U.S. patent number 3,870,186 [Application Number 05/333,780] was granted by the patent office on 1975-03-11 for container construction for mascara and like substances.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Gebruder Seidel KG. Invention is credited to Willy Reinhard.
United States Patent |
3,870,186 |
Reinhard |
March 11, 1975 |
CONTAINER CONSTRUCTION FOR MASCARA AND LIKE SUBSTANCES
Abstract
This invention contemplates a liquid-sealing assembly of a
liquid-dispensing fitting to the open tubular end of a container
body, and featuring ease of automated assembly, as well as
effectiveness of the seal, even when the fitting is a threaded part
which is necessarily subjected to reaction torque with respect to
the container body, for each opening and closing of the container.
A relatively soft yieldable bushing is radially compressed to
permanently retain and seal the assembly, and the proportions of
fitted parts are such that seal-effectiveness and appearance cannot
be impaired in the course of automated assembly.
Inventors: |
Reinhard; Willy (Buergeln,
DT) |
Assignee: |
Gebruder Seidel KG (Marburg,
DT)
|
Family
ID: |
23304229 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/333,780 |
Filed: |
February 20, 1973 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/212; 132/218;
215/228; 401/118; 401/129; 277/637; 206/361; 285/345; 401/122 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A45D
34/046 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A45D
34/04 (20060101); A46b 011/00 (); A45d 044/18 ();
F16l 021/04 () |
Field of
Search: |
;206/361,15.2
;215/73,48,52,80 ;401/118-130,225,226 ;285/230,231,345,346
;220/42B,24.5 ;132/85,53,73 ;277/DIG.2 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
610,629 |
|
Oct 1960 |
|
IT |
|
1,532,385 |
|
Jan 1970 |
|
DT |
|
Primary Examiner: Price; William I.
Assistant Examiner: Shoap; Allan N.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Sandoe, Hopgood & Calimafde
Claims
I claim:
1. In a container for liquid cosmetic or the like substance, a body
having a tubular open end, a flanged cylindrical tubular bushing of
relatively yieldable material received in said open end to an
extent axially limited by the flanged portion of said bushing, and
a flanged relatively stiff dispensing fitting including an upwardly
extending threaded neck with an internal passage open at both axial
ends, said fitting having a tubular sleeve received in said bushing
to an extent axially limited by the flanged portion of said
fitting, said bushing having an unstressed external cylindrical
diameter less than the bore diameter of the tubular open end in
which it is received, whereby bushing sub-assembly to said body is
essentially frictionless, and said sleeve having an external
cylindrical diameter greater than the unstressed bore diameter of
said bushing and being chamfered at the lower end, whereby assembly
of said fitting to the sub-assembled bushing and body is a
force-fit in which said bushing is radially expanded, the extent of
sleeve-to-bushing interference being such in relation to the
unstressed clearance of the subassembled parts that said bushing is
radially compressionally loaded in circumferentially continuous
engagement with the body bore upon assembly of said fitting.
2. The container of claim 1, in which said body is of metal.
3. The container of claim 2, in which said body is of anodized
aluminum.
4. The container of claim 1, in which said bushing is of
elastomeric material.
5. The container of claim 1, in which said fitting is of
injection-molded plastic.
6. The container of claim 1, in which the flanged portions of said
bushing and fitting are circumferentially continuous, the bushing
flange being larger than the fitting flange, and the bushing bore
having a counterbore of size substantially fully accommodating said
fitting flange.
7. The container of claim 1, in which said fitting includes an
integral secondary sleeve portion concentric within and radially
spaced from said sleeve, said secondary sleeve portion
communicating with said passage and having a radially inward wiper
lip at its lower end.
8. The container of claim 7, in which said secondary sleeve portion
is located only in the region beneath the axial location of the
flanged portion of said fitting.
9. The container of claim 1, in which the bushing bore is chamfered
at the end location of initial assembled engagement to the
chamfered end of said sleeve.
10. The container of claim 1, in which said bushing has a piloting
lower end of diameter reduced from said cylindrical diameter.
11. The container of claim 1, in which said sleeve has a piloting
lower end of diameter less than the unstressed bore diameter of
said bushing.
12. The container of claim 1, in which said passage is
longitudinally grooved.
13. The container of claim 12, in which plural angularly spaced
longitudinal grooves characterize a substantial fraction of the
length of said passage.
14. The container of claim 1, in which said bushing is axially
elongate and includes a closed bottom end wall, whereby the bushing
constitutes the reservoir for cosmetic or the like substance.
15. In a container of the character indicated, a body shell having
a tubular cylindrical open end, a relatively soft deformable
flanged tubular cylindrical bushing having a clampable length of
unstressed outer diameter which clears the bore diameter of said
open end with the flanged portion axially located by said open end,
the bore of said bushing being predominantly cylindrical within
said clampable length and flaring outwardly in a region of approach
to and extending within the flanged portion, and a relatively stiff
dispensing fitting including a cylindrical sleeve portion of
diameter exceeding the unstressed bore diameter of said bushing,
said fitting sleeve lining the bore of said bushing and
compressionally radially outwardly displacing bushing material into
compressionally loaded circumferentially continuous and axially
extensive contact with the bore of the open end of said body shell,
the cylindrical surface of said sleeve axially overlapping the
flared region of the bushing bore, whereby clamping stress is
relatively relieved at the axial-end region of said shell.
16. The container of claim 15, in which the clampable axial length
of said bushing exceeds the effective axial extent of said
cylindrical sleeve portion, whereby circumferentially continuous
regions of reduced compressionally loaded bushing material exist at
both axial ends of the clamped region thereof.
Description
This invention relates to the construction of a container for
liquid cosmetic or the like substance, such as mascara, wherein the
container is selectively openable from and returnable to a fully
sealed closure of the dispensing end.
Containers of the character indicated generally rely upon a
threaded cap-to-container closure, and it is desirable that the
threaded parts shall be universally applicable to a variety of body
designs, thereby reducing the cost of manufacture to meet demand
for a large variety of external appearances. But the constructions
previously used have not been particularly adaptable to automated
assembly, in that they have been subject to scuffing (and
production of offal) in the course of axial assembly, as when the
sharp open end of a tubular metal body is to receive the inserted
end of a sealing member or fitting.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide an improved
construction of the character indicated.
A specific object is to provide such a construction which
particularly lends itself for use in automated assembly of
containers.
Another specific object is to meet the above objects with a
superior seal and permanent assembly of a dispensing fitting to the
body of such a container.
A general object is to meet the above objects with an inherently
simple, trouble-free and low-cost construction.
Other objects and various further features of novelty and invention
will be pointed out or will occur to those skilled in the art from
a reading of the following specification in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings.
In said drawings, which show, for illustrative purposes only, a
preferred form of the invention:
FIG. 1 is a view in elevation of a mascara or the like container
incorporating the invention, and shown in closed condition;
FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1, for an opening condition of the
container;
FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the container of FIG. 1,
with closure cap removed;
FIG. 4 is an exploded view in elevation of the parts of FIG. 3, in
partial section; and
FIG. 5 is a fragementary view in elevation, partly broken away and
in logitudinal section, to show a modification of a part of the
combination of FIGS. 1 through 4.
The invention is shown in application to a mascara container,
comprising a container-body part 10 and a closure-cap part 11. An
upstanding neck fitting 12 is carried at the upper end of body 10
and includes threads 13 for engagement with the threaded bore of
the cap part 11. An applicator wand 14 carried by the cap part 11
is enterable in the central dispensing-access passage of the neck
fitting 12 and, as shown, the projecting end of wand 14 is formed
with applicator bristles 14 which are submerged in cosmetic
substance when the container is closed.
Referring more particularly to FIGS. 3 and 4, the body part 10 is
an assembly of a base cup or shell 16, a bushing 17, and of the
neck fitting 12. Shell 16 may have a cylindrical bore of radius
R.sub.1, near its upper open end, being of drawn or otherwise
formed metal such as aluminum, variously "brushed," anodized or
otherwise finished, as desired for appearance. Bushing 17 is
molded, relatively soft and resiliently yieldable, being of a
material having elastomeric properties, as for example low-density
polyethylene. And the neck fitting 12 may be injection-molded of a
more hard and stiff plastic, such as high-density polyethylene or
polypropylene.
Bushing 17 is characterized by a primary outer cylindrical surface
20 for ultimate engagement with the bore of shell 16 but formed in
the unstressed condition at a radius R.sub.2 which is slightly less
than radius R.sub.1, to permit relatively friction-free axial
subassembly of bushing 17 to shell 16. A reduced lower piloting
land 21 facilitates initial entry for such subassembly, and an end
chamfer 22 and a tapered connection 23 further facilitate the
insertion, the same being limited by an externally ribbed flange 24
which defines a shoulder for location against the axial end of
shell 16. The bore of bushing 17 is cylindrical, of radius R.sub.3,
being shown gently flared at 25 to the base end of a counterbore 26
within flange 24; preferably, the flare 25 is of axial extent which
straddles the juncture of flange 24 to the body section 20.
Counterbore 26 is axially and radially dimensioned to fully receive
the flange 27 of neck fitting 12. Beneath flange 27, fitting 12
includes a cylindrical sleeve 28 with a mounting surface of radius
R.sub.4 greater than the unstressed bore radius R.sub.3 of sleeve
17, and a reduced lower piloting land 29 is of radius R.sub.5 (less
than radius R.sub.3) to facilitate driven insertion of fitting
sleeve 28 into the bushing bore 17; an end chamfer 30 and a tapered
connection 30' further facilitate such insertion, the same being
limited when flange 27 is fully seated within the counterbore
26.
To complete the description of parts, the neck fitting 12 includes
the upwardly projecting body portion 31 with external threads 13
and with the central dispensing-access passage 32. The mouth 33 of
passage 32 is outwardly flared, to facilitate insertion of
applicator 14-15, and the upwardly projecting end has both concave
and convex chamfers to define a circumferentially extensive "line"
or edge for axially driven sealing contact against a flat annular
bottom 34 (FIG. 2) of the opening in which the threaded neck body
31 is received in cap 11. The passage 32 extends a major fraction
of the length of fitting 12, being further defined by an integral
secondary sleeve 35, depending from body 31 in the region beneath
flange 27 and in radial clearance with the primary mounting sleeve
28. A convergent lip 36 at the lower end of sleeve 35 has light
"wiping" interference with the diameter of wand 14, and plural
spaced longitudinal groove formations in the wall of passage 32
serve to key the molded part 12, for threaded disengagement from
its mold; each such groove formation terminates at 37, prior to
commencement of the flared mouth of passage 32.
To assemble the described construction, bushing 17 is first
assembled, via piloting land 21, to the open end of body shell 16.
Such insertion is relatively free due to the unstressed condition
of the bushing 17 and due to the clearance between radii R.sub.1
-R.sub.2, and the insertion is limited by abutment at the shoulder
of flange 24. In view of this clearance and in view of the
preferred employment of an inherently low-friction material such as
polyethylene for the bushing 17, any tendency to scuff and
otherwise disturb the molded contour of bushing 17 is reduced to a
minimum for this insertion step. The subassembly of bushing 17 to
shell 16 thus presents a low-friction liner for the subsequent
assembly of the neck fitting 12 at sleeve portion 28 thereof. Such
insertion is initially free on the piloting land 29, in view of the
clearance between radii R.sub.3 and R.sub.5. However, the tapered
connection 30' serves as an outward displacing wedge acting on the
bore of bushing 17 as the fitting 12 is driven into its home
position, with flange 27 seated in the counterbore 26. The radially
outward displacement of bushing body material in the course of this
assembly is inherently self-adapting to minor irregularities in the
bore of body shell 16, thus assuring a perfect sealing relationship
which retains its permanence.
The described structure is seen to have met all stated objects and
is assembled with relative ease in steps which may be readily
automated. Any minor misalignment in the course of automated
handling is self-correcting, by reason of the various chamfered and
otherwise tapered transitions to and between cylindrical surfaces.
The relatively large bore (radius R.sub.3) of the bushing 17
permits rapid and easy container-filling, the fitting 12 being
assembled only after filling; in such case, the bushing also
protects the shell 16 and its finish during the filling
operation.
In a particular advantageous employment of the invention, for a
shell 16 of 14-mm diameter and 0.35-mm thickness, the sleeve
thickness T.sub.1 at 28 exceeds body thickness T.sub.2 of bushing
17 to the extent of roughly 50 percent, and the interference at
R.sub.4 -R.sub.3 exceeds the clearance at R.sub.1 -R.sub.2 to the
extent of approximately 3:1. Also, the effective cylindrical
mounting length L.sub.1 of the sleeve 28 exceeds the effective
cylindrical body length L.sub.2 of the bushing 17, as shown in the
assembly of FIG. 3, whereby clamping stresses are fully
accommodated well within both axial limits of the length L.sub.2 of
deformable surface 20, and stress concentrations are avoided in the
relatively embrittled (and, therefore, otherwise rupturable) upper
axial end of shell 16.
While the invention has been described in detail for the preferred
form shown, it will be understood that modifications may be made
without departure from the scope of the invention. For example, the
bushing described at 17 may be the open end or skirt of an elongate
cup, the remaining skirt wall of which is suggested at 21' FIG. 5
(i.e., as a continuation of wall surface 21) extending to a closed
bottom wall 38, in which case the inner cup 21' is itself the
reservoir for cosmetic substance to the dispensed. Such a
construction lends itself to the provision of various different
cosmetic-reservoir volumes (for any given outer shell 16) to suit
customer requirements, and with assurance that even though less
cosmetic substance is accommodated, there is an ability to employ
applicator 14-15 to extract and use a greater fraction of the
available cosmetic substance. Also, since such a modified
construction avoids the need to establish a liquid seal between the
bushing 17-21' and shell 16, lesser differences in relative
softness between the two plastic parts (17-21', and 12) can be
tolerated, without impairing the ability to establish the described
remaining seal engagements, as long as care is taken that bushing
deformation (upon assembly of part 12) establishes permanent
retention to the shell 16.
* * * * *