U.S. patent application number 12/590227 was filed with the patent office on 2011-05-05 for draw tube container.
Invention is credited to Marc Mamiye.
Application Number | 20110104343 12/590227 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 43925720 |
Filed Date | 2011-05-05 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110104343 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Mamiye; Marc |
May 5, 2011 |
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.
Inventors: |
Mamiye; Marc; (Old Bridge,
NJ) |
Family ID: |
43925720 |
Appl. No.: |
12/590227 |
Filed: |
November 5, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
426/115 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 83/005
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
426/115 |
International
Class: |
B65D 81/32 20060101
B65D081/32 |
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.
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.
* * * * *