GB2195296A

GB2195296A - Roll-on dispensing container

Info

Publication number: GB2195296A
Application number: GB08718049A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Simon Wolman
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1986-07-30
Filing date: 1987-07-30
Publication date: 1988-04-07
Also published as: AU7628887A; GB8718049D0

Abstract

A roll-on dispensing container of the kind containing a rotatable ball applicator 14 trapped in a cage 10 mounted on the neck 2 of the container 1, is characterised in that the cage 10 is screwedly receivable on the neck of the container, the engagement of the cage on the neck providing a seal which avoids leakages despite repeated use of the cage on the same or different containers. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Roll-on dispensing container This invention relates to "roll-on" dispensing containers.

Containers of the above type incoporate a ball trapped within a cage moulded integrally with the neck of the container or mounted as a snap-on fit thereover, the ball protruding to a small extent from the cage. The ball in the case acts as a seal for the neck of the container but by inverting the latter and rolling the ball against a selected surface, cream or other material in the container is picked up by the surface of the rolling ball and transferred onto the surface engaged by the ball.

It is sometimes desirable to refill the container of a roll-on dispenser because the container may represent a material proportion of the cost of the product. Alternatively refill containers with ordinary closure caps may be obtained and the snap-on ball cage simply transferred from the empty to the full container in order to obtain a useful saving.

Refilling is not possible with dispensers hav- ing integrally moulded ball cages. With the removable snap-on ball cage refilling or exchange is possible but there is a tendency for leakages to occur between the cage and the neck of the container especially after a cage removal and refit. Furthermore the removal and replacement of the cage is sometimes a difficult operation. In order to make the task possible the cage must be formed from a relatively soft polymer material, such as low density polyethylene and such materials have a tendency to stress-crack, again giving rise to leakage problems.

It is an object of the invention to provide an alternative form of refillable roll-on dispenser which will provide superior sealing characteristics and may be made from the same harder or tougher polymer materials used to manufacture the container body.

According to the invention ball cage means for a roll-on dispensing container includes a tubular body, a thread towards one end of the body for mounting the cage on a mating thread on the neck of a container, and an open-ended ball-trapping compartment at the other end of the body, a ball- being receivable in the compartment as a press fit through a first peripheral lip on the internal wall of the body at its open end remote from the threaded end so that the ball is trapped between such first peripheral lip and a second peripheral lip on the internal wall of the body suitably spaced from the first internal peripheral lip so that a portion of the ball protrudes from the first peripheral lip.

Preferably the tubular body is internally threaded towards the said one end, the second peripheral lip defining the end of the ball trapping nompartment adjacent the thread and such second peripheral lip acting to bear aginst the end of a container neck, when the cage is screwed onto the container, thereby to provide a ring seal zone for the cage on the container.

The invention also includes within its scope a roll-on dispensing container which has a neck threaded to receive the above ball cage screwedly thereon. Preferably the cage is internally threaded and the container is externally threaded.

Preferably the container includes a second thread zone adapted to receive a screw cap which extends over the ball cage.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: Figure 1 is a side view, partly in section, of a roll-on dispensing container and ball cage; and Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view through the ball cage and top portion of the container.

A roll-on dispensing container as illustrated in the drawing includes a container body 1 having a neck 2 provided with a first external thread zone 3 at the end of the container and a second external thread zone 4 spaced downwardly from the first thread zone.

The container is equipped with a ball cage 10 comprising a tubular body which has an internal thread 11 towards the lower end of the tubular body and by means of which the cage is screwed onto the thread zone 3 of the container 1. The cage has an open-ended ball-trapping compartment at the end of the cage 10 remote from its thread 11, the compartment being defined by a first peripheral lip 13 on the internal wall of the cage body at its upper end remote from the thread and a second peripheral lip 12 on the internal wall of the cage body adjacent the thread 11.

A ball member 14 is trapped between the lips 12 and 13 of the cage 10 and is inserted into the cage as a press-fit through the mouth of the cage at its end defined by the lip 13.

Since the lips 12 and 13 engage the surface of the ball 14, the latter acts as a seal against fluid flow through the cage 10. By suitable spacing of lips 12 and 13 the ball 14 is held by such lips against axial movement and with a portion of the ball protruding from the first peripheral lip 13.

A screw cap 20 is provided for the container, the cap extending over the ball cage 10 so that its internal threaded zone 21 engages the second thread zone 4 on the container.

In use the container, filled with a paste-like fluid to be dispensed, is inverted so that fluid is deposited on the wall of the ball 14. By rolling the protruding tip of the ball against a surface, the fluid is transferred from the container onto such surface. When the container 1 is exhausted it may be refilled simply by screwing off the ball cage 10 to allow replenishment of the container through the open mouth thereof, whereafter the ball cage 10 is simply screwed back onto the first thread zone 3 of the container. Alternatively the empty container is discarded after removal of the ball cage 10 and the latter is simply screwed onto a fresh full container (not shown) which is equipped with a screw cap 20 but not with a ball cage 10.

When the ball cage 10 is screwed onto the container its second peripheral lip 12 engages sealingly with the peripheral extremity 5 of the container neck, thereby providing a ring or frustum seal zone effectively preventing leakage of fluid even though the ball cage is removed and replaced repeatedly. In order to obtain good sealing the lip 12 has a frustum profile seat which engages securely over a similar shaped extremity 5 of the container neck.

Claims

1. Ball cage means for a roll-on dispensing container including a tubular body, a thread towards one end of the body for mounting the cage on a mating thread on the neck of a container, and an open-ended ball-trapping compartment at the other end of the body, a ball being receivable in the compartment as a press fit through a first peripheral lip on the internal wall of the body at its open end remote from the threaded end so that the ball is trapped between such first peripheral lip and a second peripheral lip on the internal wall of the body suitably spaced from the first internal peripheral lip so that a portion of the ball protrudes from the first peripheral lip.

2. Ball cage means according to Claim 1 in which the tubular body is internally threaded towards the said one end thereof, the second peripheral lip defining the end of the ball trapping compartment adjacent the thread and such second peripheral lip acting to bear against the end of a container neck, when the cage is screwed onto the container, thereby to provide a ring seal zone for the cage on the container.

3. Ball cage means according to Claim 1 or 2 in which the second peripheral lip has a profiled seat to engage a mating profile on the end of a container neck.

4. Ball cage means substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

5. A roll-on dispensing container including a container body having a threaded neck, and ball cage means mounted on the container body, the ball cage comprising a tubular body, a thread towards one end of the body for mounting the cage on a mating thread on the neck of a container, and an open-ended balltrapping compartment at the other end of the body, a ball being receivable in the compartment as a press fit through a first peripheral lip on the internal wall of the body at its open end remote from the threaded end so that the ball is trapped between such first peripheral lip and a second peripheral lip on the internal wall of the body suitably spaced from the first internal peripheral lip so that a portion of the ball protrudes from the first peripheral lip.

6. A roll-on dispensing container as claimed in Claim 5, in which the neck of the container body is externally threaded to receive án internally threaded ball cage thereover, the second peripheral lip of the ball cage defining the end of the ball trapping compartment adjacent the thread and such second peripheral lip acting to bear against the end of a container neck to provide a ring seal zone for the cage on the container.

7. A roll-on dispensing container as claimed in Claim 5 or 6, in which the second peripheral lip has a profiled seat to engage a mating profile on the end of a container neck.

8. A roll-on dispensing container as claimed in Claim 5, 6 or Claim 7, in which the container includes a second external thread to receive a screw cap which extends over the ball cage.

9. A roll-on dispensing container substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.