Abstract:
A container for housing flowable material, such as grease, adhesive, lubricant, or other materials, is disclosed that facilitates the application of the flowable material onto a workpiece. The container may include ribs or other guide structures that direct or limit the flow of the material after the workpiece is inserted into the container, and its contents manually squeezed. The squeezing of the container directs the flowable material onto the workpiece without the need for a separate applicator and without the need to manually touch the flowable material.

Description:
This application claims priority to commonly-titled U.S. provisional application serial No. 60/347,106, filed Jan. 9, 2002, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates generally to containers for flowable materials, such as lubricants and adhesives, and more particularly for a specialized container and method for applying the flowable material of the container to a desired object. 
   In the past, the application of lubricants or adhesives to objects has involved expelling the lubricant or adhesive from a container—such as a tube, can, bag, or other structure—onto either the object itself or a separate applicator which is then used to coat the object. For example, the greasing of wheel bearings has usually involved scooping or otherwise removing the grease from a container and then spreading and packing with pressure the grease appropriately into the desired area. In some instances, the grease is first removed from a container and then put into a specialized grease gun before being applied to the desired object. As another example, it is sometimes desirable to coat the exterior of a screw or other type of fastener with an adhesive. This task has also involved removing the adhesive from the container and subsequently spreading it on the desired areas. In both instances, the tasks are often messy, time-consuming, and involve purchasing more lubricant or adhesive than is necessary. Other methods of applying flowable materials have involved dipping, dunking, painting or brushing on said materials to the workpiece either manually or with tools. Specialized applicators have also been used in the past, but such applicators add undue expense and further complicate the application process. The need can therefore be seen for a manner of substantially overcoming these and other disadvantages of the prior art. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   Accordingly, the present invention provides an improved method and apparatus for dispensing flowable materials, such as grease, adhesives, or other substances. The present invention allows objects to be inserted directly into a container where they are covered with the flowable material by squeezing of the container. 
   According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method is provided for applying a flowable or viscous material to an object that includes providing a package having a pouch containing the flowable material; providing a removable seal that covers at least a portion of the pouch; and providing at least one flexible wall in the pouch. At least a portion of the seal is removed from the pouch and an object is inserted into the pouch. The pouch is squeezed to direct the flowable material onto the object and the object is then removed from the pouch. 
   According to another aspect of the invention, a package for flowable material is provided that includes at least one flexible wall and at least one opening for partially inserting an object to be coated with the flowable material. A plurality of integral structures are defined in the flexible walls and are adapted to retard spillover of the flowable material out of the package and to help retain the material within the package as pressure is exerted on the sidewalls. 
   In still other aspects of the invention, the flowable material may be a lubricant, such as grease, or an adhesive. The pouch may be shaped to correspond to the shape of the object to be covered by the flowable material. The object itself may be a bearing. The seal may be made of a flexible material that allows its use in wiping excess flowable material off of the object after it is removed from the pouch. The guide structure may include a plurality of ribs which may be shaped to conform to an exterior surface of the object. The pouch may also be doughnut shaped. The pouch may have integral structures to retard outflow of the material outside of the package during the squeezing compression. The container may also include a foldable flap that can be folded over an opening in the container after an object has been inserted therein to prevent outflow of the flowable material. 
   The method and package of the present invention provide an improved technique for applying flowable material to objects. Because the flowable material does not need to be removed from the package prior to being applied to the object, but instead allows direct transfer of the material from the pouch to the object, the messiness of the application process is reduced. Further, the size of the package can be set to provide a sufficient amount of flowable material for a single application, thus allowing the container to be discarded after use without leaving any, or very little, unused material. Further, the flowable material container is shaped to allow easy application of the material to the selected object. The package can also be manufactured in an inexpensive manner. These and other advantages of the present invention will be apparent to one skilled in the art in light of the following specification when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a plan view of a package according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a side, elevational view of the package of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is a front, elevational view of the package of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 4  is a side, elevational view of the package of  FIG. 1  shown with a seal partially removed; 
       FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the package of  FIG. 1  taken along the line V—V; 
       FIG. 6  is a plan view of a package according to a second embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 7  is a side, elevational view of the package of  FIG. 6 ; 
       FIG. 8  is a front elevational view of the package of  FIG. 6 ; 
       FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional view of the package of  FIG. 6  taken along the line IX—IX; 
       FIG. 10  is a plan view of a package according to a third embodiment of the invention; 
       FIG. 11  is a cross-sectional view of the package of  FIG. 10  taken along the line XI—XI; 
       FIG. 12  is a perspective view of a bearing; 
       FIG. 13  is a perspective view of the bearing of  FIG. 12  illustrated disassembled; 
       FIG. 14  is a plan view of a container according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 15  is a cross-section of the container of  FIG. 14  taken along the line XV—XV; 
       FIG. 16  is a reproduction of  FIG. 15  illustrated with a flap folded over; 
       FIG. 17  is a front, elevational view of a container according to a fifth embodiment of the invention; and 
       FIG. 18  is a perspective view of the container of  FIG. 17  shown with a corner cut off. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein the reference numerals in the following description correspond to like-numbered elements in the several drawings. A package  20  according to one embodiment of the present invention is depicted in  FIGS. 1–5 . Package  20  includes a generally planar top  22 , a plurality of sidewalls  24 , and a bottom  26 . The sidewalls  24  and bottom  26  generally define a pouch  28  for holding a flowable material, such as an adhesive or a grease-type lubricant. A hole  36  is defined in top wall  22  for receiving a hook or other support structure that allows package  20  to be hung on a retail display unit, or in another location. 
   Sidewalls  24  and bottom wall  26  are generally flexible so that a person can squeeze these walls to expel the contents of pouch  28 . Sidewalls  24  and bottom wall  26  may be made out of any suitable plastic material. Top  22  includes an opening  30  ( FIG. 5 ) generally defined above at least a portion of pouch  28 . A removable seal  32  is affixed to top  22  and covers opening  30  until a person desires to access the material in pouch  28 , in which case the person peels seal  32  off of top  22  in a manner similar to the seals on packets of jelly, butter, or other items. Seal  32  may be a foil type of material, or another type of material. An illustration of seal  32  partially peeled away from top  22  is shown in  FIG. 4 . It should be noted that seal  32  is adhered to top  22  by an appropriate adhesive, or by other means, and that the space between seal  32  and top  22  in the drawings is exaggerated for clarity of illustration only. 
   A plurality of ribs or guide structures  34  are defined in the bottom of pouch  28  and extend upwardly from bottom wall  26  and inwardly from sidewalls  24 . Ribs  34  are illustrated as being generally straight and parallel to each other, with a generally uniform spacing between each of them. The shape, orientation, and spacing of ribs  34  can be varied from that illustrated in a wide variety of manners, some of which are more fully discussed below. Ribs  34  help direct the flow of the material in pouch  28  when it is to be expelled onto an object, such as a wheel bearing, or other type of object. 
   Seal  32  is preferably a hermetic seal that allows the contents of package  20  to be stored for long periods of time without contamination, spoliation, evaporation, or drying of the contents of package  20 . When it is desired to use the flowable material inside of package  20 , seal  32  is peeled away from top wall  22  ( FIG. 4 ). Seal  32  may be peeled away either wholly or partially. In either case, seal  32  may thereafter be used to wipe excess flowable material off of the object to be coated, as will be described in more detail below. After seal  32  has been peeled away from top  22  to allow sufficient exposure to opening  30 , the object to be coated is inserted into pouch  28 . In the embodiment of  FIGS. 1–5 , the container  20  is specifically designed to accommodate applications of flowable material onto disk shaped objects, such as grease onto wheel bearings. Bottom wall  26  of pouch  28  is generally semi-circular to match half of the exterior of a round wheel bearing. After inserting the wheel bearing, or other object, at least partially into pouch  28 , the pouch  28  is manually squeezed to force the flowable material onto the inserted object. The object may be rotated while in pouch  28  to better spread the flowable material onto the desired surfaces of the object. In the case of a wheel bearing, it may be desirable to coat one half of the wheel bearing, remove it from pouch  28 , and then insert the other half of the wheel bearing into pouch  28  for coating. Ribs  34  help guide the flowable material evenly onto all areas of the inserted object when pouch  28  is compressed. Ribs  34  are an optional feature of container  20  and can be completely eliminated, if desired. 
   After the object is sufficiently coated with the flowable material, it is retracted out of pouch  28 . While retracting the object out of pouch  28 , it may be desirable to squeeze together the sidewalls  24  so that edges  39  of sidewalls  24  contact the periphery of the object ( FIG. 3 ). In this manner, the edges  39  will scrape off excess flowable material from the object as it is removed. In the event more of the flowable material is desirably removed from the object after complete retraction out of pouch  28 , seal  32  can be used to wipe off as much of the flowable material as is desired. Seal  32  can also be used to grip the coated half of the wheel bearing while the uncoated half is inserted into pouch  28  for coating. 
   Bottom wall  26  also includes edges  38  adjacent its junction with top  22 . Edges  38  may be positioned apart from each other slightly less than the diameter of the wheel bearing, or other disk-shaped object, so that they will have to flexibly expand away from each other slightly to accommodate the insertion of the wheel bearing. Edges  38  are thereby in contact with the outer periphery of the wheel bearing as it is removed from pouch  28 . This contact causes edges  38  to scrape off excess grease from the bearing&#39;s periphery as it is removed from pouch  28 . Edges  38  also help to prevent outflow of grease while pouch  28  is manually squeezed. 
   Package  20  therefore provides an easy and convenient method of storing flowable materials, as well as an easy and convenient applicator for transferring the stored material onto a desired object. Rather than having to first remove the material from the pouch and then spread it onto the object, package  20  allows the material to be applied while still in pouch  28 , thereby reducing the messiness of the application process. For example, a bearing can easily be greased by way of package  20  by simply inserting the bearing into pouch  28 , squeezing it, and thereafter removing the bearing from pouch  28 . Very little, if any, grease will come into contact with the user&#39;s hands, and little or no effort needs to be made to ensure that the grease is distributed about the entirety of the bearing. Further, package  20  can be manufactured in a relatively inexpensive manner. Package  20  may be filled to only a fraction of its capacity with the flowable material in order to allow an object to be inserted therein initially without causing the flowable material to be expelled out of the package. The amount of flowable material may be chosen based on the intended application of the flowable material. 
   The size and shape of pouch  28  may vary substantially from that of package  20 . As two additional examples, packages  20 ′ and  20 ″ are depicted in  FIGS. 6–9  and  FIGS. 10–11 , respectively. Many further variations of the size and shape of the pouch are also possible. The pouch  28 ′ of package  20 ′ has a circular shape when viewed from above, with a plurality of spaced, circular ribs  34 ′ extending upwardly from bottom wall  26 ′. Pouch  28 ′ is especially adapted for applying flowable material to circular objects, such as grease to the bearing  40  of  FIGS. 12–13 . While not required, pouch  28 ′ may desirably have the same diameter as that of the bearing intended to be greased by the contents of package  20 ′. 
   The pouch may also include a raised center  42 , such as that illustrated in package  20 ″. The presence of raised center  42  gives pouch  28 ″ a generally doughnut-shaped interior. Raised center  42  may desirably be dimensioned to fit within the central opening of the bearing to help prevent excessive grease from flowing through this opening when pouch  28 ″ is compressed. Raised center  42  may include a plurality of ribs or projections  34 ′ that are shaped and dimensioned to help guide the flowable material into the areas of the bearing to be greased. Additionally, package  20 ″ may include ribs or projections positioned on bottom wall  26 ″ (not shown) and/or ribs or projections positioned on sidewalls  24 ″ (also not shown). 
   Another embodiment of a package  20 ″ is depicted in  FIGS. 14–16 . Package  20 ′″ includes a pouch  28 ′″ which is generally disk shaped and dimensioned to receive a wheel bearing. Pouch  28 ′″ contains grease or other viscous material. Package  20 ′″ includes a top  22 ′″ over which a foil seal is placed (not shown), like seal  32  of package  20 . Package  20 ′″ further includes a foldable flap  44 , a fold line  46 , and a raised area  48 . Raised area  48  is shaped the same as the periphery of pouch  28 ′″ and preferably, although not necessarily, dimensioned slightly larger than the periphery of pouch  28 ′″. After the seal over pouch  28 ′″ has been removed, a wheel bearing to be greased is inserted into pouch  28 ′″ with its axis perpendicular to bottom wall  26 ′″. Foldable flap  44  is then folded over in the direction indicated by arrow A ( FIG. 15 ) until raised area  48  contacts the periphery of pouch  28 ′″. By having a user maintain pressure on raised area  48  so that it pushes against the periphery of pouch  28 ′″, an essentially leakproof enclosure is formed about the bearing in pouch  28 ′″. Applying sufficient pressure to sidewalls  24 ′″, bottom wall  26 ′″ or raised area  48  will cause the grease in pouch  28 ′″ to be squeezed into the orifices of the wheel bearing. After the bearing is sufficiently coated, flap  44  is folded back and the bearing removed from pouch  28 ′″. Package  20 ′″, with the exception of the seal, may advantageously be stamped or otherwise manufactured from a single sheet of material to reduce cost. Sidewalls  24 ′″ may include edges (not shown) adjacent their top ends like those of edges  38  and  39 , described previously, that help to limit outward flow of the material, as well as to scrape off excess material as the coated object is removed from pouch  28 ′″. 
   Another package  20 ″″ is depicted in  FIGS. 17–18 . Package  20 ″″ is generally constructed of a front sheet  50  and back sheet  52  attached together at their peripheries to define an internal space. The construction may be identical to the construction of conventional ketchup packets available in restaurants and elsewhere. The contents of package  20 ″″, however, is not ketchup, but rather an adhesive or other material intended to be applied to an elongated structure, such as a screw  54 . Package  20 ″″ includes a pair of ribs, or other integral structures,  56  that connect together the front and back sheets along their lengths. Preferably, the ribs  56  are tapered inwardly toward each other slightly at their innermost extension. When an object is to be coated with the contents of package  20 ″″, the package is first cut or torn along dashed line  58 . This cutting or tearing creates an opening  60  into which screw  54 , or another elongated object, can be inserted. When so inserted, ribs  56  help prevent outflow of the contents of package  20 ″″ as it is squeezed, and also scrape off excess flowable material from the periphery of screw  54  as it is removed from package  20 ″″. By being tapered inwardly, ribs  56  help ensure that they will contact the periphery of screw  54  at least somewhere along its shaft, regardless of the diameter of screw  54 &#39;s shaft. When screw  54  is inserted in package  20 ″″, the contents may be better spread onto the exterior of screw  54  by rotating it, squeezing package  20 ″″, or a combination thereof. Ribs  56  may be spaced apart from each other a distance that accommodates whatever object or objects that are intended to be coated with the contents of package  20 ″″. 
   In any of the embodiments of the package of the present invention, the internal ribs  34 , if included, may be dimensioned such that they generally conform to the shape of an exterior surface of the item to be coated. In some instances, such as when used with bearing grease, the pouch may have a volume that corresponds to the amount of grease that would normally be applied in one application of grease to the bearing. After application of the grease, little, if any, unused grease remains in the package and it can be discarded with minimal waste. Alternatively, package  20  may contain sufficient flowable material for multiple applications. 
   Sidewalls  24  are illustrated in the drawings as being straight and curved inwardly at their top ends. This orientation helps create the upper edges  39  that tend to remove excess flowable material when the object is removed from pouch  28 . It will be understood that the shape of sidewalls  24  can vary significantly from that illustrated. As but one example, sidewalls  24  and bottom wall  26  could be joined together to form a single curved wall. Other variations are possible. 
   The ribs  34  in the various embodiments can also vary substantially from that depicted in the attached drawings. Ribs  34  may have different heights, widths, stiffnesses, spacings, and positions, from that shown in the drawings. In any of the possible variations of the ribs, the goal of the rib design is to help direct the flow of the material onto the object, rather than having the material flow internally in the pouch in response to pressure being applied to the pouch. 
   While the present invention has been described in terms of the preferred embodiments depicted in the drawings and discussed in the above specification, along with several alternative embodiments, it will be understood by one skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to these particular embodiments, but include any and all such modifications that are within the spirit and the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.