A screw cap and closure for attaching a manual or electric pump to a water jerry can.

Abstract

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Description

TECHNICAL FIELD This invention relates generally to a water container closure preferably for the camping goods industry. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Water containers or jerry cans are widely used in the camping industry to provide water transport when travelling and for dispensing water when in camp. Traditionally water can be dispensed either by opening up the main closure included by the manufacturer and manually lifting the container by pouring the water out of the can using gravity. This process can be messy and difficult given the requirement to physically manipulate the container to allow water to flow from the pouring opening, especially when the container is near capacity as the weight of the water contained within can be unwieldy for many users, especially children. This process can also lead to waste of water when spilling occurs and create a mess around camp. In addition, although some containers do come with the option of installing a plastic bung tap that allows water to be released from the container via a gravity fed port at or near the bottom of the container, operation of this tap requires that the often heavy container be located on an elevated surface such as a camp table, and also that it be located at the edge of a camp table in order for access for the container being filled to receive the dispensed water. Particularly as most camp table by their portable nature are designed to be lightweight, this arrangement often leads to an unstable, heavy jerry can being located at the outer edge of a table ill-suited to hold the weight of such a device. Also, the typical design of such taps allows it to be easily left in an open or semi-open position, and / or they can be difficult to fully close when not in operation. Lastly, the location of such taps typically means that they need to be removed when stowed or in transit to prevent breakage via being exposed to the force of other items packed around it, and removal of the tap typically requires reorienting the the container on its side to unscrew the tap and replace it with a bung to prevent leakage. 2026202128   19 Mar 2026 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The closure designed is a simple replacement of the manufacturer’s supplied fill closure, with a matching screw thread size and cap style, and can easily be installed or removed from the container as required without the need to rotate the container from the upright position. It includes two parts with the lower portion forming the screw cap / closure that mates with the container. It is made from a BPA free, food grade, high density polyethylene material of a kind suitable for outdoor use. It also includes a sealing ring made of silicone or similar food grade material integrated into the body of the screw cap, to seal the screw cap against the upper lip of the water container fill spout. This cap also includes a centre opening of approximately 32-33mm diameter that is designed to receive manual water pumps of the kind that is regularly installed on simple caravan and camper trailer sinks that draw water manually via a hose up from the water container and up through the spout. The screw cap additionally includes an annular ring at its upper designed to receive the upper dust cap portion of the device via a friction fit. The upper part of the device is made from a flexible Thermoplastic Elastomer such as thermoplastic poly urethane and connects via the annular ring on the lower part of the closure via a friction fit. On its outer circumference it features a number of varied diameter contact surfaces designed to provide a friction / push fit for a 12-volt electric water pump, of the kind commonly used with “water cooler” style water containers, often used in offices or homes for the dispensing of drinking water. These readily available pumps while intended to have a uniform fit, often have varying specifications in terms of the lower mating surface, so the multi-fit nature of the contact surface on the outer edge of the dust cap provides a better range of friction fit to allow for most of these variations in fit tolerance. Both the manual, and 12-volt configurations of the closure device provide a more convenient way to connect a pumping device to a water container when in camp. In addition, they promote a safer utility of the container as it no longer is required to be elevated from the ground to be operated, or if it is used on a camp table or other elevated surface, the container 2026202128   19 Mar 2026 is not required to be located at the edge of the table for access to the spout. The closure device also promotes less water waste as, in the example of the hand pump, the water is only dispensed while the user operates the pump mechanically so it cannot be left running. In the case of the 12V pump, most all of these units also include an auto shut function that prevents unintended release or leaking of water. 2026202128   19 Mar 2026 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 shows an isometric view of the lower portion of the closure device herein referred to as the “screw cap”. Figure 2 is a cross section view of the lower portion of the closure device herein referred to as the “screw cap”. Figure 3 shows a top side isometric view of the upper portion of the closure device herein referred to as the “dust cap”. Figure 4 shows a bottom side isometric view of the upper portion of the closure device herein referred to as the “dust cap”. Figure 5 is a cross section view of the upper portion of the closure device herein referred to as the “dust cap”. Figure 6 is a view of the closure device installed on a water container with a typical 12-volt electric pump attached. Figure 7 is a view of the closure device installed on a water container with a typical manual pump attached. 2026202128   19 Mar 2026 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS A portable water container closure comprises a lower screw cap 101, an upper dust cap 102. In use, screw cap 101 is fitted to a water container 103 by first removing the closure supplied by the container’s manufacturer, and then screwing it down by hand onto the threaded closure at the fill neck of the container. Subsequently the dust cap 102 is then snapped onto the screw cap 101 and provides a mating surface for the installation of a 12-volt electric water pump 107 of the kind used for dispensing water from a water cooler bottle. The water hose provided with the 12-volt pump is inserted into the centre hole 104 of the dust cap 102 and extended to the bottom of the water container, wherein when operated it can draw water up from the container and dispense it out the spout of the pump 105. In the embodiment shown in figure 6, the screw cap 101 is made from a thermoplastic, preferably high-density polyethylene. In the embodiment shown in figure 6, the dust cap 102 is flexible thermoplastic, preferably thermoplastic poly urethane. In the embodiment shown in figure 6, the inner opening 104 of the dust cap 102 is designed of a size intended to receive the inner mount shaft of a typical 12 volt electric water pump 107 of the kind used for dispensing water from a water cooler bottle. In the embodiment shown in figure 7, the inner mounting ring 106 of the screw cap 101 is designed to provide a stable mounting surface for the mounting screw provided with a manual water pump 108 to mate against the surface of the screw cap and provide a firm fit. Additionally, it is sized to fit comfortably inside the inner diameter of the fill port of the water container 103.

Claims

1. A two-piece water container closure made of thermoplastic that allows the fitment of either a commonly available water pump of the type intended for use in recreation vehicles and camper trailer kitchens, and / or allows the closure to receive a 12V electric pump of the type designed for pumping water from a water bottle of the type used for water cooler dispensing units.

2. A water container closure of claim 1 with an open hole in the centre of the lower “screw cap” portion of a size suitable to receive a manually operated water pump on the container in order to dispense water from said container3. A water container closure of claim 1 where the upper “dust cap” portion is of a size suitable to receive a 12 Volt operated water pump and includes annular rings of varying sizes to provide a suitable friction fit for installing the 12 volt pump temporarily on the container in order to dispense water from said container4. The water container closure of claim 1 wherein the plastic used for the lower part of the unit that screws onto the water container is made of high-density polyethylene5. The water container closure of claim 1 wherein the plastic used for the dust cap of the unit that affixes to the lower section via a compression fit annular ring is made of Thermoplastic Poly Urethane6. The water container closure of claim 1 wherein the “dust cap” portion of the unit is further defined by having a sealing plug attached via tether to the main body of the unit.

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