Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6206243
-
Patent Number
6,206,243
-
Date Filed
Wednesday, June 9, 199925 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, March 27, 200123 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
Agents
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 222 95
- 222 211
- 222 3831
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
A spray bottle for holding and dispensing a liquid comprises a collapsible container for holding the liquid, a spray head for dispensing and atomizing the liquid, and an elongated coupling for securing the spray head to the container and providing a handhold. The container is adapted to be collapsed into a substantially flat panel when empty and to be distended when the bottle is filled with the liquid. With the spray bottles empty and the containers collapsed, a retail display may comprise a plurality of spray bottles. The spray bottles are arranged in at least one row with the containers collapsed such that each spray head is in an abutting relationship with the spray head of at least one adjacent spray bottle.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a novel spray bottle and, more particularly, to a spray bottle including a collapsible container for holding a liquid and a hand operated pump for dispensing and atomizing the liquid.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Numerous embodiments of manually operated spray bottles are well known in the art. Such spray bottles are used for a wide variety of applications such as applying water, detergents, herbicides, pesticides, fertilizers and other materials to designated areas. Typically, the spray bottles can be operated to produce different spray patterns ranging from a fine mist to a concentrated stream. Most such spray bottles comprise a container for holding a liquid and a spray head or hand operated pump connected to the container for dispensing the liquid. Numerous manually operated spray heads are known in the art, representative examples of which are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,061,202 to Tyler, U.S. Pat. No. 3,129,856 to Boris, U.S. Pat. No. 3,701,478 to Tada, U.S. Pat. No. 3,998,363 to Beres et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,819,835 to Tasaki, U.S. Pat. No. 4,489,890 to Martin, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,205,442 to Harris et al., the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference as though fully set forth herein.
Containers for such spray bottles are also well known. At the present time, most such containers are molded from plastic materials that are substantially rigid after manufacture. As such containers are often designed to hold a substantial volume of liquid, the resulting space requirements and difficulties in handling such containers can complicate transportation and retail display of the spray bottles and thereby increase product costs to the consumer.
The transportation and retail display associated with such spray bottles would be greatly reduced if the volume of such containers could be reduced without affecting the carrying capacity of the containers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a spray bottle for holding and dispensing a liquid. The spray bottle comprises a collapsible container for holding the liquid and a spray head connected to the container for dispensing and atomizing the liquid. The container is adapted to be collapsed into a substantially flat panel when empty and to be distended when the bottle is filled with the liquid.
In accordance with a preferred aspect of the invention, the spray bottle further comprises an elongated coupling intermediate the container and the spray head. The coupling is substantially rigid and may be adapted to provide a handhold. The coupling is preferably removably secured to both the spray head and the container.
The invention further provides for a retail display comprising a plurality of spray bottles. Each spray bottle includes a collapsible container for holding a liquid and a spray head connected to the container. The container is adapted to be collapsed into a substantially flat panel when empty and to be distended when the bottle is filled with the liquid. The spray head is adapted for dispensing and atomizing the liquid. The plurality of spray bottles may be arranged in at least one row with the containers collapsed such that each spray head is in an abutting relationship with the spray head of at least one adjacent spray bottle.
These and other benefits and features of the present invention will be apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof, presented in connection with the following drawings in which like reference numerals identify like elements throughout.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
is perspective view of a retail display including a plurality of collapsible spray bottles in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2
is an elevation view of the top portion of a collapsible spray bottle in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3
is an exploded perspective view of the top portion of the spray bottle of FIG.
2
.
FIGS. 4A-4C
are elevation views of alternative embodiments of couplings for connecting a spray head to a collapsible container.
FIG. 5
is a schematic representation of a wrist strap for use in combination with the present invention.
FIGS. 6A-6P
are elevation views of alternative embodiments of collapsible spray bottles in accordance with the present invention.
FIGS. 7A and 7B
are perspective views of alternative embodiments of collapsible spray bottles in accordance with the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Turning first to
FIG. 1
, an in-store retail display
10
is shown to include a plurality of spray bottles
12
A-
12
F. Each spray bottle
12
A-
12
F includes an associated collapsible container (or pouch)
14
A-
14
F for holding a liquid and a manually-operated spray head
16
A-
16
F for dispensing and atomizing the liquid. As illustrated, each spray head
16
A-
16
F is of the trigger sprayer type and is connected to its associated container
14
A-
14
F by an elongated coupling (or extension tube)
18
A-
18
F, which also provides a handhold.
As explained in detail below, each container
14
A-
14
F is adapted to be collapsed (as shown in
FIG. 1
) into a substantially flat panel when empty, and to be distended (as shown in
FIGS. 6A-6P
) when container
14
A-
14
F is filled with the liquid. When containers
14
A-
14
F are collapsed into the flat panels, the plurality of spray bottles
12
A-
12
F can be advantageously hung in a compact side-by-side arrangement wherein each spray head
16
A-
16
F is in an abutting relationship with (or closely adjacent) the spray head of at least one adjacent spray bottle
12
A-
12
F in the display
10
(see FIG.
1
). That is, unlike with conventional spray bottles in which the number of bottles in a given display area are typically limited by the widths of the containers, by using the present collapsible spray bottles
12
A-
12
F the number bottles in the display area is limited only by the widths of the relatively narrow spray heads
16
A-
16
F. Another retail display advantage of using collapsible containers
14
A-
14
F for retail display purposes is that each container
14
A-
14
F can be easily provided with a product display aperture (or delta hole)
20
A-
20
F in one of its peripheral edges
22
A-
22
F, which may be used to hang spray bottle
12
A-
12
F on a display rod
24
. This arrangement eliminates the need for separate packaging materials, such as a product card or fact card (not shown). In addition, each container
14
A-
14
F may be provided with visual features for advertising or information purposes such as fashion elements, labels, printing, and the like, which also can eliminate the need for separate packaging materials.
Turning now to
FIGS. 2 and 3
, an upper portion of another embodiment of a spray bottle
26
can be seen to include a manually operated pump or spray head
28
. Spray head
28
is preferably a trigger sprayer that is conventional in the art, and thus only a general description of spray head
28
will be described below. Additional details of such a trigger sprayer are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,489,890 to Martin, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference as though fully set forth herein.
As is conventional, spray head
28
includes a body
30
, a trigger
32
, a piston
34
, a nozzle assembly
36
for controlling the output of the liquid, a stem
38
, and a feed tube
40
. Trigger
32
is pivotally attached to body
30
and operates on piston
34
against the outward bias provided by a piston spring (not shown). Stem
38
includes a rotatable securing ring
42
having internal (i.e., female) threads for securing spray head
28
to external (i.e., male) threads of an upper end
44
of an coupling or extension tube
46
. By providing the female threads in the securing ring
42
which is freely rotatable on stem
38
, spray head
28
can be easily held in any orientation that is desired by the user.
Extension tube
46
includes a downwardly facing collar
48
having internal threads
50
configured for threaded engagement with external threads
52
of a fitting
54
embedded in a collapsible container
56
. As best seen in
FIG. 3
, fitting
54
is somewhat elliptical or canoe shaped when viewed from above (i.e., it includes opposed pointed ends
58
and
60
). The elliptical shape of fitting
54
allows it to be more securely fastened to the film material of container
56
by increasing the contact area and eliminating abrupt transitions in the film material. While securing ring
42
is preferably threaded to extension tube
46
(which in turn in threaded to fitting
54
), securing ring
42
could instead be threaded directly to fitting
54
so long as stem
38
is of a sufficiently elongated shape to provide room for a user's hand between body
30
of spray head
28
and container
56
. It should also be noted that although the releasable engagement between the various components is preferably by screw threads, alternative engagement features could be employed.
As illustrated, spray bottle
26
includes an optional decorative cover
62
. Cover
62
may be configured to enhance the visual appearance of spray bottle
26
and/or to provide a more comfortable handhold for the user. As can be seen, cover
62
is configured to surround extension tube
46
and to extend downwardly from the lower edge of securing ring
42
to partially overlie an upper region of container
56
. It should be noted that since cover
62
is separate from extension tube
46
, cover
62
can be readily aligned in any orientation relative to container
56
desired by the user.
Referring now to
FIGS. 4A-4C
, three different constructions of couplings
64
A,
64
B and
64
C can be seen. It will be understood that couplings
64
A,
64
B and
64
C are merely exemplary of the many possible constructions, and that a wide variety of shapes and sizes could be utilized. In general, however, each coupling
64
A,
64
B and
64
C will have an elongated shape to provide sufficient spacing between the spray head and the container for accommodating the user's hand. In addition, each coupling
64
A,
64
B and
64
C will be made of a substantially rigid material (e.g., PVC or other plastic material) to provide the user with a rigid handhold. Each coupling
64
A,
64
B and
64
C is also of generally tubular construction to allow passage of the feed tube from the spray head to the container. Preferably, each coupling
64
A,
64
B and
64
C includes a male-threaded upper end
66
A,
66
B and
66
C, respectively, and a female-threaded lower end
68
A,
68
B and
68
C, respectively. In addition, each coupling
64
A,
64
B and
64
C preferably has a sufficiently pleasing exterior surface that a separate decorative cover is not required, thus decreasing manufacturing costs by reducing raw materials, parts, and assembly steps.
Turning now to
FIG. 5
, an optional wrist strap
70
is schematically shown to include a small loop
72
and a large loop
74
secured together. Small loop
72
is preferably configured to fit over the upper end
66
A,
66
B,
66
C of one of the couplings
64
A,
64
B,
64
C, and large loop
74
is sized to be worn on the wrist of the user. Wrist strap
70
is preferably formed of a resilient rubber or plastic material that allows loop
74
to be stretched over the hand of the user and then return to shape.
Turning now to
FIGS. 6A-6P
, a number of additional alternative embodiments of the collapsible spray bottles will be described. As the collapsible spray bottles illustrated in
FIGS. 6A-6P
are in most respects similar to spray bottles
12
A-
12
F and
26
described above (see FIGS.
1
-
3
), the descriptions thereof will be generally limited to the extent that they differ from those earlier embodiments. In the following descriptions, for brevity the various components of the spray bottles shown in
FIGS. 6A-6P
similar to like components in spray bottle
26
shown in
FIGS. 2 and 3
will be identified by identical reference numerals but appended with the appropriate alphabetic designation (A-P).
With brief reference to all the
FIGS. 6A-6P
, each spray bottle
26
A-
26
P can be seen to include an associated spray head
28
A-
28
P of the trigger sprayer type, a collapsible container
56
A-
56
P of generally rectangular construction, and a coupling
46
A-
46
P intermediate the associated spray head and container. In addition, each coupling
46
A-
46
P has an upper end
44
A-
44
P threadedly engaged with a securing ring
42
A-
42
P of the associated spray head
28
A-
28
P, and a lower end
48
A-
48
P threadedly engaged with a canoe fitting
54
A-
54
P of the associated container
56
A-
56
P. As illustrated, each container
56
A-
56
P is in a substantially expanded condition, i.e., as if filled with a liquid.
With reference to
FIG. 6A
, the preferred construction of one collapsible container
56
A will now be described. The remaining collapsible containers
56
B-
56
P are of generally similar construction except as specifically noted otherwise below. Container
56
A preferably comprises three separate sheets of material secured together to form a right-side wall
76
A, a left-side wall (not visible), and a bottom wall
80
A. As can be seen, right-side wall
76
A and left-side wall
78
A are joined together along a front peripheral edge
82
A and a rear peripheral edge
84
A of container
56
A. In addition, right-side wall
76
A and bottom wall
80
A are joined together along a right-side bottom peripheral edge
86
A, while left-side wall
78
A and bottom wall
80
A are joined together along a left-side bottom peripheral edge (not visible). It should be understood that when container
56
A is filled with liquid and in the expanded condition (as shown), side walls
76
A and
78
A will bow outwardly relative to each other and bottom wall
80
A will assume a position in which a central portion
90
A extends substantially perpendicular to side walls
76
A and
78
A. At the same time, front and rear portions
92
A and
94
A of bottom wall
80
A each assume a position at an angle relative to the horizontal central portion
90
A. More particularly, front and rear portions
92
A and
94
A assume inverted V-shapes and extend upwardly and outwardly from opposite ends of central portion
90
A to intersections
96
A and
98
A with front and rear peripheral edges
82
A and
84
A, respectively. With the foregoing construction, container
56
A can be seen to include a pair of gussets
100
A and
102
A at its bottom region which allow the bottom region to more fully expand and thereby increase the capacity of container
56
A. Preferably, gussets
100
A and
102
A allow the bottom region to expand sufficiently that container
56
A becomes self supporting when full, that is, container
56
A when filled with liquid and placed on a horizontal surface is capable of standing upright all by itself just as if it were of rigid construction instead of collapsible.
Gussets
100
A and
102
A also permit container
56
A to be fully collapsed when empty. In particular, container
56
A can be collapsed by tucking a central portion
90
A of bottom wall
80
A up between lower regions of side walls
76
A and
78
A, i.e., bottom wall
80
is folded or doubled back upon itself. This folded position of bottom wall
80
A is represented by a dashed line
104
A in
FIG. 6A
, i.e., line
104
A shows the uppermost position occupied by bottom wall
80
A when bottom wall
80
A is doubled back upon itself and container
56
A is folded. Thus, gussets
100
A and
102
A are adapted to fold when container
56
A is empty to permit it to collapse into the flat panel, and gussets
100
A and
102
A also unfold when container
56
A is filled with the liquid to permit it to fully distend. Those skilled in the art will understand that other constructions besides gussets could be used to provide a container collapsing to a substantially flat panel, such as an accordion type construction. Preferably, any such construction should allow the container to collapse sufficiently that the width of the container (i.e., the maximum distance between right-side wall
76
A and left side wall
78
A) is less than the width of the spray head, and to expand sufficiently that the width of the container is greater than the width of the spray head.
Peripheral edges
82
A,
84
A,
86
A and
88
A are preferably formed by heat staking (or heat welding) the overlapping marginal edges of the three sheets together in the illustrated arrangement. In addition, canoe fitting
54
A is preferably secured to right-side wall
76
A and left-side wall
78
A by heat staking (or heat welding). Those skilled in the art will understand, however, that numerous other methods besides heat staking could be used to form the peripheral edges and/or secure the fitting.
Container
56
A is preferably made from a plastic film or a laminate material, which may comprise or include a printed film. In addition, container
56
A may be provided with a fashion element, a label, and/or printing. Fitting
54
A is preferably made from an injection molded plastic, but it may be made from any suitable material capable of being joined to the sheet material. Containers of the foregoing type can be manufactured by and are commercially available from a number of companies, including Riley & Geehr Flexible Packaging Specialists, of Evanston Ill.
Now that spray bottle
26
A has been fully described, some brief comments will be made as to the primary differences illustrated in the remaining spray bottles
26
B-
26
P (see FIGS.
6
B-
6
P).
FIG. 6B
shows a spray bottle
26
B having a larger diameter fitting
54
B on container
56
B than fitting
54
A seen in FIG.
6
A. In addition, coupling
46
B is substantially more cone-shaped than the couplings previously seen, and it also provides a smoother transition with container
56
B.
FIGS. 6C and 6D
show spray bottles
26
C and
26
D which differ from the previously seen embodiments primarily in that the associated couplings
46
C and
46
D are provided with relief patterns
106
C and
106
D, respectively. Relief patterns
106
C and
106
D can be used to enhance the visual appeal of couplings
46
C and
46
D and/or to facilitate the user's grip. Container
56
D is illustrated with wavy front and rear peripheral edges
82
D and
84
D, which is representative of the fact that the collapsible containers can be made in an almost limitless variety of shapes.
FIG. 6E
shows a spray bottle
26
E in which an associated container
56
E has a top region that is wider than its bottom region.
FIG. 6F
shows a spray bottle
26
F including a generally square-sided container
56
F, and a decorative (or two-piece) cover
62
F extends over the coupling (not visible). As can be seen, decorative cover
62
F need not be symmetrical (e.g., round or elliptical in horizontal cross-section) because, as noted above, it is separate from the coupling and thus can be easily rotated into the desired orientation with respect to container
56
F.
FIGS. 6G and 6H
show spray bottles
26
G and
26
H which are substantially similar to the foregoing embodiments, except that each container
56
G and
56
H has a large diameter fitting
54
G and
54
H, respectively, similar to fitting
54
B on container
56
B (see FIG.
6
B).
FIGS. 6I and 6J
show collapsible spray bottles
26
I and
26
J with couplings
46
I and
46
J and associated containers
56
I and
56
J that are more rounded than the like components in the embodiments previously seen. In addition, couplings
46
I and
46
J are substantially more similar in shape to their associated containers
56
I and
56
J than is seen in the foregoing embodiments.
FIGS. 6K and 6L
show two further embodiments of spray bottles
26
K and
26
L. As can be seen, container
56
K has upper peripheral edges
108
K and
110
K that converge toward fitting
54
K, which is of the large diameter type. Also as seen, coupling
46
K includes a vertically extending relief pattern
106
K. Spray bottle
26
L includes a decorative cover
62
L, which has a shape that closely approximates the shape of its associated container
56
L.
FIGS. 6M-6O
show spray bottles
26
M,
26
N and
26
O, in which the associated bottom walls
80
M,
80
N and
80
O each assume an angle relative to the horizontal when spray bottles
26
M,
26
N and
26
O are held upright for spraying. That is, bottom walls
80
M,
80
N, and
80
O are set at an angle to the front and rear peripheral edges (
82
M,
84
M), (
82
N,
84
N), and (
82
O,
84
O), respectively, rather than substantially perpendicular to those edges as in the previous embodiments. With this construction, an upper surface
112
M,
112
N,
112
O of the liquid in each container
56
M,
56
N,
56
O assumes an angle relative to bottom walls
80
M,
80
N,
80
O when spraying, which allows a more complete spray out of the liquid from the container. Preferably, each bottom wall
80
M,
80
N and
80
O is angled such that the associated feed tube
40
M,
40
N and
40
O terminates at a bottom region of container
56
M,
56
N and
56
O adjacent the intersection of one lower gusset
100
M,
100
N and
102
O and bottom central portion
90
M,
90
N and
90
O, which forms a low point in the container.
FIG. 6P
shows a spray bottle
26
P which is notable in that it includes a secondary support
114
P designed to carry weight on the user's ring finger. Additional or alternative ergonomic designs or finger holds/grips could easily be employed.
Turning now to
FIGS. 7A and 7B
, two final embodiments of spray bottles
116
A and
116
B will be described. Spray bottles
116
A and
116
B are for the most part similar to the above described spray bottles, except as otherwise described below.
Referring first to the primary features shared in common by spray bottles
116
A and
116
B, each can be seen to include a spray head
118
A and
118
B, a coupling
120
A and
120
B, and a collapsible container
122
A and
122
B. In addition, each container
122
A and
122
B can be seen to include a right-side wall
124
A and
124
B, a left-side wall
126
A and
126
B, a bottom wall
128
A and
128
B (not visible), and a top wall
130
A and
130
B. Thus, unlike the previously described embodiments, each container
122
A and
122
B is preferably formed from four separate sheets of material rather than three sheets (i.e., one additional sheet is used to form the top wall). Although containers
122
A and
122
B each include gussets
132
A and
132
B in the bottom region (like all the prior embodiments), unlike the prior embodiments each container
122
A and
122
B also includes gussets
134
A and
134
B, respectively, in a top region. With this construction, containers
122
A and
122
B are capable of substantial expansion at their upper ends as well as their bottom ends. Another feature shared in common between containers
122
A and
122
B is that each is provided with at least one delta hole
136
A and
136
B for retail display purposes.
Turning now to the primary features that differ between spray bottles
116
A and
116
B, coupling
120
A can be seen to include a relief pattern
138
A which provides a textured handhold, while the exterior surface of coupling
120
B is smooth. Another notable difference is that while coupling
120
A has a circular horizontal cross-section throughout its entire length, coupling
120
B has a circular horizontal cross-section
140
B at its top end but then transitions to an elliptical horizontal cross-section
142
B at its lower end. With coupling
120
B having an elliptical shape at its lower end, it is no longer possible to provide it with threads and secure it to a fitting on container
122
B. Instead, the lower end of coupling
120
B transitions from the elliptical horizontal cross-section
142
B to a canoe crosssection
144
B, which can then be heat staked between a top peripheral edge
146
B of left-side wall
126
B and a left-side peripheral edge
148
B of top wall
130
B.
Numerous characteristics, advantages, and embodiments of the invention have been described in detail in the foregoing description with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the disclosure is illustrative only and the invention is not limited to the precise illustrated and described embodiments. For example, although the collapsible containers are preferably made by heat staking separate sheets of material together, the containers could be made from a single sheet of material wrapped back upon itself and/or by using an adhesive to secure the separate sheets. Moreover, the collapsible container could even be a seamless construction if made by a technique such as blow molding. In addition, although all the spray heads are illustrated as trigger type sprayers, other types of manually operated spray heads or pumps capable of dispensing and atomizing liquid could be used. These and other changes and modifications may be effected by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of the present invention, which is limited only by the scope of the claims which follow.
Claims
- 1. A spray bottle for holding and dispensing a liquid, comprising:a container having a continuous volume for holding the liquid, the container having a bottom forming the bottom-most portion of the spray bottle, the bottom being adapted to be collapsed into a substantially flat panel when empty and to be distended when the volume is filled with the liquid; a spray head having a body and a feed tube extending from the body into the continuous volume adapted for dispensing and atomizing the liquid; and an elongated substantially rigid coupling extending about the feed tube intermediate the container and the spray head, the coupling having a sufficiently elongated shape to provide a hand hold between the body and the container.
- 2. The spray bottle of claim 1, wherein the spray head is releasably connected to the container.
- 3. The spray bottle of claim 1, wherein the spray head is releasably attached to an upper end of the coupling.
- 4. The spray bottle of claim 1, wherein the spray head is permanently attached to an upper end of the coupling.
- 5. The spray bottle of claim 4, wherein the spray head and the coupling are integrally formed as a unitary member.
- 6. The spray bottle of claim 1, wherein a lower end of the coupling is threadedly attached to the container.
- 7. The spray bottle of claim 6, wherein the container includes a substantially rigid fitting to which the lower end of the coupling is threadedly attached.
- 8. The spray bottle of claim 7, wherein the fitting is a canoe fitting permanently attached to the container by heat staking or an adhesive.
- 9. The spray bottle of claim 1, wherein the lower end of the coupling is permanently attached to the container by heat staking or an adhesive.
- 10. The spray bottle of claim 9, wherein the lower end of the coupling includes a canoe fitting.
- 11. The spray bottle of claim 1, wherein the coupling includes a tubular section having at least one of a circular cross-sectional portion and an elliptical cross-sectional portion.
- 12. The spray bottle of claim 1, wherein the coupling includes a relief pattern adapted to facilitate grip or enhance visual appearance.
- 13. The spray bottle of claim 1, further including a decorative cover surrounding the coupling and extending from the spray head to the container.
- 14. The spray bottle of claim 1, further comprising a wrist strap secured to the spray head or the coupling.
- 15. The spray bottle of claim 1, further comprising a finger support secured to the spray head or the coupling and extending substantially perpendicular to the elongated coupling.
- 16. The spray bottle of claim 1, wherein the container is made from a plastic film or a laminate material.
- 17. The spray bottle of claim 16, wherein the container is made from the laminate material, which includes a printed film.
- 18. The spray bottle of claim 1, wherein the container is provided with at least one of a fashion element, a label, and printing.
- 19. The spray bottle of claim 1, wherein the container is generally rectangular and comprises at least two sheets of material joined together at peripheral edges.
- 20. The spray bottle of claim 19, wherein a bottom region of the container includes at least one gusset adapted to fold when the container is empty to permit the container to be collapsed into the flat panel, and to unfold when the container is filled with the liquid to permit the container to be distended.
- 21. The spray bottle of claim 20, wherein the bottom region of the container when distended is capable of supporting the spray bottle in an upright position on a substantially horizontal surface.
- 22. The spray bottle of claim 20, wherein a top region of the container includes at least one gusset that allows the container to be further distended when the container is filled with the liquid.
- 23. The spray bottle of claim 19, wherein the peripheral edges are joined together by heat sealing.
- 24. The spray bottle of claim 19, wherein the container includes at least one product display aperture.
- 25. The spray bottle of claim 24, wherein the at least one product display aperture is located in one of the peripheral edges of the container.
- 26. The spray bottle of claim 19, wherein the at least two sheets of material form side walls of the container, and wherein the container further comprises a third sheet of material that forms a bottom wall of the container, the third sheet of material having peripheral edges joined to the peripheral edges of the at least two sheets of material.
- 27. The spray bottle of claim 26, wherein the bottom wall of the container extends at an angle relative to a vertically extending feed tube terminating adjacent the bottom wall, thereby allowing more complete dispensing of the liquid from the container.
- 28. The spray bottle of claim 1, wherein the spray head is a trigger type sprayer.
- 29. The spray bottle of claim 1, wherein the container when collapsed into the flat panel has a width less than a width of the spray head, and wherein the container when distended has a width greater than the width of the spray head.
- 30. A spray bottle for holding and dispensing a liquid, comprising:a container having a continuous volume for holding the liquid, the container having a bottom forming the bottom-most portion of the spray bottle, the bottom being adapted to be collapsed into a substantially flat panel when empty and to be distended when the bottle is filled with the liquid; a spray head adapted for dispensing and atomizing the liquid; and an elongate coupling intermediate the container and the spray head, the coupling being substantially rigid and configured to provide a handhold.
- 31. The spray bottle of claim 30, wherein the spray head is releasably attached to the coupling.
- 32. The spray bottle of claim 30, wherein the spray head and the coupling are integrally formed as a unitary member.
- 33. The spray bottle of claim 30, wherein the coupling is releasably attached to the container.
- 34. The spray bottle of claim 30, wherein the coupling is permanently attached to the container.
- 35. The spray bottle of claim 30, wherein the container is made from a plastic film or a laminate material.
- 36. The spray bottle of claim 30, wherein the container is provided with at least one of a fashion element, a label, and printing.
- 37. The spray bottle of claim 30, wherein the container is generally rectangular and comprises at least two sheets of material joined together at peripheral edges.
- 38. The spray bottle of claim 37, wherein the container includes at least one gusset adapted to fold when the container is empty to permit the container to be collapsed into the flat panel, and to unfold when the container is filled with the liquid to permit the container to be distended.
- 39. The spray bottle of claim 30, wherein the spray head is a trigger type sprayer.
- 40. A retail display, comprising:a plurality of spray bottles, each spray bottle including a container having a continuous volume for holding a liquid and a spray head connected to the container, the container having a bottom forming the bottom-most portion of the spray bottle, the bottom being adapted to be collapsed into a substantially flat panel when empty and to be distended when the bottle is filled with the liquid, the spray head being adapted for dispensing and atomizing the liquid; an elongated substantially rigid coupling extending about the feed tube intermediate the container and the spray head, the coupling having a sufficiently elongated shape to provide a hand hold between the body and the container; wherein the plurality of spray bottles are arranged in at least one row with the containers collapsed such that each spray head is in an abutting relationship with the spray head of at least one adjacent spray bottle.
- 41. The retail display of claim 40, wherein the container of each spray bottle includes at least one product display aperture from which the spray bottle is hung for display.
- 42. The retail display of claim 40, wherein the container of each spray bottle is provided with at least one of a fashion element, a label, and printing.
- 43. The retail display of claim 40, wherein the spray head of each spray bottle is a trigger type sprayer.
- 44. The retail display of claim 40, wherein each container when collapsed into the flat panel has a width less than a width of the associated spray head, and wherein each container when distended has a width greater than the width of the associated spray head.
- 45. The retail display of claim 40, wherein the containers in the at least one row are hung in a side by side relationship.
- 46. A hand-held spraying device for holding and dispensing a liquid, the device comprising:a spray head including a body, a feed tube extending from the body, a trigger operably coupled to the body and a stem extending from the body; a collapsible container having a continuous volume receiving the feed tube of the spray head, the container having a top and a bottom, wherein the bottom forms the bottom-most portion of the spray device and wherein at least the bottom is collapsible; and an elongate rigid neck extending intermediate the top of the container and the stem of the spray head, wherein the neck and the stem have a combined length sufficient to provide a hand hold between the body of the spray head and the top of the container.
- 47. The device of claim 46, wherein the neck is releasably coupled to the stem.
- 48. The device of claim 47, wherein the neck is releasably coupled to the container.
US Referenced Citations (28)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
336415 |
Oct 1989 |
EP |