US3197092A

US3197092A - Dispensing containers for granular products having a resilient perforated plug and closure cap therefor

Info

Publication number: US3197092A
Application number: US380537A
Authority: US
Inventors: Stein William
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1964-07-06
Filing date: 1964-07-06
Publication date: 1965-07-27
Anticipated expiration: 1982-07-27

Description

July 27, 1965 w. STEIN 3,197,092

DISPENSING CONTAINERS FOR GRANULAR PRODUCTS HAVING A RESILIENT PERFORATED PLUG AND CLOSURE CAP THEREFOR Filed July 6, 1964 FIG. I

INVENTOR.

a M. Jan v BY /4 w y ATTORNEY United States Patent DESEENSHNG CGNTAENERS FUR GRANULAR PRSBUCTS HAVING A RESZHENT MERFQ- RATED PLUG AND CLfidURE CAP FGR William Stein, 4 Alpine Road, New Rochelle, Nfif. Filed July 6, 1964, Ser. No. 389,537 4 Claims. (Cl. 222-645) This invention relates to a dispensing container and more particularly to the closure elements thereof.

The use of a perforated plate or the like in the neck of a bottle for dispensing granular material is of course well known. However, such perforations have a tendency to permit deterioration of the enclosed contents, which might very well be an aromatic spice.

This problem has been marked in the industry for many years and many attempts have been made to provide an economical and effective closure to solve the problem but these solutions have themselves involved other problems.

With the foregoing in mind I have devised a dispensing closure taking the form of a resilient plug which is seated in the bottle neck and which is provided with a perforated floor well below the bottle lip. The plug is formed with an annular shoulder spaced above the floor. A closure cap having a lowermost head is provided. The bead is arranged to firmly seat itself between the perforated floor and the shoulder so as to provide a very effective seal in the closed position of the cap. The plug is further formed with an uppermost flange resting on the bottle lip and supporting the cap in the closed position, the cap having a central annular head which normally rests on said flange.

The invention will be further understood from the following description and drawings wherein:

FZGURE 1 is an exploded view, in elevation, of the dispensing container of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal cross sectional View of the assembled container, partly broken away;

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view thereof, with the cap removed; and

FZGURE 4 is a perspective view of the container in the pouring or dispensing position.

The bottle 19 is essentially conventional, being provided with a neck 11 and a lip 12.

Resilient plug 13 is of a size to fit firmly and snugly within the neck 11, being supported therein by the lip 12. Plug 13 is preferably of a resilient plastic material such as polyethylene. It is provided with a top flange 14, an annular sidewall 15, an inwardly tapering annular shoulder 16 internally thereof, and a lowermost reduced annular section 17 formed with a perforated floor 18.

Bottle 10 is generally filled with a granular product Zii which is to be dispensed. Product 26 may be any type of granular spice or the like. The plug 13 is deposited within the neck of the filled bottle Iii by firmly pressing it therein until its flange l4- meets and rests upon lip 12. The fit should be tight so that the plug 13 will not become displaced through ordinary use of the product.

Cap 21 is designed to perform the sealing function in closing the bottle. Cap 21 and bottle iii may both be of glass material, although this is not necessary to the invention. Cap 21 is preferably hollow as shown in 3,l97,92 Patented July 27, 1965 once than that of lowermost section 17 of plug 13. It is also formed with a central head 23 which is of larger diameter somewhat equivalent to that of flange 14 of plug 13 upon which it rests. Cap 21 has a reduced section 24 directly above bead 22.

My invention operates as follows:

After plug 13 is installed, the cap 21 is deposited in place by inserting its lower end within the neck 11 as shown, the plug 13 functioning as a resilient liner. Lowermost head 22, being of a diameter less than that of wall 15, first cont-acts the inwardly sloping annular shoulder 16 and slides down such shoulder, coming to rest within the hollow lowermost plug section 17. At the same time, thecentral head 23 rests against the flange 14.

As the head 22 slides down annular shoulder 16 it tends to expand the same so that, when the bead 22 comes to rest on floor 13,.the shoulder 16 tends to restore itself to its normal sloping position so as to effect a very firm and substantially airtight seal, the shoulder 16 protruding slightly toward reduced section 24 and partially embracing the top surface of bead 22. The thickness of bead 22 is about the same as the height of plug section 17 so that the shoulder 16 is free to assume its normal sloping position when the cap is fully deposited in place.

The inner diameter of lowermost section 17 is minutely less than the outer diameter of lowermost head 22 so as to effect a slight radial expansion of the section 17 when the cap is installed. This action assists in producing the firm closure.

Of course, when the material is to be dispensed, the cap 21 is removed and the bottle 19 may be tilted as indicated in FIGURE 4, so as to dispense the contents. The return of cap 21 to its normal position of closure thereafter restores the firm seal which protects the contents against deterioration.

It will be observed that annular sidewall 15 extends approximately half way down the bottle neck Ill, while maintaining firm contact therewith. This provides a large area of closure so that the aroma of the product will be effectively retained and will not tend to leak out,

the shoulder 16 and section 17 being spaced inwardly from the inner surface of the bottle neck ll. In a satis factory embodiment the neck 11 was /8" in height while wall 15 was in height.

I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention but it is obvious that numerous omissions and changes may be made therein without departing from its spirit.

What is claimed is:

1. A dispensing container comprising a bottle for containing a product to be dispensed, said bottle having a neck, a resilient plug having a perforated floor disposed in said neck, an annular integral shoulder formed around said plug and internally thereof and spaced above said floor, a lowermost hollow section between said floor said shoulder, a closure cap for said neck, said closure cap having a lowermost bead fitting within said lowermost hollow section and said shoulder partially embracing the top surface of said lowermost head when said cap is in the closed position, said closure cap being round in transverse crosssection, said cap being formed with a section of reduceddiameter directly over said a lowermost bead so as to permit said shoulder to partially embrace said top surface of said lowermost head, said cap being hollow, a central bead formed on said cap of larger diameter than said lowermost bead, a top flange on said plug overlying the top of said bottle neck, and said central bead resting on said flange.

2. A dispensing container according to claim 1 and including an annular sidewall on said plug directly under said flange, said sidewall being of a height approximately one-half that of said bottle neck and firmly contacting said one-half of said bottle neck.

3. A dispensing container according to claim 2 and wherein both said shoulder and said lowermost hollow section of said plug are spaced inwardly from said bottle neck.

4. A dispensing container according to claim 3 and wherein said cap lowermost head is of substantially the same thickness as said plug lowerrnost hollow section.

References (Iited by the Egraininer UNITED STATES PATENTS 294,341 2/84 Wilcox 222563 X 2,921,724 1/60 Whitney 222-563 X 2,940,646 6/60 Albani 222-565 X 3,124,281 3/64 Stull 222-563 V LOUIS J. DEMBO, Primary Examiner.

WALTER SOBIN, Examiner.

Claims

1. A DISPENSING CONTAINE COMPRISING A BOTTLE FOR CONTAINING A PRODUCT TO BE DISPENSED, SAID BOTTLE HAVING A NECK, A RESILIENT PLUG HAVING A PERFORATED FLOOR DISPOSED IN SAID NECK, AN ANNULAR INTEGRAL SHOULDER FORMED AROUND SAID PLUG AND INTERNALLY THEREOF AND SPACED ABOVE SAID FLOOR, A LOWERMOST HOLLOW SECTION BETWEEN SAID FLOOR AND SAID SHOULDER, A CLOSURE CAP FOR SAID NECK, SAID CLOSURE CAP HAVING A LOWERMOST BEAD FITTING WITHIN SAID LOWERMOST HOLLOW SECTION AND SAID SHOULDER PARTIALLY EMBRACING THE TOP SURFACE OF SAID LOWERMOST BEAD WHEN SAID CAP IS IN THE CLOSED POSITION, SAID CLOSURE CAP BEING ROUND IN TRANSVERSE CROSS-SECTION, SAID CAP BEING FORMED WITH A SECTION OF REDUCED DIAMETER DIRECTLY OVER SAID LOWER MOST BEAD SO AS TO PERMIT SAID SHOULDER TO PARTIALLY EMBRACE SAID TOP SURFACE OF SAID LOWERMOST BEAD, SAID CAP BEING HOLLOW, A CENTRAL BEAD FORMED ON SAID CAP OF LARGER DIAMETER THAN SAID LOWERMOST BEAD, A TOP FLANGE ON SAID PLUG OVERLYING THE TOP OF SAID BOTTLE NECK, AND SAID CENTRAL BEAD RESTING ON SAID FLANGE.