US2718250A - Closure structure - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 20, 1955 w. BRADFQRD CLOSURE STRUCTURE Filed March 51) 1953 n. in

m n W I INVENTOR. fifiZ/z'arzz fired/bid,

United States Patent CLOSURE STRUCTURE William Bradford, Taunton, Mass.

Application March 31,1953, Serial No. 345,899

2 Claims. (Cl. 150-8) This invention relates to an improvement in closures for ice bags, hot water bags or bottles and similar receptacles.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a simplified, more eflicient and less costly closure for such receptacles than is afforded by present constructions.

Other and further objects residing in the details of construction and the specific functional advantages resulting from the novel constructional features are made apparent in the disclosures of the drawing and in the following specification and claims.

In the accompanying drawing,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a closure embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view, parts being broken away; and v Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional detail view of a conventional construction, helpful in explaining the functional advantages of my improved closure.

The type of receptacle or bag which my improved closure is intended to serve comprises flexible walls formed of rubber, rubber lined or rubberized fabric, or a flexible plastic sheet material designed to contain crushed ice or hot water. The bag may be given various shapes to meet particular needs but all are characterized by being provided with an opening through which the bag may be filled or emptied.

A prime requirement of the closure for such opening is that it shall effectively and reliably seal the opening in a watertight manner.

The general function of the bag is to effect a relatively slow transfer of heat from the contents of the bag to the surface to which it is applied or vice versa. In any case the heat transfer is effected through the flexible walls of the bag and it is desirable to minimize the transfer of heat through the closure, which as later pointed out is preferably formed in part at least of metal.

Further, because of the flexible character of the wall of the bag, the variations in the size and the shape of bags to meet varying requirements it is diflicult and uneconomical to apply the manufacturers name and trademark to the bag. The top of the closure is always clearly observable and is directly in view when the bag is picked up for removing the closure in the act of filling or emptying the bag. For these reasons it is desirable, and is a frequent practice, to place the manufacturers name on the top of the closure. In any event the closure must present a neat and attractive appearance.

The above mentioned necessary or desirable features, among others, are secured in an improved, more reliable and more economical manner by my construction than in prior constructions and arrangements.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing the closure is shown as comprising a cylindrical cup-shaped member, generally indicated at 1 formed of metal and comprising a base or bottom wall 2, integral threaded side walls 3, an outwardly extending flange 4 and an inwardly extending rim portion 5. These members are advantageously formed integral with each other by conventional "ice die stamping methods, although they may be formed as separate elements suitably connected together. The flange 5 extends over the edge portions of a disc member-6; a

A flexible molded rubber cap or hood member 7' is stretched tightly over the members 4, 5 and 6 Cap 7 includes an annular binding and gasket forming portion 8 which extends along the lower surface of flange 4 with its free edge tightly engaging the outer surface of wall 3 at the juncture of wall 3 and flange 4.

Inuse the closure is screwed into a metal, or hard plastic ring 9, indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2-, which is secured in anysuitable manner to the flexible side walls 10 of the bag.

The molded unstressed dimensions of cap 7 are made such that when the cap is drawn over the metal assembly as shown in Fig. 2 its parts are under suflicient tension to hold the metal members in relatively tight engagement with each other and with portion 8 tightly engaging the under surface of flange 4 and the adjacent portion of wall 2 and binding the cap'to the metal portions in a tight assembly. When the closure is screwed into ring 9 as above described, portion 8 is compressed between flange 4 and the opposed surface of ring 9, gasket fashion, to eflect a fluid tight seal.

In the molding of cap 7 its outer surface may be provided with the name, trademark, or other appropriate or ornamental insignia 11.

The frictional character of the molded cap material together with its stressed engagement over the metal parts prevents relative movement between the two and the cap serves to provide an eflicient non-slip gripping surface to the hand of the user in applying or removing the closure, assuring a firm, water-tight engagement of the closure in the bag.

The cap 7 effectively seals the chamber formed by the metal parts, providing a dead air space within the closure without the necessity of providing an air-tight engagement between disc 6 and inwardly turned edge 5, or other connections if the metal assembly is made in more than two parts. This dead air space serves as a heat insulation and with the further insulating efiect of the cap substantially eliminates or minimizes temperature losses at the closure. The fact that no metal parts are exposed adds to the comfort with which the bag may be used since even in careless use no metal surface can come in contact with the surface to which it is applied.

The advantages of the above features are more clearly apparent on a brief comparison with the conventional closure construction shown in Fig. 3 where the base member 15 is shown provided with an annular channel 16 to receive an annular rubber sealing ring 17 which is subject to displacement and loss. The edge portion of member 15 is milled as at 18 to provide a gripping surface and if the space within the closure is to be given any heat insulating properties the juncture 19 between the member 15 and disc 20 must be made air-tight either by precise assembly method or by soldering or welding. Furthermore, disc 20, to which trademarks or other indicia 21 are applied by means of stamping dies, must be given a finish by expensive nickel or chrome plating if the product is to have a quality finish. All of this involves expensive materials and operations, which are avoided by my construction. Further, the security af forded by my integral gasket member 8 and the guarding against metal contact with the surface to which the bag is applied are wholly absent in the conventional structure.

A further and substantial advantage resulting from my construction resides in the fact that the manufacturer need stock only one form of metal assembly to serve a wide range of forms and types of bags, resulting in a substantial saving. Only the rubber or plastic cap need differ for different types and quality of bags. These caps are cheaply made by molding, permitting the use of various colors and designs more attractive, durable and less costly than is available in metal.

What is claimed is:

1. A closure for ice bags, hot water bags and the like which comprises a metal assembly including a threaded cylindrical base portion closed at its bottom end and formed with an outwardly extending annular flange around its upper end, having an inwardly turned rim, a metal disc having its edges engaging beneath said inwardly turned rim to form a chamber, and a separately molded cap member formed of flexible, elastic material, having a downwardly and inwardly directed annular lip portion, said cap member enclosing said metal assembly except for said threaded base portion and making a stressed engagement over the outer edge of said flange to secure the cap to the metal assembly and render said chamber substantially water and air tight, said lip extending over the under surface of said flange to form a sealing gasket for the closure.

2. A closure as recited in claim 1 in which the outer surface of the cap member is molded with identifying indicia and being interchangeable with a cap bearing different indicia.

References Cited'in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,269,103 Lobl June 11, 1918 1,607,314 Schweinert- Nov. 16, 1926 1,834,978 Shapiro Dec. 8, 1931 1,904,091 Shoop Apr. 18, 1933 2,289,887 Shapiro July 14, 1942

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