US 4,117,946 A · Plastic cap for widemouthed containers

Abstract

A plastic cap has a closure wall positionable across a container neck opening, and an integrally formed skirt wall adapted to extend around the container neck. Projections are formed on the inner surface of the skirt wall and extend laterally of the skirt toward the neck. Elongated lug-like formations depend from the closure wall into the neck opening and bias portions of the container neck toward the skirt-carried projections to clamp neck portions against the projections, whereby the cap is securely releasably retained on the container neck. In preferred practice, the skirt-carried projections cooperate with neck-carried protrusions to provide snap-on, snap-off actions as the cap is pressed onto and removed from the container neck. Another preferred feature is the use of a specially configured upstanding formation on the top surface of the closure wall which not only facilitates nesting the container cap with a similarly configured recess formed in the bottom wall of the container, but also serves to maintain alignment between the labeled fronts of stacked, displayed containers.

Claims32

Dependent claims

A plastic cap for closing a container neck opening, comprising:

(a) a closure wall adapted to be positioned across a container neck opening;
(b) inner and outer formation means formed integrally with the closure wall and projecting from spaced portions thereof for respectively overlying inner and outer surface portions of the container neck when the cap is in place on the container neck with the closure wall positioned across the container neck opening;
(c) one of the inner and outer formation means having laterally extending projection means formed integrally therewith and projecting toward a selected container neck portion when the cap is in place on the container neck with the closure wall positioned across the container neck opening;
and,
(d) the other of the inner and outer formations means including a plurality of individual formations configured to engage the container neck at distinct spaced locations around the periphery of the container neck opening and to bias the selected container neck portion toward and into firm engagement with the projection means when the cap is in place on the container neck with the closure wall positioned across the container neck opening, whereby the engagement established between the projection means and the selected container neck portion assists in firmly releasably retaining the cap on the container neck.

2 more elements

In combination, a container having a neck and a plastic cap for closuing an opening formed at an end of the container neck, wherein:

(a) the cap has a closure wall adapted to be positioned across the container neck opening;
(b) the cap has inner and outer formation means formed integrally with the closure wall and projecting from spaced portions thereof for respectively overlying inner and outer surface portions of the container neck when the cap is in place on the container neck;
(c) one of the inner and outer formation means has laterally extending projection means formed integrally therewith and projecting toward an associated neck portion when the cap is in place on the container neck;
(d) the container neck is formed from a relatively stiff but resiliently bendable material which tends to retain a given configuration when the cap is not in place on the container neck;
and,
(e) the other of inner and outer formation means includes a plurality of individual formations configures to engage the container neck at distinct spaced locations around the periphery of the container neck opening and to bias the associated container neck portion into firm engagement with the projection means, whereby the given configuration of the container neck is at least slightly altered by the biasing action of the individual formations to assist in securely, releasably retaining the cap on the container neck.

3 more elements

A plastic cap for use with a container of the type having a neck whidh defines an opening at one end of the neck and which has a cap-retaining protrusion formed on the outer surface of the neck, the cap comprising:

(a) a closure wall adapted to be positioned across the container neck opening;
(b) a skirt wall formed integrally with the closure wall and having an inner surface adapted to extend alongside the outer surface of the neck when the closure wall is positioned across the container neck opening;
(c) laterally extending projection means formed integrally with the shirt wall on the inner surface thereof and projecting toward the outer surface of the neck;
(d) the projection means being configured such that when the cap is pressed onto and removed from the container neck, the projection means forcibly engages and passes over the protrusion, and being located such that when the cap is in place on the container neck with the closure wall positioned across the container neck opening, the projection means engages the protrusion to securely retain the cap on the container neck;
and,
(e) formation means including a plurality of individual formations formed integrally with the closure wall and depending therefrom into engagement with inner surface portions of the neck at locations spaced peripherally around the neck opening when the cap is in place on the neck to bias portions of the neck toward the skirt wall of the cap to assist in securely releasably retaining the cap on the container.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Plastic cap for widemouthed containers

Life of this patent

Plastic cap for widemouthed containers

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims32