GB2300173A - Base cover for a container - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a dispensing container 1 having a recessed undersurface 5 and a base cover 3 arranged to be permanently secured or removably secured for example by a snap-fit arrangement to the base 4, 5 of the container, whereby the base cover 3 and recessed undersurface 5 together define a chamber 10 for holding printed information or publicity material, and whereby at least a portion of the base cover 3 is displaceable to allow access to the chamber 10. The base cover may also have tactile information about the product, for example braille or indeed printed information 12. The cover if permanently secured may include an annular region of weakness (113, Fig 4) on the lower wall that defines a frangible portion to permit access to the chamber contents.

Description

BASE COVER FOR A CONTAINER The present invention relates to a base cover for a container, and in particular to a base cover for an aerosol container.

Aerosol dispensing containers are well known and such containers typically consist of a tubular metal body having an aerosol spray valve at the upper end, the aerosol spray valve being concealed beneath a plastics cap which clips over the necked upper edge of the container body.

It is becoming increasingly necessary with many consumer products, in order to meet the necessary legal requirements, to provide suitable information regarding the contents of the product, as well as warnings as to any precautions that need to be taken when using the product.

At present it can be difficult to provide all the necessary information by printing it on to the surface of the aerosol container without detracting from the aesthetic appearance of the container. A further problem is that for people with impaired vision, the size of lettering required to enable all the relevant information to be printed on the container means that it can often be too small to be read easily, if at all.

A further problem with conventional aerosol cans is that as a result of the domed undersurf ace of the base, and the protruding edge on the base of aerosol cans, it is usually necessary when packaging aerosol cans to provide a base, eg a cardboard base, onto which the cans are placed prior to shrink wrapping. If no cardboard base is provided, there exists a possibility that the protruding edge on the underside of the container would pierce the shrink wrap film.

The present invention sets out to overcome the aforementioned problems by providing a cap or cover which is attached to the underside of the aerosol container thereby enabling the domed recess usually found in the basis of aerosol containers to be used to accommodate printed matter carrying the necessary information about the product. Furthermore, the base cover may be provided with tactile information, for example information in braille form, to assist those members of the public having poor vision or indeed no vision at all.

Accordingly, in a first aspect, the invention provides a dispensing container having a recessed undersurface and a base cover arranged to be secured to the base of the container, whereby the base cover and recessed undersurface together define a chamber for holding printed information or publicity material, and whereby at least a portion of the base cover is displaceable to allow access to the chamber.

The dispensing container typically is an aerosol container, and for example is preferably of cylindrical form.

The base cover usually is formed from a plastics material. It may be arranged to clip over the base of the container, or may be secured to the base by means of adhesive, or by means of a tight interference fit, for example.

The printed information or publicity material will typically take the form of a folded paper information sheet bearing instructions on the use of the product, but they may also take the form of publicity material relating to sales information, special offers, competitions, vouchers, tokens, or promotional information on the product.

The base cover may advantageously be provided with surface indentations or protuberances providing tactile information about the product. For example, the base cover may contain information in braille.

The base cover may be provided with a main body portion which has means for securing it to the dispensing container; and a displaceable portion which is displaceable to allow access to the chamber for holding printed information or publicity material.

The displaceable portion may be fully detachable from the main body portion, or it may be partially detachable, e.g. it may be partially detached to form a hinged flap which can be lifted to allow access to the chamber.

The displaceable portion may be linked to the main body portion of the cover by a line or region of weakness or a frangible link.

When the base cover comprises a main body portion and a displaceable (e.g. detachable) portion, the main body portion will usually be provided with tactile information, e.g. instructions in braille, as hereinbefore defined.

Further advantages of the base cover are that it will form part of a tray for use in storing the aerosol container in warehousing and other retail shelves and its presence enables the product to be shrink wrapped without fear that the base of the aerosol can will rupture the shrink wrap film. Moreover, the presence of the base cover will conceal or even reduce the rusting of the container which often occurs when the container is used in a damp environment, for example in a bathroom.

It will be appreciated that the present invention relates to the base cover per se, and to the use of the base cover, as well as to the dispensing container fitted with the base cover.

The invention will now be illustrated, but not limited, by reference to the particular embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings of which: Figure 1 is a side elevation of an aerosol container in accordance with one embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a sectional elevation through the lower part of the aerosol container shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a side elevation of a container in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention; Figure 4 is a sectional elevation through the lower part of the container of Figure 3; and Figure 5 is a view from beneath of the container of Figures 3 and 4 but with the detachable portion of the base cover detached.

Referring now to the drawings, an aerosol container according to one embodiment of the invention comprises a container body 1 of cylindrical form and made from a suitable metal material. Set into the upper end of the tubular body 1 is an aerosol valve dispensing head (not shown) which is concealed by a snap-fit plastics cap 2.

Thus far, the construction of the container is entirely conventional. However, to the base of the container body 1 is secured a base cover 3 formed of a suitably resilient plastics material.

The construction of the cap and the base of the can body 1 are shown in more detail in Figure 2.

Container body 1 has a necked region 4 at it lower edge to which is secured a metal base plate 5, the connection between base plate and body being shown schematically in Figure 2. The precise manner in which the body of the container 1 and the base plate 5 are connected may be entirely conventional and forms no part of the present invention.

At the junction between the necked region 4 and the base plate 5, an annular recess 6 is created. The annular recess 6 allows annular protuberance or ridge 7 on the inner side wall 8 of base cover 3 to fit over the base of the container and be held in place by means of a snap-fit connection.

The recess 10 formed by the domed shape of the base plate 5, together with the lower wall 9 of the base cover 3 forms a chamber within which folded printed matter 11 can be retained. The printed matter 11 may be simply instructions on the use of the product, and any precautions that need to be taken during its use, or information about the contents of the container, but may alternatively be advertising or promotional material.

On one side of the side walls 8 of the base cover 3, information in braille form 12 is provided to assist those with no sight, or those who are partially sighted. Instead of, or in addition to the letters in braille, other tactile information may be provided.

A second embodiment of the invention is illustrated in Figures 3 to 5. As with the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2, the container has a tubular body 101, a snap fit plastics cap 102 and a snap fit plastics base cover 103. The base cover 103 is secured to the cylindrical body 101 of the container by means of the annular protuberance or ridge 107 of the inner surface of side wall 108 of the base cover 103 by means of a snap fit engagement with the recess 106 formed at the junction between the necked portion 104 of the lower edge of the tubular body 101 and the base plate 105. Thus far, the construction of the container is generally similar to that of the container shown in Figures 1 and 2. The metal base plate 105 and the base cover 103 together define a chamber 110 within which printed matter 111 may be contained.

The arrangement shown in Figures 3 to 5 differs from that shown in Figures 1 and 2 in several respects.

Firstly, the side walls 108 of the base cover 103 are much deeper and extend further up the side of the tubular body 101. This enables more information to be carried on the base cover 103, for example warning signs or other information 112 in braille.

In addition, the lower wall 109 of the base cover 103 is provided with an annular region of weakness 113 in which the wall thickness is less than that of the remainder of the bottom wall 109. Annular region of weakness 113 encloses a circular portion 114 which can be fully or partially detached by fracturing or tearing along the line of weakness 113. By removing the detachable portion 114, access to the chamber 110 is provided and the printed matter 111 can be removed. It will be appreciated that in this embodiment, it is intended that the main body of the base cover should be retained on the base throughout the duration of use of the container, thereby ensuring that the tactile information on the side of the base remains associated with the container.In addition, the aesthetic properties of the base cover are retained and it serves to conceal the lower edge of the tubular body 1 which can, as indicated above, become rusty in a damp environment.

The base covers of the invention may be formed at low unit cost and in bulk quantities by standard forming methods from a suitable thermoplastics material. For example, the base covers may be pressed from a large sheet of suitable material. The base cover may be provided with the same colour as the container to which it is to be attached, or may be provided in a contrasting colour to enhance the aesthetic appearance of the container. The base cover will also hide the necked portion of the base of the container and will conceal or prevent any rusting which may occur to the container base when exposed to damp environments.

It will readily be apparent that numerous alterations and modifications may be made to the container and base cover shown in the accompanying drawings without departing from the principles underlying the invention. For example, although the detachable portion 114 illustrated in Figure 4 is shown as being circular, it need not be, and could be any suitable shape. Furthermore, the line or region of weakness 113 need not extend around the entire periphery of the detachable portion 114, but could instead be interrupted by a line or region of greater strength which may function as a hinge.

Also, although the base covers in each of the embodiments are shown as having a circumferential rib which provides a snap fit over the base of the container, alternative fastening means can be employed. For example, the base cover may be glued to the base of the container by means of a suitable adhesive, or may be secured to the base by means of a tight interference fit.

All such modifications and alterations are intended to be embraced by this application.

Claims (12)

1. A dispensing container having a recessed under surface and a base cover arranged to be secured to the base of the container, whereby the base cover and recessed undersurface together define a chamber for holding printed information or publicity material, and whereby at least a portion of the base cover is displaceable to allow access to the chamber.

2. A dispensing container according to claim 1 which is an aerosol container.

3. A dispensing container according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the base cover is formed of a resilient plastics material.

4. A dispensing container according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the base cover is secured to the base of a container by means of a snap-fit.

5. A dispensing container according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the base cover is provided with surface indentations or protrusions which provide tactile information about the product.

6. A dispensing container according to claim 5 which has on its surface indentations or protuberances providing information in braille.

7. A dispensing container according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the entire base cover is removable.

8. A dispensing container according to any of claims 1 to 6 wherein the base cover comprises a main body portion having means for securing it to the dispensing container; and a displaceable portion which is displaceable to allow access to the said chamber.

9. A dispensing container according to claim 8 wherein the base cover has a lower wall and an annular side wall upstanding therefrom, the annular side wall having means for securing the base cover to the base of the container, and a portion of the lower wall being displaceable to allow access to the said chamber.

10. A dispensing container according to claim 9 wherein the displaceable portion of the lower wall is surrounded by a region of weakness enabling the said displaceable portion to be torn away from the remaining portion of the lower wall.

11. A dispensing container substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

12. A base cover adapted to be removably secured to the base of a dispensing container as defined in any one of the preceding claims.