Patent Publication Number: US-6662972-B2

Title: Cap device for obtaining a certain amount of stuff in containers

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a cap device connected to a container and is able to obtain a certain amount of stuff in the container without removing the cap device. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A conventional container generally includes a container and a cap which seals the opening of the container. The cap can be disengaged from the opening so that the stuff in the container can be poured out from the container via the opening. Nevertheless, for some stuff stored in the container such as milk powder or the like which is supposed to be stored in a dry place and avoided from being accessed by moisture, is not suitable to be stored in the containers as described above. The conventional container is used by remove the cap from the opening and get the stuff by letting the stuff stored in the container being poured through the opening. During the pouring process, the opening is opened to the air. Besides, the conventional cap device does not provide a feature that allows the user to get a certain amount of the stuff from the container. The user may have to pour some more stuff from the container, or put some stuff back into the container to obtain a certain amount of the stuff precisely. This prolongs the period of time of keeping the opening being opened. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a cap device mounted to an opening of a container and comprises a base securely engaged with the opening of the container by a fastening belt mounted on a skirt of the base. A hole is defined through the base and a neck extends from the base and encloses the hole. An access portion is rotatably engaged with the neck and includes a tube extending therefrom at an angle. The access portion communicates with the hole and a slidable tube is slidably mounted to the tube. The fastening belt includes a first end and a second end which is connected to the first end of the fastening belt. 
     The primary object of the present invention is to provide a cap device that is securely mounted to a container and a tube extends from the device at an angle. A slidable tube is movably mounted to the tube so that the stuff in the container can be collected in the slidable tube at a certain amount without removing the base from the container. 
    
    
     The present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view to show a container with the cap device of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded view to show the cap device and the container; 
     FIG. 3A is a cross sectional view to show the base mounted to the container; 
     FIG. 3B shows the cap device is secured to the container by a fastening belt; 
     FIG. 4A shows the cap device is rotatable on the container; 
     FIG. 4B shows the tube of the cap device is rotated on the container; 
     FIGS. 5A-5C show the slidable tube is slid on the tube and the cap on the slidable tube can be opened; 
     FIG. 6A is a cross sectional view to show an intermediate cover is installed between the base and the container; 
     FIG. 6B shows a top view of the cap device with the an intermediate cover; 
     FIG. 7 shows the intermediate cover is rotated and the position of the outlet is shifted, and 
     FIG. 8 shows the cap device is connected to a milk container. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to FIGS. 1,  2 ,  3 A,  3 B and  8 , the cap device of the present invention comprises a base  1  having a skirt  12  which has at least one annular ridge  121  extending from an inside of the skirt  12  so as to mount on a neck  31  of the container  3 . The neck  31  encloses an opening of the container  3 . A fastening belt  11  is mounted to an outside of the skirt  12  of the base  1  and includes a first end  111  and a second end  112  which is connected to the first end  111  of the fastening belt  11 . Each of the first end  111  and the second end  112  of the fastening belt  11  has teeth which are engaged with each other. A retaining ring  113  is mounted to the overlapped portion of the first end  111  and the second end  112  so as to position the overlapped portion of the fastening belt  11 . A hole is defined through the base  1  and is enclosed by a neck  13  extending from the base  1 . A plurality sections of grooves  131  are defined in an inside of the neck  13 . 
     An access portion  2  is rotatably engaged with the neck  13  and includes an insertion  23  rotatably engaged with the neck  13 . A plurality of ribs  231  extend from the insertion  23  and are slidably received in the grooves  131 . A connection member  21  is connected to the insertion  23  and a tube  24  extends from the connection member  21  at an angle to maintain a distal end of the tube  24  to orient downward. The connection member  21  communicates with the hole in the base  1 . A slidable tube  22  is slidably mounted to the tube  24  and an aperture  221  defined in a distal end the slidable tube  22  and a cap  25  is pivotally connected to the slidable tube  22  and seals the aperture  221  of the slidable tube  22 . The tube  24  communicates with the connection member  21 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 4A and 4B, the access portion  2  can be rotated relative to the neck  13  on the base  1  till the ribs  231  is stopped by an end of the respective grooves  131 . As shown in FIGS. 5A to  5 C, the slidable tube  22  is then slid away from the connection member  21  and the stuff in the container  3  is then poured into the slidable tube  22  via the hole in the base  1 . There are scale marks on the tube  24  and the slidable tube  22  so that the volume of the stuff can be controlled in the slidable tube  22  by the marks. When the container is put upright, the stuff in the downward slidable tube  22  will not the go back into the container  3  so that a certain amount of the stuff is collected. The stuff in the slidable tube  22  can be poured out by opening the cap  25 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 6A,  6 B and  7 , an intermediate cover  14  can be mounted to the opening of the container  3  and is sandwiched between the base  1  and the neck  31  of the container  3 . An outlet  144  is defined through the intermediate cover  14  and the base  1  is securely and rotatably mounted to the intermediate cover  14 . A protrusion  143  extends from a top of the intermediate cover  14  and a slot  122  defined through the base  1 . The protrusion  143  is engaged within the slot  122  so as to limit the range of the rotation of the base relative to the intermediate cover  14 . The stuff in the container  3  can only be poured into the slidable tube  22  by rotating the base  1  relative to the intermediate cover  14  till the outlet  144  is located in alignment with the connection member  21 . 
     While we have shown and described the embodiment in accordance with the present invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.