US2744661A

US2744661A - Flexible liquid dispensing container having a removable spout assembly and filter

Info

Publication number: US2744661A
Application number: US335353A
Authority: US
Inventors: Lincoln K Davis
Original assignee: Foxboro Co
Current assignee: Schneider Electric Systems USA Inc
Priority date: 1953-02-05
Filing date: 1953-02-05
Publication date: 1956-05-08
Anticipated expiration: 1973-05-08

Description

I y 8 6 L. K. DAVIS 2,744,661

FLEXIBLE LIQUID DISPENSING CONTAINER HAVING A REMOVABLE SPOUT ASSEMBLY AND FILTER Filed Fe 5. 1955 2 sheets-Sheet 1 JNVENTOR. LINCOLN K. DAVIS EL W A1 IORNEYS y 8, 1956 K. DAVIS 2,744,661

FLEXIBLE LIQUID DISPENSING CONTAINER HAVING A REMOVABLE SPOUT ASSEMBLY AND FILTER Filed Feb. 5, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. I

FIGEI Fl GJZII INVENTOR. LINCOLN K. DAVIS United States Patent 2,744,661 "FLEXIBLE LIQUID DISPENSING CONTK INER HAVING A REMOVABLE SPOU-T KSSEMBEY "FILTER I "Lincoln Davis, Bro ckton, Mass 'assignorto The Foxboro -Company, Foxboro, Mass, ncorporation of "Massachusetts Application February 5, I953, Serial'No. 3351353 -3 Claims. -(Cl. 222-189.)

.This invention relates tounits for containing and dispensing liquids,..for example, inks, oils, chemicals, flavoring extracts, medicine, and the dike, and has particular reference to flexible containers wherein the dispensing of "the liquid .is accomplished :by squeeZing'the-container.

Many activities require accurate applications of sma'll amounts of liquid. The :loading of :pens with ink in .industrial trecording instruments :is an example. -TOtl'fer examples are: the application of antiseptic :solutionao -wounds, the application-of acid drops to material's under test; and the application of oil to small machine parts. In many such activities the points or'areas requiring the application of liquid thereto should not beatouchecl, or aretsmall-or difiicult of access, with the :requirement ithat the liquid applied be restricted in :-amount :and area :of application. :Further, such points 'or areas :may -ibe till devices or mechanisms-of substantial delicacy of "adjustment or structure.

"Certain .fiex-ible :=liquid dispensing containers .pYOVidE'd in the ,past have been formed with :simple dispensing openings, or short dispensingspouts which wenewunwieldy or unable to reach the points of tl'ifiicult or "dellCallfi access. .A further disadvantagehas been-that when :such prior art containers are not'in use, their dispensingopenings are-left=exposed,, with the result thatspilling, :evaporation and fouling may ensue, or else a separate cap :is supplied that may be dropped or lost.

Other prior art containers have been provided with longer and .in .some cases flexible dispensing spouts, but these also have .had no satisfactory means of sea-ling when not in use. I

invention avoids these prior art difficulties thy providing .a flexible lliquid dispensing container "with fa relatively .long and slender spout, and with .means :for storing the spoutso that (less-space is required and at the same time its dispensing end is closedofi when (not in use.

It is, therefore, an object of this .inventiontoprov-ide a new and improved unit :for containing-and tdispensing liquids.

This and other objects of this invention will be in part pointed out and will be in part apparent from the text and claims here ,presented, and from the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure I is aperspective of a dispensing bottle --unit embodying this invention, nasittis positioned and-arranged when not in use;

.Figure III is an elevation-of the :unit of Figure :I, as it is .positioned and arranged-when in use;

..Figu-re .IIIis an enlargement, in central vertical sec tion, of a portion ofthe innit-of Figure 'I;

Figure IV .is .a --view like that of Figure iI, sh an alternative construction;

Figure V is'a showing in 'central vertical section of another alternative structure of this invention;

Figure VI is a showing of still another alternative structure; and

SFigure VII is an enlargement, tin central vertical tion,-of-a=: portion of the -unit'-'of FigureVI.

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Referrin'g to Figure I, a liquid dispenserunit is shown, as an illustrative embodiment of this invention. This .unitcomprises, generally, a flexible container 10, :a closure plug 11, :a cap '12, a dispensing spout 13, a recess .14,

5 and Ya liquid receiving tube .15. Reference to :Figure III shows, further, that the closure plug -11has an opening 16 therethrough, and that a filter body 17 :is .containedin .the opening 16. A body 18 of liquid to .be dispensed, is-shown in the container 1.0.

Considering :these various members, and with .particu- :lar reference to .Figure III, theflexible container 10-is asgenerally rectangular, flexible bottle. The bottle'isof the order of two inches .in height, with the other "dimensions of the unit generally. in proportion, as shown. This shape and these dimensions are useful, butnot intended as limiting to this invention. .For example, the bottle may be round, vand the dimensionsmuch greater,.if desired. Any flexible material or structurefor the bottle v.may be used, with the main requirement being that squeezing at least a part-of the bottle willresult inforcing liquid or air through the dispensing spout 13 and that .upon .release from the squeezing, the bottle will return substantially to its initial shape, such as shown here in Figure 'I. As a specific disclosure the bottle may be formed of .a plastic such as polyethylene in 'trans'lucent 'form so that the liquid in the bottle .is visible through'the bottle as an aid in controlling the-dispensing of the liquid. However, some forms of rubber,.metal, or other material are also suitable, as'longas they are resiliently flexible. The nature of the liquid which the bottle is intended to dispense is also a factor in choosing th'eb'o'ttle material. Polyethylene, for example, .may be used as bottle material for containing .many inks, oils, and acids, without harm to the "bottles.

As .shown in Figure III, the bottle 10 has, in top central "location, 'an upright, exteriorly threaded and openended neck 10'. This neck is generally cylindrica'Land provides access to the interior of .the'bottle. 'The closure plug 11 is also generally cylindrical and is removably mounted in'theneck of the bottle, in close fitting relation therewith. Polyethylene has been found "to "be a suitable material for the closure plug 11. About midway of the length of the closure plug, an annular shoulder "llis provided, having a greater diameter -than the interiordiameter of the neck of the bottle. The "shoulder Tl res'ts on the top edge of the'n'eck of the bottle, acting as a liquid seal therewith and as a'm'ea'ns of preventing the "closure plug from being pushed into the bottle.

The cap 12 has a configuration somewhat similar to that of "a packing nut and is interior-1y threaded for engagement with the exterior threads of the neck '10 of the'bottle 10. Formed in the top of cap 12 there is an opening 50 having a diameter somewhat greater than that of the plug 11. The portion .of cap 12 defining the opening "50 forms an annular shoulder 1'2" adapted to'bear against the upper surface of shoulder 11' when cap 12 is threaded onto neck 10'. Thus the bottle is sealed as the cap 12 is threaded on 'to the bottleneck and the closure shoulder 11' is heldfirmly between the cap shoulder 12 and the outer edge of the bottleneck. The cap .12 may also be formed of polyethylene, :but it is preferable to use a material of somewhat greater rigidity such as'B'akelite, in order to sealthe bottle more securely. The outerside wall of the cap 12 is provi'defd with vertical ridges '12 as "a means of alfordin'g'a betsupporting boss 11'' extends upwardly from "the top of the closure plug 11, in alignment with the opening 16 through the plug, as an aid in supporting, locating and identifying the end of the dispensing tube 13. On the side of the closure plug 11, above the cap 12, a flat surface 19 is provided as a place for indicia or markings 20 of direction or identification. The marking shown is Pull Out with an arrow pointing upward to indicate the end of the dispensing tube 13 which is to be pulled, and the direction of pull, in order to remove the tube from the recess 14 as a step toward achieving the operative position and arrangement of Figure II.

As shown in Figure III, in the closure plug 11, the opening 16 extends from end to end of the plug, along the length thereof. The inner end of this opening contains, in sealed relation with the closure plug, an end portion of the liquid receiving tube 15. This tube, also, is preferably formed of polyethylene. The remainder of this tube extends downwardly through the neck of the bottle, and then curves to one side, to terminate adjacent a side wall of the bottle. This tube 15 extends only a short distance down into the bottle proper. For proper use of the bottle unit, the bottle is filled with liquid only to a level which falls short of the tube 15 when the bottle is upright. Thus when the bottle is not in use, that is, when it is in the upright position as in Figure I, ordinary squeezing of the bottle will not introduce liquid into the tube 15. Also, capillary action in the tube 15 is avoided. This arrangement thus aids in providing a nonleaking bottle unit. Further, the opening in the tube 15 is comparatively small, and even when the bottle is turned upside down, without squeezing pressure thereon, little, if any, liquid will enter the tube 15. This arrangement is an aid in providing the non-spillable feature of this invention.

Again considering the opening 16 through the closure plug 11, the central portion of this opening contains the filter 17. This filter may be a body of felt, cotton, or other material suitable for the purpose of this filter, which is to provide a restriction in the dispensing flow, so that a flood of liquid cannot be expelled by accident, and also to remove any sediment or foreign matter that may be in the liquid. The upper, outer portion of the opening 16 is reduced in diameter, thus forming a retaining shoulder for the filter 17.

On the top of the closure plug boss 11, and in alignment with the opening 16, the dispensing tube 13 is fused to the closure plug. Such fusion produces a spread in the body of the tube, and a tapering junction between the tube and the closure plug boss. The tube 13 is a small diameter, elongated spout, preferably formed of flexible, translucent polyethylene, so that the travel of liquid through it may be seen, as an aid to dispensing. When not in use, the tube 13 is bent in a loop and its free end forced into the recess 14 in the closure plug 11. The free end of the tube terminates in an inward taper, and the mouth of the recess 14 has a flaring outward taper, as a means of identifying it and of facilitating the insertion of the tube 13 thereinto. The diameter of the recess is made slightly less than the outer diameter of the tube to provide a force fitting, nonleaking seal of the tube in the recess. The preferred arrangement is such that the tube does not bottom in the recess, but seals by side wall contact. As an aid in this direction, the recess 14 may be provided with a slight inward taper in the direction of increasing depth in the recess. It has been found that the tube 13 may easily be forced into the recess 14 sufiiciently to provide a strong holding relation. A useful feature of this invention in this connection is that the bottle unit may be stored by hanging it on a nail or hook extending through a loop formed by the dispensing tube 13 when the free end thereof is forced into the recess. Suificient holding strength is provided to support the bottle unit, even though it is filled with heavy liquid.

Figure II illustrates a position and arrangement of use of the bottle unit. The dispensing tube 13 is pulled out of the recess 14 and allowed to achieve a natural, unrestricted position. The unit is tipped on its side, and since the free end of the tube 15 is now below the liquid level, application of squeezing pressure to the bottle 10 produces liquid drops 21 from the free end of the dispensing tube 13. Thereafter, upon the return of the bottle unit to the position and arrangement of Figure I, the liquid 18 will again be below the tube 15, and at least a substantial amount of the liquid remaining in the dispensing tube 13, the closure passage 16, and the tube 15, will drain back into the bottle.

The dispensing tube 13 is not limited in operating position to the bent form of Figure II. It may be bent to any of a great variety of positions. While it is flexible, it is sufficiently rigid so that in most cases it is not necessary to hold the tube in the desired position while the liquid is dispensed. Since the filter 17 provides a substantial restriction, excellent control is provided of the liquid flow from the dispensing tube. With proper relation of the filter characteristics to the type of liquid in the bottle, this flow may be variable in a single unit from a single drop to a full stream simply by varying the manual squeeze pressure. A desirable arrangement for many purposes is to so relate the filter to the type of liquid in the bottle that a moderate squeezing force will dispense the liquid drop by drop at a rate that can be counted easily.

The alternative structure of Figure IV utilizes the structure of Figures 1, II, III, except in regard to the construction and arrangement of the dispensing tube 13 and the tube receiving recess 14. In the structure of Figure IV, a second boss, 22, is provided on the closure plug 11, and the recess 14 is formed in the boss 22'with no flare or outward taper of the recess at the mouth thereof. The recess in this alternate structure is otherwise the same as that shown and described in connection with Figure III. In Figure IV, the dispensing tube 13 has a cap 23 slidably mounted thereon, tightly enough to provide some sealing action therewith. The cap 23 fits over the boss 22 in sealing relation therewith as shown in solid lines, and may be moved back on the tube 13 to a position such as is shown in dotted lines, when the bottle unit is in operative arrangement. An annular head 24 is fused to the tube 13 adjacent its free end, and has the double purpose of retaining the cap 23 on the tube when the tube is out of the recess 14 and of enabling the tube to be pushed into the recess by pushing on the cap as it abuts the head 24. This arrangement may be formed with a seal of the tube in the recess, or a seal of the cap on the boss, or both. If desired, also, the cap 23 may be fused to the tube 13 at any desired point along the tube, simply as a finger guard as for example when the bottle contains an acid. A further feature of this arrangement is in the wiping action as the tube is inserted in the close fitting recess and as the cap is pressed down on the boss. Such action aids in keeping the tip of the spout clean and ready for operation.

The cap 23, when slidable on the dispensing tube 13, may also be useful when it is moved back on the tube as mentioned above. The tube 13, after having its free end stored for a time in the recess 14, may develop a bend which remains even when the tube is removed from the recess. If the cap 23 is pushed back on the tube to the point of this bend, it provides a bracing sleeve as a means of at least aiding in temporarily straightening out the tube. This arrangement may be useful in applications where it is desirable or necessary to have the tube 13 straight during the dispensing action.

The alternative structure of Figure V is a simple, nonrefillable dispensing unit comprising a flexible, generally rectangular bottle 25 with a flexible dispensing spout 26 integral therewith. A body of liquid 27 is contained in the bottle. Loading the bottle with liquid is part of the manufacture of such a throw-away unit, and the bottle may be so loaded at any suitable point in such manufacture, for example, before the dispensing spout 26 is secured to the bottle. On the top of the bottle, and at one side, a boss 28 is provided, and a dispensing opening 29 is formed through the bottle wall and through the boss 28. The dispensing tube 26 has one end fused to the boss 28 to provide a continuation of the dispensing opening 29. On the side opposite the boss 28, the bottle has a thickened wall portion 30 with a recess 31 therein extending down from the top of the bottle. The free end of the dispensing tube 26 is received in this recess to store the tube when the unit is not in use, in the usual manner of this invention.

Referring to Figures VI and VII, a further alternative structure is shown therein. This structure includes a generally cylindrical flexible bottle 32 with a threaded neck 33 containing a closure plug 34. A cap 35 is threaded on the neck 33 to bind an annular-shoulder 36 of the closure plug between the cap and the top of the bottle neck so that the bottle is sealed in a manner similar to the arrangement of Figure III. In this alternative structure, however, the closure plug 34 has a central boss 37 in the form of a truncated cone extending up through a central opening in the cap 35. A dispensing opening 38 extends down through the boss 37 and. the main body of the closure plug 34. A dispensing tube 39 is mounted in the opening 38, with an inner terminal within the bottle en-' closure just below the closure plug. The cap is formed with a lateral, tapered offset portion 35' and a recess 40 extends down into this offset, from the top of the cap. The free end of the dispensing tube 39 is stored in this recess in the manner usual to this invention when the dispensing unit is not in use.

The materials, forms and dimensions of the devices of Figures IV through VII are variable according to choice in the same manner and for the same reasons as hereinbefore discussed in relation to Figures I through III. The devices of Figures V and VI-VII are operable by pulling the dispensing tube free end out of the storage recess, inverting the whole unit, and applying squeeze pressure to the bottle.

This invention, therefore, provides a novel liquid dispensing unit in which a flexible liquid container is provided with a relatively small, elongated dispensing spout, and a recess in the unit for receiving and sealing the dispensing end of the spout when the unit is not in use.

As many embodiments may be made in the above invention, and as many changes may be made in the embodiments above described without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as described herein and shown in the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that all matter hereinbefore set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A liquid dispenser unit for dispensing small quantities of liquid and adapted for frequent, periodic use with out refilling, comprising, in combination, a flexible container with an opening therein, and a dispensing spout assembly removably mounted in said opening, said dispensing spout assembly comprising a closure plug for said opening with said plug having an opening therethrough, a relatively small, freely flexible, elongated dispensing spout mounted on said plug as a continuation of said plug opening to receive and dispense liquid from said container as said container is squeezed, said spout having a dispensing end that is maintained open at all times to provide constant communication from outside said spout to the interior of said container, and means for preventing leakage from the open dispensing end of said spout when said unit is not in use, said means including a recess in said closure plug for receiving and lightly gripping the outer, dispensing end of said spout to permit said dispensing end to be freely removed and replaced for operation of said unit.

, a liquid receiving tube secured to said closure plug and extending in hook-likeforni inwardly and laterally of said container to form a part of a continuous passage through said opening, said liquid receiving tube being lo cated with all portions thereof closely adjacent said container opening, a relatively small, freely flexible, elongated dispensing spout also secured to said closure plug and extending outwardly of said bottle as a continuation of said passage and for receiving and dispensing liquid from said container through said inwardly extending tube as said container is squeezed, said spout having a dispensing end that is maintained open at all times to provide constant communication from outside said spout to the interior of said container, a filter body in said passage, and means for preventing leakage from the open dispensing end of said spout when said unit is not in use, said means including a recess in said closure plug for receiving and lightly gripping the outer, dispensing end of said spout to permit said dispensing end to be freely removed and replaced for operation of said unit.

3. A liquid dispenser bottle unit for dispensing small quantities of liquid and adapted for frequent, periodic use without refilling, comprising, in combination, a flexible'plastic bottle having a top portion with an open ended cylindrical neck therein, an all plastic dispensing spout assembly removably mounted in said neck, and a shouldered sleeve threaded on said neck with a portion of said dispensing spout assembly clamped between the shoulder of said sleeve and the outer end of said neck, said dispensing spout assembly comprising a cylindrical plastic plug with one end thereof removably mounted in said neck and the other end thereof extending outwardly of the bottle suificiently to provide a finger grip for removing said plug from said neck, said plug having a peripheral boss thereon which is the said clamped portion of said assembly, said plug further having a passage therethrough and an outwardly facing recess therein, and said dispensing spout assembly further comprising a dispensing pipe arrangement utilizing said passage to pro-. vide an outlet for said container, said pipe arrangement including an inner plastic pipe disposed within the container and wholly adjacent the said container neck in a laterally disposed curved formation terminating in an end adjacent and facing the said top portion of said bottle, and said pipe arrangement further including an outer flexible plastic dispensing spout in the form of a circular cross-section tube, said spout having a dispensing end that is maintained open at all times to provide constant communication from outside said spout to, the interior of said container, said outwardly facing recess in said plug having a diameter slightly less than the diameter of said spout and extending substantially the full length of said plug, said recess being constructed and arranged to receive in snug engagement with its side wall a substantial length of the full diameter outer end of said dispensing spout when said dispenser bottle unit is not in use.

I References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS