EP0983198A1

EP0983198A1 - Liquid container having squeezer and inner lid therefor

Info

Publication number: EP0983198A1
Application number: EP97920129A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Masaharu Yoshino Kogyosho Co. Ltd. MATSUMOTO; Tatsuya Taniguchi
Original assignee: Yoshino Kogyosho Co Ltd; Procter and Gamble Co
Current assignee: Yoshino Kogyosho Co Ltd; Procter and Gamble Co
Priority date: 1996-04-08
Filing date: 1997-04-03
Publication date: 2000-03-08
Also published as: EP0983198A4; CA2251385A1; JP3336353B2; WO1997037893A1; JPH09272560A

Abstract

An inner lid tube (4), which is secured inside a mouth tube (7) of a liquid container (6) with a squirt (8) is comprised of a squeezer (2) shaped like a spiral slope around nearly the whole inner surface therof. The squeezer (2) is provided intermittently with a slit (S), and it is also provided with a little space (G) which prevents that the top edge and the bottom edge of the squeezer (2) do not pile up in the vertical direction, so that a liquid sticked around the squirt (8) can be smoothly squeezed and returns into the container (6), and that the inner lid (1) can be easily drawn from the mold. The liquid container is preferably employed for cosmetic products.

Description

LIQUID CONTAINER HAVING SQUEEZER AND INNER LID THEREFOR

FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to a liquid container with a squirt which draws a liquid out of the container. It also relates to an inner lid with a squeezer secured to a mouth tube of a container. The inner lid with a squeezer squeezes an outer surface of a suction tube of a squirt and removes the liquid sticked therearound while the squirt is pulled out of or put back into the container. The liquid container is preferably employed for cosmetic products.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A container with a squirt capable of drawing a liquid out of the container with the squirt is widely known. This type of container is such that when it is closed, a suction tube of the squirt stays in a liquid in the container, and when the squirt is pulled out of the container, some liquid is also pulled out of the container with the squirt sticking to an outer surface of the suction tube. This causes such troubles that the liquid sticked to the suction tube often drips on things such as floor and spoils them. It also sticks to the mouth of the container and makes it dirty and disturbs an easy opening of a cap ofthe container.

A container with a squeezer disclosed in Japanese utility model publication No. 4-23819 is invented to resolve such problem. This invention is that a ring-shaped squeezer is secured to a mouth of a container, and a tube portion of the squirt is put in an opening ofthe ring ofthe squeezer. When the squirt is pulled out of or put into the container, the outer surface of the tube portion thereof is squeezed by the squeezer, and some liquid sticked around the tube portion is squeezed out and drops in the container through a number of openings provided around the squeezer.

According to this prior art, the inner surface of the ring-shaped squeezer squeezes the outer surface of the tube portion ofthe squirt and squeezes the liquid out of the outer surface of the squirt, so that it is assured that the squeezed liquid returns to the remained liquid in the container and it does not stain either the mouth of the container or things therearound.

However, the prior art has such problem that since the squeezer is simply a ring shape, the liquid squeezed by the squeezer sticks around the bottom portion of the squeezer and stays there instead of dropping into the remained liquid in the container. This deteriorates squeezing ability of the squeezer within a short period of time. Further, as the squeezer is simply a ring shape, the squeezed liquid tends to remain at an area between the squeezer and the tube portion of the squirt. This also deteriorates the squeezing ability of the squeezer.

Since the squeezer according to this prior art is a ring shape, even if it comprises a cutting, it still makes a face contact with the squirt. This face contact arises considerably large frictional resistance, so that the up-down movement of the squirt through the opening ofthe squeezer cannot be smoothly done.

The squeezer is formed as a part of an inner lid which is tightly fixed inside the mouth of the container. Supposing the inner lid with a squeezer is molded with soft synthetic material by an injection mold, it is not easy to draw the inner lid from the mold after molding because the squeezer is simply a straight ring shape having some height.

Therefore, an object of the invention is to provide a container with a squirt and an inner lid with a squeezer, each of which has higher ability of squeezing a liquid out of an outer surface of the squirt. They prevent that the squeezed liquid drips undesired place such as a mouth of a container. Another object of the inventions is to provide a container with a squirt and an inner lid with a squeezer which is easy to use and easy to be molded.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Briefly stated, a liquid container according to one aspect of the invention comprises a squirt; a mouth tube through which the squirt being put into the container; and an inner lid with a squeezer tightly secured inside the mouth tube. The inner lid comprises an inner tube fixed inside the mouth tube, and a squeezer formed nearly the whole round of the inner surface of the inner tube, the squeezer being shaped as a spiral slope. The squeezer comprises a slit passing through the spiral slope; and a vertical gap provided between the top edge and the bottom edge of the spiral slope. The vertical gap is at least 1 millimeter.

In another aspect of the invention, an inner lid comprises a squeezer made of soft elastic material, being secured inside a mouth tube of a liquid container, through the mouth tube a squirt being put into the container. The inner lid comprises a squeezer formed around the inside surface of an inner tube tightly secured inside the mouth tube, making an elastic contact at its inner edge portion with an outer surface of a suction tube of the squirt; a slit being provided intermittently in the circular direction passing through the squeezer; and a little space being provided in the circular direction between the top edge and the bottom edge of the squeezer. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 is an elevational view partly in section of a liquid container of one embodiment according to the invention.

Fig. 2 is an elevational view in section ofthe inner lid shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an elevational view partly in section ofthe inner lid shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a top view ofthe inner lid shown in Fig. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The liquid container according to one aspect of the invention is a liquid container with a squirt comprising a mouth tube into which the squirt is tightly secured, and an inner lid with a squeezer secured to the mouth tube. The inner lid with a squeezer comprises an inner tube secured inside the mouth tube of the container, and a squeezer shaped as a spiral slope along nearly the whole circumference of an inner surface of the inner tube. The squeezer of the inner lid comprises slits which pass through the spiral slope in the vertical direction. There is

at least a gap of one millimeter (1 mm) between the top portion and the bottom portion ofthe spiral slope.

In another aspect of the invention, an inner lid has a squeezer secured inside a mouth tube of a container, which is made of elastic synthetic resin. The lid with a squeezer comprises an inner tube tightly fixed into the mouth tube of the container, and a squeezer formed around the inner surface of the inner tube. The inner edge of the squeezer makes an elastic contact with a suction tube of a squirt. The squeezer is formed along nearly the whole circumference of the inner surface of the inner tube and it is formed like a spiral slope. The squeezer is provided with a number of slits, each of which intermittently makes an opening through the spiral slope. A little space is provided in the circular direction between the top edge and the bottom edge of the squeezer.

It is desirable that the direction ofthe spiral slope ofthe squeezer is against the direction ofthe screw of a cap securing the squirt.

According to the invention, the squeezer comprises a slit, so that some liquid sticked around a suction tube of a squirt is effectively squeezed out of the squirt with less frictional resistance, and the squeezed liquid smoothly returns to the bottom in the container.

The invention is handled as such that a cap provided with a squirt is removed from a mouth tube of a container. While a suction tube of the squirt is pulled out of the container in the upper direction, some liquid sticked around an outer surface of the suction tube of the squirt is squeezed out by the squeezer and it returns into the bottom of the container.

The inner edge of the squeezer makes an elastic contact with an outer surface of the suction tube of the squirt, that is, the inner edge makes a line contact and not a surface contact with the suction tube. Therefore, the problem that the inner edge's firm elastic contact with the suction tube is deteriorated because a lot of liquid stays at an area between the outer surface of the suction tube and the inner edge of the squeezer will hardly happen. Further, since the squeezer is spirally sloped, the squeezed liquid smoothly returns to the bottom in the container along the slope, and it does not stay around the contacting area between the suction tube and the squeezer.

The squeezer is shaped as a spiral slope around the inner surface of the inner tube except the area that the little space is provided, so that the squeezer makes an elastic contact at its nearly the whole inner surface with the suction tube of the squirt. Further, the squeezer is downwardly sloped in the circular direction, so that the liquid squeezed by the squeezer runs smoothly along the slope and gathers at the bottom edge thereof and then drops into the bottom ofthe container.

The squeezer makes an elastic and line contact with the suction tube of the squirt at its inner edge. Further, the squeezer is provided with the slits which make openings through the squeezer. Therefore, the inner edge portion of the squeezer easily deform s elasitically, and only a little frictional resistance arises between the squeezer and the suction tube while moving against each other. The squirt can be smoothly put in and pulled out ofthe container.

A little space is provided in the circular direction between the top edge and the bottom edge of the squeezer, so that a core and a die of a mold for molding the inner lid with a squeezer can be shaped such that they can smoothly move in the opposite

directions with each other along the central axis of the inner lid. Thus, the inner lid with a squeezer can be released from the mold easily.

The spiral of the squeezer is advanced in the direction against the direction of the screw of the cap with a squirt screwed to the mouth tube of the container, so that while the cap is unscrewed from the mouth tube and is being pulled up, the inner edge portion ofthe squeezer faces the outer surface of the suction tube substantially longer in length than its actual length. Therefore, the inner edge portion of the squeezer can make an elastic contact with the entire outer surface in the circular direction of the suction tube ofthe squirt. Fig. 1 shows an elevational view partly in section of a liquid container with a squirt comprising an inner lid with a squeezer 1. The inner lid with a squeezer 1 is air tightly secured into the mouth tube 7 ofthe main body 6.

A cap with a squirt 8 is screwed to the mouth tube 7 of the main body 6 capable of removing. The cap with a squirt 8 comprises a squirt 10 which is comprised of a suction tube 1 1 and a suction head 12 which is made of soft elastic material and is secured to the top of the suction tube 11. The suction head 12 projects from the top wall ofthe main part 9 ofthe cap 8.

The inner lid with a squeezer 1, which is molded with elastic soft material such as LLDPE (Low-pressure Low-density Polyethylene), comprises an inner tube 4 molded a circular shape and secured air tightly into the mouth tube 7 ofthe main body 6. A squeezer 2 is projected inwardly from the inner surface ofthe inner tube 4, and a top brim 12 is projected outwardly from the top portion of the inner tube 4 providing a securing position of the inner lid 8 against the main body 6 ofthe container.

The squeezer 2 is provided intermittently with three slits 3 along its circular direction (See Fig. 4). The slits 3 are similar in length. The squeezer 2 is formed along nearly the entire inner surface of the inner tube 4 forming a spiral shape. The spiral is directed against the screw ofthe cap 9.

A little space S is provided in the circular direction between the top edge and the bottom edge of the squeezer 2, which enables an easy release of the inner lid 1 from the mold which is moved in the vertical direction after completion of molding (See Fig. 3 and 4).

There is also provided a vertical gap G in the squeezer 2, which is arranged at least 1 millimeter. The height of the vertical gap G is determined depending on a degree of viscosity of a liquid to enable the liquid to smoothly flow along the squeezer 2 and drop in the container. Preferably, the height of the vertical gap G should be between about 2 millimeters and 5 millimeters.

Both the vertical gap G and the slits 3 according to the invention allow the squirt 10 to smoothly move into and out of the main body 6 with appropriate frictional resistance. That is, by an effect of the vertical gap G, the squirt 10 can be put into and pulled out of the mouth tube 7 of the container by a wider angle. The slits 3 increase the softness and the elasticity ofthe inner edge portion ofthe squeezer 2. Therefore, while an user pulls in or pulls out the squirt 10 declining it as he feels comfortable, the liquid sticked to the squirt 10 can be effectively removed from the squirt 10 with sufficient frictional resistance. The inner surface of the inner tube 4 is divided into two, an upper portion and an lower portion, by the squeezer 2. The inner surface of each portion is slightly tapered to smoothly draw the inner lid 1 from the mold.

Further, the preferred embodiment shown in Fig. 1 provides such conveniences described below.

The squeezer 2 is formed as a spiral slope in the circular direction, so that the liquid squeezed by the squeezer 2 gathers by its empty weight at the bottom edge of the squeezer 2 and drops into the container. By this, smooth return of the squeezed liquid into the container is ensured.

The squeezer 2 makes an elastic contact with the suction tube 11 of the squirt 10 at its inner edge and it is down sloped in the circular direction, so that the liquid squeezed by the squeezer 2 does not stay around the area the squeezer and the squirt make contact each other. Therefore, the squeezing efficiency of the squeezer 2 is stabilized for a long time.

The little space S is provided in the circular direction between the top edge and the bottom edge of the squeezer 2, that is, it is structured such that the top edge does not pile up the bottom edge, so that drawing the inner lid 1 from the mold is easily accomplished. Thus, the inner lid 1 according to the present invention can be molded safely and effectively.

The spiral ofthe squeezer 2 is directed against the direction of the screw ofthe cap, so that the circular length of the inner edge portion of the squeezer 2 which makes an elastic contact with the suction tube 11 is substantially enlarged, and that the whole circumference of the suction tube 11 can be squeezed with the squeezer 2 even the little space S is provided in the squeezer 2. The complete squeeze of the remained liquid around the suction tube 11 ofthe squirt 10 is ensured.

According to the invention, the remained liquid around the suction tube of the squirt can be easily removed with sufficient frictional resistance and the squeezed liquid smoothly returns to the container.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A liquid container comprising: a squirt; a mouth tube through which the squirt being put into the container; and an inner lid with a squeezer tightly secured inside the mouth tube; the inner lid with a squeezer comprising: an inner tube fixed inside the mouth tube; and a squeezer formed nearly the whole round of the inner surface of the inner tube, the squeezer being shaped as a spiral slope; the squeezer comprising: a slit passing through the spiral slope; and a vertical gap provided between the top edge and the bottom edge of the spiral slope, the vertical gap being at least 1 millimeter.

2. An inner lid comprising a squeezer made of soft elastic material, being secured inside a mouth tube of a liquid container, through the mouth tube a squirt being put into the container, the inner lid comprising: a squeezer formed around the inside surface of an inner tube tightly secured inside the mouth tube, making an elastic contact at its inner edge portion with an outer surface of a suction tube ofthe squirt; a slit being provided intermittently in the circular direction passing through the squeezer; and a little space being provided in the circular direction between the top edge and the bottom edge of the squeezer.

3. The inner lid according to Claim 2, wherein the spiral slope of the squeezer is directed against the direction of a screw of a cap comprising a squirt.