Patent Publication Number: US-6662978-B2

Title: Stopper with interchangeable plug

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to stoppers for insulated liquid containing vessels in general. More specifically to a stopper that has interchangeable plugs for sealing and pouring liquid therefrom. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     Previously, many types of stoppers have been used in endeavoring to provide an effective means to enclose a liquid containing vessel such as a vacuum insulated bottle, a coffee server, carafe, travel container or the like. 
     A the following prior art did not disclose any patents that possess any of the novelty of the instant invention, however the following U.S. patents are considered related: 
     
       
         
           
               
               
               
               
             
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 Patent Number 
                 Inventor 
                 Issue Date 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
            
               
                   
                 Des. 346,933 
                 Denny et al. 
                 May 17, 1994 
               
               
                   
                 Des. 362,156 
                 Goto et al. 
                 Sep. 12, 1995 
               
               
                   
                 Des. 362,369 
                 Bridges 
                 Sep. 19, 1995 
               
               
                   
                 Des. 373,051 
                 Kramer et al. 
                 Aug. 27, 1996 
               
               
                   
                 Des. 386,948 
                 Wissinger 
                 Dec. 02, 1997 
               
               
                   
                 Des. 396,777 
                 Inoue 
                 Aug. 11, 1998 
               
               
                   
                 Des. 398,187 
                 Parker 
                 Sep. 15, 1998 
               
               
                   
                 Des. 411,713 
                 Bridges 
                 Jun. 29, 1999 
               
               
                   
                 Des. 416,757 
                 Ginuntoli 
                 Nov. 23, 1999 
               
               
                   
                 Des. 425,758 
                 Freed 
                 May 30, 2000 
               
               
                   
                 4,754,888 
                 Letsch et al 
                 Jul. 05, 1988 
               
               
                   
                 5,249,703 
                 Karp 
                 Sep. 05, 1993 
               
               
                   
                 5,918,761 
                 Wissinger 
                 Jul. 06, 1999 
               
               
                   
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
     Letsch et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,754,888 discloses a carafe with an inner container surrounded by a casing. The inner container and the casing have an opening at the top which may be closed by a separate plug. The plug and opening in the container and casing are shaped such that it is possible to fill or empty the inner container while the plug is still in the opening. The plug and container both have mating grooves that provide opposed flow paths into and out of the container. The container also includes a basin around the top for receiving coffee from a coffee maker and the plug has openings to provide a flow path from the basin into the container interior. 
     Karp in U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,703 teaches a travel mug that includes a container and a lid in combination. The container has a handle and an annular lip that has an annulus capable of forming a seal with the top side of the annular lip. A cylindrical well in the lid has a vertical dividing wall such that the lid may be readily rotated by hand. The retaining arms extend from the underside of the lid and engage the underside of the annular lip to pull it into tight abutment. Diametrically opposed gaps in the lip act as passageway for the retaining arms. Similarly diametrically opposed notches in the lid align with the gaps to allow liquid to be poured from the container. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,918,761 issued to Wissinger is for an insulated container and cover combination that has an outer container shell terminating at an opening with a surrounding edge. An inner container shell is nested within the, outer container shell and has an opening surrounded by a continuous edges in abutment with the surrounding edge. The inner container shell is spaced inwardly and is out of contact with the outer shell. A cover mounting assembly is attached to the outer shell adjacent to the opening. A single seal, made of elastomeric material, has a sealing surface disposed at the interface of the shells Locating rings define the removable cover mounting assembly and locate the single sealing ring on the inner and outer shells. 
     For background purposes and as indicative of the art to which the invention is related reference may be made to the remaining cited design patents. 
     DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION 
     Stoppers for vacuum bottles, liquid containing vessels and the like utilizing external threads on the outside surface were previously rather simple in their construction being screwed off to allow the contents to be poured from the mouth of the container. In some instances a separate cup was screwed on the threads and a stopper plug was manually inserted into the opening of the vessel. Today much more sophisticated stoppers are in common usage. Normally the lid is turned a small amount to allow the liquid to be expelled and retighten by simple reversal of the lid. Little thought has been given to a stopper that has the capability to be manufactured in such a manner as to permit the tooling to produce part of the stopper as standard and then have options as to the method of operation by replacing a separate and discrete plug that forms the assembly. 
     It is therefore a primary object of the invention to produce a stopper having interchangeable plugs with each plug operating in a different manner. This invention incorporates a stopper body made up of two components mated together and a annular gasket for sealing against the neck of the vessel. An inner shell interfaces with the plug and has a smooth contour for ease of pouring and threads on a lower portion for attaching a plug. An outer shell is attached to the inner shell and incorporates a set of threads that interface with opposed threads of a ordinary liquid storage container. 
     An important object of the invention is directed to the two different plugs that fit into the common stopper body. The first plug is a twist to pour type, and as the name suggests, it operates by twisting a hollow main core that rotates on the threads of a lower portion of the stopper body inner shell. Slight rotational movement of the plug raises the plug sufficiently to expose a flow path under a peripheral core gasket allowing the liquid within the container to flow freely therefrom. The second plug operates by pushing a button in the top cover a first time locking the plug in an open position. When pushing the button the second time the plug returns to its closed position by spring pressure and retains a liquid tight seal. This first approach is called a push to pour plug. 
     Another object of the invention is that that the twist to pour embodyment includes a lid on the main core that creates a dead air space producing an insulating barrier that prolongs the desired temperature gradient of the liquid stored within the container. 
     Yet another object of the invention is that a manufacturer may fabricate a single stopper body and offer either or both plugs as options or may market either combination according to what the public demands. This object saves considerable tooling expense in the initial investment while reducing the speculation of the products acceptance. 
     These and other objects and advantages of the; present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the preferred embodiment and the appended claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a partial isometric view of the twist to pour embodiment of the stopper. 
     FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the twist to pour embodiment of the stopper. 
     FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken along lines  3 — 3  of FIG.  2 . 
     FIG. 4 is a top elevation view of the twist to pour embodiment of the stopper. 
     FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the twist to pour embodiment of the stopper. 
     FIG. 6 is a partial isometric view of the of the top of the twist to pour embodiment of the stopper completely removed from the invention for clarity. 
     FIG. 7 is a partial isometric view of the stopper body outer shell of the twist to pour embodiment of the stopper completely removed from the invention for clarity. 
     FIG. 8 is a partial isometric view of the stopper body inner shell of the twist to pour embodiment of the stopper completely removed from the invention for clarity. 
     FIG. 9 is a partial isometric view of the hollow main core of the twist to pour embodiment of the stopper completely removed from the invention for clarity. 
     FIG. 10 is a partial isometric view of the annular gasket of the twist to pour embodiment of the stopper completely removed from the invention for clarity. 
     FIG. 11 is a partial isometric view of the peripheral core gasket of the twist to pour embodiment of the stopper completely removed from the invention for clarity. 
     FIG. 12 is an exploded view of the twist to pour embodiment of the stopper. 
     FIG. 13 is a partial isometric view of the push to pour embodiment of the stopper. 
     FIG. 14 is a cut away partial isometric view of the push to pour embodiment of the stopper. 
     FIG. 15 is a side elevation view of the push to pour embodiment of the stopper. 
     FIG. 16 is a top elevation view of the push to pour embodiment of the stopper. 
     FIG. 17 is a cross sectional view taken along lines  17 — 17  of FIG.  15 . 
     FIG. 18 is a bottom elevation view of the push to pour embodiment of the stopper. 
     FIG. 19 is a partial isometric view of the stopper body outer shell of the push to pour embodiment of the stopper completely removed from the invention for clarity. 
     FIG. 20 is a partial isometric view of the stopper body inner shell of the push to pour embodiment of the stopper completely removed from the invention for clarity 
     FIG. 21 is a partial isometric view of the annular gasket of the push to pour embodiment of the stopper completely removed from the invention for clarity. 
     FIG. 22 is a partial isometric view of the hub insert of the push to pour embodiment of the stopper completely removed from the invention for clarity. 
     FIG. 23 is a partial isometric view of the push button of the push to pour embodiment of the stopper completely removed from the invention for clarity. 
     FIG. 24 is a partial isometric view of the rotary force ring of the push to pour embodiment of the stopper completely removed from the invention for clarity 
     FIG. 25 is a partial isometric view of the compression spring of the push to pour embodiment of the stopper completely removed from the invention for clarity. 
     FIG. 26 is a partial isometric view of the stopper main hub of the push to pour embodiment of the stopper completely removed from the invention for clarity. 
     FIG. 27 is a partial isometric view of the peripheral hub gasket of the push to pour embodiment of the stopper completely removed from the invention for clarity. 
     FIG. 28 is a partial isometric view of the plunger to hub linear gasket of the push to pour embodiment of the stopper completely removed from the invention for clarity. 
     FIG. 29 is a partial isometric view of the plunger to hub sealing gasket of the push to pour embodiment of the stopper completely removed from the invention for clarity. 
     FIG. 30 is a partial isometric view of the stem of the valve plunger of the push to pour embodiment of the stopper completely removed from the invention for clarity. 
     FIG. 31 is an exploded view of the push to pour embodiment of the stopper embodiment of the stopper. 
    
    
     BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
     The best mode for carrying out the invention is presented in terms of a preferred embodiment with optional sub-elements. The twist to pour embodiment, that is preferred, is shown in FIGS. 1 thorough  12  and is comprised of a stopper body  20  having an inner shell  22  affixed to an outer shell  24 . The inner shell  22  is configured to communicate with a liquid storage vessel interior and includes a plurality of recesses  26  for providing a gripable surface for attachment to a vessel. The outer shell  24  is profiled to be threadably attached to an outside surface of the same vessel. FIGS. 1-5 and  12  illustrate the entire stopper body  20  and FIG. 8 illustrates the inner shell  22  by itself FIG. 7 shows the outer shell  24  also completely removed from the invention. 
     Inner shell threads  28  interface with a stopper plug, and a annular gasket  30  is seated thereon for sealing the inner shell  22  to a storage vessel interior, in a liquid tight manner. The outer shell  24  has similar threads  28 ′ for interfacing with the opposed threads of a liquid storage vessel. It should be realized that the stopper body  20  includes the inner shell  22 , outer shell  24  and the annular gasket  30  as shown in the exploded view of FIG. 12 depicted as the three lower elements and independently in FIGS. 7,  8 , and  10 . Further the inner shell  22  and outer shell  24  are physically attached together and sealed into an integral unit as illustrated in FIG.  3 . 
     The stopper body  20  is formed of a thermoplastic such as cellulose, phenolic, phenylene oxide, polycarbonate, polyester, polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, acetyl, polyester, phenylene oxide, polymide or poly vinyl chloride. The annular gasket  30  is made of a thermoplastic material analogous to natural rubber, synthetic rubber and resilient thermoplastic, specifically including silicone, neoprene, and viton. 
     The interchangeable stopper plug, in the form of a push to pour plug, is illustrated as the top three elements of FIG.  12  and consists of a hollow main core  32  that is smaller in size yet contoured in like manner as the stopper body inner shell  22  interior, with core mating threads  34  that connect to the body inner shell threads  28  for interfacing with a stopper plug. The main core  32  of the plug is shown individually in FIG. 9 and a lid  36  is snapped into place and sealed onto the hollow main core  32  enclosing the core creating a dead air space within, that acts as an insulating barrier for the liquid containing vessel. A peripheral core gasket  38  hermetically seals the core  32  to the stopper body inner shell  22 , as shown best in FIG.  3 . The main core  32  and lid  36  are of the same material as the stopper body  20  and the peripheral gasket  38  material is a duplicate of the annular gasket  30 . 
     The core mating threads  34  have interruptions in the form of a pair of opposed cavities  40  such that when the twist to pour plug main core  32  is manually rotated at least a quarter of a turn the peripheral gasket  38  is unseated. This unseating creates a flow path that is opened between the liquid storage vessel interior and a space between the core  32  and the stopper body inner shell  22 , permitting liquid contents to be poured out from the interior of the vessel. Counter rotation of the twist to pour plug main core  32  returns the plug to its closed and sealed position. FIG. 3 best illustrates the function in the closed position however FIG. 9 depicts the cavities  40  which make it easy to understand that the plug&#39;s rotation would elevate the cavities  40  above the interface of the peripheral gasket  38  to the seat on the inner sell  22  forming the flow path for liquid flow. 
     The push to pour preferred embodiment, is shown in FIGS. 13 thorough  31  and consists of the exact same stopper body  20  as used in the previous embodiment which comprises the inner shell  22 , outer shell  24  and the annular gasket  30 . 
     The plug itself is unique however, and is illustrated alone in FIGS. 19-30. The plug consists of a hollow flanged hub insert  42  formed with a plurality inward linear slots  44  within the inserts hollow inside portion. The insert  42  is illustrated alone in FIG.  22  and shown as an assembly in FIGS. 14 and 17. 
     The insert  42  has a hollow push button  46  that is nested inside and includes a plurality of outwardly depending alignment ribs  48  and sloped fingers  50 . As the push button is slideably disposed within the hub insert  42 , the alignment ribs interface with the flanged hub linear slots  44  to prevent the push button  46  from rotating when it is slid linearly within the hub insert  42 . 
     A hollow push button rotary force ring  52 , having a plurality of sloped spikes  54  protruding outwardly therefrom, interfaces with the sloped fingers  50  of the hub insert  42 . A compression spring  56  is disposed within the rotary force ring  52  urging it to remain contiguously engaged with the hub insert  42  until it is manually depressed. The relationship of the above elements, in their sequence, is illustrated in the exploded view of FIG.  31  and by themselves sequentially in FIGS. 22-25. 
     A stopper main hub  58  is disposed within the body inner shell  22 . The main hub  58  includes a plurality of main hub threads  60  on a lower end permitting the hub  58  to threadably engage the mating threads  28  in the body inner shell  22 . A plurality of recesses  26  are located on its outside surface, providing a gripable face for attaching the hub  58  to the stopper body inner shell  22 . 
     A peripheral hub gasket  62  grips the stopper main hub  58  and is in contact with the inner shell  22  when the hub is rotatably tighten in place, forming a liquid tight seal between the stopper plug and the stopper body. 
     A valve plunger  64  includes a stem  66  on a first end and a circular disc  68  on a second end, with the first end engaging the push button rotary force ring  52 . A plunger to hub sealing gasket  70  is mounted into a horizontal recess  72  of the stem  66  and a plunger to hub linear gasket  74  provides a seal between the plunger  64  and the stopper main hub  58 . The gaskets  62 ,  70  and  74  have the same composition as outlined for gaskets  30  and  38 . The material of the remainder of the stopper plug is also the same as delineated for the stopper body  20 . 
     In operation, when the push button  46  is depressed the first time, the push button  46 , under spring pressure, urges the force ring  52  down while simultaneously unseating the valve plunger  64  allowing a passageway to be opened through the main hub  58  and between the hub  58  and the stopper body inner shell  22 . This action permits liquid to be poured from the stopper. The rotary force ring  52  rotates sufficiently to engage the ring&#39;s sloped spikes  54  with the sloped fingers  50  of the hub insert  42  retaining the stopper in the open condition, When the push button  46  is depressed sequentially the second time, the ring&#39;s sloped spikes  54  and sloped fingers  50  disengage, and under spring pressure, the force ring  62  and valve plunger  64  return to their normally closed position terminating the flow of liquid through the stopper. 
     FIGS. 14 and 17 depict the operation in the normally closed condition however it may easily be visualized that when the above sequence is followed the flow path is obvious, particularly when perceived in the cutaway view of FIG.  14 . 
     While the invention has been described in complete detail and pictorially shown in the accompanying drawings, it is not to be limited to such details, since many changes and modifications may be made to the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. Hence, it is described to cover any and all modifications and forms which may come within the language and scope of the appended claims.