Bottle cap

Abstract

A bottle cap formed throughout of a single piece of readily deformable, highly stretchable resilient material such as LSR; and comprised of a cap member having a cavity therein with a mouth and an interior surface adapted to receive the neck of a wine bottle therewithin and having a readily deformable resilient closing bead at its mouth for positively engaging the neck of the bottle and securing the cap member thereon. A pair of rings formed integrally with the cap member are carried by opposite exterior sides of the cap member and extend outwardly therefrom, one of said rings being of a larger interior diameter than the other and which is slightly less than the exterior diameter of the exterior lip found on most, if not all, wine bottles. The larger ring is connected to the outer edge of the cap member by a hinge panel which, in its free form, extends horizontally outwardly from the bead at the lower end of the cap and supports the ring and an upstanding stabilizer in the form of a flap. The opposite ring consists of a loop having ends which are spacedly connected to the bead at the lower end of the cap member and is useful in applying the cap member to a bottle and in removing same therefrom, when desired.

1 . A reusable, plastic, self-sealing, bottle cap comprising: 
 (a) a centrally disposed cap member having an inner surface, a bottle-neck receiving cavity and mouth, and opposite sides;    (b) said cap member including a deformable, resilient, annular bead carried thereby and extending inwardly therefrom adjacent said mouth in bottle-neck-engaging position;    (c) a pair of ring members, each of which is connected to a different opposite side of said cap member, and extends outwardly therefrom in different directions to thereby facilitate the application of said cap member to, and the removal from, a bottle-neck in sealing and non-sealing relation, respectively;    (d) each of said ring members, bead and cap member being integral and comprised of a highly-elastic material.    
     
     
         2 . The bottle cap defined in  claim 1 , and a hinge member carried by said bead and extending between said bead and one of said ring members in supporting relation to said cap member.  
     
     
         3 . The bottle cap defined in  claim 1 , wherein said bead and said ring members extend, in their free form, in the same generally horizontal plane.  
     
     
         4 . The bottle cap defined in  claim 1 , wherein said pair of ring members and said bead, in their free form, extend in the same generally horizontal plane and said cap member extends upwardly from said bead.  
     
     
         5 . The self-sealing bottle cap defined in  claim 1 , wherein one of said ring members is constructed and arranged to receive the neck of a wine bottle therethrough and thereby mount said cap member upon the neck adjacent the mouth of the wine bottle for mouth-closing application thereto.  
     
     
         6 . The self-sealing bottle cap defined in  claim 1 , wherein one of said ring members is connected to one side of said cap member and arranged to receive the neck of a wine bottle therethrough and thereby mount said cap member upon that neck adjacent the mouth of the wine bottle for mouth-closing application thereto, and the other of said ring members is connected to the opposite side of said cap member to facilitate the closing application of the cap member to the mouth of the bottle.  
     
     
         7 . The bottle cap defined in  claim 1 , and a stabilizer carried by one of said ring members and extending in its free form upwardly away therefrom.  
     
     
         8 . The bottle cap defined in  claim 1 , wherein one of said ring members is constructed and arranged to engage a wine bottle neck in supported relation, and a hinge member extending radially outwardly from said bead in supporting relation to said wine bottle neck-engaging ring member.  
     
     
         9 . The bottle cap defined in  claim 1 , wherein one of said ring members is positioned and connected to said bead to constitute a tab for facilitating the closing application of said cap member to the neck of a wine bottle and the removal therefrom.  
     
     
         10 . A reusable, all-plastic, self-sealing bottle cap comprising: 
 (a) a cap member comprised throughout of thin, highly-elastic material and having opposite sides, a bottle-neck receiving cavity, and a mouth;    (b) a ring member integral with said cap member and of the same material as said cap member;    (c) said ring member carrying said cap member and extending outwardly therefrom;    (d) said ring member being constructed to receive the neck of a bottle of wine therewithin in tight-fitting supported relation; and    (e) a tab member connected to said cap member and extending outwardly therefrom to facilitate the closing of such a bottle with said cap member.    
     
     
         11 . The bottle cap defined in  claim 10 , wherein said tab member is connected to said cap member at two separate circumferentially spaced locations thereon.  
     
     
         12 . The bottle cap defined in  claim 10 , and a hinge member carried by said ring member and extending between said cap member and said ring member.  
     
     
         13 . The bottle cap defined in  claim 10 , wherein said tab member is connected to said cap member at two separate circumferentially spaced locations thereon, and a hinge member carried by said ring member and extending between said cap member and said ring member.  
     
     
         14 . The bottle cap defined in  claim 10 , and a stabilizer carried by said ring member and being integral with said cap member and said ring member and extending away from the general plane of said ring member.  
     
     
         15 . The bottle cap defined in  claim 10 , wherein said ring member and said tab member extend in the same general plane.  
     
     
         16 . The bottle cap defined in  claim 10 , wherein said ring member is connected to said cap member by a hinge member extending therebetween.  
     
     
         17 . The bottle cap defined in  claim 10 , wherein a flat, thin hinge member extends between said ring member and said cap member.  
     
     
         18 . The bottle cap defined in  claim 10 , wherein said cap member includes a bead at its lower end and said tab member is connected directly to said bead at spaced locations.  
     
     
         19 . The bottle cap defined in  claim 10 , wherein said cap member includes a bead at its lower end and said tab member is connected directly to said bead at locations spaced circumferentially of said bead.  
     
     
         20 . A reusable, all-plastic, self-sealing bottle cap comprising: 
 (a) a cap member comprised throughout of thin, highly-elastic material and having opposite sides;    (b) a pair of spaced ring members being integral with said cap member and of the same material as said cap member;    (c) each of said ring members being carried by said cap member and extending outwardly from one of said opposite sides;    (d) one of said ring members being constructed and arranged to be applied to the neck of a bottle in supporting relation to said cap member; and    (e) the other of said ring members being positioned relative to said cap member to facilitate the application of said cap member to bottle-closing position.    
     
     
         21 . A reusable, all-plastic, self-sealing bottle cap comprising: 
 (a) a bottle cap member comprised throughout of thin, highly elastic material;    (b) a ring member integral with said bottle cap member and of the same material as said bottle cap member;    (c) said ring member being carried by said bottle cap member and extending outwardly therefrom;    (d) said ring member being adapted to be applied to the neck of a bottle in bottle-neck encircling relation to thereby support said bottle cap member upon the neck of a bottle in position to be swung over the mouth of such a bottle and moved downwardly thereover into bottle-closing position; and    (e) a stabilizer member integral with said bottle cap member said ring member and carried by said ring member and extending downwardly therefrom, when said ring member is applied to the neck of a bottle, into stabilizing position for facilitating the application of said bottle cap member to the mouth of a bottle into bottle-closing position.