BACKGROUND
The present disclosure relates to a container for storing a dispensable product, and particularly to an aerosol container. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a dispenser-support collar included in a product-dispensing container.
SUMMARY
A container in accordance with the present disclosure includes a bottle and a bottle closure. The bottle closure is configured to close a mouth opening into an interior fluid-storage region formed in the bottle.
In illustrative embodiments, the bottle closure includes a dispenser-support collar coupled to a filler neck of the bottle and a fluid dispenser coupled to the collar and arranged to communicate with pressurized fluid stored in the interior fluid-storage region formed in the bottle. Glue applied to confronting surfaces on the collar and bottle filler neck is used to retain the dispenser-support collar in a stationary position on the bottle filler neck. The dispenser-support collar is formed to include a downwardly opening annular glue overflow well sized and arranged to receive therein glue discharged from a space provided between the confronting surfaces in the collar and bottle filler neck when the collar is mounted on the bottle filler neck.
In illustrative embodiments, an annular bead of glue is provided in an annular glue channel formed between a radially outwardly facing cylindrical outer wall included in the filler neck and a surrounding radially inwardly facing cylindrical inner wall included in the dispenser-support collar during assembly at a factory of components included in the container. A helical external thread included in the bottle and coupled to the radially outwardly facing cylindrical outer wall of the filler neck mates with a helical internal thread included in the dispenser-support collar. Such mating engagement supports the dispenser-support collar for rotation about an axis of rotation relative to the filler neck during installation of the dispenser-support collar on the filler neck at a factory to provide means for displacing the annular bead of glue in the annular glue channel to cause glue, before it sets, to flow in the annular glue channel and to cause excess glue to flow in a radially outward direction away from the filler neck into the downwardly opening annular glue overflow well before the glue sets to retain the dispenser-support collar in a stationary position on the filler neck.
Additional features of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of illustrative embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the disclosure as presently perceived.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The detailed description particularly refers to the accompanying figures in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container including a bottle for storing a dispensable product and a bottle closure made in accordance with the present disclosure and comprising a fluid dispenser and a dispenser-support collar adapted to be mounted on and glued to the filler neck of the bottle as suggested in FIGS. 10 and 11 to be retained in a permanent position on the bottle filler neck as suggested in FIGS. 5-7;
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective assembly view of the container of FIG. 1 showing an illustrative bottle, dispenser-support collar above the filler neck of the bottle, and a dispenser comprising a stopper sized to plug a central opening formed in the dispenser-support collar, a fluid-discharge tube, and a button-actuated fluid discharger mounted on the stopper and coupled to the fluid-discharge tube;
FIG. 3 is a partial side elevation view of the container of FIG. 1, showing only a portion of the filler neck of the bottle and showing the dispenser-support collar of FIGS. 1 and 2 mounted on the filler neck of the bottle;
FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the dispenser-support collar shown in FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the filler neck and the dispenser-support collar shown in FIG. 3;
FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIGS. 4 and 5;
FIG. 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken from a circled region of FIG. 6 showing that glue used to retain the dispenser-support collar in a stationary position on the bottle filler neck includes an upper portion positioned to lie in an annular glue channel provided between an outer wall of the bottle neck finish and a surrounding inner wall formed in the dispenser-support collar and a lower portion located outside of the annular glue channel in a downwardly opening annular glue overflow well formed in the dispenser-support collar;
FIG. 8 is a bottom view of the dispenser-support collar of FIGS. 3-6;
FIG. 9 is a partial bottom perspective view of the dispenser-support collar of FIGS. 3-6 and 8 taken along lines 9-9 of FIG. 8;
FIG. 10 is a perspective assembly view showing that a glue dispenser has been used to apply an annular bead of glue to the cylindrical outer wall on an upper section of the bottle filler neck before the dispenser-support collar is lowered to mate with the bottle filler neck;
FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 10 after the dispenser-support collar has been moved downwardly toward the bottle filler neck during a collar mounting process in accordance with the present disclosure;
FIG. 12 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 12-12 of FIG. 11 showing the bead of glue in place on the exterior wall of the filler neck as the dispenser-support collar is being lowered onto the filler neck of the bottle;
FIG. 13 is an enlarged view taken from the circled section of FIG. 12;
FIG. 14 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 12 during rotation of the internally threaded dispenser-support collar onto the externally threaded filler neck of the bottle;
FIG. 15 is an enlarged view taken from the circled section of FIG. 14;
FIG. 16 is a sectional view similar to FIGS. 12 and 14 showing the dispenser-support collar in a stationary mounted position on the filler neck of the bottle; and
FIG. 17 is an enlarged view taken from the circled section of FIG. 16.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
A container 10 in accordance with the present disclosure is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Container 10 includes a bottle 12 and a bottle closure 14 comprising a dispenser-support collar 16 and a fluid dispenser 18 configured to mate with dispenser-support collar 16 as suggested in FIG. 2. As suggested in FIGS. 12-17, glue 20 is used to retain dispenser-support collar 16 in a stationary position on a filler neck 22 of bottle 12. Dispenser-support collar 16 is formed to include a downwardly opening annular glue overflow well 24 sized and arranged to receive therein glue 20 discharged from an annular glue channel 26 provided between filler neck 22 and dispenser-support collar 16 as suggested in FIG. 17 when collar 16 is mounted on filler neck 22 at a factory during assembly of components included in container 10.
Bottle 12 includes a body 21 formed to include an interior fluid-storage region 13 as suggested in FIGS. 1 and 2. Filler neck 22 of bottle 12 is formed to include a neck passageway 22P opening into interior fluid-storage region 13 of body 21 as suggested in FIG. 2. Bottle 12 also includes an external thread 22T coupled to filler neck 22 and configured to mate with an internal thread 16T included in dispenser-support collar 16 as suggested in FIG. 6 to retain dispenser-support collar 16 in a stationary mounted position on filler neck 22. Single or multiple lead threads may be used in accordance with the present disclosure.
Filler neck 22 of bottle 12 includes a cylindrical inner wall 221 providing a boundary for neck passageway 22P as suggested in FIGS. 6 and 10. Filler neck 22 also includes a radially outwardly facing cylindrical outer wall 22O and the external thread 22T is appended to this outer wall 22O as suggested in FIGS. 2 and 10. In an illustrative embodiment, external thread 22T winds helically around cylindrical outer wall 22O as suggested in FIG. 10.
Dispenser-support collar 16 includes an inner sleeve 161, an outer sleeve 163, a top bridge 162 arranged to interconnect upper portions of inner and outer sleeves 161, 163, and an outer shell 164 coupled to and arranged to extend around a lower portion of outer sleeve 163 as suggested in FIGS. 8-10. Inner thread 16T is coupled to a radially inwardly facing surface 1641 of outer shell 164 as suggested in FIGS. 9-11. Inner sleeve 161 is formed to define a boundary for a collar passageway 16P terminating at a central opening bounded by top bridge 162 and communicating with neck passageway 22P formed in filler neck 22 of bottle 20 when dispenser-support collar 16 is mounted on filler neck 22 as suggested in FIG. 6. Each of inner sleeve 161, top bridge 162, outer sleeve 163, and outer shell 164 has an annular shape in an illustrative embodiment.
Outer shell 164 of dispenser-support collar 16 includes an outer band 164B formed to include radially inwardly facing surface 1641 as suggested in FIG. 6. Outer shell 164 also includes an annular radially inwardly extending lip 164L arranged to interconnect an upper portion of outer band 164B and a lower portion of outer sleeve 163 as also suggested in FIG. 3.
Annular glue channel 26 is formed between bottle filler neck 22 and dispenser-support collar 16 when collar 16 is mounted on filler neck 22 at a factory as suggested, for example, in FIGS. 13, 15, and 17. Glue 20 applied to cylindrical outer wall 22O of filler neck 22 will flow and otherwise move in annular glue channel 26 when dispenser-support collar 16 is rotated about a vertical axis to mate in threaded engagement with bottle filler neck 22 as suggested in FIGS. 12-17. In an illustrative embodiment, annular glue channel 26 is formed between an upper section U of cylindrical outer wall 22O of bottle filler neck 22 and a surrounding radially inwardly facing cylindrical inner wall 163I of outer sleeve 163 of dispenser-support collar 16 as shown, for example, in FIGS. 13, 15, and 17. Upper section U is located above external thread 22T and terminates at top edge 22E as suggested in FIGS. 10 and 15.
Glue overflow well 24 is formed in a radially inner portion of annular radially inwardly extending lip 164L of outer shell 164 of dispenser-support collar 16 as shown, for example, in FIGS. 6 and 7. Glue overflow well 24 opens downwardly toward an upwardly facing surface of external thread 22T of bottle filler neck 22 when dispenser-support collar 16 is mounted on bottle filler neck 22 as shown, for example, in FIGS. 6 and 7. Glue overflow well 24 is formed to lie below a lower edge of outer sleeve 163 and in a space provided between outer sleeve 163 and above external thread 22T of bottle filler neck 22 as suggested in FIG. 7. Glue overflow well 24 is ring-shaped as suggested in FIG. 9. In an illustrative embodiment, glue overflow well 24 is bounded by an annular concave wall included in a radially inner portion of annular radially inwardly extending lip 164L of outer shell 164 as suggested in FIG. 9. Glue overflow well 24 is configured to communicate with annular glue channel 26 as shown, for example, in FIG. 15 to receive therein glue 20 discharged from annular glue channel 26 during mounting of dispenser-support collar 16 on bottle filler neck 22.
Fluid dispenser 18 comprises a stopper 181, a fluid-discharge tube 182, and a button-actuated fluid discharger 183 in an illustrative embodiment as suggested in FIG. 2. Stopper 181 is sized to close the central opening 16f formed in dispenser-support collar 16 when fluid dispenser 18 is mounted on dispenser-support collar as suggested in FIG. 2. Fluid discharger 183 is mounted on stopper 181 and coupled to an upper end of fluid-discharge tube 182 as suggested in FIG. 2. Fluid-discharge tube 182 is arranged to extend downwardly from fluid discharger 183 into interior fluid-storage region 13 of body 21 of bottle 12 to reach and communicate with any pressurized (or unpressurized) fluid stored in body 21 as suggested in FIG. 2. When a consumer applies a downward force to a spring-loaded button 183B included in fluid discharger 183, pressurized fluid extant in interior fluid-storage region 13 of body 21 of bottle 12 is conducted through a passageway formed in fluid-discharge tube 182 and discharged to the surroundings outside of container 10.
In an illustrative embodiment, stopper 181 includes a rim 181R that seats on top bridge 162 of dispenser-support collar 16 and a flange 181F that extends downwardly from rim 181R into collar passageway 16P formed in dispenser-support collar 16 when fluid dispenser 18 is mounted on dispenser-support collar 16. Fluid dispenser 18 can be coupled to dispenser-support collar 16 using any suitable means.
An illustrative process for anchoring dispenser-support collar 16 of bottle closure 14 to filler neck 22 of bottle 12 in accordance with the present disclosure is shown, for example, in FIGS. 10-17. A glue dispenser 30 dispenses an annular bead of glue 20 discharged from glue supply 32 onto an upper U (above external thread 22T) of radially outwardly facing cylindrical outer wall 22O of bottle filler neck 22 as suggested in FIG. 10. Then dispenser-support collar 16 is lowered onto bottle filler neck 22 in a manner suggested in FIGS. 11-13. Glue 20 is displaced in annular glue channel 26 provided between cylindrical outer wall 22O and a radially inwardly facing cylindrical inner wall 163I of outer sleeve 163 of dispenser-support collar 16 during mounting of dispenser-support collar 16 onto bottle filler neck 22 as suggested in FIGS. 14 and 15. Downwardly opening annular glue overflow well 24 is sized and arranged to receive therein glue 20 discharged from annular glue channel 26 provided between bottle filler neck 22 and dispenser-support collar 16 as suggested in FIGS. 16 and 17 when collar 16 is mounted on filler neck 22. As suggested in FIG. 17, an upper portion of glue 20 is positioned to lie in annular glue channel 26 and a lower portion of glue 20 is positioned to lie outside of annular glue channel 26 in the overflow glue well 24.
Overflow glue well 24 is configured to provide means in dispenser-support collar 16 for receiving excess glue 20 flowing out of annular glue channel 26 so that collar 16 can be torqued onto the same position on bottle filler neck 22 every time a collar 16 is mounted on a companion filler neck 22. After glue 20 is applied to filler neck 22, collar 16 is then torqued onto filler neck 22. While collar 16 is rotating, glue 20 starts to build up and create a hydraulic (e.g., binding) effect which hinders seating of collar 16 on bottle filler neck 22 and prevents consistent application of collar 16. Overflow glue well 24 provides an area for receiving excess glue flow so as to allow a relatively larger range of glue tolerance, more consistent seating of collar 16 on bottle filler neck 22, and maximized container sealing. By allowing excess glue 20 to flow radially outwardly into overflow glue well 24, glue engagement along a 360° path is obtained to maximize sealing, more consistent collar height placement is obtained, and a relatively larger production process window for excess glue flow without inhibiting container performance is obtained.
Container 10 includes a bottle 12 and a bottle closure 14 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Bottle 12 includes a body 21 formed to include an interior fluid-storage region 13 and a filler neck 21 formed to include a neck passageway 22P opening into interior fluid-storage region 13 as suggested in FIGS. 2 and 6. Bottle closure 14 includes a dispenser-support collar 16 coupled to filler neck 22 of bottle 12 and a fluid dispenser 18 coupled to dispenser-support collar 16 as suggested in FIGS. 3-7. Fluid-dispenser 18 is arranged to extend through neck passageway 22P to communicate with interior fluid-storage region 13 formed in bottle 12 as suggested in FIG. 2.
A radially outwardly facing cylindrical outer wall 22O included in filler neck 22 cooperates with a radially inwardly facing cylindrical inner wall 163I included in dispenser-support collar 16 to form an annular glue channel 26 therebetween as suggested in FIGS. 13, 15, and 17. Dispenser-support collar 16 includes a downwardly facing annular well wall 16W shown, for example, in FIGS. 9, 13, 15, and 17. Annular well wall 16W is arranged to surround filler neck 22 and lie in spaced-apart confronting relation to an upwardly facing annular surface S included in bottle 12 to form a downwardly opening annular glue overflow well 24 as suggested in FIGS. 7, 13, 15, and 17. Glue overflow well 24 is configured to provide means in dispenser-support collar 16 for receiving excess glue 20 flowing out of annular glue channel 26 in a downward direction toward body 21 of bottle 12 and allowing such excess glue to flow in a radially outward direction away from filler neck 22 into the downwardly opening annular glue overflow well 24 before the glue 20 that is present in annular glue channel 26 sets up and bonds to each of filler neck 22 and dispenser-support collar 26 to retain dispenser-support collar 26 in a stationary position on filler neck 22 as suggested in FIGS. 12-17.
The downwardly facing annular well wall 16W formed in dispenser-support collar 16 has a concave surface facing toward and mating with the excess glue 20 that is present in the downwardly opening annular glue overflow well 24 as suggested in FIGS. 7 and 17. The downwardly opening annular glue overflow well 24 has a volume that is greater than a volume of excess glue 20 that is admitted into the downwardly opening annular glue overflow well 24 during movement of dispenser-support collar 26 in the downward direction relative to filler neck 22 to cause glue 20 present in annular glue channel 26 to flow in the downward direction as suggested in FIGS. 13, 15, and 17.
A radially outer portion 24O of the concave surface of the downwardly facing annular well wall 24 faces toward the radially outwardly facing cylindrical wall of filler neck 22 as suggested in FIGS. 7 and 17. Excess glue 20 that is present in the downwardly opening annular glue overflow well 24 mates with a radially inner portion of the concave surface that is located between filler neck 22 and the radially outer portion 24O of the concave surface without mating with radially outer portion 24O of the concave surface as suggested in FIGS. 7 and 17.
Filler neck 22 includes a cylindrical outer wall 22O having an upper portion 22U positioned to lie in confronting relation to an outer sleeve 163 included in collar 16 and a lower portion 22L arranged to interconnect body 21 and the upper portion 22U as suggested in FIG. 17. Bottle 12 also includes an external thread 22T coupled to lower portion 22L of filler neck 22 and arranged to provide the upwardly facing annular surface S and to mate with an internal thread 16T included in dispenser-support collar 26 and coupled to an outer shell 164 included in collar 16 as suggested in FIGS. 12, 14, and 16.
Dispenser-support collar 16 further includes an outer sleeve 163 formed to include the radially inwardly facing cylindrical inner wall 163I and an outer shell 164 coupled to outer sleeve 163 and arranged to extend radially outwardly away from filler neck 22 as suggested in FIG. 7. Outer shell 164 includes the downwardly facing annular well wall 16W and is formed to include the downwardly opening annular glue overflow well 24. Outer shell 164 also includes a downwardly facing top wall 164W arranged to lie in spaced-apart relation to filler neck 22 to locate the downwardly facing annular well wall 16W therebetween and to mate with the downwardly facing annular well wall 16W along a downwardly projecting circular raised edge 164E arranged to lie in spaced-apart confronting relation to the external thread 16T of bottle 12.
Dispenser-support collar 16 further includes an inner sleeve 161 arranged to extend into neck passageway 22P to locate filler neck 22 between the inner and outer sleeves 161, 163 as suggested in FIGS. 7 and 17. A top bridge 162 is also included in dispenser-support collar 16 and arranged to interconnect upper portions of inner and outer sleeves 161, 163 and lie above an upwardly facing top edge of filler neck 22.
Dispenser-support collar 16 includes an outer sleeve 163 providing the radially inwardly facing cylindrical inner wall 163I, an outer shell 164 coupled to outer sleeve 163 and arranged to surround a portion of filler neck 22 and lie between outer sleeve 163 and body 21, and an internal thread 16T coupled to outer shell 163 and arranged to extend toward filler neck 22 as suggested in FIGS. 7 and 17. Bottle 12 also includes an external thread 22T coupled to filler neck 22 and configured to mate with internal thread 16T included in dispenser-support collar 16 and arranged to mate with the external thread 22T during rotation of dispenser-support collar 16 about an axis of rotation relative to filler neck 22 to retain dispenser-support collar 16 in the stationary position on filler neck 22 to provide means for causing glue 20 present in annular glue channel 26 to flow in the downward direction and any excess glue 20 in excess of a predetermined amount to flow in the radially outward direction into the downwardly opening annular glue overflow well 24 to limit the amount of glue 20 that is present in annular glue channel 26 so that dispenser-support collar 26 can be rotated about the axis of rotation to assume a predetermined position on filler neck 22 without hindering seating of dispenser-support collar 26 on filler neck 22 as suggested in FIGS. 12-17.
An external thread 22T included in bottle 12 and coupled to the radially outwardly facing cylindrical outer wall 22O of filler neck 22 mates with an internal thread 16T included in dispenser-support collar 16 to support dispenser-support collar 16 for rotation about an axis of rotation relative to filler neck 22 to provide means for displacing an annular bead of glue 20 provided in annular glue channel 26 to cause glue 20 to flow in annular glue channel 26 and the excess glue 20 to exit annular glue channel 26 and flow in the radially outward direction into the downwardly opening annular glue overflow well 24 formed in dispenser-support collar 16 as suggested in FIGS. 13, 15, and 17. The downwardly facing annular well wall 16W formed in dispenser-support collar 16 has a concave surface arranged to intercept the excess glue 20 that is flowing in the radially outward direction during rotation of dispenser-support collar 16 about the axis of rotation relative to filler neck 20 as suggested in FIGS. 13, 15, and 17.
Patent Application
20130048676
