Patent Publication Number: US-2005121465-A1

Title: Container for storing and applying liquid or cream products

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention refers to a container which is configured to allow the storage of a load of liquid or cream product, such as a cream deodorant, and the application of this product to the user&#39;s body.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      There are well known from the art the containers for storing products, such as cream deodorants, which consist of a generally cylindrical basic body, having a closed seating base and which is provided with an upper opening defining a nozzle which is generally threaded to receive a cap, said nozzle being dimensioned to allow the user to access and extract, without difficulties, the cream stored inside the basic body.  
      In this construction, the cream product is removed from the tubular body and applied to the user&#39;s skin by his/her hands, which operation presents some inconveniences, such as possible contaminations of the product as a function not only of the hygiene of the user&#39;s hand, but of allowing the product to contact the environment when the container is open. Furthermore, with the manual application of the product, the user needs to wash his/her hands at each application as a consequence of the way of use.  
      In another known construction for deodorants and other cream products, the container is in the form of a tube, having a product dispensing end opening generally in the form of an axially projecting cylindrical nozzle which is externally threaded and closed by a cap threaded around the cylindrical nozzle.  
      While this construction does not present the deficiencies of exposing the product to the environment, as in the case of the containers in the form of a cylindrical basic body, it has the disadvantage mentioned in the construction above resulting from the need to manually apply the product to the user&#39;s skin.  
      Aiming at eliminating the deficiencies of the containers of the above-mentioned types, there has been proposed a container construction for storing and applying cream products, comprising a single-piece tubular body having a closed basic end and an application end defined by an end wall portion in the approximate form of a substantially spherical and relatively rigid calotte, provided with a dispensing orifice which is closed by a cap being seated and retained onto the tubular body, the cap being preferably provided with an end wall which is shaped to define a support surface onto which the container is seated in the inverted position, with the dispensing orifice turned down.  
      In this prior art solution disclosed by the Brazilian patent application MU8200772-1 of the same applicant, the cap incorporates a sealing means, preferably in the form of an internal axial projection to be fitted into the dispensing orifice to close it when the cap is seated on the tubular body of the container. The cap is retained to the tubular body by the cooperation of a retaining means provided in the end wall of the tubular body with a lock means internally provided in the cap. These retaining and locking means can be defined by respective screw threads or by circumferential ribs and grooves that mutually cooperate upon the seating of the cap on the tubular body.  
      The construction described above is particularly adequate to tubular bodies made of a flexible material for storing cream or even liquid products, such as the deodorants to be released through the dispensing orifice of the application end in the form of a substantially spherical calotte of the tubular body.  
      This MU8200772-1 solution requires few mounting operations, facilitates the direct application of the product to the user&#39;s skin and restricts the exposure of the product to the environment.  
      However, by reason of the need to incorporate the usual external screw thread to the basic circumferential region of the calotte of the application end, said basic circumferential region presents a height or an axial extension which is dimensioned to allow the provision of the screw thread. This constructive characteristic increases the height of the rigid region of the calotte that defines the application end, producing two undesirable effects, one of them being the difficulty the user has, through the usual manual operation for resiliently deforming the flexible lateral wall of the tubular body, to achieve such resilient deformation in a sufficient degree to allow said wall to penetrate in the internal region of the spherical calotte and thus promote the discharge of all the remaining amount of the cream still retained in the package. The higher height of the rigid region of the spherical calotte, besides making difficult to extract all the product, leads to a relatively increased internal volume, retaining in its interior an undesirable amount of product which is difficult to be used. The package tends to be discarded still containing a certain amount of the product retained inside the application end in the form of a spherical calotte.  
      In this prior art construction, the screw thread for locking the cap guarantees a certain seating force of the cap on the tubular body.  
      In the cases in which the axial locking of the cap is achieved by the mutual fitting of circumferential ribs and grooves, the known solutions only lead to the locking of the cap in a seating position sufficient to guarantee the fitting of the sealing means in the interior of the dispensing orifice. The cap is not constantly forced against the end wall portion of the tubular body, but only maintained seated against the latter.  
      Thus, the constructive solution previously proposed by the same applicant presents a cap sealing and retaining arrangement which is applied to containers of liquid products and to deodorant dispensing containers of the roll-on type when the cap is affixed by threading, i.e., by a system that requires more laborious movements from the user to remove and to reclose the cap. When only one axial locking system of the cap is used, both the sealing and the retention means, although being relatively cheaper and easier to handle, are not adequate for sealing recipients containing a liquid product, such as those of the roll-on type and those provided with an end dispensing orifice, since the internal sealing means of the cap are not pressed against the end wall portion of the tubular body, whether defined by a calotte incorporated in a single piece to the tubular body, or rotatably supported thereon, as it occurs with the end sphere of the roll-on type applicators.  
     OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION  
      It is a generic object of the present invention to provide a container for storing and applying liquid or cream products, such as deodorants, which allows for an easy and direct application of the product to the user&#39;s skin and a restricted exposure of the product to the environment, and which presents, by means of a relatively simple construction, a closing arrangement comprising a cap which can be easily manipulated by the user to the open and closed positions, and which leads to an adequate sealing degree of the container that is storing liquid or cream products, independently of the fact of the container being of the roll-on type or provided with an end wall portion in the form of a spherical calotte, incorporated in a single piece to the container body and which is provided with a median dispensing orifice.  
      It is a further object of the present invention to provide a container with a closing arrangement as mentioned above and which is constructed to allow an easy and complete depletion of the stored product, even when the latter is in the cream form.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The invention proposed herein is directed to a container for storing and applying liquid or cream products, such as a dispensing container in the form of a tube, bottle or of the roll-on type for liquid or cream deodorant, said container comprising a tubular body having a closed basic end and an application end provided with an end wall portion in the form of a spherical calotte which is incorporated to the tubular body or rotatably supported thereon, and with a product dispensing means, in the form of an orifice in the spherical calotte or a sphere rotatably supported on the application end of the tubular body. The container further comprises a cap, presenting an end wall internally provided with at least one sealing means, and a sidewall, which cap is removably seated and retained against the application end of the tubular body, so that the sealing means blocks the product dispensing means.  
      According to the invention, the tubular body is provided with an annular step adjacent to the application end and turned to the basic end, the sidewall of the cap incorporating, internally, a circumferential rib with its internal diameter being slightly smaller than the external diameter of the annular step, in order to be seated against the latter when subjected to a certain expansive plastic deformation.  
      The annular step and the circumferential rib are shaped so that the resilient memory force of the cap, which is acting on the mutual seating region of the annular step and of the circumferential rib, axially forces the cap against the application end, maintaining the sealing means pressed against the product dispensing means, blocking the latter.  
      The closing arrangement, which is generically defined above, allows the cap axial locking means, which present a relatively simple and low cost construction and are easy to handle, to assure a secure and efficient sealing of the liquid or cream dispensing means, whether defined by a dispensing orifice or by a roll-on type sphere.  
      Another important positive aspect of the construction proposed herein is the fact that the closing arrangement eliminates the provision of screw threads in the basic region of the spherical calotte, allowing to substantially reduce the height of the latter and consequently its internal volume, whereby the user can easily deform the flexible wall of the tubular body, pressing it inwardly the spherical calotte so as to extract the product which is still retained in the container. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      The invention will be described below with reference to the enclosed drawings, given by way of example of embodiments of the invention and in which:  
       FIG. 1  is a lower lateral perspective view of a first construction of the present deodorant container, already containing the product and closed by a cap;  
       FIG. 2  is a lower end view of the tubular body of the container illustrated in  FIG. 1  and without the cap;  
       FIG. 3  is a longitudinal diametrical sectional view of the container illustrated in  FIG. 1 , with the cap in an exploded position;  
       FIG. 3   a  illustrates enlarged details of the application end of the container of  FIG. 3 ;  
       FIG. 4  is a longitudinal diametrical sectional view of the same container, closed by the respective cap; and  
       FIGS. 5 and 6  are longitudinal diametrical sectional views of two other possible constructions for a container of the roll-on type when closed by a respective cap.  
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS  
      As illustrated, the present container comprises, in a first embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 1-4 , a tubular body  10 , generally made of plastic and with a substantially cylindrical contour or with any other cross section, having a closed basic end  11  and an opposite application end  12 , onto which is seated and axially retained a cap  20  provided with an end wall  21  and a sidewall  22 . The tubular body  10  presents a wall thickness which is adequate to render it flexible and easily resiliently deformable when manually pressed by the user.  
      The cap  20  presents a tubular shape, for example with a peripheral contour similar to that of the tubular body  10  at least in the region of the latter that is adjacent to the mounting region of the cap  20  to the application end  12  of said tubular body  10 , said cap  20  being generally, but not necessarily, made of plastic material.  
      According to this first embodiment, the application end  12  of the tubular body  10  is provided with an end wall portion  13  in the form of a relatively rigid spherical calotte, incorporated in a single piece to the tubular body  10  and which is provided with at least one product dispensing means  14  which takes the form of an orifice, which in this case can be central and axial. In the present solution, the end wall portion  13  presents a contour smaller than that of the adjacent portion of the tubular body  10 .  
      In the first embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 1-4 , the tubular body  10  takes the form of a tube with the basic end  11  presenting, before closing it for retaining the product stored inside the tubular body  10 , a marginal contour matching with that of the tubular body  10  ( FIG. 3 ). Upon closing the basic end  11 , by mutually welding the end marginal extensions of the tubular body  10 , this welding occurs according to at least one substantially diametrical rectilinear alignment, allowing the container to be supported, when not in use, by the end wall  21  of the cap  20 . This construction of the tubular body  10  in the form of a tube is particularly adequate to contain cream products.  
      Considering the construction of the tubular body  10  illustrated in  FIGS. 1-4 , the end wall  21  of the cap  20  is shaped generally in an externally concave manner, so as to define a peripheral annular surface for supporting the container in an inverted position, with the application end  12  turned down. The end wall  21  incorporates, internally, a first sealing means  23  in the form of an axial projection to be fitted in the product dispensing means  14 , in the form of an orifice of the end wall portion  13  of the tubular body  10 , and a second sealing means  24 , in the form of a tubular projection having a free peripheral edge pressed against the end wall portion  13 , around the orifice of the product dispensing means  14 , upon the seating of the cap  20  against the tubular body  10 .  
      The tubular body  10  is provided with an annular step  16  adjacent to the application end  12  and turned to the basic end  11 , whereas the lateral wall  22  of the cap  20  incorporates, internally, a circumferential rib  26  with an internal diameter “d” which is slightly smaller than the external diameter “D” of the annular step  16 , in order to be seated against the latter when subjected to a certain expansive radial resilient deformation.  
      The annular step  16  and the circumferential rib  26  are shaped so that the resilient memory force of the cap  20 , which is acting on the mutual seating region between the annular step  16  and the circumferential rib  26 , axially forces the cap  20  against the application end  12 , maintaining the sealing means  23 ,  24 , which are defined by the internal axial and tubular projections of the end wall  21 , pressed against the end wall portion  13  and blocking the product dispensing means  14 .  
      In the embodiment being described, the cap  20  is axially forced to maintain the first sealing means  23 , in the form of an axial projection, fitted in the orifice of the product dispensing means  14 , whereas the second sealing means  24 , in the form of a tubular projection, is maintained pressed against the end wall portion  13 , in the form of a spherical calotte, around the orifice of the product dispensing means  14 .  
      In the construction illustrated in  FIGS. 1-4 , the end wall portion  13  in the form of a spherical calotte has its peripheral edge directly and indirectly united to the peripheral edge of the annular step  16 , which facilitates the fitting and unfitting of the cap  20  in relation to the tubular body  10 . The softening of the edges which join the different cooperating surfaces to define the locking arrangement between the cap and the tubular body tends to make the handling easier to the user.  
      As illustrated, the present container, independently of the tubular body  10  being shaped as a tube, a bottle or being of the roll-on type, is preferably constructed with the annular step  16  defining an inclined surface in relation to a plane orthogonal to the axis of the tubular body  10 , in a level which is sufficient to produce, jointly with the resilient memory of the cap and the degree of resilient deformation, an axial force which is adequate to guarantee a secure sealing of the container upon closing the cap.  
      In order to make the handling of the container an easier and softer task for the user, the annular step  16  can have its profile defined by half the profile of a circumferential salience  17 , with a cross section in the form of an externally convex arc of a circle, incorporated to the tubular body  10  adjacent to the end wall portion  13 . On the other hand, the circumferential rib  26  of the cap  20  presents a substantially semicircular convex cross section, which is dimensioned to be seated on the annular step  16  over the circumferential salience  17  of the tubular body  10  upon closing the cap  20 , the circumferential rib  26  being preferably provided close to a free end edge of the sidewall  22  of the cap  20 .  
      In the preferred and illustrated construction, the annular step  16  presents and external edge defining a contour which is smaller than that of the portion of tubular body  10  adjacent to the annular step. This construction allows the cross section contour of the cap  20  to be contained in the larger cross section contour of the tubular body  10 .  
       FIGS. 5 and 6  illustrate the application of the invention to a container whose tubular body  10  takes the form of any cylindrical or tubular bottle, with the application end  12  defining a bearing on which is conveniently seated and retained a product dispensing means  15  in the form of a sphere operating jointly with the application end  12 , the surface portion of the sphere of the product dispensing means  15 , disposed internal to the application end  12 , defining the end wall portion of the tubular body  10 . In the construction of  FIG. 5 , the end wall  21  of the cap  20  incorporates, internally, a sealing means  24  in the form of a tubular projection having a free peripheral edge which is pressed against the sphere of the product dispensing means  15 , forcing the latter to its bearing condition on the application end  12 , in order to block the product dispensing means  15  upon the seating of the cap  20  against the tubular body  10 . In the construction of  FIG. 6 , the sealing means  24   a  takes the form of a spherical concave cradle, whose concave surface is pressed against the sphere of the product dispensing means  15 , forcing it against the application end  12  of the tubular body  10 , blocking the product dispensing means  15  upon the seating of the cap  20  against the tubular body  10 .  
      The constructive characteristics of the annular step  16  of the circumferential rib  26  of the cap  20  follow the same principles described above.  
      While the present description has been developed based on the illustrated constructive forms, it should be understood that changes could be made in the physical arrangement of the component parts without departing from the constructive concept defined in the claims that accompany the present specification.