Container cap capable of being resiliently held open and closed

Claim 2

A capped container comprising: a container body having an outlet nozzle; a container cap for covering over the nozzle when closed; resilient coupling means integrally coupling the cap to the container body at an angularly short portion of each; a guide integrally formed on the container body and including upper and lower arcuate guide surfaces vertically adjoining one another at a neutral point of lesser radius than said guide surfaces have vertically adjacent the neutral point; and an engagement rod mounted on said cap, interiorly thereof and disposed in resilient engagement with said guide for forced movement past said neutral point as the cap is opened and closed about the resilient coupling means.

Claim 3

A capped container, comprising: a container body having a peripheral side wall terminating at an end wall; contained product dispensing means disposed generally centrally on the end wall; a container cap disposed, when closed, to cover over the contained product dispensing means, the cap including a peripheral skirt; means integrally hinging the skirt of the cap to the container body adjacent where the container body sidewall meets the container body end wall, so that the cap may be tipped up about the hinging means to give access to the contained product dispensing means and tipped down about the hinging means to close, in which position the cap skirt becomes generally axially aligned with and abuts the container body adjacent where the container body side wall meets the container body end wall; surface means defining a recess in the container body end wall adjacent the container body side wall in radial alignment with the hinging means; means defining an upward projection on the container body having its base adjacent the recess, distally of the hinging means; means defining a cam surface on the surface means of the recess and continuing up on said projection, being generally arcuately concave toward said hinging means; a cam follower; arm means mounting the cam follower on the container cap interiorly of the container cap generally in radial alignment with the hinge, said arm means being disposed to urge the cam follower into resilient engagement with the cam surface; means defining a shorter radius, high point on the cam surface intermediate the vertical extent thereof, being so disposed that additional opening force, in one direction, and additional closing force, in the reverse direction, is required when opening and closing said container cap, to move the cam follower past the high point, whereby the container cap is held resiliently closed when the cam follower is below the high point and open when the cam follower is above the high point.

Claim 4

A capped container, comprising: a container body having a peripheral side wall terminating at an end wall; contained product dispensing means disposed generally centrally on the end wall; a container cap disposed, when closed, to cover over the contained product dispensing means, the cap including a peripheral skirt; means integrally hinging the skirt of the cap to the container body adjacent where the container body sidewall meets the container body end wall, so that the cap may be tipped up about the hinging means to give access to the contained product dispensing means and tipped down about the hinging means to close, in which position the cap skirt becomes generally axially aligned with and abuts the container body adjacent where the container body side wall meets the container body end wall; surface means defining a recess in the container body end wall adjacent the container body side wall in radial alignment with the hinging means; means defining an upward projection on the container body having its base adjacent the recess, distally of the hinging means; means defining a cam surface on the surface means of the recess and continuing up on said projection, being generally arcuately concave toward said hinging means; a cam follower; arm means mounting the cam follower on the container cap interiorly of the container cap generally in radial alignment with the hinge, said arm means being disposed to urge the cam follower into resilient engagement with the cam surface; means defining a shorter radius, high point on the cam surface intermediate the vertical extent thereof, being so disposed that additional opening force, in one direction, and additional closing force, in the reverse direction, is required when opening and closing said container cap, to move the cam follower past the high point, whereby the container cap is held resiliently closed when the cam follower is below the high point and open when the cam follower is above the high point.

Claim 5

The capped container of claim 2 wherein the cam surface is shaped like a shallow lower case script ''''w'''' with the high point thereof equating to the central rise of such ''''w.''''