U.S. patent application number 12/786224 was filed with the patent office on 2011-11-24 for handled bottle.
Invention is credited to Thomas Hlavacek, Christian Krammer, Brandon C. Roy, Judith Webster, Thomas Zauser.
Application Number | 20110284541 12/786224 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 44971629 |
Filed Date | 2011-11-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110284541 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Webster; Judith ; et
al. |
November 24, 2011 |
Handled Bottle
Abstract
Described is a bottle having bottle central part having a bottle
base, an enclosed handle, and a bottle top with a bottle closure. A
bottle closure has a forward directed pouring orifice and attached
child-resistant closure means. A bottle closure has a venting means
fluidly connected to the interior of the enclosed handle.
Inventors: |
Webster; Judith;
(Pleasanton, CA) ; Roy; Brandon C.; (McDonough,
GA) ; Krammer; Christian; (Hard, AT) ;
Hlavacek; Thomas; (Hard, AT) ; Zauser; Thomas;
(Hard, AT) |
Family ID: |
44971629 |
Appl. No.: |
12/786224 |
Filed: |
May 24, 2010 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/288 ;
220/324; 220/360; 220/375; 220/756 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 2205/00 20130101;
B65D 50/045 20130101; B65D 47/0809 20130101; B65D 47/32 20130101;
B65D 55/022 20130101; B65D 23/10 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
220/288 ;
220/360; 220/375; 220/324; 220/756 |
International
Class: |
B65D 41/04 20060101
B65D041/04; B65D 50/00 20060101 B65D050/00; B65D 45/16 20060101
B65D045/16; B65D 47/06 20060101 B65D047/06; B65D 51/16 20060101
B65D051/16; B65D 55/16 20060101 B65D055/16 |
Claims
1. A bottle comprising: a container having a threaded neck on the
container top front surface and having an enclosed handle on the
container top rear surface wherein the neck comprises a container
outlet and a separate handle inlet; a dispensing closure having a
base member, a cap, and a hinge connecting the base member and the
cap, wherein the base member comprises a outer threaded skirt
member and a deck member wherein the deck member comprises a
beveled spout and a venting channel and the venting channel is
fluidly connected to the handle inlet.
2. The bottle of claim 1, wherein the base member of the dispensing
closure has a pair of latches on opposite sides of the base member
and the cap has a pair of tabs that lock into the latches.
3. The bottle of claim 1, wherein the neck has a neck base with one
or more sets of ratchets and a stop tab.
4. The bottle of claim 3, wherein the neck base comprises two or
more sets of ratchets.
5. The bottle of claim 3, wherein one of the sets of ratchets is on
the handle portion of the neck base.
6. The bottle of claim 1, wherein the base member additionally
comprises an indented inner skirt having an inner surface.
7. The bottle of claim 1, wherein the cap has an outer wall and an
inner wall having an inner surface.
8. The bottle of claim 1, wherein the cap inner wall inner surface
frictionally mates with the inner surface of the indented inner
skirt of the base member.
9. The bottle of claim 8, wherein there is a venting surface where
the cap inner wall mates with the indented skirt of the base
member.
10. The bottle of claim 9, wherein the venting surface comprises
vertical channels on a surface from the group consisting of the
indented inner skirt inner surface, the cap inner wall inner
surface, and combinations thereof.
11. A bottle comprising: a container having a threaded neck on the
container top front surface and having an enclosed handle on the
container top rear surface wherein the neck comprises a container
outlet and a separate handle inlet; a dispensing closure comprising
a base member, a cap, and a hinge connecting the base member and
the cap, wherein the base member has an outer threaded skirt member
with a pair of latches on opposite sides of the base member and an
a deck member wherein the deck member comprises a beveled spout
wherein the cap has a pair of tabs that lock into the latches,
wherein the neck has a neck base having a neck base container front
surface and a neck base handle surface wherein the neck base
container front surface has one of more ratchets and a stop tab and
the handle portion of the neck base has one or more ratchets.
12. The bottle of claim 11, wherein the deck member additionally
comprises a venting channel and the venting channel is fluidly
connected to the handle inlet.
13. A bottle comprising: a container having a threaded neck on the
container top front surface and having an enclosed handle on the
container top rear surface; a dispensing closure comprising a base
member, a cap, and a hinge connecting the base member and the cap,
wherein the base member has an outer threaded skirt member with a
pair of latches on opposite sides of the base member, an indented
inner skirt member having an inner surface, and an a deck member
wherein the deck member comprises a spout and a venting channel,
and wherein the cap has a pair of tabs that lock into the latches,
an outer wall, and an inner wall having an inner surface wherein
the cap inner wall inner surface frictionally mates with the inner
surface of the indented skirt on the base member.
14. The bottle of claim 13, wherein the indented inner skirt is
contiguous with the outer threaded skirt member.
15. The bottle of claim 13, wherein the venting channel is fluidly
connected to the handle inlet.
16. The bottle of claim 13, wherein the treaded neck has a neck
base comprising two or more sets of ratchets.
17. The bottle of claim 13, wherein the treaded neck base has a
front base section and a rear handle base section and one of the
sets of ratchets is on rear handle base section.
18. The bottle of claim 13, wherein a solid web separates the
handle top end from the container front side at the bottom of the
neck.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] This invention relates generally to bottle closures on
bottles for dispensing liquids, such as liquid cleaners and the
like. More particularly, the present invention relates generally to
flip top and screw top closures on handled bottles.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] A typical directional pour spout with a flip top cap is
described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,549,559 to Conroy et al. A child-proof
closure for a flip top cap is described in U.S. Pat. No.
2007/0144996 to Sawyer. A typical bottle with an integral handle
and method of making is described in U.S. 2005/0163952 to Beale and
U.S. Pat. No. 4,629,598 to Thompson.
[0005] A variety of solutions have been disclosed for storage
venting of screw top closures. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,202,870
to Pearce discloses ridges with slots or grooves on the inside top
horizontal surface of a screw cap to allow venting from inside the
bottle. Another example of screw cap venting is disclosed in U.S.
Pat. No. 7,048,140 to Caldwell, where the screw cap is slotted
through the threads and on the inside top surface. Other venting
solutions applicable to screw top containers have used venting
liners, i.e. U.S. Pat. No. 6,983,857, U.S. Pat. No. 4,121,728, and
U.S. Pat. No. 4,789,074.
[0006] Accordingly, what is needed is an ergonomic enclosed handled
bottle, with a forward directed pour spout, suitable venting during
pouring and storage, and a child-resistant closure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] In accordance with the principles of the present invention,
in one embodiment, is a bottle comprising a container having a
threaded neck on the container top front surface and having an
enclosed handle on the container top rear surface wherein the neck
comprises a container outlet and a separate handle inlet; a
dispensing closure having a base member, a cap, and a hinge
connecting the base member and the cap, wherein the base member
comprises a outer threaded skirt member and a deck member wherein
the deck member comprises a beveled spout and a venting channel and
the venting channel is fluidly connected to the handle inlet.
[0008] According to another embodiment of the present invention, a
bottle comprises a container having a threaded neck on the
container top front surface and having an enclosed handle on the
container top rear surface wherein the neck comprises a container
outlet and a separate handle inlet; a dispensing closure comprising
a base member, a cap, and a hinge connecting the base member and
the cap, wherein the base member has an outer threaded skirt member
with a pair of latches on opposite sides of the base member and an
a deck member wherein the deck member comprises a beveled spout
wherein the cap has a pair of tabs that lock into the latches,
wherein the neck has a neck base having a neck base container front
surface and a neck base handle surface wherein the neck base
container front surface has one of more ratchets and a stop tab and
the handle portion of the neck base has one or more ratchets.
[0009] According to a further embodiment of the present invention,
a bottle comprises a container having a threaded neck on the
container top front surface and having an enclosed handle on the
container top rear surface; a dispensing closure comprising a base
member, a cap, and a hinge connecting the base member and the cap,
wherein the base member has an outer threaded skirt member with a
pair of latches on opposite sides of the base member, an indented
inner skirt member having an inner surface, and an a deck member
wherein the deck member comprises a spout and a venting channel,
and wherein the cap has a pair of tabs that lock into the latches,
an outer wall, and an inner wall having an inner surface wherein
the cap inner wall inner surface frictionally mates with the inner
surface of the indented skirt on the base member.
[0010] The use of the bottle of the present invention, from a
consumer perspective, would not differ from the use of any
conventional dispensing bottle known in the art. The user would
simply open the closure mechanism to dispense fluid from the
bottle.
[0011] Further features and advantages of the present invention
will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in view
of the detailed description of embodiments below, when considered
together with the attached drawings and claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] The foregoing aspects and others will be readily appreciated
by the skilled artisan from the following description of
illustrative embodiments when read in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings, in which:
[0013] FIG. 1 shows a side plan view of a bottle in accordance with
an embodiment of the present invention;
[0014] FIG. 2 shows a side plan view of a container in accordance
with an embodiment of the present invention;
[0015] FIG. 3 shows a rear plan view of a container in accordance
with an embodiment of the present invention;
[0016] FIG. 4 shows a top plan view of a container in accordance
with an embodiment of the present invention;
[0017] FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of a closure portion
according to the present invention;
[0018] FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of a closure portion
according to the present invention;
[0019] FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of a closure according to
the present invention;
[0020] FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of a closure in accordance
with an embodiment of the present invention;
[0021] FIG. 9 shows a plan view of a closure in accordance with an
embodiment of the present invention;
[0022] FIG. 10 shows a cross-sectional view of a closure in
accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;
[0023] FIG. 11 shows a perspective view of a closure in accordance
with an embodiment of the present invention;
[0024] FIG. 12 shows an exploded perspective view of a bottle in
accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and
[0025] FIG. 13 shows a cross-sectional view of a bottle in
accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0026] Reference will now be made to the drawings wherein like
numerals refer to like parts throughout. For ease of description,
the components of this invention are described in the normal
(upright) operating position, and terms such as upper, lower,
horizontal, top, bottom, etc., are used with reference to this
position. It will be understood, however, that the components
embodying this invention may be manufactured, stored, transported,
used, and sold in an orientation other than the position
described.
[0027] Figures illustrating the components of this invention show
some conventional mechanical elements that are known and that will
be recognized by one skilled in the art. The detailed descriptions
of such elements are not necessary to an understanding of the
invention, and accordingly, are herein presented only to the degree
necessary to facilitate an understanding of the novel features of
the present invention.
[0028] All publications, patents and patent applications cited
herein, whether supra or infra, are hereby incorporated by
reference in their entirety to the same extent as if each
individual publication, patent or patent application was
specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by
reference.
[0029] As used herein and in the claims, the term "comprising" is
inclusive or open-ended and does not exclude additional unrecited
elements, compositional components, or method steps. Accordingly,
the term "comprising" encompasses the more restrictive terms
"consisting essentially of" and "consisting of".
[0030] It must be noted that, as used in this specification and the
appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an" and "the" include
plural referents unless the content clearly dictates otherwise.
Thus, for example, reference to a "surfactant" includes two or more
such surfactants.
[0031] Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms
used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of
ordinary skill in the art to which the invention pertains. Although
a number of methods and materials similar or equivalent to those
described herein can be used in the practice of the present
invention, the preferred materials and methods are described
herein.
[0032] The term "bottle", as used herein, is meant to mean and
include any plastic container and closure for holding a fluid.
[0033] In a suitable embodiment as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the
bottle 100 comprises a container 102 having a body portion 104 for
holding container content, with a container front side 106 adjacent
to the dispensing opening 108 and a rear side 110 adjacent to the
handle 112, and a lower closed bottom end 114 for supporting the
container 102. The container has an upper end including a neck 116
delimiting a dispensing opening 108. A dispensing closure 120 of
the present invention, having a base member 122, a cap 124, and a
connecting hinge 118 may be securely mounted onto said container
102 via its base member 122, using any means of attachment commonly
know to those skilled in the art including cooperative threads,
crimping, clipping means, heat sealing, force fitting, clasp
elements, snap-fit bead, groove arrangements, and mixtures thereof.
The container 102 can have an enclosed handle 112 with an extended
handle exterior 126 and an enclosed extended handle interior 128.
The bottle has a thumb pad 130 on the extended handle exterior 126
and a forefinger alignment nub 132 on the extended handle interior
128. These handle easy-grip features are suitable for a forward
directed pouring spout which is tipped during pouring to a lesser
extent than is required for a more central directed pouring spout
on the top of a bottle. A solid web 134 separates the handle top
end 136 from the container front side 106 where the handle top end
136 and the container front side 106 both enter the neck 116. The
handle bottom end 135 is fluidly connected to the container body
portion 104 about half way up the container rear side 110. The
handle top end 136 is fluidly connected to the dispensing opening
108 at the neck 116. Below the handle 112 is an indented label wall
138. As shown in FIGS. 2-4, the container 102 is an elongated
circle rather than round. In other embodiments, the container is
round. In a suitable embodiment, the container 102 has a length 140
and a width 142. In one embodiment, the neck 116 is entirely within
the front 20% of the length 140 of the container 102 and the handle
112 stretches across greater than 80% of the length 140 of the
container 102. The elongated container, the extended handle
position, the separate handle opening to the neck, the forward
neck, or combinations of these allow for effective directed pouring
out of the front of the bottle.
[0034] Suitably, the dispensing closure 120 of the invention is
provided with an inner female thread typically located in the base
member 122, as described hereinafter, and the container neck 116 is
provided with an exterior male thread 150 formed adjacent its
dispensing opening 118. Typically, the dispensing closure 120 is
mounted onto the container 102 with the female thread of the base
member 122 screwed on the male thread 150 of the container 102.
Alternatively, the container 102 may not need having a neck 116.
Instead the container 102 may consist of a just a body portion 104
with a dispensing opening 118. The dispensing closure 120 of the
present invention is suitable for use with a variety of
conventional or special containers having various designs, the
details of which, although not illustrated or described, would be
apparent to those skilled in the art. The container 102 may have a
rigid wall or walls, or may have a somewhat flexible wall or
walls.
[0035] In a suitable aspect of the invention shown in FIGS. 1 and
2, the dispensing closure 120 is a separate element which is
adapted to be removably or non-removably mounted, via its base
member 122, to a previously manufactured container 102 which has a
dispensing opening 108 to the container interior. In an alternative
execution, the dispensing closure 120 may be formed as a unitary
part, or extension, of the container 102. The dispensing closure
120 is adapted to be used with a container 102 having a dispensing
opening 108 to provide access to the container interior volume and
to a product contained therein, which is preferably a pourable
product. However, the dispensing closure 120 of the invention may
be used with many products, including but not limited to,
relatively low or high viscosity liquids, creams, gels,
suspensions, mixtures, lotions, pastes, particulates, granular
products, and mixtures thereof. Typical products for use in the
present invention may be those constituting a food product, a
personal care product, an industrial or household cleaning product,
or other compositions of matter for use in activities involving
manufacturing, commercial or household maintenance, construction,
agriculture. Suitably, said pourable product is a liquid
composition.
[0036] The container neck 116 may be a simple threaded closure or
may have in addition to the male thread 150, several functional
elements to prevent removal of the base member 122 of the
dispensing closure 120. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the container
neck 116 has two or more ratchets 152, 153 and a closure stop 154
on the neck base 156 to interact with the dispensing closure 120
during attachment of the dispensing closure 120. Suitably, one or
more of the ratchets 153 is located at the top of the handle neck
base 158 and one or more of the ratchets 152 is located on the
container front neck base 160. The closure stop 154 is suitably
located on the container front neck base 160. An anti-removal stop
155 is located on the handle neck base 158. At the bottom of the
neck 116 are the container outlet 162 and the handle venting inlet
164.
[0037] Showing the dispensing means 120 in an open position in FIG.
5 the base member 122 may have any suitable configuration, form or
dimension for accommodating an upwardly projecting neck 116 or
portion of a container 102 (FIG. 2). In a suitable execution of the
present invention, the base member 122 has a substantially round
shape when seen from the top perspective, as represented in FIG. 5.
The base member 122 is comprised of two distinct parts, an annular
skirt member 170 and a deck member 172. The skirt member 170
generally forms the external and surrounding wall of the base
member 122 and extends substantially towards the container
direction, typically parallel to the neck 116 of the container 102
(FIG. 3). The deck member 172 which typically extends substantially
transversely to the longitudinal axis of the container 102 is
generally substantially flat and horizontal or slightly
slanted.
[0038] More specifically, and as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the female
thread means 174 for attachment of the base member 122 to the neck
116 is suitably located onto the inner portion of the outer wall
176 of the skirt member 170 of the base member 122. The skirt
member has an inner wall 177 connecting to the deck member 172. The
deck member 172 of the base member 122 comprises a venting channel
178 adapted to communicate with the interior volume of the handle
112 through the handle inlet 164 (FIG. 4). The deck member 172 also
comprises a beveled spout member 180 which extends upward from the
deck member 172 to dispense product from the container 102 through
the container outlet 162 (FIG. 4). Also shown is a spout deflector
182 at the bottom of the spout member 180 which acts to moderate
the pouring stream out of the spout member 180. The top 184 of the
cap 124 can also have a venting pad 186 for venting during storage.
The venting pad 186 can overlay a hole in the top of the cap 124
and provide grooved channels for passage of air between the bottle
interior and the bottle exterior.
[0039] Another embodiment of the dispensing closure 120 is shown in
FIGS. 7-9. FIG. 7 shows a dispensing closure 120 in the closed
position and having a base member 122, a cap member 124 and a hinge
118. FIG. 8 shows the dispensing closure 120 of FIG. 7 in an open
position having a base member 122, a cap member 124 and a hinge
118. The skirt member 170 comprises an outer annular shirt 188
having latches 190 and a contiguous indented inner annular skirt
192 having an inner skirt inner surface 194. On each side of the
cap member 124 is a tab 196. The tabs 196 can be pushed inward
towards each other to release the tabs 196 from the latches 190 in
the outer skirt 188 of the skirt member 170 to allow the cap member
124 to swing on the hinge 118 to the open position. As shown in
FIGS. 8-10, the cap member 124 also has an inner annular wall 198
concentric with the outer annular wall 199 that frictionally mates
with the inner skirt inner surface 194 of the base member 122 to
prevent product from leaking from the container 102 (in FIG.
1).
[0040] When the bottle contains liquid contents that expand or
generate gas during storage of the bottle when the nozzle is in the
closed position, it may be necessary to include a storage venting
means. This passive storage venting means can be achieved by a
circuitous channel, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,202,870 to
Pearce, or by a porous liner, such as described in U.S. Pat. No.
5,730,306 to Costa et al., both of which are incorporated in the
entirety herein. In one embodiment of the invention shown in FIG.
11, the storage venting means can be achieved by a pattern of
channels 195 on the outer surface 199 of the inner wall 198 of the
cap member 124. Alternately, there can be a pattern of channels 197
on the inner skirt inner surface 194. Because these channels 195,
197 are only on vertical surfaces of the dispensing closure 120,
there may be less likelihood to foul from product gassing than
grooves on horizontal surfaces. In some embodiments, it may be
advantageous to have channels 195, 197 on both the outer surface
199 of the inner wall 198 of the cap member 124 and the inner skirt
inner surface 194 in order to reduce mold wear. These channels are
especially advantageous where two smooth injection molded surfaces
fit together. The channels can be laser etched or chemical etched
into the molds.
[0041] The bottle may have an integrated spout fitment such as
described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,794,803 to Sprick, which is
incorporated by reference in its entirety herein. In another
embodiment in FIGS. 12 and 13, the bottle 200 comprises a
dispensing container 202 having an enclosed handle 204 in the
container rear section 203 and a neck 206 in the container front
section 205 with a spout fitment 208 inserted into the cylindrical
neck 206. In this way, the consumer picks up the container at the
handle in the rear section and pours from the spout in the front
section of the container. The bottle 200 also has a cap closure 210
which acts to close the pouring spout. The neck 206 has external
threads 212 to receive complementary internal threads 214 (FIG. 13)
on the cap closure 210. As seen in FIG. 13, the spout fitment 208
includes a generally tubular pouring spout 216 having pouring
orifice 218 and disposed with an annular sheath 220. The lower end
of the spout 216 and the lower end of the sheath 220 are joined by
an annular wall 222. The annular wall 222 contains a drainback hole
224. The drainback hole 224 may be connecting with the pouring
orifice 218 (not shown) or it may be adjacent to the spout 216 as
in FIG. 13. The lower end of the sheath 220 contains a venting hole
226. The upper end of the sheath 220 is provided with a lip 228
which is fastened to the inside surface of the neck 206. The
venting hole 226 is fluidly connected to interior of the enclosed
handle 204 of the dispensing container 202. The spout 216 and
drainback hole 224 are fluidly connected to the interior of the
container front section 205.
[0042] The cap closure 210 has an annular wall 230 with internal
closure threads 214 and one or more locking tabs 234 at the lower
end. The annular wall 230 contains two or more differentiated
pressure points 236 where the annular wall 230 is flexible enough
to be deflected radially inwardly by pushing with the fingers.
Pushing the pressure points 236 inwardly causes the annular wall
230 to flex outwardly at the position of the locking tabs 234. This
allows the locking tabs 234 to move past the stop tabs 238 on the
container neck 206 and the cap closure 210 to be threadedly removed
from the container 202.
[0043] This invention has been described herein in detail to
provide those skilled in the art with information relevant to apply
the novel principles and to construct and use such specialized
components as are required. However, it is to be understood that
the invention can be carried out by different equipment, materials
and devices, and that various modifications, both as to the
equipment and operating procedures, can be accomplished without
departing from the scope of the invention itself.
* * * * *