Draw tube container

Abstract

A one-piece draw tube container offering a user the ability to expel its medium to high viscosity product contents by sucking up the product through a top opening of the tube container. A base plug at the tube's bottom end includes an aperture through which ambient air is sucked from an outside environment to drive a gasket in the tube forwardly against the product to be sucked up.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] NONE

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

[0002] Research and development of this invention and Application have not been federally sponsored, and no rights are given under any Federal program.

REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX NOT APPLICABLE

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] 1. Field of the Invention

[0004] This invention relates to containers of slow to no-flow, medium to high viscosity products that can be expelled by sucking the product through the top of the container. As will become clear, such products may include syrups, gels, pastes and creams, for example.

[0005] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0006] As will be appreciated, many containers are available that can be squeezed to expel the product within, such as toothpaste tubes. Experience has shown, however, that no matter how much one might squeeze the tube, a fair percentage of the toothpaste remains inside. Available soft bottles that are similarly squeezed to expel the product inside exhibit the same results as with the toothpaste tube--namely, a significant amount of product remains.

[0007] For confectionery and medicinal products, on the other hand, it would be highly desirable if a sucking action could be had to essentially urge as much of the contained product upwards into the user's mouth, without leaving significant amounts behind. A container configuration which would work like sucking contents up through a straw would be quite welcome--especially with different specifications for length and diameter (where the container is of cylindrical tubular configuration) to meet the needs of the application at hand. In this manner, draw tube containers of confectionery and medicinal products would allow the taking up of differing amounts of differing products of differing viscosities at any instant of time.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

[0008] It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a draw tube container having the ability to expel substantially all its contents by way of sucking up the product through the top of the container.

[0009] It is an object of the present invention, also, to provide such a draw tube container designed for medium to high viscosity filled products of a syrup, gel, paste or cream nature--but recognizing further, that one capable of sucking up almost all aerated slow to no-flow products in general would be highly desirable.

[0010] It is another object of the invention to provide such a draw tube container which allows a user to extract whatever amount of product is desired at any given sucking, and then allowing the closure of the container for sucking up additional product at a later time.

[0011] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a draw tube container of this type which can be washed and reused, being filled by the user with the same, similar or other product later on, with an assurance that the container system would work the same way once again.

[0012] It is yet one more object of the invention to provide a draw tube container of this kind which would-be child-safe, and without any small part that might come loose when sucking out the product in causing a choking hazard.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0013] In these respects, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the size requirements of the container of the invention are selected in accordance with the type of product to be sucked up from the bottom of the container towards its top. Thus, as an example of size for confectionery applications, the container might be some 9 inches in length and 3/4 inches in diameter when of tubular configuration. For medicinal products, on the other hand, a container length of some 3 inches might be in order, along with a 3/8 inch outer tubular diameter--although longer or shorter, and/or larger and smaller diameters, are all variables in accordance with the nature of the product to be sucked up, and the amounts to be drawn into the mouth at any interval. Small dosing amounts of medication could therefore be enclosed within a smaller container, as compared to the enclosing of medium to high viscosity sweets in a larger container. In this manner, the specific dimensions for the container can be selected in accordance with the density of the enclosed product to be sucked up through the draw process.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the container includes a tube filled with the product, capped off at its top, or upper, end. A sealing label, a base plug and a rider gasket close off its bottom, or lower end, with the base plug having an aperture opening through which air can be sucked from the outside once the sealing label and cap are removed and the sucking action commenced at the top end of the tube. Such suction by way of the mouth, along with the airflow at the bottom end through the then unsealed base plug aperture, urges the rider gasket and the contained product upwards and out from the top end of the tube and into the mouth--thereby substantially leaving an absence of product ahead of the gasket.

[0015] A one-piece container can be had, according to the invention, with tube shapes that are round, oval, oblong, square, triangular, etc.--with the tube being of injection molded plastic, transparent or opaque in identifying the product and the volume which remains. With the invention, the enclosed product is easy to suck up from the container by such action--and essentially all of it, with minimal effort.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] These and other features of the invention will be more clearly understood from a consideration of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0017] FIG. 1a and FIG. 1b are exploded and assembled views respectively of a preferred embodiment of the one-piece draw tube container of the invention of a round, tubular shape;

[0018] FIG. 2a is a magnified top view of its tube component, shown in FIG. 2b;

[0019] FIGS. 3a, 3b and 3c are views helpful in an understanding of the cap component of the container construction, providing both tamper resistance and child safety features in an "all in one" design;

[0020] FIGS. 4a-4f are views helpful in understanding the rider gasket component of the container, with FIG. 4g being a view helpful in an understanding of its manner of operation;

[0021] FIGS. 5a-5d are views helpful in an understanding of the base plug component of the container;

[0022] FIG. 6 is a view helpful in an understanding of the sealing label component, preferably made of polyethylene with an adhesive layer; and

[0023] FIG. 7 is a view of the sealing label, the base plug, and the rider gasket as they are assembled into the bottom of the tube component of the one-piece container.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0024] The draw tube container of the invention for sucking out medium to high viscosity filled products having slow or no-flow rates essentially comprises 5 components: a transparent or opaque tube 10 (illustratively shown as being round in shape), a removable/replaceable screw on cap 12, a rider gasket 14, a base plug 16 and a sealing label 18. As FIG. 1b illustrates, placing the cap 12 on the top opening 20 of the tube 10, inserting the gasket 14 and the base plug 16 into the bottom opening 22 of the tube 10, and closing off the plug 16 with the sealing label 18 encloses the product content 24 in the draw tube container assembly. FIG. 1a illustrates how the components of the one-piece container come together, with the assembled view of FIG. 1b illustrating the container 26 filled with a syrup, a gel, a paste, a cream or any other aerated product to be sucked upwards by a user into the mouth. To accomplish this, the base plug 16 includes a small hole or aperture 28 to allow ambient air to be drawn in, and to flow through, the assembled container 26. Such aperture 28 is more particularly shown in FIGS. 5a and 5c representative of an inner view and outer view of the base plug respectively, where FIG. 5b depicts an inner sectional view and FIG. 5d depicts an outer side view of the plug 16. Reference numeral 30 shows the top edge of the plug while reference numeral 32 shows its side walls as being tapered.

[0025] To utilize the draw tube container 26, the first step is to remove the sealing label 18 located at the very bottom of the tube (FIG. 1b); this frees up and exposes the aperture opening 28 of the base plug 16. Then by uncapping or removing the cap 12 from the top opening 20, the container system is ready for drawing. By placing the top opening in the mouth, and sucking there an ambient air flow from the outside environment is established through the bottom opening of the tube 22 and the plug aperture 28 to drive the rider gasket 14 forward in urging the product 24, out the top opening 20 and into the mouth. Substantially all the product of the tube can thus be urged upwardly, essentially leaving no product in the tube ahead of the gasket 14. As will be appreciated, on the other hand, such sucking in or "draw" could be interrupted by the user at any instant of time when determining not to withdraw the entire product contents in one operation, but to replace the cap 12 whenever desired, and saving the remaining product for a later withdrawal.

[0026] FIGS. 2a and 2b are helpful in an appreciation of the container's tubular construction--transparent so as to allow viewing of the volume content inside, or opaque where the volume content inside is of less significance. Such tube component 10 may be injection molded of any medical or food grade plastic, with a hardness which can be selected from semi-rigid to rigid. Regardless of whether the tube shape is selected to be round (as in the drawings), or oblong, square or triangular, the tube is preferably constructed so as to have no corners or sharp edges on the inside of the tube--i.e., all edges should be rounded, as illustrated.

[0027] As will be readily understood, the top opening 20 is where the product is drawn out of the tube 10 to flow into the mouth via a suction action similar to that of a drinking straw in a beverage. In FIGS. 2a and 2b, threads 33 are shown at the upper end of the tube 10 to allow for the assembling of the cap 12 onto the tube, with a lower-down lock ring 34 and a still further lower-down catch ring 36 providing a tamper resistant feature of the cap 12. Specifically, the catch ring 36 and the smaller lock ring 34 work together in locking/keeping a tamper resistant ring 40 of the cap 12 in place (FIG. 3b). The tamper resistant ring 40 of the cap 12 is forced over the lock ring 34 to be secured between the catch ring 36 and the lock ring 34. As will be appreciated, the bottom opening of the tube's inner wall is equal in shape and diameter all the way up along the tube 10 to an inner ring 38 at the top opening 22--where, with its being of an increased inner wall thickness, the rider gasket 14 is prevented from being sucked out of the tube to avoid a possible choking hazard during the draw suck. With the increased wall thickness, the gasket 14 is blocked from going further than the inner ring 38.

[0028] The "all in one" screw-on cap 12 of the invention exhibits features understandable from the various views of FIGS. 3a, 3b and 3c. The cap 12, first of all, includes spaced vertical grooves 42 for better gripping of the cap 12 to ease its removal-opening and later replacement-closing. A flexible ring belt 44 couples a child safety fastening ring 46 to a tamper resistant "breakaway" ring 48--with the "belt open position" being shown at 50 and with the "belt assembled position" being shown at 52, the transition from one to the other following an upwards rotation of the flexible ring belt 44 in the direction of the arrow-line 54.

[0029] In this respect, the safety fastening ring 46 comes out from the mold or injection tool in the "belt open position" 50 and is force-fitted between upper and lower cap flanges 56, 58 in the sectional view of FIG. 3c, the view of FIG. 3a being that of the unassembled safety ring 46. Both cap flanges 56 and 58 are larger in diameter than the fastening ring 46 so that once assembled, the cap 12 will always be attached to the tube 10. Such attachment, therefore, will not interfere with the closing or opening of the cap when the container 10 is closed off, or when it is opened for the sucking to occur. The top cap flange 56 is shaped with a taper on the outside and a flat area underneath, to allow the child safety fastening ring 46 to be forced onto the top flange, with the flat area underneath serving to prevent the fastening ring from coming out. The bottom cap flange 58 cooperates in this respect, in preventing the fastening ring 46 from moving downwards (FIG. 3c).

[0030] The tamper resistant ring 48 attaches to the top opening 20 of the tube 10 by screwing the cap 12 and forcing the ring 40 to fit over the tube's flexible ring belt 44. The ring 40 is part of the design of the cap 12 and thus "breaks away" after the first time the cap 12 is opened. Once broken, the ring 40 remains on the tube in holding the ring belt 44 and fastening ring 46 joined with the cap 12. FIG. 3b thus shows the cap 12 with the fastening ring 46 assembled, and with the flexible ring belt 44 in assembled position. Reference number 60 in FIG. 3c identifies an indent-area between the top cap flange 56 and the bottom cap flange 58 where the fastening ring 46 permanently remains. Reference numeral 62 in FIG. 3c, on the other hand, represents in this sectional view of the cap 12, a ring which allows the cap to fit into the top opening 20 of the tube, in thereby creating a seal which is leak resistant. The inner screw threads 64 of FIG. 3c work with the tube threads 32 of FIG. 2a in the closing and opening of the tube in the "stop" and "start" sucking operation of the invention.

[0031] The base plug 16 and sealing label 18 constructions of the invention can be more easily seen from the various views of FIGS. 5a-5d and of FIG. 6, respectively. The base plug 16 is constructed and configured to force-fit into the bottom opening 22 of the tube 10, and is also of a plastic material. Its top edge 30 is not tapered (as are its side walls 32), and the plug is arranged to be pushed all the way into the lower end of the tube in providing a fit which is both tight and flush with the bottom opening 22 in satisfying child safety regulations. At the same time, with the tapering of the plug being in a direction to be wider at the top than at the bottom and to be of a larger width at the top than the diameter of the tube, the tight fit which results prevents the plug from being removed by a child once the plug is secured within the tube.

[0032] The label 18 of FIG. 6, on the other hand, includes an inner adhesive layer stuck onto the base plug 16 (as in FIG. 1a) to cover its aperture 28 in sealing the draw tube container 26 up to the time of use. A tail end 70 of the label sticks to the outer side wall of the tube 10 adjacent its lower end to be grasped by the user when the sucking is to take place (FIG. 1b). Both the tail end 70 and its opposite label end 72 are printed with a "remove here" legend as a visual reminder of "direction" when the sucking is to commence. FIG. 7, as previously mentioned, illustrates the assembly of the label 18 with the base plug 16 for the needed sucking action to urge the gasket 14 forwardly. As will be appreciated, reference numeral 74 in FIG. 7 illustrates the tube 10 as being open at its lower end--the gasket 14 being inserted into the tube 10 before the base plug 16 is inserted, and the positioning of the label 18 in relation to the base plug 16 for the insertion of the plug into the tube following the gasket. As will also be understood, the label 18 (until its removal) keeps out the elements during manufacture and transportation, as well as at the retail level. Once the label is removed by the end user, the container will still be sealed by the "rider gasket" design, as described below.

[0033] The views of FIGS. 4a-4g illustrate various views of the rider gasket 14--which is preferably fabricated of such plastic resin as polypropylene or polyethylene. In serving to drive the product out of the tube 10 in a smooth and effective manner, scraping all of the inside walls of the tube clean so as not to leave a visible residue, the gasket 14 includes a top flange 80 of slightly larger diameter than the inside diameter of the tube 10. Constructed to be flexible and thin so as to conform with the inner wall of the tube 10 and not to allow any gaps between the flange 80 and the inside wall, the flange 80 is thus effective in creating a "seal fit" with the insides of the tube. With FIG. 4a illustrating a top perspective view of the gasket 14, FIG. 4d illustrates a bottom perspective view of the gasket 14 as having a bottom flange 82 also of diameter slightly larger than the inside diameter of the tube. This allows the top flange 80 and the bottom flange 82 to work together.

[0034] As illustrated in FIGS. 4a and 4b, the head 84 of the gasket 14 extends past the top flange 80 so as to allow the head to drive out all product content through the tube top opening 20. The top edge of the head 84 beyond the flange 80 at that time aligns with an inner ring at the top opening 20 of increased thickness which prevents the gasket 14 from coming out any further. In this respect, the top flange 80 stops the gasket 14 at the point 88 in FIG. 4g, defined by the inner ring showings at 86.

[0035] FIG. 4c is a top sectional view of the gasket illustrating that the wall between the top and bottom flanges 80 and 82 is concave. This allows the flanges to flex and conform in springing outward to ride effortlessly through the inside of the tube 10. Such concave configuration also serves to reduce any drag present, as well as the amount of suction required to drive the product content upwardly towards the top opening 20 of the tube. FIG. 4f illustrates the different wall thicknesses in different areas of the gasket, thinner at certain locations to create more spring, and thicker at other locations to provide more rigidity in positioning the gasket in the tube 10 to begin with.

[0036] While there has been described what is considered to be a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art that modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the teachings herein of a one-piece container able for a user to withdraw all of its contents by way of sucking the product out through the top of the draw tube assembly. While specifically intended for medium to high viscosity filled products, with slow or no-flow rates, alterations in size and dimensions could similarly be included so as to allow for a draw tube container construction intended for sucking product contents other than pastes, gels and aerated products of confectionery or medicinal nature. And, as will be appreciated, other manners of sealing off the base plug aperture before or during sucking could be utilized to control the volume of product content sucked out at any one time. For at least such reasons, therefore, resort should be had to the claims appended hereto for a true understanding of the invention.

Claims

1. A draw tube container comprising: an elongated tube having top and bottom openings; a gasket within the tube; a plug having a central aperture inserted into the tube between the gasket and the bottom opening of the tube; a medium to high viscosity ingestible confectionery or medicinal product within the tube between the gasket and the top opening of the tube; a cap at an upper end of the tube; and a seal at a lower end of the tube; whereby withdrawal of the ingestible confectionery or medicinal product follows a user's sucking on the top opening of the tube with the cap and seal set to open the top and bottom openings of the elongated tube, respectively.

2. A draw tube container comprising: an elongated tube having top and bottom openings; a gasket within the tube; a plug having a central aperture inserted into the tube between the gasket and the bottom opening of the tube; a medium to high viscosity ingestible confectionery or medicinal product within the tube between the gasket and the top opening of the tube; a cap at an upper end of the tube for opening and closing the top opening of the tube; and a seal at a lower end of the tube for opening and closing the bottom opening of the tube; whereby, with the cap set to open the top opening of the tube and with the seal set to open the bottom opening of the tube, a user's sucking the tube at its top opening draws in ambient air from a surrounding environment through the aperture in the plug to drive the gasket forwardly in expelling the ingestible confectionery or medicinal product out the top opening of the tube.

3. The draw tube container of claim 2 wherein the cap is attached at an upper end of the tube.

4. The draw tube container of claim 3 wherein the plug is configured to force-fit into the lower end of the tube in providing a fit both tight and flush with the bottom opening of the tube.

5. The draw tube container of claim 4 wherein the gasket is fabricated of a flexible plastic of a dimension to provide a seal fit with the insides of the tube.

6. The draw tube container of claim 5 wherein the gasket includes a head extending past a top flange of the gasket a distance to extend to the top opening of the tube.

7. The draw tube container of claim 6 wherein the seal includes a label having an inner layer adhesively covering the aperture of the plug at a first portion thereof, and adhesively affixing to an outer wall of the tube at a second portion thereof.

8. The draw tube container of claim 7 wherein the upper end of the tube is threaded to release and secure the cap in the opening and closing of the tube respectively.

9. The draw tube container of claim 8 wherein the cap, when opening or closing the top end of the tube, remains fixedly attached to the tube.

10. The draw tube container of claim 9 wherein the tube is of a given inside diameter and wherein the plug includes side walls tapering from its top to its bottom so as to be wider at the top than at the bottom and to be of a larger width at the top than the inside diameter of the tube.

11. The draw tube container of claim 10 wherein the gasket includes a top flange of slightly larger diameter than the inside diameter of the tube.