Patent Publication Number: US-6334557-B1

Title: Capped container

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a capped container and, more particularly, to a capped container having an inserted nozzle, for example, the capped container for containing eye drops, iodine, mercuro-chrome liquid, hydrogen peroxide, or contact lens cleaning solution, or the capped container for a particular spray powder. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     A known capped container with inserted nozzle, for example, the eye drops bottle shown in FIG. 1, comprises a bottle body  81 , an inserted nozzle  82 , and a cap  83 . After filling of eye drops, the punch  8  of the automatic machine shown in FIG. 2 is driven to force the nozzle  82  into the opening  811  of the bottle body  81 , and then the cap  83  is threaded onto the bottle body  81 . Because the nozzle  82  is a small object, it is difficult to pick up the nozzle  82  and to hold it in accurate alignment with the opening  811  of the bottle body  81 . The positioning portion  821  of the nozzle  82  must be inserted into the opening  811  of the bottle body  81  to a certain depth, so that the nozzle  82  can be tightly secured to the bottle body  81 , preventing a leakage of eye drops. When driving the punch  8  to force the nozzle  82  into the opening  811  of the bottle body  81 , the nozzle  82  may be tilted or broken. Further, driving the punch  8  against the top of the nozzle  82  may damage the upper surface of the nozzle  82 . In case the inserted nozzle  82  is damaged, it cannot be easily checked after closing of the cap  83  on the bottle body  81  by the automatic machine. 
     Therefore, it is desirable to provide a capped container to mitigate and/or obviate the aforementioned problems. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The object of the present invention is to provide a capped container, which prevents damage to the inserted nozzle or tilting the inserted nozzle during its assembly process. 
     To achieve the object, the capped container of the present invention includes a container body, an inserted nozzle, and a cap, and is characterized in that retainer means is provided between the inside wall of the cap and the shoulder or nozzle tip of the nozzle for enabling the nozzle to be press-fitted first into the cap, so that the nozzle can be mounted with the cap to the container body and then press-fitted into the opening of the container body. Because the nozzle is held in the cap, the cap can easily be picked up and held in position to aim the nozzle at the opening of the container body, and punching the cap against the container body to force the nozzle into the opening of the container body does not cause damage to the nozzle. 
     Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a cutaway view of a capped container according to the prior art. 
     FIG. 2 illustrates the assembly procedure of the capped container according to the prior art. 
     FIG. 3 is a cutaway view of a capped container according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 illustrates the assembly procedure of the capped container according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 5 is a cutaway view of an alternate form of the capped container according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 6 is a cutaway view of another alternate form of the capped container according to the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     With reference to FIG. 3, there is shown a capped container constructed according to the present invention. The capped container comprises a bottle  1 . The bottle  1  comprises a bottle body  10  adapted to hold eye drops, a nozzle  2 , a cap  3 , and retainer means  4 . The bottle body  10  comprises a closed bottom  11 , an opening  13  in the top  12  thereof, and an outer thread  131  around the opening  13 . The nozzle  2  is injection-molded from low-density polyethylene, comprising a nozzle tip  21 , a shoulder  22 , a mounting portion  23 , and a nozzle hole  20  axially extended through the nozzle tip  21  for output of eye drops. The mounting portion  23  is used to press-fit into the opening  13  of the bottle body  10 , keeping the shoulder  22  stopped above and sealing the opening  13 . The cap  3  is injection-molded from high-density polyethylene, comprising a cap body  30  having a sealing top  31 . The cap body  30  has an inner thread  321  disposed around the lower part of the inside wall  32  thereof and adapted for threading onto the outer thread  131  of the bottle body  10 . After threading the inner thread  321  of the cap body  30  onto the outer thread  131  of the bottle body  10 , the sealing top  31  of the cap body  30  seals the nozzle tip  21 . The retainer means  4  of the present preferred embodiment comprises three retaining blocks  41  formed integral with and symmetrically spaced around the periphery of the shoulder  22  of the nozzle  2 . 
     The assembly process of the capped bottle  1  is outlined hereinafter with reference to FIG.  4 . The punch  9  is operated to force the nozzle  2  into the invertedly disposed cap  3 , causing the retaining blocks  41  of the shoulder  22  to be forced into engagement with the inside wall  32  of the cap  3 . Because the nozzle  2  and the cap  3  are molded from materials of different hardness, the nozzle  2  can easily be press-fitted into the cap  3 . Polypropylene, Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, or other suitable plastic materials may be used instead of polyethylene for making the nozzle  2  with the retaining blocks  41 , and the cap  3 , enabling the nozzle  2  and the cap  3  to have different hardness. The nozzle  2  and the cap  3  can be made of same material if the precision is well controlled for enabling the nozzle  2  to be easily press-fitted into the inside wall  32  of the cap  3 . 
     Referring to FIG. 4 again, after installation of the nozzle  2  in the cap  3 , the cap  3  is turned back to the normal vertical position and aimed at the opening  13  of the bottle  1 . Because the cap  3  is of much greater size than the nozzle  2 , it can easily be picked up and held in accurate alignment with the opening  13  of the bottle  1 . When pressing down the assembly of nozzle  2  and cap  3 , the nozzle  2  is press-fitted into the opening  13  of the top  12  of bottle body  10  and cap  3  is installed onto bottle body  10 . Because downward squeezing force is directly applied to the top of the cap  3 , it does not damage the nozzle  21 . 
     FIG. 5 shows an alternate form of the capped container according to the present invention. According to this alternate form, the aforesaid retaining means comprises three springy retaining blocks  42  formed integral with and symmetrically spaced around the periphery of the shoulder  22  of the nozzle  2 . Because the retaining blocks  42  are springy, the nozzle  2  can easily be press-fitted into the inside wall  32  of the cap  3 . 
     FIG. 6 shows another alternate form of the capped container according to the present invention. According to this alternate form, the aforesaid retaining means comprises three retaining blocks  43  formed integral with and symmetrically spaced around the inside wall  32  of the cap  3  and adapted to hold down the nozzle  2  in the cap  3 . 
     The aforesaid retaining blocks  41 ,  42  or  43  are formed integral with the periphery of the shoulder  22  of the nozzle  2 , and can be formed integral with the inside wall  32  of the cap  3  alternatively. The retaining blocks also can be formed integral with the outside wall of the nozzle tip  21  of the nozzle  2 , or the inside wall  32  of the cap  3  corresponding to the nozzle tip  21  of the nozzle  2 . In still another alternate form of the present invention, the retaining means is made comprising an annular retaining flange formed integral with and around the inside wall  32  of the cap  3  for holding down the shoulder  22  or nozzle tip  21  of the nozzle  2 . 
     Although the present invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.