When dealing with closures particularly for bottles and similar containers it is often desirable to have relatively inexpensive structures both from a manufacturing and a use standpoint. This is particularly true when one is concerned with disposability of the closures after use. It is of value to provide closures which can be opened and closed simply and easily to permit pouring from the container whenever desired. The closure whould be one which can be easily and quickly installed on a container and can itself be quickly and easily assembled. In fact, one-piece construction should be utilized wherever possible.
Naturally, without sacrificing simplicity of structure it is also desirable to include other features on the closure and in addition to the ability of the closure to be easily opened and closed. Safety means to assist in retaining the closure in the closed position is one additional feature which is useful. Additionally, in dealing with some materials it is helpful to have a baffle means in the closure to control flow and also to rest materials with which the fluid should come into engagement with when being dispensed. For example, this would include materials to impart a flavor to the fluid as it is passed from the container through a pouring orifice. It would be attractive to permit such closure to be adaptable to producing foam.
Another feature which is often employed as part of a closure structure is a dip tube which is to be extended into the liquid in a container to a desired depth for a desired purpose. Of course, all of the above features are utilized on occasion and they lead to a more complex and expensive closure to manufacture and utilize. Accordingly, it would be of great value to provide a closure which can accomplish all of the above structural advantages in a simple and inexpensive device. A minimum amount of component parts should be employed in order to minimize the material and manufacturing costs.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds