A CONTAINER FOR DISPENSING A MATERIAL

Abstract: A container (6) consists of flexible foil material, for dispensing the material (8) through a dispensing aperture which can automatically be closed again. A dispensing-sheet (1) of an elastically resilient material has slits (2, 3, 4) which form dispensing aperture for the material (8) by bending of the sheet (1). When sheet (1) reassumes rest position, edges of slits (2, 3, 4) meet again and close the aperture. The sheet (1) is attached to the inner side of the container (6) and when the container (6) is to be opened the first time, part of the flexible material of the container (6) is removed within the periphery of the sheet (1), e.g. along the weakened line (5). It can be seen that the container (6) has been opened before.

Description: A container for dispensing a material The invention relates to a container consisting of flexible material and having a wall portion which formed with protected slit which is designed to form a dispensing aperture and automatically closure by manipulation of the container, after the first time the container has been opened by the first user of ■ the contents of the container. Such containers can be used for transport and storing products differing widely in nature, not only solid materials, such as sweets, pills and powder, but also fluid and semi-fluid materials, such as cream or paste. To dispense a major or minor portion of the contents, the container is simply manipulated by such pressure - on it as will cause the said slit to open more or less in a manner enabling easy matering. The container will automatically close again on release of the pressure. US Patent Specification 2611 515 discloses a container of the present type, which has a rounded top member in which the slit is provided and which has internal rein- force ents around the slit. On the exterior of the top member the slit- ay be coated with a thin layer of . . lacquer or the like, which seals the slit hermetically until it is subjected to an opening pressure the first time which reptures the lacquer coating. However, there is a- considerable risk that the container will inadver¬ tently be subjected to such a pressure during transport and storage before reaching the first user, or that the lacquer coating will be removed or damaged by chemical or thermal action. The principal object of the present invention is to provide new and inexpensive container, employing the principle of action ' disclosed in US Patent 2611 51 , and which is effectively protected against inadvertent opening during transport and storage and which make it possible to ascertain ' with certainty whether it has been opened before. Another object of the invention is to provide a contain- er with a dispenser-unit which is protected from tuching and dirt after filling and sealing and against damage during transport and storage until the first opening, without addition of material to the exterior side of the container. Another object of the invention is to make it possible to produce some of such containers -during filling and sealing. Those objects are achived in that said wall portion, which in addition to the flexible-material of the container, also consists of a flexible dispensing-sheet which is formed with said slit and which is a part of the said dispenser-unit which, is attached to the inner side of the body of the container which is consisting of the said flexible-material. Thus, the first user of the contents of such container has to break somehow the flexible material of the said wall portion to gain access to the clean and protected dispenser-unit which is a part of the inner side of the said wall portion. Such breaking cannot be per¬ formed without leaving visual signs of it on the container. The said dispenser-unit of the container consisting of at least one s-aid dispensing-sheet consisting of at least one- sheet of elastically resilient material which is formed with at least one said slit. As mentioned, the said dispensing-sheet, which is not necessarily flat, may also be of more then one part and of more then one layer which are not necessarily of same material and are not necessarily formed with same periphery or slit as the said sheet of elastically resilient material. The flexible-material of the body of the container is preferably plast foil, but may also be of other flexible material, such e.g. paper, cardbord, metal foil, textile and may optionally be of an elastic material, such as e.g. rubber and may.of course, be of more then one layer. The first opening of the container is effected, e.g. by mean of a cutting-.tool or otherwise, or by removing part of the flexible material of the said wall portion which is of the flexible material of the container and which may be marked, within the periphery of the said dispenser -unit which is attached to the flexible material of the container and which is formed with the said slit. Another way of opening the container for first time is by cutting through the container opposite the said slit in the said disp.enser-unit which may be marked on the container. When the container is opened for the first time, part of the container flexible material within the area defined by the said dispensing-sheet is reptured, so that a part of the said dispenser-unit which is formed ' with the said slit is exposed and is between the inside and outside of the container which is closed by the remained part of the said wall portion. When the said dispensing-sheet is then bent, the said slit ' edges are moved apart to form the said dispensing aperture. The dispensing aperture is automatically closed again on release ^ of the said dispensing-sheet which straightens because of the elasticity of the said sheet of elastically resilient material, when the slit edges meet again. The container flexible material is permanently repured so it is easy to ascertain that the container has been opened before. It is not necessary to coat the exposed slit with other material to close the container after the exposure of the said slit. To facilitate the first opening of the container, the container may be constructed as stated in claims 2 to 7> The invention will be described more fully below with reference to the drawing, in which • Figs, la to If show in perspective view, a plurality of embodiments of one-part dispensing-sheet which is used in the containers of the invention, and which is of elastically resilient material. Fig. Id shows embodiment of two layers sheet which are of same material and fig. le shows embodiment, of two layers sheet which are differing in material and periphery, Fig. 2 shows in perspective view, embodiment of closed and sealed container of the invention which is filled with products such as pills, and which consists of one layer flexible foil material, and where the dispenser-unit incorporated inside the container consisting of only one layer sheet of elastically resilient material which is the preferred dispensing- sheet shown in fig. la, Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the ' container of fig. 2 after partial exposure of i.ts dispensing-sheet and its slit, Fig. is a cross-section of the container and its aispens-ing-sheet along the line IV-IY in fig. 2, Fig. 5 is a cross-section of the container and its dispensing-sheet along the line V-T in fig. 3, and Fig. o is a perspective view of the container of fig. 3 after fully exposure of its slit, during dispensing of material through the dispensing aperture. Figs, la to If show also a plurality of embodiments of slits 2,3 and -+ and slits 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e, 2f and 2f' in dispensing sheet 1. Of course, other slit embodiments in the sheet 1 are possible, but they share the feature that the slit edges are moved apart when the sheet 1 is bent from its rest position, in which it is not. necessarily flat, and are moved together again when the sheet 1 reassumes its rest position because of the elasticity of the material. Other slit embodiments are, of course, possible in other embodiments of dispensing- sheet which are not shown. As mentioned, the container 6 shown in fig.2, consists of one layer flexible foil material.- The embodiment in fig. la of the dispensing-sheet 1, which has- a rectilinear slit 2 and slits 3 and at either end of the slit 2 transverse to the slit 2, is attached, as shown in fig. 2, e.g. by adhesion, to the inner, side of the container 6. Within the periphery of the dispensing-sheet 1 the container > has weakened lines 5- < e.g. by form of perforations, to facilitate removal of the flexible material of the container 6 within the area defined by the dispensing-sheet 1 so that the slits 2, 3 and h are exposed. The partial removed-part 10 of the flexible material within the weakened lines 5 is shown most clearly in fig. 3- As mentioned, fig. " shows a cross-section through the container 6 along the line IV-IV in fig. 2. The figures show the dispensing-sheet 1, protected from tuching and dirt, in the hermetically sealed container 6 which has not been opened before. Fig. 5 shows the cross-section through the container 6 along line V-V in fig. 3- Here, the flexible material of the container 6 within the weakened lines 5 is removed, and it cannot be reapplied without leaving visible sign of this. Fig. 6 shows the container 6 with opened dispensing aperture 7, rom which material in form of_ pills 8 is dispensed and falls on plate 9. QMPI

Claims: P a t e n t C l a i m s : 1. A container consisting of flexible material and having at least one wall portion formed with at least one slit which is designed to form at least one dispensing aperture by manipulation of the container and which at least one dispensing aperture can be automatically closed after dispensing, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that at least one said wall portion, in addition to the said flexible material of the coritainer, also consists of at least one dispenser-unit which consists of at least one flexible dispensing-sheet which consists of at least one sheet of elastically resilient material attached to at least one inner side of the said flexible material of the container, and which at least one of said sheet is formed with at least one said slit. 2. A container according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the said flexible material has at least one weakened line within the periphery of at least one said dispenser-unit. 3 * container according to claim 2, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d in that the said flexible material is thinner at at least part of one weakened line. -. A container according to claim 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that at least part of one weakened line consists of perforations. 5. A container according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the container has at least one visual mark within the periphery of at least one said dispenser-unit, which shows where part of the said flexible material may be removeα so at least part of one said slit ' is exposed without damaging the function of the said dispenser-unit. 6. A container according to claim 2, c h a r a c - t e r i z.e d in that at least part of one weakened line is visually marked. 7. A container according to claim 1, c h a r a c - t e r i z e d in that the container has at least one feelable mark within the periphery of at least one said dispenser-unit, which shows the location of at least part of one said slit. 8. A container according to claim 1, c h a r a c - t e r i z e d in that the said flexible material within periphery of at least one said dispenser-unit has at least one said- ispensing -aperture covered by at least part of one tear-off strip, which exposes at least part of at least one said slit when torn off.

Inventors: BAREKET SHLOMO, BURSHTAIN ESTHER, BAREKET, SHLOMO, BURSHTAIN, ESTHER
Applicants: BAR PAK V S BAREKET, BAR-PAK V/S. BAREKET
Application year: 1984
Main classification: B65D83
IPC codes: B65D17, B65D75, B65D77, B65D83