This invention relates to paint containers and more particularly to an improved tint plug for use in combination with closures for containers to provide a progressive release of the tint plug from the closure.
Containers comprising the combination of a can and a closure are commonly used for paint and similar products. It is advantageous to use a tint plug in the closure deck so that coloring agents may be added to a base color paint by the retailer without the necessity of removing the closure from the container and compromising the primary seal. A well known commercially available tint plug is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,660,302. It comprises a combination of a circular plug having a recessed deck and an integral pull ring disposed within the recess. To release the tint plug from the closure, the user grasps the pull ring and pulls it firmly up and away from the closure.
A problem associated with prior art tint plugs is the relatively abrupt manner in which the tint plug is released from the closure when sufficient force is applied. This not only makes the tint plug difficult to release from the closure, but creates additional problems when wet paint is adhered to the inner surface of the tint plug and the abrupt release of the tint plug from the closure tends to spatter the adhered paint over objects and/or persons in the immediate area of the paint container.
The present invention provides an improved tint plug for use in combination with paint can closures and the like wherein the release of the plug from the closure is progressive rather than abrupt and, therefore, tends to mitigate the problems associated with the prior art tint plugs as described above.
In general, the tint plug of the present invention is a unitary plastic article defining an annular rim structure and a depressed circular deck, the rim structure having an external peripheral groove which fits tightly within an aperture in the paint can closure to provide a fluidtight and airtight seal. A well is formed in a portion of the tint plug deck immediately adjacent an interior portion of the rim structure. A circular pull ring which fits within the depressed circular recess of the tint plug incorporates a stem which is integrally attached to the well immediately adjacent the inner surface of the rim structure such that pulling on the ring deforms the tint plug rim inwardly primarily in the area of the well. Attaching the stem to the well lowers the pull point and causes easier and earlier separation of the rim structure from the closure opening. This tends to produce a progressive release of the tint plug which allows it to “peel away” from the closure rather than the more abrupt release associated with prior art devices.
In the preferred embodiment illustrated herein, the localized deformability of the tint plug is further enhanced by the inclusion of slots in the exterior surface of the rim structure below the peripheral groove and in the immediate area of the well. In the preferred form, a pair of slots are formed in the exterior rim structure in opposed symmetrical relationship to the area where the stem of the pull ring is attached to the well. The slots extend only about 45°-55° around the circumference of the tint plug thereby localizing the enhanced deformability of the tint plug to the area of the plug which is separated from the closure when the user pulls on the pull ring.
The various additional features and advantages of the invention will be best understood from a reading of the following specification which describes a preferred and illustrative embodiment.
Referring to
Referring now to
In operation the user grasps the pull ring 32 and pulls it up and away from the container 10. The rim adjacent the well area 30, is more deformable than the balance of the plug by the reduced thickness of the well 30 and the presence of the slots 38 and 40 and tends to separate from the closure deck 16 first. This breaks the seal between the plug 18 and the closure deck 16 and allows the plug to “peel” progressively back away from the closure deck 16 rather than popping out in an abrupt manner.
While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments but, on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims, which scope is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures as is permitted under the law.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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3719304 | Douglas | Mar 1973 | A |
4840289 | Fait et al. | Jun 1989 | A |
5660302 | Trout | Aug 1997 | A |
5799813 | Letica | Sep 1998 | A |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20080128443 A1 | Jun 2008 | US |