U.S. patent number 3,610,455 [Application Number 04/878,447] was granted by the patent office on 1971-10-05 for disposable container liner with removal means.
Invention is credited to William Greenhalgh, David Kenneth Soper.
United States Patent |
3,610,455 |
Greenhalgh , et al. |
October 5, 1971 |
DISPOSABLE CONTAINER LINER WITH REMOVAL MEANS
Abstract
A container provided with a flexible removable single service
liner including means for inducing and facilitating the removal
thereof from the container subsequent to emptying of the contents
of the liner.
Inventors: |
Greenhalgh; William (Oshawa,
Ontario, CA), Soper; David Kenneth (Brooklin,
Ontario, CA) |
Family
ID: |
25372053 |
Appl.
No.: |
04/878,447 |
Filed: |
November 20, 1969 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
|
721852 |
Apr 16, 1968 |
3484011 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
215/12.1;
206/804; 220/495.06; 222/325; 220/495.03 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D
23/02 (20130101); Y10S 206/804 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65D
23/02 (20060101); B65D 23/00 (20060101); B65d
011/16 () |
Field of
Search: |
;206/DIG.32 ;220/63,65
;222/183,131,325 ;221/260 ;215/11-13 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Coleman; Samuel F.
Parent Case Text
This is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 721,852,
filed Apr. 16, 1968, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,484,011, issued Dec. 16,
1969.
Claims
We claim:
1. In combination with a generally rigid container having a
discharge opening, a flexible liner removably positioned within
said container, adapter means removably positioned in said
discharge opening for supporting said liner, said means supporting
said liner being movable between a first position communicating the
space between said container and said liner with the atmosphere and
a second position sealing off the space between said container and
said liner from the atmosphere whereby fluid can be vented from the
space between said container and said liner to conform said liner
to said container, and means carried by said liner for peeling a
portion of the bottom of the liner upwardly and outwardly of said
discharge opening for facilitating complete removal of said liner
and adapter from said container, said means for facilitating
removal of said liner and said adapter comprising an elongated
flexible member having one end fixed to the liner at a point
generally distal to said adapter and the other end of said flexible
member projecting outwardly of the container.
2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said elongated flexible
member is further removably secured at a point intermediate the
ends thereof to the exterior of said adapter.
3. The combination of claim 1 including indicia on said liner
normally obscured by said elongated flexible member when the liner
is operatively positioned in said container, said indicia being
visible subsequent to the substantial removal of said liner from
said container.
4. The combination of claim 1 wherein the container is translucent
and the liner bears a legend which is visible through at least one
wall of the container.
5. The combination of claim 1 wherein the liner is provided with
vertical ribs to reinforce the same.
6. The combination of claim 1 wherein the liner and the adapter are
molded as an integral unit.
7. The combination of claim 1 wherein the adapter is tapered to
facilitate insertion of the adapter into the neck of said
container.
8. The combination of claim 1 wherein the adapter is provided with
grooves or serrations along its external periphery to permit air to
escape between the liner and the container during the filling
process.
9. The combination of claim 1 including, in addition, a closure
adapted to seat in the upper portions of said adapter.
10. The combination of claim 7, including, in addition, a second
closure made of transparent material so that a legend on the first
closure will be visible, said second closure providing a more
positive seal than the first closure alone.
11. The combination of claim 1 wherein the liner includes a
peripheral bead at its uppermost extremity adapted to fit within a
peripheral groove adjacent the lower end of said adapter.
12. The combination of claim 1 including indicia on said liner
being normally obscured by an at least partially removable
overcoating, whereby said indicia can be rendered visible
subsequent to the substantial removal of said liner from said
container.
Description
This invention relates to a disposable flexible liner for
containers and to means for supporting said liner therein. More
particularly, it relates to a hygienically clean liner adapted to
be inserted into a conventional container in order to provide an
interior which is suitable for refilling, even with liquid foods
such as milk, which liner is provided with means for facilitating
removal of the used liner from the container. If desired, the liner
may be provided with ornamentation or advertising which will be
visible through the walls of the container. In addition, the liner
may be provided with normally obscured indicia to motivate a person
to voluntarily remove the used liner. The expendable liner includes
a molded adapter portion which may be integral with or separate
from the bag-shaped liner.
One object of this invention is to provide a means to insert a
liner that will conform with the inner contour of a container when
the lined container is filled with the required liquid or other
materials to be contained therein.
A further object of this invention is to provide a liner that will
be easily and readily removed from the container after the contents
of the container has been removed.
Another object of this invention is to provide a means to display
words or suitable pictures through a transparent or semitransparent
container so as to provide suitable means for advertising.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a new means to
remove and dislodge an inner lining from the container when the
liner has served its purpose.
Still a further object of this invention is to provide a means for
motivating a person to remove the used liner from the
container.
Other objects will be apparent from the description which follows
and from the drawings in which
FIG. 1 is a view showing one form of liner in place in a
bottle-type container, after the container has been filled;
FIG. 2 is a plan view of the container of FIG. 1, after a closure
has been applied to the container;
FIG. 3 is a view in section through the neck portion of the
container during the filling of the container;
FIG. 4 is a view partly in section, taken on plane 4--4 of FIG.
3;
FIG. 5 is a fragmentary section of FIG. 1, after the container has
been filled and capped;
FIG. 6 is a section taken on plane 6--6 of FIG. 5, showing a
further detail of the liner;
FIG. 7 is a fragmentary section showing the adapter in greater
detail and another embodiment of closure;
FIG. 8 is a plan view of one part of the closure in FIG. 7;
FIG. 9 is a plan view in section of the closure of FIG. 7 taken on
plane 9--9;
FIG. 10 is an enlarged view, partly in section, showing one form of
adapter in greater detail;
FIG. 11 is a view partly in section showing the invention applied
to a container with a threaded neck;
FIGS. 12, 13 and 14 are plan views showing other neck
configurations;
FIG. 15 is a view, partially in section, showing another form of
liner in place in a bottle-type container further showing a means
to facilitate removal of the liner from the container;
FIG. 16 is a fragmentary section of a container liner similar to
that of FIG. 15, showing certain details of a modified form of the
means for facilitating removal of the liner from the container;
FIG. 17 is a side elevational view, partially in section, of the
container of FIG. 15 as viewed from the right-hand side thereof in
FIG. 15, showing an exemplary means for motivating a person to
remove the used liner; and
FIG. 18 is a side elevational view, partially in section, of the
container of FIG. 17, showing another means for motivating a person
to remove the used liner.
As shown in FIG. 1, the device of the present invention is intended
to be utilized as a sanitary liner for a container 10 which may be
of any desired configuration, a square container being shown in the
drawings for purposes of illustration. It will be readily apparent
that the container may be rectangular, or of other polygonal shape,
or round, oval or any other shape, e.g. as shown in FIGS. 12, 13
and 14. In FIG. 13, it will be seen that the neck 18' is provided
with instructions for removal of the used liner provided with an
elongated member 201. However, although not shown, it will be
appreciated that such instructions could be provided elsewhere,
such as on the upper annular surface of the adapter 30.
Container 10 is of conventional construction and may be of glass,
paper, cardboard, or synthetic polymer, or any other material. As
shown in FIG. 1, container 10 is preferably of glass or other
transparent or translucent material whereby the contents of
container 10 may be viewed through at least one front wall 14 of
the container 10.
In addition to a flat base or bottom portion 16, container 10 has
vertical sidewalls 12 which converge to from a preferably round
neck 18 through which the liner 20, to be used to provide a
disposable sanitary liner for container 10, may be inserted.
Disposable liner 20 comprises a flexible bag, which may be provided
with ribs 22 extending from the bottom of liner 20 to a filling
opening or neck 24 provided with a peripheral bead 26. Ribs 22 may
be provided to give liner 20 additional support when it is expanded
and serve to keep the liner firmly pressed against the container as
the contents of the container are poured from the same.
Liner 20 is composed of material on which advertising messages may
be printed or otherwise affixed. Since at least a portion of
container 10 is transparent or semitransparent, the printed message
or other display is readily seen by the consumer. In this way, as
liners are changed, a single container can be utilized to advertise
a variety of contents and sources of materials.
The disposable liner 20 is held in place by the material therein
when it has been filled, and if provided, ribs 22, although primary
support is provided by an adapter 30 which is insertable into neck
18 of container 10. The liner and adapter may be molded as an
integral unit or they may be two separate elements joined together
by any suitable fastening means, including an adhesive. Adapter 30
is shaped to conform to the internal configuration of the neck of
container 10. Adapter 30 has a central bore 32 extending axially
between a top 34 and bottom 36. Top 34 has a neck-closing portion
38 conforming to the interior of neck 18 so that when adapter 30 is
inserted into neck 18 to such an extent that the upper portion of
the adapter is received in neck 18, it is seated in said neck and
seals against the neck, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, or the adapter
may be provided with a flange 39 adapted to rest on the upper
surface of the neck 18 of the container, as shown in FIG. 10. The
adapter may be provided with threads so that it can be screwed into
the neck of the container, as shown in FIG. 11. A recess 42 in the
upper surface of adapter 30 is provided to receive a flat disc
closure 50, provided with a pull tab 52, as best seen in FIG.
5.
As best seen in FIGS. 7, 8 and 9, the closure disc 50 which may
bear a printed legend or advertisement may be covered with a second
disc 54 which may be either transparent or opaque and which may
also have printing or other marking on its surface.
The adapter may be tapered, as in FIGS. 7 and 10, in which the
taper is shown in exaggerated form, to facilitate insertion of the
adapter into the neck 18 of the container 10.
The tapered outer wall of adapter 30 is preferably serrated or
provided with grooves 44 which extend from the neck-closing portion
38 of the adapter downwardly substantially to a peripheral bead 46
which extends outwardly along the lowermost part of adapter 30.
Grooves or serrations 44 act as air vents allowing the air between
liner 20 and container 10 to escape during the filling process, as
illustrated schematically in FIG. 3. The same grooves may be
utilized to permit air, water or other gaseous or liquid fluid to
be forced between liner 20 and container 10 for the purpose of
collapsing the liner after the contents have been emptied from the
container, so that the adapter and the liner may be withdrawn from
the container 10.
As shown in FIGS. 15, 16 and 17, the invention also contemplates a
modified form of liner 200 of generally the same construction as
the liner 20 and including a means to facilitate removal of the
liner 200 from the container 100. The aforestated means may
comprise a flexible cord, tape, ribbon, etc., 201 having one end
203 fixed, as by fusion bonding, adhesive, etc., to the liner 200.
The other end 205 of the flexible member 201 projects outwardly of
the container 100.
As shown in FIG. 16, the flexible member 201 can be removably
secured to the adapter 300 to insure that the member 201 does not
inadvertently drop down into the container 100 during placement of
the liner 200 therein. Aside from the aforestated point or points
of attachment, the member 201 is not attached to the liner 200.
It is believed that the manner in which the liner is utilized will
be apparent from the foregoing description, but the following
description will serve to further explain a preferred mode of
utilization.
Liner 20, in collapsed (undistended) form, is inserted into the
neck of container 10 with the open end 40 of the liner held near
the upper portion of the container. Adapter 30 may be integral with
flexible liner 20 in which case it is only partially inserted into
neck 18 so that air-venting grooves 44 freely communicate with the
atmosphere, so that air between the liner and the container escapes
as the container is being filled and the lines expanded to conform
to the inner wall of the container 10.
When the container has been filled to the desired extent, adapter
30 is pressed into neck 18 so that the neck-engaging uppermost
portion of the adapter is seated in neck 18 and access of grooves
44 to the atmosphere is closed.
The same procedure is followed when adapter 30 and liner 20 are
separate elements, except that the bead 26 at the open end of liner
20 must be hooked over ring 46 at the bottom of adapter 30 before
the adapter is drawn up to the filling position shown in broken
lines in FIG. 1 and in FIG. 3.
In both instances, the adapter is pushed into sealing engagement
with the neck 18 after filling and then covered with cap 50.
After the contents of container 10 have been dispensed and before
the container is refilled, it is intended that adapter 30 be pulled
outward from the neck, after which fluid can be forced into grooves
44 to collapse liner 20 and permit its withdrawal from container
10. Alternatively, as shown in phantom lines in FIG. 15, the used
liner 200 can be withdrawn from the container 100 by pulling on the
outwardly disposed end 205 of the flexible member 201 thereby
peeling the bottom of the liner upwards which consequently first
takes with it the side of the liner 200 adjacent the member 201 and
then the other side of the liner 200.
Removal of the liner 200 in this manner by utilization of the
member 201 is continued until the bottom end of the liner 200 is
withdrawn outwardly between the adapter 300 and the neck of the
container 100 whereby the bottom of the liner can be grasped to
complete the removal of the liner 200 and adapter 300. By removing
the liner 200 and adapter 300 in this manner, any small amount of
residue in the liner is retained.
As shown in FIG. 17, indicia, as indicated at 207, can be provided
on the liner 200, in underlying relation to the member 201, so as
to normally be obscured thereby. It will thus be appreciated that
in the embodiment shown in FIG. 17 the member 201 is generally
opaque. Thus, the provision of the indicia 207 comprises a means of
motivating a person to remove the used liner 200 from the container
100, inasmuch as the indicia 207 will not normally become visible
until the liner 200 is substantially withdrawn from the container
100. More particularly, the portion of the liner bearing the
indicia 207 may be redeemable by the bearer for a prize.
As shown in FIG. 18, another means for motivating a person to
remove the used liner can be provided by indicia, as indicated at
207' on the liner 200 in underlying relation to an opaque overprint
207" so as to normally be obscured thereby. The opaque overprint
207" is of such a nature that it can be rubbed off to reveal the
indicia 207', as seen in FIG. 18, wherein the phantom lines show
the extent of the overprint 207" prior to a portion thereof being
rubbed off. The indicia 207' and overprint 207" need not be in
underlying relation to the member 201.
It will be apparent that the configuration of the adapter may be
varied without departing from the scope of the invention provided
that the grooves 44 are enabled to function in the manner
indicated. For example, a flange or lip may be provided at the
upper end of neck-engaging ring 38, to abut the top of container 10
and insure a more positive seal against the container when the
adapter is pushed into the neck of the container after the
container has been filled to the desired extent.
One or the other, or both caps 50 and 54 may be provided with
advertising material or with information identifying the contents
of container 10, or instructions concerning the use of the contents
of the container.
The taper of adapter 30 should be such that the adapter is held in
place by a force fit when pushed into the neck 18 of the container
10, e.g. at the completion of filling the container (compare FIGS.
3 and 5), unless it is one which screws into place, as in FIG.
11.
Having now described the invention, it is not intended that it be
limited, except as may be required by the appended claims.
* * * * *