Abstract:
Low cost capacity measuring display installed in a label that is attached to an opaque container to measure amount of contents therein. The indicator utilizes the weight of the opaque container in conjunction with a gel reservoir and capillary that is installed in a label. The label extends under the can subjecting the gel reservoir to pressure that results from the weight of the container rendering movement of gel in the capillary that with calibration is a direct representation of the amount of contents in the opaque container.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     Products such as hair spray and shaving cream that are sold in containers such as aerosol cans are usually opaque because the pressure required to facilitate the dispensing of the product must be contained in a strong container. The container must be strong enough to withstand substantial internal pressures that are used to force the product out of the container via an outlet that is opened and closed by means of a valve that is activated by the user of the product. Opaque metal cans are generally used instead of transparent materials such as glass to insure that the container can withstand the internal pressure and external handling. Unlike a transparent container you cannot see how much product is remaining in the can after you begin dispensing the product. It is desirable to know how much product remains in a can.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The object of the invention is to use a novel and inexpensive display that can be installed on the side of an aerosol can either alone or as a component of a printed label that is installed around the can to identify the product that is inside the can. Another object of this invention is that the display will measure the weight of the can which is a direct representation of the total contents of the can. Another object of the invention is to provide a means to insure that the weight of the can be measured when the can is at rest in the upright position by utilizing an indicating display means that extends below and under the bottom of the can rendering a support point that senses the weight of the can and by inference the capacity of contents remaining. Another object of the invention is to utilize a sensing means that can detect and display a wide range of weight categories including low and high weight contents.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0003]      FIG. 1  is a cross section view of a flexible gel filled blister and the capillary extending from the flexible gel filled blister  
         [0004]      FIG. 2  is a top view of a flexible gel filled blister and capillary extending from the flexible gel filled blister.  
         [0005]      FIG. 3  is a cross section view of the flexible gel filled blister and the capillary extending from the flexible gel filled blister with a flat support member resting on the blister.  
         [0006]      FIG. 4  is a cross section view of the flexible gel filled blister and the capillary extending from the flexible gel filled blister with a flat support member holding a small weight partially compressing the blister.  
         [0007]      FIG. 5  is a cross section view of the flexible gel filled blister and the capillary extending from the flexible gel filled blister with a flat support member holding a heavy weight completely compressing the blister.  
         [0008]      FIG. 6  is a cross section view of the wide flexible gel filled blister and the capillary extending from the flexible gel filled blister.  
         [0009]      FIG. 7  is a top view of the wide flexible gel filled blister and the capillary extending from the flexible gel filled blister.  
         [0010]      FIG. 8  is a back view of a label containing a long and narrow flexible gel filled blister located near the top edge of the label with a capillary extending from the flexible gel filled blister.  
         [0011]      FIG. 9  is a front view of a label containing a transparent section revealing the capillary extending from the flexible gel filled blister.  
         [0012]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view of the back of a label containing a long and narrow flexible gel filled blister located near the top edge of the label with a capillary extending from the flexible gel filled blister.  
         [0013]      FIG. 11  is a perspective view of a label containing a long and narrow flexible gel filled blister located near the bottom edge of the label with a capillary extending from the flexible gel filled blister aligned under an aerosol container.  
         [0014]      FIG. 12  is a bottom view of a label containing a long and narrow flexible gel filled blister located near the edge of the label aligned under an aerosol container.  
         [0015]      FIG. 13  is a plane view showing a label with a capillary extending from the flexible gel filled blister aligned under an aerosol container with the flexible gel filled blister extending just beyond the bottom of the aerosol container.  
         [0016]      FIG. 14  is a perspective view of the label installed on an aerosol can with the capillary on the wall of aerosol can extending from the flexible gel filled blister that is wrapped under the bottom of the aerosol can.  
         [0017]      FIG. 15  is a bottom view of the label installed on an aerosol can with the flexible gel filled blister wrapped under the bottom of the aerosol can.  
         [0018]      FIG. 16  is a side view of the label installed on an aerosol can with the capillary on the wall of aerosol can extending from the flexible gel filled blister that is wrapped under the bottom of the aerosol can.  
         [0019]      FIG. 17  is a side view of the label installed on an aerosol can with the capillary filled completely with gel on the wall of an aerosol can extending from the flexible gel filled blister that is wrapped under the bottom of the aerosol can.  
         [0020]      FIG. 18  is a side view of the label installed on an aerosol can with the capillary filled substantially with gel on the wall of an aerosol can extending from the flexible gel filled blister that is wrapped under the bottom of the aerosol can.  
         [0021]      FIG. 19  is a side view of the label installed on an aerosol can with the capillary filled partially with gel on the wall of an aerosol can extending from the flexible gel filled blister that is wrapped under the bottom of the aerosol can.  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0022]      FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2  show a cross sectional and plane view of an enclosed system comprised of a gel filled flexible film blister  61  and a narrow capillary tube  63  extended from said blister with the gel partially entering the capillary  62 . The end of the capillary  64  is left open to allow air to escape when necessary.  FIGS. 3, 4  and  5  are cross sectional views of the effect of weight or pressure  65  on the flexible gel blister  61  which forces the edge of the gel supply  62  to advance through the capillary  63 . In  FIG. 3  there is a small weight or pressure  65  on the flexible gel blister  61  forcing only a small amount of the gel supply to advance through the capillary  63  to a position  62  close to the blister  61  representing low weight or pressure. In  FIG. 4  there is a larger weight or pressure  65  on the flexible gel blister  61  forcing a lab amount of the gel supply to advance through the capillary  63  to a position  62  further from the blister  61  representing a larger weight or pressure. In  FIG. 5  there is a maximum weight or pressure  65  on the flexible gel blister  61  forcing the maximum amount of the gel supply to advance through the capillary  63  to a position  62  furthest from the blister  61  representing the maximum weight or pressure. The flexible gel blister  61  is substantially larger than the capillary  63  wherein a very small amount of weight or pressure  65  an the blister  61  renders a large movement of the gel  62  in the capillary  63  rendering a system than can detect and display small changes in the weight or pressure  65  applied to the blister  61 .  FIGS. 6 and 7  show a cross sectional and plane view of an enclosed system comprised of a very wide gel filled flexible film blister  66  and a narrow capillary tube  68  extended from said blister with the gel partially entering the capillary  67 . The end of the capillary  69  is left open to allow air to escape when necessary. The enclosed system shown in  FIG. 6  and  FIG. 7  is the same as the system in shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  except that with the wider and larger blister  66  the system renders a more sensitive movement of the gel  67  through the capillary  68 . The combination of a large blister  66  and a small capillary  68  creates a visual amplifier that detects small changes in the weight and pressure placed on the blister.  
         [0023]     The object of this invention is to use this system described above and install it in a label that will be placed on an aerosol can. The label using this system will not only describe what is in the can but also the capacity of contents remaining in the can by using weight or pressure.  FIG. 8  is a plane view of the back of a rectangular label  72  that contains an elongated blister  70  situated near the end of the label with an opening  71  at one end of the elongated blister  70  that extends into a capillary  73 . The capillary  73  extends along the long axis of the rectangular label to the other end of the rectangular label. The blister  70  and capillary  73  are formed on the back of the label by means of a second layer of film that forms the blister chamber and capillary channel by heat sealing the film around the boundaries of the blister and capillary rendering a self enclosed system that is an integral part of the label.  FIG. 9  is a plane view of the front of the rectangular label shown in  FIG. 8 . The front of the label  75  in  FIG. 9  contains a Transparent strip that coincides with the dimensions of the capillary  73  with the point where the capillary  71  exits the hidden blister to the point where it ends  74 . It is on this side of the label  75  that printing such as indicia for the capillary channel and product information would be applied. In  FIG. 10  the back of the label  72  and the flexible gel blister  70  and capillary  73  are shown in the perspective view. The installation of the label on an aerosol can is shown in  FIGS. 11 through 16 .  FIG. 11  is a perspective view of an aerosol can  77  positioned for installation on the label  72  with the bottom of the can  78  placed just above the blister  70 , the top of the aerosol can  76  extended beyond the edge of the label and the capillary  73  parallel to the can  77 .  FIG. 12  is a bottom view of an aerosol can  78  positioned on the label  72  with the bottom of the can  78  placed just above the blister  70 .  FIG. 13  is a plane view of an aerosol can  77  positioned on the label  72  with the bottom of the can  78  placed just above the blister  70 , the top of the aerosol can  76  extended beyond the edge of the label and the capillary  73  parallel to the can  77 .  FIG. 14  is a perspective view of the aerosol can  77  following the heat shrink installation of the label with the bottom of the can  78  now having the blister  70  formed under the bottom of the can  78  with the capillary  73  extending along the wall of the can and the top of the aerosol can  76  extended beyond the edge of the label.  FIG. 15  is a bottom view of the aerosol can following the heat shrink installation showing the flexible gel blister  70  wrapped under the bottom of the can  78 .  FIG. 16  is a side view of the aerosol can  77  following the heat shrink installation of the label with the blister  70  on the bottom and the capillary  73  on the wall of the can and the top of the can  76  extended beyond the label.  
         [0024]     The operation of the invention is demonstrated in  FIGS. 17 through 19 . In  FIG. 17  the aerosol can  76  is at full capacity in that the product takes up a volume level  79  that is considered full by the manufacturer. The can  76  is resting on a flat surface  80  with the weight of the can pressing down on the flexible gel blister  70  which is wrapped under the bottom of the can resulting in the maximum movement of the gel into the capillary to given maximum height  73  that will be marked as full on a printed scale when the indicia is applied to the label. In  FIG. 18  the aerosol can  76  is at half capacity in that the product takes up a volume level  79  that is considered half by the manufacturer. The can  76  is resting on a flat surface  80  with the weight of the can pressing down on the flexible gel blister  70  which is wrapped under the bottom of the can resulting in less movement of the gel into the capillary to given medium height  73  that will be marked as half full on a printed scale when the indicia is applied to the label. In  FIG. 19  the aerosol can  76  is at minimum capacity in that the product takes up a volume level  79  that is considered empty by the manufacturer. The can  76  is resting on a flat surface  80  with the weight of the can pressing down on the flexible gel blister  70  which is wrapped under the bottom of the can resulting in very little movement of the gel into the capillary to given minimum height  73  that will be marked as empty on a printed scale when the indicia is applied to the label. The accuracy of the indicator is a determined by the ratio of the length and diameter of the capillary versus the volume of the flexible gel blister. The sensitivity of the indicator is a function of the viscosity of the gel used in the indicator in that a thick gel will move slowly and a thinner gel will move faster. The overall appearance of the indicator is a function of the printing of the label with scales of indicia and other identifiers. Many modifications and other embodiments of the inventions set forth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which these inventions pertain having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the inventions are not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.