GB2348421A

GB2348421A - Container and cap with applicator means

Info

Publication number: GB2348421A
Application number: GB0006099A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Braven Willem Den
Original assignee: EPODICHT BEHEER bvba; EPODICHT DICHTCHEMIE bvba
Current assignee: EPODICHT BEHEER bvba; EPODICHT DICHTCHEMIE bvba
Priority date: 1999-04-01
Filing date: 2000-03-15
Publication date: 2000-10-04
Also published as: GB0006099D0; GB9907602D0

Abstract

A container package comprises a container 4, a port 10, a cap closure 2 and applicator means 8 which are retained when not in use by engagement means 14 on the cap and/or the container. A plurality of applicator means may be provided and can be held by a plurality of engagement means, for example by snap fitting. The engagement means may project at spaced intervals around a side wall of the container or cap closure and could comprise a slot (24, fig.5) with a lip (14) which vary in size according to the applicator dimensions. The port may be provided with means to control the release of material from the container, to which the applicator is attached while in use. The applicators may be retained in line with the container by the provision of further engagement means 16. The applicator means may have a nozzle with retaining means which communicate with the engagement means to prevent the applicator sliding from the engagement means. A cap closure with applicator and engagement means is also claimed.

Description

Container and Cap The invention to which this application relates is a cap or closure for use and a container, said cap closure provided to enclose the supply part from the container which allows the product material held within the container to be used. In particular, but not necessarily exclusively, the cap is for use on an aerosol type of container which contains a pressurised material such as a foamable material, gas or mixture of the same and which material can be released from the container by the depression of a valve mounted on the container part and which is normally enclosed by the cap.

In many containers which contain pressurised material, the operation of the valve to allow the material to exit from the container means that the material changes condition when released from the pressure and/or exposed to atmosphere. In some instances, there is a need for an applicator to be provided in attachment with the valve port which allows the material which exits from the container to be directed from the container to a point of application. Thus, in one example, if the container contains a foamable material which is for use in filling holes or gaps in, for example, a wall, the use of the valve opening alone is not sufficient to allow the material to be directed towards the point of application as the container may not be able to fit into the area of application so that the material simply flows from the container but does not perform the required function. For this reason, an applicator can be provided which has a fitting at one end to allow the same to engage over the container valve port and a tube of a desired length through which the material from the container flows and exits at the other end to be applied. The provision of the applicator therefore allows the end of the tube of the same to be placed in position at the point of application and allows the more accurate directing of the material. However, it has also been found that one applicator is not sufficient to allow the accurate directing of the material and so in many instances, a plurality of applicators are provided of different sizes so as to allow the selection by the user of the appropriate size of applicator for the particular work which they are to undertake and thereby allow the optimum application of the material to the point of application.

The provision of a plurality of applicators causes problems to the manufacture and retailer of the containers. Firstly, there is a need for the manufacturer to supply the required range of applicators with each container which causes handling problems and, secondly, and perhaps more importantly, the applicators are currently only held on the containers via an elastic band which passes around the applicators and the body of the container. This means that the applicators are only loosely fitted onto the container and can be relatively easily removed from the same. This also means that there is a considerable risk of theft of the applicators which can be relatively easily concealed so that after a period of time, a number of containers available for sale on retailer's shelves are without any applicators, which means that the retailer cannot then sell the containers without ordering further applicators.

The aim of the present invention is to provide a means for retaining at least one applicator on a container with a cap closure so as to render the unauthorised removal of the applicators more difficult.

In the first aspect of the invention there is provided a container package for containing a material, said container including a port for allowing the selective release of material from the container and at least one applicator means for connection to the port to allow the released material to pass through the applicator to a point of application, and a cap closure for enclosing the port when not in use, and wherein the cap closure and/or container includes engagement means formed therein for the engagement and retention of the at least one applicator when not in use.

In one embodiment, a plurality of applicators are provided and the engagement means is capable of receiving each of the applicators at one location.

In an alternative embodiment, where a plurality of applicators are provided, a plurality of engagement means are formed on the cap closure at spaced intervals around the edge of the cap closure, each for the reception of one of the applicators.

In one embodiment, the engagement means depend outwardly from the side wall of the closure and comprise a slot which has a location area and a lip, which is smaller in size than the applicator tube, so that when the applicator tube has been pressed into position in the engagement means into the location area past the lip it can only be removed by the application of force to the applicator and manipulation of the same and/or the engagement means.

It is also possible that the engagement means are formed in a similar manner as above but protrude from the container rather than the cap closure.

In a further embodiment, the applicators may be retained in line with the container by the provision of further engagement means which hold the applicators against the body of the container at a position spaced from the engagement means on the cap closure.

A specific embodiment of the invention is now described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 illustrates an elevation of a cap closure and container in one embodiment of the invention with applicators in position; Figure 2 illustrates a perspective view of the cap, container and applicators of Figure 1; Figures 3a and 3b illustrate a plan and elevation of the cap closure; Figure 4 illustrates a detail of engagement means of the cap closure; and Figure 5 illustrates a plan view of a cap closure with applicator means.

Referring firstly to Figure 1, there is illustrated a cap closure 2, a container 4 and applicators 6 and 8. The container 4 is provided with a port shown in broken lines 10 which allows the selective release of material held within the container, typically in a pressurised form, via operation of a valve provided at the port.

When not in use, the cap closure serves to enclose the port as shown. The closure 2 comprises an enclosing means, and typically a retaining rim 12 which allows the cap closure to engage on the container and be held in position. The cap closure further includes engagement means 14 which are provided for the retention therein of applicators 6 and 8 as shown. The applicator can be further held in line with the container by means of the engagement band 16.

The reason for providing two applicators is that one will have a narrower opening 18 than the other so that when the applicators are attached to the port 10, material released from the container passes into the applicators, along the tube section 20 and exits via the end 18. However for some instances, a narrower applicator is required for particularly narrow or difficult to access application points such as for example a crack or hole in a wall and in other instances, a wider applicator can be required to allow more material to pass through the same and exit to fill, for example, larger holes or cracks. Thus, the two applicators can each be fitted as required to the container port 10 by the user of the container and the material therein which can, in one embodiment be a foamable material, for building repairs such as for example holes and cracks in walls, flaws along the applicator to exit at opening 18.

Figures 3a and 3b illustrate the cap closure 2 in more detail and illustrate the form of the engagement means 14 as, in the embodiment shown, comprising a slot 22 which is formed with a location area 24 in which the applicator sits and a narrower lip entry 26 which is of a size so as to prevent the applicators, when in the location areas 24, from slipping out of the engagement means.

Figure 4 illustrates a detailed view of one of the engagement means 14.

Figure 5 illustrates the manner in which the applicators 6 and 8 can be fitted into and removed from the engagement means as indicated by arrows 28 and 30 respectively. It will therefore be appreciated that it is the tube section 20, and typically the portion of the same adjacent to the applicator nozzle 30, which is located in the engagement means and it is seen that the lip portion 26 of the engagement means is narrower than the largest diameter of the tube portion 20. This therefore means that manipulation between the lip 26 of the engagement means and/or the tube 20 is required to cause the applicator to pass into the location area 24 of the engagement means to be located therein and, more importantly, manipulation is required between the tube 20 of the applicator and the lip portion 26 of the engagement means to cause the removal of the applicators. This need to manipulate and force the removal of the applicators, in conjunction with the engagement band 16, will make the removal of the applicators significantly more difficult and, unauthorised attempts to remove the same significantly more obvious in retail establishments, and it is therefore submitted will reduce the theft of the said applicators. The provision of the engagement means also means that it is less likely that when purchased, the applicators will fall away from the container to be misplaced, which would mean that the container product cannot easily be used thereafter.

Claims

Claims:

1. A container package for containing a material, said container including a port for allowing the selective release of material from the container and at least one applicator means for connection to the port to allow the released material to pass through the applicator to a point of application, and a cap closure for enclosing the port when not in use, and wherein the cap closure and/or container includes engagement means formed thereon for the engagement and retention of the at least one applicator when not in use.

2. A container package according to claim 1 wherein a plurality of applicators are provided and the engagement means is capable of receiving each of the applicators at one location.

3. A container package according to claim 1 wherein a plurality of applicators are provided and a plurality of engagement means are provided on the container at spaced intervals around the perimeter of the container, each for the reception of one of the applicators.

4. A container package according to claim 1 wherein the engagement means depend outwardly from a side wall of the container and comprise a slot which has a location area and a lip, which is smaller in size than the applicator tube.

5. A container package according to claim 1 wherein a plurality of applicators are provided and a plurality of engagement means are formed on the cap closure at spaced intervals around an edge of the cap closure, each for the reception of one of the applicators.

G. A container package according to claim 1 wherein the engagement means depend outwardly from the side wall of the cap closure and comprise a slot which has a location area and a lip, which is smaller in size than the applicator tube.

7. A container package according to claim 1 wherein the port is provided with control means to allow a user to control the release of material from the container.

8. A container package according to claim 7 wherein the applicator means is attached to the control means is use.

9. A container package according to any preceding claim wherein the applicators may be retained in line with the container by the provision of further engagement means which hold the applicators against the body of the container at a position spaced from the engagement means of the cap closure and/or container.

10. A container package according to claim 4 or 6 wherein the dimensions of the location area and lip of the plurality of engagement means varies according to the dimensions of the plurality of applicator means.

11. A container package according to any preceding claim wherein the applicator means is provided with a nozzle and said nozzle comprises retaining means which communicate with the engagement means to prevent the applicator means from sliding out of said engagement means.

12. A container package according to any preceding claim wherein the at least one applicator means snap fits with the at least one engagement means.

13. A cap closure for enclosing a port of a container when not in use, said port allowing the selective release of material from the container and at least one applicator means for connection to the port to allow the released material to pass through the applicator to a point of application and wherein the cap closure includes engagement means formed thereon for the engagement and retention of the at least one applicator when not in use.

14. A container package according to any of claims 1-12, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying figures.

15. A cap closure according to claim 13, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying figures.