Abstract:
A little bottle with a cap which can be mounted via a screw-type cap has an integrated brush for removing the mainly liquid contents of the little bottle. In order to be able to mainly remove the entire contents from the little bottle in a simple way with the integrated brush, it has been planned that, In combination, the brush in the cap is held in such a way that it can be moved in axial direction, and the interior space of the little bottle has a hollow near the bottom of the little bottle, which is at least partially opposite to the free end of the removal element.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention concerns a little bottle with a cap or with a cap that can be mounted via a screw plug or a bayonet fixing which is equipped with an integrated element like e.g. a brush or a pipette in order to remove the contents of the little bottle which are mainly liquids. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     For example in the cosmetics sector, very small bottles are used from which the contents, like e.g. nail varnish are removed in portions or charges with a brush which has been mounted to the interior of the screw cap, and then, the contents are applied to the object, e.g. the finger nail. In other areas, like e.g. in order to apply correction liquid to paper, such screw caps with an integrated brush are used. Another area of application are medical bottles like e.g. those for nose drops for which a pipette has been integrated into the screw cap. 
     For such caps (screw cap or bayonet fixing cap) which have been equipped with a moving element (brush, pipette or similar) there is the problem that the brush or the pipette end only reaches the bottom of the little bottle if the cap has been mounted onto the little bottle so that, with the cap removed, the removing element end has a certain distance to the bottom of the little bottle. This means that a certain residual amount cannot be removed from the little bottle. Thus one tries to remove more of the contents from the little bottle by inclining the little bottle with the removable element emerged. In order to achieve this, the person doing so must not only have a certain skilfulness, but this process is also rather tedious. 
     The purpose of the present invention is thus to change a little bottle with an attachable cap of the previously mentioned way in such a way that, with the integrated removing element, mainly the entire contents can be removed from the little bottle in a simple way. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In order to solve this problem, such a little bottle with an attachable cap of the previously mentioned way is to be equipped with an integrated element for removing the mainly liquid contents of the bottle like, e.g., a brush or a pipette, distinguished by the fact that, in combination, a removal element in the cap is retained in an axially removable way and that the interior space of the bottle has a hollow region in the direction of the bottom of the bottle which is at least partially opposite to the free end of the removal element. 
     Due to the measures in accordance with the invention one not only achieves that the free end of the removal element like, e.g., the front end of the brush or the opening of a pipette can continue to reach the bottom of the little bottle with the cap screwed off but also that the remaining contents of the little bottle will flow together at a certain entire space area and can thus be detected without further tricks from the free end of the removal element. Due to this lowering of the removal element with respect to the cap and into a hollow region in the bottom of the little bottle, the contents of the little bottle can mainly be removed completely. 
     The shape of the hollow region may differ, among other things, this may depend on whether the body of the little bottle is cylindrical or angular. With the hollow region formed by a conical end or by the upside down pyramid-shaped end of the interior space of the bottle, an advantageous shape of the hollow has been reached. According to the fact that the hollow region is formed by a concave cavity which is directly or indirectly connected via one or various inclined areas to the sidewall or walls of the bottle, the hollow region may be directly at the axis centre of the bottom of the little bottle or it may extend over the sidewall. 
     If that removal element has been precisely aligned in axial direction, it is used in order to achieve the fact that the hollow region is symmetrical with reference to the axis of the movable removal element. 
     According to the fact that the removal element between a normal use end position and a residual use end position can be moved step-lessly in the axial direction where the axial path approximately equals the depth of the hollow region or the depths of the removal path of the cap from the bottle or equals the sum of both paths, and/or the fact that the removal element in the normal use position and/or in the residual use final position moved in the axial direction can be determined, the adjustment of the removal element in axial direction or the extension of the removal element with respect to the cap can be adjusted step-lessly or by the two final positions, in the latter case, a blocking of a special residual use end position in an advantage. The amount of the mobility in axial direction depends on the fact whether the residual contents with the removal element adjusted in axial direction are already to be detected with the cap attached and to be removed after the cap has been detached or whether the residual contents are only to be detected with the cap detached and are to be removed at the same time. 
     Advantageous designs concerning the axial mobility of the removal element (brush, pipette) are obtained via the fact that the removal element in the cap can be moved contrary to the effects of a compression spring, or the fact that the removal element is held by a push-button which can be removed in the axial direction in the cap, or the fact that the removal element is held by a rocker arm received in an articulated way in the cap, or the fact that the removal element is held by a turning knob received in a turntable way by the cap. 
     In an advantageous way, the actuating end of the removal element can be embedded into a recess in the cap which does not point in the direction of the bottle and which make it possible to maintain the dimensional proportions between the little bottle and the cap in the known way. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For further details concerning the inventions, see the following description which describes the inventions in detail in accordance with the execution examples given in the drawing. The following is represented: 
         FIGS. 1A and 1B  show, in a schematic representation with a longitudinal section, a little bottle with a cap and an integrated brush according to the first execution example of the present invention in the normal use representation or in the residual use end position of the brush, 
         FIGS. 2A and 2B  show a representation in accordance with the  FIGS. 1A and 1B , but according to a second execution example, 
         FIGS. 3A and 3B  show a representation in accordance with the  FIGS. 1A and 1B , but only with a suggested little bottle or without a little bottle and in accordance with a third execution example and 
         FIGS. 4A and 4B  a representation in accordance with  FIGS. 3A and 3B , but only in accordance with a fourth execution example. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The execution examples given in the drawing of the present invention show a little bottle  11  or  11 ′ which has been equipped with a screw cap  10 ,  10 ′ or  10 ″ which has been equipped with a removal element in the shape of a brush element  12  which is held in the screw cap  10 ,  10 ′ or  10 ″ in such a way that it can be moved in axial direction with respect to the screw cap and the little bottle  11  between the first or the initial position or the normal use position and a second end position or a residual use position. The little bottle  11  contains e.g. nail varnish which can be removed in portions or in charges with the brush element  12  and which can be applied to the individual finger or toe nails. 
     In the examples given here, the little bottle  11 ,  11 ′ has an external thread neck  17  on its body  16 ,  16 ′, onto which the screw cap  10 ,  10 ′ or  10 ″ with its internal thread recess  18  can be screwed. The body  16 ,  16 ′ of the little bottle  11 ,  11 ′ which can either be round or square has a hollow  15  for receiving the contents which points to the bottom  19  and which has been equipped with a hollow  30  which is used for collecting the residual contents in the little bottle which becomes more and more empty. 
     In the case of the given example, the hollow  30  is axial and has been arranged in a symmetrical way around the axis. The hollow  30  passes over into conical areas  29 ,  29 ′ in this example, which are more ( FIG. 1 ) or less ( FIG. 2 ) steep with respect to the cylindrical sidewall  28  or to the various sidewalls of a square bottle cross section. The only further difference between the bottle  11  of the  FIGS. 1A and 1B  and the little bottle  11 ′ of the  FIGS. 2A and 2B  is the fact that the body  16  of the little bottle  11  is shorter than the body  16 ′ of the little bottle  11 ′. The brush element  12  which can continuously be moved in axial direction in the screw cap  10 ,  10 ′ or  10 ″ has a rod  13  which is aligned in axial direction and whose rear end has been fixed to an operation element  21 ,  21 ′ or  21  in or at the screw cap  10 ,  10 ′ or  10 ″ and to whose front end a brush  14  has been mounted. 
     In the examples given in the  FIGS. 1A ,  1 B and  2 A,  2 B is the rear end of the rod  13  which has been fixed to an operation knob  21  which can be moved in axial direction within a concentric rear cylindrical reception  22 . The reception  22  has a first shoulder  23  at its inner end, parallel to which a second shoulder  25  has been provided for in a second reception  24  with a smaller diameter. This second shoulder  25  is surrounded by an opening  26  for the rod  13  of the brush element  12 . The lower side of the second shoulder  25  is formed by a ring gasket surface, which is seated on the ring front surface of the external thread neck  17  of the little bottle  11  in a sealing way, which is not shown in detail, in accordance with  FIGS. 1A ,  1 B and  FIG. 2A  with the little bottle  11 ,  11 ′ closed. The rear end of rod  13 , which points in the direction of knob  21 , is surrounded by a pressure spring  27 , which is, on one side, supported by the interior of the knob  21  and, on the other side, supported by the second shoulder  25 . The first shoulder  23  is used as an end stop for the interior of the knob  21  in the residual use final position of the brush element  12 . In the first execution example  FIG. 1A  shows the initial position or the normal use end position of the brush element  12  held at the screw cap  10 . In this position, the free brush end  14  of the brush element  12  slightly exceeds the bottom  19  of the little bottle  11 . For this normal end position of the brush element  12 , it is possible with the screw  10  removed from the little bottle  11  to remove the contents of the little bottle  11  with the aid of the brush  14  up to a certain residual filling level which approximately corresponds to the length of the screw-thread lock. 
     If the residual filling level does not reach this mark, the brush element  12  is moved in axial direction with relation to the screw cap  10  opposed to the effects of the pressure spring  27  according to  FIG. 1B  with the screw cap  10  removed from the little bottle  11 . The end position which represents the residual use end position has been reached if the head  21  touches the first shoulder  23  with its inner side. This makes the brush element  12  move with relation to the screw cap  10  by an amount which is larger or equal to the length of the lock thread. In this residual use final position, it is possible that the brush end  14  of the brush element  12  reaches the bottom of the hollow  30  at the floor  19  of the little bottle  11  for removing residual liquids in the emerged state in accordance with FIG.  1 B. 
     In the examples given in  FIGS. 2A and 2B  where the body  16 ′ of the little bottle  11 ′ is a little shorter the free end of the brush element  12  is in the normal use end position at a distance to the bottom of the hollow  30  at the bottom  19  of the little bottle  11 ′ whose distance is approximately the path of the axial movement of the brush element  12  with the knob  21  pressed. If the knob has been pressed, the brush element  12  is transfered from its normal use end position given in  FIG. 2A  to its residual use end position given in  FIG. 2B , with the cap  10  still screwed off. 
     In this example, thus residual contents of the liquid in the hollow  20  of the little bottle  11 ′ are detected with the cap  10  still screwed off, as a result, the cap  10  can be screwed off and the liquid can be applied to a finger nail or anything like that with a brush. This design is e.g. of an advantage if the removal element is a pipette. 
     For these two previously mentioned examples, the movement of the brush element  12  in axial direction or the so-called extension of the brush element  12  with relation to the screw cap  10  is reached by pressing the knob  21  and is stopped there. When removing the pressure on knob  21 , the brush element  12  returns to its initial or normal use end position due to the functioning of the pressure spring  27  so that the screw cap  10  can be screwed back onto the little bottle  11 ,  11 ′ without the brush end  14  and reaches the bottom  19  of the little bottle  11 . It is also possible of course, however, to block the residual use end position in a releasable way. 
     The third example given in the  FIGS. 3A and 3B  for which the little bottle  11  or  11 ′ with the hollow  30  which has been described beforehand is used, but which is only represented partially or not at all, differs from the examples according to the  FIGS. 1A ,  1 B and  2 A,  2 B by the actuation elements  21 ′ used for the axial brush element movement. The actuating element  21 ′ is formed by a rocker arm which can be swivelled around an axis  31  fixed to the screw cap  10 ′ in the reception  22 ′ of the screw cap  10 ′. The end of the rod  13  of the brush element  12  is carried in a swivellable way by the rocker arm  21 ′ (not shown) eccentric to the axis  31  so that, when swivelling the rocker arm  21 ′ with relation to the screw cap  10 ′, the brush element  12  or its rod  13  moves in axial direction. 
     The rod  13  of the brush element  12  penetrates a bore in an intermediate wall  25 ′ and has a sealing element  32  which is to be laid on the external thread neck  17  of the little bottle  11 . It is also possible to equip the rocker arm  21 ′ with a main driving link onto which the rod  13 ′ is pressed in a spring-elastic way and which moves the rod during the swivelling movement. 
     In the initial or normal use end position according to  FIG. 3A , the rocker arm  21 ′ has been swivelled in together with its handling  33  in an axial groove  34  of the screw cap  10 ′ on the circumferential side. If this handling  33  is swivelled in the direction of the arrow A in upside direction, the rod  13  moves with relation to the screw cap  10 ′ in axial direction due to the eccentricity of the swivelling axis  31  of the rocker arm  21 ′ and the screw cap  10 ′ with relation to the hinge axis between rod  13  and rocker arm  21 ′ in such a way that an extension of the brush element  12  or an extension of the distance of the brush  14  of the brush element  12  to the lower screw cap at  10 ′ result (FIG.  3 B). In this example, the two final positions (upper normal use end position and lower residual use end position according to  FIG. 3B ) have been determined or locked. 
     In the fourth example according to  FIGS. 4A and 4B  which also shows the used little bottle  11 ,  11 ′ only partially or not at all, the actuation element  21 ″ is formed by a screw element at the inner end of which the rod  13  of the brush element  12  has been fixed. The screw element  21 ″ is held by a relatively steep thread, which is not represented individually, made of e.g. a single thread in the reception  22 ″ of the screw cap  10 ″. 
     A journal  37  of the screw element  21 ″ is equipped with an external thread, where a plate  36  which is used as a handling on the outside together with the journal  37  is carried out as one piece. Of course, the reception  22 ″ of the screw cap  10 ″ is equipped with a corresponding internal thread. For example, the reception  22 ″ has an opening (milled) which runs in spirals of approx. 90° around the cap. In the lower part (journal  37 ) of the actuating element  21 ″, a pin has been inserted which, on the one hand, is securely seated in that journal  37  and, on the other hand, is in the mentioned opening. If the actuating element  21 ″ is turned now, the desired brush element movement in axial direction is generated. 
     Due to a screw movement in direction of the arrow B, it is possible to move the turning element  21 ″ from its normal use end position represented in  FIG. 4A  to a residual use end position represented in  FIG. 4B  in which, as shown in the previous examples, an extension of the brush element  12  or an increase of the distance of the brush end  14  from the lower screw cap edge  10 ″ results. Here, too, both end positions are fixed. 
     According to a further execution example of the present invention (not shown), the actuating elements can be formed in the way of a lockable push-button mechanism used by pens. 
     In accordance with further, not shown examples for the present invention, the screw cap does not have a brush element  12 , but a pipette element, which is held in a screw cap in such a way that it can be moved in axial direction and which can thus be extended in such a way that the distance of the pipette to the lower edge of the screw cap can be changed. Here, it is possible to use the constructions or mechanisms shown by drawings in the examples. It is understood that the hollow  30  for collecting the residual fluid can also have various shapes.