GB1576523A

GB1576523A - Roll-on type fluid applicator with sealing means

Info

Publication number: GB1576523A
Application number: GB2213377A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: W Braun Co
Current assignee: TricorBraun Holdings Inc
Priority date: 1976-05-27
Filing date: 1977-05-25
Publication date: 1980-10-08
Also published as: DE2724099A1; CA1078783A; DE2724099C2

Description

(54) ROLL-ON TYPE FLUID APPLICATOR WITH SEALING MEANS (71) We, W. BRAUN COMPANY, a corporation organized under the laws of the State of Delaware, United States of America, located at 300 North Can,al Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60606, United States of America, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention is directed to improvements in roll-on type fluid applicators, and the object of this invention is to provide improvements therein.The invention provides a cap or closure for the applicator with a flexible sealing member which engages the rim of the fitment of the applicator and establishes an effective seal therewith to seal the stored fluid in the applicator container and also prevent outside air from reaching the space under the cap between the established seal. The fitment has an annular seat or lower sealing ring for the rolling ball.

The cap sealing member and the lower sealing ring of the fitment will prevent the major portion of the ball, namely the portion extending above the lower sealing ring of the fitment, from drying up when in non-use position.

The invention also provides a cap or closure with flexible pressure applying means, e.g. fingers, which apply an axial pressure against the ball when the cap is in its cap closing position to cause the ball to move downwardly or inwardly in the fitment to effectively seat on a lower sealing ring in the lower portion of the filament to prevent passage of any fluid from the container.

The invention also provides a cap or closure with flexible pressure applying means, e.g. fingers, and a flexible sealing ring which will accommodate and compensate for the dimensional variability and fits and tolerances between the fitment and ball, and the cap and fitment so that the cap sealing member will at all times contact the rim of the fitment to establish an effective seal and the ball will at all times seat in a sealing position against its seat or sealing ring in the lower portion of the fitment.

The invention also provides a fitment with means which serves as leaf springs to lift the ball and press it against a secondary sealing lip at the mouth of the fitment to seal the contents of the bottle while the cap is off the bottle to prevent loss of fluid if the bottle is tipped or capsized.

The invention also provides means for trapping the air within the cap or closure and provides means for sealing the ball with respect to the fitment, thereby preventing both leakage and evaporation.

Fig. 1 is la view partly in section showing a plastics material formed bottle with an integral fitment and showing the cap or closure applied thereto.

Fig. 1 A is an enlarged fragmentary view of a portion of Fig. 1.

Fig. 2 is a view of the cap taken substantially through the center thereof.

Fig. 3 is a view taken on lines 3-3 of Fig. 2 from the underside of the cap and showing particularly the spaced pressure fingers which app]y an axial pressure on the ball or sphere and showing the annular sealing member on the inside of the cap.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing one of the pressure applying fingers.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view showing a modified form of rim of a fitment with the sealing member of the cap in engagement therewith, the rim having an inwardly stepped portion.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but showing the rim similar to Figs. 1 and lk but with the sealing member of the cap in engagement with the beveled edge thereof.

Fig. 7 is a view of a modified rim fitment in which the sealing member engages the stepped surface.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged central sectional view showing a separately formed plastics material fitment of a modified construction and showing it secured to a bottle (e.g. of glass). The modified fitment has means serv- ing as leaf springs to normally lift the ball and press it against the secondary sealing lip or rim lip at the mouth of the fitment.

It also shows the position of the ball in its normal upper position, sdch as when the cap is not screwed down tight relative to the container.

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 8 but with the cap screwed down and the pressure applying iingers of the cap applying the axial pressure to the ball to urge the ball downwardly or inwardly in sealing engagement with the lower sealing ring of the fitment and simultaneously depressing- the leaf spring means.

Fig. 10 is a plan view taken on lines 10v10 of Fig, 8. - The container or bottle in this embodiment is formed integrally with the fitment, all rngde of a plastics material, preferably linear polyethylene. The container body is generally indicated at 10 and includes neck 12 which is externally threaded as at 13. Extending upwardly and formed integrally with the neck is a fitment or collar generally indicated at 14 which serves to hold the rolling ball or sphere, generally indicated at 16. More specifically, extending inwardly from the top of the neck is an upwardly in dined annular portion 17 which then inclines upwardly and outwardly to form an annular wall 18.The lower end of the in terror, of the annular wall 18 forms an annular seat or lower sealing ring 20. The annular wall 18 extends upwardly to form an inwardly extending upper edge or rim 22 which has a top flat surface 23. The upper edge or rim 22 is at the mouth of the fitment and forms an annular opening 24 at the mouth of the-fitment into which the ball or sphere 16 is inserted. The inner edge or lip 26 of the flat top surface 23 forms a rim lip or secondary sealing lip at the mouth of the fitment. The portion defined by the.

sealing ring 20, annular wall 18, vertical wall 21, tin} 22 and- rim lip 26 seats and holds the rolling ball 16. The ball extends outwardly of, the upper edge or rim 22. In this embodiment, the rim 22 is beveled or cham fered-,- and the sealing rim of the cap to be subsefWluently described engages the flat top surface 23 of the rim 22.

In the embodiments of the fitment shown in Figs.: 5, 6 and 7, the fitments therein are like that described in connection with Figs.

1 and 1A, except that the rims are shaped differently and therefore when those, figures will be described, only the rim portion of those fitments will be described in par ticularity; the remaining part of the said fit ments -. -. - other figures will be identi fied- ffie same numerals; as indicated for flog, 3;)and ' - The cap or closureg generally indicated at 28syis similar for connection to all of the bottle fitments whether the fitment is part of the bottle, as just described, or as will be described in connection with Figs. 5, 6 and 7, wherein the fitment is also part of the bottle orwhere the fitment' is separate and attachable to the bottle as shown in Figs. 8, 9 and 10, The cap or closure 28 is molded of a plastics material, such as polypropylene, and comprises a cylindrical body, 30 having a dome-shaped upper end indicated by the numeral 32. The cap is open art the bottom as at 34-and the lower inner wall thereof is internally threaded as at 36 for threaded engagement with the exteriorly threaded neck 13 of the container 10.Depending from the central portion of the dome are three downwardly extending pressure applying fingers 38 which are flexible and are integrally formed with the cap, each of said fingers sloping downwardly and outwardly as best shown in Figs. 2, 4, 8 and 9. The three pressure applying fingers 38 flex when they apply pressure to the ball as best illustrated in Fig. 9 and are spaced equidistant from each other in a triangular form so that if lines were drawn to said three spaced fingers, they would form an equilateral triangle. The pressure applying fingers 38 are positioned, as best shown in Fig. 3, spaced slightly away from the axis or center of the cap. The free end or tips of the fingers are rounded as at 39.Formed integrally with the cap and extending inwardly thereof at an inclined angle of approximately 30 degrees is an annular ring or sealing member generally indicated at 40 which is flexible and is positioned below the plane of the fingers 38 and within the dome-shaped portion of the cap. The annular flexible sealing member 40 has the widest portion adjacent the dome wall of the cap and tapers inwardly towards the outer edge or tip thereof as at 42.

In the normal position of the ball, such as when the applicator is being used and the ball is rolling over a surface to apply the fluid from the container to the surface, the inner edge or rim lip 26 of the rim 22 of the fitment will be in close contact with the ball and will form an effective seal and therefore provides a secondary sealing lip.

When the cap 28 is applied to close the top of the applicator, it is screwed onto the neck 12 of the container and as it is screwed downwardly in relation to the container, the flexible pressure applying fingers 38 will engage the upper exposed portion of the ball 16 and the flexible sealing ring 40, as shown in Figs. 1 and 1A, will be positioned against the flat top surface 23 of the rim 22 of the- fitment. The fingers 38 of the cap while flexing will apply a downward axial pressure against the ball 16 to cause the ball to move downwardly within the fit ment so that it seats on the seat or lower sealing ring 20 of the fitment and extends therebelow effectively sealing the area between the ball and the seat or lower sealing ring 20.The inwardly inclined flexible sealing-member 40 of the cap will engage the flat top edge 23 of the rim 22 of the fitment and will flex and form an effective seal therewith between the ball and the fitment and between the cap and the ball. By means of the annular seal 40, the air will be trapped in the area indicated by the ,letter A under the dome shape of the cap between the annular sealing member 40 and the - top edge of the rim of the fitment, thereby preventing leakage and evaporation.

When the fingers 38 apply a downward axial pressure against the ball, the downward movement of the ball causes the ball sometimes to be disengaged from the lip rim 26 (as best illustrated in the Fig. 9 embodiment), but that disengagement will not permit leakage from the container as the ball is in engagement with the lower sealing ring 20 of the fitment.

By virtue of the flexible lannular seal 40, and the flexible pressure fingers 38 which cause a downward pressure on the ball 16 to cause it to seat on the lower sealing ring or seat 40 of the fitment, the air will be trapped within the cap and the upper portion of the ball and therefore the cap sealing member 40 and the lower sealing member or seat 20 of the fitment will prevent the major portion of the ball, namely the portion extending above the lower sealing member 20 of the fitment, from drying up when in nonuse position. The flexibility of the pressure applying fingers 38 and the flexibility of the cap sealing member 40 will compensate for the dimensional variability and fit between the fitment and ball and the cap and fitment and yet provide an effective sealing of the parts.

The cap or closure 28 its the same whether used with fitments which are an integral part of the bottle as described or are separate therefrom and attached to a bottle, such as shown in Figs. 8, 9 and 10. The identical cap 28 with the sealing member 40 is used with fitments which have different shaped upper edges or rims. For example, the sealing member 40 will fit within the inside stepped upper edge or rim 44 of the fitment 14a as shown in Fig. 5. In Fig. 6 the sealing member 40 will engage the beveled rim 221 which is like the rim shown in Figs. 1 and 1A. In Fig. 7 the sealing member 40 will engage the corner edge of the stepped rim 48 of the fitment 14c.

Figs. 8, 9 and 10 show a modified fitment which is formed of a plastic material, preferably a low density polyethylene. It is secured to a glass bottle. It is not formed integrally with the bottle or container as the fitments previously described. The modified fitment is generally designated by the numeral 50 and is secured to a bottle or container gener ally indicated by the numeral 52. The bottle or container 52 has a reduced neck 54 which is exteriorly shaped as at 56 to receive and, be secured to the skirt portion 58 of the fitment. The neck of the bottle has external threads 60 which are to be engaged by the internal threads 36 of the cap 28 previously described.The fitment 50 comprises the lower annular skirt 58 which forms a lock ing engagement with the bottle as described.

Extending upwardly and inwardly of the skirt is an intermediate annular portion 62 and extending upwardly thereof is an annu lar vertical wall 64 which then continues upwardly and inwardly at an inclined angle to form the annular rim 66 of the fitment.

The top edge of the rim 66 has a flat sur face 67. The inside upper edge of the rim has a rim lip 68 at the mouth of the fitment which forms a secondary sealing lip similar to rim lip 26.

The intermediate annular portion 62 of the fitment has on the inside wall thereof a downwardly and inwardly inclined annular wall surface 70 having a bottom annular edge which forms a lower sealing ring 72.

Extending below the sealing ring edge 72 and inclined in the reverse or opposite direc tion is a short annular wall portion 74 which extends outwardly away from the sealing ring 72. Extending inwardly from the inter mediate wall are inwardly and downwardly inclined spaced arcuate-shaped members 76 which serve as leaf springs and on which the ball rests. These leaf spring means 76 will normally be positioned as shown in Fig.

8 to form the lower seat for the ball. How ever, when axial pressure is applied to the top of the ball as shown in Fig. 9, the leaf spring means 76 will be tensioned down wardly to the position shown in Fig. 9 and the ball, which is not then in engagement with the sealing ring 72, will engage said sealing ring 72 and effectively seal the con tents of the container between the ball and said sealing ring.

In the position shown in Fig. 8 where the cap is not screwed down tightly with re spect to the container, the rim lip or second ary sealing lip 68 at the rim of the fitment is in sealing engagement with the sphere or ball. When pressure is applied as in Fig. 9 and the ball is pushed downwardly or in wardly by means of the fingers 38, the ball will then be out of contact with the second ary sealing lip 68.When the ball is in the position shown in Fig. 9 all effective seal is established between the lower sealing ring 72 and the ball to prevent any of the liquid contents of the container from passing out therefrom. Also, in this position the sealing ring 40 of the cap is flexed upwardly from the position shown in Fig. 8 to that shown in Fig.- 9-so that it forms-a positive seal witch the rim of the fitment. In both the Fig. 8 and Fig. 9 positions the air is trapped under the dome of the cover defined by the letter B between the sealing member 40 arid the rim of the fitment.

While the pieferred embodiment shows the cap to be dome' shaped, it may be flat or of' any other~desired shape. While three pressure fingers are illustrated, there may be any plural number of such pressure fingers.

While the pressure fingers are preferably inclined, they may extend on a vertical axis or at any other angle and may have a dif ferent 'configuration from that shown and described. The configuration of the leaf spring 76 may vary from that shown. These modifications are intended to be embraced within the scope of the appended claims.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A combination comprising a ball type fitment or collar, a cap or closure therefor, said combination including a container having an outlet end, a ball type fitment at the outlet end of said container, said fitment formed of a plastics material and having a rim adjacent the mouth thereof, a ball received in said fitment and held therein for rotatable movement with a portion of said ball extending above said rim and normally exposed when in use, a cap detachably secured to said container to cover said fitment, said cap having a top, downwardly extending pressure applying means formed integrally with said top and extending downwardly for engagement with the ball, a sealing member formed integrally with said cap and extending inwardly of tht interior of said cap, said sealing member extending lower with respect to said top than the downwardly extending pressure applying means, said cap, when tightened with respect to the container, covering the normally exposed portion of the bell with the downwardly extending pressure applying means bearing against the normally exposed portion of the ball to urge said ball inwardly in the direction of the container and the sealing member adapted to engage the rim of the fitment to trap the air within the upper portion of the cap above the se'al- ing member and prevent outside air from entering said space.

2. A combination as claimed in claim 1 wherein the downwardly pressure applying means comprises a plurality of downwardly extending fingers.

3. A combination as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 in which the cap sealing member is flexible and the pressure applying means are flexible, whereby they can accommodate and compensate for dimensional variability between the fitment and ball and between the cap and fitment and yet provide effective sealing therebetween.

4. - A combination as claimed in any preceding claim in which the fitment has a - lower sealing member or seat on which the ball rests and in which the major area of the ball extending above the - lower sealing member of the fitment will be prevented from - drying up when said cap is tightened with respect to the container.

5. A combination as claimed on any preceding claim in combination with claim 2 in which the top of the cap is dome-shaped and in which the plurality of fingers are centrally positioned on the underside of the dome-shaped top and are inclined outwardly or away from the axis of the cap and in which the fingers flex when they apply pressure against the ball.

6. A combination as claimed in any preceding claim in which the sealing member of the cap is flexible and is inclined inwardly at an angle of approximately 30 degrees and in which the sealing member flexes when the cap is tightened with respect to the container.

and in which the pressure applying means are flexible.

7. A combination as claimed in any preceding claim in which the fitment is formed integrally with the container.

8. A combination as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6 in which the fitment is separate from the container and is attachable to the container.

9. A combination as claimed in claim 8 in which the fitment has means for supporting the lower end of the ball, said means being formed integrally with said fitment and normally urging said ball upwardly and in which the fitment has a lower sealing ring formed on the inside of the fitment positioned upward of said last-mentioned means.

10. A combination as claimed in claim 9 in which the means for supporting the lower end of the ball is inclined inwardly and downwardly at an angle and in which it flexes and serves as a leaf spring to normally urge the ball upwardly, and in which the pressure applying means urge the ball downwardly or inwardly to contact said lower sealing ring and simultaneously flexing said leaf spring means.

11. A combination as claimed in claim 9 or claim 10 in which the means for supporting the lower end of the ball is comprised of a plurality of spaced segments.

12. A combination comprising a balltype filament, a cap and a container, the combination being substantially as shown in and hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 1 to 4 or Fig. 5 or Fig. 6 or Fig. 7 or Figs. 8 to 10 of the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. in Fig.- 9-so that it forms-a positive seal witch the rim of the fitment. In both the Fig. 8 and Fig. 9 positions the air is trapped under the dome of the cover defined by the letter B between the sealing member 40 arid the rim of the fitment. While the pieferred embodiment shows the cap to be dome' shaped, it may be flat or of' any other~desired shape. While three pressure fingers are illustrated, there may be any plural number of such pressure fingers. While the pressure fingers are preferably inclined, they may extend on a vertical axis or at any other angle and may have a dif ferent 'configuration from that shown and described. The configuration of the leaf spring 76 may vary from that shown. These modifications are intended to be embraced within the scope of the appended claims. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A combination comprising a ball type fitment or collar, a cap or closure therefor, said combination including a container having an outlet end, a ball type fitment at the outlet end of said container, said fitment formed of a plastics material and having a rim adjacent the mouth thereof, a ball received in said fitment and held therein for rotatable movement with a portion of said ball extending above said rim and normally exposed when in use, a cap detachably secured to said container to cover said fitment, said cap having a top, downwardly extending pressure applying means formed integrally with said top and extending downwardly for engagement with the ball, a sealing member formed integrally with said cap and extending inwardly of tht interior of said cap, said sealing member extending lower with respect to said top than the downwardly extending pressure applying means, said cap, when tightened with respect to the container, covering the normally exposed portion of the bell with the downwardly extending pressure applying means bearing against the normally exposed portion of the ball to urge said ball inwardly in the direction of the container and the sealing member adapted to engage the rim of the fitment to trap the air within the upper portion of the cap above the se'al- ing member and prevent outside air from entering said space.

and in which the pressure applying means are flexible.