Patent Publication Number: US-11639256-B2

Title: Non-roll stick product containers

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to three distinct types of stick product containers for dispensing stick products such as glue, lip balm, sunscreen, or deodorant. The specific type of product is not limiting. Particularly the invention relates to a stick product container with an improved cap design. 
     Stick products such as but not limited to those for lip balms, sun screens, deodorants, and glue are known. They generally involve a cylindrical housing, a bottom or a base in one end of the housing and a cap on the other. The product is contained inside and is dispensed by one mechanical means or another when the cap is removed. Some have mechanical mechanisms for twisting the base of the cylinder to push out the stick product, others simply push out. Mechanical mechanisms to urge the product towards the top end of the cylinder are well known and need not be described herein. 
     A particular problem with such stick product containers is difficulty in removing the cap and/or once the cap is removed the cap is often lost, misplaced, simply left off or rolls away from the user. The container easily rolls away as well. The result is that the product inside of the cylindrical barrel or housing dries making it worthless. The present invention solves this and other problems. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to three stick product containers. One has a removable top cap with a crown and a hollow base, such that the top cap can be removed and inserted into the hollow base. Preferably the top cap has associated with it a thumb lever push ring to make it easier to remove the lid and prevent the stick from rolling when laid horizontal. Another container is more suitable, for example, for a lip balm that has a top cap with a living hinge that can be flipped all the way back, inserted into a plug insert hole in the base of the cap, and then the cap is used to support the container in an at rest position to prevent it from rolling. Yet another container has a removable cap having a living hinge that can be flipped back and inserted in a hole on the base of the cap. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is a side elevational view of a non-roll stick product container in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG.  2    is a side elevational view with the front (top) cap off; 
         FIG.  3    is a side elevational view with the front cap off and inserted in the hollow bottom so that the container may stand on its own; 
         FIG.  4    is a standing view of a non-roll stick product container embodiment of the invention with its flip top cap closed; 
         FIG.  5    shows the  FIG.  4    container with the flip cap open and in at rest positioned to hold the container in a horizontal position when at rest; 
         FIG.  6    shows the cap of the non-roll stick container embodiment open and in a standing position to show the living hinge, the plug hole, and the plug of the cap; 
         FIG.  7    is a side sectional view of a container and separate flip top cap; 
         FIG.  8    is a perspective view of a container; and 
         FIG.  9    is a side sectional view of a container. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now in greater detail to the drawings, first  FIGS.  1 - 3    and then next  FIGS.  4 , 5   , and  6 . Stick product container  10  is shown in a closed configuration in  FIG.  1   . Generally it comprises a cylindrical housing  12 , a cap  14  which is removable and a bottom end  16  or base  16  which is non-removable and closes off the end of cylinder  12 . Below the cap  14  and on the cylinder  12  is a thumb lever push-ring  18 . The push-ring includes an outwardly extending tab  19 . Cap  14  has on its top end a crown  20 . The housing  12  may be circular in cross section, oval, rectangular or triangle. 
       FIG.  2    shows the cap  14  removed to expose the stick product  22 . As earlier stated stick product  22  is not a limiting feature of the invention and it may be lip balm, sunscreen, deodorant, glue or other cosmetic, medicinal, or adhesive products. Those skilled in the art know for stick products that lend themselves to a more rigid structure it is typical for the product  10  to have a mechanism to urge the product towards the top end of the cylinder, often operatively engaged by twisting the bottom end or base  16 . Such mechanisms are well known and need not be described in detail herein. Push-ring  18  has a thumb lever or tab  19  associated with it which may be pushed up to force the cap to dislodge from product  22  for easy removal. The push ring prevents rolling of the container. Cap  14  has a crown  20  fixed to it in a non-removable manner. 
     As illustrated in  FIG.  3    crown  20  can be inserted into the hollow bottom end or base  16  with the crown  20  matingly fitting into the hollow end of bottom or base  16  so that it removably holds in position. As a result the cap  14  does not fall off or roll around. The product can be kept from rolling by resting on the thumb lever push ring. 
     The optional mechanism for moving the product upward when twisting the bottom end or base  16  can be a conventional screw mechanism inside of cylinder housing  12 , so that when the cap or base  16  is turned a stick product  22  may advance upwardly, making more product available for use. 
     A product dispenser, particularly suitable for a stick product such as lip balm or glue stick is shown in  FIGS.  4 ,  5  and  6   . It operates mechanically similarly but has a means of closure. In particular it has similar parts, a cylindrical barrel  12  and a twist base  26 , top cap  28  and a thumb release  30 , and as well a living hinge  32 . The cylinder barrel  12  and flip cap  28  are made of one piece (as in  FIG.  4   ) or multiple pieces (as in  FIG.  7   ). Also, as shown in  FIG.  7   , the cap  28  may extend outwardly from the cylinder to form a cavity  29  that allows product to remain extended when the cap  28  is closed. Under the living hinge but still on the cap is an insert or lock plug  34 . Hinge  32  has an insert base  36  which when thumb release  30  is pushed upwardly and cap  28  moves up and away, then the insert plug  34  fits into the insert hole  36  of hinge  32  and locks it into a rest position shown in  FIG.  5    so that the container  10  can rest on cap  28  as depicted in  FIG.  5   , and also prevent losing the cap or rolling away. Insert lock plug  34  friction fits into insert hole  36  and may simply be pulled out from the same in order to allow the living hinge to function to close the stick product container as needed or desired as shown in closed position in  FIG.  6    and opened in a non-rolling at rest position in  FIG.  5   . In  FIG.  4    the cap  28  is attached to the housing  12  by hinge  32 .  FIG.  7    shows an alternative embodiment where the cap  28  has a collar  40  that snuggly fits around one end of the housing  12 . The cap  28  is connected to the collar  40  by hinge  32 . 
     In yet another embodiment, the container  10  has a housing  120  and a cap  122  removably attached to the housing  120 . The housing has a first open end  124 , a second open end  126 , and a side wall  128  that forms at least one, and preferably two hollow chambers  130  and  132 . The first hollow chamber  130  is adapted to receive a stick product  134  and the second hollow chamber  132  is adapted to receive the cap  122  as will be explained further below. 
     The cap  122  has a top wall  136 , a side wall  138  and an open bottom  140 . The cap  122  is attached to the housing  120  in any manner, but preferably is attached through a friction fit. Extending outwardly, and generally perpendicular, from the side wall  138  of the cap  122 , is a projection or flange  142 . The projection  142  does not extend all the way around the side wall  138  of the housing  120 . Preferably the projection  142  is positioned adjacent a lower edge  144  of the side wall  138 . The projection  142  also is preferably flat and has a length greater than its width. The projection is of a size and shape that is adapted to prevent the container  10  from rolling when placed lengthwise on a surface. 
     The top wall  136  of the cap  122  is adapted to be received and secured within the second hollow chamber  132  of housing  120 . When inserted within the second hollow chamber  132 , the projection  142  remains outside the hollow chamber  132  and beyond the second open end  126  of the housing so that when secured, the projection prevents the container from rolling on a surface. 
     In operation, when the cap  122  is attached to the housing  120 , and the container is lying on a surface, the container is prevented from rolling by the engagement of the projection  142  with the surface. The cap  122  is removed from the housing  120  by applying manual pressure on the cap  122 . Force on the projection  142  can also be applied to assist in removing the cap  122 . 
     Once removed, the top wall  136  is inserted within the second hollow chamber  132  such that the projection  142  outside of the hollow chamber  132  and beyond the second open end  126  of the housing. In this position, the projection  142  again engages the surface to prevent the container from rolling. 
     It is to be understood that the preferred embodiments here described are a illustrative only and that the invention is intended to include all the modifications and so far as they come within the scope of the impendent claims or the equivalence thereof.