Granted Patent B2

US 12,351,366 · App. 17/703,158 · Granted Jul 8, 2025

Inventor: Michael Joseph Maguire (Las Vegas, NV)

Assignee: ThisCap, Inc.

B65D41/3428B65D55/16

Abstract

Claims (37)

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;

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, the first incision comprising a first plurality of incision sections, connected in series; 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, the second incision including a second plurality of incision sections, connected in series;

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 formed between a first incision section from the first plurality of incision sections and a first incision section from the second plurality of incision sections and except for a second connection portion formed between a second incision section from the first plurality of incision sections and a second incision section from the second plurality of incision sections;

wherein the first incision section from the first plurality of incision sections and the second incision section from the second plurality of incision sections are located on a first incision plane;

wherein the second incision section from the first plurality of incision sections and the first incision section from the second plurality of incision sections are located on a second incision plane;

wherein a first tab extending from the ring member is formed between the first incision plane and the second incision plane by the first incision and the second incision; and

wherein a second tab extending from the circular sidewall is formed between the first incision plane and the second incision plane by the first incision and the second incision, the first tab and the second tab being situated so that when the cap is in an opened and in a flipped position, the second tab rests on top of the first tab.

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

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

4. 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;

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, the first incision comprising a first plurality of incision sections, connected in series; 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, the second incision including a second plurality of incision sections, connected in series;

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 formed between a first incision section from the first plurality of incision sections and a first incision section from the second plurality of incision sections and except for a second connection portion formed between a second incision section from the first plurality of incision sections and a second incision section from the second plurality of incision sections;

wherein the first incision section from the first plurality of incision sections and the second incision section from the second plurality of incision sections are located on a first incision plane;

wherein the second incision section from the first plurality of incision sections and the first incision section from the second plurality of incision sections are located on a second incision plane;

wherein the first incision plane is parallel to the second incision plane; and

wherein the first incision includes a portion that penetrates the ring member so that when the cap is unscrewed, a tab connected to the circular sidewall juts out from the circular sidewall and the ring member includes a notch that was formerly occupied by the tab, and when the cap is screwed shut, the tab is located within the notch, the tab having a diagonal sidewall shaped to not interfere with unscrewing the cap.

5. The cap as claimed in claim 4 , wherein a location and length of the first incision and the second incision are selected so that a length of the first connection portion and a length of the second connection portion are long enough to allow a user to, by an application of force, stretch the first connection portion and the second connection portion sufficiently to allow the main body to be placed into the flipped position where the top surface of the top plate faces downward, and so that the length of the first connection portion and the length of the second connection portion are short enough that the elasticity of the first connection portion and the second connection portion hold the main body in the flipped position once the user places the main body in the flipped position.

6. The cap as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the first incision includes a plurality of connector pins.

7. 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 connection portion formed by the first incision and the second incision;

wherein the first incision has a first end and a second end, the first end being separated from the second end, the first incision including a first plurality of incision sections, connected in series;

wherein the second incision has a first end and a second end, the first end of the second incision being separated from the second end of the second incision, the second incision including a second plurality of incision sections, connected in series;

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 formed between a first incision section from the first plurality of incision sections and a first incision section from the second plurality of incision sections and except for a second connection portion formed between a second incision section from the first plurality of incision sections and a second incision section from the second plurality of incision sections;

wherein the first incision section from the first plurality of incision sections and the second incision section from the second plurality of incision sections are located on a first incision plane;

wherein the second incision section from the first plurality of incision sections and the first incision section from the second plurality of incision sections are located on a second incision plane;

wherein the first incision plane is parallel to the second incision plane; and

wherein the first incision includes a portion that penetrates the ring member so that when the cap is unscrewed, a tab connected to the circular sidewall juts out from the circular sidewall and the ring member includes a notch that was formerly occupied by the tab, and when the cap is screwed shut, the tab is located within the notch, the tab having a diagonal sidewall shaped to not interfere with unscrewing the cap.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein when the main body separates from the ring member a length of the first connection portion and a length of the second connection portion are long enough to allow a user to, by an application of force, stretch the first connection portion and the second connection portion sufficiently to allow the main body to be placed into a flipped position where the top surface of the top plate faces downward, so that the length of the first connection portion and the length of the second connection portion are short enough that the elasticity of the first connection portion and the second connection portion hold the main body in the flipped position once the user places the main body in the flipped position.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first incision includes a plurality of connector pins.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (58)