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.

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.

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.

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.