US3849863A

US3849863A - Process of making tube mounted applicator

Info

Publication number: US3849863A
Application number: US00371407A
Authority: US
Inventors: G Schwartzman
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1972-04-17
Filing date: 1973-06-19
Publication date: 1974-11-26
Anticipated expiration: 1991-11-26

Abstract

A process of making an applicator comprising a squeezeable container, a cap surrounding the upper part of the container and having an opening therein forming a valve seat. The cap has an inwardly extending flange on the inner surface thereof. A mounting ring is concentric with the container and has a groove therein and is force fitted in the container with the flange being locked in the upper part forcing a portion of the upper part into the groove therby holding said upper part, said mounting ring, and said container in assembled condition. An enlarged valve head connected to the mounting ring and located above the opening and engageable with the valve seat to close the opening is formed by heat and pressure after the step of force fitting.

Description

llnited States Patent Schwartzman Nov. 26, 1974 1 1 PROCESS OF MAKING TUBE MOUNTED 3,154,615 10/1964 Cooprider 264/242 APPLICATOR 3,438,554 4/1969 Schwartzmun 222/496 3,506,162 4 1970 Schwartzman 222/496 x Inventor: Gilbert Schwartzman, 20 Wilmot Cir., Scarsdale, NY. 10585 Filed: June 19, 1973 Appl. No.: 371,407

Related US. Application Data Division of Ser. Nov 244,561, April 17, 1972, Pat. No. 3,794,213.

US. Cl .L 29/436, 29/437, 29/445, 29/450, 29/453, 29/l57.l R,

Int. Cl 1323p 19/00 Field of Search 29/445, 453, 434, 450, 29/437, 436, 157.1 R; 264/242 X, 249 X; 222/107, 496, 212, 494

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Primary ExaminerCharlie T. Moon Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Kenneth S. Goldfarb [57] ABSTRACT A process of making an applicator comprising a squeezeable container, a cap surrounding the upper part of the container and having an opening therein forming a valve seat. The cap has an inwardly extending flange on the inner surface thereof. A mounting ring is concentric with the container and has a groove therein and is force fitted in the container with the flange being locked in the upper part forcing a portion of the upper part into the groove therby holding said upper part, said mounting ring, and said container in assembled condition. An enlarged valve head connected to the mounting ring and located above the opening and engageable with the valve seat to close the opening is formed by heat and pressure after the step of force fitting.

2 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PROCESS OF MAKING TUBE MOUNTED APPLICATOR REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION-TUBE MOUNTED APPLICATOR.

This application is a division of application Ser. No. 244,561, for TUBE MOUNTED APPLICATOR, in the name of Gilbert Schwartzman, filed on Apr. 17, 1972, now US. Pat. No. 3,794,213.

This invention relates to an applicator and a method of construction thereof.

In connection with squeeze bottles and squeeze tubes, it is desirable to provide means for securing the cap and applicator as well as a valve metering arrangement to the squeezable container in an efficient and rapid manner while requiring a minimum of handling and labor.

Further, it is desired that the assembly be selflocking so' as to hold all the parts securely in position. In assembly, twisting operations of parts often require expensive and space consuming machinery so it is desirable to assemble these applicators using linear movement of parts.

In the past, various types of applicators having value assemblies have been manufactured in which threaded arrangements or other fastening means have been used to secure the parts together. These have often proved unsatisfactory because of the cost of parts, difficulties in molding and necessity to do many of the steps either by hand or requiring complicated turning or twisting motion to be applied on the parts.

The present invention resides in the concepts of the method of securing the cap and the mounting ring with the valve assembly to the-container in a simplified manner and wherein the mounting ring not only holds the parts in assembled condition but also carries the valve stem and valve head.

The construction of this invention features a mounting ring having a spring pressed valve stem. The mounting ring is of a larger diameter than the interior diameter of the combined container and cap so that when force fitted into position with the valve stem extending through an opening in the cap, all the parts are securely held together.

Still further objects and features of this invention reside in theprovision of a tube mounted applicator and method of securement thereof, which is capable of being used in conjunction with squeezable tubes or squeezable bottles orlike containers that minimize the amount of steps necessary to secure parts together while eliminating the necessity of any rotary motion being applied on any of the parts thereby reducing the size of the machines necessary to be used in automatic assembly of these applicators.

These, together with the various ancillary objects and features of this invention, which will become apparent as the following description proceeds, are attained by this process of making a tube mounted applicator, a preferred embodiment of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, by way of example only, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the main elements'of the invention shown prior to assembly;

FIG. 2 is a view showing a further step in the manufacture of the applicator;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the applicator with parts thereof being broken away to show other parts in de tail; and,

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the assembled applicator shown in use.

With continuing reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views, reference numeral 10 generally designates a container such as a squeeze tube, bottle, or the like whose end 12 may be made fluid tight in any convenient and conventional manner. The open upper part 14 of the container I0 is of a larger diameter than the inner diameter of a cap generally indicated at 16 and is adapted to seat against the inner surface 18 of the cap. The cap is provided with a shoulder 20 for limiting the innermost position of the container 10 and the cap 16 surrounds the upper part 14 of container 10. A mounting ring generally indicated at 22 forms another major element of this inven tion. The mounting ring has a substantially cylindrical vertical wall portion 24 provided with a groove 26 therein and is of a greater diameter than the inner diameter of the combined container 10 and cap 16. The upper wall 28 of the mounting ring 22 has an opening 30 therethrough. A valve assembly 32 is provided which includes a valve seat 34 and a base disc 36 to which the valve seat 34 is secured and a plurality of he lical coil springs 38 which are integral with the base 36 andwith the upper wall 28 so as to normally urge the valve stem 34 to a predetermined position. The cap 16 r is provided with a flange or tongue 40 which is adapted to urge the material of the .upper part 14 into the container into the groove 26 when assembled. The cap is provided with a dome-like upper wall 42 having a tapered opening 44 therein forming a valve seat 46.

In the steps of assembling the applicator, and with the upper part 14 of the container seating against the flange 20, the mounting ring 22 is force fitted into the container 10 within the cap so that the valve stem extends through the opening 30 and the flange 44 and the upper part 14 are jammed into the groove 26. Then, the portion of the valve stem 34 extending through the opening 44 can be shaped in one or more steps by any suitable mandril which may be heated as indicated at 48 in FIG. 2 so as to shape the valve head 50 to a desired size and shape to engage the valve stem 46 for normally closing the opening. The top of the valve head is arcuate to lie flush with the arcuate top of the cap.

When it is desired to use the device, the container 10 need be squeezed in the direction of arrows 52 thereby forcing fluid in the direction of arrows 54 upwardly and through the openings as indicated by arrows 56.

A latitude of modification, change and substitution is intended in the foregoing disclosure, and in some instances some features of the invention will be employed without a corresponding use of other features.

' Iclaim:

l. A process of making an applicator having a container and cap, and a mounting ring provided with a valve assembly including a stem comprising the steps of surrounding the upper part of 'said container with said cap, force fitting said mounting ring into said container to lockingly assemble said container, said cap and said mounting ring with said stem extending through said mounting ring and projecting through said cap, and then heat and pressure shaping the end of the stem of the mounting ring projecting through said cap into a valve head. I

2. A process according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of said container is forced into a groove in said mounting ring.

Claims

1. A process of making an applicator having a container and cap, and a mounting ring provided with a valve assembly including a stem comprising the steps of surrounding the upper part of said container with said cap, force fitting said mounting ring into said container to lockingly assemble said container, said cap and said mounting ring with said stem extending through said mounting ring and projecting through said cap, and then heat and pressure shaping the end of the stem of the mounting ring projecting through said cap into a valve head.