Anti-clog cap and associated containers and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11053056-B2
Application number	US-201816496184-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 13, 2018
Priority date	Apr 14, 2017
Publication date	Jul 6, 2021
Grant date	Jul 6, 2021

Abstract

Glue bottle anti-clog caps are provided. The anti-clog cap has a body with a mounting section for attaching the body to a glue bottle. The body of the anti-clog cap has a dispensing section that includes a central lumen extending from the second mounting end. The body of the anti-clog cap also has a tip section with a support rib protruding from an outlet of the dispensing section. The tip has a tip plug protruding from the support rib. The anti-clog cap has a nozzle that mates to the body and a tip orifice aligned with the tip plug of the body. The tip section is configured to allow the free flow of glue through the cap. The nozzle can rotate between an open and closed position. In the closed position the tip plug can extend into the tip orifice thereby preventing the flow of glue.

First claim

We claim:

1. An anti-clog cap for a glue bottle, comprising:
a body that comprises:
a mounting section comprising a first mounting end adapted for mounting the body to a glue bottle, and a second mounting end;
a dispensing section extending distally from the second mounting end and comprising an inlet end adjacent to the second mounting end of the mounting section, an outlet end opposite the inlet end, and a central lumen extending between the inlet end and the outlet end; and
a tip section extending distally from the outlet end of the dispensing section, the tip section comprising a support rib protruding distally from the outlet end of the dispensing section, and a tip plug protruding distally from the support rib, wherein the support rib is an arcuate rib extending distally from a first position on the outlet end of the dispensing section, passing through a longitudinal centerline of the central lumen, and terminating at a second position on the outlet end of the dispensing section;

a nozzle that comprises a mating end adapted for attachment to the body, and a distal end comprising a tip orifice, the tip orifice being in axial alignment with the tip plug of the body,
wherein the tip section of the body is dimensioned to facilitate the free flow of glue through the cap, and
wherein the nozzle is rotatable between a closed position and an open position, such that when the nozzle is in the closed position, the tip plug extends into the tip orifice, substantially preventing the flow of glue through the tip orifice, and when the nozzle is in the open position, the tip plug is positioned outside of and proximal to the tip orifice, to facilitate the free flow of glue through the tip orifice.

2. The cap of claim 1 , further comprising a status indicator, which indicates whether the nozzle is in the open or closed position or indicates a transition between the open and closed positions.

3. The cap of claim 2 , wherein the status indicator is a visual indicator.

4. The cap of claim 3 , wherein:
the visual indicator comprises a visualization element disposed on the nozzle and the second mounting end of the body comprises a recess, and
the visualization element is configured such that when the nozzle is in the open position, the visualization element is visible, and when the nozzle is in the closed position, the visualization element is positioned in the recess, hiding the visualization element from view.

5. The cap of claim 4 , wherein the visualization element is a band of color different than the color of the rest of the nozzle.

6. The cap of claim 2 , wherein the status indicator is an audible and/or tactile indicator.

7. The cap of claim 6 , wherein:
the status indicator comprises a first interference element disposed on the nozzle and a second interference element disposed on the body, and the first interference element and the second interference element are configured to provide audible and/or tactile feedback to the user when the nozzle is rotated from the open position to the closed position.

8. The cap of claim 1 , wherein the nozzle is generally bullet shaped, having a generally cylindrical midsection and a generally conical tip, and where the tip orifice is cylindrical.

9. The cap of claim 1 , wherein the nozzle has a generally conical shape.

10. The cap of claim 1 , wherein the support rib is dimensioned to approximately follow the interior profile of the nozzle along at least one plane.

11. The cap of claim 1 , wherein the minimum radius of curvature of the arcuate rib is greater than the radius of the central lumen.

12. The cap of claim 1 , wherein the radius of the central lumen is at least 4.11 mm.

13. An anti-clog cap for a glue bottle, comprising:
a body comprising:
a mounting section comprising a first mounting end adapted for mounting the body to a glue bottle, and a second mounting end; and
a dispensing section extending distally from the second mounting end and comprising an inlet end, adjacent to the mounting end, an outlet end opposite the inlet end, and a central lumen extending between the inlet end and the outlet end;

a nozzle comprising a mating end adapted for attachment to the body, and a distal end, comprising a tip orifice; and
a plug assembly comprising a tip plug and a plurality of fixation elements, the fixation elements positioning the tip plug coaxially with the longitudinal axis of the central lumen and the tip orifice and attaching to the body at a position proximal to the outlet end;
wherein the tip plug is longer than a length of the body and the nozzle, such that the tip plug extends proximally beyond the mounting section, and the fixation elements extend proximally from the body and attach at the proximal end of the tip plug, and
wherein the nozzle is rotatable between a closed position and an open position, such that when the nozzle is in the closed position, the tip plug extends into the tip orifice, substantially preventing the flow of glue through the tip orifice, and when the nozzle is in the open position, the tip orifice is positioned distal to the tip plug, to facilitate the free flow of glue through the tip orifice.

14. The cap of claim 13 , wherein the tip plug comprises a solid cylinder.

Assignees

• Sanford Lp

Inventors

• Davidson Craig P E
• Heiser Ryan
• Kreft Joseph Wayne
• Shields Patrick Kevin

Classifications

• B65D47/06

  with pouring spouts or tubes; with discharge nozzles or passages (with slidable spouts B65D47/26) · CPC title

• B65D47/242 Primary

  moving helically · CPC title

• B65D47/2031

  the element being formed by a slit, narrow opening or constrictable spout, the size of the outlet passage being able to be varied by increasing or decreasing the pressure (B65D47/2025 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B65D2401/15

  Tearable part of the closure (B65D2401/60 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B65D2203/12

  Audible, olfactory or visual signalling means (B65D51/248, B65D55/028, B65D79/02 and B65D81/24 take precedence) · CPC title