Patent Application
20180118424
The disclosed subject matter relates to plastic containers having directional pour designs including integrated spouts.
Plastic containers are well known and widely used for a variety of applications, including the storage, shipment and sale of various liquid products. Such plastic containers provide numerous advantages over containers made of glass, metals and/or composites. In many applications, it can be desirable to provide directional pour to allow a liquid or similar flowable product to flow from the container to a desirable location, such as a dose cup. Such liquids can include medicines, beverages, personal hygiene products, beauty products, and household and industrial cleaning liquids, including detergents, solvents, disinfectants, and polishes. Traditionally, a separate spout component is provided to be assembled to the container or bottle, adding operations and cost to the package.
Furthermore, containers with a separate spout component typically must be sealed, such as by a foam liner along the seam and/or mouth of the container to prevent leakage. The traditional compression foam liners can leak over time, particularly if containers holding liquid products are not positioned upright. This issue is particularly relevant with the advent of individual sales (e.g., online sales), wherein packages often may not be maintained in an upright position, resulting in leakage during handling and shipping. Therefore, it can be desirable to provide a more robust construction for the container with directional pour that is capable of being sealed and will hold up to shipping and handling conditions.
There thus remains a continued need for improved containers with directional pour capability for dispensing a liquid or similar flowable product. There further remains a need for such containers that can allow for robust sealing to prevent leaking during shipping and handling.
The purpose and advantages of the disclosed subject matter will be set forth in and are apparent from the description that follows, as well as will be learned by practice of the disclosed subject matter. Additional advantages of the disclosed subject matter will be realized and attained by the subject matter particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof, as well as from the appended drawings.
To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the disclosed subject matter, as embodied herein and broadly described, the disclosed subject matter includes a plastic container, comprising a main body portion defining an interior space, and a finish portion defining a mouth in fluid communication with the interior space. The finish portion has an upper portion including a circumferential wall surrounding the mouth, and the circumferential wall has a lower end and an upper edge defining a height of the circumferential wall. In addition, the circumferential wall comprises a first indent and a second indent each extending inwardly into the mouth to form a spout portion disposed between the first indent and the second indent. The upper portion further comprises at least one thread disposed on the height of the circumferential wall.
The finish portion can be unitary with the main body portion. The upper edge defines a flat planar surface about an entirety of the circumferential wall. The main body portion can have a bottom support surface defining a reference plane, the flat planar surface being parallel with the reference plane.
As embodied herein, the plastic container can further comprise an induction seal secured to upper edge of the circumferential wall. The induction seal can extend over at least one of the first indent and the second indent so as to expose a lower surface of the induction seal.
In accordance with another aspect of the disclosed subject matter, the finish portion further includes a bottom portion, and the bottom portion includes a flange surface extending outwardly from the lower end of the circumferential wall. A cap can be removably attached to the finish portion by the at least one thread on the circumferential wall, and the cap can have a bottom edge configured for engagement with the flange surface.
In accordance with another aspect of the disclosed subject matter. The bottom portion of the finish portion can further comprise a sidewall extending downwardly from the flange surface, and the sidewall of the bottom portion can include at least one retention lug. An overcap can be removably attached to the finish portion by at least one retention lug, and a cap can be further attached to the finish portion by at least one thread and disposed within the overcap.
As embodied herein, the circumferential wall of the plastic container is defined by a diameter of between about 1 inch and about 10 inches.
As embodied herein, at least a portion of at least one thread can be disposed on the spout portion of the plastic container. Alternatively or additionally, the first indent and the second indent can be free of any portion of the at least one thread, or at least a portion of the at least one thread can be disposed on the first indent or the second indent. As embodied herein, at least one thread can extend continuously about an entirety of a circumference of the circumferential wall of the upper portion or at least one thread can be interrupted along the circumferential wall of the upper portion. As embodied herein, at least one of the first indent and second indent can be not adjacent to the upper edge of the circumferential wall. The spout portion can include a lip extending outwardly from the circumferential wall.
In accordance with another aspect of the disclosed subject matter, a dose cap can be configured to be removably attached to the finish portion. In addition, the dose cap can comprise an outer portion with at least one inner thread to engage the at least one thread of the finish portion, and an inner hollow portion configured to extend through the mouth when the dose cap is attached to the finish portion.
In accordance with another aspect of the disclosed subject matter, the disclosed subject matter includes a plastic container, comprising a main body portion defining an interior space, and a finish portion defining a mouth in fluid communication with the interior space. The finish portion has an upper portion including a generally circumferential wall surrounding the mouth, and the circumferential wall has an upper edge defining a continuous, closed-loop flat planar surface. In addition, the circumferential wall comprises a first indentand a second indent each extending inwardly into the mouth to form a spout portion disposed between the first indent and the second indent.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description and drawings are examples and are provided for purpose of illustration and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosed subject matter in any manner.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute part of this specification, are included to illustrate and provide a further understanding of the devices of the disclosed subject matter. Together with the description, the drawings serve to explain the principles of the disclosed subject matter.
The subject matter of the application will be more readily understood from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the disclosed subject matter, an example of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The disclosed subject matter will be described in conjunction with the detailed description of the system.
As disclosed herein, plastic containers disclosed herein can be used to provide directional pour to dispense a liquid or flowable product to a desirable location, e.g., to a dose cup. Such liquids or flowable products can include medicines, beverages, personal hygiene products, beauty products, and household and industrial cleaning products, including detergents, solvents, disinfectants, and polishes. The plastic containers disclosed herein can also be used for storing such product while being shipped and handled with little or no leakage from the finish portion while still providing a desired directional pour. The containers disclosed herein have a finish portion with an integral spout and a flat planar surface about the entirety of the upper edge so as to allow an induction seal to be provided thereto. The container can further include ergonomic features to provide an easy removal of the induction seal. Furthermore, the configuration of the finish portion improves product evacuation from the bottle, which reduces the amount of product remaining in the container after dispensing the product and thereby eliminates waste.
In accordance with the disclosed subject matter, a plastic container providing directional pour to dispense a liquid, e.g., to a dose cup, is provided. The plastic container comprises a main body portion defining an interior space, and a finish portion defining a mouth in fluid communication with the interior space. The finish portion has an upper portion including a circumferential wall surrounding the mouth, and the circumferential wall has a lower end and an upper edge defining a height of the circumferential wall. In addition, the circumferential wall comprises a first indent and a second indent each extending inwardly into the mouth to form a spout portion disposed between the first indent and the second indent. The upper portion further comprises at least one thread disposed on the height of the circumferential wall.
The accompanying figures, where like reference numerals refer to identical or functionally similar elements throughout the separate views, serve to further illustrate various embodiments and to explain various principles and advantages all in accordance with the disclosed subject matter. Hence, features depicted in the accompanying figures support corresponding features and combinations thereof of the claimed subject matter.
Referring now to an exemplary embodiment as depicted in
The top of the upper portion 220 includes a circumferential wall 229 defining the mouth 101 of the container. As embodied herein, the diameter of the circumferential wall 229 can be any suitable dimension for the disclosed container, such as about 5.7 inches as embodied herein. The diameter can be between from about 1 inches and about 10 inches. The circumferential wall 229 includes a lower end 230 and an upper edge 221 defining a height of the circumferential wall 229. Further in accordance with the disclosed subject matter, the upper portion 220 comprises along the circumferential wall 229 a first indent 222 and a second indent 223, each extending inwardly into the mouth 101. A spout portion 224 is thus disposed between the first indent and the second indent. The upper portion 220 can further comprise two upper ledges 227 formed at the bottom of the first indent 222 and the second indent 223. The upper portion 220 also comprises at least one thread 225 disposed on the height of the circumferential wall which can be in generally horizontal alignment with the first indent 222 and the second indent 223. As embodied herein, having the threads 225 disposed in line with the indents 222, 223, as seen in side view, can reduce the overall height of the finish portion 105. As such, material costs can be reduced and the finish portion can fit within a dose cup. For example, and not limitation, the height of the finish portion can be calibrated to be compatible with conventional dose cups, which can further reduce manufacturing and design costs. Furthermore, the configuration of the finish portion improves product evacuation from the bottle, which reduces the amount of product remaining in the container after dispensing the product and thereby eliminates waste.
Additionally, and in accordance with the disclosed subject matter, by disposing the spout portion 225 between the indents 222, 223, the finish portion 105 can be configured with a continuous, closed-loop, flat planar surface. That is, and as depicted in the figures for illustration, the upper edge 221 of the circumferential wall 229 can be flat planar and thereby define a top surface. As embodied herein, this top surface can be parallel with the bottom portion 210 of the finish portion 105, and/or parallel with a reference plane defined by the bottom support surface 111 of the main body portion 110 (e.g., the flat planar surface can be horizontal). As such, and as will be described in further detail below, the upper edge 221, including the spout portion 225, can enable features that require a flat planar surface, such as application of an induction seal. Generally, induction seals produce superior sealing effects as compared to conventional seals such as foam liners. In accordance with the disclosed subject matter, the container can thus be provided with a finish portion that has both a directional pouring feature and an induction seal capability.
In accordance with another aspect of the disclosed subject matter, and with reference to
As embodied herein, the side wall 211 can optionally include at least one retention lug 228 disposed on the outer surface of the side wall 211. The retention lug 228 can provide a surface for fitting one or more additional components to the finish portion 105. For example, and not limitation, the retention lug 228 can permit snap-fitting of an outer dose cup, such as illustrated in
A variety of suitable configurations can be used for the indents and spout portion in accordance with the disclosed subject matter. As illustrated, for example and not limitation, in
However, it is to be understood that the indents can have any other suitable shape. Moreover, as illustrated in the accompanying figures, the presently disclosed circumferential wall 229 comprises at least two indents 222, 223, although more than two indents can be present about the circumferential wall. For example, the circumferential wall can have at least 3 or at least 4 indents. The additional indents can be disposed about a single spout or additional spout portions and/or other pouring features can be disposed between the additional indents. Thus, the presently disclosed finish portions can include more than one pouring feature (e.g., spout portions) at least partially defined by the shapes of three or more indents. Such additional pouring features can provide alternative pouring angles for multi-directional dispensing of liquid contents from the container.
As embodied herein, the finish portion 105 can be configured such that little or no residual liquid remains in the plastic container 100 after the liquid contents are dispensed repeatedly. Advantageously, the spout portion 224 is unitary with the container, avoiding a need for a separate spout portion, or a more complex and costly process to reform geometry. As embodied herein, no separate spout portion is needed for manufacturing the plastic container 100, and the geometry of the spout portion 224 can be molded at the same time as the remainder of the container. This design can reduce the complexity and costs of manufacturing the plastic bottle and potentially reduces likelihood of leakage through a seam because there is no seam between the single piece spout portion 224 and finish portion 105.
Additionally or alternatively, and as embodied herein, the spout portion can optionally include a lip to control and cut off the flow of liquid when liquid is dispensed. For example, and as embodied herein, the lip can ensure that excess product does not flow down the exterior of the spout portion and pool outside of the circumferential wall of the finish portion. For the purpose of example and not limitation,
In accordance with the disclosed subject matter and as noted above, a finish portion 105 with a flat planar upper edge surface can further include an induction seal 401. Traditionally, an induction seal cannot be used with a standard spout, which has a contorted or nonplanar top surface. By contrast, the induction seal 401 can be supported by a upper edge 221 defining a continuous, closed-loop flat planar surface, as previously described.
As further embodied herein, a cap such as an overcap can be provided to cover the induction seal. Additionally and/or alternatively, an inner cap can be used over the induction seal. The inner cap can be used during the sealing process of applying the induction seal and removed, or maintained in position if desired. As such, overcap and/or inner cap can provide a secondary barrier to the induction seal, e.g., during shipping, and can be replaced on the container after initial use to provide a seal after consumer removes the induction seal.
With reference to
As embodied herein, the inner cap 421, if provided, can be attached to the finish portion 105 directly. The outer portion 422 of the inner cap 421 can engage the threads 225 and be disposed directly over the induction seal 401. The inner cap 421 can be integrated with the induction seal 301 during the manufacturing process. For example, the induction seal 401 can be placed inside the inner cap 421 before the inner cap 421 is applied over the mouth 101 of the container 100. After the plastic container 100 has been filled and capped with the inner cap 421, the sealing process takes place which releases the induction seal 401 from the inner cap 421 and creates a bond with upper edge 221 of the upper portion 220 resulting in a hermetically sealed product. If desired or needed, the inner cap 421 can further include a secondary liner (e.g., a pull back liner) to prevent leakage after the induction seal is removed. The space between the upper flat planar surface of the upper portion 220 and the inner surface of the top platform 423 of the inner cap 421 can thus be configured to provide a seal against leakage once the induction seal is removed. In addition, a gasket seal can be disposed on the ledges 227 to fill the gap between the bases of the cap and the ledge 227 of the finish portion 105. Alternatively or additionally, the inner cap 421 can further include tamper-evidence features such as a plastic ring or tab that will rupture upon initial removal of the inner cap from the container.
Although
In accordance with the embodiments of the subject matter previously described, the components of the induction seal 401 can be made out of any suitable material. For example, the induction seal 401 can be formed of suitable paper, foil, polymer film, or a combination thereof, and sealed to the flat planar upper edge surface on the finish portion using known techniques.
In accordance with another aspect of the disclosed subject matter, the at least one thread 225 at the upper portion 220 of the finish portion 105 can be provided with a variety of configurations, such as interrupted or continuous threads. Generally, each thread has a helical configuration to allow engagement with a corresponding inner thread.
As previously noted, the inner hollow portion 502 can have measuring marks or indicia disposed on its side wall 505. Such measuring marks or indicia can enable the cap 510 to be used as a dose cup for dispensing liquid. The measuring marks or indicia can be printed, stamped, carved, or otherwise placed on the side wall 505.
Alternatively, as illustrated for example and not limitation in
For purpose of illustration, and not limitation, the dimensions of an exemplary finish portion will now be described in detail. These dimensions will be described with reference to the finish portion 105 illustrated in
Although these dimensions are provided for one embodiment of the disclosed subject matter, a person of ordinary skill in the art would understand that the exemplary dimensions presented herein can be revised as needed or desired.
Furthermore, the configuration of the finish portion improves product evacuation from the bottle, which reduces the amount of product remaining in the container after dispensing the product and thereby eliminates waste. That is, it was demonstrated that the container of the disclosed subject matter with the spout portion configured as described herein provided a surprising improvement in product evacuation as compared with conventional two-piece container-and-spout configurations. For example, seven commercially-available plastic containers existing in the market were tested against three plastic containers having integrated spouts, as disclosed herein, for product evacuation capacity. The plastic containers were tested for evacuation of water. Each container was filled with water, then the water was dispensed through the spout. The volume of water remaining in the container after evacuation was measured to determine each container's product evacuation capacity. These results are presented in Table 2.
The results show that plastic containers having an integrated spout on the finish portion, as configured and disclosed herein, provide better product evacuation capacity than two-piece plastic containers existing in the market. As illustrated in Table 2, the 50, 75, and 150 oz. containers with integrated spouts all had less volume of water remaining after dispensing than any of the commercially-available plastic containers. As such, the presently disclosed plastic containers can have improved product evacuation, thereby eliminating waste and improving product dispensing.
As embodied herein, and for purpose of illustration and not limitation, the container can be formed using any suitable method, as known in the art. For example, and with reference to
While the disclosed subject matter is described herein in terms of certain preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that various modifications and improvements can be made to the disclosed subject matter without departing from the scope thereof. Moreover, although individual features of one embodiment of the disclosed subject matter can be discussed herein or shown in the drawings of the one embodiment and not in other embodiments, it should be apparent that individual features of one embodiment can be combined with one or more features of another embodiment or features from a plurality of embodiments.
In addition to the various embodiments depicted and claimed, the disclosed subject matter is also directed to other embodiments having any other possible combination of the features disclosed and claimed herein. As such, the particular features presented herein can be combined with each other in other manners within the scope of the disclosed subject matter such that the disclosed subject matter includes any suitable combination of the features disclosed herein. Thus, the foregoing description of specific embodiments of the disclosed subject matter has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosed subject matter to those embodiments disclosed.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the devices of the disclosed subject matter without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosed subject matter. Thus, it is intended that the disclosed subject matter include modifications and variations that are within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
This application is a continuation of International Patent Application No. PCT/US2017/058988, filed on Oct. 30, 2017, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/415,365, filed on Oct. 31, 2016, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/448,555, filed on Jan. 20, 2017, the entire contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62415365 | Oct 2016 | US | |
| 62448555 | Jan 2017 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | PCT/US2017/058988 | Oct 2017 | US |
| Child | 15799614 | US |
