Patent Publication Number: US-2007113920-A1

Title: Measuring bottle cap

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      This invention relates to a bottle cap that can be filled from the top of the cap to measure out a known amount of liquid. In particular, it relates to a graduated bottle cap that screws onto the top of a bottle and has a hinged snap-on lid.  
      When a measured amount of a liquid must be poured from a container, a separate container of known capacity or marked with gradations, such as a measuring spoon or a cup, may be used. But since such measuring containers may not always be handy, liquids may be sold in containers that have threaded caps that can be inverted and used to measure the amount of liquid desired. However, after pouring the liquid from the cap, some liquid usually remains inside the cap. When the cap is inverted a second time and is replaced on the container, that liquid may move between the threads and down the sides of the container. Depending on the liquid, this may create a sticky container or, if the liquid is flammable or toxic, a danger. Thus, it would be desirable to have a container with a measuring cap on it that prevents residual liquid in the cap from leaking to the outside of the container.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      I have invented a measuring bottle cap that removably seals a bottle that holds a liquid. The top of the cap is a graduated cup, so that the cap can be removed from the bottle and a measured amount of liquid can be poured from the bottle into the cup without inverting the cap. The bottle can then be re-sealed with the cap, again without inverting the cap, so any liquid remaining in the cap will not run down the sides of the bottle. The cup may be provided with a lid to prevent any remaining liquid from leaving the cup and to prevent contaminants from entering the cup. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is an isometric bottom view of a certain presently preferred embodiment of a measuring bottle cap according to this invention.  
       FIG. 2  is side view in section of the measuring bottle cap shown in  FIG. 1  with a bottle onto which it may be screwed.  
       FIG. 3  is an enlargement of a portion of the cap and lip shown in  FIG. 2 .  
       FIG. 4  is a side view of an alternative certain presently preferred embodiment of a measuring bottle cap according to this invention 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
      In  FIGS. 1, 2 , and  3 , measuring bottle cap  1  may be attached to neck  2  of bottle  3 . Cap  1  has a seal  4  that is fixed to the top of cylinder  5 . Cylinder  5  has female threads  6  that engage male threads  7  on neck  2  of bottle  3 . To the bottom of cylinder  5  is fixed annular ring  8  which in turn is fixed to sides  9  of cap  1 . Seal  4 , cylinder  5 , annular ring  8 , and sides  9  form a cup  10  that can hold a liquid. Snap-on lid  11  is attached to sides  9  by means of flexible hinge  12 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , rim  13  of lid  11  has annular indentation  14  and annular projection  15  that engage annular projection  16  and annular indentation  17 , respectively, at the top of sides  9 .  
      Bottle  3  may be any type of necked bottle, of any shape and size. It may be, in cross-section, round, square, rectangular, oval, or other shape. Preferably, it is a round bottle. It may hold any amount of liquid, but typically will hold about 2 to about 128 oz. If neck  2  is threaded, its cross-section will be round, but neck  2  may have another shape (square, oval, etc.) if bottle  3  is not sealed with a threaded cap, but is sealed by a snap-on cap or other type of seal. Bottle  3  may be made of a variety of materials, including metals and ceramics, but it is preferably made of glass or plastic as those materials are inexpensive and unreactive with liquids likely to be placed inside the bottle. Bottle  3  may be used to hold any liquid, but it is most suited for holding liquids that are meant to be used in measured amounts, such as medicine, liquid vitamins and supplements, dietary drinks, detergent, cooking oil, etc.  
      Neck  2  is sealed by seal  4 , which prevents liquid within bottle  3  from coming out of bottle  3 . Seal  4  may seal bottle  3  by means of threads on outside of neck  2  and the inside of sealing portion  4 , by means of which it may be screwed against neck  2 , as shown in the drawings, or by other means, such as a snap-on lid similar to snap-on lid  11 .  
      Sides  9  of cap  1  may be round, rectangular, square, oval, elliptical, polygonal, or other shape in cross-section. The top of sides  9  may have a rounded triangular shape that easily accommodates the mouth and nose of a person drinking from cup  10 . Sides  9  are preferably wider than neck  2  so that a person&#39;s mouth can easily fit over the upper edge of sides  9  for drinking from cup  10 , but sides  9  may also be as narrow as neck  2  or narrower than neck  2 , so that the entire top of cup  10  can be inserted into a person&#39;s mouth to drink. Sides  9  are preferably transparent or translucent so that a person can easily see the contents of cup  10 . Also, sides  9  preferably have one or more horizontal marks or gradations  18  thereon or therein, that indicate the amount of liquid within cup  10 . Cup  10  preferably holds about 0.25 to about 8 oz, but may hold more or less than that amount if desired.  
      While lid  11  is optional, it is preferably provided to prevent contaminants from entering cup  10  and to prevent any liquid remaining within cup  10  from leaving. Similarly, hinge  12  is preferably provided to prevent the misplacement and loss of lid  11 . While a snap-on lid, as shown in the drawings, that seals cup  10  by means of annular indentations and projections, as shown in  FIG. 3 , is preferred, other means of sealing cup  10  may also be used, such as the male and female threads used on cylinder  6  and neck  2 , respectively.  
      Cap  1  is preferably made of plastic or glass for ease of construction, lower cost, and unreactivity with liquids likely to be used in bottle  3 , but it could also be constructed of ceramic, metal, or other materials or mixtures of materials. Plastic is the preferred material as the entire cap  3 , including lid  11  and hinge  12 , can be made of a single piece of plastic by, for example, injection molding; polyethylene or polypropylene is the preferred plastic.  
      Referring now to  FIG. 4 , cap  19  is similar to cap  1 , except that annular ring  20  is attached to the top of cylinder  21 . The cap shown in  FIGS. 1, 2 , and  3  is preferred as that cap is more compact and takes up less space.