Patent Publication Number: US-7909193-B2

Title: Packaging cap

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     To maintain the health of small animals such as cats and dogs, the amount of food given to the animals must be controlled. Many pet owners over-feed their animals because they do not have a dedicated device for measuring the amount of food provided to the animals. Thus, it is desirable to have a cap that accompanies a pet food container and that can be used to measure the amount of pet food provided to the animal. 
     Many animal foods have a significant amount of fat, and as such, are slightly greasy to handle. As such, it is also desirable to have a measuring cap that allows the user&#39;s hand to be remote from the portion of the cap that is used to measure the food. Providing a holding portion that is separate from the measuring portion is difficult with many plastics since it is desirable to minimize the amount of plastic used for the cap, while at the same time maintaining a consistent wall thickness throughout the cap. When uneven wall thicknesses are used within a single plastic mold, effects such as sink marks and part warpage can occur. However, if the same wall thickness is used for the holding portion as for the measuring portion, the holding portion can feel flimsy and can be difficult for users to hold on to. 
     The discussion above is merely provided for general background information and is not intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. 
     SUMMARY 
     A cap for a package containing granular or particulate food, such as pet food, for example includes a measuring cup portion, which is shaped to cover a sealable cap on the container, and a holding portion designed to be held in one hand while filling the measuring cup portion with the granular food. The holding portion includes a wall thickness, which is the same wall thickness found in other portions of the cap. The top and/or bottom surfaces of the holding portion have top and/or bottom protrusions, respectively. The top and/or bottom protrusions provide added thickness in the holding portion that makes it easier to grip the holding portion and that conveys a more substantial feel to the hand to make it easier to hold the cap. 
     This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. The claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any or all disadvantages noted in the background. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a container with a cap under one embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the container of  FIG. 1  without the cap. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a container with a cap under a second embodiment. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the container of  FIG. 3  without the cap. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a container with a cap under a third embodiment. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the container of  FIG. 5  without the cap. 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a cap of one embodiment. 
         FIG. 8  is a right side view of the cap of  FIG. 7 . 
         FIG. 9  is a left side view of the cap of  FIG. 7 . 
         FIG. 10  is a back view of the cap of  FIG. 7 . 
         FIG. 11  is the front view of the cap of  FIG. 7 . 
         FIG. 12  is the top view of the cap of  FIG. 7 . 
         FIG. 13  is a bottom view of the cap of  FIG. 7 . 
         FIG. 14  is a side cross-sectional side view of the cap of  FIG. 7 . 
         FIG. 15  is a perspective view of a cap with material in the measuring cup and a hand holding the cap. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present embodiments provide a cap for a package containing granular or particulate food, such as pet food, for example. The cap includes a measuring cup portion, which is shaped to cover a sealable cap on the container, and a holding portion designed to be held in one hand while filling the measuring cup portion with the granular food. The holding portion includes a wall thickness, which is the same wall thickness found in other portions of the cap. The top and bottom surfaces of the holding portion have top and/or bottom protrusions, respectively. Under some embodiments portions of the top protrusions are aligned with portions of the bottom protrusions to provide added thickness in the holding portion that makes it easier to grip the holding portion and that conveys a more substantial feel to the hand to make it easier to hold the cap. The top of the holding portion is below the top of the measuring cap portion to allow the cap to be placed upside down on the floor so that it may be used as a dish for a pet while allowing the user to easily slip their hand underneath the holding portion to retrieve the cap from the floor once the pet has finished eating. 
     In the discussion below, relative positional terms such as “above” and “below” are used to describe the position of elements relative to each other. It should be understood that these terms are used to provide a description of the elements that is consistent with the orientation of elements in the drawings. Those skilled in the art will recognize that if the elements described below are placed in different orientations, the relative position terms would change accordingly. 
       FIGS. 1 and 2  show a container  100  with and without, respectively, a cap  102 . Cap  102  includes a cover member  104 , which also represents a measuring cup portion, that is sized to fit over a sealing cap  200 , which under one embodiment screws onto package  100 . Under some embodiments, container  100  contains a granular food product such as pet food. 
     Container  100  also includes a channel  202  that extends around a top portion of jug  100 . As described further below, cap  102  includes a ridge along an interior of a sidewall  106  that engages in channel  202  to maintain cap  102  on jug  100 . 
       FIG. 3  shows cap  102  placed on a different container  300  and  FIG. 4  shows container  300  without cap  102 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , container  300  includes channel  302 , which extends around a top portion of container  300 . The ridge on the interior of sidewall  106  of cap  102  engages in channel  302  to keep cap  102  on container  300 . Container  300  also includes a sealing cap  304 , which under one embodiment is a screw-top lid that screws onto container  300 . Cover member  104  of cap  102  is sized to fit over sealing cap  304 . Under some embodiments, container  300  contains a granular food product such as pet food, for example. 
       FIG. 5  shows cap  102  positioned on an additional container  500 , which is shown without cap  102  in  FIG. 6 . Container  500  includes channel  502 , which extends around a top portion of container  500 , and into which the ridge on the interior of sidewall  106  of cap  102  fits to secure cap  102  on container  500 . Container  500  also includes a sealing cap  504 , which under one embodiment is a screw-top lid that seals to container  500 . Cover member  104  of cap  102  is sized to fit over sealing cap  504 . Under some embodiments, container  500  contains a granular food product such as pet food. 
     Containers  100 ,  300  and  500  each have a different size and shape. However, the same cap  102  fits on all three containers. Thus, a system of containers and caps is provided that allows a single cap to be used with multiple different types of containers. Although three containers have been shown, additional containers of other shapes and/or sizes may be used with cap  102 . 
     Under several embodiments, containers  100 ,  300 , and  500  are constructed of high-density polyethylene, for example. Cap  102  can be constructed of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyvinylchloride (PVC) or polypropylene, for example. Other materials may be used for the containers or the cap. 
       FIG. 7  provides a perspective view of cap  102 . Cap  102  includes an interior portion  700 , which is defined at its periphery by sidewall  106 . Interior portion  700  includes cover member  104  and holding portion  701 . Holding portion  701  includes a recess  702  and top ribs  704 , which under one embodiment are protrusions extending from the back of cap  102  toward cover member  104 . Under one embodiment, cover member  104  also acts as a measuring cup, and thus can alternatively be referred to as a measuring cup portion  104 . Cap  102  has an oblong oval shape with holding portion  701  having an elliptical shape. 
       FIGS. 8 and 9  show side views of cap  102  showing that measuring cup portion  104  has a top  800  and holding portion  701  has a top  802 . Top  800  of the measuring cup portion  104  is above top  802  of the holding portion  701 . Because of this, when cap  102  is inverted and the top  800  of measuring cup portion  104  is placed on a surface, a space will exist between the surface and the top  802  of holding portion  701 . This provides a space for a user&#39;s fingers to be placed underneath cap  102  to lift cap  102  off the surface. 
       FIGS. 10 and 11  show a back and front view of cap  102 . Back view  102  shows top ribs  704  of holding portion  701 . 
       FIG. 12  provides a top view of cap  102  showing measuring cup portion  104 , and holding portion  701 . Holding portion  701  includes holding member  1210  and top ribs  704  that protrude from a top surface  1200  of holding member  1210 . In addition,  FIG. 12  shows a tab  1202  extending from sidewall  106  away from measuring cup portion  104  such that at least a portion of holding portion  701  is closer to measuring cup portion  104  than tab  1202 . Tab  1202  has a wall thickness that is the same as a wall thickness of holding member  1210 . When cap  102  is position on a container, such as containers  100 ,  300  and  500 , tab  1202  extends above or away from the container so that a user can place their finger under tab  1202  to lift cap  102  from the container. 
     In  FIG. 12 , it can be seen that cap  102  is symmetric about an axis of symmetry  1204  and that top ribs  704  extend in a direction  1206  that is parallel to the axis of symmetry  1204 . Recess  702  extends in a direction  1208  that is perpendicular to direction  1206 , under one embodiment. 
     In  FIG. 12 , ribs  704  are evenly spaced from each other and have an equal width. In other embodiments, different spacing may be used and variable widths may be applied to the ribs. Ribs  704  end at a common line running perpendicular to the ribs, under one embodiment, with each rib beginning at sidewall  106 , under one embodiment. 
       FIG. 13  shows a bottom view of cap  102 . The bottom view of  FIG. 13  shows an interior  1300  of measuring cup portion  104 . Interior  1300  is defined by a first sidewall  1302  forming part of sidewall  106  and thereby defining an outer perimeter of cap  102 . Interior  1300  of measuring cup portion  104  is further defined by a second sidewall  1304 , which separates interior  1300  of measuring cup portion  104  from holding portion  701 . 
     In  FIG. 13 , holding portion  701  is shown to further include a bottom surface  1306  of holding member  1210  and bottom ribs  1308  that protrude from bottom surface  1306 . Under one embodiment, bottom ribs  1308  are linear protrusions that end at a common ending line running perpendicular to bottom ribs  1308 . Under one embodiment, bottom ribs  1308  are evenly spaced and have the same width as each other. In addition, under one example embodiment, bottom ribs  1308  are vertically aligned with top ribs  704  and have the same width as top ribs  704 . In such embodiments, each rib in bottom ribs  1308  is vertically aligned with a single top rib  704  such that a line along a normal to top surface  1200  or bottom surface  1306  would pass through both a top rib  704  and a bottom rib  1308 . 
     In other embodiments, bottom ribs  1308  extend at an angle to top ribs  704  such that a bottom rib  1308  will cross below a plurality of top ribs  704  and a top rib  704  will cross above a plurality of bottom ribs  1308 . In such embodiments, each area where a bottom rib  1308  crosses beneath a top rib  704  forms overlapping protrusions. In still further embodiments, instead of using linear protrusions or ribs, small circular or oblong protrusions are placed on top surface  1200  and bottom surface  1306  such that the small protrusions on the two surfaces overlap each other and such that a line along a normal to top surface  1200  or bottom surface  1306  would pass through both a protrusion on top surface  1200  and a protrusion on bottom surface  1306 . In still further embodiments, protrusions are found on either top surface  1200  or bottom surface  1306 , but not both. 
       FIG. 13  also shows a ridge  1310  located on the interior of sidewall  106 . Ridge  1310  is designed to fit or engage within channels  202 ,  302  and  502  of the food containers of  FIGS. 2 ,  4  and  6 , respectively. 
       FIG. 14  shows a cross-sectional side view of cap  102  taken along axis of symmetry  1204  as shown in  FIG. 12 . As shown in  FIG. 14 , first sidewall  1302 , top member  1410  and second sidewall  1304  have wall thicknesses  1420 ,  1422 , and  1424 , respectively, that are the same as a wall thickness  1402  of holding member  1210  and a wall thickness  1442  of tab  1202 . Holding member  1210  includes top surface  1200  and bottom surface  1306  with top rib  704  extending along top surface  1200  and bottom rib  1308  extending along bottom surface  1306 . Holding member  1210  has a planar portion  1440  and a recess or concave portion  702  that is formed by a contour, shown in dotted circle  1404 , in top surface  1200  and bottom surface  1306 . Top rib  704  and bottom rib  1308  follow the contour  1404 , under one embodiment. Bottom rib  1308  extends closer to measuring cup portion  104  than top rib  704 . Planar portion  1440  extends along a plane that intersects with a horizontal plane that top member  1410  of cap portion  104  extends along. 
     Second sidewall  1304  has a height  1406  that together with the interior area of top member  1410  defines a measuring cup volume. Under one embodiment, this measuring cup volume is one cup, for example. 
       FIG. 15  shows a perspective view of cap  102  with interior cup section  1300  filled with granular food product  1500 , such as pet food, for example. In  FIG. 15 , a consumer&#39;s hand  1502  is shown gripping holding portion  701 . Because ribs  704  and  1308  are aligned on top of each other vertically as shown in  FIG. 14 , when the user&#39;s hand  1502  grips the holding portion  701 , they feel the thickness of bottom rib  1308 , the wall thickness of holding member  1210 , and the thickness of rib  704 . This added thickness is achieved while maintaining a uniform wall thickness throughout cap  102 . Specifically, the wall thickness  1402  of holding member  1210  is the same as the wall thicknesses  1420 ,  1422 , and  1424  of measuring cup portion  104 . This uniform wall thickness helps to avoid sinks and warpage while the placement of the ribs in vertical alignment with each other provides the feel of added thickness, thus making it easier for users to retain a grip on cap  102 . In embodiments with other protrusion shapes or orientations, the user will also feel the thickness of the protrusion on bottom surface  1306 , the thickness of the protrusion on top surface  1200 , and the wall thickness of holding member  1210 . Note that the protrusions should be shaped so that the protrusions have a similar cooling rate as the walls of cap  102  during molding of cap  102 . 
     Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.