TWO-PART LIQUID CONTAINER WITH BREAKABLE PARTITION

Abstract: A two-part liquid container with a breakable partition which has a first half container (1) sealing a sheet at a neck portion (6) thereof for containing first liquid; an intermediate cylindrical member (3) for connecting a cylindrical sealing piece through a collapsible piece at the lower end thereof to spirally engage the lower half part thereof with the outer periphery of the neck portion of the first half container (1); a second half container (2) sealing a sheet at the bottom opening thereof and having a cutting blade (12) depending to the vicinity of the bottom therein for engaging the lower part thereof impossible to turn with the upper half part of the intermediate member (3); and a sealing member for sealing the upper opening of the second half container. Thus two liquid can be readily mixed without necessity of particular mixing container nor overflowing the liquid.

Description: The present invention relates to a liquid container with a breakable partition which enables liquid contained in a second half part of the container to be transferred to liquid contained in a first half part by a simple relative twisting movement between the two parts. It has an advantage over previous devices for preparing a hair colouring or hair waving solution, which involve the preparation of a further container in which the correct quantities of the liquids are mixed, in that the need for such preparation is avoided, and the method of transfer is less complicated. A liquid container of this kind is disclosed in FR-A-2 453 793 and comprises: (a) a first half container sealed by a sheet at a neck portion thereof (b) an intermediate cylindrical member, the lower half part of the intermediate cylindrical member spirally engaging the first half container; (c) A second half container, having a cutting member for cutting the sheet which seals said first half container, a part of the second half container engaging a part of the said intermediate member in a manner inhibiting relative rotation therebetween; (d) a sealing member for sealing an upper opening of the said second half container; wherein the neck portion of the said second half container has an internal diameter which is greater than the external diameter of the rim of the neck portion of said first half container. The known liquid container comprises a complex double seal construction. The second half container is sealed by a cup which is lodged into the neck portion thereof; the bottom of the sealing cup is connected by a thinned frangeable portion to the peripheral wall of the sealing cup; the cutting member is formed on the bottom of the sealing cup; the thinned frangeable portion is strong enough to enable the cutting member to break the sealing sheet of the first half container whilst sufficiently weak to break when further screwing the first half container into the second one. Additionally a volume is provided between these two seal constructions, into which the cutting member is disposed. The present invention seeks to improve the known liquid container according to FR-A-2 453 793. Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a container having the construction set out in claim 1. Brief description of the Drawings Examples of a container embodying the present invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which : Figure 1 is an axial elevational sectional view of a first example; Figure 2 is a perspective view of an outer peripheral part of the container shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a part sectional, part perspective view of an inner peripheral part of the container shown in Figure 1; Figure 4 is an axial elevational sectional view of a second example; Figure 5 is a further axial elevational sectional view of the container shown in Figure 4, in an operative state; and Figure 6 is an axial elevational view of the container shown in Figure 4 taken along the line VI-VI shown therein. Description of the Preferred Embodiments Figures 1 to 3 show a liquid container with a breakable partition constructed, as shown, to couple and hold a first lower half container 1 to a second upper half container 2 via an intermediate cylindrical member 3. The first half container 1 has a bellows telescopic portion 5 which elongates or shrinks in elevational direction at the lower part of a body 4, spiral threads 7 formed on the outer lower peripheral part of a neck portion 6, and a thin collapsible sheet 8 made of an aluminium foil or the like bonded to the top surface of the neck portion 6 for liquidtightly sealing the interior of the first half container 1. The second half container 2 has a body 9 which includes an inner diameter larger than that of the neck portion 6, a thin collapsible sheet 10 made of an aluminium foil or the like for liquidtightly sealing the bottom opening of the lower end of the body 9, a port 11 formed to extend upwardly in a nozzle shape from the top of the body 9, a plurality of cutting blades 12 circumferentially provided to extend from the top inner periphery of the body 9 to the vicinity of the lower end of the body 9 to be disposed inside the neck portion 6 spiral threads 13 formed on the outer upper periphery of the body 9, an engaging projection 14 formed on the lower outer periphery of the body 9, an engaging projection 15 formed on the lower outer periphery slightly from the projection 14, and a number of engaging vertical threads 16 formed in the peripheral direction as shown in Figure 2 on the lower outer periphery of the projection 15. The intermediate cylindrical member 3 has a guide peripheral wall 18 formed to slidably contact with the upper half part of the outer peripheral surface of the neck portion 6 of the first half container 1 through an inward flange 17 formed on the inner periphery of the intermediate part, a number of engaging recess grooves 19 formed on the upper inner periphery for engaging with the threads 15 of the second half container 2, a number of vertical engaging grooves 20 formed on the lower inner peripheral surface of the grooves 19 for engaging with the vertical threads 16, spiral threads formed on the lower inner half periphery of the guide peripheral wall 18 for engaging with the threads 7, and short cylindrical sealing piece 22 connected via skipped collapsible pieces 21 from the lower peripheral edge. Reference numeral 23 designates a knob of the pieces 22. Reference numeral 24 designates a cap which has a projection 25 formed at the centre on the back surface of the top wall for sealing the upper opening of the part 11, and spiral threads formed on the lower inner periphery of the wall for engaging with the threads 13. In the liquid container thus constructed, the recess grooves of the member 3 are engaged with the threads 15, and the grooves 20 are engaged with the threads 16, thereby engaging the upper half part of the member 3 with the lower part of the second half container 2. In this state, the threads 7 of the neck portion 6 of the first half container 1 are engaged with the threads of the member 3, thereby engaging the first half container 1 with the lower half part of the member 3. Thus, as shown in Figure 1, the first and second half containers 1 and 2 are coupled in the stacked state. The entire container is transported, stocked and handled in this coupled state. In order to mix two liquids contained in the liquid container when the mixture of the two liquids is used, the piece 22 is exfoliated by folding the knob 23 and collapsing the piece 21. Then, the member 3 is gripped and is turned to spirally move the member towards the first half container 1. Subsequently, the second half container 2 is integrally with the member 3 and is accordingly moved downwardly integrally with the member 3. The sheet 10 of the second half container 2 is collapsed at the port of the first half container 1 due to this movement of the second half container 2, and the sheet 8 of the first half container 1 is broken by the ends of the cutting blades 12. Accordingly, the liquid in the second half container 2 is dropped and transferred into the first half container 1, thereby mixing the two liquids contained respectively in the first and second half containers. The portion 5 is elongated due to the transfer of the liquid. Thereafter, the mixture liquid may be used by removing the cap 24. Figures 4, 5 and 6 show second embodiment of the liquid container with a breakable partition according to the present invention. A pawl-shaped sheet collapsing member 26 is engaged with the top of the neck portion 6 of the first half container 1 for collapsing or breaking the sheet of the second half container 2. This member 26 is formed in a sharp shape at the end to readily collapse or break the sheet by the simple spiral movement of the member 3. The member 26 is rigidly engaged with the outer top periphery of the first half container 1. Or a projection is formed at an arbitrary position on the inner lower periphery of the member 26 and a swelled part (not shown) for engaging the projection is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the top, thereby constructing to fix the member 26 to the port. The cutting blade 12 which is disposed inside the neck portion 6 from the inner upper periphery of the body 9 and extends to the vicinity of the lower end of the body 9 is formed of a cutting blade member having a suitable width (substantially 1/3 of the circular periphery) in the peripheral direction, is formed in a sharp shape at the end, and is formed to be inclined from one end of the blade toward the other end. In this manner the sheet 8 of the first half container 1 can be readily collapsed or broken. The other structure is constructed in the same manner as the first embodiment of the present invention. According to the present invention as described above, since the two liquids can be mixed merely by spirally moving the member 3, it is not necessary to prepare a particular mixing container and to perform complicated filling operation without overflowing even one droplet of liquid. In mixing the two liquids, it is necessary to collapse or break the piece 22, and it is accordingly convenient since whether the two liquids are already mixed or not can be observed at a glance.

Claims: 1. A liquid container with a breakable partition comprising : (a) a first half container (1) sealed by a sheet (8) at a neck portion (6) thereof and containing a first liquid; (b) an intermediate cylindrical member (3) connecting a cylindrical sealing piece (22) through a collapsible piece (21) at the lower end thereof, the lower half part of the intermediate cylindrical member (3) spirally engaging the outer periphery of the neck portion of the first half container; (c) a second half container (2), containing a second liquid, having a cutting member (12) for cutting the sheet (8) which seals said first half container (1), a lower part of the second half container (2) engaging an upper part of the said intermediate member (3) in a manner inhibiting relative rotation therebetween; (d) a sealing member (24) for sealing an upper opening (11) of the said second half container; wherein: (e) The said second half container (2) is sealed by a sheet (10) at a bottom opening thereof which has an internal diameter which is greater than the external diameter of the rim of the neck portion (6) of said first half container (1); (f) the said cutting member (12) extends within the liquid-containing interior of the said second half container (2) to a position which is in the vicinity of the bottom thereof and which is on the interior side of the sheet (10) of the said second half container (2), (g) the liquid container further comprises a sheet collapsing and breaking portion, at the opening of the neck portion (6) of said first half container (1), for collapsing or breaking the sheet (10) of the said second half container (2). A liquid container according to claim 1, characterised in that the sheets (8 and 10) provided on the first and second half containers (1 and 2) are each made of a thin collapsible or breakable sheet made of aluminium foil. A liquid container according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterised in that the sealing member (24) of the upper opening (11) of the said second half container (2) is a cap. A liquid container according to any preceding claim, characterised in that the sheet collapsing or breaking member (26) is formed with a projection at an arbitrary position on the lower inner surface thereof, which projection engages a swelled part formed on the outer peripheral surface of the top port thereof, thereby fixing the said sheet collapsing or breaking member (26) to the top port. A liquid container according to any preceding claim, characterised in that the inner diameter of the body of the said second container (2) is larger than the outer diameter of the neck portion (6) of the said first half container (1). A liquid container according to any preceding claim, characterised in that the said second half container (2) is formed with a port (11) extending upwardly in a nozzle shape from the top of the body thereof. A liquid container according to any preceding claim, characterised in that the first half container (1) is formed with a telescopic bellows portion capable of elongating or shrinking axially at the part of the body thereof. A liquid container according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the said cutting member (12) is composed of a plurality of depending cutting blades (12). A liquid container according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the said cutting member (12) is formed of a cutting member (12) having a width subsantially 1/3 of the periphery of the body of said first half container (1). A liquid container according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the said cutting member (12) is formed in a sharp shape at the end thereof and is inclined from one end of the end surface towards the other end. A liquid container according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterised in that a number of engaging vertical threads (16) are formed on the lower outer periphery of the said second half container (2), and engage vertical grooves (20) formed on the upper inner periphery of the said intermediate member (3) for engaging with the said vertical threads (16). A liquid container according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterised in that the said intermediate member (3) is formed with a guide peripheral wall (18) which is in intimate slidable contact with the upper peripheral surface of the upper half part of the neck portion (6) of said first half container (1).

Inventors: IIZUKA, SHIGEO, SAITO, TADAO
Applicants: KAO SOAP COMPANY, LTD.
Application year: 1983
Main classification: B65D81
IPC codes: B65D81