Granted Patent B2

US 7,594,588 · App. 11/654,322 · Granted Sep 29, 2009

Abstract

Claims (76)

1. A removable locking container cover for covering a container having a neck with an outer bead, the cover comprising:

a lid having a top, a bottom, and a circumferential edge;

a skirt extending downward from the lid at or near the circumferential edge, the skirt having a bottom edge, an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner surface shaped to extend around the outside of the container neck;

a plug seal extending from the bottom of the lid and concentric with the skirt, the plug seal having a smaller diameter than the skirt, the plug seal being connected to the bottom of the lid, the plug seal having an inner surface and an outer surface, the outer surface is shaped to fit snugly against the inside of the neck of the container; and

a plurality of integral locks, each lock having an inwardly projecting locking wedge configured to engage a bottom edge of the outer bead of the container when the cover is locked onto the container so as to removably hold the cover in place on the container, one of the locks being a hinged lock, and two of the locks are non-hinged locks formed on the inside surface of the skirt;

wherein the two non-hinged locks are spaced apart from one another and are each formed on the inside surface of the skirt more than 90 degrees from the center of the hinged lock so that no non-hinged lock is located less than 90 degrees from the center of the hinged lock, and wherein each non-hinged lock includes a slot extending substantially vertically from the bottom edge of the skirt, the slot extending through the skirt and through substantially the center of the locking wedge, and wherein the locking wedges do not extend from slot to slot.

2. The container cover of claim 1 , further comprising a spout hole in the lid and a door hingeably connected to the top of the lid at one end of the door, the door having a front edge located on the opposite side of the door from the hinge, the door having an open position and a closed position, the door adapted to completely cover the spout hole in its closed position.

3. The container cover of claim 2 , wherein a portion of the top of the lid adjacent to the spout hole having a concave surface.

4. The container cover of claim 2 , wherein the hinge connecting the door to the lid is a living hinge.

5. The container cover of claim 2 , further comprising a lip extending upward from the circumference of the lid, the lip having a reduced height at the part of the circumference closest to the spout hole.

6. The container cover of claim 1 , wherein the locking wedge of each non-hinged lock includes a bulbous portion extending radially inward from the skirt.

7. The container cover of claim 1 , wherein the hinged lock includes:

a hinged lock panel with an inside surface, an outside surface, a top edge, a left edge and a right edge, the hinged lock having a latched position wherein the hinged lock locking wedge engages the bottom edge of the outer bead, and an unlatched position wherein the hinged lock locking wedge is released from the outer bead; and

an elastically deformable hinge comprising a pivot bar on the left side of the panel at a point between the top and bottom edges of the panel, and a pivot bar on the right side of the panel at a point between the top and bottom edges of the panel, each pivot bar connecting the side of the panel to the skirt so as to permit the panel to pivot about the pivot bars.

8. The container cover of claim 7 , further comprising a textured area on the outside surface of the hinged lock panel near the top edge of the panel.

9. The container cover of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of stop ribs connected to the inside of the skirt and to the bottom of the lid, the stop ribs disposed so that when all of the locks engage the container outer bead the stop ribs touch the top of the container neck limiting vertical movement of the cover on the container.

10. The container cover of claim 1 , wherein the container cover is integrally formed as a single piece of injection molded plastic.

11. A removable locking container cover for covering a container having a neck with an outer bead, the cover comprising:

a lid having a top, a bottom, and a circumferential edge;

a skirt extending downward from the lid at or near the circumferential edge, the skirt having a bottom edge, an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner surface shaped to extend around the outside of the container neck;

a plug seal extending from the bottom of the lid and concentric with the skirt, the plug seal having a smaller diameter than the skirt, the plug seal being connected to the bottom of the lid, the plug seal having an inner surface and an outer surface, the outer surface is shaped to fit snugly against the inside of the neck of the container; and

a plurality of integral locks, each lock having an inwardly projecting locking wedge configured to engage a bottom edge of the outer bead of the container when the cover is locked onto the container so as to removably hold the cover in place on the container, one of the locks being a hinged lock, and at least one of the locks being a non-hinged lock, the hinged lock and the non-hinged locks each being formed on the inside surface of the skirt and on different sides of the lid from each other;

wherein at least one non-hinged lock includes a slot extending substantially vertically from the bottom edge of the skirt, the slot extending through the skirt and through substantially the center of the locking wedge,

wherein there are two non-hinged locks each located on opposite sides of a centerline of the lid extending from the center of the hinged lock, and wherein the locking wedge of each non-hinged lock includes a bulbous portion extending radially inward from the skirt, and

wherein each non-hinged lock is located in a range of between approximately 125 degrees to approximately 155 degrees, measured from the center of the hinged lock, on either side of the centerline of the lid.

12. The container cover of claim 11 , wherein each non-hinged locking wedge is substantially in the shape of a truncated teardrop with a feathered edge extending circumferentially away from the front of the lid and located at approximately 144 degrees on either side of the centerline the lid.

13. A removable locking container cover for covering a container having a neck with an outer bead, the cover comprising:

a lid having a top, a bottom, and a circumferential edge;

a skirt extending downward from the lid at or near the circumferential edge, the skirt having a bottom edge, an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner surface shaped to extend around the outside of the container neck;

a plug seal extending from the bottom of the lid and concentric with the skirt, the plug seal having a smaller diameter than the skirt, the plug seal being connected to the bottom of the lid, the plug seal having an inner surface and an outer surface, the outer surface is shaped to fit snugly against the inside of the neck of the container; and

a plurality of integral locks, each lock having an inwardly projecting locking wedge configured to engage a bottom edge of the outer bead of the container when the cover is locked onto the container so as to removably hold the cover in place on the container, one of the locks being a hinged lock, and at least one of the locks being a non-hinged lock, the hinged lock and the non-hinged locks each being formed on the inside surface of the skirt and on different sides of the lid from each other;

wherein at least one non-hinged lock includes a slot extending substantially vertically from the bottom edge of the skirt, the slot extending through the skirt and through substantially the center of the locking wedge, and

further comprising an opening formed in the lid above at least one non-hinged lock.

14. A removable locking container cover for covering a container having a neck with an outer bead, the cover comprising:

a lid having a top, a bottom, and a circumferential edge;

a skirt extending downward from the lid at or near the circumferential edge, the skirt having a bottom edge, an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner surface shaped to extend around the outside of the container neck;

a plug seal extending from the bottom of the lid and concentric with the skirt, the plug seal having a smaller diameter than the skirt, the plug seal being connected to the bottom of the lid, the plug seal having an inner surface and an outer surface, the outer surface is shaped to fit snugly against the inside of the neck of the container; and

a plurality of integral locks, each lock having an inwardly projecting locking wedge configured to engage a bottom edge of the outer bead of the container when the cover is locked onto the container so as to removably hold the cover in place on the container, one of the locks being a hinged lock, and at least one of the locks being a non-hinged lock, the hinged lock and the non-hinged locks each being formed on the inside surface of the skirt and on different sides of the lid from each other;

wherein at least one non-hinged lock includes a slot extending substantially vertically from the bottom edge of the skirt, the slot extending through the skirt and through substantially the center of the locking wedge, and

wherein the hinged lock includes:

a hinged lock panel with an inside surface, an outside surface, a top edge, a left edge and a right edge, the hinged lock having a latched position wherein the hinged lock locking wedge engages the bottom edge of the outer bead, and an unlatched position wherein the hinged lock locking wedge is released from the outer bead; and

an elastically deformable hinge comprising a pivot bar on the left side of the panel at a point between the top and bottom edges of the panel, and a pivot bar on the right side of the panel at a point between the top and bottom edges of the panel, each pivot bar connecting the side of the panel to the skirt so as to permit the panel to pivot about the pivot bars; and

further comprising at least one pivot bar further comprising a pawl projecting away from the inside surface of the panel, the pawl positioned so as to make contact with and push on the top surface of the container neck when the lock is unlatched.

15. A removable locking container cover for covering a container having a neck with an outer bead, the cover comprising:

a lid having a top, a bottom, and a circumferential edge;

a skirt extending downward from the lid at or near the circumferential edge, the skirt having a bottom edge, an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner surface shaped to extend around the outside of the container neck;

a plug seal extending from the bottom of the lid and concentric with the skirt, the plug seal having a smaller diameter than the skirt, the plug seal being connected to the bottom of the lid, the plug seal having an inner surface and an outer surface, the outer surface is shaped to fit snugly against the inside of the neck of the container; and

a plurality of integral locks, each lock having an inwardly projecting locking wedge configured to engage a bottom edge of the outer bead of the container when the cover is locked onto the container so as to removably hold the cover in place on the container, one of the locks being a hinged lock, and at least one of the locks being a non-hinged lock, the hinged lock and the non-hinged locks each being formed on the inside surface of the and on different sides of the lid from each other, wherein at least one non-hinged lock includes a slot extending substantially vertically from the bottom edge of the skirt, the slot extending through the skirt and through substantially the center of the locking wedge; and

a spout hole in the lid and a door hingeably connected to the top of the lid at one end of the door, the door having a front edge located on the opposite side of the door from the hinge, the door having an open position and a closed position, the door adapted to completely cover the spout hole in its closed position,

wherein the door further comprises:

a spout plug seal located on the bottom of the door and shaped to fit snugly in the spout hole, the spout seal having a plug seal snap shaped to removably engage an edge of the spout hole, so that when the plug seal snap engages the edge of the spout hole the spout plug seal sealingly engages the spout hole; and

a lifting tab formed on the front edge of the door; and

the hinged lock further comprises:

a hinged lock panel with an inside surface, an outside surface, a top edge, a left edge and a right edge, the hinged lock having a latched position wherein the hinged lock locking wedge engages the bottom edge of the outer bead, and an unlatched position wherein the hinged lock locking wedge is released from the outer bead; and

the inside surface of a hinged lock panel includes a nub near the top edge and located so as to engage the door lifting tab when the door is in its open position, the nub holding the door in its open position, and the lifting tab inhibiting the hinged lock panel from being displaced to its unlatched position.

16. A removable locking container cover for covering a container having a neck with an outer bead, the cover comprising:

a lid having a top, a bottom, a circumferential edge, and a spout hole;

a skirt extending downward from the lid at or near the circumferential edge, the skirt having a bottom edge, an inner surface, and an outer surface, the inner surface shaped to extend around the outside of the container neck;

a plug seal extending from the bottom of the lid and concentric with the skirt, the plug seal having a smaller diameter than the skirt, the plug seal being connected to the bottom of the lid, the plug seal having an inner surface and an outer surface, the outer surface is shaped to fit snugly against the inside of the neck of the container;

a plurality of integral locks, each lock having an inwardly projecting locking wedge configured to engage a bottom edge of the outer bead of the container when the cover is locked onto a container so as to removably hold the cover in place on the container, one of the locks being a hinged lock, and at least one of the locks being a non-hinged lock, the hinged lock and the non-hinged locks each being formed on the inside surface of the skirt and on different sides of the lid from each other,

wherein the hinged lock includes:

a hinged lock panel with an inside surface, an outside surface, a top edge, a left edge and a right edge, the hinged lock having a latched position wherein the hinged lock locking wedge engages the bottom edge of the outer bead, and an unlatched position wherein the hinged lock locking wedge is released from the outer bead, and

an elastically deformable hinge comprising a pivot bar on the left side of the panel at a point between the top and bottom edges of the panel, and a pivot bar on the right side of the panel at a point between the top and bottom edges of the panel, each pivot bar connecting the side of the panel to the skirt so as to permit the panel to pivot about the pivot bars,

wherein at least one non-hinged lock includes a slot extending substantially vertically from the bottom edge of the skirt, the slot extending through the skirt and through substantially the center of the locking wedge; and

a door hingeably connected to the top of the lid at one end of the door, the door having a front edge located on the opposite side of the door from the door hinge, the door having an open position and a closed position, the door adapted to completely cover the spout hole in its closed position, wherein the door includes:

a spout plug seal located on the bottom of the door and shaped to fit snugly in the spout hole, and

a lifting tab formed on the front edge of the door;

wherein the inside surface of the hinged lock panel includes a nub near the top edge and located so as to engage the door lifting tab when the door is in its open position, the nub holding the door in its open position, and the lifting tab inhibiting the hinged lock panel from being displaced to its unlatched position.

17. The container cover of claim 16 , further comprising an opening formed in the lid above the at least one non-hinged lock.

18. The container cover of claim 16 , further comprising a plurality of stop ribs connected to the inside of the skirt and to the bottom of the lid, the stop ribs disposed so that when all of the locks engage the outer bead the stop ribs touch the top of the container neck limiting vertical movement of the cover on the container.

19. The container cover of claim 16 , wherein there are two non-hinged locks, the locking wedge of each non-hinged lock including a bulbous portion extending inward from the skirt, the non-hinged locks being located on the skirt on opposite sides of the spout;

wherein the hinged lock is located substantially in line with the centerline of the spout; and

wherein each non-hinged lock wedge includes a slot extending substantially vertically from the bottom edge of the skirt, the slot extending through the skirt and through substantially the center of the locking wedge.

20. The container cover of claim 16 , wherein the door hinge connecting the door to the lid is a living hinge.

21. The container cover of claim 16 , further comprising a lip extending upward from the circumference of the lid, the lip having a reduced height at the part of the circumference closest to the spout hole.

22. The container cover of claim 16 , wherein the container cover is integrally formed as a single piece of injection molded plastic.

Assignments (14)