Combination mould and container-dispenser for high-viscosity fluid material

Abstract

A tubular container for lipsticks, lip-salve, lubricants and the like, wherein the tubular body and cap not only provide a dispenser-container but also a mould and shaping receptacle into which the material in its more viscous form can be poured and the unit assembled prior to the solidifying of the material. The invention also contains an anti-stripping device to insure effective interaction between the propelling screw-portion of the unit and the stick of solidified lubricant.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The use of hand-held, pocket-size containers for lipsticks and lip salves is well known and the market has grown substantially in the past several years, particularly with the advent of lip salves having soothing or medicinal properties, in addition to the much older, decorative or coloring lipstick items sold primarily for cosmetic purposes. The development of the containerdispenser in this field has advanced during the last several years with the improvement in plastic materials for the moulding of the container-dispenser, rather than the forming of such device from various metals.

The dispenser is generally a 4-part unit including a tubular body, a cap, a screw-type propeller, and a follower plate riding on the screw. Such device is well-illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,935,191 and 2,818,167. In such devices the lubricant material is formed in stick-form on the elevator or follower-plate which is subsequently assembled on the screw and thereafter the components assembled in the tube and the cap placed over the top thereof.

Simplified forms of the container-dispenser are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,294,285 and 3,612,704, which devices are generally known as a 3-part units consisting of a tubular body, a cap and a combination screw-propeller. Such unit does not include the elevator, and thus may be considered generally more economical in construction and lower in cost to the consumer-purchaser. The disadvantage of such units are that the body and screw portions must be assembled prior to filling, and thus insertion or addition of the lubricant into the tube can only take place from one end. There is also the disadvantage of potential stripping of the screw-form within the lubricant when the screw is counter-rotated to return the stick into the tube, and such counter-rotation continued after the stick has reached the bottom of the tube.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a simplified container-dispenser which can be filled, selectively, from either the top or the bottom of the tube. If the filling is done from the top after the screw has already been assembled to the sleeve, the assembly procedure is somewhat less complicated but there is no possibility to shape a tip above the body of the cylinder without also inverting the assembly after filling.

When the cap is applied to the cylinder and the lubricant inserted therein from the bottom end, the tip of the lubricant assumes the shape of the interior of the cap and thus provides an attractive, shaped tip which extends beyond the end of the top of the cylinder when the cap is removed initially. In this instance the screw-advancing mechanism must be inserted into the cylinder after the lubricant has been placed therein.

In each instance the unit may also include, if desired, an anti-stripping plate mounted on the base of the screw and cooperating with the interior surface of the tube to enable the screw to be rotated in a manner which advances the stick of lubricant out of the tube but which prevents the counter-rotation of the screw when the stick of lubricant is retracted into the tube and thus prevents the stripping of the "thread" formed within the lubricant.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there are shown in the accompanying drawings forms thereof which are at present preferred, although it is to be understood that the various instrumentalities of which the invention consists can be variously arranged and organized and that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and organizations of the instrumentalities as herein shown and described.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate like parts:

FIG. 1 represents a perspective view of the assembled tube and screw elements with the cap removed and the formed tip of the stick-lubricant extending above the tube.

FIG. 2. is a fragmentary, vertical cross-sectional view of the assembled tube, cap and screw, with the tube filled with stick-lubricant.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the screw-propelling unit.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, vertical, cross-sectional view of the base of a tube and screw assembly, showing the addition of the anti-stripping plate.

FIG. 5 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of one form of the tube with the anti-rotational ridges formed on the interior of the tube to cooperate with the notches on the periphery of the anti-stripping plate.

FIG. 6 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of a tube which is oval in cross-section, with an oval anti-stripping plate cooperatively disposed therein.

FIG. 7 represents still another form of tube or cylinder wherein the interior has a hexagonal shape, with a hexagonal anti-stripping plate therein.

FIG. 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a modified form or cap, wherein the interior surface can be shaped to provide a protruding portion on the moulded stick-lubricant in the shape of a candle flame or finger tip or a truncated cone of a type quite popular in modern lipstick dispensers.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, the cylindrical body 10 consits of sidewall 11 and a plurality of internal, inwardly extending axial ridges or ribs 12. At the bottom of the cylindrical body a peripheral, inwardly extending ring 13 is formed with an interior shoulder or ledge 14 and a tapered face 15 adapted to receive, cooperate with, and axially restrain the screw-advancing mechanism 16, as shown more fully in FIG. 3.

At the top of the body 10 the exterior diameter is reduced to provide a portion adapted to receive the cap 17. The reduced portion of the body 10 includes the outwardly extending ridge or ring 18 which cooperates with the inwardly extending ridge or ring 19 on the cap 17. The arrangements and the dimensions of the ridges 18 and 19 are appropriately selected so that the bottom 20 of the cap 17 rests on the shoulder 21 of the body 10 and the top 22 of the body 10 rests against the shoulder 23 of the cap 17 when the body and the cap are assembled.

It will be noted that the internal diameter or surface 24 of the tube 10 extends the full length of the tube above the ledge 14. The body or cylinder 10 can be moulded of any suitable plastic material and preferably is to be made of a medium impact styrene.

The cap 17 is also moulded from a plastic material, preferably a 4 - 6 melt polypropylene. The ridge 19 on the cap has a suitably tapered surface which, in combination with the flexibility of the material of which the cap is made, and proper dimensional cooperation with the ridge 18 on the body 10, permits the cap to be slipped on the end of the tube and snapped into place and held by the cooperative interaction of the ridges 18 and 19. Appropriate dimensions also insure that the cap may be removed and replaced repeatedly by the user merely by snapping it on and off the upper end of the tubular body.

The interior surface 25 of the cap 17 has a maximum diameter which may be the same as the interior diameter of the surface 24 of the tube 10, but which in no case exceeds that dimension and preferably is somewhat smaller. In addition, the interior surface 25 is tapered or truncated as shown in FIG. 2, or may be specially shaped as shown in FIG. 8. This ensures that when the body 10 and the cap 17 are assembled prior to filling with the stick-lubricant that no portion of the lubricant material (which protrudes above the end of the cylinder 10 when the cap 17 is removed) will be of a diameter larger than the interior surface 24 of the body 10. Thus there will be no scraping of the lubricant material or loss or effectiveness thereof when the stick is subsequently retracted into the cylinder 10 after first use by the purchaser.

It also insures that there will be an attractive presentation of the tip of the lubricant material to the customer on initially removing the cap from the cylinder, and easy replacement of the cap.

The exterior surface of the cap may be generally cylindrical with a flat top as shown in FIG. 2, or may also be shaped to conform more closely to the interior shape, as shown in FIG. 8, and thus provide a more decorative effect and enhance the saleability and appearance of the tube to the initial customer. Thus the composite assembly may be in the form of a candle with contrastingly colored cap to provide a flame effect, or in the shape of a bullet or projectile having attraction to sportsmen, etc.

The screw element 16 has a combination base and knob 26 which can be grasped and manually rotated after the screw and tube have been assembled. The screw also includes a reduced diameter shoulder 27 which is appropriately dimensioned to cooperate with the ring and ledge 15 on the cylinder, as well as a ring 28, separated from the knob 26 by the shoulder 27. The ring 28 has a tapered leading edge and is of a size to cooperate with the taper 15 on the ledge 14 so that the screw unit may be assembled by snapping the screw unit into the bottom of the cylinder, past the tapered face 15. Thus the screw unit may be assembled in the cylinder either before or after the cylinder is filled with the lubricant material, and the interaction of the ledge 14 and tapered face 15 with the shoulder 27 and ring 28 permit rotatable interaction between the screw unit and the cylinder but prevent axial relative movement between such parts.

The screw unit 16 includes an integrally moulded, single-flight left-hand thread screw 29. This screw has a small shaft 30 and larger diameter, relatively large surface faces 31, with a bullet-shaped tip 32. This construction permits the easy insertion of the screw unit into the molten stick-lubricant disposed within the cylinder if the assembly is to be bottom-filled with the cap in place, or, conversely, permits the easy filling of molten lubricant from the top (with the cap removed and screw unit already in the cylinder) if the unit is to be top-filled.

The ribs 12 on the interior surface 24 of the tube 11 prevent rotation of the stick lubricant within the cylinder when the knob 26 is rotated. Thus the interaction between the screw 29 and the stick lubricant forces the lubricant out of the body 10, or, conversely, retracts it within the body 10 upon counterrotation of the knob.

There are shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 alternate forms of the shape of the body 10 which eliminate the need for the ribs or ridges 12.

The oval body 33 shown in FIG. 6 will have disposed within a similarly shaped oval stick-lubricant material, which, upon solidifying after being poured into the cylinder, cannot rotate within the cylinder because of the non-cylindrical shape of the relative bodies.

Similarly, the hexagonal-shaped interior surface of the tube 10 which is shown at 34 in FIG. 7 accomplishes the same purpose while yet providing a cylindrical exterior.

It is thus obvious that the relative shape and configuration of the tube is multiple and varied and is not limited to a cylinder. Furthermore, even though the tube itself may be cylindrical in shape, on the outside there is no limitation upon the appearance or configuration of the lubricant-stick within the cylinder.

Because the stick lubricant is more susceptable to deformation then the screw with which it cooperates, there is always the danger of "stripping" action between screw and stick-lubricant if, after the retraction of the stick-lubricant into the cylinder by the screw, there is continued counter-rotation of the knob. The "bottoming" of the lubricant stick withinthe cylinder against the top of the screw ring 28 prevents further downward movement thereof, but if the screw continues to rotate in a counter-rotative direction then the stripping action takes place within the lubricant stick. To prevent this, an anti-strip device 35 is used, as shown in FIG. 4. The anti-strip device is essentially a plate having a central hole 36, appropriately shaped and dimensioned so that it can travel upwardly on the screw 29 when the knob 26 is rotated but which prevents counter-rotation of the screw 29 and knob 26 when the anti-strip plate reaches the bottom of the screw.

The plate 35 has corresponding notches 37 in its periphery which cooperate with the ribs 12 on the interior surface 24 of the tube 10. Thus the relative motion permitted between screw 29 and plate 35 at the same time that the screw advances the stick of lubricant out of the tube, permits relative rotation of screw within tube. However, upon counter-rotation, when the plate 35 reaches the bottom of the screw 29, it strikes the upper ledge 38 of the shoulder 39, and thus locks or binds against further counter-rotation. The locking action takes place because the shaft 30 and hole 36 are square (or rectangular or other non-circular shape) as shown in FIG. 5. The shaft has a spiral twist like the threads.

The periphery 40 of the plate 35 extends radially outwardly farther than the inner edges of the ribs 12, but the outer periphery of the anti-strip plate 35 is of smaller diameter than the inner diameter of the tapered face 15. The shoulder 39 is of sufficient axial length so that the anti-strip plate 35, at its periphery, is disposed in cooperative relationship with the ribs or ridges 12 when the screw unit is snapped into place at the bottom of the cylinder 10.

From the above description of the invention it is obvious that the unit may be assembled in a variety of ways to provide the most efficient and economical procedure for the manufacture. A bottom-fill procedure is possible and all that is required is for the cap and cylinder to be assembled, the unit to be filled with molten lubricant, and while still in molten condition the screw unit pushed into the assembly with the molten lubricant flowing around the screw and the screw unit snapped into place at the bottom of the cylinder. Upon solidification of the stick lubricant the cooperative screw-relationship between the thusformed female thread in the lubricant and the screw 29 provides the interacting mechanism to expel the lubricant from the tube.

In the event that the preference is to assemble the screwunit and the cylinder at the outset, the tube can be top-filled by removal of the cap 17. After filling, the cap may be replaced and the assembly inverted while the stick lubricant is still molten so that the material will flow into the inner portion of the cap and assume the desired shape thereof.

It is clear that in each instance the maximum diameter of the stick lubricant in the portion which extends upwardly beyond the top of the cylinder when the cap is removed is no greater than the interior diameter of the cylinder surface 24 so that when the stick lubricant is withdrawn into the cylinder by appropriate rotation of the screw, none of the material is wasted or scraped off to create a mess around the top edge of the tube.

Alternatively to the spirally twisted shaft on the screw as described aforesaid, the shaft may be circular in cross-section and the hole in the anti-strip plate also circular, with the freely moving plate riding up the screw behind the sticklubricant when the screw is rotated to expel the lubricant, but wedging against the shoulder 39 at the bottom when the screw is counter rotated and the plate reaches the bottom of the shaft.

It is to be understood, however, that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or special attributes hereof, and it is therefore desired that the present embodiments be considered in all respects as illustrative, and therefore not restrictive, reference being made to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

Claims

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent are the following:

1. A dispenser-container for fluid material of relatively high viscosity at room temperature, including a body portion, a cap detachably connected to said body, and a combination screw-base rotatably connected to one end of said body, said body being a hollow tube, said cap being generally cup-shaped and adapted easily to snap on and off the other end of said body and having a hollow interior which extends axially beyond the end of the body, the inner diameter of that portion of said cap which extends beyond the end of said body when operatively connected thereto being no greater than the inner diameter of the tubular body and forming with said body a mould for said fluid material, said screw-base having a threaded portion including a shaft and a spiral thread and a knob-portion separated from the threaded portion by a shoulder, said spiral thread being arranged directly to contact and move the fluid material without any intervening elevator or follower plate, the tubular body being shaped internally so that at least one portion along the axis thereof is non-circular in crosssection, said spiral thread having an outer diameter substantially greater than the diameter of the shaft but smaller than the smallest dimension across the internal surface of the tubular body portion.

2. A dispenser-container for fluid material of relatively high viscosity at room temperature, including a body portion, a cap detachably connected to said body, and a combination screw-base rotatably connected to one end of said body, said body being a hollow tube, said cap being generally cup shaped and adapted easily to snap on and off the other end of said body and having a hollow interior which extends axially beyond the end of the body, said screw-base having a threaded portion including a shaft and a spiral thread and a knob-portion separated from the threaded portion by a shoulder, said spiral thread being arranged directly to contact and move the fluid material without any intervening elevator or follower plate, the tubular body being shaped internally so that at least one portion along the axis thereof is non-circular in cross-section, said spiral thread having an outer diameter substantially greater than the diameter of the shaft but smaller than the smallest dimension across the internal surface of the tubular body portion, and an anti-strip plate mounted on the shaft and cooperatively interacting at its periphery with the non-circular portion of the body.

3. A dispenser-container for fluid material of relatively high viscosity at room temperature, including a body portion, a cap detachably connected to said body, and a combination screw-base rotatably connected to one end of said body, said body being a hollow tube, said cap being generally cup-shaped and adapted easily to snap on and off the other end of said body, said screw base having a threaded portion including a shaft and a spiral thread and a knob-portion separated from the threaded portion by a shoulder, the tubular body being shaped internally so that at least one portion along the axis thereof is non-circular in crossection, said spiral thread having only one flight and an outer diameter substantially greater than the diameter of the shaft but smaller than the smallest dimension across the internal surface of the tubular body portion, said spiral thread being arranged directly to contact and move the fluid material without any intervening elevator or follower plate.