US2974835A - Self-sealing receptacle closure - Google Patents

Description

Filed Feb. 12, 1959 FIG.|

O 3 nv/ 4 Q 3 Q 2 |w+ m4 4 m i I i INVENTORQ Milton 8. Herbrick dwrm ATTXJ United States Patent SELF-SEALING RECEPTACLE CLOSURE Milton B. Herbrick, P.O. Box 486, Sterling, Colo.

Filed Feb. 12, 1959, Ser. No. 792,747

5 Claims. (Cl. 222507) This invention relates generally to closure devices or caps for use upon dispensing receptacles of various types, more particularly paste tubes.

The self-sealing closure device of the present invention while designed primarily for use upon paste tubes of the type commonly employed for merchandising tooth paste, ointments, artists oil paints and other pasty or semi-solid substances, is also adaptable for use upon receptacles having nozzles of suitable character for receiving the cap and designedto contain liquids. It will accordingly be understood that while the following description will refer to the use of the cap on a tube, there is no intention of limiting the invention to this specific type of receptacle.

In the use of conventional tooth paste or other collapsible tubes, it is a common experience of users to drop and temporarily mislay or permanently lose the cap and in this event the contents of the tube may dry out and become unusable.

It is also a common experience to have the contents of the paste tube partially dry through an improper replacement of the conventional screw cap thereon and also in the use of such conventional screw caps it is found that the paste will get into the cap and be squeezed out along the outer Side of the outlet neck of the tube and become dried and caked around the outside of the tube.

It is a particular object of the present invention accordingly to provide a new and novel self-sealing closure device which remains on the tube or other receptacle as a fixed unit or, in other words, a unit which cannot fall oil although it may be deliberately removed for transfer to other receptacles after the one is exhausted, so that, being either permanently or temporarily attached to the receptacle, it can be readily opened and closed to permit the discharge of desired amounts of the receptacle contents, without the risk of having the closure become separated and mislaid or permanently lost.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a self-sealing closure or cap of the character above described which is designed in a novel manner whereby when a movable shut-off portion of the cap is moved into closed position there will not only be obtained a firm or tight seal between the parts which, when separated, permit the contents of the receptacle to be ejected, but any slight amount of material remaining between the relatively movable parts will, when bringing such parts together for closing the cap, be forced back into a receiving area and retained separate from contact with the atmosphere so the it cannot dry out or become contaminated.

Another object of the invention is to provide a selfsealing cap or closure device of the character described wherein there is employed a circumferentially corrugated elastic sleeve which maintains in the closed condition of the cap a relatively close relationship with the receptacle outlet or discharge neck and which is associated with a means whereby it can be stretched axially to enlarge a space between itself and the outlet neck into which the 2,974,835 Patented Mar. 14, 1961 contents of the tube or receptacle may pass and from which it may be caused to flow through an outlet for use.

Generallythe present invention embodies a sealer element which includes a circumferentially corrugated sleeve of a suitable elastomer such as an elastic and stretchable plastic, rubber or the like, joined at one end to a relatively hard internally and externally threaded collar which is adapted to receive the discharge neck of a paste tube or other receptacle for threaded engagement with the inner end or base portion of such neck to maintain the sleeve in encasing relation with the neck. The outer end of the elastic and stretchable corrugated sleeve is joined to a tapered nozzle head which is adapted, in the unstretched condition of the sleeve, to be seated against the outer end of the tube neck to prevent'contents of the tube or receptacle passing through wall openings in the neck and then outwardly through the nozzle. Associated with and encircling or encasing the sleeve is an actuating sleeve nut of suitable rigid or semi-rigid material such as metal, hard plastic or the like, which is threaded at its inner end around the outer part of the sleeve collar and is swivelly coupled at its outer end with the nozzle head of the sleeve whereby rotation of such sleeve nut in one direction will move it axially outwardly with respect to the receptacle neck and elongate or stretch the corrugated sleeve to open or unseal the cap and upon reverse rotation of the nut the nozzle head of the sleeve will be returned to sealing position on the outer end of the neck and the stretchable portion of the sleeve will contract to its initial form. By the provision of this structure portions of the sleeve will, in the opening of the cap, move radially outwardly from the receptacle neck and form with the receptacle neck a relatively large chamber into which some of the contents of the receptacle may pass and from which it can then flow out through the nozzle head and upon reverse or closing movement of the sleeve nut the nozzle head will seat itself, as stated, and the sleeve will move radially inwardly as it contracts and any substance remaining between the nozzle head and the outer end of the receptacle neck will be squeezed back into an area of reduced size between the sleeve and the receptacle neck.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detail description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming part of the specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to a strict conformity with the showing of the drawing-but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view taken longitudinally through the material outlet neck portion of a receptacle such as a paint tube and through the self-sealing closure or cap of the present invention, the cap being shown in its closed position;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view corresponding to Fig. l but showing the cap in opened condition;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line 33 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line 44 of Fig. 2.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, the numeral 10 generally designates a receptacle, in the present case shown as in the form of a conventional paste tube, and having the upwardly tapering shoulder portion 12 whereby when the tube is squeezed or the receptacle is inverted, the contents will be .caused to flow toward the axial center of the receptacle and into the conventional dispensing or discharge neck 14.

In this construction of the neck portion 14 of the receptacle the outer end thereof is drawn down to provide the frusto-conical terminal part 16 which provides a seating shoulder 18 for a hereinafter described part of the cap structure and the smaller end of the frustum is. closed by the wall 29; 7 At the inner end of the tapered or conical portion 16 of the neck, the wall of the neck is provided with laterally directed outlet openings 22. 7

As is conventional in paste tubes, the inner end portion of the neck to which the closure cap is attached is provided with a narrow band of screw threads here designated 24.

The cap structure forming with the modified outer end portion of the neck 14, the sealing closure of the present invention, is generally designated 25.

The cap structure 25 comprises a sleeve collar 26 which is interiorly and exteriorly screw threaded whereby by means of the interior threads, it may be coupled to the base portion of the neck by means of the neck screw threads 24. Joined at its inner end to the collar 26 is a sleeve 27 which is circumferentially corrugated, the corrugations being designated 28, and the minimum inside diameter of the corrugated sleeve when in its relaxed or non-stretched condition, is approximately the same as the outside diameter of the neck 14 so that when the sleeve is in encasing relation with the neck, the ribs between the corrugations will lie close to or may contact the surface of the enclosed or encircled neck.

The outer end portion of the corrugated sleeve joins with the base of a frusto-conical nozzle head 29 which at the upper or smaller end has the discharge or outlet opening 39. The inside taper of this head 29 corresponds with the taper of the outer surface 180i the frusto-conical end portion of the neck 14 so that in the closed condition of the cap the inside surface 29 of the head 29 will bear through a relatively wide area fiat and firmly against the surface 18 to form a tight seal therewith.

The sleeve collar 26, the sleeve 27 and the nozzle head 29 preferably are made of a suitable synthetic resin plastic and the collar 26 and head 29 are of substantial thickness and of a relatively hard plastic while the sleeve 27 which joins them together is relatively thin walled and is formed of a stretchable or elastic form of plastic.

While plastic material is preferred in the formation of these parts just described, it is, of course, to be understood that the invention is not limited to the use of such material since the collar 26 and nozzle 29 may be formed of any suitable substance such as hard rubber, or a suitable metal, and the sleeve 27 may be formed of a soft or stretchable or elastic rubber and accordingly the material of the entire sleeve portion may be defined as an elastomer by which, of course, it will be understood that this means any elastic substance suitable for use in thisdevice.

Where it may be desirable to transfer the self-sealing cap or closure from one receptacle or paste tube to ar1- other, means is provided to facilitate rotating the collar 26 to thread it onto or off the receptacle neck, such means being here shown as being in the form of finger members 31 forming integral extensions of the collar 26 and disposed at a suitable angle to lie flat upon the inclined shoulder 12 of the receptacle when the collar is threaded into position on the neck.

Encircling the base portion of the frusto-conical nozzle 2? is the annular rib 32 formed of the same hard material as the nozzle body 2% and which forms an element of a swivel coupling between the nozzle 29 and a sleeve nut which is generally designated 33. i

This swivel coupling may be generally designated 34 and in addition to embodying as one element the rib 32, it includes a channeled snap ring 35, which encircles the rib and which has the channel 36 thereof directed inwardly and snugly receiving the rib, but permitting rotary movement of the ring around the rib 32. The sleeve nut 33 comprises the elongate sleeve body 37 which encircles or encases the corrugated sleeve 27 and at its inner end it is interiorly screw threaded as at 38 for connection with the collar 26 by means of the screw threads formed around the outer side of the collar. At its outer end the body 37 of the sleeve nut is crimped or swaged inwardly as indicated at 39 over the outer portion of the snap ring 35 to bear thereon. V

A locking connection is established between the snap ring 35 and the outer end portion of the sleeve nut body 37 which embodies a series of pin members 40 carried by and extending inwardly from the wall of the body 37 for engagement in corresponding notches or depressions or apertures 41 formed in the outside surface of the snap ring. By this connection it will be seen that when rotary motion is given to the sleeve nut 33, it will impart rotation to the snap ring on the rib 32 forming a part of the swivel coupling between the nozzle 29 and the outer end of the sleeve nut.

In the operation of the present invention when the sleeve nut is rotated in the proper direction to move it axially inwardly on the threaded collar 26, the nozzle body 29 will be moved axially of the neck 14' by reason of the swivel coupling between it and the sleeve nut, until the surface 29 of the nozzle head is brought into seating engagement against the surface 18 of the outer end portion 16 of the neck. The corrugated sleeve 27 may then be considered to be in its fully contracted or substantially fully contracted condition where portions of the corrugations will either bear against or come into close proximity with the outer surface of the neck 14 so that there is a minimum of spacing between the neck 14 and the corrugated sleeve 27. It will be seen upon reference to Fig. 1 that when the cap is closed the outlet apertures 22 will be below the contacting surfaces 18 and 29*, opening into the small area surrounding the upper end of the neck between the same and the corrugated sleeve.

In the operation of opening the cap for the discharge of material from the receptacle, reverse rotation is given the actuating sleeve nut 33 to move it axially outwardly on the'collar 26 which, of course, is firmly threaded down so that it will not rotate with the nut. As the nut 33 moves outwardly axial outward thrust will be imparted to the nozzle 29 through the medium of the swivel coupling 34 so as to unseat it from the surface 18 and at the same time the sleeve 27 will be stretched and will move radially outwardly away from the neck by reason of the flattening of the corrugations in the manner shown in Fig. 2. This will provide an increased area in the form of an annular chamber 42 around the neck 14 into which the contents of the receptacle 10 may flow and from this chamber the contents may pass between the now separated surfaces 18 and 29 for passage outwardly for escape through the opening 30 of the nozzle 29.

When the cap is re-closed and the surfaces 18 and 29 are again brought into sealing relation in the manner shown in Fig. 1, it will be seen that any material remaining will be squeezed out, some of it possibly passing outwardlythrough the opening 30 where it may be removed for use and the remainder being squeezed back into the now reduced size chamber or space between the corrugated sleeve and the receptacle neck. Thus no material will be left exposed to the atmosphere where it can become dry or contaminated.

From the foregoing it will be seen that there is provided by the present invention a new and novel closure device which is readily applicable to receptacles of the nature of paste tubes where the dispensing necks are formed or may be modified to form the one here illustrated, which cap or closure has many advantages over caps of the type which are completely-removable from the tube or other so-called captive caps which, while they cannot escape from the tube, nevertheless do not function to prevent some ofthe contents. being. left on the outside to dry out and become unsightly.

I claim:

1. A sealing cap for attachment to a tubular discharge neck of a dispensing receptacle wherein said neck is closed across the outer end and has a laterally directed outlet located inwardly from said end, said cap comprising an elastic sleeve encasing the neck, means sealingly coupling an end portion of the sleeve to the inner end portion of the neck, a tapered outlet nozzle carried by the other end of the sleeve for sealing seating engagement upon the outer end of the neck at a position axially outwardly of said lateral outlet, a sleeve nut encasing the elastic sleeve for effecting elastic elongation of the sleeve for the unseating of said outlet nozzle from the outer end of the neck, means for coupling the inner end portion of the sleeve nut with the inner end portion of the neck whereby selective axial in-and-out movement may be imparted to the sleeve nut by its rotation, the sleeve nut at its outer end encircling the outlet nozzle, means forming a swivel coupling between the outlet nozzle and the said outer end of the sleeve nut, and means operating coincidentally with said sleeve elongation for separating the sleeve through a portion of its length irom and radially with respect to the nozzle to form an annular chamber for receiving material from said laterally directed outlet.

2. The invention according to claim 1, wherein said swivel coupling embodies an annular rib around and joined to the outlet nozzle and an internally grooved ring member secured within the outer end of the sleeve nut and having said annular rib engaged therein for the rotation of the ring thereon with rotation of the sleeve nut.

3. A sealing cap for attachment to a tubular discharge neck of a dispensing receptacle wherein said neck is closed across the outer end and has a laterally directed outlet located inwardly from said end, said cap comprising an internally and externally threaded collar adapted to encircle and have threaded connection with the inner end portion of said neck, a relatively thin walled circumferentially wrinkled elastic sleeve having an inner end joined to said collar, a substantially frusto-conical discharge nozzle joined at its base to the outer end of the sleeve, the nozzle having its inner surface formed to receive and make sealing engagement with the outer end of said neck, a sleeve nut encasing the elastic sleeve and at its inner end encircling and having threaded engagement with the external threads of said collar, the sleeve nut having an outer end encircling the said base of said frusto-conical nozzle, a swivel coupling between the base of said nozzle and the encircling end portion of the sleeve nut comprising a rib around and outstanding from the base of the nozzle and an internal circumferentially channeled ring lying within said outer end of the sleeve nut and having the rib engaged therein, and means coupling the said outer end of the sleeve nut with said ring, whereby outward axial movement imparted to the sleeve nut threading it outwardly on the collar will impart separation movement of the discharge nozzle from the outer end of the neck and longitudinal stretch to the elastic sleeve.

4. In combination, a dispensing receptacle having an elongate tubular discharge neck, the neck having an outer end frusto-conical closed termination, the outer surface of said frusto-conical termination forming a seat, the neck further having an outlet in its wall disposed inwardly from the base portion of said frusto-conical termination, screw threads formed around the inner end of said neck, an elastic circumferentially corrugated sleeve encasing said neck, an internally and externally threaded collar encircling the neck and having threaded connection with the said screw threads around the inner end of the neck, said sleeve having an inner end joined to the collar, a substantially frusto-conical nozzle having an outlet in the apex portion thereof to the outer end of the sleeve, said nozzle being formed to position on said seat and to be closed in the outlet portion thereof by the frusto-conical termination of said neck when said elastic sleeve is in contracted condition, and a member threadedly connected with said collar by the extrenal threads of the collar and having swivel connection with the said base portion of said nozzle whereby threaded movement of the member on the collar longitudinally outwardly of the discharge neck effects 'an elastic elongation of the sleeve and the unseating of the nozzle from the neck seat.

5. The invention according to claim 4, wherein said member comprises a cylindrical body having an internally threaded inner end and wherein said swivel connection embodies an internally channeled annulus fixed to and within the cylindrical body and encircling the base portion of the nozzle and the nozzle has an external encircling rib slidably engaging in the channel of the annulus.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,107,106 Crook Feb. 1, 1938 2,149,711 Stock Mar. 7, 1939 2,582,026 Friedman Ian. 8, 1952 2,831,620 Schlicksupp Apr. 22, 1958

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