U.S. patent application number 12/186566 was filed with the patent office on 2009-06-18 for container insert for zero headspace.
Invention is credited to Matthew Stephen Bauer, Chanda Janese DAVIS, Daniel James Kinne.
Application Number | 20090151807 12/186566 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39739606 |
Filed Date | 2009-06-18 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090151807 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
DAVIS; Chanda Janese ; et
al. |
June 18, 2009 |
Container Insert for Zero Headspace
Abstract
A container suitable for containing a liquid composition and
comprising an insert located in the neck of said container, and
wherein when said container is filled with a liquid composition,
zero headspace exists below said insert.
Inventors: |
DAVIS; Chanda Janese;
(Cincinnati, OH) ; Bauer; Matthew Stephen;
(Cincinnati, OH) ; Kinne; Daniel James;
(Cincinnati, OH) |
Correspondence
Address: |
THE PROCTER & GAMBLE COMPANY;Global Legal Department - IP
Sycamore Building - 4th Floor, 299 East Sixth Street
CINCINNATI
OH
45202
US
|
Family ID: |
39739606 |
Appl. No.: |
12/186566 |
Filed: |
August 6, 2008 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60963870 |
Aug 7, 2007 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
141/1 ;
220/694 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B67C 3/222 20130101;
B65D 47/2031 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
141/1 ;
220/694 |
International
Class: |
B65B 3/04 20060101
B65B003/04; B65D 25/00 20060101 B65D025/00 |
Claims
1. A container suitable for containing a liquid composition and
comprising an insert located in the neck of said container, and
wherein when said container is filled with a liquid composition,
zero headspace exists below said insert.
2. An insert according to claim 1, wherein said insert is a
valve.
3. A container according to claim 1, wherein said container is a
flexible container.
4. A container according to claim 3, wherein said container is
transparent or semi-transparent.
5. A container according to claim 1, wherein said container
comprises polyethylene, polypropylene, or poly(ethylene
terephthalate).
6. A liquid composition according to claim 1, wherein said liquid
composition exhibits a pattern or design.
7. A liquid composition according to claim 5, wherein said liquid
composition is a multi-phase personal care composition.
8. A method of achieving zero headspace according to the following
steps: a. filling a container with a liquid composition to a level
above the shoulders of said container; b. inserting an into said
container which displaces said liquid composition until the liquid
composition flows through said valve due to a pressure
differential; c. allowing said valve to seal at substantial
equilibrium.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Application Ser.
No. 60/963,870 filed Aug. 7, 2007.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates generally to a container
having zero headspace. More specifically, the present invention
relates to an insert which achieves zero headspace within the
container.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] As liquid compositions are packaged into consumer ready
packages, air is commonly trapped at the top of the container
before it can be sealed. The air trapped at the top of the
container (headspace) results in an air bubble, which disrupts the
composition within the bottle if the bottle is rotated or its
orientation is changed. In instances where a specific design is
created within the liquid composition in the container, the air
bubble can cause damage to the design during shipping. Headspace
can generally be reduced by "topping off" the container with a
sufficient amount of the composition as to prevent air from
remaining at the top of the container. However, this technique is
difficult to automate, and therefore must typically be performed by
hand. Additionally, "topping off" often results in overflow of the
liquid composition, which becomes costly and risks overall quality
of the liquid product in the container.
[0004] A known method for eliminating headspace is to vent
liquid-filled containers. One technique involves a pressure system
comprising pieces of rubber, metal springs, and/or soft films
(typically vinyl chloride) being used to lift and open vent
orifices in a closure when internal pressure reaches a given
threshold value. The venting method is heavily dependent on the
type of liquid composition being vented in order to be operable. It
also limits design options and prevents optimal dispensing of the
liquid composition. Another technique is to provide elaborate
passages in a closure whereby gases may leave the system but liquid
losses are minimized. A third system, which may be called the
pinorifice system, employs one or more tiny orifices in rubber,
metal or plastic diaphragms which render the material permeable to
gases. Yet another system, commonly called a positive displacement
pump, or piston system, employs a mechanism which pushes a
composition to the top of a container via a rising piston or pump.
However, none of the aforementioned methods effectively eliminates
headspace from a container.
[0005] Generally, the aforementioned methods require manual
expulsion of gases after filling, by way of a pump or compression
of the container, which forces gases through a venting material.
These methods are vulnerable to incomplete expulsion of gases and
often result in backflow of gases into the container. Particularly,
where gases are expelled by compression of a flexible container,
when the container is allowed to return to its uncompressed
position, some gas is likely to migrate back into the
container.
[0006] Therefore, a need still exists for a closure which creates
zero-headspace during packaging, while preventing reintroduction of
gas into the container. A need also exists to allow easy
dispensing, from the same closure, of the contents of the package
by a consumer.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The present invention meets the aforementioned needs by
providing a container suitable for containing a liquid composition
and comprising an insert located in the neck of said container, and
wherein when said container is filled with a liquid composition,
zero headspace exists below said insert.
[0008] While the invention will be described in connection with
certain embodiments, it will be understood that the invention is
not limited to these embodiments. On the contrary, the invention
includes all alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be
included within the spirit and scope of the present invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] The accompanying drawings illustrate embodiments of the
invention and, together with a general description of the invention
given above, and the detailed description given below, serve to
explain the invention.
[0010] FIG. 1 is a side, elevational view of a container comprising
a liquid composition and a insert described herein;
[0011] FIG. 2 is an enlarged, perspective view of a valve employed
as an insert in the container herein;
[0012] FIG. 3 is top plan view of the valve shown in FIG. 2;
[0013] FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the valve shown in FIG.
2;
[0014] FIG. 5 is an enlarged side view of a container comprising a
liquid composition according to a dispensing assembly described
herein;
[0015] FIG. 6 is an enlarged side view of the upper portion of a
container comprising a liquid composition and the insertion of a
valve according to an embodiment of the invention;
[0016] FIG. 7 is an enlarged side view of the upper portion of a
container comprising a liquid composition which illustrates
migration of a liquid composition through the valve upon insertion
into the neck of a container.
[0017] FIG. 8 is an enlarged side view of the upper portion of a
container comprising a liquid composition, which illustrates
substantial equilibrium on either side of a valve face, after
insertion.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0018] While the specification concludes with claims that
particularly point out and distinctly claim the invention, it is
believed the present invention will be better understood from the
following description.
[0019] The term "insert" as used herein, refers to a mechanism
which a liquid composition may pass through under conditions of a
sufficient pressure differential and which may be fixed within a
container suitable for liquid compositions. A valve is one type of
insert.
[0020] The term "valve" as used herein, means a device for halting
or controlling the flow of a liquid, gas, or other material through
a passage, pipe, inlet, outlet, etc., which is activated when a
sufficient pressure differential is exerted upon it.
[0021] The term "substantial equilibrium" as used herein, means
that the force exerted on either side of a surface is nearly equal,
or equal. Under conditions of substantial equilibrium, the valve
herein remains sealed. The absence of a pressure differential
results in substantial equilibrium.
[0022] The term "pressure differential" as used herein, means the
pressure exerted on one side of the insert herein, such that the
insert is activated, and is thereby permeable.
[0023] The term "zero headspace" as used herein, refers to the
space between the bottom surface of the insert and the top surface
of the liquid composition which is located below the insert, within
the container. Upon achieving zero headspace, there is no space
between the bottom surface of (below) the insert and the liquid
composition.
[0024] In one embodiment, the insert employed to achieve zero
headspace is a valve 1, which is designed to be effectively
inserted into the neck 2 of a container 3. The valve 1 is typically
bonded or sealed to the inner wall 16 of the neck 2 by a retaining
ring 5. The valve 1 generally comprises a flexible, resilient
material, which can open to dispense fluid under the exertion of a
pressure differential, and which is substantially impermeable to
liquids and gases in the relative absence of a pressure
differential. The valve 1 may be fabricated from thermoplastic
elastomers based upon materials such as thermoplastic propylene,
ethylene, urethane, styrene, and their halogenated counterparts.
Similar valves are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,439,143 and U.S.
Reissue Pat. No. RE39,520. Further valves are commercially
available from suppliers such as Liquid Molding Systems, Inc. of
Crystal lake, Ill.
[0025] One type of valve 1, as illustrated in FIGS. 2-4, includes a
flexible central face 6 which has a concave configuration (when
viewed from the exterior) and which defines two, mutually
perpendicular, intersecting, dispensing slits 7 of about equal
length. The intersecting slits 7 define four, generally
sector-shaped, flaps 8 in the concave, central face 6. The flaps 8
open outwardly from the intersection point of the slits 7, in
response to increasing container pressure of sufficient magnitude
(pressure differential), which can be achieved by compressing a
flexible container 3, or upon insertion of the valve 1 into the
neck 2 of the container 3 (described in detail hereinafter).
[0026] The valve 1 includes a skirt 10 (FIG. 4) which extends
outwardly from the valve 1 central face 6. At the outer (upper) end
of the skirt 10, there is a thin, annular flange 11 which extends
peripherally from the skirt 10 in an angled orientation. The thin
flange 11 terminates in an enlarged, much thicker, peripheral
flange 12 which has a generally dovetail shaped transverse cross
section.
[0027] The lower surface of the peripheral flange 12 is bonded to a
retaining ring 5, which extends upwardly to form a cylinder 13,
which has a length which is typically slightly longer than the neck
2 of the container 3. The cylinder 13 comprises an inner wall 14
and an outer wall 15. The outer wall 15 of the cylinder 13 may
comprise a matching means to seal the outer wall 15 of the cylinder
13 to a matching surface of the inner wall 16 of the neck 2 of the
container 3. The matching means may comprise threads, a clamping
mechanism, a clipping mechanism, a bonding adhesive, or other means
known in the art for creating a seal.
[0028] As discussed above, when gases are present in packages which
contain liquid compositions, the pocket of gas at the top of the
package often disrupts composition, either chemically,
aesthetically, or both. Although other gases may be present in the
liquid composition as suspensions or gas capsules, the pocket of
gas at the top of the package can migrate throughout the liquid
composition during shipping, which causes the aforementioned
disruptions. This problem is solved by a zero headspace insert.
[0029] In one embodiment, zero headspace is achieved by filling the
container 3 with a liquid composition 17 to a level 18 at or above
the shoulders 19 of the container 3 as depicted in FIG. 5. Upon
filling, the container typically has a volume of gas 9 (air) which
remains at the upper portion of the container 3, typically above
the shoulders 19 and in the neck 2. The valve 1 is inserted into
the neck 2 to displace the liquid composition 17. As the valve 1
descends into the neck 2, the liquid composition 17 is displaced in
the container 3, until the valve 1 is forced to roll upwardly on
itself and open, as depicted in FIGS. 6 and 7. The liquid
composition 17 flows through the valve opening 4, and accumulates
above the valve 1, generally in the neck 2 of the container 3. The
valve 1 then returns to its sealed position as depicted in FIG. 8,
as the valve 1 reaches substantial equilibrium. After the valve 1
is inserted, and secured to the neck 2 via the matching means
described hereinbefore, a cap (not depicted) may then be applied to
the container 3 as a closure by various means which are known in
the art.
[0030] The zero headspace insert, described above, prevents gases,
now above the valve 1, from entering and disrupting the liquid
composition 17 in the container 3. This is particularly useful to
prevent damage to liquid compositions which comprise patterns or
designs, due to rotation of the container 3, and migration of
bubbles throughout the liquid composition 17. Of course,
preservation of such patterns and designs are particularly relevant
to liquid compositions which are packaged in transparent
containers. Therefore, in one embodiment, the container 3 is a
transparent or semi-transparent container.
[0031] In use, in order to expel the liquid composition 17 from the
container 3, the valve 1 must be removable, or the container 3 may
be flexible. Accordingly, in one embodiment, the valve 1 is
removable via a removable matching means, such as threads, as
discussed hereinbefore. In the case of personal care compositions,
or other less viscous liquid compositions, a compressible container
may significantly improve ease of expulsion of a liquid
composition. Therefore, in another embodiment, the container 3 is
primarily made from a flexible plastic material such as
polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), or poly(ethylene
terephthalate) (PET). Such materials may be fabricated as
transparent, opaque, or semi-transparent containers. As discussed
hereinbefore, compression of a flexible container 3 creates a
pressure differential which is sufficient to expel the liquid
composition 17 through the valve 1 without its removal.
[0032] The dimensions and values disclosed herein are not to be
understood as being strictly limited to the exact numerical values
recited. Instead, unless otherwise specified, each such dimension
is intended to mean both the recited value and a functionally
equivalent range surrounding that value. For example, a dimension
disclosed as "40 mm" is intended to mean "about 40 mm."
[0033] All documents cited in the Detailed Description of the
Invention are, in relevant part, incorporated herein by reference;
the citation of any document is not to be construed as an admission
that it is prior art with respect to the present invention. To the
extent that any meaning or definition of a term in this document
conflicts with any meaning or definition of the same term in a
document incorporated by reference, the meaning or definition
assigned to that term in this document shall govern.
[0034] While particular embodiments of the present invention have
been illustrated and described, it would be obvious to those
skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can
be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the
invention. It is therefore intended to cover in the appended claims
all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of
this invention.
* * * * *