Abstract:
A cap for sealing containers which is designed not to dispense the a runny, less dense phase of an blended or mixed substance that separates upon standing. The cap comprises an upright exit tube extending internal to the cap and forming a retaining pan to catch the quick moving less dense phase and allow the more dense phase to pass through the exit tube first.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]    This application claims priority to provisional application Ser. No. 60/243,238 filed Oct. 25, 2000. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    This invention relates to a novel cap used for containers, and more particularly, to a cap that traps the top runny or watery phase of a substance so that it does not exit the container as the substance is being dispensed.  
           [0004]    2. Description of the Prior Art  
           [0005]    Blended or mixed substances, particularly fluids, separate when they have been kept in a container for a period of time without being shaken or stirred. This separation results in two or more phases of the substance which separate according to their density so that the lower density phases accumulate at the top of the container, thereby exiting the container first when the substance is dispensed.  
           [0006]    For example, before catsup, mustard or other condiment containers reach a retail location where they will be sold, they often sit in manufacturing facilities and distribution centers undisturbed for long periods of time. Because of their long shelf lives, these goods also often sit undisturbed on store shelves for long periods of time. As is commonly known and experienced by the average consumer, condiments are substances that are prone to separation. As a result, when these blended or mixed substances ultimately reach the consumer where they are to be dispensed from a container through its cap, they have separated forming two or more phases of different densities. The separation of the blended or mixed liquids results in the less desirable, lighter, runny or watery portion of the substance settling towards the top of the container as a top phase (or phases) and the heavier, more desirable portion of the substance settling towards the bottom of the container as a bottom phase. As a result of this separation, the less dense top phase, consisting primarily of the runny or watery portion of the substance, is first to exit the container before the more dense substance is dispensed.  
           [0007]    Consumers do not like the runny or watery top phase for a variety of reasons. For example, with regard to condiments, the runny or watery top phase of the substance makes the bread or buns of a sandwich damp and soggy. The separation of many common food substances also occurs naturally, such as in many pureed food products, including catsup, applesauce and mustard.  
           [0008]    Some attempts to address the problem of dispensing liquids of different densities are illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,934,420 to Radna and U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,804,082 and 5,993,676 to Lowery, Jr. Each of these patents use complicated containers or adapters for separating and selectively dispensing liquids. In practice, however, devices like those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,934,420, 5,804,082 and 5,993,676 have several potential disadvantages. These devices are complicated and expensive to implement on inexpensive containers which are typically discarded after they have been consumed. For example, it is not economically feasible to use these devices in the production of inexpensive condiment containers.  
           [0009]    Other attempts to separate and pour separable or immiscible substances include U.S. Pat. No. 1,058,599 to Kiger and U.S. Pat. No. 1,488,865 to Castor. Both of these patents teach a pouring device for separating milk and cream. The pouring devices of these patents are also complicated and expensive to implement on inexpensive containers which are typically discarded after they have been consumed. Moreover, these devices have each encountered continued problems with separation of the milk and cream and are not consistently functional. The functionality of these products requires some manipulation and precise orientation before the desired substance is dispensed. Furthermore, in order to selectively pour specific phases of the substance it is necessary to position the prior art containers in a specific manner. Finally, the prior art pouring devices all involve extending part of the pouring device into the mouth of the container.  
           [0010]    None of the aforementioned prior art pouring devices are directed to only dispensing the more dense phase of the substance before the less dense phase.  
           [0011]    It would, therefore, be highly desirable to provide a new and improved cap for containers, wherein the cap is capable of preventing the runny or watery phase of an blended or mixed substance from exiting the cap first, and wherein the cap is inexpensive to produce. A desirable cap would not act as a perfect separator for decanting select phases of a substance, rather it would function more as a temporary trap for small, less desirable portions of the substance and allow the more desired portion to be decanted first.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0012]    Substances such as catsup, mustard, and other condiments settle and separate into a runny or watery top portion and a heavier bottom portion when sitting in a container for long periods of time. Often, even after vigorous shaking, a small amount of the runny substance or phase of the liquid is first to exit the container. As used in this disclosure, the term “phase” is used to refer to both discrete homogeneous portions of the separable substance and to refer to non-homogeneous portions or solutions that simply comprise varying concentrations of some or all of the elements of the substance. This invention solves the problem of blended or mixed substances which separate in containers, accumulating in the top phase of the container, causing the runny or watery phase of the substance to exit the cap first.  
           [0013]    The cap of the present invention traps the low density, top phase of the substance in the container so that it is not dispensed. This result is achieved by the use of an improved cap which contains a hollow extended interior exit tube connected to and extending from the aperture of the cap. As a container is tilted, overturned or even completely inverted to dispense its contents, the less dense, watery or runny phase of the substance moves toward the cap more quickly than the more viscous denser substance and is trapped in the retaining pan formed between the exit tube and the wall of the cap. The preferable denser substance comprising the blended phase reaches the interior end of the tube and passes through to the aperture of the cap. Accordingly, this design traps the quickly moving watery substance in the retaining pan and allows the more desired substance to exit the cap first. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0014]    [0014]FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of one embodiment of the cap of the present invention.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of a preferred embodiment of the cap of the present invention.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 3 shows a front perspective view of yet another embodiment of the cap of the present invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0017]    Referring to FIG. 1, the cap  10  of the present invention preferably includes a body  12  comprising a cap base  14  having interior and exterior surfaces, a surrounding outer wall  16  having inner and outer surfaces extending from the cap base  14  and running about the periphery of the base  14 , and means for attaching the cap  10  to the neck or mouth of a container  28 , such as a retaining or coupling member  17  of wall  16 . The cap  10  further comprises a hollow exit tube  24  connected to and extending into the cap  10  from an aperture  22  in the cap base  14 . The aperture  22  is preferably centrally located on the cap base  14 . A hinge  20  connects the lid  18  to the body of the cap  12 .  
         [0018]    The cap  10  is essentially a hollow body, formed of relatively thin walls that define an interior space, cavity region or retaining pan  23  within which to trap the watery substance, said retaining pan  23  bounded by the inner or interior surface of the wall  16 , interior surface of the base  14  and the outer or exterior surface of the exit tube  24 . The cap  10  can be made of any suitable material known in the art, such as plastic or metal.  
         [0019]    The extended interior exit tube  24  is a generally vertically upstanding hollow tube that is preferably positioned to run through the center of the cap base  14  so that it extends from the interior surface of the cap base  14  into the container  28  and to the exterior surface of the cap base  14 , defining an aperture  22  though which the substance may exit the container. It is not necessary that the exit tube  24  extend past or outside of the exterior surface of the cap base  14 , however, as shown in FIG. 1, a short extension that may be covered by the cap  10  is preferable to avoids messiness and a build up of the dispensed substance on the exterior surface of the cap base  14  and also aids the user in directing the dispensing of the substance. The exit tube  24  must, however, extend past or beyond the interior surface of the cap base  14  so that it forms a retaining pan  23  in which the watery or runny phase of the substance is collected when the container is slanted or inverted.  
         [0020]    To obtain a retaining pan  23  having maximum volume for any given length of exit tube  24 , the axis of the exit tube  24  is preferably oriented at substantially right angles (perpendicularly) to the plane of the cap base  14  or aperture  22 . The wall of the exit tube  24  may also extend into the container  28  at right angles from the cap base  14 , however, alternatively, the exit tube  24  may be wider at the open interior end  25  than at the aperture  22  to facilitate the entry of the denser phase of the substance being decanted. In another alternative embodiment, the wall of the exit tube  24  may be narrower at the open interior end  25  than at the aperture  22 . Walls having such a slant will assist gravity in breaking any suction or vacuum between parallel walls of the retaining pan  23  and pulling the less dense phase of the substance from the retaining pan  23  when the container  28  is returned to the upright position after being tilted or inverted to dispense the more dense phase.  
         [0021]    The length of the interior extension of the exit tube  24  maybe adjusted based on the volume of the container, larger volume containers requiring a deeper retaining pan  23  to accommodate the proportionally larger volume of the watery phase of the substance until the undiluted substance reaches the open interior end  25  of the exit tube  24  and passes through the aperture  22  to the outside of the cap  10 . The length of the interior extension of the exit tube  24  may also be adjusted based on the characteristics and qualities of the substance being dispensed, some substances typically having a greater proportion of watery phase than other substances. Finally, the width of the exit tube  24  may also be adjusted as desired to accommodate the viscosity of the more dense phase of the substance.  
         [0022]    This design traps the quickly moving watery phase of the substance in the retaining pan  23  formed between the exit tube  24  and the interior of the body wall  16  and allows the substance to exit the container before the less dense phase. Because the runny or watery top phase of the substance is typically less dense than the bottom phase of the substance, when the container is tilted or turned upside down to dispense the substance, the watery or runny portion runs toward the cap  10  first and is often the first to be dispensed in prior condiment caps. The present invention, however, “traps” the watery or runny phase of the substance in the retaining pan  23  of the cap  10 . The interior exit tube  24  extends into the cap  10  and/or container  28  past the expected typical depth of the collected watery portion of the substance. Thus, when the more desirable bottom phase of the substance reaches the open interior end  25  of the hollow exit tube  24 , it will pass through the exit tube  24  and aperture  22  while the watery portion remains trapped below the level of the open interior end  25  of the tube  24 .  
         [0023]    The cap  10  is connected to the mouth of a container  28  by means of the coupling member  17  typically located on the inner or outer wall  16 . The coupling member  17  provides an attachment area as a means for attaching the cap  10  to the mouth of the container  28 . The coupling member  17  may comprise any attachment means known in the art, such as screw top threads which mate with corresponding threads on the container  28 . Alternately, the coupling member  17  may comprise a retaining bead (not shown) to serve as an attachment means, said retaining bead being angular and pointing radially inwards, and running around the inside of the interior wall  16  of the body  12 . On its surface lying at the radially innermost point, the retaining bead possesses a retaining area, said retaining area engaging with corresponding retaining elements positioned about the container wall. Other coupling member  17  attachment means are also within the contemplation of the present invention.  
         [0024]    The cap  10  has a hinge  20  that is preferably connected to the lid  18  and the cap base  14  or wall  16 , allowing the lid  18  to open and close with ease so that the lid  18  covers the body  12  of the cap  10  of the container when it is not being used. The hinge  20  can be formed as a slight weakening of the material in the wall  16 . In order to open the lid  18 , a pull off ring (not shown) can be provided on the lid  18 , said ring being connected to the outer surface the wall of the lid  18  at least on one connecting point. Alternately, a depression can also be formed on the outer surface of the wall  16  of the cap base  14  in order to allow the lid  18  to be pushed up and easily opened.  
         [0025]    In sum, FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of one embodiment of the cap  10 , illustrated with its lid  18  the open position, the cap  10  being attached to a typical container  28 , such as a bottle of catsup. The body  12  of the cap  10  is formed by a circular disc-shaped cap base  14 , a cylindrical wall  16  abutting to the edge of the cap base  14 , an extended interior exit tube  24 , and an aperture  22 . The exit tube  24  of this embodiment extends through the interior surface of the cap base  14  into the container and through the exterior surface of the cap base  14  and defines an aperture  22  though which the substance may exit the container.  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 2 shows a cross sectional view of a preferred embodiment of the cap  10  of the present invention, also illustrated with the lid  18  in a partially open position. This embodiment illustrates an embodiment of a cap  10  formed for use in connection with a container  28  having a seal, such as foil seal  29 , across the mouth of the container  28 . The use of such seals  29  is common in the industry for safely packaging food products. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the exit tube  24  extends through the mouth of the container  28  beyond where a seal  29  might be used, making that embodiment incompatible with containers sealed prior to their first use by the consumer. The embodiment of FIG. 2 can be attached to the container  28  at an end opposite the aperture  22  by the coupling member  17  (here illustrated as a typical screw-on cap) without violating or compromising the seal  29 . This may be accomplished by a number of methods such as by varying the length of the exit tube  24  so that it does not extend from the cap base  14  beyond the wall  16  of the body  12  of the cap  10 . Alternatively, the wall  16  can be lengthened or extended to allow for a lengthy exit tube  24  that does not extend through the mouth of the container  28 . Lengthening the wall  16  and the exit tube  24  is effective to enlarge the volume of the retaining pan  23 . Alternatively, the exit tube  24  can be said to extend beyond the body of the cap but not past the point where the coupling member  17  attaches to the mouth of the container  28 , nor the point where a seal may cover the mouth of the container  28 .  
         [0027]    The wall  16  of the cap  10  maybe provided with a gasket member such as gasket or lip  27  to form a seal with the mouth of the container  28  when the cap  10  is in place. Alternatively, instead of a gasket or lip  27  similar to that illustrated in FIG. 2, the wall  16  could simply be thickened to provide the requisite seal. Likewise, the gasket member may comprise a separate inner wall (not shown) extending from the base  14  to pliably intersect with the mouth of the container  28 .  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 3 shows a front perspective view of yet another embodiment of the cap  10  of the present invention. In this embodiment, the cap  10  is substantially conically shaped like the top of a typical mustard bottle  28 . The cap  10  has angular walls  16  extending inward from the coupling member  17  to intersect directly with the aperture  22  of the exit tube  24  thereby obviating the need for a cap base  14 . The familiar screw opening outer cover portion of a typical mustard bottle is not shown in FIG. 3 so that important aspects of the present invention may be clearly illustrated. In this, as with all embodiments, it is preferable that the vertical axis of the exit tube  24  extend substantially parallel to the vertical axis of the container  28  to lessen the likelihood of any of the less dense phase of the substance entering the open end  25  of the exit tube  24  when the container  28  is initially turned over or tilted to decant the substance before the desired more dense phase of the substance. It has been found that orienting the exit tube  24  parallel to the upright or vertical axis of the container  28  achieves maximum efficiency of the retaining pan to fill with the less dense phase of the substance regardless of the original orientation of the container  28 .  
         [0029]    The cap  10  of the present invention may be used in connection with any substance that has a tendency to separate into a lighter, less dense, less desirable portion that it may be preferable to avoid dispensing, and a heavier, more dense desirable portion. Such substances may include, but are not limited to food products, condiments, cosmetic products, pharmaceutical and chemical products and any other substance known in the art.  
         [0030]    While several embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed, it is to be understood by those skilled in the art that other forms can be adopted, all coming within the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.