US20040238477A1 - Non-spill container spout with peel type seal - Google Patents
Non-spill container spout with peel type seal Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20040238477A1 US20040238477A1 US10/446,147 US44614703A US2004238477A1 US 20040238477 A1 US20040238477 A1 US 20040238477A1 US 44614703 A US44614703 A US 44614703A US 2004238477 A1 US2004238477 A1 US 2004238477A1
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- container
- tail
- orifice
- seal pad
- elongated
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
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- 239000012530 fluid Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 12
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 10
- 238000007789 sealing Methods 0.000 claims description 27
- 239000000853 adhesive Substances 0.000 claims description 8
- 230000001070 adhesive effect Effects 0.000 claims description 8
- 239000003921 oil Substances 0.000 description 18
- 230000000694 effects Effects 0.000 description 5
- 238000003780 insertion Methods 0.000 description 3
- 230000037431 insertion Effects 0.000 description 3
- 239000007788 liquid Substances 0.000 description 3
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 description 3
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 3
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 3
- 238000003466 welding Methods 0.000 description 3
- 239000011888 foil Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000002184 metal Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000010705 motor oil Substances 0.000 description 2
- 210000003739 neck Anatomy 0.000 description 2
- 229920000642 polymer Polymers 0.000 description 2
- 238000003825 pressing Methods 0.000 description 2
- 239000000654 additive Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000004888 barrier function Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000005056 compaction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000002131 composite material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000001010 compromised effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000013461 design Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000013013 elastic material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000002816 fuel additive Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000010030 laminating Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000003208 petroleum Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000007790 scraping Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000007493 shaping process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000000779 smoke Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000012546 transfer Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000002604 ultrasonography Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000002699 waste material Substances 0.000 description 1
Images
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D51/00—Closures not otherwise provided for
- B65D51/18—Arrangements of closures with protective outer cap-like covers or of two or more co-operating closures
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D2251/00—Details relating to container closures
- B65D2251/0003—Two or more closures
- B65D2251/0006—Upper closure
- B65D2251/0015—Upper closure of the 41-type
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D2251/00—Details relating to container closures
- B65D2251/0003—Two or more closures
- B65D2251/0068—Lower closure
- B65D2251/0093—Membrane
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D2577/00—Packages formed by enclosing articles or materials in preformed containers, e.g. boxes, cartons, sacks, bags
- B65D2577/10—Container closures formed after filling
- B65D2577/20—Container closures formed after filling by applying separate lids or covers
- B65D2577/2041—Pull tabs
- B65D2577/2058—Pull tabs attached to the closure
Definitions
- the present invention generally relates to a lid for a container openable by peeling and more specifically to containers that dispense fluids into receiving ports or orifices without spillage, and a method for using them.
- the present invention involves the use of a flexible peelable seal.
- seals are well known to the art such as disclosed for example in U.S. Pat. No. 3,391,847, which describes the use of such a seal to cover the top of a disposable container.
- these disposable seals were designed to be opened when the container is upright, whereas the seal which is the subject of this invention is designed to be opened when the container is in the inverted position, that is when the liquid or other material will immediately pour out of the container orifice, when the seal is opened; also it may be opened when the seal is obstructed by a receiving port into which the seal and container orifice have been placed.
- seals described in the prior art would be unsuitable for this purpose as one could not gain access to open the seal because the seal and spout would be within the receiving port, and even if access could be gained, the liquid or other material would gush out when the seal was opened to cover and perhaps contaminate the operators hands.
- the invention is a method and a device for remotely peeling off a peelable seal, using only one or two pieces of flexible material.
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container that is in its sealed mode, after the screw cap has been removed.
- FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a container that illustrates the container in the pouring position, in both the sealed and the partly unsealed modes.
- FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 are perspective views of the sealing strips, illustrating the centering slit(s) 4 a and looped and fob type terminations on the proximal end of the strip.
- FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a container that is in its sealed mode, after the screw top has been removed, with a small band 5 a that aligns the tail 4 .
- FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a container that illustrates the container in the pouring position, in both the sealed and the partly unsealed modes, also illustrating how the small band 5 a acts to collect the seal pad 3 as it is removed.
- FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a container that illustrates how the small band 5 a can be incorporated into the seal pad 3 .
- FIG. 7 also illustrates a channel 2 a through the threads 2 of the container to position and align the tail 4 of the seal, and facilitate opening and closing of the container cap 1 a , without twisting the tail.
- FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a container that illustrates how the small band 5 a can be incorporated into the seal pad 3 , but also be detachably attached or attached to the seal pad 3 by attachment means 6 b , to allow for assembly without having to thread the tail 4 through the loop formed with the band 5 b.
- FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a container that illustrates and example of a preferred embodiment for those applications that require more mechanical advantage to remove the seal pad 3 by employing a second loop 5 b to act as a pulley.
- FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a container that illustrates an example of a preferred embodiment in which the tail 4 of the seal member is compacted onto the seal pad 3 , prior to deployment, to permit ease of manufacture.
- FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a container that illustrates an example of a preferred embodiment in which the tail 4 of the seal member is compacted into the seal pad 3 prior to deployment in an accordion fashion.
- FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention which is a sealing means for a container spout or pouring port, which can initially be sealed and then opened both while in the pouring position, and while the container spout is already located inside the receiving port.
- the great advantage of this invention is that no spillage can occur before a container is securely placed in a receiving port, because until that time the container can remain sealed even while the container in the pouring position.
- the peelable sealing means referred to herein as the seal, is comprised of any flexible material or composite of materials that are flexible and provide an appropriate seal to prevent the material inside the container from leaking out while it is in the pouring position.
- the material is sufficiently flexible that it can bend around the bottle as illustrated in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2.
- the seal or sealing member is comprised of a seal pad 3 and an elongated seal member or seal tail 4 .
- the flexible seal can be in one or more attached pieces, although the simplest arrangement is to have a single piece. Some applications will require that the seal portion that actually seals the container port, the “seal pad” 3 , be made of special, perhaps more expensive material. In such cases it would be appropriate to make the seal out of two or more different materials held together by various means, well known to the art as illustrated in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, which illustrates a possible connecting point 10 at approximately the point between the seal pad 3 and the seal tail 4 .
- FIGS. 5 6 , 7 , 8 . 9 and 10 illustrate a simple peel seal that is actuated from the seal pad edge
- other preferred embodiments would include those seal pads that are removed by pulling a tab located on other portions of the seal pad, and it should be understood that these would constitute other embodiments of the invention.
- some embodiments of the present invention include tear-off and snap-off tops as well as peel-off tops including those where only a portion of the top is removed. In each case these parts that are removed or partly removed ought to be considered as a seal pad 3 for the purposes of this invention. Any top that can be opened by a motion of the tail 4 , similar to that illustrated 9 on FIG. 2 that causes some portion of the seal pad 3 and or tail 4 to curl back on itself before the operator 7 pulls the tail 4 and/or during the pull, comes within the ambit of this invention.
- the seal pad 3 of preferred embodiments can be detachably attached to the orifice 1 b of the container, directly or indirectly, thus creating the seal, by means well known to the art, which include adhesives, heat fusing, and ultrasound welding.
- the tail 4 of the seal can be detachably attached to the seal pad 3 and the container 1 at various convenient points, three of which 6 are illustrated on FIG. 1.
- detachable attachments The purpose of these detachable attachments is to keep the assembly tidy, and also to assist in maintaining the correct position of the tail 4 relative to the top of the container 1 orifice 1 b , so that when the tail 4 is pulled in direction 8 by the operator 7 the seal pad 3 is peeled away from the orifice 1 b of the container 1 , in approximately direction 9 , rather than having the tail 4 slide radially, along the orifice edge on which it is sliding, and then fall off the edge, in direction 8 a , all as illustrated in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, or a direction opposite to direction 8 a.
- One preferred embodiment ensures that the tail does not slide around the edge of the container orifice 1 b by creating a concave shape in the tail 4 which conforms to the convex shape or round shape of the container orifice 1 b .
- this concave or cupping shape is effected by two simple slits 4 a in the tail of the seal, which forms three bands; the centre band may then be stretched to form a cupping shape that curves around the round top of the container 1 .
- Other preferred embodiments use any number of slits 4 a to effect this purpose, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4.
- the cupping shape is created if the tail 4 is slightly elastic or the centre of the tail is stretched longitudinally, so that the relatively shorter longitudinal edges of the tail 4 tend to rap around or cup, the round shape of the container orifice 1 b .
- Some preferred embodiments of the invention effect this longitudinal stretching in whole or in part by incorporating slits 4 c with their longitudinal axis orientated normal to the longitudinal axis of the tail 4 as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4. While FIGS. 3 and 4 show one row of slits, it should be understood that any number and arrangement of holes or slits might be used for this purpose.
- This longitudinal stretching of the centre of the tail 4 can be effected in the course of manufacturing the seals 4 on the containers 1 .
- the round shape of the container orifice 1 b can act as the form and the desired shape can be obtained by simply stretching the deformable tail 4 over the container orifice 1 b , after it is otherwise in the proper alignment. This forms the desired cupping.
- Other means to create this concave or cupping shape can be utilized and still come within the ambit of the invention such as simply imparting the shape in a polymer strip or metal foil by forming or pressing. Forming the cupped shape by stretching the tail 4 over a form may obviate completely or partly the need for slits 4 a and 4 c .
- a band 5 a is placed on the seal pad 3 itself.
- This band 5 a can be an integral part of the seal or be attached by means well known to the art, including ultra sonic welding or by adhesives. These points of attachment can be detachable or non-detachable, or one can be detachable and the other non-detachable. The purpose for making at least one attachment detachable would be to allow the gathered and peeled part of the seal pad 3 to pass through, the loop that was formed before said detachment.
- FIG. 7 is an example of how band 5 a can be incorporated into the seal pad 3 .
- band 5 a is a further example of how band 5 a can be incorporated into the seal pad 3 , but this example one end of the loop is detachably attached or attached to the seal pad 3 by attachment 6 b .
- the purpose of attaching the end of the loop in this manner is to permit the placement of the tail 4 in the loop 5 a , prior to attachment 6 b , so that the tail need not be threaded through the loop 5 a . In many cases this will allow for easier and faster assembly of the seal and loop.
- the attachment 6 b can be accomplished by many means, well known to the art, such as adhesives and ultrasonic welding.
- the band 5 a on FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 can be of various sizes and a number of bands might be utilized instead of just one.
- the band 5 a can also be located on various positions on the seal pad 3 , but in FIGS. 5 and 6 it has been located between the center point and the edge of the orifice 1 b , opposite the place where the tail 4 merges into the seal pad 3 , at 10 as shown of FIG. 5.
- This configuration may require only a simple tail 4 without any forming or slots 4 a , 4 c or cupping shapes to assist in aligning the tail 4 as described above, but some embodiments may incorporate some or all of the additional methods as well.
- no band 5 may be required for some purposes.
- the tail may be attached to the container 1 as illustrated in FIG. 2, so that when the seal is removed it remains with the container 1 , thereby reducing additional refuse.
- the proximal end of the tail 4 is free-footed, except for perhaps the detachable attachment at 6 , as illustrated on FIG. 1, others, for example, are attached to the container 1 at 6 a , as illustrated on FIG. 2.
- the advantage of connecting 6 a the proximal end of the tail to the container 1 , as illustrated on FIG. 2, is that it prevents the tail from separating from the container 1 after use, reducing refuse.
- the tail 4 can form a handle when the top 1 a of the container 1 is on and securely holding the distal end of the tail.
- a further advantage of attaching the proximal end of the tail 4 to the container at or around 6 a is that a curve or loop is thus formed 4 b and the operator can hook his finger in the loop to pull the tail, as illustrated on FIG. 2.
- Preferred embodiments of the invention include many different ways of terminating the tail at the proximal end to facilitate the operator gripping the tail 4 at this point. These methods are well known to the art. Some have fob shaped ends 4 b , such as illustrated in FIG. 4, which can be used as a surface for advertising or directions for use; while others have openings 4 b as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3, through which the operator can place a finger to facilitate pulling the tail.
- Other preferred embodiments do not use bands at all, to maintain alignment, and rely on the tension of the tail 4 between the rim of the container 1 orifice 1 b and the point of attachment between the proximal end of the tail 4 and the container 1 .
- Other embodiments of the invention channel and control the position of the tail 4 with clasps or guides that permit the tail 4 to slide within the clasp or guide, which are well known to the art, for example: loops and hooks (open loops), parallel grooves between which the tail slides, all of which may be connected to the container or an integral part of the container itself.
- Clasping and guiding means also might include “T” sections that are attached or form part of the container 1 and interact with the cuts or grooves 4 a in the tail 4 to guide the tail 4 , all methods all well known to the art.
- twist cap 1 a is placed on after the seal 3 , 4 is in place.
- some detachable attachments 6 by adhesive or other means well known to the art may be used in certain cases to hold the tail in place while the cap is being put on, when the container is filled and later when the container is emptied. In most cases however this will not be necessary, especially if sufficient tension is applied to the tail 4 between the rim of the container orifice 1 b and the point of attachment at the proximal end of the tail 4 , or other alignment means are used, as described above.
- the tail 4 is compacted by various means on the seal pad 3 , an example of which is illustrated on FIG. 10 in which the tail 4 is compacted in a horizontal zigzag fashion and FIG. 11 in which the tail 4 is compacted in a vertical accordion fashion.
- the advantage of this arrangement is the seal can be placed on the container without any other modifications to the container or, in many cases, the machinery used to bottle the contents of the container. Methods of compaction are well known to the art and include folding, accordion fashion vertically or horizontally (as illustrated in FIGS.
- the tail 4 can be detachably attached to the seal pad 3 continuously, or at various point(s), although in a preferred embodiment the tail 4 is detachably attached in that position 6 as illustrated in FIG. 10 and FIG. 11.
- This point of detachable attachment 6 serves to align the tail, as it is being pulled by the operator 7 down the side of the container in Direction 8 as illustrated in FIG. 10 and FIG. 11. This alignment insures the tail does not slide around the orifice 1 b of the container in direction 8 a or in the opposite direction, as discussed above.
- the seal pad 3 may be recessed to accommodate the bulk of the tail 4 located on top of the seal pad 3 , as illustrated on FIG. 10 and FIG. 11, or it may not be necessary, depending on the bulk of the tail 4 and the shape of the cap 1 a .
- Those preferred embodiments that compact the tail of the seal on top of the seal pad may, but need not, include one or more bands 5 a to gather together the compacted tail 4 , an example of which is illustrated in FIG. 11, where the band 5 a may be detachably attached 6 c to permit the tail 4 to uncompress when pulled by the operator or may not detach, but simply allow the tail 4 to slip through its grasp.
- Other preferred embodiments may gather together the tail 4 on top of the seal pad 3 and detachably attach it to the seal pad by utilizing detachable attachments, well known to the art, such as adhesives.
- provision will be made for ensuring that the seal pad 3 and/or 3 cannot be completely removed from the container, to reduce refuse, and this might include making the attachment permanent between the seal pad 3 and the container orifice 1 b at the last portion that would otherwise separate when the seal pad is pealed off of the container orifice, that location being approximately under the location 6 of the detachable attachment between the tail 4 and the seal pad 3 of that example illustrated on FIG. 10 and FIG. 11.
- Other similar means of permanent attachment could be used in other preferred embodiments, by means well known to the art.
- Other preferred embodiments may include a snag 5 c that can align and position the tail 4 and keep the tail and container together after use, an example of which is illustrated in FIG. 11.
- the sag 5 c maintains the position of the tail 4 with respect to the container 1 , but still allows the tail to slide through the snag, so that the seal can be removed.
- FIG. 11 illustrates a snag 5 c that can align and position the tail 4 and keep the tail and container together after use, an example of which is illustrated in FIG. 11.
- the sag 5 c maintains the position of the tail 4 with respect to the container 1 , but still allows the tail to slide through the snag, so that the seal can be removed.
- the operator 7 could remove the cap 1 a of the container 1 , pull the fob 4 b from the top of the seal pad 3 , then pulling the fob in direction 8 , pull the tail 4 taut, ensuring that the tail 4 slides in slot 3 a , if such a slot is provided; then if the operator wishes to keep the tail and container together after use, and if the snag 5 c or other grasping device, well known to the art is attached or a part of the container, the operator could snag the tail in the snag 5 c . The operator could then place the orifice 1 b of the container in the receiving port 1 c , which might require that the container would be in the pouring position.
- the operator would only then firmly pull the tail in direction 8 , breaking the seal and allowing the contents of the container 1 to pour out, without spilling a drop outside the receiving port 1 c .
- the snag or other grasping device could be placed at any convenient place on the container and any number of them might be used, depending upon the circumstances.
- a fob 4 a can be included at the proximal end of the tail to improve purchase for the operator.
- This fob might contain directions for example, for positioning the fob and pulling it after the orifice of the container has been placed in the receiving port, or a low release adhesive might be attached to the fob to allow it to be stuck to the container after use to reduce refuse.
- the fob can be of various sizes and in some preferred embodiments takes up almost the entire space on top of the seal pad 3 . While FIG.
- FIG. 11 illustrates the fob 4 b in the extended position, it is to be understood that when the cap 1 a is on the container 1 , the fob is located on top of the seal pad 3 .
- FIG. 10 illustrates the fob 4 b in both the extended position and in the position on top of the seal pad 3 , for diagrammatical clarity.
- a notch or channel 3 a may be placed in the seal pad 3 in some preferred embodiments, which may in some embodiments also be reinforced at this point by, for example, laminating another piece of material onto the top of the seal pad 3 at this location, or by other means well known to the art.
- the purpose of this notch is to maintain the alignment of the tail being pulled through the notch or channel 3 a in direction 8 by operator 7 .
- This notch or channel 3 a can be of any convenient size as required by the size and width of the tail 4 .
- this notch is made in the edge of the container orifice 1 b , at approximately the same location, in such a manner that the seal between the seal pad 3 and the container orifice 1 b is not compromised.
- Some preferred embodiments will include instructions 11 for positioning the tail 4 and for using it, printed or applied in some way, known to the art, on the container or label on the container, and example of which is illustrated on FIG. 11.
- the illustrations are made for diagrammatical clarity and the invention is not limited to the dimensions and clearances therein illustrated.
- the tail 4 will in many preferred embodiments closely hug the side of the vessel; likewise the strap 5 , if used, in many embodiments will not have such a large loop, but will hold the tail 4 snugly against the container.
- Some embodiments of the invention may use no strap at all, or one or more straps.
- the width and length and shape of the seal may also vary.
- the points of attachment whether detachable or permanent may be continuous or their number and their positions with respect to the container 1 and sealing member 3 and 4 , may vary depending upon the size and shape of bottle, as well as the use to which it is put.
- the loop 4 b illustrated in FIG. 1 might be attached at the bottom of the container 1 rather than at location 6 as shown in FIG. 1.
Abstract
The invention is a device and a method for remotely peeling off a peelable seal, using only one or two pieces of flexible material, allowing the container to be placed in the pouring position, and the delivery orifice to be inserted into a receiving port, all the while sealed; then once in the receiving port, to be unsealed, so as not to spill any fluid outside the receiving port.
Description
- This application is filed in furtherance of an informal application filed in the U.S. patent on 15/19/2003, said informal application having the same Title and the same Inventor.
- The present invention generally relates to a lid for a container openable by peeling and more specifically to containers that dispense fluids into receiving ports or orifices without spillage, and a method for using them.
- The handling of motor oils and motor fuel additives are good examples of the difficulties that can be encountered in the transfer of materials from any container to which this patent is addressed. Recently, motor oil and oil additives for automobiles have been packaged in plastic bottles with threaded necks and cooperatively threaded resealable caps. The oil from these containers can be poured directly into the oil receiving port or orifices of the engine. Due to the awkward location of the oil receiving ports in most automobiles, oil often spills over the rest of the engine when poured directly from the bottle, creating undesirable waste and mess. Ordinary funnels are often used in attempt to alleviate this problem. However an ordinary funnel is often dirty and oily, and at self-serve stations they often offer only disposable paper funnels that buckle and spill. Often one tries to tilt the oil bottle just enough to place it in the oil receiving port, but at the same time not so much that the oil spills out before the bottle is fully inserted. A bolder attempt can cause the oil to surge and if the connection is missed slightly the results are messy. Alas, too often ones aim or timing is off, perhaps a false start or contact with an engine part, the result: oil on the engine to smoke and attract dirt and cause air polution. At night time it is more difficult, all reasons for not checking the oil regularly.
- Once the oil bottle is successfully inserted into the oil receiving port and some oil has been dispensed, it is then not difficult to remove the bottle without spillage, as just a slight tilting of the bottle puts the nozzle well above the level of the oil in the bottle. Also for the removal, the bottle need not be aimed.
- The main problem then is inserting the oil bottle in the receiving port, without spillage.
- There have been many attempts to solve the problems in the prior art. All of them unfortunately involve the attachment of devices onto the end of the container or expensive tops on the containers. The reusable devices themselves become dirty and oily and must be removed and replaced by the operator's hands. Another difficult is that these reusable devices must be stored between uses. Examples of such devices are as follows:
- In U.S. Pat. No. 4,884,600 is disclosed a nozzle that attaches to the oil container that includes a shut-off handle and a valve that is opened by pressing the assembly downward into the receiving port.
- In U.S. Pat. No. 2,593,634 is disclosed a spigot that opens by being pressed against the receiving port of the container into which the fluid is being poured, and returns to its closed position when the spigot is withdrawn from the port.
- In U.S. Pat. No. 3,074,444 is disclosed a spigot that opens as it is pushed against the receiving port and closes when it is withdrawn, relying on a spring and valve.
- In U.S. Pat. No. 2,701,078 is disclosed a spigot that contains a valve member that opens as a bill is engaged against a side of the receiving port and the assembly in pushed into the receiving port, and then closes as it is withdrawn.
- Accordingly, there is a distinct need for a way in which petroleum bottles can be improved to eliminate spillage during the initial insertion of the bottle into a receiving port of an engine or other vessel, which does not require the attachment and removal of a device from the container every time it is used.
- Also there is a need to effect this desired improvements cheaply, using a disposable element, without requiring changes in the design of the bottles and containers that are now in use.
- Also there is a need to effect the desired improvements without the operator having to touch any part that is dirty or oily, at any time.
- Also there is a distinct need for a way in which other containers, containing other fluids can be similarly improved to eliminate spillage during their insertion into other types of receiving ports.
- The present invention involves the use of a flexible peelable seal. Such seals are well known to the art such as disclosed for example in U.S. Pat. No. 3,391,847, which describes the use of such a seal to cover the top of a disposable container. In each case these disposable seals were designed to be opened when the container is upright, whereas the seal which is the subject of this invention is designed to be opened when the container is in the inverted position, that is when the liquid or other material will immediately pour out of the container orifice, when the seal is opened; also it may be opened when the seal is obstructed by a receiving port into which the seal and container orifice have been placed. The seals described in the prior art would be unsuitable for this purpose as one could not gain access to open the seal because the seal and spout would be within the receiving port, and even if access could be gained, the liquid or other material would gush out when the seal was opened to cover and perhaps contaminate the operators hands.
- It is an object of this invention to improved existing and future containers to eliminate spillage during their insertion into receiving ports, and to do so without the operator's hands ever coming in contact with oil, or having to attach, remove or touch any oily or dirty valve or spigot.
- It is an object of this invention to ensure that no spillage can occur before a container is securely placed in a receiving port.
- It is a further object of this invention to keep the operator's hands well away from the material being poured into the receiving port. This will ensure that one's hands are not dirtied or contaminated by the material being poured.
- It is a further object of this invention to improve bottles and containers by adding only one or two small plastic parts that are light, disposable and inexpensive.
- The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following, more particular description of the preferred embodiments of this invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
- The invention is a method and a device for remotely peeling off a peelable seal, using only one or two pieces of flexible material.
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container that is in its sealed mode, after the screw cap has been removed.
- FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a container that illustrates the container in the pouring position, in both the sealed and the partly unsealed modes.
- FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 are perspective views of the sealing strips, illustrating the centering slit(s)4 a and looped and fob type terminations on the proximal end of the strip.
- FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a container that is in its sealed mode, after the screw top has been removed, with a
small band 5 a that aligns thetail 4. - FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a container that illustrates the container in the pouring position, in both the sealed and the partly unsealed modes, also illustrating how the
small band 5 a acts to collect theseal pad 3 as it is removed. - FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a container that illustrates how the
small band 5 a can be incorporated into theseal pad 3. FIG. 7 also illustrates achannel 2 a through thethreads 2 of the container to position and align thetail 4 of the seal, and facilitate opening and closing of thecontainer cap 1 a, without twisting the tail. - FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a container that illustrates how the
small band 5 a can be incorporated into theseal pad 3, but also be detachably attached or attached to theseal pad 3 by attachment means 6 b, to allow for assembly without having to thread thetail 4 through the loop formed with the band 5 b. - FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a container that illustrates and example of a preferred embodiment for those applications that require more mechanical advantage to remove the
seal pad 3 by employing a second loop 5 b to act as a pulley. - FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a container that illustrates an example of a preferred embodiment in which the
tail 4 of the seal member is compacted onto theseal pad 3, prior to deployment, to permit ease of manufacture. - FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a container that illustrates an example of a preferred embodiment in which the
tail 4 of the seal member is compacted into theseal pad 3 prior to deployment in an accordion fashion. - FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention which is a sealing means for a container spout or pouring port, which can initially be sealed and then opened both while in the pouring position, and while the container spout is already located inside the receiving port.
- The great advantage of this invention is that no spillage can occur before a container is securely placed in a receiving port, because until that time the container can remain sealed even while the container in the pouring position.
- The peelable sealing means, referred to herein as the seal, is comprised of any flexible material or composite of materials that are flexible and provide an appropriate seal to prevent the material inside the container from leaking out while it is in the pouring position. The material is sufficiently flexible that it can bend around the bottle as illustrated in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. The seal or sealing member is comprised of a
seal pad 3 and an elongated seal member or sealtail 4. The seal can be partly or wholly peeled away from theorifice 1 b of the container, to which it is wholly or partly detachably attached, directly or indirectly, by an operator pulling thetail 4 away from theorifice 1 b of thecontainer 1, for example, indirection 8; thetail 4 being connected to a part of theseal pad 3, usually immediately adjacent to the edge of theseal 10, so that the tail of theseal seal pad 3, to which it is attached 10, across the surface of the seal pad in a line running from the point ofattachment 10, through the centre of theseal pad 3 and thence to the opposite side of the seal pad and beyond. In the preferred embodiment, theseal pad 3 and/or thetail 4 curls back on itself and in the case illustrated in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 this occurs atlocation 10. It is this curling back, in the preferred embodiment, which positions the seal pad to peal back and away from theorifice 1 b of thecontainer 1, when theoperator 7 remotely pulls on thetail 4, and in the case illustrated in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 this pulling is indirection 8. So long as the tail of the seal is pulled across the seal pad, in approximately the direction described above, in combination with the curl of the seal pad and/or thetail 4 and perhaps being channelled by other features of the invention, the operator'shand 7 can be remote from theseal pad 3 being pealed off, and be well away from any material which would then flow from the nowopen orifice 1 b of thecontainer 1. As can be readily appreciated, the neck or nozzle of thecontainer 1 can also be wholly within the receivingport 1 c of avessel 1 d, as illustrated in FIG. 2, when unsealed, and yet the operator can remove the seal remotely without soiling his hands and without spilling any of the liquid being poured. - It is to be understood that while the preferred embodiments position the
seal pad 3 and/or thetail 4 in a curled position, to more conveniently remove the seal, the tail could be initially located so as not to have the initial cur, and leave it for the operator to effect a curl before removing the seal. While this would be less convenient, it is to be understood that this would be within the ambit of the invention. - The flexible seal can be in one or more attached pieces, although the simplest arrangement is to have a single piece. Some applications will require that the seal portion that actually seals the container port, the “seal pad”3, be made of special, perhaps more expensive material. In such cases it would be appropriate to make the seal out of two or more different materials held together by various means, well known to the art as illustrated in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, which illustrates a possible connecting
point 10 at approximately the point between theseal pad 3 and theseal tail 4. - It is important to understand that although the preferred embodiment illustrated on FIG. 1 FIG. 2, FIGS.5 6, 7, 8. 9 and 10 illustrate a simple peel seal that is actuated from the seal pad edge, other preferred embodiments would include those seal pads that are removed by pulling a tab located on other portions of the seal pad, and it should be understood that these would constitute other embodiments of the invention. It is also important that some embodiments of the present invention include tear-off and snap-off tops as well as peel-off tops including those where only a portion of the top is removed. In each case these parts that are removed or partly removed ought to be considered as a
seal pad 3 for the purposes of this invention. Any top that can be opened by a motion of thetail 4, similar to that illustrated 9 on FIG. 2 that causes some portion of theseal pad 3 and ortail 4 to curl back on itself before theoperator 7 pulls thetail 4 and/or during the pull, comes within the ambit of this invention. - The
seal pad 3 of preferred embodiments can be detachably attached to theorifice 1 b of the container, directly or indirectly, thus creating the seal, by means well known to the art, which include adhesives, heat fusing, and ultrasound welding. Thetail 4 of the seal can be detachably attached to theseal pad 3 and thecontainer 1 at various convenient points, three of which 6 are illustrated on FIG. 1. The purpose of these detachable attachments is to keep the assembly tidy, and also to assist in maintaining the correct position of thetail 4 relative to the top of thecontainer 1orifice 1 b, so that when thetail 4 is pulled indirection 8 by theoperator 7 theseal pad 3 is peeled away from theorifice 1 b of thecontainer 1, in approximately direction 9, rather than having thetail 4 slide radially, along the orifice edge on which it is sliding, and then fall off the edge, indirection 8 a, all as illustrated in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, or a direction opposite todirection 8 a. - One preferred embodiment ensures that the tail does not slide around the edge of the
container orifice 1 b by creating a concave shape in thetail 4 which conforms to the convex shape or round shape of thecontainer orifice 1 b. In the preferred embodiment illustrated on FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 this concave or cupping shape is effected by twosimple slits 4 a in the tail of the seal, which forms three bands; the centre band may then be stretched to form a cupping shape that curves around the round top of thecontainer 1. Other preferred embodiments use any number ofslits 4 a to effect this purpose, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4. The cupping shape is created if thetail 4 is slightly elastic or the centre of the tail is stretched longitudinally, so that the relatively shorter longitudinal edges of thetail 4 tend to rap around or cup, the round shape of thecontainer orifice 1 b. Some preferred embodiments of the invention effect this longitudinal stretching in whole or in part by incorporatingslits 4 c with their longitudinal axis orientated normal to the longitudinal axis of thetail 4 as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4. While FIGS. 3 and 4 show one row of slits, it should be understood that any number and arrangement of holes or slits might be used for this purpose. In some preferred embodiments of the invention, the elastic qualities of the material chosen for the tail, provide ample cupping and no other provisions may be necessary, such as the said slits or forming. In other embodiments of the invention, and for some containers, no provision need be made for the sliding indirection 8 a or for similar sliding in other directions; or other provisions have been made to prevent sliding, in which cases the tail may not contain any slits or cupping features. - This longitudinal stretching of the centre of the
tail 4 can be effected in the course of manufacturing theseals 4 on thecontainers 1. The round shape of thecontainer orifice 1 b can act as the form and the desired shape can be obtained by simply stretching thedeformable tail 4 over thecontainer orifice 1 b, after it is otherwise in the proper alignment. This forms the desired cupping. Other means to create this concave or cupping shape can be utilized and still come within the ambit of the invention such as simply imparting the shape in a polymer strip or metal foil by forming or pressing. Forming the cupped shape by stretching thetail 4 over a form may obviate completely or partly the need forslits slits - In another preferred embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, a
band 5 a is placed on theseal pad 3 itself. Thisband 5 a can be an integral part of the seal or be attached by means well known to the art, including ultra sonic welding or by adhesives. These points of attachment can be detachable or non-detachable, or one can be detachable and the other non-detachable. The purpose for making at least one attachment detachable would be to allow the gathered and peeled part of theseal pad 3 to pass through, the loop that was formed before said detachment. FIG. 7 is an example of howband 5 a can be incorporated into theseal pad 3. FIG. 8 is a further example of howband 5 a can be incorporated into theseal pad 3, but this example one end of the loop is detachably attached or attached to theseal pad 3 byattachment 6 b. The purpose of attaching the end of the loop in this manner is to permit the placement of thetail 4 in theloop 5 a, prior toattachment 6 b, so that the tail need not be threaded through theloop 5 a. In many cases this will allow for easier and faster assembly of the seal and loop. Theattachment 6 b can be accomplished by many means, well known to the art, such as adhesives and ultrasonic welding. - The
band 5 a on FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 can be of various sizes and a number of bands might be utilized instead of just one. Theband 5 a can also be located on various positions on theseal pad 3, but in FIGS. 5 and 6 it has been located between the center point and the edge of theorifice 1 b, opposite the place where thetail 4 merges into theseal pad 3, at 10 as shown of FIG. 5. This configuration may require only asimple tail 4 without any forming orslots tail 4 as described above, but some embodiments may incorporate some or all of the additional methods as well. Also noband 5 may be required for some purposes. For embodiments that use theband 5 a, and for some other embodiments as well, the tail may be attached to thecontainer 1 as illustrated in FIG. 2, so that when the seal is removed it remains with thecontainer 1, thereby reducing additional refuse. - In some preferred embodiments of the invention the proximal end of the
tail 4 is free-footed, except for perhaps the detachable attachment at 6, as illustrated on FIG. 1, others, for example, are attached to thecontainer 1 at 6 a, as illustrated on FIG. 2. The advantage of connecting 6 a the proximal end of the tail to thecontainer 1, as illustrated on FIG. 2, is that it prevents the tail from separating from thecontainer 1 after use, reducing refuse. Also thetail 4 can form a handle when the top 1 a of thecontainer 1 is on and securely holding the distal end of the tail. A further advantage of attaching the proximal end of thetail 4 to the container at or around 6 a is that a curve or loop is thus formed 4 b and the operator can hook his finger in the loop to pull the tail, as illustrated on FIG. 2. - Preferred embodiments of the invention include many different ways of terminating the tail at the proximal end to facilitate the operator gripping the
tail 4 at this point. These methods are well known to the art. Some have fob shaped ends 4 b, such as illustrated in FIG. 4, which can be used as a surface for advertising or directions for use; while others haveopenings 4 b as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3, through which the operator can place a finger to facilitate pulling the tail. - Some preferred embodiments of the invention include sliding
means 5 for aligning and containing the tail relative to thecontainer 1. FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate aband 5 which allows thetail 4 to slide between thecontainer 1 and theband 5, while at the same time the band controls the tail's relative lateral position with respect to the container. The band can be bound to the container by adhesive or such other means, well known to the art, except for a portion that forms a loop, through which thetail 4 passes, as illustrated on FIGS. 1 and 2. This assists in channelling or aligning the tail with respect to the container so that it does not slide around, and then off the rim of the container'sorifice 1 b indirection 8 a, or in a direction opposite to 8 a, as illustrated on FIG. 1, when the tail is pulled, as described above, or when the screw cap is screwed onto the container, or subsequently, when it is screwed off. It should be noted that in most cases this loop is much smaller than that illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2; which has been made large for diagrammatical clarity. Other preferred embodiments use bands that are not attached by any other means than by their own tension. And some preferred embodiments use the band that falls away from the tamper-proof caps when it is unscrewed. One advantage of using a band is that it assists in preventing the seal from separating from the container, after use, thereby reducing refuse. - Other preferred embodiments do not use bands at all, to maintain alignment, and rely on the tension of the
tail 4 between the rim of thecontainer 1orifice 1 b and the point of attachment between the proximal end of thetail 4 and thecontainer 1. Other embodiments of the invention channel and control the position of thetail 4 with clasps or guides that permit thetail 4 to slide within the clasp or guide, which are well known to the art, for example: loops and hooks (open loops), parallel grooves between which the tail slides, all of which may be connected to the container or an integral part of the container itself. Clasping and guiding means also might include “T” sections that are attached or form part of thecontainer 1 and interact with the cuts orgrooves 4 a in thetail 4 to guide thetail 4, all methods all well known to the art. - In other preferred embodiments where additional mechanical advantage is required to remove the seal, an additional loop5 b can be employed to create a pulley as illustrated in FIG. 9 and where the end of the tail is can be attached to the seal itself 10 as shown on FIG. 9, or perhaps in other preferred embodiment to the
container 1. In some preferred embodiments theloop 5 a might be dispensed with, where this particular guiding means for thetail 4 is not required. - While FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 illustrate a twist or threaded top1 a, it is to be understood that preferred embodiments of the invention may have all types of container tops, including for example, snap-on and swaged, or no top or cap at all.
- It should be noted that the
twist cap 1 a is placed on after theseal tail 4 between the rim of thecontainer orifice 1 b and the point of attachment at the proximal end of thetail 4, or other alignment means are used, as described above. - A
channel 2 a may also be included in thethreads 2 of thecontainer 1 to provide passage for the tail and reduce the friction between the thread on the cap and thetail 4 and thereby reduce the tendency of the tail to turn around with thecap 1 a when it is being closed or opened, but in most cases this is unnecessary. The edges of thechannel 2 a also provide a barrier to thetail 4, preventing the turning around of thetail 4. In those containers that do not have threaded connections between thecontainer 1 and thecap 1 a, but rather a raised rim adjacent to thecontainer orifice 1 b that interacts with a cap to form a snap-on connection, this channel would pass through the said raised section and would serve the same purpose as the channel through the threads, described above. Some preferred embodiments have no cap or closure and rely on the seal itself for securing the contents of thecontainer 1. - In another preferred embodiment of the invention the
tail 4 is compacted by various means on theseal pad 3, an example of which is illustrated on FIG. 10 in which thetail 4 is compacted in a horizontal zigzag fashion and FIG. 11 in which thetail 4 is compacted in a vertical accordion fashion. The advantage of this arrangement is the seal can be placed on the container without any other modifications to the container or, in many cases, the machinery used to bottle the contents of the container. Methods of compaction are well known to the art and include folding, accordion fashion vertically or horizontally (as illustrated in FIGS. 10 and 11), stacking and zigzag arrangements, coiling, and using elastic materials for thetail 4, scrolling, curling and curling by scraping the surface of thetail 4. Thetail 4 can be detachably attached to theseal pad 3 continuously, or at various point(s), although in a preferred embodiment thetail 4 is detachably attached in that position 6 as illustrated in FIG. 10 and FIG. 11. This point of detachable attachment 6 serves to align the tail, as it is being pulled by theoperator 7 down the side of the container inDirection 8 as illustrated in FIG. 10 and FIG. 11. This alignment insures the tail does not slide around theorifice 1 b of the container indirection 8 a or in the opposite direction, as discussed above. - The
seal pad 3 may be recessed to accommodate the bulk of thetail 4 located on top of theseal pad 3, as illustrated on FIG. 10 and FIG. 11, or it may not be necessary, depending on the bulk of thetail 4 and the shape of thecap 1 a. Those preferred embodiments that compact the tail of the seal on top of the seal pad may, but need not, include one ormore bands 5 a to gather together thecompacted tail 4, an example of which is illustrated in FIG. 11, where theband 5 a may be detachably attached 6 c to permit thetail 4 to uncompress when pulled by the operator or may not detach, but simply allow thetail 4 to slip through its grasp. Other preferred embodiments may gather together thetail 4 on top of theseal pad 3 and detachably attach it to the seal pad by utilizing detachable attachments, well known to the art, such as adhesives. - In some preferred embodiments, provision will be made for ensuring that the
seal pad 3 and/or 3 cannot be completely removed from the container, to reduce refuse, and this might include making the attachment permanent between theseal pad 3 and thecontainer orifice 1 b at the last portion that would otherwise separate when the seal pad is pealed off of the container orifice, that location being approximately under the location 6 of the detachable attachment between thetail 4 and theseal pad 3 of that example illustrated on FIG. 10 and FIG. 11. Other similar means of permanent attachment could be used in other preferred embodiments, by means well known to the art. - Other preferred embodiments may include a
snag 5 c that can align and position thetail 4 and keep the tail and container together after use, an example of which is illustrated in FIG. 11. Thesag 5 c maintains the position of thetail 4 with respect to thecontainer 1, but still allows the tail to slide through the snag, so that the seal can be removed. For example, in the case of FIG. 11, theoperator 7 could remove thecap 1 a of thecontainer 1, pull thefob 4 b from the top of theseal pad 3, then pulling the fob indirection 8, pull thetail 4 taut, ensuring that thetail 4 slides inslot 3 a, if such a slot is provided; then if the operator wishes to keep the tail and container together after use, and if thesnag 5 c or other grasping device, well known to the art is attached or a part of the container, the operator could snag the tail in thesnag 5 c. The operator could then place theorifice 1 b of the container in the receivingport 1 c, which might require that the container would be in the pouring position. The operator would only then firmly pull the tail indirection 8, breaking the seal and allowing the contents of thecontainer 1 to pour out, without spilling a drop outside the receivingport 1 c. The snag or other grasping device could be placed at any convenient place on the container and any number of them might be used, depending upon the circumstances. - The various means of shaping, cupping and slotting the
tail 4, for better alignment of the tail with respect to thecontainer 1, are included in some preferred embodiments of this compact tail arrangement. Afob 4 a can be included at the proximal end of the tail to improve purchase for the operator. This fob might contain directions for example, for positioning the fob and pulling it after the orifice of the container has been placed in the receiving port, or a low release adhesive might be attached to the fob to allow it to be stuck to the container after use to reduce refuse. The fob can be of various sizes and in some preferred embodiments takes up almost the entire space on top of theseal pad 3. While FIG. 11 illustrates thefob 4 b in the extended position, it is to be understood that when thecap 1 a is on thecontainer 1, the fob is located on top of theseal pad 3. And FIG. 10 illustrates thefob 4 b in both the extended position and in the position on top of theseal pad 3, for diagrammatical clarity. - A notch or
channel 3 a may be placed in theseal pad 3 in some preferred embodiments, which may in some embodiments also be reinforced at this point by, for example, laminating another piece of material onto the top of theseal pad 3 at this location, or by other means well known to the art. The purpose of this notch is to maintain the alignment of the tail being pulled through the notch orchannel 3 a indirection 8 byoperator 7. This notch orchannel 3 a can be of any convenient size as required by the size and width of thetail 4. Similarly, in some preferred embodiments, this notch is made in the edge of thecontainer orifice 1 b, at approximately the same location, in such a manner that the seal between theseal pad 3 and thecontainer orifice 1 b is not compromised. - Some preferred embodiments will include
instructions 11 for positioning thetail 4 and for using it, printed or applied in some way, known to the art, on the container or label on the container, and example of which is illustrated on FIG. 11. - It is to understood that the illustrations are made for diagrammatical clarity and the invention is not limited to the dimensions and clearances therein illustrated. For example the
tail 4 will in many preferred embodiments closely hug the side of the vessel; likewise thestrap 5, if used, in many embodiments will not have such a large loop, but will hold thetail 4 snugly against the container. Some embodiments of the invention may use no strap at all, or one or more straps. The width and length and shape of the seal may also vary. It is also to be understood that the points of attachment whether detachable or permanent, may be continuous or their number and their positions with respect to thecontainer 1 and sealingmember loop 4 b illustrated in FIG. 1 might be attached at the bottom of thecontainer 1 rather than at location 6 as shown in FIG. 1. - While the present invention describes various preferred embodiments having certain specific features, it is to be understood that any preferred embodiment may have any combination, set or subset of features described in other preferred embodiments herein described.
- While the present invention has been described in conjunction with preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that modifications and variations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as those skilled in the art will readily understand. Such modifications and variations are considered to be within the purview and scope of the inventions and appended claims.
Claims (20)
1. A sealing member includes a seal pad, which is detachably attached, directly or indirectly, and wholly or partly to the orifice of a container, and
the sealing member includes an elongated part or tail that is connected to the said seal pad, and
the elongated part or tail can be initially located wholly on top of the said seal pad or partly on top of the seal pad and partly adjacent to the side of the container, and
the sealing member, while sealing the orifice of the container, is folded over on itself, or curled, on or immediately adjacent to the said seal pad, such that when the operator pulls the distal end of the elongated part, or tail, 8 away from the orifice of the container and the elongated part or tail becomes taut, but before the said sealing member unseals,
the said elongated part or tail will pass over the seal pad from the point of connection with the said seal pad 10, through approximately the center of the said seal pad and thence to a location approximately opposite the location of the said connection,
and the said elongated part or tail will thence pass adjacent to the side of the container, and
as the operator continues to pull the elongated part, or tail of the sealing member in the same said direction 8, or approximately that direction, the seal pad will peal away, or popped-off or tear away, from the said orifice of the container, thereby detaching itself directly or indirectly, and wholly or partly from its attachment to the orifice of the container, and
thereby unseal the orifice of the container, and
any fluid material in the container may then pour out of the container, if the container has been tipped or inverted sufficiently for such purpose, or when it is so tipped or inverted.
2. A sealing member includes a seal pad, which is detachably attached, directly or indirectly, and wholly or partly to the orifice of a container, and
the sealing member includes an elongated part or tail that is connected to the said seal pad, and
the elongated part or tail can be initially located wholly on top of the said seal pad or partly on top of the seal pad and partly adjacent to the side of the container, and
the operator can fold the sealing member over on itself, or curl the said sealing member, on or immediately adjacent to the said seal pad, and having positioned the sealing member in this manner,
such that when the operator pulls the distal end of the elongated part, or tail, 8 away from the orifice of the container and the elongated part or tail becomes taut, but before the said sealing member unseals,
the said elongated part or tail will pass over the seal pad from the point of connection with the said seal pad, through approximately the center of the said seal pad and thence to a location approximately opposite the location of the said connection,
and the said elongated part or tail will thence pass adjacent to the side of the container, and
as the operator continues to pull the elongated part, or tail of the sealing member in the same said direction 8, the seal pad will peal away, or popped-off or tear away, from the said orifice of the container, thereby detaching itself directly or indirectly, and wholly or partly from its attachment to the orifice of the container, and
thereby unseal the orifice of the container, and
any fluid material in the container may then pour out of the container, if the container has been tipped or inverted sufficiently for such purpose, or when it is so tipped or inverted.
3. A method of emptying a sealed delivering container, as described in claim 1 , wherein the container is placed in the receiving port of a receiving container, while the container is still sealed, and
because the said delivering container is still sealed, the said container can be in a position that if not sealed, the fluid material inside the delivering container would pour out of the said container, and
the operator pulls the tail of the sealing member away from the orifice of the container,
which causes the seal pad to peal, pop-off, or tear away, wholly or partly from the orifice of the delivering container,
causing the fluid material in the delivering container to pour out of the delivering container,
without spilling any fluid material outside of the delivery port of the receiving container.
4. A method of emptying a sealed delivering container, as described in claim 2 , wherein the container is placed in the receiving port of a receiving container, while the container is still sealed, and
because the said delivering container is still sealed, the said container can be in a position that if not sealed, the fluid material inside the delivering container would pour out of the said container, and
the operator pulls the tail of the sealing member away from the orifice of the container,
which causes the seal pad to peal, pop-off, or tear away, wholly or partly from the orifice of the delivering container,
causing the fluid material in the delivering container to pour out of the delivering container,
without spilling any fluid material outside of the delivery port of the receiving container.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a channel is formed in the threads or raised groove on the container, adjacent to the container orifice 1 b, that acts to channel or guide the elongated part of the sealing member, or the tail, and to prevent it from turning radially around the container as the container cap 1 a is turned, and
the elongated member or tail is thereby aligned and positioned with respect to the container, so
the seal pad will peal away, pop-off or tear away from the orifice of the container when the operator pulls the elongated member or tail in a direction away from the orifice of the container.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the sealing member is detachably attached to the container, directly or indirectly, continuously or at points along the elongate member or tail, to position, and
the elongated member or tail is thereby aligned and positioned with respect to the container, so
the seal pad will peal away, pop-off or tear away from the orifice of the container when the operator pulls the elongated member or tail in a direction away from the orifice of the container
7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the sealing member is aligned and positioned with respect to the container and with respect to parts of the sealing member,
by the use of bands 5, 5 a hooks, loops, notches, snags 5 c, grasps and other channelling or gathering means, and
the elongated member or tail is thereby aligned and positioned with respect to the container, so
the seal pad will peal away, pop-off or tear away from the orifice of the container when the operator pulls the elongated member or tail in a direction away from the orifice of the container, and in some cases the tail will remain attached to the container after use.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the elongate member is formed, shaped and slotted or made flexible, to impart or facilitate a concave or cupping shape to form into the elongate member or tail of the sealing member,
on and around where the said elongate member or tail interacts with the edge of the container orifice and the seal pad,
for the purpose of better aligning the said elongate member or tail with respect to the container, and
to prevent the elongated member or tail from sliding radially around the container orifice, when the operator pulls the elongate member away from the orifice of the container, so
the seal pad will peal away, pop-off or tear away from the orifice of the container when the operator pulls the elongated member or tail in a direction away from the orifice of the container.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the elongated member or tail is attached to the container connected to the container with sufficient permanency at one or more locations, so
the said elongated member or tail cannot wholly separate from the container, after it is unsealed.
10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the elongated member or tail is shaped, formed or attached to the container in such a way that it forms a handle or some other convenient purchase for the operator to grasp and pull.
11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein aligning and channelling means are incorporated into the sealing member.
12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein aligning and channelling means that are incorporated into the sealing member at made wholly detachably attachable, or partly detachably attachable, to allow for the relatively unencumbered pealing back, popping-off or tearing away of the seal pad from the orifice of the container.
13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein part or all of the elongated member or tail is compacted on top of the seal pad by various means, prior to use.
14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the container has a screw or pop-on top.
15. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the aligning means forms a pulley to increase the mechanical advantage of pulling on the seal pad to peal, pop-off or tear away the seal pad, and
to unseal the container.
16. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the elongated seal or tail is wholly located within the container, when the top of the container in on.
17. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a part of the seal pad is attached to the orifice of the container, while the remainder of the said seal pad is detachably attached to the said orifice of the container, to prevent the seal pad from being completely removed from the container.
18. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a fob located on the proximal end of the elongated seal or tail, contains an adhesive to permit it to be attached to the container, after use, to reduce refuse.
19. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a fob located on the proximal end of the elongated seal or tail, contains advertising and/or directions for use.
20. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein directions for positioning the elongated seal or tail with respect to the container and for use are included on an appropriate place on the container.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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US10/446,147 US20040238477A1 (en) | 2003-05-28 | 2003-05-28 | Non-spill container spout with peel type seal |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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US10/446,147 US20040238477A1 (en) | 2003-05-28 | 2003-05-28 | Non-spill container spout with peel type seal |
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US20040238477A1 true US20040238477A1 (en) | 2004-12-02 |
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Family Applications (1)
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US10/446,147 Abandoned US20040238477A1 (en) | 2003-05-28 | 2003-05-28 | Non-spill container spout with peel type seal |
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Cited By (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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US6915918B2 (en) * | 2003-07-07 | 2005-07-12 | Richard Merrill | Removable sealing device |
WO2015193405A1 (en) * | 2014-06-17 | 2015-12-23 | Torus Pak Research And Development S.À R.L | Removable bottom, food tray and method for producing such a food tray |
US10683145B2 (en) * | 2018-02-12 | 2020-06-16 | Vidrala S.A. | Easy opening container |
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US5121845A (en) * | 1990-10-16 | 1992-06-16 | Blanchard Floyd W | Removable seal for liquid container |
US5156286A (en) * | 1991-11-14 | 1992-10-20 | Piccard Donald L | Peel seal oil container security seal |
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US5730334A (en) * | 1996-09-10 | 1998-03-24 | Mizrahi; Gili | Controlled release bottle closure |
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US5915578A (en) * | 1996-06-28 | 1999-06-29 | Burt; David C. | Container closure and method of use |
US6497336B2 (en) * | 2000-04-07 | 2002-12-24 | Societe Alsacienne D'aluminium | Cover for a container openable by peeling, comprising a gripping tab delimited |
US6655553B2 (en) * | 2000-10-25 | 2003-12-02 | Seaquist Closures Foreign, Inc. | Dispensing closure with tamper-evident sleeve |
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US2593634A (en) * | 1949-08-25 | 1952-04-22 | Dri Flo Mfg Co | Spigot for discharging liquid from containers |
US2701078A (en) * | 1951-01-10 | 1955-02-01 | Edward W Bowman | Dispensing cap for oil bottles and the like |
US3074444A (en) * | 1959-04-28 | 1963-01-22 | Hawksford George Frederick | Pouring device |
US3317068A (en) * | 1965-03-22 | 1967-05-02 | Acme Plate & Mat Company | Tear-open sealed containers and closures therefor |
US3391847A (en) * | 1966-07-07 | 1968-07-09 | Aei Corp | Disposable bowl |
US4020979A (en) * | 1975-10-15 | 1977-05-03 | Summit Packaging Systems, Inc. | Squeeze-bottle-type spray dispenser |
US4636273A (en) * | 1983-08-24 | 1987-01-13 | Societe Alsacienne D-Aluminium | Process for manufacturing covers for containers opened by peeling off the cover |
US4627875A (en) * | 1983-09-12 | 1986-12-09 | Canon Kabushiki Kaisha | Recording liquid |
US4637530A (en) * | 1985-05-09 | 1987-01-20 | Jiang Chih Chang | Dispenser for a liquid container |
US4938390A (en) * | 1987-07-24 | 1990-07-03 | Markva Neil F | Liquid storage container with dispensing closure |
US4884600A (en) * | 1987-08-28 | 1989-12-05 | Wilson Ronald J | Oil nozzle apparatus and method |
US5514442A (en) * | 1987-09-09 | 1996-05-07 | Stanpac, Inc. | Sealing member for a container |
US4869383A (en) * | 1988-10-06 | 1989-09-26 | Bahr Chester H | Container closure with pull tab |
US4863047A (en) * | 1988-10-27 | 1989-09-05 | Crow Chet H | Container with seal and cap |
US4872571A (en) * | 1989-01-23 | 1989-10-10 | Crecelius Ross E | Container pour spout with peelable tamper-proof seal |
US5004111A (en) * | 1989-02-27 | 1991-04-02 | Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing Company | Internally delaminating tabbed innerseal for a container and method of applying |
US4953729A (en) * | 1989-04-12 | 1990-09-04 | George Kloosterhouse | Sanitation shield for water cooler bottle |
US4960216A (en) * | 1989-08-17 | 1990-10-02 | Selig Sealing Products, Inc. | Partially laminated closure cap for tamper proof container and method of making same |
US5121845A (en) * | 1990-10-16 | 1992-06-16 | Blanchard Floyd W | Removable seal for liquid container |
US5577335A (en) * | 1991-09-03 | 1996-11-26 | Tucker; Annabelle D. | Medication compliance system with med-dial, med-profile, easel and optional visual handicap aids |
US5156286A (en) * | 1991-11-14 | 1992-10-20 | Piccard Donald L | Peel seal oil container security seal |
US5265745A (en) * | 1992-04-08 | 1993-11-30 | Minnesota Mining And Manufacturing Company | Tamper evident top tab innerseal |
US5246126A (en) * | 1992-11-16 | 1993-09-21 | Lewis Jr John I | Oil container |
US5702015A (en) * | 1994-05-04 | 1997-12-30 | Selig Sealing Products, Inc. | Closure seal for container |
US5887747A (en) * | 1995-03-24 | 1999-03-30 | Tscheulin-Rothal Gmbh | Method of closing off the mouth of a container, a container with a closure of this kind and a material for manufacturing the closure |
US5915578A (en) * | 1996-06-28 | 1999-06-29 | Burt; David C. | Container closure and method of use |
US5730334A (en) * | 1996-09-10 | 1998-03-24 | Mizrahi; Gili | Controlled release bottle closure |
US6497336B2 (en) * | 2000-04-07 | 2002-12-24 | Societe Alsacienne D'aluminium | Cover for a container openable by peeling, comprising a gripping tab delimited |
US6655553B2 (en) * | 2000-10-25 | 2003-12-02 | Seaquist Closures Foreign, Inc. | Dispensing closure with tamper-evident sleeve |
Cited By (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US6915918B2 (en) * | 2003-07-07 | 2005-07-12 | Richard Merrill | Removable sealing device |
WO2015193405A1 (en) * | 2014-06-17 | 2015-12-23 | Torus Pak Research And Development S.À R.L | Removable bottom, food tray and method for producing such a food tray |
CN106604876A (en) * | 2014-06-17 | 2017-04-26 | 图鲁斯帕克研究与发展有限责任公司 | Removable bottom, food tray and method for producing such a food tray |
US10683145B2 (en) * | 2018-02-12 | 2020-06-16 | Vidrala S.A. | Easy opening container |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |