Patent Abstract:
A container closure device comprising an engagement portion joined to but separated from a base to define a gap capable of engaging the peripheral lip or top ridge of a container and including a radially compressible spacer in the gap, a vertically movable cap or plate including a pliant sealing surface on a first side thereof located between the base and the engagement portion and a cam mechanism engaging a second surface of the cap so as to permit driving the cap and its associated pliant sealing surface against the top ridge of the container with which the gap has been engaged.

Full Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to closure devices for containers and more particularly to container closure devices for resealing an opened container and even more particularly to such a device for resealing a previously opened carbonated beverage, food, paint or other suitable container. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A great deal of effort has been expended to design and produce a satisfactory closure for resealing, for example, partially consumed soft drink and beer containers. Such efforts have resulted in the production of a large number of variations of such devices, but none has reached very large market penetration. 
     The shortcomings of the prior art devices are numerous and varied. Many such prior art devices are large, i.e. bulky, and unwieldy, i.e. hard to operate, others because of their design cannot be easily cleaned after use, and yet others such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,982,656 require that a portion of the resealing device actually be inserted into the container to obtain satisfactory sealing, a generally unacceptable requirement since it poses the significant risk of contaminating the container contents through the introduction of foreign matter. 
     Thus, the need for a satisfactory device capable of resealing a previously opened container such as a soft drink can remains, as does the demand for such a product. Additionally, such a device that could be manufactured in varying sizes for purposes of sealing other reusable containers such as paint cans and the like would be similarly useful and desirable. 
     OBJECT OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a container resealing device suitable for use on a variety of reusable containers such as beverage cans that is easy to use, compact and provides for the ability to be cleaned after one or more uses. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to the present invention, there is provided a container resealing device comprising a generally semicircular engagement portion joined to but separated from a circular base by a preferably removable spacer to provide a gap capable of engaging the peripheral lip of a container, a vertically movable circular cap including a pliant sealing surface on a first side thereof located between the circular base and the engagement portion and a cam mechanism engaging a second surface of the circular cap so as to permit driving the circular cap against the top of a container with which the gap has been engaged along the peripheral container lip. 
     According to various preferred embodiments of the present invention, the cam mechanism can incorporate a means for providing a variety of cam settings to adapt to a variety of container configurations, the spacer is a round, axially compressible and expandable spring to permit easy removal thereof for disassembly of the device of the present invention for cleaning and the pliant sealing surface may cover the entire surface of the circular cap or merely comprise a portion thereof adequate to provide a fluid tight seal against a portion of a resealed container. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the container closure device of the present invention engaged with the top of a container in the closed or sealed position. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the container closure device of the present invention engaged with the top of a container in the open or unsealed position. 
     FIG. 3 is partially phantom bottom view of the container closure device of the present invention in the open or unsealed condition. 
     FIG. 4 is a partially phantom top view of the container closure device of the present invention engaged with a container in the open position. 
     FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the container closure device of the present invention along the line  5 — 5  of FIG. 4 showing the container closure device of the present invention in the open or unsealed position engaged with the top of a container to be sealed. 
     FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the container closure device of the present invention along the line  6 — 6  of FIG.  4 . 
     FIG. 7 is a top plan view of certain of the essential elements of the container closure device of the present invention. 
     FIG. 8 is a partially phantom view along the line  8 — 8  of FIG.  4 . 
     FIG. 9 shows the same view as FIG. 5, but with an alternative configuration for the pliant layer. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2 that depict container closure  10  of the present invention engaged with the top surface of a container  12 , container closure device  10  comprises an annular base  14  of a size to cover the periphery of the top of container  12  (shown and described in greater detail below), a cam  16 , a cam lever  18  preferably including indicia  20  for indicating whether container closure device  10  is sealed or open, a raised or cam bearing point  22  to provide cam action, a cam shaft  24  extending longitudinally through cam  16  and rotatably engaged with shaft retainers  26  located in opposition atop annular base  14 . It should be noted that the opposing ends  24 ( a ) and  24 ( b ) of shaft  24  as well as mating and opposing shaft engagement apertures  28   a ,  28   b  and  28   c  are preferably of different diameters to permit only a single assembly direction for the purposes described below. Each of shaft retainers  26  preferably includes a plurality of shaft engagement apertures  28   a ,  28   b  and  28   c  of varying depths to permit engagement with container  12  tops having container top ridges of varying heights as described more fully below. Quite clearly, shaft engagement apertures  28   a ,  28   b  and  28   c  of varying depths must be oriented such that opposing ends  24   a  and  24   b  of cam shaft  24  engage shaft engagement apertures  28   a ,  28   b  and  28   c  of equal depth and diameter to provide smooth and even rotation of cam  16 , as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. Thus, shaft engagement apertures  28   a ,  28   b  and  28   c  will be aligned in opposing order on opposing sides of annular base  14  as clearly shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. As will be obvious to the skilled artisan, a single shaft engagement apertures  28  of equal height in each of shaft retainers  26  a pair or an even greater number than three of shaft engagement apertures  28  can be used in the successful practice of the present invention. Annular base  14  is preferably comprised of an upper portion  15  and a lower portion  17  that define a gap  19  that serves to retain spacer  36  therebetween. Within gap  19  and forming a portion thereof is a recessed portion  21 . As best shown in FIG. 8, recessed portion  21  is of greater thickness than the combined thickness of annular sealing ring  34  and pressure plate  30  described in detail hereinafter, but of a smaller thickness that the combined thickness of sealing ring  34 , pressure plate  30  and spacer  36  also described in greater detail hereinafter. 
     As best viewed in FIGS. 5 and 6, container closure device  10  further comprises a pressure plate  30  against which cam  16 , and more specifically raised or bearing point  22  of cam  16 , bears forcing pressure plate  30  downward in the direction of container top ridge  33  about the periphery of container top  32 . This action causes resilient, annular sealing ring  34  to sealingly bear against container top ridge or lip  33  thereby providing a fluid, gas or liquid, proof seal between annular sealing ring  34  and container top ridge  33  which, in the engaged or sealed configuration, is located between annular sealing ring  34  and lower portion  17  of annular base  14  that engages the lower periphery of container top ridge  33  of inserted container  12 . 
     Clearly, to permit insertion of container  12  into gap  19 , lower portion  17  is semi-circular, i.e. extending only about one half of the periphery of upper portion  15 . More specifically, lower portion  17  is of a size and shape and located so as to provide registration with spacer  36  to permit insertion of container  12  as shown in FIGS. 1,  2  and  5 . It is gap  19 , described in detail below, that serves to capture the peripheral top ridge  33  when container  12  is inserted into container closure  10  of the present invention. Quite obviously, annular base  14  could easily comprise a monolithic member having gap  19  including recess  21  machined, molded or otherwise formed therein rather than being comprised of two distinct parts  15  and  17 . Indeed, elements  15 ,  17  and even  26  could be molded into or machined from a single piece of material to form a monolithic structure incorporating all of such elements into a single part. 
     According to a highly preferred embodiment of the present invention, when upper portion  15  and lower portion  17  are separate parts and must be joined together, they are joined by screws or rivets (not shown) extending therebetween. 
     While the upper surface of pressure plate  30  is depicted herein as being flat, it will be readily apparent to the skilled artisan that this surface, i.e. that opposite the surface which bears annular sealing ring  34 , could be slightly bowed to reduce the amount of bow that must be included in cam bearing point  22  on cam  16  as shown at  22   a  in FIG.  5 . 
     The presence of spacer  36  is critical to the successful practice of the present invention. Spacer  36  is a generally horseshoe-shaped, radially compressible and expandable, preferably round spring having rounded and extended and rounded ends  40 , best shown in FIGS. 3,  4  and  7 . Ends  40  permit easy insertion of container  12  within spacer  36  thereby positioning container ridge  33  for subsequent engagement in gap  19  by lower portion  17  and sealing by the action of cam  16  depressing pressure plate  30  and in turn engaging resilient surface  34  with container ridge  33  as shown in FIG.  5 . Engagement of lower portion  17  about container  12  as shown in FIG. 5 causes retention of container  12  in container closure device  10 , specifically in gap  19 , while cam  16  is rotated from the open to the closed or sealed position causing sealing and engagement of the various members as just described. 
     The configuration of spacer  36  as a radially compressible spring also permits its removal from container closure device  10  by slight radial compression thereof for purposes of cleaning after use or use on different product containers. Such cleaning is accomplished by radial compression and removal of spacer  36  thereby allowing pressure plate  30  to drop down into the lower portion of gap  19 , i.e. out of recess  21  from whence it can easily be removed for cleaning. 
     Referring now to FIG. 8, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the thickness of lower portion  23 , i.e. that portion of gap  19  that lies below recess  21 , is somewhat greater than the combined thickness of pressure plate  30  and resilient surface  34  but somewhat smaller than the combined thickness of pressure plate  30 , resilient surface  34  and spacer  36 . Thus when spacer  36  is radially compressed and removed, pressure plate  30  and associated resilient surface  34  can be moved toward lower portion  17 , i.e. dropped into lower portion  23  of gap  19 , and easily removed for cleaning. 
     While annular sealing ring  34  is depicted in the Figures and described herein as an “annular ring”, it will be readily apparent to the skilled artisan that the “ring” configuration could easily and effectively be replaced by the use of a solid layer or surface of resilient material that covered all or substantially all of the lower surface of pressure plate  30 , so long as adequate contact between container top ridge  33  and the resilient material of “annular ring”  34  is provided to produce the required fluid resistant seal about top ridge  33 . Such an embodiment is depicted in FIG.  9 . 
     Container closure device  10  may, of course, be manufactured from a wide variety of materials so long as each member is manufactured from a material that provides adequate properties to meet the performance requirements of that particular element. For example, annular base  14  and associated shaft retainers  26  can be fabricated from metal or a suitably stiff polymeric material, although aluminum or steel is specifically preferred depending upon the particular use to which container closure device  10  will be put. Similarly, while cam  16  and all of its various elements, shaft  24 , etc. can be fabricated from a variety of polymeric and metallic materials, it is preferred that they be fabricated from aluminum or steel for durability. 
     Spacer  36  is preferably fabricated from spring steel, although, again, a suitable polymeric material that provides the required radial expandability and compressibility could be substituted therefor. 
     In use, container closure device  10  is utilized by sliding ridge  33  of a container  12  into gap  19  while cam  16  is in the open position and then once ridge  33  is properly engaged within gap  19  and with spacer  36 , as described hereinabove, rotating lever  18  to the sealed position, rotation through about 180°, causing cam bearing point  22  to bear on the top surface of pressure plate  30  thereby forcing pressure plate  30  downward and resulting in resilient annular ring  34  tightly engaging ridge  33  thereby sealing the container. 
     While container closure  10  has been described herein largely in connection with soft drink, beer or other similar containers, it should be noted, that container closure device  10  is similarly useful, in an appropriate size, for use on, for example, paint containers, food containers and other similar containers that need to be tightly sealed against the infiltration or exfiltration of a fluid such as a gas or liquid for extended periods of time. 
     While cam  16  and its associated bearing point(s)  22 , ( 22   a ) and cam lever  18  can be oriented to permit sealing of container closure device  10  in either direction of movement of cam lever  18 , it is specifically preferred that these various members be oriented such that movement of cam lever  18  from the “open” to the “sealed” condition be such that such movement tends to push container closure device  10  toward tighter engagement with container  12  as shown in the various Figures attached hereto. 
     As described herein, container closure device  10  has been described as being circular or round. It will be obvious to the skilled artisan that the principles and designs described herein could be easily transferred to a container closure device useful for sealing square, rectangular, oval or other shaped containers having an appropriate top ridge with which engagement of a resilient sealing surface can be achieved. The fabrication of such a closure device would involve largely the alteration of the shape of the various members to obtain such a device. 
     As the invention has been described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the same may be varied in many ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Any and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 8