Holding closure

Several embodiments of a novel closure are disclosed for closing and/or opening the neck of a container of the semi-rigid type. The first embodiment of the closure consists of a top having a elastic spring with a plurality of prongs for holding a closure top to the inside of the container. In the second and third embodiments of the closure, an elastic bulbous insert or compressible substantially wedge shaped or cylindrical shaped inserts are used to seal the opening of the container. In the fourth embodiment of the invention, use is made of a closure having spaced peripheral flanges in a ring with bulbous or straight ends for sealing a rigid type container.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates generally to containers, and more particularly to a 
device for temporarily holding a closure of a container in operative 
position. 
For a long time there has not been any economical device developed to 
temporarily close the top of a container after some of the contents of the 
container have been dispensed, and then allow for further quick and easy 
access to the contents of the container as the contents are desired, such 
as in flexible containers holding drugs, medicines and toothpaste, or in 
rigid containers such as jelly jars and the like. 
One of the objects of this invention is to provide a device by which the 
closure, cover, and/or cap of a flexible as well as a rigid container 
storing contents, such as fluid and/or semi-fluid contents can be 
temporarily sealed after a portion of the contents have been dispensed. 
And another object of this invention is to provide a unique closure device 
for rigid and semi-rigid containers which can be made to secure a closing 
fit as needed to protect the contents of a container almost as perfectly 
as the original closure, cap, or cover, and still allow easy access to the 
contents of the closure. 
A further object of this invention is to provide a closure device for rigid 
and semi-rigid containers that lessens the danger of losing the closure 
device cover, and/or cap after removal of a portion of the contents of the 
container needed at the moment by the user thereof. 
Still another object of this invention is to provide an economical device 
by which the closure, cover, or cap of container storing contents to be 
dispensed, such as a tube of tooth paste or jar of jelly, can be held in 
operative position to cover the opening of the container temporarily until 
further partial dispensing of the contents from the container is desired. 
And still even a further object of this invention is to provide a temporary 
device for closing the opening of a container so that quick and easy 
access can be had to the contents of the container periodically without 
the use of any semi-permanent covering device and/or closure such as a 
screw-top, metal clamp and/or plastic tape. 
Still a further object of this invention is to provide a rapid connect, 
disconnect device for sealing and/or unsealing the dispensing opening of a 
container having contents stored therein for dispensing these contents 
periodically as desired. 
And another object of this invention is to provide a closure device for 
containers which fits into conventional flexible or rigid containers 
without any change to the closure or container. 
Still another object of this invention is to provide a closure type device 
for containers of the flexible and/or rigid type which does not interfere 
with, and is just as effective with the use of any arrangement of 
semi-permanent closures. 
Another and a still further object of this invention is to provide a 
closure device for rigid and unrigid containers which can be removed from 
a container and easily replaced to give quick access to the contents of 
the container. 
To provide a closure device for containers that does not add any 
significant weight or bulk to the container to which it is applied, is 
another object of this invention. 
In summary, this invention relates to a unique closure for closing the 
opening in a rigid as well as a non-rigid container such as a jar or 
toothpaste container, respectively, or similar type containers for holding 
contents to be partially and periodically dispensed. 
In one embodiment of the invention for use with semi-rigid and/or flexible 
containers, the closure means consists of an elastic spring attached to 
the closure means and having a plurality of spaced prongs for engaging the 
inside surface of the container opening. As a second embodiment of the 
invention, the closure means consists of a bulbous shaped insert for 
closing the opening in the container, while in the third embodiment of the 
closure means, a wedge-shaped or substantially cylindrical shaped wedge is 
utilized for sealing the container opening. 
For rigid containers such as jars or bottles, a fourth embodiment of the 
invention consists of a ring fitted inside the rim of the cover of the jar 
or bottle at a distance equal to the thickness of the container. This ring 
is composed of a compressible substance, such as rubber or plastic. It has 
a bulbous or other desired shape at its free edge and is positioned so 
that the bulbous edge or edges will impinge on the inside of the opening 
of the container and will effectively seal the container when the cover is 
pushed over the opening.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
This invention is illustrated in connection with closing and sealing 
toothpaste containers. However, it can be readily adapted on other types 
of containers for holding medicines, food, or cosmetics and in containers 
of either flexible or rigid type. 
Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, there is shown a toothpaste 
container 13 having a cap 10 fitted with a narrow split metal spring 11 
having two prongs. The two prongs of the spring 11 can be compressed to 
enter the opening 8 of the container 13. The elastic flexibility of the 
spring 11 causes the two prongs of the spring 11 to spread apart so that 
they impinge on the sides of the mouth opening of the container 13 at 
point 15, shown best in FIG. 2, thus drawing the cap 10 down on the 
opening 8 of tube 13 and holding it securely in position without the use 
of the screw-threads 12 and 14 of the container 13 and cap 10, 
respectively, (which are usually used to secure the cap 10) or any other 
device. 
Referring now to FIG. 3 of the drawings, there is shown a similar type of 
container 13 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 with a closure device 9 but instead 
of the split metal spring 11, the expanding holding action is secured by a 
compressible bulbous shaped insert 16 provided in the cap 10. This 
compressible bulbous shaped insert 16 can be squeezed into the opening 8 
of the tube 13. On the inside of the top opening 8 of tube 13, the insert 
16 expands to impinge on the sides of the tube 13 generally at point 15 
and thus produces the same holding effect as the spring 11 in FIGS. 1 and 
2 without the use of the screw threads 12 and 14 or any other closure 
device. 
FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate a third embodiment of the invention as applied to 
the cap 10 of the toothpaste container 13. This cap 10, in this instance, 
is attached to the top opening 8 of the container 13 by a tape 18 instead 
of threads, so that when the tape is removed, the cap 10 must necessarily 
be held in position by a similar compressible insert 17, shown in FIG. 5. 
This insert 17 is substantially cylindrical but of wedge shape to 
illustrate that the inserts 17 and 16, as shown in FIG. 3 can be formed of 
different shapes and where the contents are of a thick consistency. It can 
even be of plain cylindrical shape because suction will hold the cap 
sufficiently in place. This insert 17 expands in the top opening 8 of the 
tube or container 13 so as to impinge at point 15 and hold the cap 10 in 
place without the use of the tape 18, screw threads 12 or any other 
device. 
Referring now to FIGS. 6 and 7 of the drawings, there is illustrated how 
the invention can be applied to the temporary securing of a cap 23 on the 
opening of a rigid or semi-rigid jar 22, or other similar containers, 
either having a screw-on top as shown in FIG. 7 or without such a top, 
that is, a top without threads as illustrated in FIG. 6. 
This is achieved by inserting a compressible ring 21 in the cap 23 a 
distance inside the outside rim 20 equal to the thickness of the wall 24 
of the container 22. Ring 21 should be so formed that its outside edge 
bulges slightly so that when the top is pushed into the mouth 24 of the 
container 22, the bulging edge thereof will impinge on the inside of the 
mouth 24 at the point 19 to hold the cap 23 securely in place, without the 
use of the screw-threads 25 and 26, of FIG. 7 or any other device. 
It is to be noted that the compressible inserts of 16, 17 of FIGS. 3 and 5, 
as well as the rings 21 of FIGS. 6 and 7, can be formed of any suitable 
elastic material, such as rubber, plastic or similar materials. 
Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are 
possible in the light of the above descriptions. It is therefore to be 
understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may 
be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.