The present invention relates to a device for the controlled delivery of liquids and/or creamy substances and/or flowable substances, allowing to control the outlet of the substance contained within the container, automatically interrupting the outlet after the squeezing action on the same container.
Containers are known, provided with elastic systems allowing to open and close an opening, and mainly comprised of plastic material, in order to try to obtain a controlled delivery.
Solutions available on the market that are complicated and expensive are not able to realise a device that can be manufactured with reduced costs.
Differently to the known solutions, the solution suggested according to the present invention, does not provide elastic systems, since the substance to be delivered is not stopped by the closure systems, but it is interrupted by the dynamic action of the atmospheric pressure, not providing closure walls between the delivery opening and the inside the container.
The solution suggested according to the present invention can be realised with very low costs, and it is substantially suitable to deliver any kind of liquid or fluid product, such as low density liquids, as water and beverages; medium density liquids, such as high density liquid soaps, sauces, fluids, for example low density creamy substances.
It is therefore a specific object of the present invention to realize a device for the controlled delivery of a product, such as liquids and/or creamy substances and/or flowable substances within a container, in such a way that in the delivery position the product column to be delivered is in a raised position with respect to said device. The container being comprised of a material, said material being deformable by squeezing and able to energetically return to its original shape, once the squeezing action is interrupted. The container being provided with a neck, being further provided with a cap element, coupled with said neck, and provided with an outlet opening for the product to be delivered toward said device. The controlled delivery device being characterised in that it comprises means for the controlled delivery of the product, said means for the controlled delivery comprising a first inner conduct, communicating inside the container, a second inversion conduct, communicating with said first inner conduct, and within which the run of the product is directed according to a direction substantially opposed to the gravity force during the delivery phase, without passage of outer air toward the inside of the container, and a third outer conduct, communicating with said inversion conduct and provided with product delivery opening. The inlet opening of the inversion conduct being realised in such a way to prevent the entrance of air within the conduct, when the product during its exit from inside the container has reached the inversion conduct.
The present invention will be now described, for illustrative but not limitative purposes, according to its preferred embodiments, with particular reference to the figures of the enclosed drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 and
a and 2a are top views only of caps of the
a shows section VII—VII of embodiment of
FIG. 17 and
a and 18a respectively show sections XVII—XVII and XVIII.XVIII of
In the various views, the corresponding parts will be indicated by the same references.
Referring to
In
Both containers of
Both containers must be comprised of tough and elastic material in such a way to have the force of returning after their squeezing to the original shape.
S-shaped conduct, determining the product P delivery control device 4, is comprised of the following three parts placed according to the following sequence:
In
In the figures, length of the conducts is shown interrupted, since it will be chosen in function of the specific use.
In the following figures, caps 2 are shown, provided with product P control device 4, closed on the bottle shaped containers 1, taking into account that they can also be used on tube shaped containers 1′.
In
When container 1, having the delivery opening 10 directed upward and the upper level of the product communicating with the outer air, starts rotating from its vertical position of
As soon as the product P has reached the inlet opening 6, between the inner conduct 5 and the inversion conduct 7, outer air can no more enter within the container.
When the container 1 is rotated 90°, air remaining inside moves upwards, to reach the upper side of the container 1, determining a corresponding level 12 of the product P in a not-delivery position.
Since the inner level is in a raised position with respect to the inlet opening 6, between inner conduct 5 and inversion conduct 7, product P tends to exit passing through the inversion conduct.
There is no air entering corresponding to the product P tending to exit.
Level 12 of inner product P tends to lower to the position indicated in
Product P, tending to exit through the inversion conduct 7, while its level moves within the inversion conduct 7, is at the same time returned inside, since on the outer conduct 9 a higher outer pressure with respect to the air pressure remained within the container 1 is present, said inner pressure decreases while the product P exits and moves within the inversion conduct 7.
Equilibrium of product P within the inversion conduct 7 is reached when the depression of the air remained within the container is able to call back by sucking the weight of the product P column raised with respect to the inlet opening 6.
If the outlet opening 8, between the inversion conduct 7 and the outer conduct 9, is raised with respect to the dynamic equilibrium level 13 reached in the inversion conduct 7, the product P does not exit from the delivery opening 10 provided on the end of the outer conduct 9.
In this situation, the exit of the product P stops at the dynamic equilibrium level 13 within the inversion conduct 7, thus preventing the dropping through the delivery opening 10.
If the body of the container 1 is subjected to a squeezing action, shrinks its inner volume, thus modifying the equilibrium, and the product P is compressed and forced to exit within the conducts of the delivery control device 4 through the delivery opening 10.
If the container 1 is comprised of tough and elastic material, once the squeezing action of the container is interrupted the container 1, in view of the material by which it is made up, comes back to the original shape sucking both the product P remained within the conducts 5, 7, 9 and once the product P within the conducts 5, 7, 9 is back within the container 1, outer air enters again, compensating the amount of product P exited.
In conclusion, when the container is again in its original shape, the above situation is restored, with the dynamic equilibrium level reaching a lower level with respect to the outlet opening 8, thus preventing dropping of the product.
By the delivery control device 4 suggested according to the present invention, product P can only exit following to a squeezing action of the container 1. Once interrupted the squeezing phase of the container 1, product P automatically stops, due to the outer atmospheric pressure dynamically controlling the equilibrium level 13 within the inversion conduct 7.
Dynamic equilibrium level 13 can vary also as a consequence of outer temperature variations of the container 1, since air remained inside can vary in volume due to the temperature variation and said volume variation can exert a further pressure on the product level that, pushed to exit, would modify the dynamic equilibrium level reached within the inversion conduct 7. This effect is more sensitive in function of the higher quantity of air remained within the container 1. When the container is rotated of 180° with respect to the position shown in
Also in this case, if the dynamic equilibrium level 13 is realised within the inversion conduct 7, product P does not pass the outlet opening 8, it does not exit, and exits after the squeezing of the container 1, even in presence of a product P column at a higher level with respect to the delivery opening 10.
In
In
In
In this case, conducts 5, 7, 9 are realised with different diameters, wherein the outer conduct 9 is placed inside the inversion conduct 7, and both of them are placed inside the inner conduct 5, laterally displaced to have all of them adjacent lateral walls. Section along axis VII—VII of said configuration of the conducts 5, 7, 9 is shown in
In
Inner 5 and outer 9 conducts are both placed within the inversion conduct 7, that is realised with a very larger diameter, and are placed in a position opposite each other within the inversion conduct 7.
In the present embodiment, it is necessary a higher product volume P to carry out a corresponding variation of the dynamic equilibrium level 13 within the inversion conduct 7.
This solution, with respect to the preceding ones, is less sensitive to the variations of the dynamic equilibrium level due to the temperature variations acting by volume and pressure variations on the air remained within the container 1, variations acting on the surface of the inner product, thrusting the same to exit or to return in function of the fact that the temperature is higher or lower with respect to the equilibrium conditions reached during the last product P exit.
In the following figures, from
In
A cover 16, provided with a lateral hinge 17 on its upper end of the inversion conduct engages by a snapping closure 18 on the final end of the delivery opening 10, as indicated in FIG. 10. This solution is also used for the containers described in the following
Inner conduit 5 and outer conduit 9 are placed on two different bodies, engaged by pressure, snapping, or ultrasound welding, to realise a recipient 7 corresponding to the inversion conduct.
Inner conduct 5 is moved toward the right side, the inner wall of which is adjacent and corresponding to the inner wall of the neck 15 of the container 1, while the outer conduct 9 is positioned slightly on the left and is realised, with respect to the previous embodiments, shorter in its inner part of the inversion conduct 7, in order to have the end faced toward the cap 2, creating the exit opening 8, far enough from the latter.
After the delivery, when the container 1 goes back to its not delivery position,
It is suitable that level 14 of the product in the not-delivery position within the inversion conduct 7, see
To prevent dropping of the product, the inner end of the outer conduct 9, that is inside the inversion conduct 7, see
A covering wall 19, realised by the bottom wall of the cap s, slightly distant from the inner end of the outer conduct 9, corresponding to the outlet exit 8, allows to prevent that some product P that remains entrapped within the inversion conduct 7, above said outer conduct 9, can exit in a not checked way, through said outer conduct 9 from the delivery opening.
This solution is also used in the containers shown in the following
Cap 2, control device 4 and cover 16 of
In the solution shown in
The inversion conduct 7 has a lower portion wherein the tubular wall surrounds the end of the inner conduct 5, while the upper portion has an outer wall corresponding to the outer wall of the cap 2.
This solution has the advantage of limiting the amount of product P necessary to reach the dynamic equilibrium level 13, and therefore to limit the amount of product remained within the inversion conduct 7 when the container is upset.
In the solution shown in
After the delivery, even if product P is sucked, an amount corresponding to a thin film remains adhering by capillarity and after a few seconds, due to gravity, tends to descend and to create a residual dropping of one or two droplets.
In this embodiment, this effect is substantially eliminated, by making the conduct really short to limit the maximum the amount of product P that can be deposited by capillarity.
In the embodiment of
In
In
Being that the outer conduct 9 is horizontal, and even better if it is slightly sloped upward, after the delivery of product P, the product P that remained by capillarity, tends to descend within the inversion conduct 7, under the gravity force, preventing the residual dropping from the delivery opening 10.
In the following figures, from
In
In
A tubular receptacle 23, provided with a bottom 24, having on the opposite end an annular flange 25 faced outwardly, engaging on the edge of the container 1 neck, realises, along with the bottom of the rotating cap 2, the inversion conduct 7.
Two opposite tubular C shaped recesses are realised on the outer tubular wall of the inversion conduct 7, see
On the bottom of said tubular recess 26, close to the cap 2, it is realised an inlet opening 6 allowing the entrance of the product P within the inversion conduct 7.
On the opposite side, following to the rotation of the cap 2, the outer conduct 9 rotates within the inversion conduct, while its inner end, realising the outlet opening 8, is closed by a closure bottom wall 27 obtained by the opposed tubular C shaped recess 28.
Rotating the cap 2, the outer conduct 9 rotates of 90° with respect to the container 1 and to the receptacle 7 realising the inversion conduct,
This solution allows to have one body less, corresponding to the closure cover 16, and a better use practicality.
In
As in
A receptacle 29, having closed bottom and opposite end free, realising along with the bottom of the cap 2 the inversion conduct 7, is pressure coupled, or ultrasound glued, with the edges of the cross vertical walls 31 projecting from the inner portion of the outer body 9, see
On the edge 32 of the receptacle 29, contacting the bottom of the cap 2, it is realised the inlet opening 6, to allow to the product to enter within the inversion conduct 7.
In
A cap 2 threaded on the neck 15 of the container 1 is provided with a bottom re-entrant within the container, thus determining a first inner receptacle 33, provided with tubular wall adjacent to the inner tubular wall of the container 1 neck 15, and with a bottom surface 34, the latter making part of the inversion conduct 7.
A second slidable tubular receptacle 35, with a bottom provided with outer conduct 9, tubular wall, realising the remaining part of the inversion conduct 7, and opposite end opened, is slidably, sealing, telescopically inserted, in a upset position, within the tubular wall of the first inner receptacle 33 obtained from the cap 2 recess.
Axial engagement means are realised by an annular projection 36, comprising a little edge on the second slidable tubular receptacle 35, sliding within an annular groove 37 obtained on the final end of the inner wall of the first inner receptacle 33, realised from the cap 2 recess.
Inner conduct 5, having the base on the bottom of the first inner receptacle 33 and opposed end slightly far from the bottom of the second slidable tubular receptacle 35, allows to the product to enter through the inlet opening 6 into the inversion conduct 7.
In the delivery position, the inner end of the outer conduct 9, corresponding to the outlet opening 8, is slightly far from the covering wall 19 obtained from the bottom wall of the first inner receptacle 33.
Instead, in the closure position, the second slidable tubular receptacle 35, bringing the outer conduct 9, is pushed within the first inner recipient 33, in such a way that the inner end of the outer conduct 9 can close on the covering wall 19 realised from the bottom wall of said inner receptacle 33 and consequently closing said outlet opening 8 by closing the conduct 9.
In this situation, product P is prevented from exiting, determining, as in
In
In
As in
On the bottom of said tubular recess, close to the cap 2, it is realised an inlet opening 6 allowing the entrance of the product P within the inversion conduct 7.
A cover 16, having a lateral hinge 17 on the upper end of the inversion conduct, engages, by a snapping closure, on the final end of the delivery opening 10.
As in
As indicated in
In
The closure and opening movable body 40 in its central part realises the lower part of the inversion conduct 7, said central part being provided with an upwardly directed recess 21, to allow the outer conduct 9 to be extremely short, even if the inner end is placed at the half height of the inversion conduct.
In the delivery position, the inner end of the outer conduct 9, as in
In the closure position, by screwing of the closure and opening movable body 40, bearing the outer conduct 9, is pushed within the first inner receptacle 38, in such a way that the inner end of the outer conduct 9 can close on the covering wall 19 obtained from the bottom wall 39 of the inversion conduct 7, corresponding to the first inner receptacle 38.
An annular wall 41 projecting from the bottom surface of the closure and opening body 40, realising the lower part of the inversion conduct 7, guarantees a hermetical sealing by a pressure slidable coupling with the inner tubular wall of the first inner receptacle 38 obtained from the recess of the cap 2.
The present invention has been described for illustrative but not limitative purposes, according to its preferred embodiments, but it is to be understood that modifications and/or changes can be introduced by those skilled in the art without departing from the relevant scope as defined in the enclosed claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
RM99A0739 | Dec 1999 | IT | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
---|---|---|---|---|
PCTIT00/00499 | 12/1/2000 | WO | 00 | 6/3/2002 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
WO0146065 | 6/28/2001 | WO | A |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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4324349 | Kaufman | Apr 1982 | A |
4516697 | Dreps et al. | May 1985 | A |
5125541 | Anglehart | Jun 1992 | A |
5224632 | Murakami et al. | Jul 1993 | A |
5261569 | Sandwell | Nov 1993 | A |
5358152 | Banks | Oct 1994 | A |
5363991 | Reyman | Nov 1994 | A |
6334550 | De Backer | Jan 2002 | B1 |
Number | Date | Country |
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81 32 798.6 | Mar 1982 | DE |
91 06 473.2 | Sep 1991 | DE |
0 160 139 | Nov 1985 | EP |
0 381 230 | Aug 1990 | EP |
1 114 778 | Jul 2001 | EP |
2 442 195 | Jun 1980 | FR |
WO 8600404 | Jan 1986 | WO |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20020179648 A1 | Dec 2002 | US |