 from the cap 10 after disengagement. FIGS. 5 and 6 describe the two stages in which such feature is implemented in the preferred embodiment. If the hooking strip 21 starts to be pressed downward, then at first, it disengages from the slot 15 as described previously and next, continues to move in a substantially downward direction until a portion of the protrusion 14 a, which is in the preferred embodiment an edge of the protrusion formed by the junction of its top and front surfaces, contacts a portion of the inner strip surface, say, a strip contact portion 29 a, as depicted in FIG. 5. If further continuous pressure is applied after the strip 21 and cap 10 contact each other, the protrusion edge 14 a begins to slide along a slightly convex section 29 b formed on the inner strip surface 23 a next to the strip contact portion 29 a in the direction of the first strip end 21 a, while in the meantime pushing the disengaged hook 24 further and laterally away from the container cap 10 as depicted in FIG. 6.
Again referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, the attachment member 20 in the preferred embodiment may further comprise an elongated supporting strip 26 extending between the hooking strip 21 and the top lid 11 for providing structural rigidity and sustainability to the hooking strip 21 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3-6. The supporting strip 26 is fabricated preferably of the same material as the hooking strip 21 and the cap 10 and its two ends are respectively connected to, and preferably, integrally formed with the hooking strip 21 and the top lid 11 proximate the first cap end 10 a, thereby forming a generally triangular region bounded by the hooking strip 21, the supporting strip 26, and the top lid 11. In the preferred embodiment, a triangular cavity 28 may be formed within the triangular region as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3-6, but in another embodiment, the triangular region may be filled as shown in FIG. 7.
For further providing structural rigidity and sustainability to the hooking strip 21, the attachment member 20 may comprise, in the preferred embodiment, a slightly raised continual ridge 27 formed on the upper surface of the supporting strip 26, which may further extend along the inner strip surface 23 a and the top lid 11 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3-6.
The present invention also contemplates a method of advertising and promotion using the container closure described above and the container, which comprises the steps of: providing a container and a container closure structured to be releaseable from engagement by applying disengaging force upon any portion of the hooking strip directed toward the top lid; and imprinting advertising material on at least one visible outer surface of the container or the container closure. Providing a container and a container closure in the first step is contemplated by the present invention to include but not limited to, manufacturing, having a third party to manufacture, buying, obtaining, or procuring the same in any other way.
The present invention is capable of embodiments other than those described above, and its several details are capable of modifications in various respects apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, all without departing from the essential spirit or attributes of the invention. Therefore, the embodiments described hereinbefore should be considered to be merely illustrative, not restrictive.

Claims

1. A closure for removably sealing a container and for attaching to external articles having an external hooking device, the closure comprising:

(a) a container cap sized and configured to removably engage the container, the container cap having first and second diametrically opposed cap ends, the cap comprising:

(1) a top lid having a peripheral edge,

(2) a circumferential side wall integrally formed with and extending substantially perpendicularly from the peripheral edge of the top lid, and

(3) a strip engaging portion formed proximate the second cap end; and

(b) an attachment member comprising:

(1) an elongated, generally bent, and resilient hooking strip extending from a portion of the top lid to define a hooking aperture therebetween, the hooking strip having a first strip end connected to and integrally formed with the first cap end, and an opposing second strip end, and

(2) a cap engaging portion formed adjacent the second strip end and releaseably engaged to the strip engaging portion,

wherein the engaging portions are configured such that the cap engaging portion is releaseable from engagement by applying disengaging force upon any portion of the hooking strip in a direction toward the top lid, whereby engaging the cap engaging portion with the strip engaging portion closes the hooking aperture for securably retaining the external hooking device therein and removably attaching the container cap to the external articles thereby.

2. The closure as in claim 1, wherein the hooking strip and the container cap are configured such that application of force upon the hooking strip extends the cap engaging portion away from the strip engaging portion so as to engage the hooking strip and the container cap with each other.

3. The closure as in claim 2, wherein the hooking strip and the container cap are configured to extend laterally away from the cap by receiving further force upon the hooking strip subsequent to engagement of the hooking strip and the container cap.

4. The closure as in claim 1, wherein the cap engaging portion forms a protrusion integrally formed with and extending away from both the top lid and the side wall.

5. The closure as in claim 4, wherein the strip engaging portion and the protrusion are configured to be mateably engageable with each other.

6. The closure as in claim 5, wherein the strip engaging portion comprises a male locking member, and the protrusion comprises a female locking member formed therein sized and configured to receive the male lock member.

7. The closure as in claim 6, wherein the hooking strip and the protrusion are configured such that application of force upon the hooking strip extends the male locking member away from the female locking member to engage the hooking strip and the container cap at a strip contact portion and a protrusion contact portion.

8. The closure as in claim 7, wherein the hooking strip and the protrusion are further configured such that application of further force upon the hooking strip subsequent to engagement of the hooking strip and the container cap extends the male locking member laterally away from the cap.

9. The closure as in claim 8, wherein the inner strip surface defines a generally convex section formed adjacent the strip contact portion, the convex section being configured to extend the male locking member laterally away from the cap as the protrusion contact portion slides along the convex section under the force applied upon the hooking strip.

10. The closure as in claim 6, wherein the hooking strip has an inner strip surface and an opposing outer strip surface, the male locking member comprises a generally L-shaped hook formed on the inner strip surface adjacent the second strip end, and the female locking member comprises a slot formed on an outer surface of the protrusion.

11. The closure as in claim 10, wherein the attachment means further comprises a plurality of ridges formed upon the outer strip surface proximate the second strip end for reducing slippage during engagement of the hook.

12. The closure as in claim 6, wherein the attachment means further comprises an elongated supporting strip for providing structural rigidity to the hooking strip, the supporting strip extending from the inner strip surface to the top lid proximate the first cap end.

13. The closure as in claim 12, wherein the supporting strip is integrally formed with both the hooking strip and the top lid.

14. The closure as in claim 13, wherein the first cap end is located at the peripheral edge of the top lid; and the hooking strip, the supporting strip, and the top lid define a generally triangular region surrounded thereby.

15. The closure as in claim 14, wherein the generally triangular region defines a generally triangular cavity therein.

16. The closure as in claim 13, wherein the attachment member further comprises a raised ridge formed upon the support strip for providing structural rigidity to the hooking strip.

17. The closure as in claim 16, wherein the ridge extends along the inner strip surface.

18. The closure as in claim 17, wherein the ridge is integrally formed with both the supporting strip and the hooking strip.

19. The closure as in claim 1, wherein the hooking strip is shaped as a generally inverted parabola.

20. The closure as in claim 19, wherein the hooking strip is disposed above the plane defined by the peripheral edge of the top lid.

21. The closure as in claim 20, wherein the hooking strip is oriented such that the plane defined thereby is substantially perpendicular to the top lid.

22. The closure as in claim 1, wherein the side wall of the container cap defines a plurality of grooves extending circumferentially therealong.

23. The closure as in claim 1, wherein the closure is fabricated of plastic material.

24. A container attachable to external articles having an external hooking device, the container comprising:

(a) a container body having an open mouth at an end; and

(b) a container closure comprising:

(1) a container cap sized and configured to removably engage the open mouth of the container body, the container cap having first and diametrically opposed second cap ends, the cap comprising:

(i) a top lid having a peripheral edge,

(ii) a circumferential side wall integrally formed with and extending substantially perpendicularly from the peripheral edge of the top lid, and

(iii) a strip engaging portion formed proximate the second cap end; and

(2) an attachment member comprising:

(i) an elongated, generally bent, and resilient hooking strip extending from the top lid to define a hooking aperture therebetween, the hooking strip having a first strip end connected to and integrally formed with the first cap end, and an opposing second strip end, and

(ii) a cap engaging portion formed adjacent the second strip end and releaseably engaged to the strip engaging portion,

wherein the engaging portions are configured such that the cap engaging portion is releaseable from engagement by applying disengaging force upon any portion of the hooking strip directed toward the top lid, whereby engaging the cap engaging portion with the strip engaging portion closes the hooking aperture for securably retaining the external hooking device therein and removably attaching the container cap to the external articles thereby.

25. A method of advertising and promotion comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a container attachable to external articles having an external hooking device, the container comprising a container body having an open mouth at an end and a container closure comprising:

(i) a top lid having a peripheral edge,

(iii) a strip engaging portion formed proximate the second cap end; and

(2) an attachment member comprising:

wherein the engaging portions are configured such that the cap engaging portion is releaseable from engagement by applying disengaging force upon any portion of the hooking strip directed toward the top lid, whereby engaging the cap engaging portion with the strip engaging portion closes the hooking aperture for securably retaining the external hooking device therein and removably attaching the container cap to the external articles thereby; and

(b) imprinting advertising material on at least one visible outer surface of the container or the container closure.