IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0465640
(1990-01-22)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
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출원인 / 주소 |
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대리인 / 주소 |
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인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
30 인용 특허 :
2 |
초록
▼
A cap having a body which may be insertably mounted into the open top of a container and form a fluid-tight seal therewith an interior cavity, and a valve aperture positioned to fluidly communicate with the interior cavity and the receptacle portion of the container when the cap is mounted thereon.
A cap having a body which may be insertably mounted into the open top of a container and form a fluid-tight seal therewith an interior cavity, and a valve aperture positioned to fluidly communicate with the interior cavity and the receptacle portion of the container when the cap is mounted thereon. A valve member slidably carried on a valve post is disposed across the valve aperture, thereby normally sealing the valve aperture. The valve post may be moved to selectively open the valve aperture by depressing a thumb pad, and will automatically return to the closed position when the thumb pad is not being pressed due to the action of a spring. One or more enclosed spouts are molded integrally with the cap body, and fluidly communicate with the interior cavity. These spouts may be positioned at the sides, rather than the front, of the containers.
대표청구항
▼
1. A cap removably mounted on a pitcher with which a user may pour liquids through a terminal outlet into a receptacle, said pitcher having an interior container region, an open top, a rear side, and a handle connected to said rear side of said pitcher, said cap comprising: a cap body, said cap b
1. A cap removably mounted on a pitcher with which a user may pour liquids through a terminal outlet into a receptacle, said pitcher having an interior container region, an open top, a rear side, and a handle connected to said rear side of said pitcher, said cap comprising: a cap body, said cap body having a front side and a rear side, said cap body including an outer wall defining an interior cavity generally encompassed by said outer wall, said cap body being removably mountable on the open top of the pitcher; a valve aperture defined by said cap body, said valve aperture being in fluid communication with said interior cavity and the interior container region of the pitcher when the cap is mounted on the pitcher; valve means movable between a closed position substantially sealing said valve aperture and an open position; a spout extending from and connected to said front side of said cap body, said spout being the terminal outlet from which the liquid exits the cap, said spout projecting outwardly from said cap body and from the open top of the pitcher in an exposed position when the cap is mounted on the pitcher, said spout being removable from the pitcher each time the cap is removed from the pitcher, said spout defining a bore in fluid communication with said interior cavity; and actuation means for selectively moving said valve means from said closed position to said open position, at least a portion of said actuation means being adjacent to said rear side of said cap body opposing said front side such that said portion of said actuation means may be actuated by the user when gripping the handle, whereby the pitcher may be tilted generally in the direction of the spout and the valve means moved to the open position such that the liquid may flow from the interior container region of the pitcher through the open top and the valve aperture and into the interior cavity, and thereafter be poured through the spout into the receptacle. 2. A cap and pitcher assembly of the molded plastic beverage server type for use by a user in pouring a liquid from a terminal outlet into a receptacle, said cap and pitcher assembly comprising: a pitcher for containing and pouring the liquid, said pitcher having an interior container region, an open top end, a rear side, and a handle connected to said rear side of said pitcher; a cap body removably mounted on said open top end of said pitcher, said cap body having a front side and an outer wall defining an interior cavity positioned in fluid flow communication with said interior container region when said cap is mounted on said pitcher, said cap body outer wall having at least a portion thereof removably securable to said open top end of said pitcher; a valve aperture defined by said cap body, said valve aperture fluidly communicating with said interior cavity and the interior region of said pitcher when said cap is mounted on said pitcher; valve means movably mounted on and carried by said cap body, said valve means being movable between a closed position substantially disposed across said valve aperture to form a fluid-tight seal therewith and an open position displaced from said closed position, said valve means permitting the liquid to flow from the interior container region of said pitcher into said interior cavity of said cap when said valve means is moved to said open position, and said valve means preventing liquid from flowing from said interior cavity of said cap when said valve means is moved to said closed position; a generally enclosed spout extending from and connected in its entirety to said front side of said cap body, said spout being the terminal outlet from which the liquid exits the cap and pitcher assembly, said spout projecting outwardly from said cap body and being removable from said pitcher each time said cap body is selectively removed from said pitcher, said spout defining a bore fluidly communicating with said interior cavity and through which the liquid may be poured; and actuation means for selectively moving said valve means from said closed position to said open position, at least a portion of said actuation means being adjacent to said rear side of said cap body opposing said front side such that said portion of said actuation means may be actuated by the user when gripping the handle, whereby the pitcher maybe tilted generally in the direction of the spout and the valve means moved to the open position such that the liquid may flow from the container region of the pitcher through the open top and the valve aperture and into the cavity, and thereafter be poured through the split into the receptacle, and whereby the valve means, the actuation means, and the spout are removed from the pitcher together with the cap body when the cap body is selectively removed from the pitcher. 3. The cap and pitcher assembly of claim 2 wherein the outer wall of the cap body is received within the open top end of the pitcher and the valve means is disposed substantially between the valve aperture and the interior container region of the pitcher when the cap body is received within the open top end of the pitcher. 4. The cap and pitcher assembly of claim 2 wherein the valve means is at least partially received within the valve aperture when the valve means is in the closed position. 5. The cap and pitcher assembly of claim 2 further comprising: return means for returning the valve means to the closed position when the user ceases to actuate the actuation means. 6. The cap and pitcher assembly of claim 5 wherein the valve means is slidably carried on a valve post, and wherein the return means includes a compression coil spring substantially circumscribing said valve post. 7. The cap and pitcher assembly of claim 2 wherein the actuation means further comprises a thumb pad portion pivotably mounted on said cap body and movable between a raised position and a depressed position, said thumb pad being positioned proximate to the handle, whereby the user may selectively actuate the actuation means by exerting downward pressure upon said thumb pad portion of the activation means. 8. The cap and pitcher assembly of claim 7 wherein the handle of the pitcher includes a top surface portion, and wherein the thumb pad portion of the actuation means extends from the cap body to a position located closely adjacent to said top surface portion of the handle. 9. The cap and pitcher assembly of claim 2 further comprising sealing means for forming a fluid-tight seal between the cap body and the pitcher. 10. The cap and pitcher assembly of claim 9 wherein the sealing means comprises a pressure fit between the outer wall of the cap and the open top of the pitcher. 11. The cap and pitcher assembly of claim 9 wherein the outer wall of the cap body has an exterior, and wherein the sealing means comprises: a plurality of pitcher threads extending generally circumferentially around the interior of the open top end thereof; and a plurality of cap threads extending circumferentially around the exterior of a portion of the outer wall of the cap body which is removably mounted on the pitcher, said cap threads being positioned adjacent to said pitcher threads when the outer wall of the cap is mounted on the pitcher, said cap threads being oriented to mesh with the pitcher threads when the cap is rotated relative to the pitcher, said cap threads and said pitcher threads thereby forming the fluid-tight seal between the cap and the pitcher. 12. The cap and pitcher assembly of claim 11 wherein the cap body is rotated less than one full revolution in order to form the fluid tight seal between the cap body and the pitcher, rotation in excess of one full revolution being prevented by a stop member. 13. The cap and pitcher assembly of claim 11 wherein the cap body is rotated no more than one quarter revolution in order to form the fluid tight seal between the cap body and the pitcher rotation in excess of one quarter revolution being prevented by a stop member.
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