Condiment Lid and Adapter

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The field of the present invention relates generally to condiment caps. More particularly, the present invention is a universal condiment cap and adapter.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Condiments are often used to doctor up a meal or entree. Many condiments come prepackaged when bought in a store or used in a restaurant. Often times, there is not mechanism contained within the bottle and the condiment comes out too fast. When the condiment comes out faster than anticipated, this can lead to product waste as more

It is an objective of the present invention to provide a condiment lid and adapter. The adapters can be made in any size to ensure they are universal. The lid portion of the condiment lid and adapter can come equipped with various number of holes to control the flow of the condiment and ensure too much does not come pouring out at once. The adapter portion is designed with threading on the internal surface allowing it be screwed onto any sized condiment bottle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view of the present invention with the adapter attached.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the present invention without the adapter attached;

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the present invention without the adapter attached;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the present invention;.

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the present invention without the adapter attached;

FIG. 6 is a left view of the present invention without the adapter attached;

FIG. 7 is a rea-bottom view of the cap;

FIG. 8 is a top-left view of one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a left view of one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is left-rear view of one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is right-top view of the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a top view of the present invention;

FIG. 13 is a front-top view of the present invention;

FIG. 14 is a rear view of the present invention;.

FIG. 15 is front view of the adapter;

FIG. 16 is top front view of the adapter; and

FIG. 17 is a bottom-rear view of the adapter.

DETAIL DESCRIPTIONS OF THE INVENTION

All illustrations of the drawings are for the purpose of describing selected versions of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. The present invention is to be described in detail and is provided in a manner that establishes a thorough understanding of the present invention. There may be aspects of the present invention that may be practiced or utilized without the implementation of some features as they are described. It should be understood that some details have not been described in detail in order to not unnecessarily obscure focus of the invention. References herein to “the preferred embodiment”, “one embodiment”, “some embodiments”, or “alternative embodiments” should be considered to be illustrating aspects of the present invention that may potentially vary in some instances, and should not be considered to be limiting to the scope of the present invention as a whole.

In reference to FIGS. 1-17, the present invention is a condiment lid and adapter. The condiment lid comprises a base 11, a spout 12, a cap 13, an adapter 15, and a hinge 14. The base 11 is comprised of an upper platform 21, a lower platform 22, and a support column 51. The support column 51 is the amin structural unit of the condiment lid 1. The upper platform 21 has an attachment lip 25. The attachment lip 25 is a notch that is designed to connect to an attachment groove 35 contained on the underside of the cap 13. When the cap 13 is in a closed position, the attachment lip 25 is resting inside the attachment groove 35. These two components connect in a manner that is tight enough to keep the cap 13 closed but not so tight that the cap 13 is unable to be opened by applying gentle pressure upward. The hinge 14 is attached to the base 11. The upper platform 21 is centrally positioned on the lower platform 22. The lower platform 22 is larger in diameter than the upper platform 21. The upper platform 21 has an external rim 24 and the attachment lip 25 is positioned on the external rim 24 diametrically across from the hinge 14.

The hinge 14 comprises a first arm 44, a second arm, and a securement bar 43. The securement bar 43 is positioned between the first arm 44 and the second arm 45. The first arm 44 and second arm 45 are parallel to one another allowing the securement bar 43 to connect to the first arm 44 and the second arm 45. The first arm 44 and second arm 45 extend outward from the base 11, where the upper platform 21 and the lower platform 22 attach. The lower platform 22 is centrally positioned on the top of the support pillar 23. A plurality of ridges 56 is perimetrically positioned on the lower external surface of the support pillar 23. The plurality of ridges 56 provides a grip to the user when they are screwing the adapter 15 to any condiment bottle mouth. A plurality of upper threading 54 extends upward from the resting ledge 52. The plurality of upper threading 54 is what allow the base 11 to connect to the adapter 15. A plurality of lower threading 55 extends downward from the resting ledge 52. The plurality of lower threading 55 is what connects to the adapter 15 of a condiment bottle when the adapter 15 is attached to the bottle

The cap 13 comprises a top panel 32 and a central housing 31. The is cylindrical in shape and the top panel 32 is centrally positioned on the central housing 31. The top panel 32 has an outside barrier 33, which is a rim that faces outward. A plurality of finger divots 34 are spaced about the outside barrier 33, adding a groove to allow one to place their finger to lift the cap 13 from the base 11. The central housing 31 has and upper end 41 and a lower end 42. A hinge groove 36 is positioned on the external surface of the central housing 31 diametrically across from the attachment groove 35. The hinge groove 36 extends outward from the central housing 31 and is configured to connect to the securement bar forming the hinge 14. An attachment groove 35 is located on the internal surface of the lower end of the central housing 31.

The adapter 15 comprises a support column 51, an aperture 53 and a resting ledge 52. The aperture 53 traverses through the length of the support column 51. This aperture 53 is necessary for multiples reasons. First being it provides a channel that allows the condiment to flow through and out of the bottle it is contained in. Secondly, this aperture is needed to allow components from the base 11 to be securely connected to the adapter 15. The resting ledge 52 protrudes inwards from the internal surface of the support column 51. The resting ledge 52 is about half way through support column 51. The resting ledge 52 where the lowest point of the base 11 rests once it is connected to the adapter 15.

The spout 12 is positioned about the upper platform 21. In one embodiment the spout 12 is circular in shape and is tapered so that it is wider at one end and narrowed at the other end. Having a narrow spout 12 aids in condiment flow control so that the condiment does not come rushing out to fast. An aperture traverses through the spout 12 and the base 11. In another embodiment the spout 12 is flat and is defined by 4 walls. There are two hole patterns for this embodiment. In one embodiment, there are a plurality of holes and in another embodiment there is a single aperture in which the condiment flows through. In both embodiments, the configuration of the 4 walls is identical. The spout 12 has a front wall 61, a left sidewall 63, a right sidewall 64, and a rear wall 62. The rear wall 62 being positioned between the left sidewall 63 and the right sidewall 64 and the front wall 61 being positioned between the left sidewall 63 and the right sidewall 64 opposite the rear wall 62 forming a rectangular shape. The rear wall 62 is positioned at an angle creating a wider base 11 than at the tip of the spout 12. The front wall 61 has a top edge and the rear wall 62 also bears a top edge. The right wall 64 has a top edge and the left sidewall 63 has a top edge. A top beam 65 is positioned about the top edge of the rear wall 62, the top edge of the left sidewall 63, the top edge of the right sidewall 64, and the top edge of the front wall 61 forming a five-sided component. The top beam 65 has a plurality of holes 66 and the plurality of holes 66 traverse through the spout 12 and the base 11. In all embodiments an aperture traverses through the tip of the spout 12 and through the base 11.

Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter.