Abstract:
A carbonated drink closure and dispensing device is disclosed having an upper cap portion, a lower cap portion removably and rotatably secured to the upper cap portion at one end, and removably secured to a top opening of a container at an opposing end. The lower cap portion includes an opening allowing fluid contents of the container to flow thererough, and a valve member is dimensioned and configured to cover the lower cap portion opening. The valve member threadably engages the upper cap portion, and an anti-rotation device is disposed on the lower cap portion and houses the valve member, wherein the rotation of the upper cap portion slides the valve member within the anti-rotation device to close off the opening of the lower cap portion in one position, and moves away from the opening of the lower cap portion allowing fluid contents from the container to flow through the opening and through the upper cap portion.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The present invention is directed toward a container closure, and more particularly, toward a self-sealing and dispensing closure for a carbonated drink container. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Prior art dispensing closures have been commonly used for widespread applications on containers for water, fruit juices, sports drinks, and hot beverages such as coffee. Commonly, such closures include a manually operable valve which permits the contents of the container to be dispensed through an aperture or spout as desired. 
         [0003]    However, one of the shortcomings of the prior art closures is that they cannot be effectively used for carbonated drinks, which would require keeping the contents of the container in carbonated form and preventing the contents from going flat. 
         [0004]    It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a container closure which would keep the carbonated contents of the container in a carbonated and sparkling form preventing it to become flat. 
         [0005]    It is a further objection of the present invention to provide a carbonated container closure which would allow the user to use the closure and container in any holding orientation to consume the contents. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    These problems and others are addressed by the present invention which comprises a carbonated drink closure and dispensing device is disclosed having an upper cap portion, a lower cap portion removably and rotatably secured to the upper cap portion at one end, and removably secured to a top opening of a container at an opposing end. The lower cap portion includes an opening allowing fluid contents of the container to flow thererough, and a valve member is dimensioned and configured to cover the lower cap portion opening. The valve member threadably engages the upper cap portion, and an anti-rotation device is disposed on the lower cap portion and houses the valve member, wherein the rotation of the upper cap portion slides the valve member within the anti-rotation device to close off the opening of the lower cap portion in one position, and moves away from the opening of the lower cap portion allowing fluid contents from the container to flow through the opening and through the upper cap portion. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    These and other objects of the present invention will be appreciated and understood by those skilled in the art from the detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention and the following drawings of which: 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the carbonated drink closure and dispensing device and container assembly according the present invention; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the carbonated drink closure and dispensing device according to  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of the carbonated drink closure and dispensing device; 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a bottom perspective view of the carbonated drink closure and dispensing device of  FIG. 1  without the valve assembly; 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is a bottom perspective view of the carbonated drink closure and dispensing device of  FIG. 3  with a valve assembly in a closed position; 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is a side sectional view of the carbonated drink closure and dispensing device of  FIG. 1  with the valve in a closed position; 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  is a side sectional view of the carbonated drink closure and dispensing device of  FIG. 1  with the valve in a open position; 
           [0015]      FIG. 8  is a is a bottom perspective view of the carbonated drink closure and dispensing device in accordance with a second representative embodiment with a valve assembly in a closed position; and, 
           [0016]      FIG. 9  is a side sectional view of the carbonated drink closure and dispensing device of  FIG. 8  with the valve in a closed position. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0017]    Referring now to the drawings, and more specifically  FIG. 1 , wherein the showings are for the purpose of illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention only and not for the purpose of limiting the same, a carbonated drink closure and dispensing device  10  is removably disposed on a reusable carbonated drink bottle or container  12 . 
         [0018]    The closure and dispensing device  10  includes an upper cap portion generally illustrated at  14 , and a lower cap portion generally illustrated at  16 , wherein, as will be explained in greater detail herein, the upper cap portion  14  removably and rotatably engages on top of the lower cap portion  16 . 
         [0019]    The upper cap portion  14  has a substantially cylindrical shape and configuration including an outer wall  18  with a slightly inwardly arcuate shape creating a slightly larger upper section diameter than that of the lower section diameter. A plurality of oval-shaped protrusions  20  is disposed on the outer surface of the outer wall  18  in a symmetrical manner, wherein the oval-shaped protrusions  20  provide a means for a user&#39;s grip to be able to rotate the upper cap portion  14 . 
         [0020]    The upper cap portion  14  includes an upper peripheral rim  22  bounding an opening  24  for sipping the contents of the container, and a peripheral recess  26  for removably securing a lid  28 . The lid  28  includes a downwardly extending circular extension  30  which includes an outwardly extending bead portion  32 . The outwardly extending bead portion  32  is received within a peripheral recess  26  adjacent the upper periphery of upper cap portion  14  to removably secure the lid  28  to the upper cap portion  14 . 
         [0021]    Referring now to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , the upper cap portion  14  includes a sunken cylindrical section  34  having a smaller diameter than that of the upper cap portion  14 , wherein the sunken cylindrical section  34  extends beyond a bottom wall  36  of the upper cap portion  14 . An annular recess  38  is created between a downwardly extending outer wall extension  40 , the bottom wall  36 , and the sunken cylindrical section  34 , wherein, as will be explained herein in greater detail, the annular recess  38  receives a portion of the lower cap portion  16 . 
         [0022]    The sunken cylindrical portion  34  includes a bottom wall  42  housing a plurality of apertures or openings  44  of any desired shape and configuration allowing for the flow of the fluid content. The plurality of openings  44  allows the user to sip and drink the content by holding the carbonated drink container  12  in any orientation in his or her hand. 
         [0023]    A central cylindrical post  46  is centrally supported by a plurality of support pieces  48 , and includes a threaded bore  50  for threadably engaging a valve member. A circumferential bead  52  is disposed around the outer circumference of the sunken cylindrical portion  34  for a snap fit securing of the upper cap portion  14  with the lower cap portion  16 . 
         [0024]    The lower cap portion  16  is symmetrically shaped and configured the same as the upper cap portion  14  and includes a plurality of oval-shaped protrusions  20  on an outer surface thereof. The lower cap portion  16  includes an outer wall  54 , an inner wall  56 , and a top wall  56  connecting the outer wall  54  and the inner wall  56  and bounding an annular space  58  therebetween for receiving an upper portion  62  of the bottle  12 . 
         [0025]    The upper portion  62  of the bottle  12  includes a plurality of threads  64  on its outer surface, which threadably engages a plurality of threads  66  on an inner surface of the outer wall  54  of the lower cap portion  16 . As the lower cap portion  16  is secured on the bottle  12 , a substantially resilient O-ring  68  is placed in between the top peripheral rim of the bottle  12  and the lower surface  70  of the top wall  58 , creating a seal between the lower cap portion  16  and the bottle  12  preventing the contents of the bottle  12  from leaking in between the contact point of the lower cap portion  16  and the bottle  12 . 
         [0026]    The inner wall  56  includes a plurality of cut-out sections  72 , preferably, but not limited to, four cut-out sections, thereby creating a plurality of, preferably, but not limited to, four arcuate posts  74  each having a channel-type recess  76  with a pair of protruding side walls  78 , which, as will be explained, receive and prevent the rotation of a valve member. 
         [0027]    The inner wall  56  includes a circular extension  80  with a plurality of apertures  82  extending from a top surface to a bottom surface thereof, wherein a second seal member  84  is disposed therearound by a two component injection molding process on the edge of the circular extension  80 , wherein the resilient material is injection molded through the apertures  83  thereby permanently creating and securing the second seal member  84  on the circular extension  80 . The second seal member  84  includes a circular recess  86  created by a pair upwardly extending rim portion  87  on a top surface thereof, where in assembled configuration of the closure and dispensing device  10 , the second seal member  84  creates a sealing contact with the lower surface  88  of the bottom wall  42 . 
         [0028]    The upper cap portion  14  and the lower cap portion  14  are snap fit secured together by the circumferential bead  52  engaging the circumferential bead-receiving recess  90  on the outer surface of the inner wall  56  of the lower cap portion  16 . 
         [0029]    Referring now to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , a valve member  92  is explained. The valve member  92  includes a convex sealing portion  94  having a substantially square shape and configuration with four straight and flattened corners  96  shaped and configured to be received within each corresponding channel-type recess  76  of each post  74 . 
         [0030]    The valve member  92  further includes a threaded screw portion  98  extending perpendicular and upwardly from the upper and central portion of the convex sealing portion  94 , and is preferably made integral with the convex sealing portion  94 . The threads on the threaded screw portion  98  are dimensioned to engage the threads inside the threaded bore  50  of the central cylindrical post  46 . 
         [0031]    Once the upper cap portion  14  is snap fit secured to the lower cap portion  16 , it can freely rotate relative to the lower cap  16  portion without being vertically displaced by the virtue of the circumferential bead  52  and bead receiving recess  90 , as the lower cap portion  16  is sealingly secured to the bottle  12 . Therefore, once the valve member  92  is in place and the threaded screw portion  98  engages the threads of the threaded bore  50 , the rotation of the upper cap portion  14  results in the rotation of the integral central cylindrical post  46 , wherein the threaded engagement of the threaded screw portion  98  results in the valve member  92  moving up and down while the rotation of the valve member  92  is prevented by the four flattened corner  96  engaging a corresponding channel type recess  76  of each post  74 . 
         [0032]    The upper cap portion  14  can rotate one full revolution or three hundred sixty degrees from a first position in one direction to a second position, and then fully rotate back to the first position, where in the first position the valve member  92  is in a fully open position, as illustrated in  FIG. 7 , and where in the second position the valve member  92  is in a fully closed position, as illustrated in  FIG. 6 . 
         [0033]    The fully closed position of the valve member  92  results from the upper surface of the convex sealing portion  94  coming into contact with the lower surface  100  of the second seal member  84  preventing any liquid flow, and the fully open position results from the upper surface of the convex sealing portion  94  moving away from the lower surface  100  of the second seal member  84 , wherein a gap  102  is created therebetween allowing for the fluid content of the carbonated drink bottle to flow in and through the plurality of apertures or openings. 
         [0034]    It is noted that in a fully closed and sealed position of the valve member  92 , the sealing of the container is achieved by three seal actions: the O-ring type seal  68  between the upper peripheral surface of the bottle and the lower surface of the top wall, the upper surface of the recessed portion of the second seal member and the lower surface of the bottom wall  42 , and the upper surface of the convex sealing portion  94  and the lower surface of the second seal member  84 . 
         [0035]    Referring now to  FIGS. 8 and 9 , a second representative embodiment of the carbonated drink closure and dispensing device is illustrated. The second embodiment contemplates a slightly different securing means for threadably and removably securing the closure on top of the bottle. More specifically, the plurality of threads  66  on the inner surface of the outer wall  54  of the lower cap portion  16  is extended further down, and a circular auxiliary wall  110  integrally extends from an inner surface of the outer wall  54  so that an annular space  111  is created between the inner surface of the circular auxiliary wall  110  and the inner surface of the outer wall  54 . 
         [0036]    The substantially resilient O-ring  68  between the top peripheral rim of the bottle  12  and the lower surface  70  of the top wall  58  in the first embodiment is now replaced with a substantially hook-shaped resilient seal  112 , a portion of which is positioned within the annular space  111  creating a seal on the top peripheral rim of the bottle  12 , and a second portion of which is secured by a lower end of the circular auxiliary wall  110  thereby creating a seal between the lower cap portion  16  and the bottle  12  preventing the contents of the bottle  12  from leaking in between the contact point of the lower cap portion  16  and the bottle  12 . 
         [0037]    The second embodiment of the closure further includes a lid  128  having a downwardly extending circular first extension  132  and a downwardly extending circular second extension  130  creating an annular space therebetween for receiving the upper periphery of upper cap portion  14  to removably secure the lid  128  to the upper cap portion  14 . 
         [0038]    While preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, various modifications and substitutions may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the present invention has been described by way of illustration only, and this description should not be construed as limiting to the several claims appended hereto.