Abstract:
An elongated tubular housing adapted to receive an adjustable external compression device introduced on one end of the tubular housing distal from the opening releasing the contents, and retained in position by a member engaging a grooved strip that is integrated with and/or retained on the housing surface material with a strip surface of like material, providing a reliable, economic and functional outer compression member retention apparatus and method. Further embodiments according to the present invention include a dispenser having regions provided for ease and comfort of gripping, grooved strip end-stop to retain compression device, and grooved strip dimensional and placement details to provide functional, manufacturable and economic material dispenser.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The preset invention relates fluid or semi-fluid material containers formed to provide selective material dispensing, in particular, to deformable fluid containers including structure that maintain deformation after selective dispensing. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Deformable material dispensing containers, typically tubular or other shaped housings having an openable restriction (e.g. Cap, such as a flat style, a fez style or a pedestal style) at one end and being sealed at the other end, include material therein that can be displaced through the openable restriction when the material dispenser (e.g. the ‘tube’) is deformed, such as by squeezing, which temporarily diminishes the volume of the housings to urge the contained included material out through the openable restriction. However, owing to the housing material and/or geometrical configuration, the housing tends to return to the original configuration or volume, delaying or interfering with subsequent dispensing of the included material. 
         [0003]    External dispenser compression devices applied to the housing distal from the openable restriction to maintain prior housing deformations require specific modification or construction of the housing to connect to and operate which may undesirably raise the costs, complexity and/or formation of the housing to receive external devices or use housings (e.g. tubes) currently commercially available. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    The present invention provides embodiments which provide and adjustable external compression device introduced on the housing distal from the opening releasing the content, and retained in position by engaging a grooved strip integrated with and/or retained on the housing surface material with a strip surface of like material, providing a reliable, economic and functional outer compression member retention apparatus and method. 
         [0005]    Embodiments according to the present invention include a dispenser having regions provided for ease and comfort of gripping, grooved strip end-stop to retain compression device, and grooved strip dimensional and placement details to provide functional, practically manufacturable and economic material dispenser. 
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
       [0006]    These and further details of the present invention will be better understood by reading the following Detailed Description, taken together with the Drawing, wherein: 
         [0007]      FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of container according to one embodiment of the present invention, without material inside, with unattached grooved strip; 
         [0008]      FIG. 2  is a side view of one embodiment of the grooved strip; 
         [0009]      FIG. 3  is an enlarged view A taken from the grooved strip of  FIG. 2 ; 
         [0010]      FIG. 4  is a cross-section B-B from strip of  FIG. 3  comprising a single (mono-) material grooved strip; 
         [0011]      FIG. 5  is a cross-section B-B from the strip of  FIG. 3  comprising a grooved strip having different materials; 
         [0012]      FIG. 6  is a cross-section of an exemplary tubular housing joined to the grooved strip of  FIG. 5 ; 
         [0013]      FIG. 7  is an exploded view of one embodiment of the squeezable container assembly; 
         [0014]      FIG. 8  is a side view partial cutaway of squeezable container assembly of  FIG. 7 ; 
         [0015]      FIG. 9  is a top view of the squeezable container assembly of  FIG. 7 ; 
         [0016]      FIG. 10  is a sectional view C-C taken of the squeezable container assembly of  FIG. 9  with the compression device located in the ‘full’ container position; and 
         [0017]      FIG. 11  is a sectional view C-C taken of the squeezable container assembly of  FIG. 9 , with the compression device located in a ‘empty’ position, engaging a stop. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0018]    An exemplary deformable (squeezable) material dispensing container  20  is shown in  FIG. 1 , wherein a tubular housing container  22  having a length and a prepared region  26  disposed therealong to receive and be bonded to an elongated grooved or otherwise varied surface strip  24  which extends along the length of the housing container  22  toward an end  28  having an opening, e.g. an extension and mating removable cap  30 , thereon through which material contained within the housing container is dispensed when the housing  22  is compressed. The elongated grooved strip  24  is shown as bonded to the tubular container  22  in  FIG. 7 . 
         [0019]    A side view of an exemplary strip  24  is shown in  FIG. 2 , which strip  24  provides an engagement surface  32  with which a compression member  70  ( FIG. 7 ) engages, wherein the engagement surface is varied, such as the periodically spaced grooves  36  shown in profile in  FIG. 3 . Other engagement surfaces are envisioned as may engage and retain the compression member  70 . The strip  24  includes a terminal stop  40  having a greater thickness (i.e. vertical in  FIGS. 2 and 3 ) dimension to engage and impede further motion of the compression member  70  along the strip  24 . Typically the material  46  engaging the compression member  70  is selected for suitable strength and the material  42 A is selected to be compatible with the selected form of bonding to the prepared region  26 . 
         [0020]    The elongated strip  24  typically comprises a material  42 , shown in cross-section in  FIG. 4 , compatible with bonding (e.g. ultrasonic welding, glue or fabricated by co-extrusion) to the housing container prepared region  26 , of a single type, or alternately, a multi-layered structure  24 A shown in  FIG. 5 , which includes a material  42 A , e.g. polyethylene, compatible with bonding (e.g. ultrasonic welding) one surface to the housing container prepared region  26 , and another surface material  46  with which the compression member  70  engages, of another material, e.g. nylon, either directly or with an interposed bonding material  44 , e.g. an adhesive resin such as ethylene copolymers produced by DuPont Corporation, where the stop  40 , if provided, would be would be included in or formed on the surface material  46 . Typically the material  46  engaging the compression member  70  is selected for suitable strength and the material  42 A is selected to be compatible with the selected form of bonding to the prepared region  26 . 
         [0021]    A cross-section of an exemplary bonded assembly  20 A is shown in  FIG. 6 , comprising a shown portion  22 A of an exemplary housing container  22  ( FIG. 1 ), and an exemplary multi-layered strip  24 A, bonded together  52 , e.g. by ultrasonic welding or other manner of permanently bonding the outer material layer  54  and the strip  24 A lower layer  42 A. In one embodiment, the housing container  20 A comprises a multi-layered structure having layers  54 ,  55 ,  56  bonded together directly or with an intervening adhesive  44 A,  44 B, such as an aluminum-plastic laminated tube including polyethylene/adhesive resin/aluminum foil/adhesive resin/polyethylene (inner-to-outer layers). Such laminate tubes can be manufactured (e.g. by providing as a flat sheet then welding into a tubular shape) by using the laminate feed stock that is simply a poly-foil-poly structure that has polyethylene on either side ( 54 ,  56 ) of a thin gauge of foil ( 55 ). Alternately, single material  54  housing containers, e.g. plastic tube containers (not shown), most commonly PE (polyethylene) fabricated by extrusion can also be used wherein a bond  52  is provided between the facing surfaces  42 A of the strip  24 A (or  42  of a single type strip  24 ) and  54  of the housing container of compatible or identical materials. The bond  52  is provided within the prepared region  26  of the housing container  22 ,  22 A wherein an outer coating  53  such as ink including decorations, graphics and/or text thereon, is formed with an aperture to reveal the underlying outer layer  54  permitting the bonding to the strip  24  or layer  42 A. Other combinations of strip  24  layer  42 A and housing container  22 A outer layer  54 , such as nylon/adhesive resin/polyethlene are included. The ink outer coating  53  may inhibit reliable bonding (e.g. ultrasonic welding) of the strip  24  to the outer layer  54 , and is therefore absent (shown as aperture revealed region  26 ) permitting reliable joining without an interposed ink layer. 
         [0022]    Alternate embodiments include housing containers  22  formed with the graphics as part of the laminate feedstock material with either letterpress or rotogravure printing. Rotogravure printing is used extensively to provide a high quality print buried within the outer layer of laminate structure (e.g. shown in  FIG. 6 ). Letterpress printing is used to decorate the surface of the laminate feedstock just prior to forming the tubular housing container  22 . In formation, after laminated tube sheet stock (nor shown) is rolled to the desired size. Heat generated by a high frequency source fuses the sides of the material together to form a solid cylindrical tube. After the tube has been formed into the desired cylindrical shape and length, the tube is transferred to the heading (a transitional area for the end of the tube  28  to receive a cap) operation. As with plastic tubes, several heading methodologies are available. After the complete tube has been formed, it goes to the capping station where a cap  30  is applied. After tube completely formed with a printed outer layer or a painted layer  53  added, it goes to filling station where material  80  added to the tube thru the open end  29  (end without cap) and after this this end welded by using ultrasound welding machine to form the sealed end region  62 . 
         [0023]    If plastic tubes  22  are used, the manufacturing process is typically composed of four steps: extrusion, heading, decorating, and finally capping. The first phase of the manufacturing process is extrusion. A mixture of resin and color concentrate is placed into an extruder hopper. The extruder is temperature controlled as the resin is fed through to ensure proper melt of the resin. The material is extruded through a set of sizing dies that are encapsulated within a right angle cross section attached to the extruder. Thereafter, the prepared tubular housing members  22  are decorated such as by rotogravure printing. 
         [0024]    Further assembly of an exemplary embodiment  60  of the present invention is shown in  FIG. 7-9 , wherein the housing container end  29  distal from the cap  30 , is externally compressed and joined (e.g. by ultrasonic welding) to form an elongated and flattened terminal strip  62  having a width 63 less than a distance 64 between the end of grooved strip  24  (opposite from the end having stop  40 ) and the outer end of the strip  62 . Grooved strip  24  is attached to the housing container  22  before the contained material ( 80 ) is filled into the housing container. The typical average width of the tube end  63  weld is from 0.25″ to 0.50″ and formed after contained material is filled into the housing container  22 . The start location  64  of the strip  24  location on the housing container (relative to the filled end  29 ) is preferably greater than the dimension of the weld  53  by 50% to avoid any welding heat to undesirably affect the joining of the strip  24  to the body of the housing container  22 . 
         [0025]    A substantially continuous compression member  70  having an elongated opening sufficient dimension to receive the joined region  62  and housing container sides  22 A and  22 B therein, and a further expanded opening sufficient to receive the elongated strip  24  thickness dimension (extending away from the housing container sides  22 A) in addition to the housing container sides  22 A and  228 , as shown in  FIGS. 8-11 , discussed below. The elongated strip is placed on the housing container  22  having spacing between the stop and the cap  30  end  28  of the housing container of distance  66 , preferably 0.5″ to 1.0″, to accommodate the majority of finger sizes to allow a comfortable squeezing action on the housing container providing enhanced user control of the present apparatus to fully expel the contents  80 . 
         [0026]    A fluid or semi-fluid substance or material  80  is contained within the container  22  having sides  22 A and  22 B, and between the cap  30  opening and sealed opposite end  29 , and is advanced through the cap  30  (when opened) by incremental advancement of the compression member  70  from the strip  62  end  29  along the length of the housing container  22  toward the end  28  by user manipulation, until the compression member  70  abuts the stop  40 . Further compression may be applied across the housing container  22  diameter by the user in the region  66  between the stop  40  and cap  30  end  28 . 
         [0027]    Cross-sectional views of the compression member  70  as applied on the housing container at an end of the elongated strip  24  proximal the joined strip  62  and the stop  40  are shown in  FIGS. 10 and 11 , respectively, wherein the compression member applies a force against the two opposing sides  22 A,  22 B of the housing container  22  as the compression member is advanced, resulting in a flattened area over which the compression member  70  may continue to be advanced toward the stop  40 . In one embodiment, the compression member includes a flange  72  to receive a user-applied force to urge the compression member toward the stop  40 , and to further reinforce the dimensional shape and opening spacings of the compression member  70  as it receives resistance from evacuation of the contained material  80 . To prevent reversal in direction along the elongated strip, a unidirectional (along the strip  24 ) gripping member, e.g. a downward-angled protrusion  74 , biased to engage the grooves  34  (or other profile) on the surface in a direction opposing compression member  70  motion away from the stop by engagement of the grooves  34 , permit motion toward the stop  40  by sliding over the walls of the grooves (or other elongated strip protrusions). In the exemplary embodiment, the compression member  70  ultimately comes to rest on the stop  40 , and the remaining housing container  22  surfaces may be further compressed by the user as desired without encumbrance from the elongated strip  24 . In an embodiment, the movement of compression member  70  protrusion along the elongated strip  24  grooves  34  produces a discernable (e.g. tactile) ‘click’ to the user. 
         [0028]    These and further modifications and substitutions by one of ordinary skill in the art are within the scope of the present invention, which is not limited except by the claims that follow.