AU606577B2

AU606577B2 - Blow molded container having a first and a second internal attachment means

Info

Publication number: AU606577B2
Application number: AU60764/86A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Neil Archibald Mac Gilp; Paul Maes; Eric Walter Meyer; Marcel Vandebroek
Original assignee: Procter and Gamble Co
Current assignee: Procter and Gamble Co
Priority date: 1985-08-01
Filing date: 1986-07-31
Publication date: 1991-02-14
Anticipated expiration: 2006-07-31
Also published as: AU6076486A; EP0214675A2; GB8519362D0; CA1288707C; ES2000807A6; EP0214675A3; MX168368B

Description

606577 Form COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1952-69 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION OR IGINAL)I "0/iLf Application Numbor: 64Y Lodged: Class I t. Class Complete Specificition Lodged: Accepted: Pu blished: Priority: This% documenf-nt Contains the ame:j-,('j cimntS maic under sction 49 and is correct for Related Art: 00 00 0 0000 Name of Applicant: 0 aa0 n0 000a Addvess of Applicant 00 0 C3 THE PROCTER GLNfl3LE COMHPANY One Procter Gamble Plaza, Cicinati, Ohio 45202, United States of America NEIL ARC11IBALD MAC GILP3 PAUL Z1ARS, ERIC wATTER IEYER and MNARCEL VANDEBROFK EDWD. WATkRS SONS, 50 QUEEN STREET, MELBOURNWE, AUSRIA., .3000.

Actual Inventor: Address for Service: Complete Specification for the invention entitled: BLOW MOLDED CONTAINER HAVING A FIRST AND A SECOND INTERNAL ATTACHMENT MEANS The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to '1 0 CH 204 BLOW MCLDED CONTAINER HAVING A FIRST AND A~ SECOND

INTERNAL.

0 ATTACHMENT MEANS £0 0 i 0000 0 004 00 a 000 0 00 0 00a Neil A. MAC GILP Paul, MAES Eric W. MEYER Marcel VANDEBROEK Technical Field 00 00 00 C 0 C t I The present invention relates to an improved blow-mnolded container having internal attachment mean$. More particularly, the invention relates to a blow-molded 5 container having a body-portion and a neck-portion, said neck-portion having a first and a second 'internal attachment means, the second being located closer to the body-portion and having a smaller diameter than the, first.

2 Blow-molded containers having a neck portion with internal attachment means have been disclosed. Such internal attachment means is particularly suitable for use with a closure cap, especially when the closure cap is intended to be used as a measuring cup. When the cap is attached to the inside of the container neck, fluid which may have stayed behind in the cap can drain back into the container without causing messiness.

It is oftentimes desirable to provide the container with a device to facilitate drain-back and/or pouring. Such a device is to be attached internally in the neck portion of the container, at a point "below", i.e. closer to the body-portion than, the internal attachment means.

Moreover, the design of this device must be such that inserting it into the neck-portion does not cause damage to the internal attachment means.

O 00 00o0 Furthermore, it has been discovered that applying a 0 00 ooo container cap to a container having internal attachment means may cause an over-pressure in the container.

0oo It has also been discovered that the neck-portion of such a container tends to radially expand, due to relaxation, after the closure cap is applied. This expansion occasionally prevents the container neck/closure cap seal from remaining liquid tight over time.

1 It is therefore an object of the present invention to Sprovide a blow-molded container having internal attachment means which is adapted to having a device inserted and affixed into its neck portion without damage to the internal attachment means or the device.

3 St is a further object of this invention to provide a container, having a neck portion with internal attachment means, from which air can escape when the closure cap is applied to it.

It is another object of this invention to provide a closure cap for a container having internal attachment means which reduces radial relaxation of the container neck after the closure cap has been applied.

Summary of the Invention The present invention relates to a blow-molded container having a body-portion and a neck-portion being provided with a dispensing device characterized in that said oo 0 neck portion has'.a first internal attachment means for use .000 with a closure cap and a second internal attachment means, S0000 15 the second internal attachment means being located between "000°o the first internal attachment means and the body-portion of o the container, the internal neck diameter being significantly smaller at the position of the second internal attachment means than at the position of the first internal attachment means, and wherein said second internal oooo_ attachment means is adapted to accept said dispensing device such that said dispensing device does not damage said first 0. 0 attachment means.

o Brief Description of the Drawing 000-00 0 0 25 Fig. 1 depicts a cross sectional view of the neck So0 portion of a container having a first and a second internal S ,,attachment means.

I ,i 4 Detailed Descri-pti on of the 'Invention Blow-molded containers, frequently having the shape of a bottle, are widely used as a low-cost package for liquids.

In many applications it is desirable to provide the neck of such a bottle with an internal, rather than external, attachment means a screw thread). This need arises, for example, when the closure-cap of the bottle is to be used as a measuring cup for dosing the liquid contained in the bottle. Heavy duty liquid detergents and rinse-added fabric softeners are examples of liquids that 00oo require measured dosing. Having a bottle with internal, o 00 Sooo attachment means and a cap having corresponding external °o attachment means, allows use of the cap as a measuring cup ooo and a no-mess drain back after the cap has been re-applied 0000 o o 15 to the bottle. Methods for making blow-molded containers 0 oo 0 having internal attachment means have been disclosed.

o oo it is frequently desirable to provide a container 0000oooo o00o featuring a pouring spout or some other dispensing device. Typically, such a dispensing device is 0°o 20 manufactured separate from the container by 0 000 injection molding), and then inserted into and affixed in the neck of the container.

0 O go oo As the Aoinfg device is to remain in the bottle neck after 0 0 the cap has been removed, the device is to be affixed to the bottle neck at a point located between the internal attachment means and the body portion-of the bottle. Yet, it must be possible to insert the device into the bottle neck without causing damage to the internal attachment means or the device itself.

AL.^i4, 1 0000 0 0000 0 00 0 0 0 0000 00 0 0 0000 0 o 0 00o 0 0 00 0 00 0000 0 00 0 oooo a oo 0o00 0 00 o0 00oo 0 0 o oo o ao a C o o* e C n~ 5 The blow-molded container of the present inventioD succesfully addresses this dilemma. To this end, the neck of the container comprises a second internal attachment means, the second being located at a point in the container neck between the first internal attachment means and the body portion of the container. The second attachment means has a diameter which is smaller than the neck-diameter at the point of the first attachment means.

This permits a dosing device which has a diameter small enough to freely pass the first internal attachment means, to be securely affixed to the 'bottle neck.

The nature of the first and second internal attachment means is not-critical. Suitable examples include screw threads, snap fitments, twist lock arrangements, and the 15 like. Also, the first and second internal attachment means may be the same or different. A preferred embodiment of this invention is a blow-molded bottle having a screw-thread as the first internal attachment means and a snap ring as the second.

As mentioned hereinbefore, the first internal attachment means preferably is adapted to accept a closure cap. The closure cap then has an external attachment means designed to be accepted by the first internal attachment means of the container neck portion. This arrangement makes it possible to use the closure cap as a 4esIg. devicet for the liquid contained in the container, and subsequently reapply it to the container without messiness.

It has been discovered that this arrangement presents a serious disadvant!ge. When the closure cap is applied to the container neck, the forces necessary to engage the J00 6_ 6 internal attachment means and obtain a liquid tight seal cause relaxation of the thermoplastic material which tends to radially expand the container neck. As a result, it is very difficult to maintain a leakage free closure of containers of this type over time.

Therefore, as a preferred embodiment, the container of the present invention has a closure cap having an external ring which is adapted to be fitted over the circumference of the neck portion of the container. This ring supports the neck portion of the container when the cap is being applied to it, thus preventing the neck portion from being detormed as a result of relaxation.

In a highly preferred embodiment of the container the first internal attachment means has interruptions e substantially parallel to the neck portion's axis. These 15 interruptions permit air to escape from the container when the closure cap is being applied.

o o Optionally, the container neck has one or more circular oo00 o 00 indentations or ribs to increase the rigidity of the neck.

0 o Fig. 1 depicts a preferred embodiment of a container of 0 000 the present invention. Shown is neck portion 11 of a blow molded container having screw thread 12 as a first ooo.S. internal attachment means, and snap ring 13 as a second O n internal attachment means. Snap ring 13 is located between screw thread 12 and body portion 20 of the container.

I Neck portion 11 has a diameter 14 at the position of the y snap ring 13, and a diameter 15 at the position of the screw thread 12. Diameter 14 is smaller than diameter Snap-fitted in snap ring 13 is pour spout 30. Since diameter 14 is smaller than diameter 15, pour spout 30 can be inserted into the bottle neck past screw thread 12 without damaging the screw threads or pour spout.

7 Screwed into the bottle neck is closure cap 40. Cap has external screw thread 41 designed to mesh with screw thread 12. External ring 42 of cap 40 fits over the circumference 16 of neck portion 11.

The circular indentation. 17 gives additional strength to the bottle neck, 4 C oO O 00 O C 00 00 o -i

Claims

1. A blow-molded container having body-portion and a obo\d -po-c\e neck-portion being provided with a-dispensing device characterized in that said neck portion has a first internal attachment means for use with a closure cap and a second internal attachment means, the second internal attachment means being located between the first internal attachment means and the body-portion of the container, the internal neck diameter being significantly smaller at the position of the second internal attachmeiit means than at the position of the first internal attachment means, and wherein said second internal attachment means is adapted to =eceee said dispensing device such that said dispensing device does not damage said first attachment means. 2, A blow-molded container according to Claim i which is a thermoplastic bottle.

3. A blow-molded container according to Claim 1 or 2 wherein the first internal attachment means is adapted to o accept a closure means.

4. A blow-molded container according to any of the o preceding claims wherein the first internal attachment means is a screw thread. -o 5. A blow-molded container according to any of the preceding claims wherein said dispensing device is a pour spout.

6. A blow-molded container according to any of the preceding claims wherein the second internal attachment means is a snap-ring.

7. A blow-molded container according to any of the preceding claims further comprising a closure cap adapted to 9 be accepted by the first internal attachment means is provided with interruptions substantially parallel to the neck-portion's axis, designed to permit air to excape from the container when the closure cap is applied.

9. A blow-molded container according to Claim 7 wherein the closure cap has an external rim adapted to be fitted over the circumference of the neck-portion of the container. A blow-molded container according to any of the preceding claims wherein the neck portion has one or more indentations or ribs.

11. A blow-molded container having a body-portion and a neck-portion, said neck-portion being provided with an dispensing device, said neck-portion having an internal screw thread attachment means having a closure cap and having interruptions substantially parallel to the axis of 1 othe neck-portion, designed to permit air to escape from the container when the closure cap is applied and a snap-ring attachment means located between the screw thread attachment ck t4fc c=we e ic,-e means and the body-portion, adapted to &-ta o1r sp the neck diameter being significantly smaller at the position of the snap-ring than at the position of the screw thread; the closure cap having an external rim adapted to be S- fitted over the circumference of the neck-portion of the container; and the dispensing device being inserted in the neck-portion without damage to the internal screw thread. attachment means. DATED this 7th day of November, 1990. THE PROCTER GAMBLE COMPANY WATERMARK PATENT TRADEMARK ATTORNEYS, 290 Burwood Road, ©HAWTHORN. VIC. 3122 AUSTRALIA LCG:KJSjl(10.22)