IE48962B1 - A container and closure cap for said container - Google Patents

Abstract

A container for dispensing flowable material through a metering orifice (7), and which orifice discharges into a duct (8), and a closure cap (1) for the container and which cap (1) presents an internal pin (12) arranged to enter into the duct (8) to terminate discharge of material from the orifice (7) without touching the orifice (7). To prevent flowable material from lodging between the pin and the duct, thus adversely affecting the closure, the duct (8), and the pin (12), have cylindrical configurations so that the pin (12) slides piston-like into the duct (8).

Description

Phe present invention relates to a container and a closure can for said container and wherein container contents are dis’ensed through a metering orifice and s;.id cap includes a ein which, when the cap is mounted in a closure condition, prevents discharge of container contents through said metering orifice.

Containers for flowable materials,such as liquids, pastes, gals and powders,arranged to dispense such niateri-'le through a metering orifice to obtain λ r controlled discharge of the container contents are well known in the art.

It is also known to provide such a container with a cap which presents a pin engageable in the metering orifice to close the container when the cap is in a closure condition, Λ serious disadvantage with such container and cep combinations is .that,after a number of cop closures, wear betwibn the pip. and the metering orifice enlarge the me'seeing orifice whereby-said orifice no longer affords the desired controlled discharge and such enlargement of the orifice with uecr on the pin renders the closure defective.

To overcome this problem the Ewiss Patent Ho. 426555 proposes a container structure in which the metering orifice discharges into an elongate conical ch'-raber which increases in cioss section towards that end remote from the metering orifice and the cap presents a conical pin the taper of which is identical with the taper of the conical chamber.

In a closure condition, the conical pin is entered into the conical chamber to prevent material flow from said chamber, and thereby from the metering orifice, without the pin contacting the metering orifice. 'fhe container and cap combination proposed by iiwiss Patent ho. 426565 suffers from an inherent defect in that, os the conical pin is entering into the conical chamber to effect a closure, container contents in the chamber can be trapped between the tapered side of the pin and the tapered wall of the chamber, and as the pin advances into the chamber, the escape route for such trapped material is progressively lengthened and reduced in cross section. Whilst some low viscosity liquids can escape to permit full closure without undue axial pressure on the assembly such full closure cannot be obtained with liquids of high viscosity or solids materials in powder or granular form.

Tlie invention as claimed is intended to provide a simple design for a container closure and by which closure the container metering orifice can be effected for most low pressure flowable materials without excessive loadings on the closure and without the danger of container contents being adversely trapped between closure surfaces of the assembly. fhe advantages offered by the invention ere mainly that a pin presented by a closure cap has a generally cylindrical form, a duct into which the metering orifice discharges has a cylindrical form, and closure is effected by the cylindrical pin sliding piston-like into the cylindrical duct so that container contents in said duct ore pushed ahead of the pin and, when substantial, back through the' metering orifice.

Two specific embodiments for practising the invention ere described in detail below with reference to drawings in which:5 Figure 1 is an 0::101 cross section through one form of closure cap according to the invention, and Figure 2 is an axial cross-soetion through a container neck assembly showing alternative duct arrangements for the discharge of container contents.

'The figures shown in full line a first embodiment closure arrangement for a container C and, in broken line, 0 second closure arrangement for said container C. 1> Referring now to the first embodiment a closure for a container (C) comprises a closure cap 1 and a losure body 2,fractionally secured in the neck part 3 of container 0. The closure cap 1 ana closure body 2 may conveniently be made of a semi-rigid plastics 2° material by moulding processes.

The neck part 3 has an external thread 4 cooperable with an internal thread 5 formed in the closure cap 1.

The closure body 2 conveniently includes an applicator, illustrated as bundles of fibres 6 surrounding the discharge outlet from the container C.

The closure body 2 includes a metering orifice 7, in open communication with the interior of container C, and oriPice 7 opens into a cylindrical duct 8 of large? cross sectional aree than said orifice 7· The container C, closure body 2, and, the closure cap 1 when in a closure condition, are, with the exception 0' threads 4 and 5 and bundles of fibres 6, concentric about a common axis Α:Λ so that, as illustrated, mei.firinr; orifice 7 and duct 8 are co-nxial. The open end of duct 8 (remote from orifice 7) has a chamfered or lead-in edge 9 end said end opens at an external f&ce 10 of closure body 7. The metering orifice 7 and/or duct 8, may be formed in body 2 at moulding or subsequent thereto.

The closure cap 1 presents an axial pin 1? of such diameter oc to slidably engage in duct 8 with minimal clearance and the free end of pin 12 is preferably hemispherical, as illustrated, to facilitate entry of said end into duct G.

The closure cap 1 further includes an internal shoulder 13 intended to define an annular abutment surface which, when engaged with face 10 of the closure body 2 limits the axial advance of the closure cap 1 on the container neck 3. The shoulder 13 lies in a plane Γ at right; angles to axis A:A and the free end of pin 17 passes through plane Γ by axial length L which is slightly less than the axial length h of the duct 8.

In practice, container contents are discharged by removing closure cap 1 and tipping or flexing the container to cause the container contents to discharge through metering orifice 7 and duct 8 from which the container contents may be spread or smeared by fibres.

To close the container the closure cap 1 is mounted on the neck 3, the threads Λ and 5 are engaged and, by rotation of cap 1 relative to container (0) the cap is axially advanced onto the neck 5. h'ith the threads t and 5 intinlly engaged the pin 17 of cap 1 is axially located for entry into duct 8 and, as the axial displacement of cap 1 onto neck 3 progresses, the pin 17 enters duct G and axially advances thereinto.

As pin 17 is & sliding fit with minimum clearance, in duct G the j in 17 acts in the manner of a. piston and pushes container contents in duct 8 ahead of its free end and baek towards metering orifice 7.

The advance of pin 12 into duct 8 continues with axial advance o'1’ closure cap 1 onto neck 3 until the abutment surface 13 of cap 1 engages the face 10 of closure body 2 to define the closure condition for cap 1 and, ns axial length L is less than axial length b,the displacement of pin 12 along duct 8 is arrested berore the free end of pin 12 engages the bottom of duct 8 and therefore does not contact metering 1C 3C orifice 7.

Thus, vihen the closure cap 1 is in its closure condition, a relatively small volume exists in duct 8 between tlie free end of pin 12 and the bottom of duct 8, as stated hereinbefore, container contents remaining in duct 8 when said duct is initially closed by win 1? will be pushed ahead of the pin 12 as pin 12 advances into duct 8 and, if the volume of container conrents in duct 8 exceeds the volume in duct 8 with the >in fully advanced, the excessive volume readily flows bach into the container through the metering orifice 7 so container contents in duct 8 do not unduly obstruct the advance of pin 12 along duct 8 or genur; fcc unacceptable resistance to-closure.

In the second embodiment, shown in broken line in dig. 2, the bundles of bristles 6 are omitted and an annular '-'all l/ι outstanding from surface 10 extends the axial length of duct 8 away frcm tha metering orifice 7 so that, al] other parts and dimensions being the sane as for the first embodiment, the closure operates in identical manner to the first embodiment with the exception that the pin 12 enters the duct 8 earlier in the advance o closure can 1 onto neck 3 and the : xil len .th of nin 12 engaged in duct 8 when the cap is in its closure condition is greater. Such an embodiment is well suited to a so-called dropper type dispensing container.

As illustrated in I’ig. 2 the angular vail 1 nay be chamfered, internal edge of as at 15, to 48963 c-i.Lr;· of pin Pi in bo duct 8.

It ΊΙ1 >>>' ·,’.)prf ci·' bed th·'· b in noth the above described embodiments an effective closure of the container, whic'. m;y be fluid tight hen tin; fit of pin 12 in duct 3 ia ao designed, is obtained without container* contents adversely nffectinE the fit beuucen pin 1? and duct 8 and without creating unacceptable stresses in the closure parts. Further however, the closure proposed by the invention has the further adventure that all container contents within duct 8 when the pin 10 first closes the entry to duct 8 are prevented from passing the free end of pin IP so that no leakage of container contents occurs during closure, an important feature when the container contents are high-priced materials.

Claims (6)

1. In combination, a container and a closure cap for said container and wherein the container presents a discharge duct open at that end remote from the container and the 5 container contents discharge into said duct through a metering orifice remote from the open end of said duct, and said closure cap includes a pin which, when the closure cap is in its closure condition relative to said container, is entered into said duct to prevent material discharge there10 from, characterised in that the duct has a cylindrical configuration, the pin has a cylindrical form with an effective diameter slidable in said cylindrical duct and discharge of material from said duct is terminated by the piston-like entry of the pin into the open end of the duct. 15

2. A combination as claimed in claim 1 in which the metering orifice and the duct are both concentric with the major axis of the container.

3. A combination as claimed in claim 1 or 2 in which the closure cap engages an abutment surface to define a 20 closure condition for said cap on the container and in said closure condition the pin is spaced from said metering orifice.

4. A combination as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, in which the container includes a neck part, the neck part is closed 25 by a closure, and said metering orifice and duct are formed in said closure.

5. A combination as claimed in claim 1, 2, 3 or 4 in which the closure cap is a screw cap and engages with a thread on the container before the pin enters the duct.

6. A combination as claimed in claim 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 including an applicator device located to receive container contents dispensed from the duct.