U.S. patent application number 11/070425 was filed with the patent office on 2005-09-29 for container.
Invention is credited to Futo, Dennis, Galownia, Joseph M., Panascewicz, Dale.
Application Number | 20050211661 11/070425 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37955133 |
Filed Date | 2005-09-29 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050211661 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Galownia, Joseph M. ; et
al. |
September 29, 2005 |
Container
Abstract
A plastic container used to hold a dispersion-based paint
colorant and capable of dispensing the colorant into paint
dispensing machines, comprising an open top capable of holding and
securing a cap, and having a wide mouth with a diameter of at least
50 mm. The plastic container has a cylindrical body extending below
the open top, and a plurality of vertical ribs spaced around the
body to strengthen the container. The plastic container may be used
to hold a dispersion-based paint colorant or personal care products
such as shampoo and conditioner.
Inventors: |
Galownia, Joseph M.; (New
Albany, IN) ; Futo, Dennis; (Strongsville, OH)
; Panascewicz, Dale; (Strongsville, OH) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Engelhard Corporation
101 Wood Avenue
P.O. Box 770
Iselin
NJ
08830
US
|
Family ID: |
37955133 |
Appl. No.: |
11/070425 |
Filed: |
March 2, 2005 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60556814 |
Mar 27, 2004 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
215/382 ;
215/379 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 23/102 20130101;
B65D 2501/0027 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
215/382 ;
215/379 |
International
Class: |
B65D 043/06; B65D
041/16; B65D 090/02 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A plastic container for holding liquids comprising a circular
open top capable of closure by a separate cap and a body portion
extending from below said open top, said body portion containing a
gripping ring in the form of a reduced perimeter ring disposed
around the perimeter of said body portion, said circular top having
a diameter of at least 50 mm, said container being devoid of a
separately attached handle or any handle portion which extends
laterally outward from said container.
2. The plastic container of claim 1 having an internal volume of
1/2 gallon or one (1) quart.
3. The plastic container of claim 1 further including a shoulder
extending from said open top to said body portion and said gripping
ring is disposed between said shoulder and said body portion.
4. The plastic container of claim 3 wherein said shoulder or said
body portion has a circular cross-section.
5. The plastic container of claim 3 wherein said gripping ring has
a plurality of vertical ribs spaced around the outer circumference
of said ring.
6. The plastic container of claim 1 wherein said open top has a
spiral thread capable of holding a twist-on top which has matching
internal threads.
7. The plastic container of claim 1 wherein said open top has a
diameter of at least 60 mm.
8. The plastic container of claim 1 wherein said body portion
contains a plurality of vertical ribs spaced around said body
portion.
9. The plastic container of claim 8 wherein said vertical ribs
protrude from an outer surface of said body portion.
10. The plastic container of claim 8 wherein said vertical ribs are
indented from the outer surface of said body portion.
11. The plastic container of claim 1 formed from high-density
polyethylene.
12. A personal care product container comprising the plastic
container of claim 1.
Description
[0001] This application claims priority to Provisional Applications
U.S. 60/556,814, filed Mar. 27, 2004 and patent application Ser.
No. 11/048,184 filed Feb. 1, 2005.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention is directed to a novel container for
the packaging of dispersion-based colorants to improve ease of use
and efficiencies of preparing colorants for final dispensing in
paint formulating centers.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Currently, dispersion-based colorants, such as universal
colorants, are packaged in quart metal cans. The metal cans require
a variety of tools to be opened in order to fill colorant
dispensers. Such colorant dispensers are used to provide one or
more colorants to a base paint to provide a paint of a desired
color. A common method used to open the metal cans of universal,
dispersion-based colorant is with the use of a carpet knife and a
"church key" type triangular can opener. This method of opening the
cans has exposed those employees who formulate the paint for the
individual consumer to potential injury. Additionally, both opening
tools and methods of use leave small openings in the top of the can
from which the colorant has to be poured. This results in slow
addition time to the dispensers, does not allow the metal
containers to fully empty, and does not allow for access to
properly clean the containers for environmentally sound
disposal.
[0004] In the daily filling of the colorant dispensers, a large
number of quart containers are required. This process of refilling
the dispensers requires a considerable time commitment. Typically,
prior to filling the dispensers, the containers holding the
colorant are shaken, such as in conventional paint mixing
equipment, to mix and provide a uniform colorant. Mixing in such
equipment takes about 3-5 minutes. If a full quart of colorant is
not used, the containers are stored until the next day. There is no
way to reseal the partially filled open containers, subjecting the
containers to potential contamination, spillage, evaporation of
components, and inability to remix. Upon completion of filling all
dispensing canisters, all the quart cans are disposed of as normal
waste. There is no ability to recycle.
[0005] "Plastics Technology-Online," October 2003, discusses new
technology to replace the ubiquitous one-gallon metal paint cans
used by professional painters and household consumers. From the
article is described the Sherwin-Williams Dutch Boy "Twist and
Pour" gallon plastic can, an extrusion blow molded HDPE container
with a PP lid that is presently commercialized. This advance was
reinforced by the introduction of a similar container by
Masterchem, a supplier of primer paints that sells topcoats in
gallon and quart HDPE cans. These plastic containers are
square-bodied, rounded-lid, twist-top designs that fit more cans
into available shelf space, a priority for mass retailers. The new
plastic containers also incorporate ergonomic and convenience
features for the predominantly female paint consumer, including
injection molded handles and pour spouts, a recloseable screw cap
that doubles as a paint cup, and color-coordinated labels that help
consumers pick the right paint. However the new multi-part
containers cost at least three times as much as the typical steel
gallon can. Further, the new plastic paint containers fit awkwardly
into the paint industry's current handling, filling, and tinting
infrastructure designed for round steel cans.
[0006] In early 2004, two firms are to launch new all-plastic
concepts for direct replacement of metal cans: an injection molded
opaque, all-PP can developed by KW Plastics of Troy, Ala., and an
injection stretch-blow molded clear, one-piece PET can from the PCC
Group in the U.K. For about a decade, KW Plastics has supplied
mass-market paint companies with millions of paint cans in a hybrid
design that joins a PP body to a steel ring and lid. KW now plans
to launch an all-PP paint can by mid-2004. The can body, ring, and
lid will be of black, high-impact PP, though at first it will still
have a snap-in metal handle. The can's crush-resistance reportedly
exceeds that of metal cans and is sufficient to stack containers up
to 25 units high. Called "Snap Lock," the two-part gallon can uses
an injection molded black PP body similar to that of hybrid cans
and a separate injection molded PP ring and lid. The shape of the
can intentionally parallels that of the steel version so that it
can fit easily into existing filling lines and in-store shaker
equipment. Injection molded, snap-in PP pour spouts and handles are
also in development.
[0007] The present applicants are not aware of any patents
regarding alternative containers to address colorant handling
issues. Sherwin-Williams offers colorant in a "F" style one-gallon
plastic container. The "F" style container is a duplicate of a
gallon anti-freeze container. In order for the colorant to be
mixed, this container must be hand shaken. Those instructions are
specified on the label. It appears that no provisions have been
made for this container to be shaken with paint shaking
equipment.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] The present invention is directed to a new design for a
family of dispersion-based colorant containers to address the key
issues and objectives above. The design consists of a container
extrusion blow molded from HDPE (high density polyethylene). The
new container incorporates a wide opening having a diameter of at
least 50 mm that allows for a removable and replaceable screw top
closure. The design has the following advantages over the current
metal quart containers in the marketplace: (1) requires no tools to
open, (2) resealable, (3) speed of addition is improved with the
wide opening. Tests have shown that the time required to add
colorant to paint dispensers can be reduced over the current
methods. For a quart container, pour times are reduced by 66-75%
(10-15 seconds) per container. Additional advantages include: (4)
the wide opening facilitates ease of cleaning the container for
proper environmental disposal, (5) material of construction is a
recyclable plastic.
[0009] Further, the container does not contain a separate handle
that needs to be molded and/or attached to the container, but
includes a hand grip area molded in the container to provide for a
more secure grip, reducing potential for dropping containers and
creating spills. The majority of metal containers in the
marketplace are cylindrical in shape with no grip area. The plastic
container of this invention is cylindrical and has a circular
cross-section from top to bottom. The container incorporates a
circumferential grip area of narrow cross-section on the outer
container surface. The circular shape of the container allows for
multiple case handling and shaking in current shaking equipment. A
series of circumferentially spaced ribs in the hand grip area
reinforces the container and renders the plastic container of this
invention particularly useful in commercial paint mixers.
[0010] Thus, the present invention provides a plastic container for
holding liquids comprising a circular open top capable of closure
by a separate cap and a body portion extending from below said open
top, the body portion containing a gripping ring in the form of a
reduced perimeter ring disposed around the perimeter of the body
portion, the circular top having a diameter of at least 50 mm, the
container being devoid of a separately attached handle or any
handle portion which extends laterally outward from the
container.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] FIG. 1 is an exploded plan view of the container of this
invention with cap.
[0012] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the container of this invention
with cap placed on the container.
[0013] FIG. 3 is an end view of the top of the container without
cap showing the circular cross-section.
[0014] FIG. 4 is an alternative container to that shown in FIG. 1,
in particular with respect to the shape of the circumferential
shoulder.
[0015] FIG. 5 is a plan view of another alternative container
within the scope of this invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0016] The present plastic containers may be used for holding
liquids such as dispersion-based colorants, personal care products,
and foods. The present containers may also be used for pumpable or
pourable semi-solids. The present containers may also be used for
pumpable or pourable semi-solids.
[0017] The containers of this invention may be used to store and
dispense the liquids which are used to make customized personal
care products from a variety of bases. Such personal care products
include those used in the face, lip, and eye areas and in all
external and rinse-off applications. Examples include leg-makeup,
insect repellent lotion, shampoos of all types, bubble bath, body
lotion (moisturizing, cleansing, analgesic, astringent), after
shave lotion, after bath milk, and sunscreen lotion.
[0018] In particular, the plastic containers of the present
invention are used for storing dispersion-based colorants, such as
universal colorants, generally containing over 10% pigment solids
dispersed within a liquid vehicle, typically a mixture of
surfactants, so as to maintain the pigment solids suspended in the
liquid solution without separation. The containers of this
invention are used to store and dispense the liquid colorants into
paint dispensing machines which are used to make customized colors
from a variety of paint bases. The containers of the present
invention provide improvements in the daily filling of the colorant
dispensers for paint formation, as previously described. Thus, ease
of opening, being completely resealable, rapid filling speeds,
easily cleaned for disposal and being recyclable are useful
properties of the containers of this invention. Importantly, the
plastic containers are provided with a strengthening feature so
that the container can withstand the forces extended on the
container during the typical mixing or shaking required to provide
colorant uniformity.
[0019] An example of a paint container of the present invention is
shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and is designated in general by reference
numeral 10. The container, for example in quart and one-half gallon
size, is formed by extrusion blow molding from high density
polyethylene (HDPE). The particular molding process for forming the
paint container is not critical, and any known such method capable
of forming the container 10 as described below can be used in this
invention. Extrusion blow molding, a process well known in the art
for forming hollow plastic structures such as containers, is
particularly useful. While HDPE is preferred, the container
configuration of this invention can be molded from other plastics
such as polypropylene (PP) or polyethylene triphthalate (PET). It
has been found that HDPE provides economic savings in that a
container of desired thickness with sufficient strength can be
formed. Referring to FIG. 1, container 10 has a top or neck 12
which is of circular cross-section, see FIG. 3. The neck 12 has a
wide mouth of a diameter of at least 50 mm. Diameters of at least
60 mm are also useful and, in particular, diameters of from 70-100
mm or more are contemplated. The neck 12 can be sealed by a cap 14
and be configured so as to allow the continuous opening and closing
of the cap 14 onto top 12 to dispense and effectively seal the
contents within the interior of container 10. Snap-on tops are
useful. Shown in FIG. 1 is a twist top in which spiral threads 16
on neck 12 match with threads contained with the interior of cap
14. As shown, the threads 16 include a circumferential thread 18,
known as a security strip, which ensures that the cap 14 remains
secure on neck 12, even in the event that container 10 is
vigorously jostled or dropped.
[0020] From neck or top 12, container 10 contains a shoulder 20
which is of a greater diameter than neck 12. Shoulder 20 preferably
has a circular cross-section throughout. However, other
cross-section configurations are possible ranging from elliptical
to rectangular and square. By maintaining a circular cross-section,
it is believed the container of this invention fits more readily
into known paint can handling equipment.
[0021] In the configuration of shoulder 20 as shown in FIG. 1,
shoulder 20 expands slightly from neck 12. Other configurations of
the shoulder can be provided as shown in the container of FIG. 4.
Below shoulder 20 is the cylindrical body 22 of container 10. The
body 22 has a uniform outer wall and, again, is preferably of a
circular cross-section substantially throughout. As above said
regarding shoulder 20, body 22 may be provided with other than a
circular cross-section, although such other configurations are not
preferred. Positioned between shoulder 20 and body 22 is a
circumferential gripping ring 24 in the form of a circumferential
indention around container 10. The gripping ring has an outside
diameter less than both the outside diameters of shoulder 20 and
body 22, and allows the user to hold the container within their
hand, typically between the thumb and forefinger. The container 10
does not contain any handle accessory which needs to be separately
molded or separately formed and subsequently added to the
container. Further, the container 10 of the present invention does
not include any handle configuration that extends or protrudes
laterally from the container. Thus, the mold for container 10 is of
relatively simple construction and allows for relatively easy
molding with a uniform thickness easy to obtain. The narrow
diameter gripping ring 24 maintains the preferred circular
cross-section of the container 10 of this invention from top to
bottom, and allows the container 10 of this invention to be
utilized in conventional paint can handling and shaking equipment.
To strengthen container 10, the gripping ring 24 contains a
plurality of vertical ribs 26 circumferentially spaced along and
molded into gripping ring 24. The ribs 26 can be protrusions from
the outer surface as shown or can be indentions as shown in the
container illustrated in FIG. 5. The ribs 26 reinforce the strength
of container 10 and, in particular, provide the strength necessary
to withstand the vigorous shaking which takes place in conventional
paint mixing equipment.
[0022] FIG. 4 illustrates another example of a plastic container
within the scope of the present invention and which is very similar
to container 10 as shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 4, the plastic
container which is generally indicated by reference numeral 30, and
typically in a quart or one-half gallon size, is formed by
extrusion blow molding from the plastic materials as used to form
container 10 and described previously. Container 30 contains a neck
32, which is preferably of a circular cross-section. Neck 32 has a
mouth of the same diameter as discussed with respect to container
10. Neck 32 can be sealed by a cap, which is not shown, and can be
configured so as to allow the continuous opening and closing of a
cap onto the neck 32 to dispense and effectively seal the contents
within the interior of container 30. While snap-on tops can be used
as, shown in FIG. 4, neck 32 contains spiral threads 34, which
would match the threads contained in the interior of a cap. Neck 32
also includes a circumferential thread 36, known as a security
strip equivalent to security strip 18, as shown in FIG. 1. The
security strip ensures that any cap that is enclosed around neck 32
remains secure in place in the event that the container 30 is
vigorously shaken or dropped.
[0023] From neck 32, container 30 contains a shoulder 38 that is of
a greater diameter than neck 32. Shoulder 38 preferably has a
circular cross-section throughout. A particular difference between
container 30 and container 10 of FIG. 1 is the shape of the
shoulder 38. Thus, the shoulder 38 is of a rounded or vertical
shape as compared to shoulder 20 of container 10, in which the
shoulder expands slightly from the neck. The exact outer shape of
the shoulder 38 is not of particular criticality to the present
invention.
[0024] Below shoulder 38 is a cylindrical body 40 of container 30.
Body 40 has a uniform outer wall and, again, is preferably of a
circular cross-section substantially throughout. Body 40 may be
provided with other than a circular cross-section, although such
other configurations are not preferred. Positioned between shoulder
38 and body 40 is a circumferential gripping ring 42 in the form of
a circumferential indention around container 30. The gripping ring
has an outside diameter less than both the outside diameters of
shoulder 38 and body 40, and is equivalent to the gripping ring 24
of container 10, shown in FIG. 1. The gripping ring allows the user
to hold the container in one hand, typically between the thumb and
the forefinger, and wherein the shoulder 38 abuts the top of the
hand surface. Like container 10, container 30 does not contain any
handle accessory which needs to be separately molded or separately
formed and subsequently attached to the container. Further,
container 30 does not include any handle configuration that extends
or protrudes laterally from the container. Such shape allows for
the mold of container 30 to be of a simple construction. Moreover,
the shape of the container allows it to be readily placed into
conventional paint mixing equipment and shaken vigorously without
disrupting any lateral handle configurations.
[0025] Container 30 also contains a series of circumferentially
spaced ribs 44 molded into the gripping ring 42. As shown in FIG.
4, the ribs 44 are protrusions from the outer surface of container
30, but can be indentions in which the ribs would extend from the
inward surface of the container. The ribs 44 greatly strengthen the
plastic container 30 and allow the plastic container to be
vigorously shaken in paint mixing equipment without destruction of
the container structure.
[0026] In FIG. 5 is shown still another alternative plastic
container within the scope of the present invention. In FIG. 5, the
plastic container is generally indicated by reference numeral 50,
and can be formed of the same plastic materials such as
high-density polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyethylene
terephthalate, as previously described. Again, container 50 can be
formed by any known molding technique, although extrusion blow
molding would be a particularly useful method of forming the
container. Container 50 contains a neck 52, which can be sealed by
a cap not shown by means of threads 54 placed on the neck 52, and
which would match threads that would be contained in the inside of
any cap. A security strip 56 is also shown, and would allow the
twist-on cap to be secured to the neck 52 and container 50, in the
event that container 50 is vigorously shaken, such as in the paint
mixing equipment as known, or accidentally dropped. The hand
gripping portion of container, 50 indicated by reference numeral
58, is not formed by a circumferential indented ring, as in
containers 10 and 30. Importantly, however, the hand grip portion
58 of container 50 contains a plurality of circumferentially-spaced
ribs 60, which greatly increase the strength of the plastic
container and allow it to be used in the conventional paint mixing
equipment, and still maintain the integrity of the container during
the vigorous shaking in such equipment. The ribs 60, as shown in
FIG. 5, are indentions, or in other words, protrude from the
interior surface of the container. It is understood that the ribs
60 can be in the form of the indentions as shown or protrusions
from the outer surface as shown by ribs 26 and 44 in FIGS. 1 and 4,
respectively.
[0027] Below the hand grip portion 58 is a body portion 62. The
body 62 generally has a uniform outer wall and is preferably of a
circular cross-section substantially throughout. Likewise, the hand
grip portion 60 and the neck 52 are all preferably of a circular
cross-section. The gripping portion 58 of container 50 can expand
from neck 52 to body portion 62, although the exact configuration
of the gripping portion 58 is not particularly critical. What is
most useful is that the plastic container is provided with a series
of the spaced ribs 60 to provide the necessary strength for the
plastic container to withstand the vigorous forces that are placed
on the container during the paint mixing step.
EXAMPLE 1
[0028] In this example, the pouring speeds of colorant from plastic
containers of this invention in quart and 1/2 gallon sizes were
compared to that of the typically used quart metal cans.
1 POUR TEST % Material Pour Time to Pour Time Container Left in Can
Thin Stream to Drip Quart Can (2 holes 3.9-4.2 15-20 sec .about.35
sec with church key) Quart Can (no lid).sup.1 3.1 .about.5 sec
.about.20 sec New Quart (no lid).sup.2 3.3-3.6 .about.5 sec 20-25
sec After Scraping Out: 2.2-2.4 New 1/2 Gal (no lid).sup.2 2.1-2.6
<10 sec 35-70 sec After Scraping Out: 1.7-2.2 .sup.14 inch
diameter opening .sup.289 mm (3.5 inch) diameter opening
[0029] Due to the larger opening than the two holes from a church
key can opener pour times were reduced 65-75% (10-15 seconds) per
container with the quart container of this invention. The larger
opening allows additional material to be recovered using a rubber
kitchen spatula. Wasted material is significantly reduced using the
1/2 gallon container when compared to two of the existing quart
cans. Residual colorant was reduced by an average of 1.7%. With
roughly 60 seconds of scraping, an additional 0.4% could be
recovered. Pour time for the 1/2 gallon container was less than 10
seconds to empty the container to a thin stream. Pour times on an
equivalent basis for two quart cans were up to four times longer
(40 seconds, not including time for opening the can versus 10
seconds for the 1/2 gallon).
[0030] Without scraping, a yield improvement of 1.7% on the high
volume colorants in the 1/2 gallon containers equates to hundreds
of thousands of dollars in annual savings realized by the customer.
Savings in employee costs are also realized from faster pour times
on the quart container using a 10 second per container reduction in
pour time and from the faster pour times on the 1/2 gallon
container (10 seconds vs. 35 seconds) per container.
* * * * *