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US 5,878,898 AGranted
Protective overcap assembly for fluid containers
OwnerJoanne Shefflininventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An overcap assembly for a fluid container (12), such as a baby bottle, protects the nipple (14), or other fluid dispenser, from contamination and from leaking when the overcap (18) is in the protective, covering position. The overcap has an opening (41) in its top through which the nipple extends once a lid (43) has been removed and the overcap has been shifted from a stable protective position surrounding the nipple to a stable enabling position exposing the nipple for use without removing the overcap from the collar (16). The lid is preferably tethered, hinged or otherwise connected to the overcap.
Claims20
For use in combination with a fluid container of the type having a container opening, an overcap assembly comprising:
- a collar securable to the fluid container at the container opening;
- a fluid dispenser securable to the fluid container at the container opening by the collar, the fluid dispenser having a distal end extending away from said collar and said fluid container;
- an overcap, having an over surface with an overcap opening formed therein, mounted to the collar for movement between a lower position on the collar for use and an upper position on the collar for storage;
- said distal end of the fluid dispenser passing through said overcap opening when the overcap is in the lower position, said distal end of the fluid dispenser receding through the overcap opening when the overcap is in the upper position;
- and
- a lid removably mounted to the outer surface of the overcap to cover the overcap opening when the overcap is in the upper position.
3 more elements
For use in combination with a fluid container of the type having a container opening, an overcap assembly comprising:
- a collar securable to the fluid container at the container opening;
- a fluid dispenser securable to the fluid container at the container opening by the collar, the fluid dispenser having a distal end extending away from said collar and said fluid container;
- an overcap, having a side and an overcap opening, mounted to the collar for movement between use and storage positions, said distal end of the fluid dispenser passing through said overcap opening when the overcap is in the use position;
- a lid removably mounted to the overcap opening when the overcap is in the storage position;
- and
- means for biasing the lid against the side of the overcap when the lid is removed from said overcap opening.
3 more elements
For use in combination with a fluid container of the type having a container opening, an overcap assembly comprising:
- a collar securable to the fluid container at the container opening;
- a fluid dispenser securable to the fluid container at the container opening by the collar, the fluid dispenser having a distal end extending away from said collar and said fluid container;
- an overcap, having an overcap opening, mounted to the collar for movement between use and storage positions, said distal end of the fluid dispenser passing through said overcap opening when the overcap is in the use position;
- a lid removably mounted to the overcap opening when the overcap is in the storage position;
- and
- means for frictionally removably securing the lid to said overcap opening.
3 more elements
For use in combination with a fluid container of the type having a container opening, an overcap assembly comprising:
- a collar securable to the fluid container at the container opening;
- a fluid dispenser securable to the fluid container at the container opening by the collar, the fluid dispenser having a distal end extending away from said collar and said fluid container;
- an overcap, having an overcap opening, mounted to the collar for movement between use and storage positions, said distal end of the fluid dispenser passing through said overcap opening when the overcap is in the use position;
- lid removably mounted to the overcap opening when the overcap is in the storage position;
- and
- a hinge connecting the lid to the overcap.
3 more elements
For use in combination with a fluid container of the type having a container opening, an overcap assembly comprising:
- a collar securable to the fluid container at the container opening;
- a fluid dispenser securable to the fluid container at the container opening by the collar, the fluid dispenser having a distal end extending away from said collar and said fluid container;
- an overcap, having an overcap opening, mounted to the collar for movement between use and storage positions, said distal end of the fluid dispenser passing through said overcap opening when the overcap is in the use position;
- a lid removably mounted to the overcap opening when the overcap is in the storage position;
- said collar having means for releasably retaining the overcap in the use and storage positions;
- and
- said releasably retaining means comprising parallel, interengaging ribs on the collar and the overcap.
4 more elements
For use in combination with a fluid container of the type having a container opening, an overcap assembly comprising:
- a collar securable to the fluid container at the container opening;
- a fluid dispenser securable to the fluid container at the container opening by the collar, the fluid dispenser having a distal end extending away from said collar and said fluid container;
- an overcap, having an overcap opening, mounted to the collar for movement between use and storage positions, said distal end of the fluid dispenser passing through said overcap opening when the overcap is in the use position;
- a lid removably mounted to the overcap opening when the overcap is in the storage position;
- and
- said overcap having a top wall provided with said overcap opening therethrough, said top wall having a lower surface, wherein said overcap has means for receiving the collar within the overcap, said collar having a top wall with a collar opening therethrough in alignment with said overcap opening, said collar having the means to receive the fluid dispenser through said collar opening, said top wall of the overcap being in overlying, substantially engaging relationship to the top wall of the collar when the overcap is in the use position.
3 more elements
For use in combination with a fluid container of the type having a container opening, an overcap assembly comprising:
- a collar securable to the fluid container at the container opening;
- a fluid dispenser securable to the fluid container at the container opening by the collar, the fluid dispenser having a distal end extending away from said collar and said fluid container;
- an overcap, having an overcap opening, mounted to the collar for movement between use and storage positions, said distal end of the fluid dispenser passing through said overcap opening when the overcap is in the use position;
- a lid removably mounted to the overcap opening when the overcap is in the storage position;
- and
- said overcap having a top wall and a relatively cylindrical sidewall integral with and depending from the top wall, said sidewall having inner and outer surfaces, a portion of the outer surface comprising means for receiving the lid when said lid is removed from said overcap opening, and further comprising an annular rib on the inner surface for engaging rib-engaging structure on the collar when the overcap is in either of said use or storage positions.
3 more elements
A fluid container comprising:
- a bottle having a threaded neck;
- a nipple adjacent to and aligned with the neck;
- a collar threadably mounted on the neck of the bottle for coupling the nipple to the bottle, said collar having a top wall with a collar opening therein for passage of a part of the nipple therethrough;
- an overcap mounted on the collar for movement along the collar from a first, nipple-protective leak-proof position to a second, nipple-enabling position, said overcap having a top wall with an overcap opening therein for passage of a portion of said nipple therethrough as the overcap moves from said first position to said second position relative to the collar;
- means on the overcap and the collar for releasably holding the overcap in either of said first and second positions, the overcap adapted to substantially surround the nipple when in the first position, the overcap adapted to expose the nipple and enable the nipple for use when in the second position;
- a user-removable lid mounted to the overcap opening, said lid sealably engaging said distal portion of said nipple to prevent leakage when the overcap is in the first position;
- means for temporarily retaining said lid to the overcap outer side when said lid is removed from the overcap opening to prevent interference with use of the nipple;
- and
- the overcap, the collar and the nipple being removable from the bottle for cleaning and filling the bottle with a fluid.
6 more elements
A fluid container comprising:
- a bottle having a threaded neck;
- a nipple adjacent to and aligned with the neck;
- a collar threadably mounted on the neck of the bottle for coupling the nipple to the bottle, said collar having a top wall with a collar opening therein for passage of a part of the nipple therethrough;
- an overcap mounted on the collar for movement along the collar from a first, nipple-protective leak-proof upper position to a second, nipple-enabling lower position, said overcap having a top wall with an overcap opening therein for passage of a portion of said nipple therethrough as the overcap moves from said first, upper position to said second, lower position relative to the collar;
- means on the overcap and the collar for releasably holding the overcap in either of said first and second positions, the overcap adapted to substantially surround the nipple when in the first, upper position, the overcap adapted to expose the nipple and enable the nipple for use when in the second, lower position;
- a user-removable lid mounted to the overcap opening, said lid sealably engaging said distal portion of said nipple to prevent leakage when the overcap is in the first position;
- and
- the overcap, the collar and the nipple being removable from the bottle for cleaning and filling the bottle with a fluid.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.