US2095622A

US2095622A - Closure for containers

Info

Publication number: US2095622A
Application number: US65541A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ralph W Wilson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1936-02-25
Filing date: 1936-02-25
Publication date: 1937-10-12
Anticipated expiration: 1954-10-12

Description

Oct. 12, 1937. R. w. WILSON 2,095,622

CLOSURE FOR CONTAINERS WWWMMW,

EN ATTORNEYS Oct. 12, 1937. R, W W|LSON 2,095,622

INVENTOR. Ragni: llts'olz,

W1 www Patented Oct. 12, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT. oFFlcE 8 Claims.

This invention relates to closures for containers particularly designed for application to containers for cosmetic preparations. So far as now perceived the utility of the device is limited to liquid or viscous preparations but if the new principles are adapted for. the dispensing of powder or other forms of materials such modifications are to be deemed within the invention. A practical closure for such material should not only provide a sharp and complete cut-oi but should also permit convenient dispensing in relatively measured quantities with the utmost convenience. Closing of the discharge orifice must be effected automatically while permitting the discharge of the contents readily upon simple manipulation of the container.

A further object of the improved construction is to provide a container having the salient characteristics set forth and which shall be simple in construction, comparatively inexpensive, readily assembled, tight in transit and in non-use and workable by manipulations which will be apparent to the average user.

` Still another object of the invention is to provide in a closure positive means for dispensing the material, the action of which may be likened to that of a pump. Such mechanism may not only be of such nature as to squirt the liquid positively from the container but also permit variable quantitles to be thus expelled.

These and other objects and purposes of the invention will be apparent in connection with the detailed description of the embodiments illustrated which are shown merely by way of example in the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a view in elevation of one form oi' the improved closure showing a fragment of a container.

Figure 2 is a viewin vertical section through the closure shown in Figure 1 and taken on the plane indicated by the line 2-2 of Figure 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a. View in vertical section similar to Figure 2 but showing the dispensing element retracted.

Figure 4 is a sectional view through the dispensing mechanism shown in Figure 3 and taken on the plane indicated by the line 4--4 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is a sectional view similar generally to Figure 2 but showing a modied construction.

Figure 6 is a view'in vertical section showing the construction illustrated in Figure 5 but with 5 the dispensing element retracted.

Figure 7 is a view in elevation showing a modified form of plunger.

Figure 8 is a view partly in vertical section and partly in elevation showing a c ap and plunger element provided with coacting means for main- 5 taining the plunger in projected position.

Figlre 9 is a view in section through the plunger shown in Figure 8 and taken on the plane indicated by the line 9--9 and looking in the direction of the arrows. 10

Figure 10 is a view in perspective showing the container cap illustrated in Figure 8.

Figure 11 is a view in vertical section of a modified form of plunger with the stem omitted.

The container a may be of any suitable mate- 15 rial and form. It is illustrated for convenience as being of glass and having a threaded neck to which is secured a closing cap b which may also be of ,any suitable material, moulded or stamped. This cap may be knurled, if desired, as at b for 20 convenient application and removal. A yielding liner or gasket c may be disposed within the cap b to seal the container more eiiectively during the operation of the dispensing mechanism. Between the cap b and the neck of the container a 25 or, when a gasket such as C is used, between it and the neck of the container a is secured the flange d of a cylinder e which may be moulded integral with the flange d and may conveniently be formed from rubber or the like. The cylinder e is shown 30 as circular in cross section, of lesser diameter thanthe bore of the neck of the container, and as disposed within said bore in depending relation to the cap b. In the side wall of the cylinder e is formed one or more openings e by which the 35 cylinder may be put into communication with the interior of the container and receive material therefrom. Disposed within the cylinder and preferably of the same form and dimensions as the cylinder is a piston element f. This piston 40 may be secured to or formed integral with a plunger member which may conveniently comprise a stem f' and cup f2, As illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 the piston f is threaded to the lower end of the stem f', as at f3. The stem f' is tubu- 45 -lar having a central discharge oriiice ,f4 therethrough terminating in laterally extending ports or ducts f5. The cup f2 of the plunger is preferably made of the same form and dimensions as the cap b so as to be disposed in telescopic relationship therewith and to be guided thereby in its reciprocating movements, as will appear.

As shown in Figure 2 the plunger element is projected. With the partsin this relation the piston f lls the space Within the cylinder e and blocks The ducts f5 are closed by the gasket c. The material within the container cannot gain access to the discharge orice f4, hence the closure is tight. When the plunger is depressed manually the side wall of the cylinder e will be distended since the cylinder is made of yielding material such as rubber. The parts may assume the relation shown in Figure 3 in which the cup f2 of the plunger is completely nested with relation to the cap b. With the parts in this position it will be apparent that the piston f has moved downwardly elongating the ports e' in the cylinder wall and the upper end of the piston has passed beyond the upper edge of these ports so that the interior of the container is placed in communication with the space within the cylinder above the piston. 'Ihe retraction of the plunger mechanism can be conveniently effected by placing the cup f2 in the palm of one hand, inverting the container and forcing the container downwardly against the caction of the said palm until the parts are moved into some such relation as is illustrated in Figure 3. The material within the container will then llow into the space within the cylinder between the piston f and the gasket c. Upon releasing the pressure on the cup f2 the resiliency of the cylinder e will throw the piston f sharply towards the cap b. The piston will force the material entrapped within the cylinder through the ducts f and out through the discharge orifice f4, usually onto the palm of the hand as is desired with such preparations. The contraction of the resilient cylinder e is limited by the engagement of the piston f with the gasket c at which time the orifices f5 are eiectively sealed.

I'he action described is most ei'ective for the intended purpose in that the movement of the piston j under the influence of the resilient cylinder is brisk causing the entrapped material to be discharged quickly with a decided squirt. The force applied to the piston by the cylinder is greatest at the beginning of the stroke but is sufficient to drive it home to its final seat and with a sharp cut oi of the material so that all of the material that is to be received is received with one continuous quick discharge and without any subsequent dribbling, as is desirable. Further, it will be apparent that while the extent to which the ports e are opened by the piston f when in its extreme retracted position may be regulated by the design, it is nevertheless possible to open these ports to even a lesser degree by not bringing the cup f2 into engagement with the cap b thereby admitting a smaller and somewhat regulable quantity of material into the cylinder with the consequent discharge of less than the maximum amount, if desired.

The embodiment shown in Figures 5 and 6 retains the advantages heretofore pointed out in that the material is discharged positively by the action of a. piston element having a sharp cut off and insuring a quick squirt of substantially a predetermined amount of the preparation. Referring to Figures 5 and 6 the container A has secured thereto a cap B between which and the neck of the containeris clamped a yielding ange D of a depending cylinder E. The cylinder in this embodiment has its lower end open so as to be exposed to the preparation within the container. Within the cylinder is slidably mounted a piston element F, the exposed end of which F' may be conical, if desired. The lower edge of the cylinder E may he ilared outwardly as shown to retain the material when the container is 1.1L-

2,095,622 olf the ports e' in the side walls of the cylinder.

verted. The piston element F may be secured to the lower end of a stem F2 which is carried by a plunger cup F3. the stem F2 having a discharge orifice F4 therethrough, all of the parts being substantially in the relationship described in connection with Figures 1-3. A spring of any desired form is interposed operatively between the cap B and the plunger cup F3, that illustrated being a coiled spring g encircling the stem F2 and interposed between the top of the cap B and the cup. This spring normally serves to hold the plunger element in projected position with the piston element F seated within the cylinder E. At this time the ports or ducts F5 of the discharge orifice F4 are sealed by the yielding material composing the base of the cylinder E which base serves the purpose of a sealing gasket between the cap and container. The cylinder E need not be of yielding material but may be of metal or the like in which case a separate gasket is employed to seal the orifices as illustrated in Figure 2. When the plunger cup F3 is retracted the piston F is forced downwardly as shown in Figure 6 exposing the interior cylinder E to the material Within the container which may flow into such space. The spring g is compressed under tension. When pressure on the cup F3 is released the spring moves the parts outwardly with briskness so the material entrapped within the cylnder E is forced by the plunger through the ducts F5 out of the discharge orice F1. It will be apparent that the passage of the material into the cylinder can be impeded by stopping the movement of the piston F before it leaves the cylinder. The result may be the dispensing of a smaller quantity.

Figure 7 shows that the plunger need not be formed as a cup but may comprise merely a disk or the like h. By pressure on the disk the stem h' with associated dispensing mechanism within the closure is retracted and an operation obtained in accordance with the principles heretofore described. Actually, the disk h, might be omitted since it is the stem with the discharge orifice that is to be reciprocated to bring about the dispensing.

If conditions make it advisable to do so in practice the discharge orifice f4, F4, or the like might be stoppered to prevent the accumulation of foreign particles therein.

In Figures 8-10 is shown an assembly by means of which the retraction of the plunger mechanism can be positively prevented until such time as the mechanism is to be used. In those figures there is shown a cap z' for a container which may have longitudinally extending guide grooves i' formed exteriorly therein. These guide grooves during reciprocation of the plunger cup k receive, respectively, similar coacting ribs k' moulded. on the inner wall of the cup. The cap i also has formed along its upper edge recesses or dimples i2 corresponding in number to the ribs k'. By revolving the cup Ic the ribs ic may be engaged with' the recesses i2, respectively, and held yieldingly therein by the resiliency of the spring means used in the assembly of parts such as, for instance, the resilient cylinder e in Figure 2 or the coiled spring g in Figure 5. These yielding elements obviously will permit relative rotation of the cup k and the cap z'. When the ribs 1c' are engaged with the recesses i2 the cup cannot be retracted, hence accidental dispensing of the liquid is impossible as during transit. When the guide ribs 7c', however, are disengaged from the recesses i2 and restored to alignment with the grooves i the parts may be operated as before described.

Figure 8 shows a cup of moulded composition. Figure 11 illustrates how the same principle may be incorporated in a cup l which is stamped from metal and formed with dimples l in its side wall. This cup may be disposed in the same relationship to a cap as is the cup lc, shown in Figure 8 with the dimples l normally in alignment with guide grooves. 'Ihe cup l is otherwise like the cup k in its relation to the cap and in its mode of coaction therewith. By oscillating the cup and bringing the dimples Z' into engagement with recesses such as i2 the cup is held against retraction.

It Will be obvious to one skilled in the art that other suitable forms of detents or latches to hold the cap and cup, or equivalent parts against relative movement, can be embodied without departing from the invention. This might be done, for instance, even if the central stem with the discharge orifice is employed without a separate plunger member and itself is provided with means coacting with the cap to prevent relative movement when desired.

While the embodiments shown have been de-A scribed in somedetail these are set forth only by Way of example since the invention in its broader aspects is concerned with the provision of mechanism which is composed generally of parts having such a cooperative relationship as to bring about dispensing in accordance with the principles herein disclosed. Changes in form, dimensions and materials may be made Without departing from the lscope and spirit of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a closure for containers a cap, a stem having a discharge orice extending through the cap, a cylinder mounted Within the container, a piston element carried with the stem and reciprocable within the cylinder to expel material through said orifice, and a cup carried with the exposed end of the stern and mounted in nested relation to the cap.

2. In a closure for containers a cap, a resilient gasket clamped on the container opening by the cap, a cylinder of the same material moulded integral withsaid gasket and extending into the container, a plunger element mounted in the cylinder and reciprocable therein to effect the expulsion of material within the cylinder, and a stem carried with the plunger element and extending through the cap and having a discharge orice through which such material is expelled.

3. In a, closure for containers, a cap, a resilient gasket clamped on the container opening by the cap, a cylinder of the same material moulded integral with the gasket and having an open end exposed to the material within the container, a. plunger element mounted in the cylinder and reciprocable therein to eiect the expulsion of material within the cylinder, a stem carried with the plunger element and extending through the cap and having a discharge orifice through which such material is expelled, and a spring operatively interposed between the cap and the stem to actuate the plunger for expulsion of the material.

4. In a closure for containers a cap, a resilient gasket having an opening therethrough, a cylinder within the container, a plunger element mounted in the cylinder and reciprocable therein to effect the expulsion of material within the cylinder, and a hollow discharge stem carried with the plunger element and extending through the opening in said gasket and having an inlet orice normally seated in and sealed by the gasket but movable with the stem into communication with the cylinder.

5. In a closure for containers a cap, a cylinder within the container, a resilient gasket clamped on the container opening by the cap and having an opening therethrough, said gasket comprising the end wall of the cylinder, a plunger element mounted in the cylinder and normally seated on said gasket but reciprocable' in the cylinder to effect the expulsion of material therefrom, and a hollow discharge stem carried with the plunger element and extending through the opening in said gasket and having an inlet orifice normally located in said opening for sealing when the ing an opening therethrough, a cylinder within the container, said gasket and cylinder being clamped on the container by the cap, a plunger element mounted in the cylinder and reciprocable therein to effect the expulsion of material within the cylinder, and a hollow discharge stem carried with the plunger element and extending through the opening in said gasket and having an inlet oriiice normally located in said opening for sealing by the gasket but movable with the stem into communication with the cylinder.

7. In a closure for containers, a stationary cap member fixed on the container, a reciprocable plunger element mounted coaxially with and in nested relation to the cap, interacting guide means carried by the cap and the plunger to constrain the plunger against rotation in its reciprocating movements, and detent means carried on the plunger and movable by the plunger into coactive engagement with the cap to hold the plunger against axial movement.

8. In a closure for containers, a stationary cap member fixed on the container, a reciprocable plunger element mounted coaxially with and in nested relation to the cap, an interengaging rib and groove on the plunger and cap to hold the plunger against rotation in its reciprocating movements, interacting guide means carried by the cap and the plunger to constrain the plunger against rotation in its reciprocating movements, and detent means carried on the plunger and movable by the plunger into coactive engagement with the cap to hold the plunger against axial movement.

RALPH W. WILSON.