GB1577385A

GB1577385A - Bottle and cap

Info

Publication number: GB1577385A
Application number: GB745278A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: ROCKWARE PLASTICS Ltd
Current assignee: ROCKWARE PLASTICS Ltd
Priority date: 1978-02-24
Filing date: 1978-02-24
Publication date: 1980-10-22

Description

(54) BOTTLE AND CAP (71) We, ROCKWARE PLASTICS LIMITED, a British Company of Lower Ham Road, Kingston-on-Thames, Surrey KT2 5AE, 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:- The present invention relates to an improved container and cap for a cosmetic composition.

Roll on type cylindrical containers and caps are well known. In such containers as are currently being manufactured the ball housing is separated from the body of the container by a neck and end regions of the body adjacent the neck are threaded to receive a cap. The side wall of the cap is internally threaded at its end to engage the screw thread on the body. Although this construction has proved satisfactory with relatively small applicator balls, it is inherently bulky and cannot be used for a one inch diameter applicator ball without unacceptable increase in the diameter of the container and making the cap unduly large in proportion to the body. The customer preference is for a long slim container, and the injection moulding industry cannot provide a bottle of this desirable shape and incorporating an applicator ball which is relatively large compared to the container diameter.

Accordingly, the invention comprises a roll-on container and cap for a cosmetic composition to be applied to the body comprising: a hollow container for the composition; a ball housing communicating with the container and projecting from an end wall thereof, said ball housing being formed externally with a threaded circumferential land positioned so as to coincide approximately with an equatorial plane of an applicator ball rotatably supported within the ball housing: a cap having a seat projecting from an internal end wall and a side wall internally threaded to engage the threaded land of the ball housing with the seat urging the applicator ball tightly against the inner portion of the ball housing and with the rim of the cap extending beyond the ball housing towards the end wall of the body.

Preferably the container is cylindrical and its side wall is connected to its end wall by portions of reduced diameter defining a circumferential lip, and the rim of the cap is externally of the same diameter as the side wall of the container and engages into the lip.

An embodiment of the invention will now be illustrated by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a view in elevation of a container body; Figure 2 is an oblique view from above showing the container body and its cap; Figure 3 is a view of the top end of the container body in axial section; and Figure 4 is a view of the cap in axial section.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a generally cylindrical container of thermoplastics material such as polyethylene, polypropylene or ABS comprises a body 10 having a ball housing 11 on its upper end and separated from the body by a short neck 12 of reduced external diameter. A polystyrene or glass applicator ball 13 having a ground surface fits within the ball housing 11. The ball housing is formed with a circumferential land on which is formed a male thread 14.

It will be observed that the circumferential land approximately coincides with an equatorial plane of the applicator ball 13.

Between the neck 12 and the body 10 is a frustoconical mouth region of the body 15 which terminates at a circumferential recess or lip 16.

The internal configuration of the ball and ball housing is apparent from Figure 3.

The ball housing comprises an upwardly divergent frustoconical seat portion 20, a cylindrical centre section 21 defining the land for the screw thread and an outer retaining lip 22.

Figure 4 shows the cap which has a smooth sidewall base section 31, a centre sidewall section whose internal surface bears a female thread 32 positioned and dimensional correspondingly to the thread 14 on the container body, and a smooth walled top section 33.

The lid 34 of the cap is formed on its internal surface with an inwardly projecting wall 35 terminating in a ball seat 36 whose radius is less than the radius of the ball housing.

When the cap is screwed onto the container a portion of the ball 13 projecting from the housing is depressed by the seat 36 into tight engagement with the seat portion 20 of the ball housing and the rim 37 of the cap seats in the circumferential lip to impart to the container and cap assembly an attractive and streamlined appearance.

The bottle may be formed by injection blow moulding i.e., by injection moulding the neck and subsequently forming the body by means of blow moulding. The cap will normally be made by injection moulding.

It will be appreciated that various modifications may be made to the invention described and illustrated herein without departing from the invention as defined by the appended claims. For example the rim of the cap need not be of similar diameter to the diameter of the bottle but instead the diameter of the bottle could be much greater than that of the cap. The container body need not be cylindrical and almost any bottle shape would be satisfactory.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A roll-on container and cap for a cosmetic composition to be applied to the body comprising: a hollow container for the composition; a ball housing communicating with the container and projecting from an end wall thereof, said ball housing being formed externally with a threaded circumferential land positioned so as to coincide approximately with an equatorial plane of an applicator ball rotatably supported within the ball housing; a cap having a seat projecting from an internal end wall and a side wall internally threaded to engage the threaded land of the ball housing with the seat urging the applicator ball tightly against the inner portion of the ball housing and with the rim of the cap extending beyond the ball housing towards the end wall of the body.

2. A container according to Claim 1, wherein the container is cylindrical and its side wall is connected to its end wall by portions of reduced diameter defining a circumferential lip, and the rim of the cap is externally of the same diameter as the side wall of the container and engages into the lip.

3. A container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the ball housing communicates with the container via an intermediate neck of reduced external diameter, 4. A roll on container and cap for a cosmetic composition substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

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

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. Figure 4 shows the cap which has a smooth sidewall base section 31, a centre sidewall section whose internal surface bears a female thread 32 positioned and dimensional correspondingly to the thread 14 on the container body, and a smooth walled top section 33. The lid 34 of the cap is formed on its internal surface with an inwardly projecting wall 35 terminating in a ball seat 36 whose radius is less than the radius of the ball housing. When the cap is screwed onto the container a portion of the ball 13 projecting from the housing is depressed by the seat 36 into tight engagement with the seat portion 20 of the ball housing and the rim 37 of the cap seats in the circumferential lip to impart to the container and cap assembly an attractive and streamlined appearance. The bottle may be formed by injection blow moulding i.e., by injection moulding the neck and subsequently forming the body by means of blow moulding. The cap will normally be made by injection moulding. It will be appreciated that various modifications may be made to the invention described and illustrated herein without departing from the invention as defined by the appended claims. For example the rim of the cap need not be of similar diameter to the diameter of the bottle but instead the diameter of the bottle could be much greater than that of the cap. The container body need not be cylindrical and almost any bottle shape would be satisfactory. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A roll-on container and cap for a cosmetic composition to be applied to the body comprising: a hollow container for the composition; a ball housing communicating with the container and projecting from an end wall thereof, said ball housing being formed externally with a threaded circumferential land positioned so as to coincide approximately with an equatorial plane of an applicator ball rotatably supported within the ball housing; a cap having a seat projecting from an internal end wall and a side wall internally threaded to engage the threaded land of the ball housing with the seat urging the applicator ball tightly against the inner portion of the ball housing and with the rim of the cap extending beyond the ball housing towards the end wall of the body.

3. A container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the ball housing communicates with the container via an intermediate neck of reduced external diameter,

4. A roll on container and cap for a cosmetic composition substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.