US3174175A - Ball applicator fitment - Google Patents

Description

March 23, 1965 w. R. FRANK BALL APPLICATOR FITMENT Filed Dec. 1l. 1962 .2 @iw mfg?. .www am@ 2 m/, 4 VJ 3 n ,f .n B 23 2 r im @3 Af 3. 5 1 M l M 1 /4 A/fe /3/ 3 l 3 l A w/ w A 5 l.: o M 3 l 3f 1 l o 2 03 2 l 1 3 3 w M ,////U\-\ 1 5mg/c 3323A United States Patent O 3,174,175 BALL APPLICATR FHMENT Walter R. Frank, Elmhurst, lll., assigner to W. R. Frank Packaging Engineers, Inc., a corporation of Hlinois Filed Dec. 11, 1962, Ser. No. 243,820 6 Claims. (Cl. 15-572) This invention relates to a ball applicator fitment such as may be used with a bottle of so-called roll-on deodorant lotion. The fitment is employed with (a) a container to which it may be secured, (b) an applicator ball rotatably confined by the fitment, and (c) a container cap adapted to press down against the applicator ball when the cap is secured to the container.

The iitment of this invention includes (1) a ball support member defining a generally spherically shaped cavity in which the applicator ball is rotatably confined and which has an opening at its upper end; (Z) a generally outwardly directed shoulder having a bottom face for conforming contact with at least the outer perimeter of the terminal face of the container neck; (3) and annular ring directed generally inwardly from the shoulder to continue the cavity in the ball support member and provide a ball sealing surface at its inner edge portion; (4) means for securing the fltment to the container; and a flange extending downwardly from the inner portion of the annular ring, with the upper portion of the flange being spaced from the container neck and the lower portion having conforming contact with the neck.

It is essential that the area of the ball sealing surface with which the applicator ball is in contact when it is pressed down by the container cap, as the cap is secured to the container, be located at least in substantial part within any and all lines running from the center of the ball through the innermost points of contact between the terminal face of the container neck and the bottom face of the outwardly directed shoulder. It is this feature that results, as will be explained below, in the knee action of the downwardly extending flange as its bottom portion is pressed against the inner surface of the container neck when the container cap presses down upon the applicator ball.

The tment of the invention is an improvement over the tments disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 1,977,414, issued to Testa on October 16, 1934, and No. 2,823,403, issued to Whitney on February 18, 1958. With the fitments of the prior art, the lotion or other liquid contained in the bottle to which the litment is secured may leak into the space around the outer surface of the itment which is in Contact with the inner surface of the container neck, thus tending to decrease the efficacy of the seal at that point between the litment and the container neck.

The present invention overcomes this difficulty by providing a knee action in the flange that extends downwardly inside the container neck. In the preferred form this flange is normally urged against the container neck, and may be provided with a knife edge or feather edge to increase its efficiency still further. Y

If desired, the upper portion of the ball support member through which the applicator ball is inserted into the cavity in which it is rotatably confined, the annular ring that extends inwardly from the ball support member and outwardly directed shoulder, and the downwardly extending flange may be made from a resilient material that further increases the effectiveness of the ball-to-iitment and tment-to-container neck seals. In fact, if desired, the entire tment may be made of resilient material.

The ball applicator fitment of this invention is further described in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a cross sectional View of one embodiment of the ball applicator litrnent of this invention in place upon a container, together with the applicator ball land container cap associated therewith;

FIGURE 2 is a cross sectional View of a second embodiment of the ball applicator fitment of this invention in place upon the container, and containing the applicator ball with which it is associated;

FlGURE 3 is a similar cross sectional view of a third embodiment of the ball applicator litment of this invention, secured to a container having a tapered mouth;

FGURE 4 is a similar View of a fourth embodiment of the ball applicator tment of this invention, secured to the same type container FiGURE 5 is a similar View of the ball applicator fitrnent of FIGURE l, with a variation in the shape of the outer surface of the downwardly depending flange that extends into the container mouth; and

FGURE 6 is a fragmentary cross sectional view of the ball applicator tment of FIGURE l, with another Variation in the form of the outer surface of the downwardly depending flange that extends into the container mouth.

In FIGURE l, ball applicator tment 1i) is shown in place upon container neck 11 of a container 12 of a type employed with so-called roll-on deodorant lotion.

Applicator ball 13 is shown in place within cavity 14 which is defined by upper walls or ball support member 15 of itment 1li. Container cap 16 is shown threaded into place upon container neck 11, by means of threads 17 in neck 11 and corresponding threads 13 in the bottom of the inside wall of the container cap.

Container neck 11 defines outlet bore 20. Neck 11 terminates in radially outwardly directed terminal face 21.

Cavity 14 has the general shape of a portion of a sphere. At its upper end, it terminates in and communicates with opening 22. Opening 22 has a diameter smaller than that of applicator ball 13, but large enough that the applicator ball may be conveniently snapped into place in cavity 14 by pressing it down through opening 22.

As a result of the structure just described, ball support member 15 is adapted to rotatably confine applicator ball 13 within cavity 14.

The upstanding walls of ball support member 15 merge into generally outwardly directed shoulder 25, which extends below walls 15. Outwardly directed shoulder 25 has bottom face 26 for conforming Contact with at least outer perimeter 2'7 of terminal face 21 of container neck 11.

Annular ring 311 extends generally inwardly from shoulder 2S. Its upper surface defines a continuation of generally spherically shaped cavity 14 in ball support member 15. The upper surface of annular ring 30 includes a ball sealing surface 31 for conforming contact with applicator ball 13. The inner diameter of annular ring 36 is smaller than the diameter of applicator ball 13, and hence ball sealing surface 31 supports ball 13 in place within cavity 14. As seen, ball sealing surface 31 has continuous conforming contact with ball 13 for substantially 360 around the ball. The outermost diameter of ball sealing surface 31 is, as shown, smaller than the diameter of container neck 11.

Flange 32 extends downwardly from inner portion 33 of annular ring 3d. The upper portion 34 of the outer surface of flange 32 is spaced at all points from the container neck 11 when litment 10 is installed in place upon the container. The lower portion 35 of the outer surface of flange 32 has substantially continuous conforming contact with neck 11 for 360 around the neck when the fitment is installed in place upon the container. As is shown in the drawing, the area of said conforming contact with the container neck lies on a radial line extending from the center of applicator ball 13 through the central portion of said continuous ball sealing surface.

Securing wall 3S extends downwardly from outwardly directed shoulder 25, and is provided with inwardly extending rib 39 at its lower portion. Rib 39 is adapted to form a snap fit with groove 40 in the outer wall of the upper portion of container neck 11. The action between rib 39 andI groove 40 thus secures iitment 10 to container 12 when the former is snapped into place upon the container.

In the embodiment shown in FIGURE 1, the area of ball sealing surface 31 with which applicator ball 13 is in Contact when pressed down by container cap 16 when the latter is secured to container neck 11 is located entirely within any and all lines such as A-A which may be drawn from the center 45 of ball 13 through the innermost points of contact 46 between terminal face 21 of container neck 11 and bottom face 26 of outwardly'directed shoulder 25.

In useit is seen that when container cap 16 is screwed upon container neck 11, upper wall 47 of the cap presses down upon applicator ball Y13, which in turn presses against ball sealing surface 31. This pressure upon ball sealing surface31 causes the knee formed by inwardly directed annular ring 3i) and downwardly extending liange 32 to tend to rotate downward and outward. This tendency to rotate, in turn, increases the pressure between conforming surface 35 of flange 32 and mouth 20 of container neck 11.

When the pressures just described are exerted, it is seen that a secure seal is obtained for the contents of container 12. The sealing surfaces include container mouth 20, inner surface 48V of downwardly extending flange 32 and bottom surface 49 of applicator ball 13.

When container cap. 16 is removed from container 12, the seal between applicator ball 13 and sealing surface 31 may be broken by rotating the applicator ball. At the same time, the seal between lower surface 35 of flange 32 and mouth 20 of container neck 11 continues.

If. all of surface 31 were outside line A-.A in FIGURE 1,. as is often the case in prior art devices, the pressure of ball 13 against surface 31 would tend to cause flange 32 to ilare away from mouth 20 and permit the lotion or other liquid contained in bottle 12 to leak into the space aroundr outer surface of flange 32. Y

In the ball applicator litment of this invention, this decrease in the efficacy of the seal between flange 32 of the tment and container mouth 26 is avoided by locating at least a substantial part of sealing surface 31 within line A-A. As a result, and because of the spacing between container mouth 20 and upper portion 34 of the wall of ange 32, some knee action inevitably results which tends toforce surface 35 more tightly against the wall of container mouth 20 whenever applicator ball 13 is pressed down against sealing surface 31;

The degree of knee action is increased if a major part of sealing surface 31 lies inside line A-A, and is made greatest if the entire portion of the area of sealing surface 31 lies within line A-A, as in the embodiments shown in the drawing.

The knee action of downwardly extending flange 32 is greater in the embodiment of this invention shown in FIGURE 2 than in the embodiment of FIGURE l. In the embodiment of FIGURE 2, outwardly directed shoulder 25 is provided with a bottom face 50 which has conforming contact only with outer perimeter 27 of terminal face 21 ofl container neck 11. Bottom face 50 is spaced from terminal face 20 inwardly of perimeter 27 when the tment 10 is installed in place on container 12.

It will be seen from FIGURE 2 that this structure and positioning of bottom face 50 of outwardly directed shoulder 25 produces a stillV higher arch for the knee which is formed by inwardly directed annular ring 30 and downwardly depending flange 32.

In the embodiment being described, the entire area of ball sealing surface 31 lies within line B-B, drawn from center 45 of applicator ball 13 through innermost points of contact 51 between terminal face 21 of containery neck 11 and bottom face 50 of outwardly directed shoulder 25. If desired, the pressure of contact between surface 35 of downwardly extending liange 32 and the wall of container mouth 20 can be increased in any ofthe embodiments shown in the drawing by constructing flange 32 in such manner as to normally urge or press surface 35 into conforming contacts with the wall of mouth 20.,

In the embodiments shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, the wall of container mouth or outlet bore 20 and radially outwardly directed terminal face 21 of container neck 11 are ioined by tapering annular shoulder'52..

In FIGURE 3, bottomY face 53V of outwardly extending shoulder 25 is in conforming contact not only with outer perimeter 27, but also all of terminal face 21 and of tapered annular shoulder 52. In FIGURE 4, however, bottom face 54 contacts only outer perimeter 27 and-terminal face 21, and is spaced from tapered annular shoulder 52.

As will be seen, the knee action of annular ring 30 and downwardly extending flange 32 as ball 13 presses against sealing surface 31 will be greater in the embodiment of FIGURE 4 than in FIGURE 3. The space between the knee on the one hand, and the wall of container mouth 2t) and' tapered annular shoulder 52 on the other hand, is greater in FIGURE 4.

Similarly, although sealing face 31 is inboth cases located within any line drawn from the center of ball 13 through the innermostr points of contact between the terminal face and the tapered annular shoulder of the container neck, the distance within that line is greater for FIGURE 4 than for FIGURE 3.

In kFIGURE 3, sealing surface Y31 lies entirely within line, C-C, drawn through center of ball 13 and the innermost points of contact between tapered annular shoulder 52' `and bottom face 53 of shoulder 25. In FIGURE 4, sealing surface 31 lies entirely within line D--D, drawn through center 45 of ball 13 and the innermost points of contact 61 between bottom face 54 of shoulder 25 and terminal face 21 of connector neck 11.

As bottom portion 35 of the outermost surface of downwardly extending ange 32 is pressed more tightly againstv container neck 20 in FIGURES l through 4 by pressure ofA ball 13 'upon sealing surface 31, it will be caused to move downward slightly in response to that ressure. This downward movement may be utilized to produce a squeegee action upon the wall of container mouth 2i), to clean ohc from that Wall lotion or other matter contained in bottle 12 that might otherwise tend to seep up through the contact between surface 35 and container mouth 20.

The embodiment of FIGURE 5 includes knife edge 62 on the outer surface 3 5 of the lower portion of flange 32, as a means of improving the squeegee action just described. In the embodiment of FIGURE 6, a feather edge 63 is provided for a similar purpose.

If desired, the upper portion of walls 15 may be formed of resilient material in order to increase the ease of insertion of applicator ball 13 within cavity 1-5. Likewise, annular ring 30 and downwardly extending flange 32 may be formed of resilient material to improve the knee action resulting from use of the ball applicator iitment of this invention.

If desired, the entire tment may be made of relatively resilient material, and the thickness of outwardly extending wall 25 will prevent any substantial deforming of downwardly extending wall 38 to reduce the security of attachment provided by the snap t between rib 39 and groove 40.

The above detailed discussion of this invention has been given for clarity of understanding only. No unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, since modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

I claim: f

l. A ball applicator iitment foruse with a container with a dispensing opening dened by a neck having an outlet bore and a radially outwardly directed terminal face, an applicator ball, and a container cap adapted to press down against the ball when secured to the container, which comprises: a ball support member defining a cavity having the general shape of a portion of a sphere, said support member having an opening at its upper end communicating with said cavity, said opening having a diameter smaller than the diameter of said ball, said ball support member being adapted to rotatably coniine said ball within said cavity; a generally outwardly directed shoulder extending from said support member, said shoulder having a bottom face for conforming contact with at least the outer perimeter of said terminal face of the container neck; a continuons annular ring directed generally inwardly from said shoulder, the upper surface of said annular ring dening a continuation of the generally spherically shaped cavity in said ball receiving support member, said upper surface including a ball sealing surface for continuous conforming contact with said ball for substantially 360 around the ball, the inner diameter of said annular ring being smaller than the diameter of said ball; a iiange extending downwardly and outwardly from the inner portion of said annular ring, the upper portion of the outer surface of said iiange being spaced at all points from the container neck when the iitment is installed in place upon the container, the lower portion of said surface having substantially continuous conforming contact with said neck for 360 around the neck, the Aarea of said conforming contact with the container neck lying on a radial line extending from the center of the ball through the central portion of said continuous ball sealing surface; and means extending downwardly from said outwardly directed shoulder for securing the itment to the container.

2. The ball applicator itment of claim l in which the area of said ball sealing surface with which the applicator ball is in contact, when pressed down by the container cap when the latter is secured to the container, is located entirely within any and all lines drawn from the center of the ball through the innermost points of contact between said terminal face of the container neck and the bottoni face of said outwardly directed shoulder.

3. The ball applicator fitment of claim 1 in which the bottom face of the generally outwardly directed shoulder has conforming contact solely with the outer perimeter of the terminal face of the container neck, and said bottom face is spaced from said terminal face inwardly of said perimeter when the trnent is installed in place upon the container.

4. The ball applicator tment of claim 1 in which the lower portion of the outer surface of said flange forms a knife edge in conforming contact with said container neck.

5. The ball applicator itment of claim 1 in which the lower portion of the outer surface of said flange forms a feather edge in conforming contact with said container neck.

6. The ball applicator iitment of claim 1 in which the outermost diameter of said ball sealing surface is smaller than the diameter of said container neck.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,700,784 2/55 De Brock 15-572 2,823,403 2/58 Whitney 15-572 2,975,466 3/61 Fillmore 15-572 WALTER A. SCHEEL, Primary Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A BALL APPLICATOR FITMENT FOR USE WITH A CONTAINER WITH A DISPENDING OPENING DEFINED BY A NECK HAVING AN OUTLET BORE AND A RADIALLY OUTWARDLY DIRECTED TERMINAL FACE, AN APPLICATOR BALL, AND A CONTAINER CAP ADAPTED TO PRESS DOWN AGAINST THE BALL WHEN SECURED TO THE CONTAINER, WHICH COMPRISES: A BALL SUPPORT MEMBER DEFINING A CAVITY HAVING THE GENERAL SHAPE OF A PORTION OF A SPHERE, SAID SUPPORT MEMBER HAVING AN OPENING AT ITS UPPER END COMMUNICATING WITH SAID CAVITY, SAID OPENING HAVING A DIAMETER SMALLER THAN THE DIAMETER OF SAID BALL, SAID BALL SUPPORT MEMBER BEING ADAPTED TO ROTATABLY CONFINE SAID BALL WITHIN SAID CAVITY; A GENERALLY OUTWARDLY DIRECTED SHOULDER EXTENDING FROM SAID SUPPORT MEMBER, SAID SHOULDER HAVING A BOTTOM FACE FOR CONFORMING CONTACT WITH AT LEAST THE OUTER PERIMETER OF SAID TERMINAL FACE OF THEL CONTAINER NECK; A CONTINUOUS ANNULAR RING DIRECTED GENERALLY INWARDLY FROM SAID SHOULDER, THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID ANNULAR RING DEFINING A CONTINUATION OF THE GENERALLY SPHERICALLY SHAPED CAVITY IN SAID BALL RECEIVING SUPPORT MEMBER, SAID UPPER SURFACE INCLUDING A BALL SEALING SURFACE FOR CONTINUOUS CONFORMING CONTACT WITH SAID BALL FOR SUBSTANTIALLY 360* AROUND THE BALL, THE INNER DIAMETER OF SAID ANNULAR RING BEING SMALLER THAN THE DIAMETER OF SAID BALL; A FLANGE EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY FROM THE INNER PORTION OF SAID ANNULAR RING, THE UPPER PORTION OF THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID FLANGE BEING SPACED AT ALL POINTS FROM THE CONTAINER NECK WHEN THE FITMENT IS INSTALLED IN PLACE UPON THE CONTAINER, THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID SURFACE HAVING SUBSTANTIALLY CONTINUOUS CONFORMING CONTACT WITH SAID NECK FOR 360* AROUND THE NECK, THE AREA OF SAID CONFORMING CONTACT WITH THE CONTAINER NECK LYING ON A RADIAL LINE EXTENDING FROM THE CENTER OF THE BALL THROUGH THE CENTRAL PORTION OF SAID CONTINUOUS BALL SEALING SURFACE; AND MEANS EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID OUTWARDLY DIRECTED SHOULDER FOR SECURING THE FITMENT TO THE CONTAINER.

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