GB2388097A

GB2388097A - Aggregate container formed from separate parts

Info

Publication number: GB2388097A
Application number: GB0209214A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Alan Gilbert White; Clifford John Cordrey
Original assignee: Grabor Plastics Ltd
Current assignee: Grabor Plastics Ltd
Priority date: 2002-04-23
Filing date: 2002-04-23
Publication date: 2003-11-05
Also published as: GB0209214D0

Abstract

An aggregate container is formed from two separate containers (30,35) which respectively have an engagement member (32,33) and an engagement recess (36,37), the engagement member (32,33) of one container being received within the engagement recess (36,37) of the other container. Preferably, the relative rotation of the two containers holds the engagement member (32,33) within its respective engagement recess (36,37). Alternatively a push-fit arrangement may be used to hold the two containers together. In a further embodiment of the invention identical containers may be provided, each with one or more engagement members and recesses. The use of multiple connections between the containers gives a more robust aggregate container. The contents of both containers may be dispensed together by pressing them transversely of their interface.

Description

t ( - 1- 2388097

CONTAINER

This invention relates to the field of containers, and in

particular, to aggregate containers that comprise more 5 than one container.

A product that in in common use is the combination shampoo and conditioner, where both products are supplied within a single container. However, there are products in which 10 two different substances must be stored separately but then mixed together before the product is used. There is a need for an aggregate container that comprises a plurality of containers that is economic to manufacture and use. It is an object of the present invention to 15 provide such an aggregate container and the containers required to form such an aggregate container.

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided an aggregate container comprising a first 20 container and a second container, each container comprising an aperture, a substantially flat surface and an arcuate surface, the first container further comprising one or more protruding engagement members being provided on its substantially flat surface and the second container 25 further comprising one or more engagement recesses being provided on its substantially flat surface. Preferably the first container is connected to the second container through the retention of the or each protruding engagement member within a respective corresponding engagement 30 recess. The first and second containers may be connected,

( - 2 - in use, by receiving the or each protruding engagement member within a first portion of a respective corresponding engagement recess, rotating the first container relative to the second container such that the 5 or each protruding engagement member is retained within a second portion of a respective corresponding engagement recess. The first container and the second container may comprise one or more protruding engagement members and one or more engagement recesses.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a container comprising an aperture, a substantially flat surface, an arcuate surface and one or more protruding engagement members, the or each protruding 15 engagement member being provided on the substantially flat surface. The protruding engagement member may comprise a retaining lip.

According to a third aspect of the invention there is 20 provided a container comprising an aperture, a substantially flat surface, an arcuate surface and one or more engagement recesses, the or each engagement recess being provided on the substantially flat surface.

25 The or each engagement recess may comprise a first region for receiving a protruding engagement member and a second region that can frictionally interengage with a protruding engagement member. Furthermore, the engagement recess may comprise a retaining lip. The provision of the engagement 30 member and the engagement recess enables a container

r according to the second aspect of the invention to be connected to a container according to the third aspect of the invention.

s Furthermore, the protruding engagement member may frictionally interengage with the engagement recess by rotating a protruding engagement member relative to the engagement recess from the first region to the second region. The protruding engagement member may comprise a 10 retaining lip and/or the engagement recess comprises a retaining lip. The provision of one, or both, of these lips increase the strength of the frictionally inter-

engagement between an engagement member and an engagement recess. According to a fourth aspect of the invention there is I provided a container comprising an aperture, a | substantially flat surface, an arcuate surface, a I protruding engagement member and an engagement recess, the 20 protruding engagement member and the engagement recess being provided on the substantially flat surface.

Preferably the engagement recess comprises a first region for receiving a protruding engagement member and a second region that frictionally interengages with a protruding 25 engagement member. In use a protruding engagement member may frictionally interengage with an engagement recess by rotating a protruding engagement member relative to the engagement recess from the first region to the second region. Alternatively the protruding engagement member 30 may frictionally interengage with an engagement recess by

I ( - 4 pushing the protruding engagement member into the engagement recess. The use of identical containers to form an aggregate container advantageously simplifies the manufacturing and stock control processes required to 5 manufacture an aggregate container.

According to a fifth aspect of the invention there is provided an aggregate container comprising first and second interengaging containers, the contents of first and 10 second containers being dispensed, in use, by applying pressure in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the interface between the first and second containers. This enables the substances being held in both of the containers to be dispensed at the same time 15 by simply squeezing the aggregate container. Preferably, the first and second containers are according to the first aspect of the invention.

The aperture of the first container may be a different 20 size than the aperture of the second container.

Furthermore, the volume of the first container may be different to the volume of the second container.

Additionally, the volume dispensed of the substance held in the first container may be different to the volume 25 dispensed of the substance held in the second container.

The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the following Figures in which: 30 Figure 1 is a plan view of a container according to

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the present invention; Figure 2 is a side view of a container according to the present invention; Figure 3a is a top view of a container according to 5 the present invention; Figure 3b is an underside view of a container according to the present invention; Figure 4 is a perspective view of an aggregate container according to the present invention; and 10 Figure 5 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 1 shows a plan view of a container according to the present invention. The container 10 comprises a 15 protruding engagement member 12, an engagement recess 14, an aperture 15, a substantially flat side 16 and an arcuate side 18. Figure 2 shows the container in a side view, whilst Figures 3a and 3b show the top view and underside view of the container respectively.

The engagement member 12 and the engagement recess 14 are both provided on the substantially flat side 16 of the container. in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the engagement member 12 has a substantially 25 circular shape and the engagement recess 14 has a shape that approximates top the shape of a kidney. The engagement recess 14 has a first region 141 that is large enough to receive an engagement member and a smaller second region 142 which is substantially the same size as 30 an engagement member.

- 6 A first container 10 can be joined to a second container 10b to form an aggregate container 20 (see Figure 4). The aggregate container is formed by bringing the 5 substantially flat side 16 of the first container together with the substantially flat side 16b of the second container, with the first container being rotationally offset from the second container such that the engagement member 12 of the first container is received within the 10 first region 141b of the engagement recess 14b of the second container and that the engagement member 12b of the second container is received within the first region 141 of the engagement recess 14 of the first container. The first container and the second container can then be 15 rotated together so that the engagement member 12 of the first container is received in the smaller second region 142b of the engagement recess 14b of the second container and the engagement member 12b of the second container is received in the smaller second region 142 of the 20 engagement recess 14 of the first container. The friction between the engagement members and their respective engagement recesses holds the two containers together in order to form the aggregate container. One of the containers may then be filled with a first substance, for 25 example shampoo, while the other container is filled with an associated second substance, for example conditioner.

The aggregate container may be enclosed with a label to give the impression that the two substances are held within a single container.

( - 7 - It will be readily apparent that a number of variants may be made to the container described above. For example, if the container is made of a flexible material then the smaller second region 142 of the engagement recess 14 may 5 be made slightly smaller than the engagement member 12 so that the forcing of the engagement members into their respective engagement recess increases the frictional force that serves to hold the two containers together.

Alternatively, or additionally, the engagement member 12 10 and the engagement recess 14 may each be provided with a lip that interengage when the engagement member is received within the second region 142 of the engagement recess 14 such that the engagement member is held within the engagement recess. Instead of the rotational method 15 of securing the engagement member within the engagement recess discussed above, the engagement member may be a resilient plug that is securely received within an engagement recess. Although the container shown in Figures 1 to 4 is a narrow-necked bottle, the invention 20 may also be used with a wider-necked jar-like container.

Figure S shows an alternative embodiment of the present invention in which an aggregate container comprises first container 30 and second container 35. First container 30 25 comprises two engagement members 32, 33 whilst second container 35 comprises two engagement recesses 36, 37.

The engagement members and the engagement means are positioned on the flat surfaces of the respective containers such that the two containers can be brought 30 together in order to receive each of the engagement

( - 8 members within an engagement recess (in the case shown in Figure 5, engagement means 32 will be received in recess 36 and engagement means 33 will be received within recess 37. The two containers can then be rotated relative to 5 each other in order to form the aggregate container, and by so doing rotating the engagement means within their respective engagement recesses so as to hold the two containers together. It has been found that the use of two engagement means/recesses gives a more durable and 10 repeatable connection between the two containers. It should be understood that it would be possible to have a greater number of engagement means or recesses on each container and that each container could have one or more engagement means and one or more engagement recesses on 15 its flat surface.

If different amounts of the two substances held within the aggregate container need to be dispensed then the size of the apertures 15, 15b can be varied accordingly. In order 20 to reduce the wastage of one of the substances, the first container may be a different size to the second container.

Furthermore, if one of the substances is significantly more viscous than the other substance then the size of the apertures can be varied in order to enable the two 25 substances to be dispensed in the correct ratio. In order to avoid making a different mould for the container for each variation of aperture size, an insert can be made that can be inserted into the aperture that reduces the aperture size.

9 - It is preferred that the container JO be made from a plastics material and that the container is manufactured using well known blow moulding techniques. However, containers according to the present invention may be made 5 from any suitable material or manufacturing process. The advantage of making an aggregate container from two identical containers is that only a one type of mould is needed and there is no need to have the correct number of complementary pieces in order to assemble aggregate TO containers.

If it is desirable that the aggregate container appears to the end user to be formed from a single container then a suitable layer of packaging can be formed around the 15 aggregate container. It will also be understood that the containers above can be altered to form aggregate containers comprising three or more containers. Depending upon the geometry of these containers, it may not be possible to realise this using only containers that 20 interengage in a rotatable manner and thus it will be necessary to have containers that interengage using a push- fit' connection. It will also be apparent that the aggregate container may be used in applications other than toiletries, for example foodstuffs or any other 25 application in which it is desired to only mix two for more) substances at the time of their use.

Claims

1. An aggregate container comprising a first container and a second container, each container comprising an 5 aperture, a substantially flat surface and an arcuate surface, the first container further comprising one or more protruding engagement members being provided on its substantially flat surface and the second container further comprising one or more engagement recesses being 10 provided on its substantially flat surface

2. An aggregate container according to claim 1, wherein the first container is connected to the second container through the retention of the or each protruding engagement 15 member within a respective corresponding engagement recess.

3. An aggregate container according to claim 2, wherein the first and second containers are connected by receiving 20 the or each protruding engagement member within a first portion of a respective corresponding engagement recess, rotating the first container relative to the second container such that the or each protruding engagement member is retained within a second portion of a respective 25 corresponding engagement recess.

4. An aggregate container according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein both the first container and the second container comprise one or more protruding engagement 30 members and one or more engagement recesses.

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5. An aggregate container comprising first and second interengaging containers, the contents of first and second 5 containers being dispensed, in use, by applying pressure in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the interface between the first and second containers.

6. An aggregate container according to claim 5, in which lo the aperture of the first container is a different size than the aperture of the second container.

7. An aggregate container according to claim 6 or claim 7, in which the volume of the first container is different 15 to the volume of the second container.

8. An aggregate container according to any of claims s to 7, in which, in use, the volume dispensed of the substance held in the first container is different to the 20 volume dispensed of the substance held in the second container.

9. An aggregate container substantially as described herein and with reference to Figure 4 and Figure 5.

10. A container comprising an aperture, a substantially flat surface, an arcuate surface and one or more protruding engagement members, the or each protruding engagement member being provided on the substantially flat 30 surface.

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11. A container according to claim 10, wherein the protruding engagement member comprises a retaining lip.

12. A container comprising an aperture, a substantially flat surface, an arcuate surface and one or more engagement recesses, the or each engagement recess being provided on the substantially flat surface.

13. A container according to claim 12, wherein the or each engagement recess comprises a first region for receiving a protruding engagement member and a second region that frictionally interengages with a protruding 15 engagement member.

14. A container according to claim 12 or claim 13, wherein the engagement recess comprises a retaining lip.

20

15. A container comprising an aperture, a substantially flat surface, an arcuate surface, a protruding engagement member and an engagement recess, the protruding engagement member and the engagement recess being provided on the substantially flat surface.

16. A container according to claim 15, wherein the engagement recess comprises a first region for receiving a protruding engagement member and a second region that frictionally interengages with a protruding engagement 30 member.

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17. A container according to claim 16, wherein a protruding engagement member frictionally interengages with an engagement recess by rotating a protruding 5 engagement member relative to the engagement recess from the first region to the second region.

18. A container according to claim 15 or claim 16, wherein a protruding engagement member frictionally 10 interengages with an engagement recess by pushing the protruding engagement member into the engagement recess.

19. A container substantially as described herein and with reference to Figures 1 to 3.