IP Library Granted Patent US 10,836,549
Granted Patent B2
US 10,836,549 · App. 16/121,506 · Granted Nov 17, 2020

Cap for container

Inventor: Michael Joseph Maguire (San Jose, CA)
Assignee: ThisCap Inc.
B65D55/16B29C45/0017B65D41/04B65D41/34B65D41/3428B65D41/3447B26F2210/04B29K2023/12B29L2031/565
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,836,549
App. No.
16/121,506
Granted
Nov 17, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

A cap for a container is formed so that the cap has a top plate and a circular sidewall. Two opposite sides of the circular sidewall circularly connect to each other, one periphery of the circular sidewall connecting to one surface of the top plate forming a closed end, and another periphery of the circular sidewall at an opposite side of the closed end forms an opened end. Incisions are in the circular sidewall. The incisions form a ring member located at the opened end of the cap separated from a main body of the cap by a first incision and a second incision between the opened end of the main body and the ring member.

Claims (36)

1. A cap for a container, comprising:

a main body having a top plate and a circular sidewall, the top plate having a top surface, wherein two opposite sides of the circular sidewall circularly connect to each other, one periphery of the circular sidewall connects to one surface of the top plate forming a closed end, and the other periphery of the circular sidewall at the opposite side of the closed end forms an opened end; and

a ring member, which is located at the opened end of the main body;

a first incision between the opened end of the main body and the ring member, the first incision having a first end and a second end, the first end being separated from the second end; and

a second incision located on the main body or the ring member, the second incision having a first end and a second end, the first end of the second incision being separated from the second end of the second incision;

wherein the first incision and the second incision do not intersect and are configured so that when the cap is on the container and the cap is unscrewed, the main body separates from the ring member except for a first connection portion and a second connecting portion formed by the first incision and the second incision;

wherein a location and length of the first incision and the second incision are selected so that a length of the first connecting portion is approximately equal to a length of the second connecting portion; and

wherein the first connection portion and the second connection portion are oriented in a parallel orientation so that as the cap is unscrewed from the container the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion rise up in parallel and so that when the cap is unscrewed from the container a distance from where the first member is connected to the main body to where the second member is connected to the main body is approximately equal to a distance from where the first member is connected to the ring member to where the second member is connected to the ring member.

2. The cap as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the container is a round bottle, or a round can.

3. The cap as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the second incision surrounds parts of the circular sidewall or the ring member, but does not fully surround the circular sidewall or the ring member.

4. The cap as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the second incision surrounds less than ¾ of the circular sidewall or the ring member.

5. The cap as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the second incision surrounds less than ½ of the circular sidewall or the ring member.

6. The cap as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first incision includes a plurality of connector pins.

7. A cap for a container, comprising:

a main body having a top plate and a circular sidewall, the top plate having a top surface, wherein two opposite sides of the circular sidewall circularly connect to each other, one periphery of the circular sidewall connects to one surface of the top plate forming a closed end, and the other periphery of the circular sidewall at the opposite side of the closed end forms an opened end; and

a ring member, which is located at the opened end of the main body;

a first incision between the opened end of the main body and the ring member, the first incision having a first end and a second end, the first end being separated from the second end; and

a second incision located on the main body or the ring member, the second incision having a first end and a second end, the first end of the second incision being separated from the second end of the second incision; and

wherein a location and length of the first incision and the second incision are selected so that when the cap is on the container and the cap is unscrewed, the main body separates from the ring member except for a first connection portion and a second connecting portion formed by the first incision and the second incision, so that a length of the first connecting portion is approximately equal to a length of the second connecting portion, wherein the first connection portion and the second connection portion are oriented in a parallel orientation so that as the cap is unscrewed from the container the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion rise up in parallel and so that when the cap is unscrewed from the container a distance from where the first member is connected to the main body to where the second member is connected to the main body is approximately equal to a distance from where the first member is connected to the ring member to where the second member is connected to the ring member.

8. The cap as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the first incision includes a plurality of connector pins.

9. The cap as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the container is a round bottle, or a round can.

10. The cap as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the second incision surrounds parts of the circular sidewall or the ring member, but does not fully surround the circular sidewall or the ring member.

11. The cap as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the length of the first connecting portion and the length of the second connecting portion are long enough to allow a user to, by an application of force, stretch the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion sufficiently to allow the main body to be placed into a flipped position where the top surface of the top plate faces toward the container, and so that the length of the first connecting portion and the length of the second connecting portion are short enough that the elasticity of the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion hold the main body in the flipped position once the user places the main body in the flipped position.

12. The cap as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the second incision surrounds less than ½ of the circular sidewall or the ring member.

13. The cap as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the first incision is a straight line, curved line, polyline, arc line, or a combination thereof.

14. A method for providing a cap for a container, comprising:

forming a main body having a top plate with a top surface and a circular sidewall, where two opposite sides of the circular sidewall circularly connect to each other and where one periphery of the circular sidewall connects to one surface of the top plate forming a closed end so that the other periphery of the circular sidewall at the opposite side of the closed end forms an opened end;

forming a ring member located at the opened end of the main body; and

separating the ring member from the main body by a first incision and by a second incision, wherein a location and length of the first incision and the second incision are selected so that when the cap is on the container and the cap is unscrewed, the main body separates from the ring member except for a first connection portion and a second connecting portion formed by the first incision and the second incision, so that a length of the first connecting portion is approximately equal to a length of the second connecting portion;

wherein the first connection portion and the second connection portion are oriented in a parallel orientation so that as the cap is unscrewed from the container the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion rise up in parallel and so that when the cap is unscrewed from the container a distance from where the first member is connected to the main body to where the second member is connected to the main body is approximately equal to a distance from where the first member is connected to the ring member to where the second member is connected to the ring member.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first incision includes a plurality of connector pins.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the container is a round bottle, or a round can.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the second incision surrounds parts of the circular sidewall or the ring member, but does not fully surround the circular sidewall or the ring member.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the second incision surrounds less than ¾ of the circular sidewall or the ring member.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein the length of the first connecting portion and the length of the second connecting portion are long enough to allow a user to, by an application of force, stretch the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion sufficiently to allow the main body to be placed into a flipped position where the top surface of the top plate faces toward the container, and so that the length of the first connecting portion and the length of the second connecting portion are short enough that the elasticity of the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion hold the main body in the flipped position once the user places the main body in the flipped position.

20. The cap as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the length of the first connecting portion and the length of the second connecting portion are long enough to allow a user to, by an application of force, stretch the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion sufficiently to allow the main body to be placed into a flipped position where the top surface of the top plate faces toward the container, and so that the length of the first connecting portion and the length of the second connecting portion are short enough that the elasticity of the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion hold the main body in the flipped position once the user places the main body in the flipped position.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 17, 2018
From: MAGUIRE, MICHAEL JOSEPH
To: THISCAP, INC.
Reel/Frame 046891/0661 →
Cited By (17)
US 1,057,786 US 1,063,612 US 1,063,613 US 1,096,406 US 12,214,945 US 12,227,337 US 12,252,304 US 12,358,693 US 12,371,235 US 12,384,608 US 12,492,045 US 12,528,058 US 12,570,448 US 12,637,260 US 12,654,911 US 12,703,543 US 12,715,153