CN112533649A - Refill for containing volatile materials - Google Patents

Abstract

A refill for dispensing volatile materials, comprising a bottle, the bottle comprising: a body defined by at least one sidewall; and a bottleneck extending from the body. The neck includes a rim at an upper end thereof and has an inner surface, an upper surface and an outer surface. The wick has a first end located within the bottle and a second end extending from the bottle. A plug assembly is secured to the neck of the bottle and retains the wick within the bottle. A cap is coupled to the neck of the bottle. The underside of the lid includes a stop and a flange that form a seal with the plug assembly when the refill is in an assembled configuration.

Description

Refill for containing volatile materials

Background

Various volatile material dispensing devices known in the art generally include a dispenser (dispenser) and a refill (refill) containing one or more volatile materials. Typical volatile material dispensing mechanisms used in volatile material dispensing devices include heating devices and/or fans that assist in the emission of the volatile material from the refill.

Refill for a dispenser generally comprises a bottle, a plug (plug) or a wick holder (wick holder) inserted into a mouth (mouth) of the bottle in the neck (neck) of the bottle, and a wick held by the plug and having a first end in contact with a volatile substance and a second end projecting outside the bottle. The volatile material moves in the bottle from a first end of the wick to the other end of the wick by capillary action. The mouth of the refill has a surface of different geometry, depending on the type of material used for the bottle itself. Furthermore, different types of materials may be used for the bottle.

Some bottles are made of glass and some are made of plastic resin (e.g., metallocene polypropylene (mPP) or Barex resin). It has been found that the transparent polymer increases stress cracking at the neck of the refill around the neck of the bottle in the space where the essential oil is delivered, and is especially pronounced when exposed to elevated temperatures and bottle pressures. Although it is believed that stress cracking is due in part to selective absorption (i.e., from essential oils and/or solvents) of stress cracking agents (stress cracking agents), another part of the cause of stress cracking may be due to hoop or hoop stresses on the bottle after the stopper and core are inserted into the bottle and the cap (cap) is installed on the refill. These stress cracking agents are believed to form micro-yield zones (micro-strained zones) or stress-expanded zones (stress-retarded zones), thereby reducing the yield strength (yield strength) of the polymer forming the bottle. The reduction in yield strength of the polymer can lead to crack initiation and fracture, which can be exacerbated when a plug and/or core is inserted and/or a cap is applied.

For a typical refill comprising a polymer, most of its stress cracking occurs at the neck of the bottle (e.g., near the mouth of the bottle). Stress cracking is typically due to stress on various portions of the replacement part. As the core securing member grips the neck of the bottle, a lot of stress is generated along the uppermost part of the neck of the bottle. In many cases, stress cracking begins at the sealing surface and extends to the middle portion of the neck of the bottle. Since the refill must retain the liquid contained therein, it is desirable to maintain a fluid seal between the stopper and the bottle, and also to reduce stress cracking extending near the neck of the bottle. Thus, while maintaining normal sealing pressure, the assembled stopper minimizes the extended hoop stress on the surface of the bottle neck.

Disclosure of Invention

According to one aspect, a refill for dispensing a volatile material comprises: a bottle, the bottle comprising: a body (body) defined by at least one side wall; and a neck extending from the body, the neck comprising an edge (rim) at an upper end thereof, wherein the edge is defined by at least an inner surface, an upper surface and an outer surface. The replacement further comprises: a core (wick) having a first end located within the bottle and a second end extending from the bottle; a plug assembly (plug assembly) secured to the neck of the bottle; and a cap coupled to the neck of the bottle. The underside of the cap includes a stop (stop) and a flange (flange) that form a seal with the plug assembly when the refill is in an assembled configuration.

According to another aspect, a refill for dispensing a volatile material comprises: a bottle, the bottle comprising: a body defined by at least one sidewall; and a bottleneck extending from the at least one sidewall, the bottleneck comprising: a thread (threading) surrounding at least a portion of the neck of the bottle; and a rim at an upper end of the neck, the rim defined by an inner surface, an outer surface, and an upper surface extending between the inner and outer surfaces. A passageway is formed by the bottleneck and defines a longitudinal axis. The refill also includes a wick having a first end located within the bottle and a second end extending from the bottle, the wick being located within the channel. The replacement further comprises: a stopper assembly bonded to the neck of the bottle, the stopper assembly retaining the wick within the bottle; and a cap coupled to the bottle, the cap including a stopper and a flange depending from an underside of the cap. The flange exerts a force against the first wall of the plug assembly when the cap is attached to the bottle.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a front, upper isometric view of an refill according to aspects of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken generally along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of the refill of FIG. 2 without the core and in a partially exploded state;

FIG. 4 is another partial cross-sectional view of the refill of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an isometric view of the front, top and side of the bottle of the refill of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a front view of the bottle of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken generally along line 6-6 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a partial cross-sectional view of the neck or surface (finish) of the bottle of FIG. 7;

fig. 9 is a front, upper isometric view of another alternative according to aspects of the present disclosure;

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken generally along line 10-10 of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a partial cross-sectional view of the refill of FIG. 10 without the core and in an exploded or disassembled state;

FIG. 12 is another partial cross-sectional view of the refill of FIG. 10 without the core and in an assembled state; and

fig. 13 is a partial detailed cross-sectional view of the replacement of fig. 10.

Detailed Description

The present disclosure relates to refill for volatile material dispensers that are capable of evaporating and dispensing volatile materials. The apparatus disclosed herein may be embodied in many different forms, but several specific embodiments are discussed herein, and it should be understood that the embodiments described in this disclosure are merely illustrative of the principles described herein and that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown. Throughout the disclosure, the terms "about" and "approximately" refer to a range of plus or minus 5% of the number in which each term is recited.

The term "volatile material" as used herein refers to any volatile material that a consumer desires to emit around one or more refill containing the volatile material and/or around a dispenser containing one or more refill. For example, the volatile material can be a detergent, insecticide, insect repellant, insect attractant, mold or mildew inhibitor, fragrance, disinfectant, air freshener, scent for aromatherapy, antiseptic, active volatile fragrance, air freshener, deodorizer, and the like, and combinations thereof. Additives (e.g., perfumes and/or preservatives) can be included in the volatile materials.

Fig. 1-3 generally illustrate a refill 20 for use with a volatile material dispenser (not shown) that is capable of actively or passively emitting a volatile material disposed within the refill 20 into the ambient environment. In some embodiments, the refill 20 can be inserted and retained in the volatile material dispenser. Referring now to fig. 1, the refill 20 generally comprises a bottle 30 containing a volatile material, a cylindrical neck 32 extending upwardly from the bottle 30. The bottle 30 may be made of glass, polymer, or other suitable material or materials. A cap 34 is secured to the neck 32 of the bottle 30. The cover 34 generally includes a retainer portion 36 and a cover portion 38. The retainer portion 36 may include threads along its inner surface that may be used to secure the cap 34 to the neck 32 of the bottle 30. The fixing portion 36 and the lid portion 38 are connected at a joint portion (joint) 40.

Referring to fig. 2, fig. 2 shows a front cross-sectional view of refill 20. As shown in fig. 2, refill 20 further includes a plug assembly 50 configured and attached within the neck finish 32 of refill 20. The plug assembly 50 generally includes a sheath (sheath)52 and a base 54. The plug assembly 50 retains the wick 56 within the bottle 30 and prevents the volatile material 60 from leaking from the bottle 30. The lower portion 58 of the wick 56 is in fluid communication with a volatile material 60 within the bottle 30. The wick 56 extends upwardly through the neck 32 of the bottle so that when the cap 34 is removed, the upper portion 62 of the wick 56 is exposed to the surrounding environment.

The sheath 52 of the plug assembly 50 extends upwardly from the mouth 70 of the bottle 30 and surrounds a portion of the wick 56. The wick 56 may be any type of delivery mechanism, such as a typical (porous material) wick, dip tube, hollow tube, gravity feed surface or component, or any other suitable delivery mechanism.

With continued reference to fig. 2, the bottle 30 further includes a bottom wall 80 and at least one side wall 82. The bottom wall 80 is generally concave in the drawings, but the bottom wall 80 may be flat or have any other suitable configuration. As shown in fig. 2, when refill 20 is assembled, sidewall 82 extends upwardly from bottom wall 80 and curves outwardly relative to a longitudinal axis 86 extending through wick 56. The side wall 82 terminates at the neck 32 of the bottle 30. During assembly of the refill 20, the wick 56 and sheath 52 are inserted into the channel 88 defined by the neck 32 of the refill 20.

Referring to fig. 5, the sidewall 82 of the bottle 30 includes front and rear surfaces 162, 164 and first and second side surfaces 166, 168 connecting the front and rear surfaces 162, 164. The front surface 162 has a generally spherical central portion and is generally curved inwardly at its sides and bottom. The rear surface 164 may be a mirror image (mirror image) of the front surface 162, or may have a different configuration. In some embodiments, the rear surface 164 is generally flat. In some embodiments, a protrusion or design element 170 extends outwardly from the front surface 162, and the design element 170 may serve to retain the refill 20 within the dispenser. Although the bottles disclosed herein are shown as having a particular shape, the principles of the present invention may be applied to alternatives to bottles having any suitable shape.

Referring now to fig. 3 and 4, a first thread 72 is provided on the neck 32 of the bottle 30 to retain the cap 34 on the neck 32 of the bottle 30 and/or to retain the refill 20 in a dispenser or dispenser. The inner surface of cap 34 includes second threads 104, and second threads 104 correspond to first threads 72 and operatively receive first threads 72. First threads 72 and second threads 104 comprise a securing mechanism that retains cap 34 on refill 20. In other embodiments, other securing mechanisms may be utilized to retain cover 34 on refill 20. The first thread 72 and/or the second thread 104 may comprise a single continuous thread, may be a double thread, or may be some other type of multiple start thread. The first threads 72 and/or the second threads 104 may be discontinuous threads alternating with one another.

Referring again to fig. 3, an annular rim 110 is provided at an upper end 112 of the neck 32 above the first thread 72. The rim 110 is defined by an inner surface 114, an upper surface 116, and an outer surface 118, which will be described in more detail below. A first annular protrusion 120 extends outwardly from the neck 32 between the outer surface 118 of the rim 110 and the first thread 72. In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 3 and 4, the first annular protrusion 120 is for retaining the plug assembly 50, which plug assembly 50 may include a locking feature 122. The locking feature 122 may include a second annular protrusion 124 that snaps (snap) onto the first annular protrusion 120. The neck 32 of the bottle 20 also includes an inner surface 130 that forms the channel 88. Although the first and second annular protrusions 122, 124 are depicted as being annular, the first and second annular protrusions 122, 124 may be discrete, discontinuous protrusions.

With continued reference to FIG. 3, the base 54 of the plug assembly 50 is shown in greater detail. The base 54 includes an aperture 140 defined by an inner wall 142, a lower wall 144, and an intermediate wall 146. The inner wall 142 and the intermediate wall 146 are substantially parallel. The lower wall 144 connects the inner wall 142 with the intermediate wall 146 and is further substantially perpendicular to the inner wall 142 and the intermediate wall 146. An upper wall 148 is connected to the intermediate wall 146 and extends outwardly from the intermediate wall 146. The upper wall 148 is also connected to an outer wall 152, the outer wall 152 being substantially perpendicular to the upper wall 148. A second annular protrusion 124 is disposed along an inner surface 154 of the outer wall 152. In some embodiments, the inner wall 142, the intermediate wall 146, and the outer wall 152 are substantially parallel with respect to one another. In some embodiments, the junctions 156 between the inner wall 142 and the bottom wall 80, the lower wall 144 and the intermediate wall 146, the intermediate wall 146 and the upper wall 148, and the upper wall 148 and the outer wall 152 are circular. Any wall or portion substantially parallel to another wall or portion as defined and described herein may refer to a range that is offset by up to 10 degrees relative to an axis defined by the first wall or portion.

Referring again to fig. 3 and 4, the cap 34 includes a sealing skirt 160 that extends into the bore 140 of the plug assembly 50. The sealing skirt 160 may be sized to abut the lower wall 144 of the plug assembly 50 to form a seal. The sealing skirt 160 may also be sized and positioned in a manner to apply pressure or stress to the lower portion 150 of the intermediate wall 146, thereby relieving stress along the edge 110 of the neck 32 of the bottle 30. The sealing skirt 160 may additionally or alternatively be sized or positioned in a manner that provides pressure or stress to the intermediate portion 151 of the intermediate wall 146, i.e., the portion above the lower portion 150. The sealing skirt 160 may have one or more features attached thereto or extending therefrom that may help to relieve or replace stress from the upper portion of the neck 32 of the bottle 30.

As shown in fig. 4, the plug assembly 50 is secured to the bottle 30 and the cap 34 is secured to the plug assembly 50. A sealing skirt 160 is disposed within the bore 140 and abuts the intermediate portion 151 of the intermediate wall 146. Due to the geometry of the lid 34, the sealing skirt 160 exerts pressure on the intermediate wall 146. A first seal, referred to as a "seal between sheath and cap" (seal) is formed between sealing skirt 160 and intermediate portion 151 of intermediate wall 146. A second seal is formed between intermediate wall 146 and inner wall 130 of neck 32, which is referred to as the "seal between the jacket and the neck". The seal between the sheath and the cap and the seal between the sheath and the neck of the bottle prevent leakage of the volatile material from the refill 20 when the cap 34 is secured to the bottle 30 and when the plug assembly 50 is secured to the bottle, respectively. Thereby, each of the seal between the sheath and the cap and the seal between the sheath and the bottle neck may be an airtight seal.

Referring to fig. 7 and 8, the configuration of the rim 110 of the bottle 30 will be discussed in more detail. Referring specifically to fig. 8, to reduce stress on the neck 32 of the bottle 30, and thereby reduce stress cracking resulting therefrom, the inner surface 114 of the rim 110 is angled, i.e., the inner surface 114 is a chamfered surface (chamferred surface) 200. In the embodiment shown in fig. 7 and 8, the chamfered surface 200 has a chamfer angle θ of about 6 degrees measured relative to the longitudinal axis 86. However, chamfer angle θ of chamfer surface 200 can be between about 1 degree to about 10 degrees, or between about 2 degrees to about 9 degrees, or between about 3 degrees to about 8 degrees, or between about 4 degrees to about 7 degrees, or about 6 degrees.

In some embodiments, only a portion or a plurality of discrete portions of the inner surface 130 of the edge 110 form the chamfered surface 200. In some embodiments, the entire inner surface 130 is formed as a chamfered surface 200. In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 8, the chamfer surface 200 begins at or above the uppermost portion of the first threads 72, but the chamfer surface 200 can also begin below the uppermost portion of the first threads 72.

With continued reference to fig. 8, the inner surface 130 of the edge 110 is defined in part by a chamfer surface 200 and an angled surface 204 connected to the chamfer surface 200 at an apex 206. The angle β of the angled surface 204 with the longitudinal axis 86 may be about 45 degrees. In some embodiments, the angle β of the inclined surface 204 is between about 20 degrees and about 70 degrees, or between about 30 degrees and about 60 degrees, or between about 40 degrees and about 50 degrees. The sloped surface 204 terminates at the upper surface 116 of the rim 110. The upper surface 116 is generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 86.

The benefits of the chamfer surface 200 will now be discussed. By testing the existing replacement part, a great pressure is measured in the neck of the bottle. Furthermore, it has been determined that during the assembly of the existing refill, high points of stress occur at high interference locations, which are located respectively at the seal between the sheath and the cap and the seal between the sheath and the neck of the bottle as described above. It has been found that including chamfered surface 200 may reduce stress cracking caused by stresses generated during and after assembly of replacement 20.

According to experimental testing, after the sheath 52 is inserted and retained on the neck 32, the chamfered surface 200 of between about 4 degrees and about 7 degrees substantially reduces hoop stress at the neck 32 of the bottle 30, thereby reducing or preventing stress cracking at the neck 32 during assembly and/or when exposed to essential oils. For the compression seal of the bottle of the first design with a 2 degree chamfer angle, the seal between the jacket and the neck of the bottle is reduced by 8% stress; the seal between the jacket and the lid reduced the stress by 6.7%. For a design with a 5 degree chamfer angle, the seal between the boot and the neck of the bottle is reduced by 9% and the seal between the boot and the cap is reduced by 20% of the stress. It has been determined that providing the chamfer surface 200 can move the high interference location below the bottle neck by moving the high interference location away from the top of the bottle neck where cracks typically occur/develop.

In another test, the seal pressure and extended hoop stress generated during assembly of a replacement with a 6 degree chamfer angle ("hereinafter chamfer replacement") were compared to the extended stress generated by an existing mPP replacement without a chamfer angle ("existing replacement"). During testing, the chamfer refill and the existing refill were filled with the same fragrance at room temperature and assembled separately using a torque wrench. The replacement and existing replacement are quickly reversed to wet the bottle-sheath and sheath-cap interface. The mPP replacement is made to have the same configuration in all relevant respects (i.e. the neck of the bottle) as the replacement with a 6 degree chamfer. The chamfered replacement part has the same or better sealing effect than that of the existing replacement part.

For the existing replacement, the highest sealing pressure between the jacket and the neck of the bottle is 1419psi and the sealing pressure between the jacket and the cap is 427 to 540 psi. For the chamfered replacement, the sealing pressure between the sheath and the neck of the bottle is 1434psi, while the sealing pressure between the sheath and the cap is between 520 to 726 psi. The chamfered replacement and the existing replacement will produce similar compressive sealing pressure between the sheath and the bottle, but the chamfered replacement maintains the usual hoop stress of extension at the neck of the bottle. Maintaining a compressive seal is critical to ensure that the fragrance remains in the bottle during shipping and use.

While the above embodiments have been described as including alternate configurations having one or more stress-reducing features, such as a chamfered surface along the inner surface of the bottle surface and/or a sealing skirt along the underside of the cap, alternate stress-reducing features will now be described. Any of the features described above may be used with or in addition to the stress reduction features described with respect to the embodiments described below.

Referring now to fig. 9-13, fig. 9-13 illustrate a refill 320 for use with a volatile material dispenser (not shown) that is capable of actively or passively emitting a volatile material disposed within the refill 320 into the ambient environment. As described above with respect to the refill 20, the refill 320 can be inserted and retained in the volatile material dispenser. Referring to fig. 9, refill 320 generally comprises a bottle 330 containing a volatile material with a cylindrical neck 332 extending upwardly from the bottle 330. The bottle 330 may be similar or identical to the bottle 30 described above, or the bottle 330 may have a different form.

The bottle 330 may be made of glass, polymer, or other suitable material or materials. A cap 334 is secured to the neck 332 of the bottle 330. The cover 334 generally includes a retainer portion 336 and a cover portion 338. The securing portion 336 may include threads along an inner surface thereof that may be used to secure the cap 334 to the neck 332 of the bottle 330. The fixing portion 336 and the lid portion 338 are connected at a joint portion 340. The bottle 330 may have the same or similar side wall and/or bottom wall configuration as the bottle 30 described above. Alternatively, the bottle 330 may have other forms and may have different features than described above with respect to the bottle 30.

In some embodiments, the bottle 330 comprises polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and the cap 334 can comprise polypropylene (PP). The PET comprising bottle 330 may have an elastic modulus of about 2200MPa to about 3200MPa, or about 2500MPa to about 2900MPa, or about 2750 MPa. The PET may also have a tensile strength of about 60MPa to about 100MPa, about 70MPa to about 90MPa, or about 80 MPa. The PET may also have a Poisson's ratio (Poisson's ratio) of about 0.2 to about 0.6, or about 0.3 to about 0.5, or about 0.4. The PET may further comprise a tangent modulus of about 220MPa to about 330MPa, or about 240MPa to about 310MPa, or about 275 MPa. The PET comprising bottle 330 may further comprise a coefficient of friction of about 0.05 to about 0.4, or about 0.1 to about 0.3, or about 0.2.

The PP comprising cap 334 may have an elastic modulus of about 500MPa to about 1800MPa, or about 800MPa to about 1500MPa, or about 1375 MPa. The PP may also have a tensile strength of from about 20MPa to about 70MPa, or from about 30MPa to about 50MPa, or about 35 MPa. The PP may also have a poisson's ratio of from about 0.2 to about 0.6, or from about 0.3 to about 0.5, or about 0.42. The PP may also include a tangent modulus of from about 90MPa to about 180MPa, or from about 110MPa to about 160MPa, or about 140 MPa. The PP including the cap 334 may further include a coefficient of friction of about 0.05 to about 0.4, or about 0.1 to about 0.3, or about 0.2.

Referring to fig. 10, a front cross-sectional view of refill 320 is shown. As shown, refill 320 also includes a plug assembly 350, the plug assembly 350 being disposed within and coupled to the neck finish 332 of refill 320. The plug assembly 350 generally includes a sheath 352 and a base 354. The plug assembly 350 retains the wick 356 in the center of the bottle 330 and prevents the volatile material from leaking from the bottle 330. The wick 356 may have a similar configuration as the wick 56 of the refill 20 described above. The sheath 352 of the plug assembly 350 extends upwardly from the mouth 370 of the bottle 330 and surrounds a portion of the wick 356. The wick 356 may be any type of delivery mechanism, such as a typical (porous material) wick, dip tube, hollow tube, gravity feed surface or component, or any other suitable delivery mechanism. The plug assembly 350 may be composed of polypropylene having similar characteristics as described above.

Referring now to fig. 11-13, a first thread 372 is disposed on the neck 332 of the bottle 330 to help retain the cap 334 thereon and/or to help retain the refill 320 within the dispenser. The cap 334 includes second threads 404 along its inner surface that correspond to and are operable to receive the first threads 372. The first and second threads 372, 404 comprise a securing mechanism that can retain the cap 334 on the bottle 330. In other embodiments, other securing mechanisms may be used to retain the cap 334 on the bottle 330. First thread 372 and/or second thread 404 may comprise a single start thread, a double start thread, or some other type of multiple start thread. The first threads 372 and/or the second threads 404 may optionally be discontinuous.

In embodiments where bottle 330 includes a single starting thread, a single "ridge" or thread wraps around neck 332 of the bottle. Each full rotation of the cap 334 around the neck 332 of the bottle advances the cap 334 axially by the width of a ridge or thread. If first thread 372 and/or second thread 404 comprise a single start thread, each of first thread 372 and second thread 404 generally comprises a single helical-type helix. In these embodiments, the threads along one side of the neck 332 must be vertically disposed below the threads along the other side of the neck 332 by a height 1/2 of the thread spacing, i.e., the distance from one top of the threads to the other above or below it. This difference in thread height causes the cap 334 to tilt when screwed onto a bottle neck, as will be discussed in more detail below.

Referring to fig. 11 and 12, which show the refill 320 in a partially disassembled or disassembled configuration and an assembled configuration, respectively, an annular rim 410 is provided at the upper end of the neck 322 above the first threads 372. The rim 410 is defined by an inner surface 414, an upper surface 416, and an outer surface 418, which will be described in more detail below. A first annular protrusion 420 extends outwardly from the neck 332 between the outer surface 418 of the rim 410 and the first thread 372.

In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 11-13, a first annular protrusion 420 may be included to retain the plug assembly 350, wherein the plug assembly 350 may include a locking feature 422. The locking feature 422 may include a second annular protrusion 424 that snaps over the first annular protrusion 420. The neck 332 of the bottle 330 also includes an inner surface 430 that forms the channel 388. Although the first and second annular protrusions 420, 424 are depicted as being annular, the first and second annular protrusions 420, 424 may also be discrete, discontinuous protrusions similar to the alternative configurations of the first and second annular protrusions 120, 124 described above.

With continued reference to fig. 11 and 12, the seat 354 of the plug assembly 350 is shown in greater detail. The base 354 includes an aperture 440, similar to the aperture 140 described above, defined by a first or inner wall 442, a second or lower wall 444, and a third or intermediate wall 446. The inner wall 442 and the intermediate wall 446 are substantially parallel. The lower wall 444 connects the inner walls 442 with the intermediate wall 446, and is further substantially perpendicular to each of the inner walls 442 and the intermediate wall 446. A fourth or upper wall 448 is connected to the intermediate wall 446 and extends outwardly from the intermediate wall 446. The upper wall 448 joins a fifth or angled wall 450, which fifth or angled wall 450 extends downwardly and outwardly away from the upper wall 448. The angled wall 450 is connected to a sixth or outer wall 452, the sixth or outer wall 452 being substantially perpendicular to the upper wall 448 and substantially parallel to the inner wall 442 and the intermediate wall 446. The angled wall 450 may extend at an angle offset from the plane defined by the upper wall 448 by about 20 degrees to about 70 degrees, or about 30 degrees to about 60 degrees, or about 45 degrees.

With continued reference to fig. 11 and 12, a second annular protrusion 424 is disposed along the inner surface 454 of the outer wall 452. In some embodiments, the inner wall 442, the intermediate wall 446, and the outer wall 452 are substantially parallel with respect to one another. Any wall or portion substantially parallel to another wall or portion as defined herein may refer to a range offset by up to 10 degrees relative to an axis defined by the first wall or portion.

With continued reference to fig. 11 and 12, a stop or annular bead 460 and a wiper or annular flange 462 are included along a lower face 464 of the cover 334. The annular flange 462 may be deflected (or notched) to create a compression seal between the cap 334 and the plug assembly 350. As shown in fig. 11, with the plug assembly 350 shown separated from the bottle 330, the annular flange 462 is disposed in a generally straight or vertical position, while in fig. 12, which illustrates the assembly of the plug assembly 350 to the bottle 330, the annular flange 462 is shown in a deflected or angled configuration. Essentially, during assembly of the replacement assembly 320, when the plug assembly 350 is assembled to the bottle 330, the annular flange 462 deflects outwardly, thereby acting in part as a spring by applying an inward and/or downward force along the sloped wall 450. A stop 460 may be included along the underside 464 of the cap 334 to prevent the annular flange 462 from over-extending when the cap 334 is coupled to the bottle 330.

The resultant potential of the bent flange 462, as well as the orientation of the annular flange 462 relative to the plug assembly 350, has been found to significantly reduce tensile stresses along portions of the plug assembly 350. In particular, it has been found that including an annular flange 462 along the underside 464 of the cap 334 may reduce tensile stress along the outer wall 452 of the plug assembly 350 and reduce compressive stress along the upper end 412 of the neck 332 of the bottle 330. The inclusion of the annular flange 462 circumferentially around the bottom side 464 of the cap 334 and the abutment chamfered wall 450 allows for a viable 360 degree compression seal to be maintained between the cap 334 and the plug assembly 350. This may be particularly advantageous when a single start thread is used for the cap 334, which may result in the cap 334 not being completely parallel relative to the plane defined by the upper surface 416 of the rim 410 when the cap 334 is fully coupled with the bottle 330.

Effectively, the use of a single start thread may result in the cap tilting or shifting relative to an axis defined by the core 356. The inclusion of the annular flange 462 and the chamfered wall 450 has been found to allow a greater range of threads to be used since the threads cause the cap 334 to be partially tilted such that the interface of the annular flange 462 and the chamfered wall 450 may vary circumferentially around the cap 334.

Referring now specifically to fig. 12, with the plug assembly 350 shown in an assembled configuration, the plug assembly 350 forms a compression seal with the neck 332 of the bottle 330 by utilizing a snap design that provides a secure attachment to the bottle 330 through mechanical snap interference (snap interference). The interference creates a fluid seal with reduced extended hoop stress in the neck 332 of the bottle 330 that would otherwise occur during jacket-to-bottle assembly without the plug assembly 350. By including the sloped wall 450, the second annular protrusion 424 may more easily snap over the first annular protrusion 420 to create a desired compressive load and/or seal on the outer shoulder 470 of the neck 332 of the bottle 330. This results in the desired compressive seal between the plug assembly 350 and the bottle 330 without applying significant tensile stress to the neck 332 of the bottle.

With continued reference to fig. 12, the stop 460 is shown abutting the upper wall 448 of the plug assembly 350 and the flange 462 is shown in a deflected state and abutting the angled wall 450 of the plug assembly 350. As described above, the stopper 460 acts to prevent the cap 334 from over-stretching and may also form a fluid seal, while the flange 462 creates compressive stress on the plug assembly 350, thereby creating compressive stress on the neck 332 of the bottle 330, thereby reducing stress cracking within the neck 332 of the bottle 330. In some embodiments, stop 460 is disposed directly above edge 410. In some embodiments, the flange 462 is disposed further from the core than the stop 460. In some embodiments, additional features, such as flanges or stops, are provided near the stop 460 and/or the flange 462, such that the additional features may be closer to the core than the stop 460, and may be disposed between the stop 460 and the flange 462, or farther from the core than the flange 462.

As shown in fig. 13, the plug assembly 350 is secured to the bottle 330 and the cap 334 is secured to the plug assembly 350. A first seal, referred to as a "sheath to cover" seal, is formed between the stop 460 and the plug assembly 350 and/or the flange 462 and the plug assembly 350. A second seal is formed between the outer shoulder 470 and the inclined wall 450 of the bottle neck 332 (see fig. 13), and/or between the upper wall 448 and the upper surface 416 of the rim 410, and/or between the intermediate wall 446 and the inner wall 430 of the bottle neck 332, either of which is referred to as a "seal between the jacket and the bottle neck". The seal between the sheath and the cap and the seal between the sheath and the neck of the bottle prevent leakage of volatile material from the refill 320 when the cap 334 is secured to the bottle 330 and when the plug assembly 350 is secured to the bottle, respectively. Thereby, each of the seal between the sheath and the cap and the seal between the sheath and the bottle neck may be an airtight seal.

Any of the embodiments described herein can be modified to include any of the structures or methods disclosed in connection with the different embodiments. Furthermore, the present disclosure is not limited to the shapes/sizes of the substrate and/or support member specifically shown. Still further, the support member of any of the embodiments disclosed herein can be modified for use with various types of substrates consistent with the disclosure herein.

Industrial applicability

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that numerous modifications can be made by those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the foregoing description is by way of example only and is presented to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention and to illustrate the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention. All modified patent rights within the scope of the claims of the invention belong to the invention.

Claims (20)

1. A refill for dispensing a volatile material,

the method comprises the following steps:

a bottle, the bottle comprising: a body defined by at least one sidewall; and a neck extending from the body, the neck including a rim at an upper end thereof, wherein the rim is defined by at least an inner surface, an upper surface, and an outer surface;

a wick having a first end located within the bottle and a second end extending from the bottle;

a stopper assembly secured to the neck of the bottle, the stopper assembly retaining the wick within the bottle; and

a cap coupled to the neck of the bottle, an underside of the cap including a stopper and a flange, the flange being outwardly deflectable and forming a seal with the plug assembly when the refill is in an assembled configuration.

2. A replacement part according to claim 1,

the plug assembly includes an inner wall and an intermediate wall.

3. A replacement part according to claim 2,

the inner wall is connected to the intermediate wall via a lower wall, and an upper wall extends outwardly from the intermediate wall to engage an inclined wall.

4. A replacement part according to claim 3,

the flange of the cap is in contact with the inclined wall when the cap is coupled to the neck of the bottle.

5. A replacement part according to claim 3,

the inclined wall engages an outer wall, and the outer, intermediate and inner walls of the plug assembly are substantially parallel relative to one another.

6. A replacement part according to claim 3,

the inclined wall is offset from a plane defined by the upper wall by an angle of about 45 degrees.

7. A replacement part according to claim 1,

the cap is threadedly engaged with the neck finish.

8. A replacement part according to claim 1,

the flange is disposed at a first distance from the core and the stop is disposed at a second distance from the core, the first distance being greater than the second distance.

9. A replacement part according to claim 1,

a volatile material comprising at least one essential oil is disposed within the body of the bottle.

10. A replacement part according to claim 1,

a first annular projection is disposed along the outer surface of the rim between the threads along the neck finish and the upper surface of the rim, the first annular projection being configured to interact with a second annular projection on the plug assembly to secure the plug assembly on the neck finish of the refill.

11. A refill for dispensing a volatile material,

the method comprises the following steps:

a bottle, the bottle comprising: a body defined by at least one sidewall; and a bottleneck extending from the at least one sidewall, the bottleneck comprising: a thread surrounding at least a portion of the neck; and a rim at an upper end of the neck, the rim defined by an inner surface, an outer surface, and an upper surface extending between the inner and outer surfaces;

a channel formed by the bottleneck, the channel defining a longitudinal axis;

a wick having a first end located within the bottle and a second end extending from the bottle, the wick located within the channel;

a stopper assembly bonded to the neck of the bottle, the stopper assembly retaining the wick within the bottle; and

a cap coupled to the bottle, the cap including a stopper and a flange depending from an underside of the cap,

when the cap is attached to the bottle, the flange deflects outwardly and applies a force to the first wall of the plug assembly.

12. A replacement part according to claim 11,

the plug assembly further comprising:

a second wall and a third wall spaced apart and positioned within the channel;

a fourth wall connecting the spaced lower ends of the second and third walls; and

a fifth wall connecting the upper end of the second wall and the first wall.

13. A replacement part according to claim 12,

the first wall is angled between about 30 degrees and about 60 degrees from a plane defined by the fifth wall of the plug assembly.

14. A replacement part according to claim 13,

a sixth wall extends from a lower end of the first wall, the sixth wall being parallel with respect to the second wall.

15. A replacement part according to claim 11,

a first annular protrusion is disposed along an outer surface of the rim between the thread and an upper surface of the rim.

16. A replacement part according to claim 15,

providing a second annular protrusion along the plug assembly, an

Wherein the second annular protrusion snaps over the first annular protrusion to retain the plug assembly on the neck of the refill.

17. A replacement part according to claim 11,

the inner surface of the rim tapers at an angle between 2 degrees and 8 degrees offset from the longitudinal axis.

18. A replacement part according to claim 11,

the bottle comprises polyethylene terephthalate, the plug assembly comprises polypropylene, and the cap comprises polypropylene.

19. A replacement part according to claim 11,

the first wall is inclined at an angle offset from the longitudinal axis of about 30 degrees to about 60 degrees.

20. A replacement part according to claim 19,

the first wall is in direct contact with the outer shoulder of the rim, forming a seal between the jacket and the neck of the bottle.

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