Patent Publication Number: US-2012041398-A1

Title: Bottle for containing a fluid

Description:
This application claims priority of Taiwanese application no. 099215301, filed on Aug. 10, 2010. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to a bottle for containing a fluid, more particularly to a bottle having a spreading unit for spreading a fluid dispensed from the bottle. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Fluids for skin care, personal care or external medical use, such as body or facial lotions, sunscreens, facial creams, pain-relief or ache-relief ointments, facial or body gels, etc. are generally received in a bottle. In use, the fluid is generally poured out of the bottle in a required amount and applied to a desired area of the user&#39;s body. Then, the fluid is spread allover the desired area accompanied with massaging action by the user&#39;s hands for better distribution and absorption of the fluid. 
     However, spreading of the fluid by the user&#39;s hands tends to leave the residue of the fluid on the hands, so that the user may need to wash his or her hands after using the fluid. Such cleaning after use may be inconvenient to the user especially when no clean water is available. 
     Therefore, some approaches have been proposed to solve the aforesaid problem. As shown in  FIG. 1 , a conventional bottle  1  includes a ball  11  mounted in an opening of the bottle  1 . When the fluid is poured out of the bottle  1  by the user, the fluid is spread on the desired portion of the body through rotation of the ball  11  while the desired area is being massaged. However, since the fluid continuously flows out of the bottle  1  during the spreading and massaging processes, the user is unable to perform the spreading and massaging operations over a long period of time without excess of the fluid being used. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a bottle for containing a fluid which is able to provide both spreading and massaging functions without the abovementioned problems encountered by the prior art. 
     According to this invention, there is provided a bottle for containing a fluid, comprising: 
     a grippable bottle body having a size that can be gripped by one hand, the bottle body having a surrounding wall defining a receiving space, and an opening connected fluidly to the receiving space; 
     a cap to close the opening in a fluid-tight manner; and 
     at least one spreading unit that includes a roller rotatably disposed on the surrounding wall outwardly of the receiving space and at a location away from the opening, the roller being rotatable on a surface to spread the fluid when the bottle body is gripped by one hand and is moved relative to the surface. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a longitudinal sectional view of a conventional bottle; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the first preferred embodiment of a bottle for containing a fluid according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a side view of the second preferred embodiment of a bottle for containing a fluid according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a side view of the third preferred embodiment of a bottle for containing a fluid according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a top view of the fourth preferred embodiment of a bottle for containing a fluid according to the present invention; and 
         FIG. 6  is an exploded perspective view of the fifth preferred embodiment of a bottle for containing a fluid according to the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Before the present invention is described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying preferred embodiments, it should be noted herein that like elements are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the disclosure. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the first preferred embodiment of a bottle for containing a fluid according to the present invention includes a grippable bottle body  2 , a cap  3  and at least one spreading unit  4 . 
     The grippable bottle body  2  has a size that can be gripped by one hand and has a surrounding wall  21  defining a receiving space (not shown), and an opening  22  connected fluidly to the receiving space. The cap  3  may close the opening  22  in a fluid-tight manner. 
     The at least one spreading unit  4  includes a roller  42  rotatably disposed on the surrounding wall  21  outwardly of the receiving space and at a location away from the opening  22 . The roller  42  is rotatable on a surface to spread the fluid when the bottle body  2  is gripped by one hand and is moved relative to the surface. The surface may be any desired area of a user&#39;s body. 
     Preferably, the grippable bottle body  2  has a threaded neck portion  23  defining the opening  22 , while the cap  3  has a threaded cap body  31  sleeved around the threaded neck portion  23  and formed with a dispensing outlet  32 . A lid  33  is hinged to the threaded cap body  31 . 
     Preferably, the at least one spreading unit  4  further includes a mount  41  fixed to one side of the surrounding wall  21  and having a recess  412 . The roller  42  is disposed rotatably in the recess  412  and protrudes partially from the recess  412 . 
     In the preferred embodiment, the roller  42  includes a plurality of projections  421  protruding from a surface  423  of the roller  42 . 
     In the preferred embodiment, the roller  42  has two opposite journal ends  422 . The mount  41  has a base wall  411 , two journal support walls  413  and two connection walls  414 . The base wall  411  is disposed in abutment with the surrounding wall  21 . The two journal support walls  413  project from the base wall  411  and respectively support the journal ends  422 . Two connection walls  414  are connected between the journal support walls  413 , and confine the recess  412  with the journal support walls  413  and the base wall  411 . 
     When using the bottle of this embodiment of the present invention, a user can grip the bottle body  2  by one hand and then open the lid  33  to pour out of a fluid received in the receiving space of the bottle body  2  through the opening  22  and the dispensing outlet on a surface of a desired area of the body. Subsequently, the lid  33  is closed, and the roller  42  is rotatable on the surface when the bottle body  2  is moved relative to the surface. Hence, by means of rotation of the roller  42  on the surface, the fluid can be spread evenly on the surface and the pressure applied on the surface via the roller  42  may massage the surface. If the user moves the bottle body  2  more forcibly, the massage effect on the surface may be strengthened. 
     By virtue of the aforementioned configuration of the bottle of the present invention, the present invention can provide a bottle for containing a fluid which is able to achieve an effect of spreading the fluid evenly accompanied with a massaging function. Additionally, the spreading and massaging effects can be enhanced by means of the plurality of projections  421 . Moreover, since the spreading unit  4  is disposed at a location away from the opening  22 , the fluid will not continuously flow out during the spreading and massaging processes. Therefore, it is possible for the user to conduct the spreading and massaging operations over a long period of time without troubles concerning the hand(s) being moistened with excess fluid and a waste of the fluid. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates the second embodiment of the bottle of this invention. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the roller of the spreading unit  4  is configured as a rolling ball  42 ′, and the mount  44  has an annular body fixed to the surrounding wall  21  and confining the recess  412 . Preferably, the annular body of the mount  44  is cylindrical as shown in  FIG. 3 . More preferably, the bottle of this embodiment comprises a plurality of the spreading units  4 , each of which has the rolling ball  42 ′ and the mount  44 . 
     The bottle of this embodiment is used in the same way as the first embodiment. Likewise, by means of rotation of the rolling ball  42 ′ on the surface, the fluid can be spread evenly on the surface and the pressure applied on the surface via the rolling ball  42 ′ may massage the surface. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates the third embodiment of the bottle of this invention. The third embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the bottle of this embodiment has two types of the spreading units  4  according to the first and second embodiments, respectively. In this way, the user may choose one of these two types of the spreading units  4  depending on his or her requirements. 
       FIG. 5  illustrates the fourth embodiment of the bottle of this invention. The fourth embodiment differs from the first embodiment only in that the bottle body  2  has a narrowed width at the one side  211  of the surrounding wall  21 , and an enlarged width in the remaining side  212  of the surrounding wall  21 . The mount  41  is tapered from the one side  211  in a direction (shown by the arrow A) away from the one side  211  and the remaining side  212 . Preferably, the surrounding wall  21  has a rough grip surface  213  in the remaining side  212  of the surrounding wall  21 . By virtue of the bottle body  2  having a narrowed width at the one side  211  of and an enlarged width in the remaining side  212  of the surrounding wall  21 , it is easier for the user to exert force to move the bottle body  2 . The rough grip surface  213  is designed to prevent the bottle body  2  from slipping off the user&#39;s hand. 
       FIG. 6  illustrates the fifth embodiment of the bottle of this invention. The fifth embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the spreading unit  4  further includes a shield  45  detachably disposed on the mount  41  so as to cover the roller  42  and so as to protect the roller  42  from dusts and other contaminants, and the fluid left on the roller  42  can be prevented from flowing off from the spreading unit  4  as well. 
     In view of the foregoing, by virtue of the structural design of the spreading unit  4  of the bottle of the present invention, the user is able to grip the bottle body  2  by one hand, and to move the bottle body  2  relative to the surface in such a manner that the fluid may be spread evenly on the surface and massage may be provided to the surface via rotation of the roller  42  or the rolling ball  42 ′ on the surface. Besides, strength of the massage effect on the surface may be controlled by the force applied by the user to move the bottle body  2 . Moreover, since the spreading unit  4  is disposed at a location away from the opening  22 , the fluid will not continuously flow out during the spreading and massaging processes and the user may conduct the spreading and massaging operations over a long period of time. 
     While the present invention has been described in connection with what are considered the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretations and equivalent arrangements.