U.S. patent number 3,672,122 [Application Number 05/056,364] was granted by the patent office on 1972-06-27 for bag holder and expander unit.
This patent grant is currently assigned to International Playtex Corporation. Invention is credited to Leonard Berger, William E. Fitzpatrick, James H. McGinley, Adolf Pfund, Ira G. Schwartzberg.
United States Patent |
3,672,122 |
Berger , et al. |
June 27, 1972 |
BAG HOLDER AND EXPANDER UNIT
Abstract
A bag expander is provided for mounting an open ended flexible
bag positioned thereon on to a hollow, reusable holder which
terminates in an annular edge. The expander has a base member and a
head member which are adapted to move axially with respect to each
other. A plurality of fingers are housed in the base member and
biased toward the head member such that the head member provides a
camming action on the fingers when axial movement takes place. A
bag is placed over the head member and ends of the fingers of the
expander, which is positioned on the holder and depressed, thereby
camming the fingers outwardly and thus folding the bag outwardly
and over the edge of the holder. Excursion limitation means are
provided to limit the relative movement between the head member and
base member of the expander to prevent the fingers from contacting
the bag at the edge of the holder during the bag seating operation
to prevent tearing of the bag, especially if the expander is
rotated during the seating operation. In a preferred embodiment the
excursion limitation means is comprised of a skirt extension of the
head member which is of a predetermined length and prevents further
movement when the skirt reaches the base member. The skirt is
preferably of such a configuration so as to perform the additional
function of supporting the fingers on their initial movement. An
improved base construction is provided having compartments which
seat the fingers for pivotal movement therein, as well as
preventing lateral movement of the fingers, which simplifies the
fabrication of the expander.
Inventors: |
Berger; Leonard (Ridgewood,
NJ), Fitzpatrick; William E. (Oakland, NJ), McGinley;
James H. (Smyrna, DE), Pfund; Adolf (Milford, NJ),
Schwartzberg; Ira G. (Dover, DE) |
Assignee: |
International Playtex
Corporation (New York, NY)
|
Family
ID: |
22003905 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/056,364 |
Filed: |
July 20, 1970 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
53/384.1;
493/100; 53/390 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65B
43/34 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65B
43/34 (20060101); B65B 43/26 (20060101); B31b
007/00 (); B65b 043/26 () |
Field of
Search: |
;53/175,384,381R,390
;93/36.01 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Condon; Theron E.
Assistant Examiner: Abrams; Neil
Claims
We claim:
1. In combination, a supporting holder and expander unit for
mounting the flexible open end of a container over the rigid open
end of the supporting holder, comprising:
a hollow supporting holder terminating in an open end having a
rigid annular edge;
a container formed of a material having a flexible open end, said
container adapted to be mounted in said holder with its open end
adapted to fit outwardly and over said annular edge;
an expander for mounting said container open end on said annular
edge, said expander including;
a base member, a head member, and a plurality of radially movable
fingers; said head member including a portion adapted to fit on
said annular edge,
guide means between said head member and said base member slideably
joining said head member and said base member for biased relative
axial movement of said members towards and away from each
other;
said plurality of radially movable fingers positioned between said
base member and the outer periphery of said head member;
said fingers including free ends adapted to accept the flexible
open end of said container;
means for biasing said fingers inwardly towards the periphery of
said head member whereby said head member acts as a camming surface
for said fingers during said relative axial movement between said
head member and said base member; and
excursion limitation means for limiting the extent of relative
axial movement between said base member and said head member
towards each other, said excursion limitation means operatively
limiting said extent of movement such that the free end portions of
said fingers are spaced away from the annular edge of said holder
and avoid contact with the underlying flexible material of the
container open end at the point of greatest inward axial
movement.
2. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said excursion
limitation means comprises an annular skirt of predetermined length
on said head member, the free end of said skirt normally spaced
apart from said base member, said free end of the skirt contacting
said base member at the extreme permissible excursion of said head
member towards said base member to limit the extent of axial
movement therebetween.
3. The combination as set forth in claim 1, wherein said head
member includes an annular skirt for supporting an appreciable
intermediate portion of said fingers during initial movement of the
fingers from a static condition.
4. The combination as set forth in claim 2, wherein said annular
skirt includes side walls for supporting an appreciable
intermediate portion of said fingers during initial movement of the
fingers from a static condition.
5. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said excursion
limitation means comprises a plurality of protrusions spaced
equidistant a predetermined height above the base and along the
inner surface of a plurality of said movable fingers for contacting
said head member and limiting the relative axial movement between
said base and said head member.
6. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said biasing means
between said base member and said head member includes a
compression spring and wherein said excursion limitation means
comprises said spring having a predetermined length under full
compression for limiting the extent of relative movement between
said head and base members.
7. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said fingers are
made of a thermosetting molded plastic material and have annular
ridges on the outer surfaces of said free end portions.
8. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said base member
has a plurality of upstanding side walls forming compartments which
seat said fingers therein, and wherein each of said fingers include
a base portion, said compartments having a shape which generally
conforms to the shape of the base portions of said fingers and said
side walls having sufficient height to minimize lateral movement of
said fingers in said base.
9. The combination set forth in claim 6 wherein projections are
provided in each of said compartments in said base member which act
as pivot points for said fingers.
10. An expander unit for receiving the flexible open end of a
container and mounting same outwardly and over the rigid annular
edge of a supporting holder comprising:
a base member, a head member and a plurality of radially movable
fingers,
guide means for operatively connecting said base member to said
head member in axially spaced relationship,
biasing means for normally maintaining the axial spacing between
said base and head members, with said members movable towards each
other against the force of said biasing means
said radially movable fingers having a seated end mounted in said
base member, and a free end biased against an outward surface of
said head member,
said head member outward surface configurated to cam said fingers
radially outward as said head member is moved towards said base
member,
said head further including an excursion limiting skirt of a
predetermined length extending towards said base member, said skirt
including a free end which is normally spaced apart from said base
member by a predetermined amount, said free end of the skirt
contacting said base member at the extreme permissible excursion of
said head member towards said base member to limit the extent of
axial movement therebetween to said predetermined amount.
11. An expander unit as set forth in claim 10 wherein said annular
skirt includes side walls for supporting an appreciable
intermediate portion of said fingers during initial movement of the
fingers from a static condition.
12. An expander unit as set forth in claim 10, wherein said base
member has a plurality of side walls forming compartments which
seat said fingers therein, said compartments having a shape which
generally conforms to the shape of the seated end of said fingers
and said side walls having sufficient height to minimize lateral
movement of said fingers in said base.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a bag holder and expander unit for
mounting a disposable bag in a reusable holder.
The present invention provides improvements over the structure
shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,900,779 granted Aug. 25, 1959 to T. R.
Baxter et al. and entitled "Tool for Opening and Expanding the
Mouth of a Flexible Receptacle." In the aforesaid patent, the open
end of a thin walled flexible plastic bag-like container is
positioned on an expander device and inserted in the open end of a
reusable rigid holder whose opening terminates in an annular edge
to form the top edge of the bottle holder. The expander functions
when in operative contact with the bag and holder to expand the
open end of the bag outwardly and over the edge of the holder,
thereby attaching the bag to the holder for subsequent filling and
use. When used as a nurser unit, a nipple fits over the bag and top
edge of the bottle holder, for example as shown and described in
U.S. Pat. No. 3,075,666. The expander was characterized by having a
base member housing a plurality of radial pivoting fingers and a
head member mounted thereon in a manner to provide relative axial
movement between the head and base members. The fingers were biased
inward on the head member and axial movement between the head and
base member caused the free ends of the fingers to be cammed
outward by the head member. Thus, with the bag placed over the head
member and the free ends of the radial pivoting fingers, with the
head of the expander positioned on the open end of the holder, on
depression, the fingers folded the bag outwardly and over the outer
edge of the holder and came to rest on the bag bearing against the
outer edge of the holder. The propensity of some users at this
point is to rotate the expander to make sure the bag is properly
seated. Although unnecessary, such rotation by the user caused the
outer portions of the fingers to grip and tear the bag along the
outer edge of the holder. Such a result is particularly undesirable
when the unit is used as a nurser since the formula could leak
out.
In the aforesaid expander, the fingers were positioned in the base
member on a plurality of upstanding molded pins which complicated
the molding of the base element as well as requiring openings in
the fingers to accommodate the pins. The above cited expander also
offered no support for the intermediate portion of the fingers on
their initial movement over the head surface, putting a substantial
stress on the fingers. The fingers had to be made of a very strong
material (e.g., steel), which in practice was difficult to
fabricate.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an
improved bag holder and expander unit which overcomes the aforesaid
problems.
A further object of this invention is to provide an improved bag
holder and expander unit which is easier to fabricate and less
likely to inflict damage on the bag during installation.
Another object of this invention, in one illustrative embodiment
thereof, is to provide an improved expander construction which
supports the initial excursion of the fingers to remove undue
stress thereon, and permits their manufacture from a more easily
fabricated material.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In carrying out this invention in one illustrative embodiment
thereof, an expander device is provided having a base member and a
head member which are mounted to move axially with respect to each
other. The base member carries a plurality of fingers which are
biased toward the head member which provides the camming action on
the fingers on relative axial movement between the head and the
base members. Excursion limitation means are provided which
predeterminedly limits the relative movement between the head and
the base members, thereby preventing the fingers from contacting
the upper outer edge of the holder on which the thin walled plastic
bag has been interposed during the bag seating operation. If the
expander is then inadvertently rotated in the bag seating
operation, the fingers are prevented from contacting a bag along
the outer edge of the holder, thus preventing the gripping of the
bag by the fingers and the tearing which may result therefrom. In a
preferred embodiment, an annular skirt of predetermined length
depends from the head member for limiting the movement between the
head member and the base member when the skirt contacts the base
member. The annular skirt preferably also provides the additional
function of supporting the fingers on an intermediate area thereof
during their initial movement along the head against static
friction. The base member is provided with side walls of sufficient
height to form compartments for seating the fingers in the base for
pivotal movement therein. The compartments are shaped to conform to
the shape of the base of the fingers which are seated therein to
prevent lateral movement of the fingers in the compartments.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the bag holder, bag, and
expander device embodied in this invention.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 1 which illustrates the
bag holder and bag positioned on the expander during the initial
step of inserting the bag on the holder.
FIG. 2a is a partial cross-sectional view of FIG. 2 showing a
finger in contact with the annular skirt of the expander during the
initial movement in the expander.
FIG. 3 is the cross-sectional view shown in FIG. 2 with the
expander fully depressed, showing the bag being fully mounted on
the holder.
FIG. 4 is a top view of the base of the expander device.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a pivotal finger utilized in the
expanders of FIGS. 2 and 3.
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 6--6 of FIG.
3.
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the holder and expander unit
similar to FIG. 3 showing another embodiment of an excursion
limitation means.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a pivotal finger utilized in the
embodiment shown in FIG. 7.
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the bag holder and expander
unit showing another embodiment of an excursion limitation
means.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
In the following descriptions the bag holder and expander unit
embodied in this invention may at times be described in connection
with its use as part of a nursing unit, but it will be understood
that the invention may be utilized in any application requiring a
flexible bag to be mounted over the rigid end of a bag holder. In
the following description, like elements will be identified by the
same reference numerals.
Turning now to FIG. 1, the bag holder and expander unit are shown
in perspective, comprising the three principal components, which
are a receptacle or bag holder 10, a flexible bag 16, and an
expander device 20. The bag holder 10 is generally cylindrical and
hollow, and terminates at its open end in an annular edge 14. An
annular flange 12 is provided to accommodate the mounting of a
nipple thereon for a nurser bottle of the type shown and described
in U.S. Pat. No. 3,075,666. Of course the flexible bag 16, being
mounted in the open end of the holder 10, is also positioned over
the annular flange 12, but it will be appreciated that, although
the invention is described in connection with the use of an annular
flange, that it is not necessary, and that the flexible bag would
be capable of being mounted over the open end of other types of
holders which have an end surface on which the bag may be mounted.
Flexible bag 16 is a thin walled disposable bag having an open end
18 formed by the edge 17 which is expanded and mounted on the
annular edge 14 of the holder 10.
The expander 20, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, includes a base 22, a
head member 40 having a conical nose 45, and radially pivotal
fingers 60 which are seated in the base 22 and ride on the head
member 40. The aforesaid parts are preferably of molded plastic,
and preferably of the thermosetting variety for use in a nurser
unit so that it may withstand boiling water temperatures for
sterilization. The base 22 of the expander, as shown in FIG. 4, has
a central post 24 with an opening 23 therein, and is separated into
pie-shaped compartments 25 by upstanding side walls 26. These
pie-shaped compartments have sufficient depth and a shape which
conforms generally to the shape of the bases of the fingers 60,
such that when the fingers 60 are seated therein, minimum lateral
movement of the fingers takes place. Each compartment 25 is
provided with projections 28 which act as pivot points for the
fingers 60. As will be seen in FIG. 2, the opening 23 of the
central post 24 has a guide pin retainer means 29 firmly mounted
therein. A guide pin 30 is mounted in the guide pin retainer means
29 by threading or another suitable means. The guide pin 30 extends
through a channel 42 in the head member 40, and has a pinhead 32
thereon for retaining the head member 40 on the guide pin 30. The
guide pin 30 carries a spring 34 which in its extended position
biases the head member 40 against the guide pinhead 32. The spring
34 is separated from the base member 22 by a bellville spring 35
which is also mounted on the guide pin 30 below the spring 34. The
bellville spring 35 rests on projections 61 of the fingers 60,
thereby transmitting the force of spring 34 to bias the fingers 60
inward toward the head member 40. As will best be seen in FIG. 6,
the head member 40 is hollow, but is provided with reinforcing
quadrature ribs 44.
The head member 40, as seen in FIG. 2, has a conical nose 45 which
terminates at its vertex in an opening of a shape to accommodate
the pinhead 32 which retains the head member 40 on the guide pin
30. The conical nose 45 terminates at its base end in an annular
surface 46. The annular surface 46 has a diameter slightly less
than the opening of the bag holder 10. The annular surface 46 forms
a shoulder 47 with a first annular ridge 48 near the base of the
conical nose 45. The annular shoulder 47 is adapted to rest on the
annular edge 14 of the bag holder 10 when the expander 20 is
positioned on the holder 10 for performing the bag seating
operation. The first annular ridge 48 is separated by neck portion
50 from a second annular ridge 52, and the head member 40
terminates in an annular skirt 54. The annular skirt 54 is of
predetermined length with a free end 55 and provides support for
the fingers in their initial movement, as will be more fully
described hereinafter.
The radially pivotal fingers 60, as best shown in FIG. 5, have a
base 62 with a configuration which conforms to the shape of the
pie-shaped compartments 25 in which they are seated with a minimum
of lateral play to prevent any lateral shifting or lateral movement
therein. Prior expander structures, as disclosed in the U.S. Pat.
No. 2,900,779 required molded pins which fit through openings in
the base for positioning and seating the fingers on the base. The
necessity for such pins complicated the molding of the base member.
The side walls 26 of the compartments 25 have sufficient height to
retain the bases 62 of the fingers 60 in the base member without
the need for additional molded parts, which simplifies the
fabrication of the base member.
Projections 61 on the ends of the base of the fingers 60 engage the
bellville spring 35 which holds the fingers 60 in their
compartments 25 by the force transmitted from the spring 34 against
the bellville spring 35. This force also biases the fingers about
pivot projections 28 inward toward the head member 40. The base
members 62 of the fingers 60 meet with an upright body portion 63
to form a pivot surface 65, forming a generally V-shaped
configuration which sits on the base pivot projection 28.
Reinforcing triangular shaped ribs 64 are provided to add rigidity
to the fingers 60. The free end portion of the fingers 60 have an
intermediate surface 67, a groove 66, and an end portion 68 which
are shaped generally to conform to the contour of the annular skirt
54, the second annular ridge 52, and the neck portion 50 of the
head member 40 respectively.
With this configuration and the expander in its static, or extended
position, as shown in FIG. 2, the fingers 60 are positioned with
their free ends 68 resting on the neck portion 50 of the head 40.
The groove 66 overlies the second annular ridge 52 with the
intermediate surface 67 of the finger contacting the skirt 54 below
the annular ridge 52. On the initial depression of the expander, as
shown in FIG. 2a, support for an appreciable portion of the
intermediate surface 67 of the fingers is provided by the annular
skirt 54, while the initial static friction is being overcome, to
prevent any appreciable stress from being applied to the fingers
which ride over the camming surface provided by the annular ridge
52. The free ends 68 of the fingers 60 are also provided with a
plurality of ridges 69 which perform a bag-gripping function during
the seating operation.
In performing the bag seating and mounting operation, the open end
18 of the flexible bag 16 is positioned with its outer edges 17
extending over the conical nose 45, the first annular ridge 48, and
the ridges 69 on the free ends 68 of the fingers 60, as shown in
FIG. 2. The annular edge 14 of the bag holder 10 rests on the
annular shoulder 47 of the head member 40.
As is illustrated in the drawings, the holder 10, bag 16, and
expander 20 are inverted to provide a horizontal surface for the
base 22 of the expander 20, but it will be understood that the
reverse, or right-side-up configuration can be utilized if it is
more convenient for the user. As initial downward pressure is
applied to the bag holder, as was pointed out with respect to FIG.
2a, the annular skirt 54 contacts the intermediate portion 67 of
the fingers 60 to provide support while the static friction of the
expander is being overcome. On full depression, as will be seen in
FIG. 3, the head member 40 has slide down the guide pin 30,
compressing the spring 34. At the same time radial fingers 60 are
pivoted radially outward by the camming action of the second
annular ridge surface 52 on the head member 40. The fingers 60 are
pivoted about surface 65 on the projections 28 in the base 22, with
the projections 61 of the fingers bearing on the under side of the
bellvile spring 35, slightly forcing the spring 34 upward by still
retaining the fingers in their compartments 25. As the fingers are
forced outward, the bag edge 17 is expanded and forced outwardly
and over the annular edge 14 of the bag holder 10. In the prior art
expander, complete depression of the expander allowed the free end
portions 68 of the fingers 60 to contact the bag 16 along the
annular edge 14 of the holder 10. It was found that after a user
had reached this point, there was a propensity to rotate the
expander to make sure that the bag was firmly seated, although this
procedure was in fact unnecessary and undesirable because of the
tendency of the fingers to grip and tear the bag along the edge 14
of the holder 10. In accordance with the present invention, this
undesirable contacting of the bag along edge 14 is prevented by the
annular skirt 54. The length of the annular skirt 54 is of a
predetermined amount to closely control the extent of the relative
movement between the head member 40 and the base 22. The free end
55 of the skirt 54 coming into contact with the compartment sides
26 of the base 22 governs the extent of movement between the head
member 40 and the base 22, and accordingly the relative movement of
the fingers 60 with respect to the holder 10 so that they are now
allowed to contact the bag 16 on the annular edge 14 of the holder
10. That is, the skirt acts as a camming stroke stop providing
selective orientation between the fingers 60 and the head 40. Note
on FIG. 3 the distance marked "x" between bag 16 overlying the
annular edge 14 of the holder 10 and the base of the groove 66 on
the fingers. It should be pointed out that the bag edge 17 is
expanded on the outward pivotal movement of the fingers as the
fingers are moved over the camming surface formed by the second
annular ridge 52 of the head member, and then moved inwardly by the
bias provided by the spring 34 through the bellville spring 35.
This inward excursion releases the expanded bag and folds it over
the annular flange 12 of the holder 10. The contraction of the bag
holds it firmly lapped over the flange 12 of the holder 10. As has
been pointed out previously herein, once the expander has been
fully depressed, the tendency on the part of the user to rotate the
expander on the holder 10 no longer allows the fingers 60 to grip
and tear the bag along the outer edge 14 of the holder 10, as was
the case in the prior art where the extent of the excursion of the
fingers was not so limited.
FIGS. 7 and 8 show another embodiment of the excursion limitation
means. In this embodiment the fingers 60 are provided with
protrusions 72 on an intermediate portion 67 of the body 63 of the
fingers 60. The protrusions 72 are spaced a predetermined distance
below the bottom ridge 52 of the head member to limit the relative
movement between the head member 40 and the base 22 by the head
member contacting the protrusions 72. That is, the second annular
ridge 52 of the head member 40 on its downward excursion contacts
the protrusions 72 on the fingers 60 to define the extent of
movement between the head member 40 and the base 22. As in the case
of the embodiment of FIG. 3, it will be noted that the fingers do
not contact the annular edge 14 along the area previously noted
with an "x" with the bag mounted thereon to thus prevent tearing of
the bag, which may result from such contact and rotation of the
expander. Although the embodiment of FIG. 7 is illustrated without
an annular skirt as shown in FIG. 3, it should be appreciated that
a shorter annular skirt could be provided as part of the head 40 to
provide the support function for the fingers in their initial
movement along the head 40.
FIG. 9 shows another embodiment in which the stopping action is
provided by a preselected spring 70 which in total compression has
a predetermined length which serves to limit the extent of the
movement of the head member 40 toward the base 20 so as to prevent
the end portions 68 of the fingers 60 from contacting a bag which
is mounted over the upper edge 14 of the holder 10. Hence, the
predetermined compression length of spring 70 serves as the
excursion limiting means to present bag tearing, as in the case of
the previous two embodiments.
The bag holder and mounting unit as described above avoids the
problem of damage to the bag during the seating operation,
especially if the expander is inadvertently rotated during that
procedure. This reliability is particularly important to the type
of non-skilled user who is encountered when the bag holder and
expander unit are utilized as a nurser unit. Further, the
all-plastic construction of the fingers in addition to the base,
and movable member, as well as the simplified molding of the base
member and improved seating of the fingers in the base member, has
reduced the expense of the expander device while increasing its
reliability and improving its performance.
Since other modifications, varied to fit particular operating
requirements and other environments will be apparent to those
skilled in the art, this invention is not considered limited to the
examples chosen for purposes of disclosure, and covers all changes
and modifications which do not constitute departures from the true
spirit and scope of this invention.
* * * * *