Abstract:
A container venting disc is punctuated with gaps around the periphery to allow gases from the interior of the container to vent. An intermediate ridge or layer that abuts or is proximal to the interior edge of the container lip is implemented to prevent the disc from significantly moving laterally and to also center the venting disc within the container mouth. The gap(s) forms a channel in the disc to allow gases to escape between the edge of the container mouth and the container cap. The simplicity of design allows for easy manufacture and simple placement in a container, such as for a jar or bottle.

Description:
FIELD 
       [0001]    This subject matter relates to a sealing membrane for an enclosure capable of venting gases. More particularly, it relates to a venting disc for a container top. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    The need to store material inside an enclosure such as a container is measured against the need for the consumer to be able to breach the enclosure to access the material. A typical breaching mechanism is a removable cap that is tightened or snapped over the container mouth. However, due to tampering or other concerns, an airtight liner or seal is usually secured over the container mouth. In some instances, the airtight liner or seal prevents the venting of gases that are built up from the stored material and the seal will eventually burst or the container will break. Several approaches, such as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,579,936 and 5,730,306 to Costa et al., show designs for allowing venting, but these designs are particularly suited for liquid materials and are somewhat complicated to manufacture. 
         [0003]    What is desired is a sealing mechanism that is less complicated and also suited for non-liquid materials, such as pills, pastes or large granules, etc. To that end, the following description details a container venting disc that addresses these and other deficiencies in the industry. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    The following presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the claimed subject matter. This summary is not an extensive overview, and is not intended to identify key/critical elements or to delineate the scope of the claimed subject matter. Its purpose is to present some concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later. 
         [0005]    The foregoing needs are met, to a great extent, by the present disclosure wherein a venting removable cover for a container opening is provided, the container opening being sealable with a cap, comprising: a non-venting outer portion having a predetermined dimension and shape to rest on a lip of the container opening; a non-venting inner portion that spans an interior face of the container opening; at least one non-venting intermediate portion bridging the outer portion and the inner portion, shaped to protrude into an interior of the container and being disposed at a position proximal to an interior edge of the lip of the container to prevent slippage of the removable cover from the container opening; and at least one venting gap through the outer portion, spanning from an outer edge of the outer portion to an outer perimeter formed by the at least one intermediate portion. 
         [0006]    In another aspect of the present disclosure, a method for venting gases from a container opening covered by a removable venting disc is provided, the container opening being sealable with a cap, comprising: forming a non-venting outer portion of the removable venting disc having a predetermined dimension and shape to rest on a lip of the container opening; forming a non-venting inner portion of the removable venting disc that spans an interior face of the container opening; forming at least one non-venting intermediate portion of the removable venting disc bridging the outer portion and the inner portion, shaped to protrude into an interior of the container to prevent slippage of the removable cover from the container opening and disposed at a position proximal to an interior edge of the lip of the container; and forming at least one venting gap in the outer portion of the removable venting disc, spanning from an outer edge of the outer portion to an outer perimeter formed by the at least one intermediate portion. 
         [0007]    In another aspect of the present disclosure, a venting removable cover for a container opening is provided, the container opening being sealable with a cap, comprising: non-venting means for resting on a lip of the container opening, having a predetermined dimension and shape; non-venting means for spanning an interior face of the container opening; non-venting means for bridging the means for resting on the lip and the means for spanning, shaped to protrude into an interior of the container to prevent slippage of the removable cover from the container opening, and disposed at a position proximal to an interior edge of the lip of the container; and means for venting gases through the means for resting, spanning from an outer edge of the means for resting to an outer perimeter formed by the means for bridging. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
         [0008]    The features and nature of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the detailed description set forth below when taken in conjunction with the drawings in which reference characters identify corresponding items and processes throughout. 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  is a top view of an exemplary venting disc. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a bottom prospective view of the exemplary venting disc of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a top view of another exemplary venting disc. 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a top view of another exemplary venting disc. 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is an exaggerated perspective view of another exemplary venting disc on a container. 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  is an exploded perspective view of another exemplary venting disc on a bottle top. 
           [0015]      FIG. 7  is a view of the A-A cross-section shown in  FIG. 6 . 
           [0016]      FIG. 8  is a top view of another exemplary venting disc. 
           [0017]      FIG. 9  is a top view of another exemplary venting disc with a tab. 
           [0018]      FIG. 10  is a top view of another exemplary venting disc with a tab. 
           [0019]      FIG. 11  is a top view of another exemplary venting disc with a design. 
           [0020]      FIG. 12  is a top view of another exemplary venting disc with a design and tab. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0021]    The disclosed methods and systems below may be described generally, as well as in terms of specific examples and/or specific embodiments. For instances where references are made to detailed examples and/or embodiments, it should be appreciated that any of the underlying principals described are not to be limited to a single embodiment, but may be expanded for use with any of the other methods and systems described herein as will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art unless otherwise stated specifically. 
         [0022]    The ability to “seal” a container top, but in a manner that is breachable by the customer, requires an exemplary venting disc to be removable. In various embodiments described herein, the exemplary seal is an easily manufacturable venting disc which can be formed from a non-venting material or membrane that is tearable or puncturable, or configured to be removable via a tab or other exertion of force. Thus, the exemplary venting disc may be manufactured from any material that provides a robust “seal” while still allowing the customer to remove the seal, as needed. One of many possible non-limiting examples include materials selected from the group comprising: foil, plastic, fabric, metal, nylon, layered membranes, and so forth. In some embodiments, the method for attaching or securing the exemplary disc to the container mouth may be facilitated by tightening a cap or by adhering the disc to the container mouth lips using an adhesive or pressure, etc. In some embodiments, the exemplary venting disc may be of a one-time-use, while in other embodiments, the exemplary venting disc may be multiply used. Accordingly, the “longevity” of use intended for the exemplary venting disc can dictate the exemplary venting disc manufacturing material. 
         [0023]      FIG. 1  is a top view of an exemplary venting disc  10  having a shape suitable for sealing a container (not shown) with an outer portion  11  and inner portion  13  bridged by a non-planar portion  15  distal to inner portion  13 . The outer portion  11  is shown punctuated with a gap  17  having a predetermined size that is located adjacent to an exterior edge of the non-planar portion  15 . When placed over a container mouth (not shown), the gap  17  provides an opening for gases to escape from the interior of the container to the exterior, while also preventing solid material or large sized materials to escape to the exterior. The non-planar portion  15  can operate to center the exemplary venting disc  10  about the container mouth and also to constrain the exemplary venting disc  10  from slipping off the container mouth. The outer portion  11  is of a predetermined size to constrain the gap  17  to provide a restricted opening between the lip of the container (shown in  FIG. 5 ) and the exterior edge of the non-planar portion  15 . These and additional aspects of this exemplary embodiment will be further evident in the following Figs. 
         [0024]      FIG. 2  is a bottom prospective view of the exemplary venting disc  10  of  FIG. 1 . From this vantage point, non-planar portion  15  is shown as a “V”-like depression in the material of the exemplary venting disc  10  that circles the entire disc  10 . The outer wall of the non-planar portion  15  can butt against the inner rim of a container lip and operates to prevent the exemplary venting disc  10  from slipping off the container mouth. 
         [0025]    It should be appreciated that the terms planar and non-planar are used herein to differentiate the various sections of the disc  10 . For example, the section  11  of the disc  10  that rests on the container top&#39;s lip (not shown) is differentiated from the section  15  of the disc  10  that abuts the inner edge of the container top&#39;s lip, by labeling the former as planar while the latter as non-planar. In some contexts, the non-planar portion can be referred to as an intermediate portion, without loss of generality. Therefore, the terms planar/non-planar are understood to encompass other contours for the surfaces of the disc  10 . For example, it is contemplated that certain planar portions may be curved, having a concave, convex, or dome shape. Further, the outer rim  11  of the disc  10  that rests on the container&#39;s lip may be curved in one direction while the inner section  13  of the disc  10  may be flat, depressed, raised, or curved. Therefore, while the various embodiments described herein utilize the terms planar and non-planar, it should be understood that these terms can be broadly applied to refer to contours that are not planar. 
         [0026]    Similarly, it should be appreciated that the term disc is also a generic term as used herein, being referable also to non-circular shapes such as squares, ovals, rectangles, and other shapes that may be used for container openings. Therefore, while the exemplary embodiments herein are illustrated as having a circular or “disc-like” shape, other shapes are understood to be within the purview of this disclosure. 
         [0027]      FIG. 3  is a top view of another exemplary venting disc  20  having a contiguous portion  21  that spans the exemplary venting disc  20 . Non-planar portions  25  are disposed in discrete segments about contiguous portion  21  at a predetermined distance from the edge of the exemplary venting disc  20  to operate in a similar fashion to the non-planar portion  15  shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . Multiple gaps  27  of predetermined sizes are placed at the periphery of the exemplary venting disc  20 . The arrangement and number of the gaps  27  with respect to the non-planar portions  25  can be modified, as according to design preference. As one of many possible examples, the gaps  27  may be co-radial with the non-planar portions  25 , or less or more gaps  27  may be utilized as compared to the non-planar portions  25 . 
         [0028]      FIG. 4  is a top view of another exemplary venting disc  30  having non-planar portions  35  formed as dimples or discontinuous projections/depressions into the contiguous portion  31 . Multiple gaps  37  of predetermined sizes are placed at the periphery of the exemplary venting disc  30 . Similarly, the arrangement and number of the gaps  37  with respect to the non-planar portions  35  can be modified, as according to design preference. 
         [0029]    It should be noted that  FIGS. 3 and 4  illustrate the possibility of modifying the non-planar portions to be of different shape and arrangement about the respective disc. Therefore, while only a “V” or dimple shape is shown in the above Figs., other shapes known to one of ordinary skill in the art are contemplated herein and are understood to be within the purview of this disclosure. Similarly, the “symmetry” of the non-planar portions and the gaps about the exemplary discs may also be altered to allow for non-symmetric placement of the non-planar portions/gaps. As evident in  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 , the gap shape may be variable. Therefore, the gap may have any desired geometric shape, such as for example, square, curved, oval, ornate, etc., without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. 
         [0030]      FIG. 5  is an exaggerated perspective view of another exemplary venting disc  40  on a container opening. The venting disc  40  has outer portion  41  bridged by non-planar portion  45  to inner portion  43 . Gaps  47  are shown distributed about the outer portion  41  showing container lip  49  supporting the outer portion  41 . The gap  47  is bounded by fore and rear sides  47   a  and  47   b  and the inner edge of the container lip  49  to result in an opening  47   c  that is smaller than the actual size of the gap  47 . Accordingly, with an understanding of the container lip  49  thickness/size, the gap  47  can be determined to generate an actual opening  47   c  sized to allow gases to vent from the interior of the container  44  while preventing the exit of the material (not shown) from inside the container  44 . 
         [0031]      FIG. 5  is an exaggerated view in that the non-planar portion  45  is shown to be significantly displaced from the container lip  49 , to allow the opening  47   c  to be easily viewable in this illustration. Generally, the non-planar portion  45  will be, in many instances, closer to the container lip  49 , especially if the individual material inside the container is smaller than the gap  47 . As will be further evident below, the material type and size will help determine the appropriate size of the opening  47   c.    
         [0032]      FIG. 6  is an exploded perspective view of another exemplary venting disc  50  on a container or bottle top  64 . Bottle top  64  can be a typical bottle in that inner section  66  is rimmed with lip  67  and surfaced with a spiral thread  69  for tightening on cap  62 . The exemplary venting disc  50  is configured with a ringed non-planar portion  55  that is circumvented with gaps  57 . The exemplary venting disc  50  may be secured to the bottle top  64  by use of the cap  62  or by use of an adhesion mechanism or other securing mechanism, as according to design preference. Cross section of cut line A-A in a non-exploded view is described below. 
         [0033]      FIG. 7  is a view of the A-A cross-section shown in  FIG. 6 , where cap  62  is secured to the bottle  64  via bottle thread(s)  69  and cap thread  79 . Of note is that gases  75  from the interior of the bottle can escape through the disc  50  via the opening formed between the inner edge of the bottle  90 , the edge of the non-planar portion  55  proximal to the inner edge of the bottle, and the gap  57 . The gases  75  channel out (and also in) through the open spiral spaces formed between the cap thread  79  and the bottle thread  69 . As should be apparent, the non-planar portion  55 , when properly sized with respect to the bottle top, can be configured to have a slight amount of lateral play within the bottle top. Accordingly, at least one gap  57  will be positioned to allow the necessary opening for the gases  75  to escape. 
         [0034]      FIG. 8  is a top view of another exemplary venting disc  60 . Outer portion  61  is bridged by non-planar portion  65  to inner planar portion  63 . Gaps  67  are disposed about the disc  60 , but with dimensions that protrude into inner planar portion  63 . In this embodiment, it is contemplated that the material being stored in the container is a paste or non-liquid material that will not, by virtue of its viscosity or makeup, pass through the gaps  67 . Analogously, the material may be of a size that is larger than the gap  67  size. 
         [0035]      FIG. 9  is a top view of another exemplary venting disc  70  with a tab  72 . This embodiment illustrates the ability to affix a tab  72  at one end of the disc  70  for easy disc removal. Non-planar portion  75  circumvents the entire disc  70  to bridge gaps  77  with inner portion  73 . As illustrated, a design  74  can be embossed, printed, etc. on the interior  73  of the disc  70 , if so desired. 
         [0036]      FIG. 10  is a top view of another exemplary venting disc  80  with a tab  82 . In this embodiment, more gaps  87  are presented as well as being more curved in shape than that of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 9 . Additionally, the non-planar portions  85  are not continuous around the disc  80 . Inner portion  83  is shown with an optional design  84 . 
         [0037]      FIG. 11  is a top view of another exemplary venting disc  90  with a design  94 . It is noted that gaps  97  can be coordinated in position around outer portion  91  to “flow” with various elements of the design  94 . As shown in the above embodiments, gaps  97  are situated in the outer portion  91  being bridged by non-planar portion  95  to inner portion  93 . 
         [0038]      FIG. 12  is a top view of another exemplary venting disc  100  with a design  104  and tab  102 . The design  104  is an expanded version of the design  94  shown in  FIG. 11 . Gaps  107  are situated around outer portion  101 , being bridged by non-planar portion  105  to inner portion  103 . 
         [0039]    As should be apparent from the above descriptions, various modifications to the arrangement/shape/etc. can be made to the exemplary embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. For example, in  FIG. 10 , while four gaps are “paired” with four non-planar portions  85 , it may be desirable to only have three or two non-planar portions  85 . Additionally, these non-planar portions  85  may be longer or shorter, if so desired. Additionally, the designs being shown may be altered, as well as the tabs shapes and number, without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. 
         [0040]    The previous description of the disclosed embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present disclosure. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure. Thus, the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.