Patent Publication Number: US-8985384-B2

Title: Liquid container

Description:
The present invention relates to a container. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with one aspect of the present invention there is provided a container comprising a base and a cap, the base having a lower end and an upper end and the cap having a lower end and an upper end, wherein the base and the cap are arranged to be interengaged to form a hermetic seal such that a chamber within the base adjacent the lower end thereof, arranged to contain liquid, is sealed off, the base having a multi-sided upper region adjacent the upper end thereof and the cap having a corresponding multi-sided upper region adjacent the upper end thereof, the respective upper regions being snugly engaged when the base and the cap are hermetically interengaged, the upper region of the cap being flared outwardly progressively towards the upper end of the cap and the base having a multi-sided upper end wall, wherein the interengaged cap may be rotated axially within the base so as to cause the cap to rise up over the upper end wall of the base and to be released from the base. 
     The multi-sided components of the container may not be circular but may have one of a wide range of other shapes such as oval, triangular, quadrangular, pentagonal or hexagonal. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective side elevation of a liquid container in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a view similar to  FIG. 1  with a cap removed from a base; 
         FIG. 2   a  is a plan view of the base of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a vertical sectional view of the container of  FIG. 1  in perspective showing the cap and the base in separated condition; 
         FIG. 4  is a vertical sectional view of the container of  FIG. 3  in front elevation; 
         FIG. 5  is a view similar to  FIG. 3  with the cap and base inter-engaged; 
         FIG. 6  is a view similar to  FIG. 4  with the cap and base inter-engaged; and 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view to an enlarged scale of a portion of an upper end of the base showing a curved inner profile thereof. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     In the drawings there is shown a container  10  comprising a base  12  and a cap  14 . 
     As can be seen in  FIGS. 1 to 4 , the cap  14  comprises an elongated hollow body  16 . As can also be seen in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the cap  14  has a first lower end  17 . An outer wall  18  extends from the first lower end  17  to a second upper end  19  which is provided with an outwardly extending endless rim  20 . 
     Further, as can be seen in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , a flange  22  extends from the first lower end  17  to the second upper end  19  within the cap  14 . The flange  22  then extends beyond the second end  19  to form an upstanding handle member  24 . The handle member  24  is arranged to enable the cap  14  to be rotated axially such as by manual means. 
     The outer wall  18  has a plurality, in this case three, (two of which can be seen in  FIG. 2 ), substantially identical faces  26  in an upper region thereof adjacent to the rim  20  at the upper end  19 . As can be seen in the drawings the faces  26  flare outwardly progressively towards the upper end  19 . Further, below the faces  26 , the outer wall  18  has a generally cylindrical shape. 
     Further, as can be seen in  FIG. 2 , the base  12  has a generally three-sided triangular shape in plan view in which outer sides  30  are joined at apices  32  of the triangular shape. The base  12  has a lower end  31  and an open upper end  33 . 
     As can be seen in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , within the base  12  there is mounted an inner circular wall  34 . The wall  34  is connected to the outer sides  30  of the base  12  adjacent an upper end of the wall  34  by an outwardly extending circular flange  36 . The flange  36  acts as a guide for insertion of the cap  14 . The inner circular wall  34  defines a generally cylindrical liquid containing chamber  38  of the container  10  as can be seen by the liquid  40  shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 . 
     Further, the cap  14  is provided with a sealing means such as a circumferential sealing plate  42  in the lower cylindrical portion which extends around the periphery, the lower cylindrical portion adjacent to the lower end  17  of the cap  14 . Further, the chamber  38  contains a sealing means such as a circumferential sealing ring  44 . 
     Still further, the outer sides  30  have upper ends  35  which have respective inner edges in the form of curved lips such  37  as radiused lips (see  FIG. 7 ). As can best be seen in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , when the container  10  is assembled the upper ends  35  are in engagement with an underside of the rim  20 . As can be seen in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the outwardly flared upper ends of the faces  26  are adjacent the upper end  33  of the base  12  in the assembled condition of the container  10 . 
     In use, the cap  14  is pushed into the base  12  until the circumferential sealing ring  44  engages with the circumferential sealing ring  42 . Thus, in the condition shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , in which the cap  14  is interengaged with the base  12 , the sealing rings  42  and  44  are in engagement with one another and the chamber  38  containing liquid  40  is hermetically sealed. This protects the contents of the chamber  38  from the atmosphere and, if the container  10  is opaque, also from the ambient light. In this condition the flared upper end of the cap  14  is snugly engaged with the inner sides  36  of the ends  35  of the outer walls  30 . 
     The base  12  contains a surface  46  (see  FIGS. 2   a ,  3  and  4 ) adjacent the open end  33 . The surface  46  has a respective relatively elevated portion adjacent each apex  32  of the base  12  as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
     Further, in use, in the condition shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the cap  14  is rotated clockwise or anticlockwise such as by manual means so as to force the faces  26  to move relatively to the curved lips  37  of the upper edges  35 . As relative rotation of the cap  14  and the base  12  is continued the faces  26  rise up over the curved lips  37  causing the cap  14  to be moved out of the base  12  and the hermetic seal to be broken. 
     By way of explanation, as the cap  14  has a body  16  with a number of faces  26  and the base  12  has a number of upper ends  35  having internal sides, and the cap  14  and the base  12  are arranged to fit together snugly, it is not possible for the cap  14  to be simply rotated within the base  12 . There is an interference between the side  26  and a curved edge  37  such that the flared shape of a side  26  engaging with a curved lip  37  results in outward movement of the cap  14  from the base  12  when the handle member  24  is axially rotated. 
     It is envisaged that the liquid container be of general applicability but it is particularly envisaged for use with dental adhesives or liquid dental materials. 
     Further, it is envisaged that the container  10  could contain a plurality of sealing rings  44 . 
     Further, the number of faces  26  and the number of curved lips  37  may be varied. 
     Modifications and variations as would be apparent to a skilled addressee are deemed to be within the scope of the present invention.