[0001] The present invention refers to a beverage container made of plastic material and
provided with an improved cap enabling the beverage to be sucked from the container
through the same cap.
[0002] Beverage containers made of plastics are largely known in the art since a quite long
time now. They generally consist of a cylindrical body that is provided with a mouth
for both filling in and delivering or dispensing the beverage, in which said mouth
is plugged by a cap that is screwed on thereto.
[0003] More recently, use has started to be made of containers whose cap is provided with
a closing or plugging device that is actuatable in a snap-like manner so as to offer
the user a spout for sucking the beverage contained inside the container. To this
purpose, the cap is crossed through by a rigid conduit that establishes a communication
between a first tubing, which extends into the container down to the bottom thereof,
and a second flexible tubing, which connects to the beverage sucking spout. Such a
beverage sucking spout is hinged on in said snap-acting device, which in turn is hinged
on in the cap. The opening of said plugging device is operated by means of a spring-loaded
push-button that slides in an appropriate accommodating recess provided in the cap
of the container.
[0004] The above-described prior-art solution, however, has a number of drawbacks. First
of all, the cap itself is formed by a considerable number of single elements that
must be manufactured separately and then be assembled in a quite complex operation.
The opening and closing push-button and the related spring can quite easily slip out
of their accommodating seat. In particular, such a drawback becomes dangerous in the
case that the container is used by children, ie. the typical users of articles of
such a kind, who may in fact run the risk of swallowing the piece that has so come
off. In any case, the possible loss of the push-button or the spring causes the container
to become fully useless, since it cannot be closed any longer.
[0005] It therefore is a main purpose of the present invention to provide a beverage container
that is provided with an improved cap, ie. a cap that is made up by a minimum number
of pieces, in which these pieces are in turn attached in a safe and reliable manner
to the cap itself.
[0006] This aim is reached in a container according to the present invention, whose innovatory
feature is as defined in the appended claim and is described below by way of non-limiting
example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
- Figure 1 is a side view of a beverage container according to the present invention;
- Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the cap of the container illustrated in Figure
1, in the closed position thereof; and
- Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the cap of the container illustrated in Figure
2, in the opened position thereof.
[0007] The beverage container according to the present invention is constituted by a substantially
cylindrical body 11 (Fig. 1) and a cap 12, which is normally screwed on to the mouth
opening of the body 11. The cap 12 is provided with a snap-acting closing device 13,
which is adapted to be actuated by means of an elastic tab 14, as this will be described
in greater detail further on.
[0008] The cap 12 is provided with a profiled inner section that defines (Figs. 2 and 3)
a rigid vertical conduit 15, a receptacle with a sunken bottom 16, arid an abutment
projection 17.
[0009] The conduit 15 enables the interior of the container 11 to communicate with the interior
of the cap 12. To the lower end portion of the conduit 15 there is connected a first
tubing 18, that extends into the container down to the bottom thereof, whereas to
the upper end portion of the conduit 15 there is connected a second tubing 19, which
is flexible and carries at its free end, duly attached thereto, a spout 20 for sucking
the beverage contained in the container.
[0010] The receptacle 16, which is provided inside the cap 12, is closed by a cover 21,
whose upper portion is hinged on to the same cap and which is provided with an appendix
22 directed towards the interior of the receptacle 16. To the lower end portion of
the appendix 22 there is hinged on the beverage sucking spout 20, in such a manner
as to cause the flexible tubing 19 to be bent into the receptacle 16 and the spout
20 to come to rest against the abutment projection 17 when the cover 21 is in its
closed position (Figure 2). Liquid is in this way effectively prevented from leaking
when handling the container.
[0011] According to the present invention, the closing device 13 of the cap 12 comprises
a snap-fitting arrangement, which is implemented between a tooth 25 provided on the
free edge of the cover 21 and a tooth 26 provided at an end portion of the profiled
tab 14. The tab 14 is elastic and firmly joined to, ie, integral with the cap 12,
so that a pressure exerted on the tab will cause the same to flex, thereby automatically
releasing the teeth 25 and 26. The elasticity of the tubing 19 causes the cover 21
to open, in such a manner as to enable the spout 20 to be presented to the user in
a convenient position for the beverage to be sucked (Figure 3).
[0012] Similarly, by pressing the cover 21 against the tab 14 the teeth 25 and 26 are caused
to get engaged, by making use of the elasticity of the tab 14, in such a manner as
to cause the device to snap back into its closed position.
[0013] Conclusively, the arrangement according to the present invention enables the closure
of the container to be implemented and performed in a safe and reliable manner, while
eliminating two separate parts (push-button and spring) that are replaced by a single
part (tab 14) integrated in the cap 12. With this solution the risk for the container
to become useless and the potential danger for the user are done away with, said situations
of risk and danger arising from parts of the closing device coming possibly off accidentally.
1. Beverage container, made of plastic material and provided with an improved cap that
enables the beverage to be sucked, in which said cap (12) comprises a conduit (15)
that enables a first tubing (18), which extends into the container, to communicate
with a second flexible tubing (19), which connects to a beverage sucking spout (20),
in which said beverage sucking spout is hinged on in a snap-acting closing device
(13) that is in turn hinged on in the cap, wherein said container is characterized in that the snap-acting closing device (13) comprises an elastic tab (14) which is integral
with said cap (12) and adapted to flex so as to actuate said closing device and release
said beverage sucking spout.
