Patent Publication Number: US-2006016778-A1

Title: Bottle lid

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates to a bottle lid which features easy operation of a lever-actuated sealing member to seal the bottle in order to provide a superior sealing force against internal pressure in the bottle and which also features an anchoring member for securely holding the bottle lid to the mouth of the bottle to prevent inadvertent detachment of the lid from the bottle due to a build up of internal pressure in the bottle and/or external mechanical causes.  
      2. Description of the Related Art  
      A conventional bottle lid of generally related functionality is restricted by Korean Utility Patent Registration No. 0346808, which is also owned by the present applicant.  
      With the aforementioned conventional bottle lid, it is possible to maintain sealing force for a bottle in which the bottle neck is long and formed in the shape of that is the number “1”, however, when it is used for a bottle of which the bottle neck is short or for any bottle that is filled with a carbonated beverage, the sealing device can easily get pushed upward toward the upper part of the neck and even become completely detached from the bottle due to internal pressure in the bottle, which is a disadvantage.  
       FIG. 11  shows the structure of a conventional bottle lid with sealing device according to the previous state of the art prior to the present invention. The conventional bottle lid includes inside a cap ( 100 ) which fits over and covers the outside of a bottle mouth; a sealing device ( 200 ), which expands and closely adheres to the inside of the bottle mouth when an operating body ( 300 ), on which the sealing device ( 200 ) is mounted, is inserted in the bottle mouth. The operating body includes an axial portion, which is vertically oriented coaxially with a throat of the bottle. One end of the operating body ( 300 ) penetrates through a top of the cap ( 100 ) and an opposite end is attached to a support pad ( 301 ) upon which the sealing device ( 200 ) rests. Atop the sealing device ( 200 ) and fitted around the vertically oriented axial portion of the operating body ( 300 ) there is a pressurization member ( 500 ). The end of the vertically oriented axial portion of the operating body ( 300 ) that extends upward from the mouth of the bottle and penetrates through the top of the cap ( 100 ) is movably attached, such as by a hinges or a pin, to an operating lever ( 400 ), which is capable of being moved from one position to another in order to actuate the operating member ( 300 ) so that the sealing device ( 200 ) thereon is alternatively moved between a first position wherein it is in the throat of the bottle but not in proximal contact therewith, to a second position wherein the operating body ( 300 ) is raised upward towards an inside upper surface of the cap causing the sealing member ( 200 ) to compress and distort its shape horizontally outwardly against the inside wall of the throat of the bottle, thereby creating a tight seal therewith against flow of liquid or gas from or into the bottle. As a result of the configuration of the apparatus, when the operating lever is actuated to a bent position, substantially perpendicular to a vertical axis of the bottle, the support pad ( 301 ) of the operating body ( 300 ) connected to the operating lever ( 400 ) is elevated, raising the sealing device ( 200 ). The sealing device ( 200 ) is then put under pressurizing forces by pressurization member ( 500 ) and expands, tightly adhering to the inside wall of the bottle mouth.  
      Separate packing ( 600 ) is also provided and presses on the pressurization member ( 500 ), located on top of the above sealing device ( 200 ), to apply pressure to the sealing device ( 200 ) in order to prevent a problem of the cap ( 100 ) being damaged by internal pressure which builds up and is exerted on to the inside of the cap ( 100 ) when the sealing device is pressurized.  
      A bottle lid of this conventional configuration has a disadvantage in that it may still easily detach from and come off the bottle when internal pressure in the bottle increases or because of the geometry and shape of certain bottles, particularly when the neck of the bottle has an inclined side.  
      This occurs especially in cases where the bottle mouth is not formed in an elongated shape, resembling the outline of a numerical figure “1”, as in wine bottles, and sealing of the bottle is unstable, thereby causing, the cap to detach by itself after passage of a certain amount of time or eventually causing failure of proper sealing of the bottle, which is disadvantageous in that liquid may leak from the bottle if it is inadvertently tipped, the contents of the bottle, if carbonated, will lose carbonation and go “flat”, and/or air may seep into the bottle causing the contents to spoil. Loosening, and possible detachment of the cap is a particular problem in cases in which internal pressure in the bottle builds up, as in the case of carbonated beverages, causing the sealing device which adheres to the inside of the bottle mouth to be pushed up to the upper part of the bottle mouth, causing the bottle cap to easily come off.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to overcome the foregoing problems and disadvantages. This is accomplished in the present invention by providing a bottle lid and cap having an anchoring member in the cap that covers and fits over the outside of the bottle mouth, with the anchoring member being formed in order to securingly cooperate with an element on or near the mouth of the bottle itself, such as spiral threads, an attachment ring, or a lower lip on a bottle mouth, in a state wherein the lid and cap tightly adheres to the outside of the bottle mouth. The bottle lid and cap further includes an operating lever, which is actuated after first securing the anchoring device with the spiral threads of the bottle mouth. Actuation of the lever causes the sealing device to expand causing a tight fluid seal. The bottle lid is prevented from inadvertently detaching due to the presence of the anchoring member. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view showing a bottle lid apparatus in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
       FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of the bottle lid of  FIG. 1  in an actuated state.  
       FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view showing a bottle lid apparatus in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the bottle lid of  FIG. 3  being applied to a bottle.  
       FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the bottle lid of  FIG. 3  in an actuated state.  
       FIG. 6  is an exploded perspective view showing a bottle lid apparatus in accordance with yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
       FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of the bottle lid of  FIG. 6  in an actuated state.  
       FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view of still yet another preferred embodiment of the bottle lid apparatus of the present invention with an external cap shield formed as a single piece.  
       FIG. 9  is an operational view of removal of a bottle lid apparatus of the present invention from a bottle mouth.  
       FIGS. 10A, 10B  and  10 C are operational views of preferred embodiments of a reinforced bottle lid apparatus of the present invention.  
       FIG. 11  is an operational view of a conventional bottle lid according to the prior art.  
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ONE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION  
      The most preferred embodiment of the present invention will be explained in detail below referring to the attached drawings.  
      The present invention in a bottle lid and cap includes at least the following elements: a cap ( 10 ) that fits over the outside of a bottle mouth; an operating member ( 30 ) that is fitted into a passage or through hole ( 11 ) in the upper side of the cap, the operating member including a sealing element ( 20 ) placed on a support pad ( 32 ) at a lower end of the sealing element, with the support pad being integrally formed with a support post ( 31 ), and the support post being inserted through the sealing element and maintaining contact or a close equidistant spacing from the sealing element ( 20 ); an operating lever ( 40 ) at a top end of a support post ( 31 ) of the operating member ( 30 ), the operating lever ( 40 ) being attached to the top end of the support post ( 31 ) of the operating member ( 30 ) along a common vertical axis by a hinge (not shown) or by a pin ( 42 ) inserted through a pin groove or hole ( 41 ) adapted to receive the pin ( 42 ), so that when the operating lever ( 40 ) is actuated by flexing or bending the lever relative to the support post ( 31 ) of the operating member ( 30 ), the sealing device ( 20 ) is flattened and expands radially horizontally outwardly due to pressure applied both from above and beneath the sealing device ( 20 ), thereby sealing the bottle. This configuration, in which an anchoring member ( 12 ) which securingly cooperates with the spirals on the outside of the bottle mouth by interlocking therewith, is formed on the inner wall of the cap ( 10 ) in order to enable engagement prior to actuating the bottle lid lever so that the anchoring member prevents the bottle lid from detaching by itself.  
      As shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , in the bottle lid of the present invention that includes an anchoring member ( 12 ), the cap ( 10 ) can be engaged and tightened along the spirals ( 81 ) formed on the outside of the bottle mouth. The anchoring member ( 12 ), in order to be combined and tightened along spiral grooves formed on the spirals ( 81 ) of the bottle ( 80 ), is formed to have at least one, and preferably a plurality of protrusions at any location on the inner wall of the cap ( 10 ). In the case of a plurality of protrusions, they are preferably spaces equidistantly around the periphery of the inner circumference of the cap. Alternatively, the anchoring member ( 12 ) is formed as a continuous spirally threaded ring which is capable of securingly threadingly cooperate with the spiral thread on the exterior of the bottle mouth in order to engage with the spirals ( 81 ) formed with spiral grooves and spiral protrusions.  
       FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2  illustrate a bottle lid that has an anchoring member ( 12 ) in a shape of an elongated spiral tape that exactly fits into the spirals ( 81 ) of the bottle mouth.  
      As shown in  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 5 , in another embodiment of the bottle lid according to the present invention, an anchoring means ( 12 ) is formed as a plurality of more than one perpendicular part that is formed by extending a lower portion of the cap ( 10 ) vertically down and making it operationally flexible in order to be engaged and affixed by the spiral protrusions ( 81   a ) formed on the outside surface of the bottle mouth.  
       FIG. 3  and  FIG. 5  illustrate a bottle lid that has such an anchoring member ( 12 ), with four projecting elements ( 10   a ) and wherein distal ends of all the vertical elements of the anchoring member have wedge-shaped or beveled edges which extend therefrom substantially perpendicularly towards the wall of the bottle so as to be capable of engaging with the spiral thread of the bottle mouth.  
      The anchoring member ( 12 ) and the perpendicular part ( 10   a ) are formed to have some flexibility so that they can be easily fitted into the lower part of the spirals ( 81 ) by the pressure of a single touch when fitting onto the outside of a bottle mouth ( 80 ).  
      A very small vent hole ( 13 ) is formed on the upper face of the above cap ( 10 ) so that in cases when a bottle filled with a carbonated beverage is shaken causing an escape of carbon dioxide to occur upon opening the bottle, together with an upwelling and spillage of the liquid contents of the bottle, the very small hole allows the carbon dioxide gas to first discharge, thereby preventing overflow of the liquid subsequent to the occurrence of escape of excess carbon dioxide when bottle lid is opened.  
      As shown in  FIG. 6  and  FIG. 8 , a knurled section ( 14 ) is formed on the outer surface of the cap ( 10 ) in order to improve a user&#39;s grip of the cap and to prevent sliding of the cap in the user&#39;s fingers while rotating it, which makes rotation of the cap ( 10 ) easy, and enables the bottle lid of the present invention to easily engage or disengage from the mouth of the bottle ( 80 ).  
      In addition, as shown in  FIG. 6  and  FIG. 8 , an external cap shield ( 70 ) is formed on the exterior of the cap ( 10 ) with an upper face of the cap ( 10 ) being extended in order to keep foreign material from touching the area around the mouth of the bottle, such as the shoulder of the bottle ( 80 ), thereby also providing a sanitary function. In this embodiment, the above knurled section ( 14 ) is not formed on the cap ( 10 ) but on the external cap ( 70 ).  
      A packing ( 60 ) is inserted over the support post ( 31 ) of the operating member ( 30 ) on top of pressurization conduit ( 50 ), so that it prevents direct contact between the pressurization conduit ( 50 ) and the cap ( 10 ), thereby preventing damage both the cap ( 10 ) and the pressurization conduit ( 50 ) and, at the same time, preventing leakage by tightly engaging with the cap ( 10 ). On the pressurization conduit ( 50 ), a combining protrusion ( 50   a ) is formed in order to affix the packing ( 60 ).  
      In the bottle lid of the present invention configured as above, when the cap ( 10 ) is rotated along am outer part of the bottle ( 80 ) mouth or when pressure is applied vertically downward, the anchoring member ( 12 ) engages with the bottle ( 80 ) mouth through the spirals ( 81 ) formed on the outer surface of the bottle ( 80 ) mouth; and if the operating lever ( 40 ) is depressed, the sealing device ( 20 ) fitted into the inside of the bottle mouth expands radially outward towards both sides of the bottle due to the pressure applied from above and beneath, thereby, sealing the bottle.  
      Accordingly, in the bottle of the present invention, a cap ( 10 ) is engaged with the bottle mouth so that when the bottle lid of the present invention is used on a bottle filled with a carbonated beverage, the bottle lid is prevented from unintentionally becoming loose or completely disengaging due to an increase in internal pressure in the bottle due to the presence of carbon dioxide gas.  
      When the bottle lid of the present invention is removed, by returning the operating lever ( 40 ) to a straightened position and releases the seal, the cap ( 10 ) can be removed either by pulling it straight up or rotating it along the spiral grooves of the spirals ( 81 ). However, in embodiments of bottle lids with anchoring means ( 12 ) formed at the lower end of perpendicular parts ( 10   a ), it is preferable to remove the lid by rotating it along the bottle mouth. Specifically, as shown in  FIG. 9 , the cap is rotated to urge the anchoring means ( 12 ) at the perpendicular part ( 10   a ) along the spiral grooves of the spirals ( 81 ) of the bottle mouth to position themselves adjacent to the spiral groove ( 81   b ) on top of the spirals ( 81 ) so that the anchoring means disengages from the spirals ( 81 ) and the cap ( 10 ) can be removed from the bottle mouth.  
      In  FIGS. 10A and 10B , a reinforcing member is formed on the upper face of the cap to prevent the upper surface of the cap from being damaged due to repetitive depression of the lever and from loosening. Diverse methods can be utilized including, e.g. a method as in  FIG. 10A  in which, a recessed groove ( 10   b ) is formed on the upper face and thereafter a solid metal washer ( 15 ) is mounted; or a method, as shown in  FIG. 10B , in which only a solid metal washer is mounted on the upper face of the cap. Additionally, a method as shown in  FIG. 10C , in which a layer of reinforcing material, which includes a plurality of reinforcing fins, is formed in the interior of the cap ( 10 ) at a juncture of the top and side of the cap ( 10 ), with the fins being spaced around the inner periphery of the cap ( 10 ).  
      A bottle lid of the present invention, on which is formed an anchoring member that allows for joining with the bottle mouth, has the advantage over the previously known conventional bottle lid, that even when the lid is used on a bottle filled with a carbonated beverage, the sealing force is maintained constant.  
     LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS FOR KEY PARTS OF THE APPARATUS SHOWN IN THE DRAWINGS  
     
         
           10 . Cap  
           11 . Passage or Through hole  
           12 . Anchoring member  
           13 . Vent Hole  
           14 . Knurled section  
           20 . Sealing element  
           30 . Operating member  
           31 . Support post  
           32 . Support pad  
           40 . Operating lever  
           50 . Pressurization conduit  
           60 . Packing  
           70 . External cap shield