Screw-top cap for container, and method of using and making same

Abstract

A screw-top cap for a bottle assembly can include a bottom portion having a bottom base that has a bottom skirt depending downwardly at an outer periphery thereof and a neck protruding upwardly from an inner periphery of the bottom base. The inner periphery forming an opening leading to an interior of the cap. The neck can further have a neck rim extending radially outwardly from an upper end of the neck. A lid can be pivotably attached to the bottom portion via a hinge. The lid can have a lid base and a lid skirt depending downwardly at an outer periphery of the lid base. The hinge can be elevated from an upper surface of the bottom base via a riser fixedly attached thereto such that the lid is elevated to mate the neck rim in a closed position.

1 . A screw-top cap for a bottle assembly, the cap comprising:
 a bottom portion including a bottom base having a bottom skirt depending downwardly from an outer periphery thereof and a neck protruding upwardly from the bottom base and radially inwardly from the outer periphery, the neck defining an opening leading to an interior of the cap, the neck further having a neck skirt leading to a neck rim, a seal member being located on an underside of the bottom base, the seal member being configured to at least slightly compress against at least a portion of the bottle when the cap is attached to the bottle assembly, an active component being located on the underside of the bottom base; and   a lid pivotably attached to the bottom portion via a hinge, the lid being pivotable between an open position and a closed position, the lid having a lid base and a lid skirt depending downwardly from an outer periphery thereof, the hinge extending upwardly from an upper surface of the bottom base such that the lid is configured to contact or mate with the neck rim and extend perpendicularly to the neck in the closed position.   
     
     
         2 . The screw-top cap according to  claim 1 , wherein the hinge includes at least one flap extending from a riser. 
     
     
         3 . The screw-top cap according to  claim 1 , wherein the hinge comprises one or more walls having at least the same height as the neck. 
     
     
         4 . The screw-top cap according to  claim 3 , wherein the one or more walls comprise at least one end wall attached to a portion of the outer periphery of the bottom base. 
     
     
         5 . The screw-top cap according to  claim 4 , wherein the one or more walls comprise a pair of sidewalls extending inwardly towards the neck from side edges of the end wall such that at least a portion of the lid skirt fits between the pair of sidewalls and the neck skirt of the neck when the lid is in the closed position. 
     
     
         6 . The screw-top cap according to,  claim 2 , wherein the riser comprises or is formed of a thermoset or a thermoplastic material. 
     
     
         7 . The screw-top cap according to  claim 1 , wherein the lid skirt has a flange extending radially inwardly and is configured to contact or mate with the neck skirt when the lid is in the closed position. 
     
     
         8 . The screw-top cap according to  claim 1 , wherein the lid includes a tab opposite the hinge. 
     
     
         9 . The screw-top cap according to  claim 1 , wherein the lid includes a first seal member disposed on an interior surface of the lid base, the first seal member comprising a thermoplastic elastomer seal member disposed around the entire periphery of the interior surface of the lid base and the thermoplastic elastomer seal member comprises an annular portion configured to sealingly engage with the neck rim. 
     
     
         10 . The screw-top cap according to  claim 1 , wherein a lower neck skirt extends downwardly from the bottom base and spaced-apart radially inwardly from the bottom skirt, wherein the active material surrounds the lower neck skirt, the active material including desiccant. 
     
     
         11 . The screw-top cap according to  claim 10 , wherein the lower neck skirt, a portion of the underside of the bottom base, and a ridge extending downwardly from the base portion and radially spaced-apart from the lower neck skirt form a cavity to receive the active material. 
     
     
         12 . A bottle assembly comprising:
 a bottle having a bottle base, a sidewall extending upwardly from the bottle base and terminating in a bottle neck, the bottle neck defining an opening leading to an interior of the bottle, the bottle neck having an outer portion comprising one or more threads; and   a screw-top bottle cap removably disposed over the bottle neck such that internal threads of the screw-top cap are configured to threadably engage the threads on the bottle neck to couple the screw-top cap to the bottle, thereby forming the bottle assembly, the screw-top bottle cap comprising:
 a bottom portion including a bottom base having a bottom skirt depending downwardly from an outer periphery thereof and a neck protruding upwardly from the bottom base and radially inwardly from the outer periphery, the neck defining an opening leading to an interior of the cap, the neck further having a neck skirt leading to a neck rim, a seal member being located on an underside of the bottom base, the seal member being configured to at least slightly compress against at least a portion of the bottle when the cap is attached to the bottle assembly, an active component being located on the underside of the bottom base; and 
 a lid pivotably attached to the bottom portion via a hinge, the lid being pivotable between an open position and a closed position, the lid having a lid base and a lid skirt depending downwardly from an outer periphery thereof, the hinge extending upwardly from an upper surface of the bottom base such that the lid is configured to contact or mate with the neck rim and extend perpendicularly to the neck in the closed position. 
   
     
     
         13 . The bottle assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the hinge has a flap extending from a riser. 
     
     
         14 . The bottle assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the hinge comprises one or more walls having at least the same height as the neck. 
     
     
         15 . The bottle assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the one or more walls comprise at least one end wall attached to a portion of the outer periphery of the bottom base. 
     
     
         16 . The bottle assembly of  claim 15 , wherein the one or more walls comprise a pair of sidewalls extending inwardly towards the neck from side edges of the end wall such that at least a portion of the lid skirt fits between the pair of sidewalls and the neck skirt of the neck when the lid is in the closed position. 
     
     
         17 . The screw-top cap according to  claim 13 , wherein the riser comprises or is formed of a thermoset or a thermoplastic material. 
     
     
         18 . The bottle assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the lid skirt has a flange extending radially inwardly and is configured to contact or mate with the neck skirt when the lid is in the closed position. 
     
     
         19 . The bottle assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the lid includes a tab opposite the hinge. 
     
     
         20 . The bottle assembly of  claim 12 , wherein a lower neck skirt extends downwardly from the bottom base and spaced-apart radially inwardly from the bottom skirt, wherein the active material surrounds the lower neck skirt, the active material including desiccant.