Abstract:
A removable bottle closure is set forth. The bottle closure is adapted and constructed to removably seal a container. The bottle closure includes at least one air valve. The air valve is formed to control both liquid and air flow within a container sealed by the bottle closure.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The present disclosure relates to a bottle closure and method. More particularly, the disclosure relates to a self-venting bottle closure and method for forming the self-venting bottle closure. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Museums containing ancient artifacts invariably include one or several drinking vessels. The ancient drinking vessels were formed from a variety of materials and for a number of different purposes. Early canteens were used to convey liquids for quenching thirst while preventing the liquids stored in the canteens from evaporating. 
         [0003]    Many years forward, plastics and other materials were developed into suitable disposable or otherwise improved drinking vessels. In recent years, a number of improvements to portable and/or disposable drinking containers and caps to seal the containers have improved the quality of the liquid contents of the containers, by reducing bacteria and eliminating cleaning and storage requirements for portable liquids. It is particularly desirable in recent times to provide improved caps or closures for modern drinking containers. 
         [0004]    Consequently, numerous efforts to improve and expand the features of caps and closures for modern day drinking vessels are represented in the patent literature. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,186,347 to Freeman et al. discusses a spill-proof closure for containers including a spout having a thin membrane at or near the upper end. 
         [0005]    To facilitate drinking using a straw, U.S. Pat. No. 7,134,570 to Heath et al includes an opening in a horizontal plane of a disposable lid. The opening also provides an air passage to prevent the creation of a vacuum in the cup. 
         [0006]    Published U.S. Application No. 2006/0151426 provides a sip cap that uses a flexible rubber silicone gasket to create the seal without using threads. This allows the cap to fit a wide range of opening sizes. Through the center of the rubber gasket is a hole with a plastic tube that extends upward to a sipping nozzle which contains pinholes to regulate the flow of fluid. 
         [0007]    Despite the advantages purported to be offered, known caps and closures exhibit numerous shortcomings. For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for improved drinking caps and closures that enhance the advantages of modern drinking vessels. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0008]    Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an improved, removable bottle closure and method for forming the improve bottle closure. A removable bottle closure configured for selective application to a bottle can include a bottle closure having an elevated surface. An air valve and a bite valve are formed in the elevated surface. The elevated surface extends upwardly from a top of the bottle closure. A gasket having an outer flexible surface and a smaller diameter than the overall width of the bottle closure is provided. The gasket is configured to removably seal a container opening. 
         [0009]    A method in accordance with the principles herein is also provided. The method includes the step of forming a bottle closure including a bite valve on an upper surface of the bottle closure. An air valve is formed in proximity to the bite valve. The air valve is configured to permit liquid to flow when the bite valve is engaged, and prevents liquid from flowing while allowing air to flow in response to a pressure differential created in a container. 
         [0010]    One embodiment constructed in accordance with the principles herein relates to a closure having a single bite valve and a single air valve. 
         [0011]    Another embodiment constructed in accordance with the principles herein relates to a closure having a single bite valve and symmetric air valves. 
         [0012]    Yet another embodiment constructed in accordance with the principles herein relates to a closure having multiple bite valves and multiple air valves. 
         [0013]    Still another embodiment constructed in accordance with the principles herein relates to a closure having multiple bite valves and multiple air valves, and an additional pin hole provided along a side of the closure and adapted and constructed to accommodate a one way air valve. 
         [0014]    The foregoing and other features and advantages of the present disclosure will become further apparent from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments constructed in accordance with the principles herein, read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The drawings are not to scale. The detailed description and drawings are merely illustrative of the principles of the present disclosure rather than limiting, the scope of the present disclosure being defined by the appended claims and equivalents thereof. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]      FIG. 1  is a top perspective view of an embodiment constructed in accordance with the principles herein; 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  is a top view of another embodiment constructed in accordance with the principles herein; 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  is a top perspective view of yet another embodiment constructed in accordance with the principles herein; 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  is a front perspective view of the embodiment of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  is a front elevational view of the embodiment of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0020]      FIG. 6  is a side perspective view of the embodiment of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0021]      FIG. 7  is a rear view of the embodiment of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0022]      FIG. 8  is a bottom plan view of the embodiment of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0023]      FIG. 9  is a sectional view taken along lines II-II of  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0024]      FIGS. 10A and 10  B illustrate the sectional view of  FIG. 9  mounted on a containers having tops of varied height, wherein like numbers are used for like elements; 
           [0025]      FIG. 11  is a front perspective view of still another embodiment constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention; 
           [0026]      FIG. 12  is a front elevational view of the embodiment of  FIG. 11 ; 
           [0027]      FIG. 13  is a side perspective view of an embodiment constructed in accordance with the principles herein; 
           [0028]      FIG. 14  is a side view of the embodiment of  FIG. 13 ; and 
           [0029]      FIG. 15  is a flow chart of an exemplary method constructed in accordance with the principles herein. 
       
    
    
       [0030]    Throughout the various figures, like reference numbers refer to like elements. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0031]      FIGS. 1-3  illustrate a bottle closure, or cap, shown generally at  10 ,  20  and  30 , respectively, constructed in accordance with the principles herein. The bottle closure  10  of  FIG. 1  is constructed in accordance with the principles herein, and includes an upper surface  12  having both a bite valve  14 , and an air valve  16  formed in proximity to the bite valve  14 . The air valve  16  is positioned to accommodate flow of liquid through the air valve  16  when pressure is applied to the bite valve  14 . 
         [0032]    As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , another embodiment constructed in accordance with the principles herein includes an upper surface  22  that can include integrally formed members, such as, for example, a first air valve  24  and a second air valve  26  positioned in proximity to a bite valve  28 . Although shown in a symmetric relation to one another, the first and second air valves  24 ,  26 , respectively, can be positioned in any suitable manner to accommodate flow of liquid through the air valves  24 ,  26 . Advantageously, exemplary air valves  24 ,  26  can allow pressure from carbonated beverages to escape during use, which prevents excessive carbonation from forming in the bottle of a carbonated beverage while providing a spill-proof bottle closure. 
         [0033]    As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , multiple bite valves, such as first and second bite valves  34 ,  36 , respectively, can be integrally formed on an upper surface  32  of the bottle closure  30  in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure. Similarly, one or more air valves, such as first and second air valves  37 ,  38 , respectively, are formed in proximity to the bite valves  34 ,  36 . 
         [0034]      FIG. 4  illustrates additional advantageous features of constructing a bottle closure, shown generally at  40 , in accordance with the principles herein. The bottle closure  40  has an elevated bite member  42  that is integrally formed in a top of the bottle closure  40 . An upper, substantially horizontal surface  46  of the bottle closure  40  includes integrally formed members, including a bite valve  47  and air valves  48 ,  49 . In an embodiment, the bottle closure  40  and the integrally formed bite member  42  are formed of an identical material, such as, for example, a pliable plastic, or any other suitable material, such as a rubber material. In accordance with the principles herein, the bottle closure  40  can be formed to have a reasonable height for a sidewall  41 , such as, for example, one to four inches, to maximize the ease of connecting the bottle closure  40  to a container by making the bottle closure  40  fit comfortably in a human hand. 
         [0035]    As illustrated in  FIG. 5 , a bottle closure shown generally at  50  can include an internal, non-threaded fluid attachment arrangement member  52  that seals the bottle closure  50  to a container. Details of one suitable example of a fluid attachment arrangement member  52  constructed in accordance with the principles herein are discussed below in connection with the embodiment of  FIG. 9 . 
         [0036]      FIG. 6  illustrates an embodiment of a bottle closure, shown generally at  60 , in accordance with the principles herein. The bottle closure  60  can include, for example, generally sloped, inwardly angled bite member sidewalls  62 ,  64 , respectively. 
         [0037]      FIG. 7  illustrates a bottle closure shown generally at  70  and constructed in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure. 
         [0038]    As illustrated in  FIG. 8 , a bottle closure, shown generally at  80  can be fabricated to any suitable dimension. For example, the bottle closure  80  can be configured to provide a sealing relation between the bottle closure  80  and a container by selecting dimensions for the seal forming members  82 ,  84 , in combination with suitable material selections, to form a spill-proof seal for containers having varied opening diameters. To this end, for example, a bottle closure  80  can be adapted for a cap suitable for sealing a water bottle and for other similarly sized container openings by configuring the bottle closure  80  with a suitable material, such as, for example, a suitable elastomeric material, and selecting the dimensions for the sealing members  82 ,  84  to be in the range of 15 to 30 mm, for example. Materials selected for the bottle closure  80  can include materials suitable for oral contact, such as, for example medical grade silicon. 
         [0039]    Additional details of internal components of an exemplary bottle closure are shown generally at  90  in  FIG. 9 . An exterior surface  92  of the bottle closure  90  can be formed of a suitable width to achieve a comfortable device for operation with a human hand, while the interior, integrally formed ribs  94  and shoulders  96  are dimensioned to optimize the formation of a seal with a variety of container tops while eliminating the need to thread the bottle closure  90  onto a container. Specifically, to provide a more universal bottle closure that accommodates bottles having openings with varied internal diameters, ribs  94  are configured along an outside surface of inner cylindrical member  97  in a suitable manner, in conjunction with a suitable spacing between the inner cylindrical member and an outer cylindrical member. Further, shoulders  96 , formed in the outer cylindrical member  98 , together with the ribs  94  and spacing between cylindrical members all provide suitable components for forming a spill-proof fluid attachment arrangement. 
         [0040]    As illustrated in  FIGS. 10A and 10B , an exemplary bottle closure, such as the bottle closure shown generally at  100 , can be easily fitted onto a suitable bottle container, such as, for example, bottle container  110 A or  110 B, by attaching the bottle closure  100  to the bottle container  110 A or  110 B. Since bottle containers can have varied heights from an upper flange  120 A,  120 B to an opening top  122   a ,  122 B, the bottle closure  100  is designed to form a desired spill-proof closure where any set of ribs  124  in combination with shoulders  126  engage a flange  120 A,  120 B and top  122 A,  122 B to form a spill-proof closure, despite the aforementioned height differences. 
         [0041]      FIGS. 11-14  illustrate how an exemplary bottle closure can include, for example, an extended inner cylindrical member  1110 . The inner cylindrical member  1110  can be more readily centered on a bottle top when extended a suitable distance. As a result, the bottle closure  1100  can be easily and quickly centered over a bottle, and inserted into the bottle by merely pressing down. The inner cylindrical member  1110  can be further extended for larger bottle closures formed for containers with wider openings, in order to accommodate the desired range of container openings for a bottle closure constructed in accordance with the principles herein. However, other adjustments can also be made in material choices or other aspects of an exemplary bottle closure to accommodate container opening variations, such as, for example, material variations or other suitable parameters. 
         [0042]    For example, in order to adjust for optimum flow of both air and liquid in the bottle closures shown generally at  1100  and  1300  in  FIGS. 11 and 13 , respectively, air holes  1130 ,  1330  can be formed in sides  1140  and  1340 , of the bottle closures  1100 ,  1300  respectively, to accommodate air pressure variations in the larger bottle closures  1100 ,  1300 , or to adjust the overall pressure in any bottle closure system, if desired. To this end, a one way air valve (not shown) can be inserted into the air holes. 
         [0043]    Although any suitable method can be employed in fabricating the bottle closure in accordance with a method of the present disclosure, it is contemplated that particular advantage can be achieved through the use of manufacturing methods such as, for example, injection molding. 
         [0044]    As illustrated in  FIG. 15 , an exemplary method, shown generally at  1500 , in accordance with the principles herein includes the step of forming a bottle closure including a bite valve on an upper surface of the bottle closure at step  1510 . The bite valve can be integrally formed in the bottle closure. An air valve is formed in proximity to the bite valve. The air valve can be integrally formed in the bottle closure and during the same step as the bite valve, or in a later step, if needed, at step  1520  to accommodate a suitable manufacturing method. The air valve is configured, if needed, at step  1530  to permit liquid to flow when the bite valve is engaged, and prevent liquid from flowing while allowing air to flow in response to a pressure differential created in a container. In step  1540  according to the principles herein, the air valve can be formed in a concave relation to a horizontal plane of the bite valve, if needed to achieve proper liquid and air flow requirements for the air valve of the system. In step  1550 , additional air holes can be formed in the system, if needed, to accommodate an air valve for the system. Other materials and dimensions of the bottle closure are adjusted, if needed, to produce bottle closures accommodating a variety of container sizes in step  1550 . 
         [0045]    The bottle closure is designed for durable and adaptable performance, and provides an economical, reusable drink top, while eliminating problems with spillage. 
         [0046]    While exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are provided herein, various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The scope of the invention is indicated in the appended claims, and all changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalents are intended to be embraced therein. For example, variations in the forming and/or any other features described in the present disclosure are within the spirit and meaning of the appended claims.