EP0506259A1

EP0506259A1 - Container having a hook structure

Info

Publication number: EP0506259A1
Application number: EP92302133A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Howard Michael Burns
Original assignee: ROBERT MCBRIDE GROUP Ltd
Current assignee: ROBERT MCBRIDE GROUP Ltd
Priority date: 1991-03-26
Filing date: 1992-03-12
Publication date: 1992-09-30
Also published as: GB9106412D0

Abstract

A container (10), especially a shower gel container, which is inverted in use to dispense its contents has a connected suspension hook structure (19) movable between an out-of-use position alongside the body of the container and an in-use suspension position in which it is extended longitudinally of the container body (11).

Such a container can be filled in a conventional filling line and be transported and presented for sale with the hook structure in retracted position, i.e. space saving configuration.

Description

The present invention relates to containers. For the purposes of the present application the term container may be a bottle, a box, a package or any form of receptacle of whatever configuration and the term container as used herein and in the claims is to be construed accordingly.
A known container is provided with a hook structure which permits the container to be hung on a rail or other structural component for storage or for use. Such a hook structure may be integrally moulded or separately formed and fixedly attached to the container.
In either embodiment the known container suffers from the problem that the presence of the hook structure requires a costly manufacturing process.
A container with an integral hook structure requires to be filled in an upside-down position i.e. it cannot be filled on a conventional container filling line, which means that there must be provided a specially designed filling line in additional to conventional filling lines with increased capital, running and maintenance costs to the manufacturer.
A container with a separately formed hook structure may be filled on a conventional filling line but the filled container must then be transferred to another work station for attachment of the hook structure, thus making the manufacturing process more costly.
A further problem associated with such known containers is that the hook structure permanently extends the length of the container which increases the costs of packing, transport and sales presentation due to the increased amount of space required for each container compared with conventional, non-hooked, containers.
It is an object of the present invention to solve the problem of additional manufacturing costs and transportation costs associated with the use of a hook structure on a container by providing a container with a pre-assembled hook structure which permits of conventional filling and economical transportation whilst preserving the advantages of a hook structure to the user.
According to the present invention there is provided a container having a hook structure permitting the container to be hung on a rail or other structural component for storage or for use, characterised in that the hook structure is longitudinally slidably attached thereto and movable between a position where the hook structure is retracted alongside the container body and a position where it is extended longitudinally from the container body for container suspension purposes.
There is thereby provided a container with a pre-assembled hook structure which in the retracted position can be filled on a conventional filling line and can be packed, transported and sales-presented in the length reduced configuration and which, in the extended position, permits the container to be hung on a rail or other structural component for storage or for use.
Preferably, the container body is recessed whereby the hook structure can, lie within the outer peripheral surface limits of the container body.
Preferably, the body recessing provides guides for the sliding action of the hook structure, and also stops for limiting the longitudinal sliding action of the hook structure between its retracted and its extended positions.
Preferably, the hook structure is fitted to the container with a snap-on action.
Preferably, the hook structure cannot be separated from the container without damage to, or breakage of, the hook structure so that the hook structure is, in effect, an integral part of the container.
The hook structure may be of T-configuration with the cross-bar ends bent to embrace recessed sides of the container body and the free end of the stem bent to form a suspension hook adapted to be accommodated within a recess in the base of the container body.
The sliding hook structure may, however, be of any convenient configuration and be secured to the container in any convenient manner. For example, the hook structure save for the cross-bar ends may, in the retracted position, lie wholly alongside one face of the container body.
An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Figs. 1 to 3 are respectively a front elevation, a rear elevation, and a side perspective view of a shower gel bottle incorporating the present invention with the hook structure in extended position;
Figs. 4 to 6 are respectively a front perspective view, a rear perspective view and a side view of the bottle in its suspension, i.e. hook structure extended, position; and
Figs. 7 and 8 are front and rear elevations of a shower gel bottle fitted with an alternative hook structure.

The container in the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 6 is a moulded plastics bottle 10 for shower gel.
The bottle 10 has a main body 11 of generally oval cross-section and a neck portion 12. The latter mounts a flip-up closure cap or a lid 13 which, when up, exposes a delivery outlet or nozzle (not shown) for gel egress. Adjacent the closure cap or lid 13 is a recess 14 on the neck portion 12 to facilitate the opening flip action by a user's finger.
The main body 11 of the bottle 10 is recessed for part of its length and particularly at each of its narrow sides as indicated at 15 and is also recessed at its bottom and front as indicated at 16 (see Figs. 4 and 5).
The upper portion of the container body 11 is embellished with a recess and flange configuration as indicated at 17 and at its front with an upwardly-directed arrowhead configuration 18 pointing towards the finger recess 14.
A hook structure 19 is slidably associated with the bottle 10.
The hook structure 19 may be formed of a resilient plastics material or of a resilient metal (e.g. spring steel). It is preferably of a different colour to the bottle 10 but not necessarily so.
The hook structure 19 is of T-configuration with the cross-bar 20 lying across the back of the bottle 10 and the ends of the cross-bar 20 being bent round to embrace the front of the bottle 10 as indicated at 21. The cross-bar 20 and the ends 21 thereof lie within the recessing 15, the ends 15A of the recessing 15 defining stops. The stem 22 of the T is directed towards the bottom of the bottle 10 and its free end is formed into a hook 23 which extends around to the front of the bottle 10 and which is receivable within the bottom and front recess 16.
A coloured arrow indicator 24 of the same colour as the hook structure 19 is applied to the arrowhead configuration 18 to facilitate usage, i.e. it indicates to the user the opening recess 14 of the bottle 10.
As can be seen from Figs. 1 to 3, the hook structure 19, in its retracted position, is contiguous with and lies wholly within the peripheral surface limits of the bottle 10 so that the latter can be filled conventionally and packed, transported and sales-presented in its shorter, less bulky configuration.
In use, the hook structure 19 is extended (see Figs. 4 to 6) and the bottle 10 can be hung from a rail 25 as shown for storage and/or use, the closure cap or lid 13 being flipped open downwards.
The hook structure 19 can be telescoped to the Figs. 1 to 3 position, if desired when the bottle 10 is not in use, and the bottle 10 stored in a cabinet for example.
In an alternative constructions, Figs. 7 and 8, the bottle 30 has a generally oval shaped (cross-section) body 31 with an open neck 32 closed by a cap 33 having an outlet (not shown) closed by a flip-up lid 34.
The body 31 as recessed at its narrow sides as indicated at 35, the ends 35A of the recessing 35 defining limiting stops.
The hook structure 36 is generally of Y-configuration, the ends 37 of the fork 38 of the Y being bent around the narrow sides of the body 31 and being slidable along and within the recessing 35.
The stem 39 of the Y is directed towards the bottom of the bottle 30 and terminates in a hook 40, the stem 39 and hook 40 being parallel with the adjacent side or face of the bottle body 31 in the retracted position and being an extension of this side or face in the suspension positions (see Fig.8).
The hook 23 or 40 may take the form of a closed ring and references herein and in the claims to "hook" and "hook structure" should be construed accordingly.

Claims

A container having a hook structure (19, 36) permitting the container (10,30) to be hung on a rail (25) or other structural component for storage or for use, characterised in that the hook structure (19, 36) is longitudinally slidably attached thereto and movable between a position where the hook structure (19, 36) is retracted alongside the container body (11, 31) and a position where it is extended longitudinally from the container body (11, 31) for container suspension purposes.
A container as claimed in claim 1 wherein the container body (11, 31) is provided with recessing (15, 35) whereby the hook structure (19, 36) when retracted lies within the outer peripheral surface limits of the container body (11, 31).
A container as claimed in claim 2 wherein the recessing (15, 35) provides guides for the sliding action of the hook structure (19, 36) and also stops (15A, 35A) for limiting the longitudinal sliding action of the hook structure (19, 36) between its retracted and extended positions.
A container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the hook structure (19, 36) is fitted to the container (10, 30) with a snap-on action.
A container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the hook structure (19, 36) is inseparable from the container (10, 30) without damage to or breakage of the hook structure (19, 36).
A container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the hook structure (19) is of a T-configuration and is provided with cross-bar ends (21) bent to embrace the recessing (15) in the sides of the container body (11) and wherein the hook structure stem (22) is bent at its free end to form a suspension hook (23) adapted in the retracted position of the hook structure (19) to be accommodated within a recess (16) in the base of the container body (11).
A container as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the hook structure (36) is of Y-configuration with the fork ends (37) bent to embrace the recessing (35) in the sides of the container body (31) and wherein the stem (39) of the Y terminates in a suspension hook (40), the stem (39) and hook (40) lying parallel with a face of the container body (31).