US2800259A - Container structures - Google Patents

Description

July 23, 1957 w. s. wlLsoN AE-l-AL CONTAINER STRUCTURES Filed Dec. 27, 1955 Menem/v .S PV/lso/l Mofem/v A.. C11/2465A .DELL M- MAL/c/Q;

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CONTAINER STRUCTURES i Woodrow S. Wilson, Pasadena, Morton A. Carabel, Los Angeles, and Dell M. `Malick, Whittier, Calif., assignors to Poleete, Inc., Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California Application December 27 1955, Serial No. 555,491

2 Claims. (Cl. 222-534) The present invention relates to new and improved container structures.

The advent of resilient plastic materials such as, e. g., various grades of polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl acetate, and other similar substances, has given rise to a great change in the art of packaging materials such as cosmetics, shampoos and the like. Virtually every individual is, at the present time, familiar with the so-called squeeze bottle containers formed of Y these materials and used for a number of preparations. Such containers of a resilient plastic are very satisfactory for a large number of applications in that they are substantially unbreakable, and hence may be employed withV safety where children are apt to be involved or where these containers are apt to be damaged due to dropping or the like.

Unfortunately, the art of dispensing various liquid or semi-liquid preparations from containers has not kept pace with progress in the art of manufacturing containers from resilient plastic materials. A basic object of this invention is to provide new structures for dispensing liquids from containers, these structures being specifically adapted to be utilized with resilient plastic containers of the type indicated in the preceding discussion.

Another object of this invention is to provide container structures formed out of a resilient plastic which mark a substantial improvement over various prior devices in that they incorporate a spout which is designed to lie substantially flush with a surface when not in use. This latter is very important since spouts which project upwards from a lid or the like are located in an exposed position where they are apt to be damaged in handling. Also, the prior spout yconstructions projecting away from a lid are very disadvantageous in that they occupy considerable volume when packed and shipped. Further, these prior constructions are also virtually impossible to utilize with containers which are specifically adapted to be nested together for display and shipping purposes.

Because of the nature of this invention, it is not believed necessary to set forth in this specification a long list of objects pointing out all of the advantages and details ofthe structures falling Within thescope of this disclosure. Other advantages and objects of the invention will be more fully apparent to those skilled in the art to which vthis invention pertains from a consideration of the remainder of this description, including the appended claims and the accompanying drawing, in which:'I

Fig. l'is a perspective view of a container of the present invention, thisY view illustrating the bottom of the c011- tainer; y

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view taken at line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross rsectionalview taken at line 3 3 of Fig. 2; y I

Fig. 4 is -a cross sectional view takenat line 4-4 of Fig. 3;' Y

Fig. 5 is a bottom view of part of the container shown in Fig. 1; f l j yFig. 6d and Fig. 6b are detailed sectional views indicatnited States Patent ing the formation ,and final structure of the container .shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a cross sectional view of a modilied structure of the present invention;

Fig. 8 is a cross sectional view taken at line 8-7-8 of Fig. 7; and d Fig. 9 is a cross sectionalview similar to Fig. 7 of a second modified structure of the present invention.

In all figures of the drawing, like numerals are used to `designate like parts wherever convenient for purposes of illustration andrexplanation. It is rto be understood that this invention is not limited to structures having the precise appearance and dimensions shown inasmuch as the basic features of this invention can be embodied within other structures having a completely different general appearance.

The invention present in this specication is considered to be fully delined or summarized by the appended claims. If desired, however, it may be stated by Way of a summary which will aid in the understanding of this description that the present invention concerns containers which include: elongated, closely spaced side Walls connected together by curved ends, these walls being formed of a resilient material; a bottom located within the confines of the side Walls so as to be spaced from the lower edges of these side walls; and means for dispensing the contents of a container attached to this bottom. The invention is best explained in detail by referring directly to the drawings.

In Fig. l of the drawings there is shown a complete container 10 of the present invention, formed almostcompletely out of a resilient plastic material such as, e. g., polyethylene. This container includes a tlat top 12, opposed elongated side walls 1'4 which are connected together by curved ends 16, and a bottom 18, this bottom being located against an internal flange 20 formed on the inside of the container.' Around the periphery of the top 12 there is formed a groove 22 which is adapted to carry the lower edge 24 of the side walls 14 of an adjacent container. It should be noted that the flange 20 is spaced from the lower edge 24 of the container 10 a sufficient distance so that the bottom 18 is within the contines of the side Walls 14.

One major advantage of the container 10 lies in the ease with which this container may be filled with a liquid by either hand or automatic means as it is being assembled. During such filling, the container 10 with the bottom removed is placed upside down upon a horizontal surface so that the top 12 rests upon this surface. A fluid, such as hand cream, shampoo or the like, is then placed within the container below the level of the liange 20., Next a continuous Wire 26 formed of stainless steel or other similar material which is not apt to be corroded or attacked by the contents of the container 10, and which is not apt t-o contaminate in any respect the contents of this container, is placed against the tlange 20. lt should be noted that the wire 26 fits closely against the inside of the container 10. Next, the bottom 18 is merely dropped in place upon the wire 26 and upon the flange 20. At this stage during the assembly of the container 10, the flange 20, the bottom 18 and the wire 26 are located with respect to one another as indicated in Fig. 6a of the drawings.

Next, this assembly, including the fluid within the container 10, is passed through an induction heating coil of conventional design which induces a currentv within the wire 26 so as to cause this wire to heat very rapidly. This, in turn, has the eifect of melting the plastic material adjacent to the wire in the ilange 20 and the bottom 18 and, to a' certain extent, on the inside of this container. As such melting occurs, the plastic from these Various -parts flow together so that as the container 10 is removed -from the induction coil the wire126 is in eifect embedded in composite unitary structure in the manner shown in Fig. 6b. It is frequently advantageous to Iapply moderate pressure to the bottom 18 during this heating operation inL orderptomaid in the forming of a seal be-V tween the parts.' Inasmuch as occasionally the Wire 26 nraynotV be completely encased within plastic, it is preferred that this wire have the properties indicated above with respectto the 'contentsof the container. In addition to serving as an aid to sealing the container 10 the wire 26 serves to rein-force part of this container -so as to prevent bending of the side walls 14 which would tend to break the sealbetween the flange and the bottom 18.

=If desired, a spout member 28, which may be formed of a plastic ,as indicated above, having a cylindrical center section Si?, a spout 32 projecting radially from this center Ysectiornand cylindrical projections 34 leading axially from both sides of the center section may then be inserted in an operative position within the bottom 18. This botto-m is formed so as to include a generally cylindrical cavity 36 having 'a flat bottom 38 and an open ing leading from this cavity 36 to the outside of the bottom 18; cylindrical 'bearing openings 42 project axially from the` cavity 36 within the bottom 18. Further, this bottom 18 is' formed so as to include a groove 44 leading from the cylindrical cavity 36 to an enlarged depression 46 within this bottom. The structure of the bottom immediately adjacent to the cylindrical cavity 36 and the bearing openings 42 is quite important with this invention.

Aligned slots 48 are provided in the bottom 18 along the length of the bearing openings 42 so that the spout member 28 may be snapped into the position shown in Figures 2, 3, 4 and 6 of the `drawings with the cylindrical projections 34 being held tightly within the bearing openings 42 -by the portions of the bottom 18 defining these -bearing openings. When this is done, the cylindrical center section Sii is located within the cylindrical cavity 36 yand is held against the lbottom 18 so as to tend to deform this bottom toa cylindrical shapeeffecting a tight seal between the cylindrical center section 30 andthe bottom 18 around a passage 50 leading through the 'bottom 18 from theinterior of the container 10 to within the center of the flat bottom 38.

:It will be realizedby those familiar to the field to which this invention pertains that the size of the seal obtained with this structure is comparatively small but that nevertheless it is adequate. Because of the Vsize of the area forming a seal thereis little danger of leakage resulting from imperfect moulding of cylindrical'surfaces or the like. Another passage ASZLisformed in the spout member 28 so as to project completely through the spout 32 and the cylindrical center section 30 so Ythat when the spout member is rotated to the position shown in phantom in Figures 2 and 3 ofthe drawings these two'passages 50 and 52 are-alignedwith Yone another. VTltleseal referred to above is, `of course, maintained'during'this rotation.

It is considered obvious that when the spout member 2S is in this position that the contents of the container 10 may be readily removed from this container. One important feature of the preferred construction of this invention shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings lies in the fact that the side walls 14 are elongated and are spaced comparatively closely to one another in such a manner that the container 10 may be readily' held within the hand of an individual so that these two side walls 14 may be squeezed towards one another, ejecting the contents of the container underforce through the passages 50 and 52. The amount of deformation'of' the side walls 14 possible is comparatively largewith `the structure illustrated inasmuch as these side walls are substantially unsupported throughout their length by any means which would tend to prevent them being moved towards one another. Because of the structure shown the container 10 is quite advantageously used with hand creams or Yshampoo since the contents of the container are ejected from vthe bo'tto'i'n of 4it during use directly towards the hands or the head or the like as desired without the necessity of tilting up this container or holding it in some peculiar position.

The spout member 28 is normally carried in the position shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 5 of the drawings with the spout 32 within the groove 44 so as to project into the depression 46. It is considered obvious that when in this position the passages '50 and 52 are not alignedrwith one another and that the spout 32 is in a location which in effect is out of the way where it cannot be damaged in handling and where it does not interfere with stacking or shipping operations. The depression 46 is larger than the spout 32 with the preferred construction in order that a finger may be readily inserted within the depression 46 to ip the spout 32 to a position where the passages 50 and 52 are aligned with one another. An end 54 of the opening 40 serves as a stop element to limit rotation of the spout member 38 to where these two passages are in alignment. As the container- 10 is placed upon -a flat surface thespout member 28 is `automaticallyclosed, or -rotated to a closed position. This is an important advantage, as is the fact that the container 10 may be dropped into water or the like during use.

It is not to be assumed from the foregoing that the spout member should be inserted in an operative'position after the bottom 18 has been attached Vto the rest of the container 10. Itis considered preferable for commercial reasons to insert the spout member 28 in the bottom 18 prior to the attachment of this bottom to the rest of he container in a sub-assembly type of operation. It is also not'to be assumed that the container 10 must ybe vfilled as this container is beingassembledas itis possible to lill the container through the passages 50 and 52, although this is not preferred. Itis also possible to utilize various other openings (not shown) to lill the container 10.

The basic features of the spout'structure of this'invention can be employed with a cap 60as shown in Figs. 7 and 8 of the drawings. This cap is'designed/ to be attached by internal threads 62 to a bottle or other similar structure, Yand employs at its top 64 a spout member 28' of identical construction withthe spout member previously described. It also utilizes va cylindrical cavity -36 and other openings and slots such `as have been indicated. Withv this structure the spout 32 projects through a groove 44 a'short'distance beyond the periphery of the cap 60 sovthat it may be easily engaged and flipped to an open position. -In spite of this vthe spout 32"is located in a manner where-this spout does-not project fromthe' cap 60 to any material-extent.

yIt is also possible=toutilize the same'spout and retaining structure infanoth'er cap 66.0f1the instant invention having external threads 68. This cap 66 is r'designed 'to be threaded'rwithin an vopening 70 in the top -72 of acontainer so'that the spout member 28 is completely disposedin` a. closed position beneath the surface cf the top 72 Yfor com venience in stacking and in order tov prevent damage-.in handling and the like. The structure employed inlthe modification of the invention shown in Fig. 9 of the dra`w ings is identical to that employed together with the'bo'ttom 18 of the container 10, and hence it will not be described in detail.

Because of the fact thatthe basic features of this invention can be utilized in a number of modified structures, the present inventive concept is to be considered asbeing limited only by the appended'claims.

We claim:

1-. A container of-'the class described Awhich comprises: elongated, closely spaced side walls connected togetherY by curved ends, said `walls being vformed off a resilient-material; a bottom located within the confines of saidwalls so as `to`bek spaced from the'loweredges thereofj means for dispensing the contents of a container attached to said bottom, said' means including arotatable-member adapted .d sal ange and sald bottom bemg f-used to one another 2,727,658 Mart Dec. 20, 19.55

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