Abstract:
Propel-repel packaging assemblies suitable for dispensing solid deodorant or antiperspirant product are provided. The assemblies include a tubular top cap having an open bottom and a closed top, a tubular body having a central axis, an inner wall and an outer wall, and a tubular bottom cap including an inner and outer wall. The packaging also includes a tubular product carrier including a cup for receiving the product and a lower portion for engaging the tubular bottom cap such that the assembly is operable to cause the product disposed within the cup to selectively propel or repel by relative rotation of the tubular bottom cap and tubular body. The preferred packaging assemblies contain thread engagement means providing a pitch of about 0.060″ to 0.250″ for propelling and repelling deodorants or antiperspirants at a customary delivery rate, but without the inconvenience of actuators which must translate through the product in order to deliver it.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    This invention relates to propel-repel packaging assemblies suitable for dispensing solid deodorant or antiperspirant product, and more particularly to an assembly which is operable to cause the product to disposed within the cup to selectively propel or repel by a relative rotation of a tubular gripping portion and a tubular body.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Standard mechanisms in the packaging industry for propelling or repelling deodorant sticks include assemblies in which a center screw post, disposed through the product itself, is used to propel the product out of the container. The center post is operable by turning a small wheel at the bottom of the package. There are also deodorant sticks which can be propelled manually by pushing a plastic diaphragm supporting the product through a tubular package body.  
           [0003]    While these two systems for the delivery of deodorant and antiperspirant sticks are prolific and commercially successful, they are not without their drawbacks. Specifically, the push up type devices propel the product with no desirable way to repel it, short of physically pushing the product back into the package. The center screw post design is more popular, since it allows the product to be repelled. However, many users complain that the product often loosens from the center post screw before the end of its useful life. Additionally, rotating the small wheel at the base of the package can be difficult for individuals with arthritic or impaired finger joints.  
           [0004]    There also remains a need in the packaging industry for deodorant and antiperspirant sticks which provide a “silkier” feel for “high end image” products. This is an important quality differentiator in the consumer market, and can lend itself to higher margins for manufacturers.  
         SUMMARY OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
         [0005]    This invention provides propel-repel packaging assemblies suitable for dispensing solid deodorant and antiperspirant, and methods of loading product in such packaging from the bottom or the top. In a first embodiment of this invention, a propel-repel packaging assembly is provided. The assembly includes a tubular top cap having an open bottom and a closed top. It further includes a tubular body having a central axis, an inner wall and an outer wall. This tubular body includes open extremities and a first annular connecting means at its lower end. It further includes an upper portion having engaging means for releasably securing the top cap.  
           [0006]    The assembly further includes a tubular bottom cap having an inner and an outer wall, an open upper extremity and an upper portion having a first thread connecting means. The tubular bottom cap further includes an annular tubular gripping portion disposed radially outwardly from said outer wall of the tubular bottom cap and connected thereto by a bridging portion disposed proximate to a lower portion of said tubular bottom cap. The annular tubular gripping portion forms an annular tubular cavity with the outer wall of the tubular bottom cap for receiving the lower portion of the tubular body. The tubular bottom cap further includes a second annular connecting means, located proximate to the annular tubular cavity, to frictionally and swivelly connect with the first annular connecting means of the tubular body. The assembly finally includes a tubular product carrier including an upper portion having a cup for receiving the product and a lower portion having a support cylinder. The cup optionally includes product sealing means for frictionally engaging the inner wall of the tubular body for helping to seal the product during use. The cup also includes optional product retention means for mechanically locking the product within the cup. The tubular product carrier further includes second thread connecting means for engaging the first thread connecting means of the tubular bottom cap. The packaging assembly is operable to cause the product disposed within the cup to selectively propel or repel by a relative rotation of the tubular gripping motion and the tubular body.  
           [0007]    The packaging of this embodiment produces a smooth and luxurious propel and repel delivery of deodorant and antiperspirant stick-like products. The preferred packaging assemblies of this invention are easier to operate, provide a smoother delivery of product and are mechanically different in design from prior packaging related to deodorant sticks, lipstick and make-up. Where earlier deodorant sticks have used a bottom wheel or knob that moves the center screw post through the product itself, the preferred embodiment employs a product carrier for locking in the product, sealing it from leakage, and repelling and propelling it within the package. Accordingly, the propelling mechanism of the preferred embodiment is located substantially beneath the product dispensed and not within it, which provides a much smoother and effortless propelling of the product during use.  
           [0008]    In further embodiments of this invention, the deodorant and antiperspirant packaging assembly can be open ended and fitted with a bottom seal for bottom filling the product in the form of a paste or solution which hardens to conform with the space in and above the product cup. In further embodiments, the product cup is sealed from below, so that the product can be dispensed within the cup by top filling a deodorant or antiperspirant paste or liquid, which later hardens and mechanically locks into the cup with the assistance of a product retainer, such as an inner ring disposed at an oblique angle to the central access of the package.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]    The accompanying drawings illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention as well as other information pertinent to the disclosure, in which:  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 1: is a side elevational, cross-sectional view of a preferred propel-repel packaging assembly suitable for top filling;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 2: is a side elevation, cross-sectional view of an alternative propel-repel packaging assembly suitable for bottom filling;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 3: is a side elevational view of the propel-repel packaging assembly of FIG. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0013]    The preferred embodiments of this invention are designed to selectively deliver solid deodorant and antiperspirant products. Although they may be useful toward the delivery of other products, such as make-up and the like, they provide heretofore unrecognized benefits to the deodorant and antiperspirant marketplace.  
         [0014]    With reference to FIGS.  1 - 3 , there is shown a top fill propel-repel packaging assembly  100  and a bottom fill propel-repel packaging assembly  200 . Since these assemblies  100  and  200  are nearly identical, but for a few select features, they will be discussed together.  
         [0015]    The preferred assemblies  100  and  200  include tubular bodies  10  and  110 , which are desirably molded, such as by injection molding, from inexpensive thermoplastic materials, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polycarbonate, polyester, acrylic, cellulosics, and nylon. Alternatively, thermosetting polymers could be used, such as phenolics, polyesters, polyurethanes, epoxies, etc. Since the materials suitable for the tubular bodies  10  and  100  are also useful for the other components of the packaging assemblies  100  and  200 , this disclosure of preferred alternative resin compositions applies equally to all components described herein.  
         [0016]    The tubular bodies  10  and  110  include central axes  35  and  135  disposed through the center of the assemblies  100  and  200 , as well as through the deodorant or antiperspirant product  5 . Each of the tubular bodies  10  and  110  has an inner wall  11 ,  111 , and an outer wall,  13 ,  113 . Preferably, both extremities of the tubular bodies  10 ,  110  are open for receiving other components of the packaging assemblies  100  and  200 .  
         [0017]    The tubular bodies  10  and  110  include a first annular connecting means proximate to their lower portions and engaging means for releasably securing the tubular top caps  12 ,  112  at the upper portion. In the preferred embodiments of the assemblies  100  and  200 , the first annular connecting means are annular recesses  28 ,  128 , which can take on any number of concave shapes, such as semicircular, V-shaped, T-shaped or rectangular, for example. The annular recesses  28 ,  128  preferably completely circumscribe the lower portion of the tubular bodies  10 ,  110  to permit a swivel connection with the tubular bottom caps  14 ,  114 . This can be accomplished in various ways, such as, for example, by combining the annular recesses  28 ,  128  with a mating second annular connecting means, such as annular rings  24 ,  124  to frictionally and swivelly connect with the first annular connecting means of the tubular bodies  10 ,  110 . Preferably, the first and second annular connecting means are snap fitted together so as to provide resistance to the separation of the tubular bottom caps  14 ,  114  from the tubular bodies  10 ,  110 .  
         [0018]    The tubular bodies  10 ,  110  also include engaging means, such as threads  15 ,  115 , for reasonably securing the top caps  12 ,  112 . Accordingly, the top caps  12 ,  112  preferably include engaging means, such as threads  16 ,  116  for mating with threads  15 ,  115  of the tubular bodies  10 ,  110 . Alternatively, a snap-fit engaging means or smooth or tapered frictional fit would be sufficient.  
         [0019]    The tubular bottom caps  14 ,  114  also include inner walls  36 ,  136  and outer walls  34 ,  134 . The upper extremity of the tubular bottom caps  14 ,  114  preferably includes an opening and a first thread connecting means such as lugs  40 ,  140 . Instead of lugs  40 ,  140 , the first thread connecting means can be represented by a male thread, female thread, or one half of a helical male-female connection. The tubular bottom caps  14 ,  114  further include annular tubular gripping portions  26 ,  126 , disposed radially outwardly from the outer walls  34 ,  134  of the tubular bottom caps  14 ,  114 . The gripping portions  26 ,  126  can include ridges or scallops  29  to aid the user, and are connected to the tubular bottom caps  14 ,  114  by a bridging portions  31 ,  131  located proximate to a lower portion of the tubular bottom caps  14 ,  114 . The bridging portions  31 ,  131  may be a continuous ring connection, or a series of spaced bridging portions located around the circumference of the tubular bottom caps  14 ,  114 . The bridging portions  31 ,  131  are desirably located near the lower most extremity of the tubular bottom caps  14 ,  114 .  
         [0020]    The annular tubular gripping portions  26 ,  126  form an annular tubular cavity  33 ,  133  with the outer walls  34 ,  134  of the tubular bottom caps  14 ,  114 . These tubular cavities can be very thin, about 0.1″ to somewhat thicker, about 0.3″, so long as the material selection of the tubular bodies  10 ,  110  allows sufficient resiliency during the swivel action of the annular gripping portions  26 ,  126  about the lower portion of the tubular bodies  10 ,  110 , while leaving sufficient material to make an annular connecting means possible.  
         [0021]    The assemblies  100  and  200  further include tubular product carriers  42 ,  142  which act as elevators to propel and repel the product  5  through the open end of the tubular bodies  10 ,  110  once the tubular top caps  12 ,  112  are removed. The tubular product carriers  42 ,  142  preferably include cups  45 ,  145  disposed at an upper region, and support cylinders  47 ,  147 , or the like, disposed at a lower region. The product carriers  42 ,  142  are designed to contain and seal the product during storage and use. The cups  45 ,  145  can include, for this purpose, a product sealing means for frictionally engaging the inner walls  11 ,  111  of the tubular bodies  10 ,  110  to seal the product  5 . The product sealing means can include any number of sealing devices, such as a flared exterior wall  48 ,  148 . Alternatively, the product sealing means could include a feathering of the exterior walls  48 ,  148 , which is sized to be equal to or slightly larger than the diameter of the inner walls  11 , 111 , a rubber or synthetic rubber  0 -ring disposed in an annular groove in the cups  45 ,  145 , or a sealing lubricant, such as silicone oil disposed on the inner walls  11 ,  111  of the tubular bodies  10 ,  110 . In a most preferred embodiment, the product sealing means comprises a flared exterior wall  48 ,  148  which forms the outer ring of the cups  45 ,  145 . The flared exterior wall  48 ,  148  preferably includes a wall portion that extends at an oblique angle to the central axes  35 ,  135 , and preferably includes a thinner or feathered portion which is biased against the inner wall  11 ,  111  in frictional sealing contact to substantially prevent the leakage of product  5  from escaping downwardly from the edge of the flared exterior wall  48 ,  148  during use. If such leakage should occur, it would be contained in the tubular cavities  33 ,  133  so as to substantially eliminate any fouling of the propel mechanism.  
         [0022]    The cups  45 ,  145  may also include product retention means for mechanically locking the product  5  within the cups  45 ,  145 . In a preferred embodiment, the product retention means is a mechanically locking device that prevents the disengagement of the product  5 , such as deodorant or antiperspirant, during propelling, repelling or frictional contact with the body of the user. Such a device can be a thin rib, lug, or inner ring  50 ,  150 , which is situated in a fixed position, such that when the liquid or semi-liquid deodorant or antiperspirant is loaded into the space defined by the tubular bodies  10 ,  110  and cups  45 ,  145 , and is permitted to solidify, the product retention means substantially prevents an unintended dislodging of the product  5  from the cups  45 ,  145 . In a preferred embodiment, the inner ring  50 ,  150  is disposed about 0.25-0.5″ from the outer walls  48 ,  148  of the cups  45 ,  145  at a preferred oblique angle with respect to the central axes  35 ,  135 . Alternatively, the product retention means could be one or more tabs, prongs or a collar which extends at least partially around the circumference of the inner wall of the cup  45 ,  145  and extends radially inwardly from said inner wall.  
         [0023]    The tubular product carrier  42 ,  142  of the preferred embodiment also includes a second thread connecting means  38 ,  138  for engaging with the first thread connecting means, such as lugs  40 ,  140 . In a preferred embodiment, the second thread connecting means is a female thread which acts as a track for the lugs  40 ,  140  of the first thread connecting means. Alternatively, the second thread connecting means could be a male thread, lug or helical male or female-type connection, so long as it mates with the first thread connecting means so as to propel the tubular product carrier  42 ,  142  as intended. Although the first and second thread connecting means are disclosed as being on an inside wall of the tubular bottom cap  14 ,  114  and on an outside wall of the support cylinder  47 ,  147  of the tubular product carrier  42 ,  142 , this preference is optional, since a tubular bottom cap  14 ,  114  can be made to be disposed within the support cylinder  47 ,  147 , in which case the first and second thread connecting means could be disposed on an inner wall of the tubular product carrier  42 ,  142  and an outer wall of the tubular bottom caps  14 ,  114 , respectively.  
         [0024]    For bottom filling applications, in which the product is disposed in a liquid or slurry from the bottom of the assembly  200 , a bottom seal  155  is used to make a final closure to the lower end of the tubular product carrier  142 , such as by closing the opening in the support cylinder  147 . The bottom seal  155  preferably is also a tubular member having an open upper extremity and a closed lower extremity. It preferably includes an annular ring  156  for mating with an annular recess  157  on an inner wall of the support cylinder  147 . This can also be accomplished, as stated above, by an  0 -ring, other snap-fit, plastic weld, or frictional fit connection, for example. The bottom seal  155  also may include a flange  160  providing a stop against unintended further penetration into the support cylinder  147 .  
         [0025]    The packaging assemblies  100  and  200  are designed for top filling and bottom filling respectively. In the top fill propel-repel packaging assembly  100 , the product is disposed into the cup  45  through the opening in the upper portion of the tubular body  10 . The product  5  can be liquid, semi-liquid, or solid and melted in place, so that the product is locked into the cup  45  around inner ring  50 . Since the cup  45  has a solid bottom, the product is retained in the cavity formed by the cup  45  shape and the inner wall  11  of the tubular body  10 . The tubular top cap  12  is then secured over the opening in the tubular body  10 .  
         [0026]    In the bottom fill propel-repel packaging assembly  200 , the cup  145  has an open cup bottom  158 . The bottom seal  155  is not initially present, and the packaging assembly  200  is disposed upside down on a conveyor belt, with the tubular top cap  112 , or equivalent top seal, in place. Liquid, semi-liquid or solid, which is later moltenized, product  5  is inserted through the tubular opening of the support cylinder  147  and through the open cup bottom  158  so as to fill the space formed by the inner wall  111  of the tubular body  110 . The liquid or semi-liquid fill level should be enough to contact the inner ring  150 , to form a mechanical lock, following solidification of the product  5 . Following solidification, the bottom seal  155  is inserted and the annular ring  156  forms a snap fit within the annular recess  157  to secure the bottom seal  155  into position.  
         [0027]    During use, the assemblies  100  and  200  are operable to cause the product  5  disposed within the cups  45  and  145  to selectively propel or repel along the central axes  35  and  135  by a relative rotation of the tubular annular gripping portions  26 ,  126  and the tubular bodies  10 ,  110 . This causes a translation of the lugs  40 ,  140  along the female threads  38 ,  138 , which are located on the outer wall of the support cylinders  47  and  147 , which, in turn, move the tubular product carriers  42 ,  142  and cups  45 ,  145  to cause the product  5  to propel or repel as desired. The first and second thread connecting means should establish a pitch of about 0.06″ to 0.25″ and at least about 0.025″. Desirably, the female threads  38 ,  138  should be spaced about 4-20 threads per inch to provide a propel-repel action suitable for deodorant or antiperspirant stick delivery.  
         [0028]    From the foregoing, it can be realized that this invention provides improved packaging assemblies suitable for dispensing solid deodorant and antiperspirant product. The packaging assemblies of this invention preferably employ thread connecting means and a tubular bottom cap that provides conventional pitch spacing for deodorant and antiperspirant products, but delivers the product in a smoother, less encumbered fashion since the product and the mechanics for propelling and repelling are separated from one another, either partially or nearly completely, by a protective tubular product carrier and product seal along the cup which retain the product. Additional improvements provided by this invention are a product retention means that mechanically locks the product in the tubular product carrier after it is either loaded from the bottom or the top. This invention enables selective top or bottom loading with a relatively small number of components, such as four components for top delivery and only five components for bottom delivery. Although various embodiments have been illustrated, this is for the purpose of describing and not limiting the invention. Various modifications, which will become apparent to one skilled in the art, are within the scope of this invention described in the attached claims.