Patent Publication Number: US-8967901-B1

Title: Sauce brush cap for a squeeze bottle

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Various types of sauce dispensing caps are known in the prior art. However, what is needed is a sauce brush cap for a squeeze bottle including a housing for an applicator devised to engage a threaded upper end of a squeeze bottle and having a brush with inflammable bristles to dispense sauce from the squeeze bottle onto a food item being grilled without igniting the bristles. The housing and the applicator are hollow to permit the dispensing of the sauce as well as to permit an unused portion of the sauce to return into the squeeze bottle. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to sauce applicators, and more particularly, to a sauce brush cap for a squeeze bottle. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The general purpose of the present sauce brush cap for a squeeze bottle, described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a sauce brush cap for a squeeze bottle which has many novel features that result in a sauce brush cap for a squeeze bottle which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by prior art, either alone or in combination thereof. 
     To accomplish this, the present sauce brush cap for a squeeze bottle includes a housing for an applicator devised to engage a threaded upper end of a squeeze bottle and having a brush with inflammable bristles to dispense sauce onto a food item being grilled. The housing includes an annular collar disposed on the bottom end thereof, an annular first connector disposed on a top surface of the collar top surface, an annular second connector disposed on a top side of the first connector, a housing member disposed on the upper side of the second connector; and a central compartment continuously longitudinally disposed therethrough. A threaded exterior surface is disposed within the central compartment of the collar. The first connector has a diameter smaller than a diameter of the collar. The second connector has a diameter larger than the diameter of the first connector and smaller than the diameter of the collar. 
     The applicator includes an annular threaded lower end with an external side that removably engages the threaded exterior surface. The lower end has a height equal to a height of the threaded exterior surface to prevent leakage. The applicator also includes a hollow frustoconical base disposed atop a top edge of the lower end as well as a brush. The base has a maximum width smaller than a maximum width of the lower end. The brush has a hollow neck portion attached to a topmost end of the base and includes a plurality of inflammable bristles extending from the neck portion outwardly from the housing member. 
     The housing and the applicator are hollow to permit the passage of a sauce contained within the squeeze bottle from the lower end of the applicator, through the base, and outwardly from the brush for application of the sauce with the bristles and to return a unused portion of the sauce to the squeeze bottle. The housing and the applicator are dishwasher safe. In addition, the housing and the applicator lower end and base are preferably plastic, although other materials that promote the functionality of the present device can be used. 
     Thus has been broadly outlined the more important features of the present sauce brush cap for a squeeze bottle so that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Figures 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric view. 
         FIG. 2  is a bottom plan view. 
         FIG. 3  is a side elevation view. 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  is an in-use front elevation view attached to a squeeze bottle. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular  FIGS. 1 through 5  thereof, an example of the instant sauce brush cap for a squeeze bottle employing the principles and concepts of the present sauce brush cap for a squeeze bottle and generally designated by the reference number  10  will be described. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 through 5 , the present sauce brush cap for a squeeze bottle  10  is illustrated. The sauce brush cap for a squeeze bottle  10  includes a housing  20  having a top end  22  and a bottom end  24 . The housing  20  includes an annular collar  26  disposed on the bottom end  24 . The collar  26  has an exterior surface  28  and a top surface  30 . The housing  20  also includes an annular first connector  32  disposed on the collar  26  top surface  30 . The first connector  32  has a top side  34  and further has a diameter smaller than a diameter of the collar  26 . An annular second connector  36  of the housing  20  is disposed on the top side  34  of the first connector  32 . The second connector  36  has an upper side  38 . The second connector  36  has a diameter larger than the diameter of the first connector  32  and smaller than the diameter of the collar  26 . The housing  20  further includes a housing member  40  disposed on the upper side  38  of the second connector  36 . In addition, the housing  20  includes a central compartment  42  continuously disposed through the housing member  40 , the second connector  36 , the first connector  32 , and the collar  26 . A threaded exterior surface  44  is disposed within the central compartment  42  of the collar  26 . An applicator  50  is disposed within the central compartment  42  of the housing  20  and extends outwardly from the housing member  40 . 
     The applicator  50  includes an annular threaded lower end  52 . The lower end  52  has an external side  54  that removably engages the threaded exterior surface  44  and is configured to engage a threaded upper end of a squeeze bottle. The lower end  52  has a top edge  56 . The lower end  52  has a height equal to a height of the threaded exterior surface  44  to prevent leakage. The applicator  50  also includes a hollow frustoconical base  58  disposed atop the top edge  56  of the lower end  52  as well as a brush  60 . The base  58  has a topmost end  61 . The base  58  has a maximum width smaller than a maximum width of the lower end  52 . The brush  60  has a hollow neck portion  63  attached to the base  58  topmost end  61  and includes a plurality of bristles  65  extending from the neck portion  63  outwardly from the housing member  40 . The bristles  65  allow a use to dispense sauce onto a food item while being grilled and are inflammable to prevent the bristles from being ignited during use. 
     The housing  20  and the applicator  50  are hollow to permit the passage of a sauce contained within the squeeze bottle from the lower end  52  of the applicator  50 , through the base  58 , and outwardly from the brush  60  for application of the sauce with the bristles  65  and to return an unused portion of the sauce into the squeeze bottle. The housing  20  and the applicator  50  are dishwasher safe. In addition, the housing  20  and the applicator  50  lower end  52  and base  58  are preferably plastic, although other materials that promote the functionality of the present device  10  can be used.