WO1995015283A2 - Emballage rechargeable - Google Patents

Emballage rechargeable Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO1995015283A2
WO1995015283A2 PCT/US1994/013021 US9413021W WO9515283A2 WO 1995015283 A2 WO1995015283 A2 WO 1995015283A2 US 9413021 W US9413021 W US 9413021W WO 9515283 A2 WO9515283 A2 WO 9515283A2
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
container
transition collar
pouring orifice
package
screw thread
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US1994/013021
Other languages
English (en)
Other versions
WO1995015283A3 (fr
Inventor
Annick Antione Sonia Van Put
Arthur Hampton Neergaard
Original Assignee
The Procter & Gamble Company
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by The Procter & Gamble Company filed Critical The Procter & Gamble Company
Priority to JP7515624A priority Critical patent/JPH09505789A/ja
Publication of WO1995015283A2 publication Critical patent/WO1995015283A2/fr
Publication of WO1995015283A3 publication Critical patent/WO1995015283A3/fr

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D47/00—Closures with filling and discharging, or with discharging, devices
    • B65D47/04—Closures with discharging devices other than pumps
    • B65D47/06—Closures with discharging devices other than pumps with pouring spouts or tubes; with discharge nozzles or passages
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D47/00—Closures with filling and discharging, or with discharging, devices
    • B65D47/04—Closures with discharging devices other than pumps
    • B65D47/06—Closures with discharging devices other than pumps with pouring spouts or tubes; with discharge nozzles or passages
    • B65D47/12—Closures with discharging devices other than pumps with pouring spouts or tubes; with discharge nozzles or passages having removable closures
    • B65D47/122—Threaded caps

Definitions

  • the present invention concerns a refillable package comprising a rigid or semi-rigid container, a transition collar; and a closure.
  • Plastic bottles are very widely used as a convenient method for packaging products of all types in order to transport and store the product throughout the distribution chain, from the manufacturers factory to the hands of the ultimate consumer.
  • recent environmental concerns have lead manufacturers to look for alternative means of packaging that require less plastic.
  • One such approach is to provide the customer with lightweight packages. Such a package must still be sufficiently strong to protect the product during transport and storage up to the point were it reaches the ultimate consumer.
  • the package is designed to use little or no plastic.
  • a package of this type is usually not well-suited to the requirements of the consumer.
  • Such a lightweight package may be non-rigid which makes it difficult to pour from, or it may have only a rudimentary pouring spout, or no spout at all, which tends to result in messiness after use.
  • EPA109704 published on 30th May, 1984 discloses a package particularly suited to liquid laundry detergents.
  • the package comprises a bottle; a transition collar with a pouring spout and drain-back feature; and a cap.
  • the transition collar is fixed on to the bottle by a set of locking teeth and cannot be readily removed.
  • the present invention provides a package which is suitable for easy handling, mess-free pouring and secure storage, and which additionally can-be easily refilled from a lightweight container.
  • the refillable package of the present invention gives the consumer the benefits of good handling characteristics, and at the same time significantly reduces the amount of plastic which must be discarded and disposed of due to the packaging.
  • the lightweight package which is used to refill the container may be any of a number of package types including paperboard cartons, pouches, bags etc.
  • the product may be either a liquid product or a granular product.
  • the refillable package of the present invention ensures that the refilling step is easy for the consumer to do without mess, that the product in the package is protected from the air, the product is not likely to be spilled accidentally, and the package is easy to pour from when product is required.
  • the refillable package of the present invention comprises three elements: a. a rigid or semi-rigid container having an aperture in its surface for refilling said package; b. a transition collar; and c. a closure.
  • the transition collar covers the aperture and is releasably attached to the container in the region around the aperture.
  • the transition collar further comprising a pouring orifice, which is covered by the closure the closure being releasably attached to the transition collar in the region around the pouring orifice.
  • the aperture has a cross-sectional area which is greater than the cross-sectional area of the pouring orifice. Most preferably the diameter of the refilling is greater than 35mm, even more preferably greater than 50mm. Alternatively this may be defined as preferred minimum cross-sectional areas of at least 962mm 2 , preferably at least 1970mm 2 for non-circular orifices.
  • releasably attached it is meant herein that the transition collar is secured to the container during normal use, but that the transition collar and the container may be easily separated when it is desired to refill the container. Furthermore the transition collar and the container may be easily attached together again after the container has been refilled. It is most preferred that a first screw thread connection is used between the transition collar and the container.
  • the closure must also be "releasably attached" to the transition collar by a suitable means, so that the closure may be removed when product is to be dispensed from the container through the pouring orifice, and reattached to fully close the package after product dispensing. It is most preferred that a second screw thread connection is used between the closure and the transition collar.
  • the pouring orifice is positioned "off-centre" with respect to the transition collar, and consists of a spout which extends above the transition collar. Furthermore, the torque required to unscrew the first screw thread connection should be greater than the torque required to unscrew the second screw thread connection.
  • a means for positive locking between transition collar and container is particularly advantageous. Such a locking mechanism enables the consumer to feel and/or hear the transition piece when it locks into position indicating to the user that the first screw thread is fully engaged.
  • a stop means is also advantageous to prevent overtightening of the first screw thread and to maintain the correct orientation of the pouring orifice relative to the rest of the package.
  • the package has a bottom surface on which it is free-standing and vertical plane of symmetry.
  • the ratio of the height of the spout to the diameter of the pouring orifice is less than 1:1 in order to guarantee "glug-free" pouring. If the spout does not have a uniform height all around its perimeter, then the height of the spout for this purpose is considered to be its highest point relative to the transition collar.
  • the container has a plurality of side walls, and a means for gripping and lifting the container positioned the side walls which has a line of symmetry which is essentially vertical; the line of symmetry of the gripping and lifting means, a centre line of the refilling aperture and a centre line of the pouring orifice all lying in the vertical plane of symmetry of the package; the centre of the pouring orifice and the line of symmetry of the lifting and gripping means lying on opposite sides of the centre line of the refilling aperture.
  • the package of the present invention is suitable for a wide variety of products, it is particularly well-suited to granular products.
  • Figure 1 is a front elevation of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
  • Figure 2 is an exploded front elevation of the embodiment of Figure 1.
  • Figure 3 is a vertical cross-sectional vie of the closure taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 2.
  • Figure 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the transition collar taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 2.
  • first threaded connection between the transition collar and the container
  • second threaded connection between the closure and the transition collar
  • the second threaded connection is "off-centre" relative to the transition collar.
  • a positive locking means acting between the transition collar and the container is a positive locking means acting between the transition collar and the container.
  • a locking mechanism (“snap-lock”) enables the consumer to feel and/or hear the transition piece when it locks into its closed position which indicates that the first screw thread connection has been sufficiently tightened.
  • An example of a suitable positive- locking mechanism consists of a continuous or segmented snap-ring positioned around the periphery of the aperture of the container, with corresponding continuous or segmented snap-ring positioned around the periphery of the transition collar.
  • a radial interference between the two snap rings causes the container and the transition collar to "click” and lock together at the point at which the two snap rings are pushed over on another by the action of the tightening screw threads indicating that the screw threads are fully engaged.
  • the radial interference is about 1 mm.
  • Still another preferred feature of the present invention is a means to ensure that the orientation of the pouring spout relative to the remainder of the package is always correct. This is particularly important when the pouring spout is located off-centre relative to the transition collar.
  • An example of a suitable means is a stop notch.
  • a stop-notch is a region of the circumference, preferably close to the screw thread, which has a greater radial extension than the rest of the circumference.
  • Two stop notches, the first located adjacent to the external thread, and the second located adjacent to the internal thread interfere with each other and prevent the screw thread from being tightened further. The stop notches are located in order to ensure that the transition collar can be tightened up to the point at which the pouring spout has the correct orientation relative to the container, but no further.
  • the diameter of the pouring orifice and the height of the pouring spout should be optimised for convenience in pouring the particular product involved.
  • the height, diameter and position of the pouring spout relative to the container and transition collar define certain characteristics of the package. Two such characteristics are aligned angle and pouring angle.
  • aligned angle it is meant the angle through which the package must be tipped from its rest position until it reaches the position at which the most outwardly extending part of the spout is vertically above the most outwardly extending part of the package.
  • pouring angle it is meant the angle through which the package must be tipped from its rest position until it reaches the position at which the first product is discharged from a normally filled container.
  • the aligned angle is important because it defines the point at which the product, when poured, will fall clear of the package, and will not simply drop on to the container or transition piece. It is preferred that the aligned angle should be small, preferably less than 30°, and more preferably less than 20°.
  • the pouring angle must be greater than the aligned angle in order to avoid messiness in pouring. Preferably the difference between the aligned angle and the pouring angle is at least 20°.
  • the refillable package 10 includes a container 12, a transition collar 14 to be releasably attached to the container 12 by means of a first screw thread connection 53, 75, and a closure 16, to be releasably attached to the transition collar by means of a second screw thread connection 40, 58.
  • the container 12 is constructed of any moldable polymeric material, such as polyethylene or polypropylene, and has a body portion 74, an upwardly extending finish 72 and, as shown in Figure 2, a flat annular lip 70 on the upper surface of the finish 72 defining a refilling aperture 80.
  • the balance of the body portion 74 which is not shown in Figure 1 may be of any desired configuration and provides a closed-end chamber suitable for containing the product to be dispensed.
  • the preferred embodiment of said body portion 74 shown has an integrally molded handle 74a to provide a prominent or recognizable gripping or hand hold means to facilitate dispensing and to properly orient the transition collar 14 during pouring of the product, as will be more fully understood from the subsequent description.
  • Transition collar 14 is preferably injection molded of a thermoplastic material, such as polypropylene or the like and desirably is slightly harder than the material of either the container 12 or the cup 16. This preferred variance in hardness provides better sealing between the collar and the container, and the cup and the collar, as will be discussed below. While even harder materials such as polystyrene materials can be used for the transition collar, polypropylene is preferred due to its better stress crack resistance.
  • Transition collar 14 is best shown in Figures 2 and 4 as having a segmented snap-ring which "snaps" over the corresponding complete ring 62 on the container 12 to indicate that the screw threads are fully engaged.
  • a stop- notch (not shown) prevents further tightening of the screw threads thereby maintaining the correct orientation of the pouring orifice 50.
  • the pouring orifice is surrounded by a pour spout 52 which terminates in a lip 56.
  • the extended pouring spout 52 is "off-centre" with respect to the transition collar 14 in the embodiment shown.
  • the spout could also be formed in a bent position, if desired to aid in pouring.
  • the closure 16 is shown in Figure 3 as being generally cup- shaped with a bottom wall 34, a depending skirt-like sidewall 36 and an open mouth 37 terminating in a lip 39.
  • the cup 16 is injection molded of a fairly dense polymer, such as medium to high density polyethylene, for compressive strength. As discussed earlier, the preferred embodiment utilises softer material for the container 12 and cup 16 to allow the sealing surfaces on the collar 14 to slightly deform or cut into the mating surfaces.
  • the aligned angle is 21° and the pouring angle is 65°.
  • a drain means such as that described in EP109704 ensures that any liquid product which is left in the closure, after the closure has been used as a measuring cup, will drain back into the bottle and not drain down the outside of the container which is both messy and unsightly.
  • EP109704 comprises a closure having an external thread which is used as a measuring cup.
  • the external thread mates with an internal thread on a circumscribing wall of the transition collar.
  • An inclined annular surface between the base of the internal thread and the pouring spout leads, at its lowest point to an opening which allows any spilt product to drain directly back into the container.
  • the drain-back opening may be a separate hole to the pouring orifice, or, alternatively, the pouring orifice may also serve to allow spilt product to drain back into the container.
  • the uppermost surface of the spout includes a lip designed to minimise dripping action.
  • the lip is formed by beveling or rounding-off the inner surface of the distal end of the spout to create a sharper conformation.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Closures For Containers (AREA)
  • Cartons (AREA)

Abstract

Un emballage (10) permettant de verser facilement son contenu, pouvant être manipulé sans risque de tache pour l'utilisateur et conçu pour un stockage sûr, tout en étant aisément rechargeable à l'aide d'un conteneur léger, comprend trois éléments: un conteneur rigide ou semi-rigide (12) présentant en surface une ouverture (80) destinée au rechargement dudit emballage; une bague de transition (14) et une fermeture (16). La bague de transition qui recouvre l'ouverture est montée de façon amovible sur le conteneur dans la zone située autour de l'ouverture. La bague de transition comprend en outre un orifice de déversement (50) recouvert par la fermeture, celle-ci étant montée de façon amovible sur la bague de transition autour de l'orifice de déversement.
PCT/US1994/013021 1993-11-22 1994-11-14 Emballage rechargeable WO1995015283A2 (fr)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP7515624A JPH09505789A (ja) 1993-11-22 1994-11-14 再充填可能なパッケージ

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP93870223.0 1993-11-22
EP93870223A EP0654417A1 (fr) 1993-11-22 1993-11-22 Emballage rechargeable

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO1995015283A2 true WO1995015283A2 (fr) 1995-06-08
WO1995015283A3 WO1995015283A3 (fr) 1995-07-20

Family

ID=8215407

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/US1994/013021 WO1995015283A2 (fr) 1993-11-22 1994-11-14 Emballage rechargeable

Country Status (3)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0654417A1 (fr)
JP (1) JPH09505789A (fr)
WO (1) WO1995015283A2 (fr)

Families Citing this family (14)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6082575A (en) * 1998-03-09 2000-07-04 Pepsico, Inc. Hybrid beverage container
DE102008053859A1 (de) * 2008-10-30 2010-05-27 Roger Sparwasser Flasche mit Verschluss zum sicheren Befüllen schlecht zugänglicher Einfüllöffnungen und zum Öffnen/Wiederverschließen/Dosieren in beliebiger Lage
JP5560395B2 (ja) * 2010-06-02 2014-07-23 紀伊産業株式会社 中栓付き容器
JP2013095430A (ja) * 2011-10-28 2013-05-20 Masaharu Shinobe 焼酎容器用キャップ、焼酎容器及び容器入り焼酎
US20130126369A1 (en) 2011-11-18 2013-05-23 Mocktail Beverages Inc. Beverage container
USD727671S1 (en) 2011-12-30 2015-04-28 Mocktail Beverages, Inc. Beverage container
USD725953S1 (en) 2013-04-05 2015-04-07 Mocktail Beverages, Inc. Beverage container with a solid wrapper
USD778095S1 (en) 2015-02-27 2017-02-07 Mocktail Beverages Inc. Beverage container
USD861415S1 (en) 2016-06-20 2019-10-01 Yeti Coolers, Llc Lid
US10737851B2 (en) * 2016-06-20 2020-08-11 Yeti Coolers, Llc Lid for container
USD844382S1 (en) 2017-06-02 2019-04-02 Yeti Coolers, Llc Container
USD836974S1 (en) 2017-06-02 2019-01-01 Yeti Coolers, Llc Container
USD836395S1 (en) 2017-06-02 2018-12-25 Yeti Coolers, Llc Container
USD844383S1 (en) 2017-06-02 2019-04-02 Yeti Coolers, Llc Container

Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4813569A (en) * 1988-03-14 1989-03-21 Ruiz Louie P Pressure test cap for plumbing drain pipes
US5267791A (en) * 1991-12-13 1993-12-07 Corning Incorporated Suspended cell culture stirring vessel closure and apparatus

Family Cites Families (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR560239A (fr) * 1922-12-22 1923-10-01 Petroles Jupiter Sa Des Dispositif de bouchon permettant de munir un récipient à gros goulot d'un goulot plus petit
GB426726A (en) * 1933-10-09 1935-04-09 Frank Chapman An improved pouring device for bottles and other containers
US4047648A (en) * 1976-05-07 1977-09-13 Dart Industries Inc. Spout with snap acting cover and drain hole
DE2735372A1 (de) * 1976-08-06 1978-02-09 Noriyoshi Saeki Festvolumenabgabevorrichtung
DE3373994D1 (en) * 1982-11-17 1987-11-12 Procter & Gamble Liquid product pouring and measuring package with self draining feature
US5111979A (en) * 1990-01-25 1992-05-12 Ali Athar Fluid dispensing container
US5145080A (en) * 1991-04-26 1992-09-08 Seaquist Closures Positive orientation system for a threaded closure and container

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4813569A (en) * 1988-03-14 1989-03-21 Ruiz Louie P Pressure test cap for plumbing drain pipes
US5267791A (en) * 1991-12-13 1993-12-07 Corning Incorporated Suspended cell culture stirring vessel closure and apparatus

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP0654417A1 (fr) 1995-05-24
WO1995015283A3 (fr) 1995-07-20
JPH09505789A (ja) 1997-06-10

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