U.S. patent number 3,721,371 [Application Number 05/084,445] was granted by the patent office on 1973-03-20 for a dispensing container.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Aluminium Suisse S.A.. Invention is credited to Gilbert Dolveck.
United States Patent |
3,721,371 |
Dolveck |
March 20, 1973 |
A DISPENSING CONTAINER
Abstract
A dispensing container includes a cylindrical hollow body
containing therein a deformable member separating a product to be
dispensed from a propellant gas. When an outlet in the hollow body
is opened, the deformable member is deformed by the gas and forces
the product to be discharged through the outlet. A tubular side
wall of the deformable member has a plurality of fold lines forming
an array of alternately disposed trapeziums which define cavities
in staggered formation whereby deformable member is expansible or
contractable in a concertina fashion.
Inventors: |
Dolveck; Gilbert (Barthelemy de
Beaurepaire, FR) |
Assignee: |
Aluminium Suisse S.A. (Chippis,
CH)
|
Family
ID: |
4414318 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/084,445 |
Filed: |
October 27, 1970 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
|
|
|
|
|
Oct 29, 1969 [CH] |
|
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16082/69 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
222/386.5; 92/34;
220/723 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D
83/62 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65D
83/14 (20060101); B65d 023/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;222/94,92,95,105,107,183,206,215,386.5 ;220/85B ;150/.5 ;92/34,46
;138/30,121,178 ;267/122,123 ;84/375,376 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Coleman; Samuel F.
Assistant Examiner: Scherbel; David A.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A dispensing container for dispensing a product comprising: a
hollow body having an outlet; means for controlling the opening and
closing of the outlet; and a deformable member in the hollow body
separating a product to be dispensed from the container and
contained in a space between the inner surface of the hollow body
and one side of the deformable member from a pressurized propellant
gas contained in a space between the inner surface of the hollow
body and an opposite side of the deformable member, the deformable
member having a tubular side wall in which are arranged a plurality
of endless peripheral lines each composed of a plurality of
alternately disposed alike rectilinear first fold lines and alike
rectilinear second fold lines, said first fold lines being longer
than said second fold lines and the first and second fold lines of
each peripheral line being symmetrically staggered in relation to
those of the adjacent peripheral lines, each point between adjacent
first and second fold lines of one peripheral line being joined to
a complementary point between adjacent first and second fold lines
of each adjacent peripheral line by a rectilinear third fold line
whereby the first fold lines of each peripheral line and the second
fold lines of the adjacent peripheral lines form with said third
fold lines an array of alternately disposed trapeziums, said wall
being folded about said first fold lines with said first fold lines
disposed innermost and about said second and third fold lines with
said second and third fold lines disposed outermost so that said
deformable member is deformable in a generally axial direction of
said tubular side wall by an accordion-like folding about said fold
lines; whereby opening of the outlet permits the propellant gas to
expand and to deform the deformable member which forces the product
to discharge through the outlet.
2. A container according to claim 1, wherein the hollow body is
generally cylindrical and the member is deformable along the length
of the hollow body.
3. A container according to claim 1, wherein said deformable member
is made of metal.
4. A dispensing container for dispensing a product comprising: a
hollow cylindrical body having an outlet at one end and a base at
the opposite end closing the body at said opposite end; means for
controlling the opening and closing of the outlet; a hollow
expansible member in the hollow body separating a product to be
dispensed from the container and contained in a space between said
one end of the hollow body and the expansible member from a
pressurized propellant gas contained in a space between the base of
the hollow body and the expansible member, the expansible member
having a tubular side wall in which are arranged a plurality of
endless peripheral lines each composed of a plurality of
alternately disposed alike rectilinear first fold lines and alike
rectilinear second fold lines, said first fold lines being longer
than said second fold lines and the first and second fold lines of
each peripheral line being symmetrically staggered in relation to
those of the adjacent peripheral lines, each point between adjacent
first and second fold lines of one peripheral line being joined to
a complementary point between adjacent first and second fold lines
of each adjacent peripheral line by a rectilinear third fold line
whereby the first fold lines of each peripheral line and the second
fold lines of the adjacent peripheral lines form with said third
fold lines an array of alternately disposed trapeziums, said wall
being folded about said first fold lines with said first fold lines
disposed innermost and about said second and third fold lines with
said second and third fold lines disposed outermost so that said
hollow member is expansible in a generally axial direction of said
tubular side wall by an accordion-like folding about said fold
lines; and means for anchoring one end of said side wall to the
base of the hollow body; whereby opening up the outlet permits the
propellant gas to enter into the interior of the hollow member to
expand the hollow member which thereby forces the product to
discharge through the outlet.
5. A dispensing container for dispensing a product comprising: a
hollow cylindrical body having an outlet at one end and a base at
the opposite end closing the body at said opposed end; means for
controlling the opening and closing of the outlet; a hollow
contractable member in the hollow body separating a product to be
dispensed from the container and contained in a space between said
one end of the hollow body and the contractable member from a
pressurized propellant gas contained in a space between the base of
the hollow body and the contractable member, the contractable
member having a tubular side wall in which are arranged a plurality
of endless peripheral lines each composed of a plurality of
alternately disposed alike rectilinear first fold lines and alike
rectilinear second fold lines, said first fold lines being longer
than said second fold lines and the first and second fold lines of
each peripheral line being symmetrically staggered in relation to
those of the adjacent peripheral lines, each point between adjacent
first and second fold lines of one peripheral line being joined to
a complementary point between adjacent first and second fold lines
of each adjacent peripheral line by a rectilinear third fold line
whereby the first fold lines of each peripheral line and the second
fold lines of the adjacent peripheral lines form with said third
fold lines an array of alternately disposed trapeziums, said wall
being folded about said first fold lines with said first fold lines
disposed innermost and about said second and third fold lines with
said second and third fold lines disposed outermost so that said
hollow member is contractable in a generally axial direction of
said tubular side wall by an accordion-like folding about said fold
lines; and means for anchoring one end of said side wall to said
one end of the hollow body; whereby opening of the outlet permits
the propellant gas to contract the hollow member which thereby
forces the produce to discharge through the outlet.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to dispensing containers, and in
particular, dispensing containers in which the product initially
received in the containers is discharged from the containers by the
action of a propellant gas.
Dispensing containers are already known in which a propellant gas
exerts pressure on a piston, slidable in the container, for
discharging the product in the container. The main drawback of
these known containers is that the propellant gas often escapes
between the piston and the cylinder, and as well as just escaping,
can contaminate the product.
This drawback has caused means to be employed which provides a
partition between the product to be dispensed and the propellant
gas. The partition is generally a member hermetically sealed to the
wall of the container or the base of the container, the member
being capable of distortion, being made of plastic or metallic
material.
When the member is made of natural rubber or synthetic material,
the fluid tightness of the member is not satisfactory. When the
member is metallic, it is necessary that its distortion can be
ensured by a form of pleating allowing the sides to expand or
contact in concertina fashion. When the pleating is made in the
usual way, as by moulding, work hardening of the metal during
moulding and forming cannot be avoided and can cause the metal to
crack. On the other hand, during folding, the smaller moulded
diameters must still decrease, leading therefore to a restraint of
metal on that circumference, while the longer diameters must
increase. The metal is thus more solicited in that case than in a
real folding.
In the case of a pre-folding by single compression, the pleats
appear in a random way and the regions where cracks can appear are
difficult to localize.
AIMS OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is the provision of a dispensing
container of the type in which the product received in the
container is discharged from the container by the action of a
propellant gas, which container has a member separating the product
from the propellant gas, which member can be simply made, and
operates by expansion or contraction in concertina fashion.
According to the present invention, a container comprises a hollow
outer body, a deformable member in the hollow outer body, the
deformable member separating a product from a propellant gas which,
when an outlet in the hollow body is opened, causes the deformable
member to deform and force the product to discharge through the
outlet, the deformable member having a plurality of pleats or fold
lines forming an array of alternately disposed trapeziums which
define cavities arranged in zig-zag or staggered formation in a
side wall of the member.
Preferably, the deformable member is attached to the base of the
hollow body and is expanded in concertina fashion by expansion of
the propellant gas between the base and the member, the expansion
of the propellant gas causing the expansion of the member towards
the outlet.
Alternatively, the deformable member is attached to the hollow body
adjacent the outlet, and is contracted in concertina fashion by
expansion of the propellant gas between the base and the member,
the expansion of the propellant gas causing the contraction of the
member towards the outlet.
DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES OF THE DRAWINGS
Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of
example, reference being made to the Figures of the accompanying
schematic drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a container in which a metallic
hollow member containing a propellant gas is received, the hollow
member being in a contracted position, that is, the container is
loaded with a product;
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 1, except that
hollow member is shown expanded, that is, when all the product is
discharged from the container; and
FIG. 3 is a cross--sectional view of a container, in which a
metallic hollow member is in a contracted position when all the
product is discharged from the container.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a dispensing container comprises a
hollow cylindrical body 1 having a collar and a base 3. A
deformable metallic hollow member 2 is arranged for sliding
movement inside the cylindrical body 1. The member 2 is anchored to
the base 3 of the cylindrical body 1 by an inturned part 2a of the
base 3.
A propellant gas 5 is introduced into the space between the base 3
and the member 2 by a hole provided in the base 3 and closed by a
seal 6. Some of the gas enters the member 2.
A product 4 to be distributed is introduced into the space between
the inner surface of the body 1 and the face 2c of the member 2.
The product 4 is discharged through an outlet controlled by a valve
7.
The member 2, containing the propellant gas 5, expands little by
little during the distribution of the product 4, that is, when the
outlet is open.
Referring to FIG. 3, in another embodiment, the metallic hollow
member 2 is arranged for sliding movement inside a hollow
cylindrical body 1 and anchored to the cylindrical body 1 by a seam
9 engaging around an edge 2b of the member 2.
The propellant gas 5 is introduced in the space between the base 3
and the face 2c of the member 2 through an orifice provided in the
bottom 3 and closed by a seal 6.
The product 4 to be distributed is introduced into the interior of
the member 2 and is discharged through an outlet controlled by a
valve 7. The member 2, containing the product 4 to be distributed,
contracts little by little during the distribution of the product 4
that is, when the outlet is open.
The geometrical arrangement of the pleats on fold lines 8 on the
tubular side wall of the member 2 predetermines the type of
concertina-like deformation which the member 2 is caused to
take.
The member 2 of both embodiments has a flexible thin metallic wall
formed with fold lines 8 and 10.
As can be seen in FIG. 2, the fold lines making a relief in an
external direction are laid according to identical and adjacent
hexagons, or losanges, and the fold lines 10 which correspond to a
cavity in the inner surface of the wall extend along
circumferential directions, perpendicularly to the axis of the
member 2 but do not constitute continuous lines on a complete
circumference and are spaced with alternately disposed fold lines
8, constituting endless peripheral lines each form a polygon.
The arrangement of fold lines or pleats, in fact, in such that the
metal only submits to a constraint of pure flexion and only in the
regions of the fold lines. Under these conditions, the crushing
risk of metal during compression is very slight and exactly
localized. The lines of weakness of metal, which are therefore
reduced, are situated at right angles to and not along the
peripheral fold lines, and easy to be localized, and controlled. On
the other hand, the fabrication of an array of fold lines by two
wheels having complementary profiles acting on both sides of the
metallic wall of the member 2 enables production of the members,
with an array of fold lines identical from one member to another.
The behavior of such members, during use, that is to say during
their distortion, will therefore be identical.
* * * * *