Abstract:
A removable cap assembly maintains a cap having a curved side wall with an inner surface and an outer surface, a top portion extending from the curved side wall, a boss extending perpendicularly from the top portion, and a circumferential rib extending perpendicularly from the top of the boss. The boss and rib define an opening in the cap. A stopper, dimensioned to seal the opening, has a hole therein configured to allow a fluid to flow through. The stopper is maintained in the cap by the boss. The stopper includes a sealing surface flange and a cylindrical wall portion. The sealing surface flange receives the bottom edge of the boss. A sealing ring is formed separately from the stopper and is configured to fit against an inside surface of the top portion of the cap. A stopper lock is configured to press against the stopper, sealing surface flange and the sealing ring, sealing them against the inside of the cap. The stopper lock locks in place against the boss of the cap. An appliance member is adapted to be positioned within the hole of the stopper and extends through the opening.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     This invention relates to an improved removable cap assembly for an animal feeding bottle.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     Small rodents such as mice, rats, guinea pigs, and hamsters are used in scientific research and they are sometimes kept as pets by children. Typically, such animals are held in small cages where they are provided with nesting material along with food and water. Solid food is kept in a feeding device. So that the cage remains dry and relatively orderly, liquids, such as water and medicines, are usually stored in a special bottle with a dispensing device that allows small portions to be released to the animal.  
         [0003]     A common type of dispensing device, widely used in the laboratory animal industry, is a sipper tube that is connected to a bottle filled with liquid. The tube points downward and is accessible to the animal. Often the hole in the tube is relatively small and, therefore, surface tension, along with a partial vacuum that is created in the bottle, prevents liquid from flowing freely from the bottle. Other sipper tubes include ball bearings disposed therein to block the hole at the bottom of the tube. The bearing is free to move, and when it does, it allows liquid to exit in a controlled manner.  
         [0004]     In the prior art, it is well known that a sipper tube—such as the one just described, can be coupled to a bottle with a stopper made of rubber, neoprene, or another similar material. The stopper is placed in the mouth of the bottle where it is held by friction fit. Similarly, a hole in the stopper is dimensioned to hold the sipper tube by friction fit. With the bottle inverted, the sipper tube is accessible to an animal, and limited amounts of liquid can flow out of the bottle as needed.  
         [0005]     The use of a simple friction fit between the stopper and the bottle has at least one major limitation. Because the bottle is inverted, the weight of the liquid tends to loosen the stopper. Furthermore, the stopper is loosened by vibrations and motion caused by an animal using the bottle. These loosening effects may eventually cause the stopper to come apart from the bottle, allowing liquid to escape. In some cases, animals attempt and sometimes succeed in removing stoppers from the bottle. In order to avoid these potentialities, stoppers are usually inserted into the bottle by hand with relatively high force. However, this action may cause health problems, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, for a person who must repetitively insert stoppers into bottles. After all, typical laboratories utilize large quantities of these bottles and stoppers.  
         [0006]     Thus, what is needed is an improved removable cap assembly that overcomes prior art limitations. Specifically, these limitations include the rigidity and security with which the sipper tube is held by a stopper in the bottle. Additionally, problems with regard to cleanliness stem from design features in the prior art.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     It is one object of the present invention to provide an improved removable cap assembly for use in conjunction with a bottle.  
         [0008]     It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved removable cap assembly that can be easily attached to and detached from a standard threaded bottle.  
         [0009]     It is still another object of the present invention to provide an improved removable cap assembly that provides a relatively rigid support for a sipper tube.  
         [0010]     It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an improved removable cap assembly that has multiple thread starts for use in conjunction with threaded bottle.  
         [0011]     Thus, according to one embodiment of the invention, a removable cap assembly comprises a cap, a stopper and a sipper tube. A removable cap assembly is provided having a cap having a curved side wall having an inner surface and an outer surface. A top portion extends from the curved side wall and a boss extending perpendicularly from the top portion. A circumferential rib extends perpendicularly from the top of the boss, where the boss and rib define an opening in the cap and has an opening having a width and a height.  
         [0012]     A stopper is dimensioned to seal the opening. The stopper has a hole therein and is configured to allow a fluid to flow therethrough. The stopper is maintained in the cap by the boss. The stopper includes a sealing surface flange and a cylindrical wall portion. The sealing surface flange is dimensioned to receive the bottom edge of the boss. A sealing ring is provided, formed separately from the stopper and configured to fit against the inside surface of the top portion of the cap.  
         [0013]     A stopper lock is configured to press against the stopper, sealing surface flange and the sealing ring, sealing them against the inside of the cap. The stopper lock is further configured to lock in place against the boss of the cap. An appliance member is adapted to be positioned within the hole of the stopper and extends through the opening.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0014]     The subject matter regarded as the invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. The invention, however, both as to organization and method of operation, together with features, objects, and advantages thereof may best be understood by reference to the following detailed description when read with the accompanying drawings in which:  
         [0015]      FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of a removable cap assembly constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;  
         [0016]      FIG. 2   a  is a cross sectional view depicting the cap of  FIG. 1  detached from a standard threaded bottle, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;  
         [0017]      FIG. 2   b  is a cross sectional view depicting the stopper of  FIG. 1  detached from a standard threaded bottle and configured to be coupled with the cap shown in  FIG. 2   a , in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;  
         [0018]      FIG. 2   c  is a cross sectional view depicting the sealing ring of  FIG. 1  detached from a standard threaded bottle and configured to be coupled with the cap shown in  FIG. 2   a , in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;  
         [0019]      FIG. 2   d  is a cross sectional view depicting the stopper lock detached from a standard threaded bottle and configured to be coupled with the cap shown in  FIG. 2   a , in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;  
         [0020]      FIG. 3   a  is an exploded perspective view of the cap, stopper, sealing ring and stopper lock constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;  
         [0021]      FIG. 3   b  is an exploded perspective view of the cap, stopper, sealing ring and stopper lock constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;  
         [0022]      FIG. 4   a  is a cross sectional of a plug detached from the stopper shown in  FIG. 3   a , in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;  
         [0023]      FIG. 4   b  is a cross sectional of a plug inserted into the stopper shown in  FIG. 3   a , in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;  
         [0024]      FIG. 5   a  is front view of a standard bottle, in accordance with another embodiment of the invention; and  
         [0025]      FIG. 5   b  is a top view of the standard bottle shown in  FIG. 7   a , in accordance with another embodiment of the invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0026]     In accordance with one embodiment, the present invention is directed to a removable cap assembly  10 . Certain features of the present invention, according to one embodiment, are shown in  FIG. 1 . Although not limited thereto, assembly  10  includes a sipper tube  20 , a cap  30 , a stopper  40 , a sealing ring  70  and a stopper lock  80  that, together, can be coupled to a bottle  50 . Stopper  40  fits in the cap to help provide a water tight sealing device for covering bottle  50 . Tube  20  is then held by stopper  40  to provide an animal feeding bottle.  
         [0027]     Sipper  20  can be one of many commercially available and well-known tube shaped devices that are designed to dispense small amounts of liquid on demand. The simplest of these devices, shown in  FIG. 1 , includes a vertical portion  22  and an angled portion  24  that is bent about an elbow  23 . Tube  20  has a hole  26  at its end. The hole is dimensioned so that a relatively small amount of liquid can flow when the liquid&#39;s surface tension is broken. It is understood that many different types of sipper tubes can be used in conjunction with assembly  10  and the invention is not limited to use with tube  20  shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0028]     Cap  30  is preferably formed of plastic, but it can also be formed from metal or any other appropriate material. Cap  30  includes a curved side wall  37 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , wall  37  may include serrations on its outer surface in order to provide an improved gripping surface for a user. The inner surface of wall  37  is formed with threads so that cap  30  can be attached to bottle  50 . Extending from wall  37  is a top portion  32  of cap  30 .  
         [0029]     Now considering  FIG. 2   a  along with  FIG. 1 , a boss  34  extends perpendicularly from top portion  32  and together they form a T-shape in cross section. Also, a circumferential rib  36  extends from the top portion of boss  34  and together they form an L-shape in cross section. A rigid cylindrical opening is defined by rib  36  allowing for sipper  20  to pass therethrough.  
         [0030]     As illustrated in  FIG. 2   a , the bottom portion of boss  34 , ends at an extension rim  38 , configured to meet with a portion of stopper  40  to help seal the fluid within bottle  50 . Stopper clips  39  are positioned on the outside surface of extension rim  38  configured to couple with a stopper lock  80 , discussed in more detail below. Boss  34  preferably maintains 4 stopper clips  39  disposed at 90 degree intervals around its circumference, however, the invention is not limited in this respect.  
         [0031]     Boss  34  and rib  36  serve multiple functions. Besides being configured to hold stopper  40 , they cause the entire structure of cap  30  to be more rigid. At least one additional major advantage of the design herein described, is the cylinder shaped opening that is generally defined by boss  34  of cap  30 . Unlike prior art caps, boss  34  provides lateral support for stopper  40 . This support minimizes the range of motion of tube  20 . In the prior art, a lack of support resulted in tube  20  being free to move in relatively unrestricted manner. This in turn may result in loosening the tube in the stopper. Other function and advantages of this design will be discussed below.  
         [0032]     As illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2   b , stopper  40  is formed from rubber, or a material with similar properties. A cylindrical wall portion  46  has a hole  49  which extends through the stopper as can be seen in  FIG. 2   b . A sealing ring flange  44  extends away from the bottom of wall portion  46  and is configured to correspondingly cover the bottom of extension rim  38  of boss  34  of cap  30 . Stopper  40  maintains an overall dimension such that when it is placed within cap  30 , cylindrical wall portion  46  fits flush against the inner wall of boss  34  forming a watertight seal.  
         [0033]     As illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2   c , sealing ring  70 , separately formed from stopper  40 , is configured to compliment stopper  40  to complete the seal between cap  30  and bottle  50 . The upper surface of sealing ring  70  is configured to fit onto the lower surface of top portion  32  of cap  30 , outside of boss  34 . Sealing ring  70  is dimensioned such that it can pass around extension rim  38  of boss  34  to fit flush up against top surface  32  of cap  30 . Sealing ring  70  may be dimensioned so as to leave a gap between itself and extension rim  38  or, alternatively, it can be dimensioned to be flush against extension rim  38  as explained in more detail below.  
         [0034]     Sealing ring  70  is preferably constructed of any elastomer capable of sealing fluid within bottle  50 . For example, sealing ring  70  may be formed of rubber, plastic, silicone or any other similar material that can form a good seal against the inside of cap  30 .  
         [0035]     As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2   c , a channel  75 , with an upper surface  71  and a lower surface  72 , is formed along the bottom of sealing ring  70  and the surfaces are dimensioned to respectfully receive an upper surface  51  and inner surface  53  of bottle  50 .  
         [0036]     As illustrated in  FIG. 2   d , stopper lock  80  is provided to hold stopper  40  within boss  34  and sealing ring  70  within cap  30 . Stopper lock is preferably constructed of rigid material such as plastic or metal, however the invention is not limited in that respect. Stopper lock  80 , maintains a flat base portion  82  with extending upper wall  84 . A small segment of flat base portion  82  extends beyond upper wall  84  and forms an extension flange  85  that gives the stopper lock structure additional stability and gripping area.  
         [0037]     Flat base portion  82  of stopper lock  80  is configured to fit against the bottom of stopper  40  and sealing ring flange  44 . Upper wall  84  is configured to pass in a friction fit arrangement just outside of boss  34  and extension rim  38  of cap  30 . As illustrated in  FIG. 2   d , stopper lock further maintains a sipper opening  86  in flat base portion  82  configured to allow sipper  20  to pass there through. Also, upper wall  84  maintains a series of locking notches  87  corresponding to stopper clips  39 . As noted above, preferably stopper lock  80  maintains four locking notches  87  disposed about the circumference of upper wall  84  in 90 degree intervals, however the invention is not limited in that respect.  
         [0038]     To this end as is shown in  FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b , an exploded view of cap  30 , stopper  40 , sealing ring  70  and stopper lock  80  show their relative arrangement with one another. During assembly, stopper  40  is inserted into cap  30  such that cylindrical wall portion  46  fits flush against the inside wall of boss  34 . Sealing ring flange  44  of stopper  40  is fit flush with the lower surface of extension rim  38  of boss  34 .  
         [0039]     Next, in first arrangement shown in  FIG. 3   a , sealing ring  70  is placed around extension rim  38  and boss  34  so that it lays flush in against the bottom of top portion  32  of cap  30 , leaving gap between itself at the outside of extension rim  38 . Stopper lock  80  is then placed into cap  30  over stopper  40  and sealing ring  70 . The upper side of flat base portion  82  presses down against sealing ring flange  44  of stopper  40 . Upper wall  84  passes just on the outside of boss  34  and extension rim  38  such that the top side of extension flange  85  presses sealing ring  70  against top portion  32  of cap  30 . Stopper lock  80  is then pressed until locking notches  87  lock against stopper clips  39  on the outside of boss  34 , completing the cap structure.  
         [0040]     In a second alternative arrangement shown in  FIG. 3   b , sealing ring  70  is placed around extension rim  38  and boss  34  so that it lays flush in against the bottom of top portion  32  of cap  30 , and also lying flush against the outside of extension rim  38 . Stopper lock  80  is then placed into cap  30  over stopper  40  and sealing ring  70 . Again, the upper side of flat base portion  82  presses down against sealing ring flange  44  of stopper  40 . Upper wall  84  passes just on the outside of boss  34  and extension rim  38 , but in this arrangement, the top side of upper wall  84  presses sealing ring  70  against top portion  32  of cap  30 . Stopper lock  80  is then pressed until locking notches  87  lock against stopper clips  39  on the outside of boss  34 , completing the cap structure.  
         [0041]     In these arrangements, the pressure of stopper lock  80  holds both stopper  40  and sealing ring  70  firmly against the insides of boss  34  and cap  30 , increasing the effectiveness of the seal. For the purposes of illustration only, it will be presumed that the first arrangement shown in  FIG. 3   a  is being used for the following discussion.  
         [0042]     Typically, cap  30 , sipper tube  20 , stopper  40 , sealing ring  70  and stopper lock  80  are cleaned and sterilized as a single unit in an autoclave or other similar device. Because the plastic cap  30 , metal sipper tube  20 , stopper  40  and sealing ring  70  are constructed of different materials, they are likely to expand and shrink differently from one another as a result of the autoclave/sterilization process, causing gaps to form between the components. However, the present invention construction, in which stopper lock  80  presses tightly against stopper  40  and sealing ring  70 , is better suited to retain the components in a close sealing relationship with one another during cleaning/sterilization, reducing the amount of gaps that form between the components. This feature assists in preventing unwanted contaminants from becoming trapped between the components.  
         [0043]     Additionally, as stopper lock  80  is formed of a rigid material such as a plastic, sipper  20  is held in place by two rigid members, cap  30  and stopper lock  80 , adding stability to the tube. In this arrangement, sipper  20  is secured relative to bottle  50  by both the opening in rib  36  of cap  30  and sipper opening  86  of stopper lock  80 . This added stability prevents severe movements of the sipper tube during feeding, again preventing unwanted contaminants from getting between the components such as between the sipper  20  and stopper  40 .  
         [0044]     After assembly, when cap  30  is clamped down around bottle  50 , the underside of sealing ring  70  compresses to provide a biasing force to separate cap  30  from the bottle  50 . Sealing ring  70  seals against bottle  50  along two surfaces, as shown in  FIG. 1 , lower surface  72  of channel  75  engages inner surface  53  of bottle  50 , and upper surface  71  engages upper surface  51  of bottle  50 .  
         [0045]     In one embodiment, as shown in  FIGS. 5   a  and  5   b , four discreet threads  55  are disposed on bottle  50  and four corresponding threads are disposed on the inside of cap  30 . It is understood that any number of threads may be disposed on bottle  50  and cap  30 . The use of more than one non-continuous thread allows cap  30  to be tightened on bottle  50  with less than 360 degrees of turning. And, the use of multiple threads helps to create a seal along the full 360 degrees of cap  30 .  
         [0046]     As shown in  FIGS. 4   a  and  4   b , in another embodiment of the present invention, a plug  90  is configured to fit within hole  49  of stopper  40 . Plug  90  may be used for initial storage and shipping, before sipper  20  is inserted through stopper  40 . Additionally, some uses of cap assembly  10  may leave plug  90  in place permanently, allowing liquids to be consumed directly through small holes in bottle  50 . As plug  90  creates an airtight seal with stopper  40  a vacuum within bottle  50  is formed, sufficient to prevent the liquid from continuously running out of bottle  50  through the small holes. In this arrangement cap assembly  10 , with plug  90  inserted into stopper  40  are washed and sterilized, in a similar manner above. By leaving plug  90  permanently in stopper  40 , and with stopper lock  80  pressing stopper  40  and sealing ring  70  into cap  30 , the components, as above, remain resistant to gaps forming between themselves, preventing unwanted contaminants from collecting.  
         [0047]     Also, the additional surface contact between cap  30  and stopper  40  serves to assure a water-tight seal. Another advantage of the presently described device is that the width of the opening formed in cap  30  for stopper  40  is relatively smaller than prior art openings. This is another factor which helps to improve the overall rigidity of assembly  10 . Also disclosed have been features that were designed improve the overall cleanliness characteristics of a bottle feeder.  
         [0048]     While only certain features of the invention have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications, substitutions, changes or equivalents will now occur to those skilled in the art. It is therefore, to be understood that this application is intended to cover all such modifications and changes that fall within the true spirit of the invention.