Pouring vessel

Details Pouring vessel Pouring vessel

2003-03-24

2004-06-01

Jacyna, J. Casimer (Department: 3751)

Dispensing

Collapsible wall-type container

With wall-collapsing means

C222S094000, C222S096000, C222S105000, C222S107000, C222S209000, C222S212000, C222S215000, C222S386500

Reexamination Certificate

active

06742676

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to a pouring vessel made of synthetic resins, which has been obtained by laminating an inner container capable of being deflated and a squeezable outer container in a peelable manner, so as to enable the content to be discharged and used repeatedly without sucking up outside air into the inner container.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Utility models laid open No. 1982-44063 and No. 1995-22951 describe prior-art pouring vessels of the squeezable type, which comprise an inner container and an outer container in which to put the inner container.
The prior art described in utility model laid open No. 1982-44063 refers to a pouring vessel comprising an inner container and an outer squeezable container having an air hole at the bottom. Mayonnaise is discharged from the inner container by squeezing the outer container. Then, outside air is introduced into the void between the outer container and the inner container. At that time, the inner container maintains its deformed shape, while the outer container returns to the original shape because of its restoring force.
The prior art described in utility model laid open No. 1995-22951 refers to another pouring vessel comprising an inner container and an outer squeezable container combined and fitted to each other. The inner container is provided with the first check valve that permits the content to pass through the valve and come out of the inner container but does not permit outside air to enter the inner container. The outer container is provided with the second check valve that permits outside air to enter the void between both containers, but does not permit air to escape from the void.
The method of utilizing a pair of adhesive resin strips is also generally in use. These adhesive resin strips adhere and fix the outer container and the inner container to each other over the entire height of the containers and keep the deflationary deformation of the inner container at a certain shape that gives no shrinkage in the height direction, thereby ensuring the flow path for the content and making the discharging operation smooth.
In order for the adhesive resin strips such as described above to fulfill their function, a simple and effective method is to dispose the pair of adhesive resin strips at axisymmetric positions on the central axis of the body. But there arises a problem here concerning their width. If the width is too wide, the inner container cannot be deflated fully. If the width is too narrow, the content flow path is blocked because of deflationary deformation that takes place in an early period of discharge. As a result, no smooth discharging operation is obtained, and thus, a significant amount of content is left unused in the inner container.
This invention has been made to solve such a problem found in prior art. The object of this invention is thus to provide a pouring vessel of the squeezable type that has a high discharging ability and is capable of minimizing the remaining volume of the content.
From a design point of view, the bodies of many containers now in use have an elliptical cross-section rather than the circular one. An important point in this case is where the adhesive resin strips are positioned. If a pair of adhesive resin strips is disposed at both ends of assumed long axis, axisymmetrically on the central axis of the body, then deflationary deformation proceeds almost symmetrically in the unadhering portions of the inner container divided into two portions by the adhesive resin strips. Stable discharge operation can be secured under this arrangement.
However, even though the adhesive resin strips are disposed at the above-described positions in the cross-section of the body having an elliptical shape rather than a circular one, there arises a problem concerning their width. If the adhesive resin strips have too wide a width to ensure a flow path for the content, any deformable portion disappears under the condition that the inner container has deformed to a considerable extent due to the decrease in the volume of the content. Eventually, both ends of each adhesive resin strip resist the pressure caused by the squeeze. In this state, further discharge becomes difficult in spite of a significant volume of the content remaining in the inner container.
This invention also has been made to solve such a problem found in prior art. Another object of this invention is thus to provide a pouring vessel of the squeezable type having an elliptical shape, which can be smoothly squeezed to the last moment of the discharging operation and is capable of minimizing the remaining volume of the content.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
Among the means of solving the above-described technical problem, the means of carrying out the invention of claim
1
has the following configuration. The pouring vessel comprises:
a blow-molded, bottle-like container consisting of an outer shell layer and an inner layer, which are peelably laminated together, and having a body of a cross-sectional shape in which an assumed symmetrical long axis and a symmetrical short axis are orthogonal with each other, said outer shell layer forming an outer container, which has the flexibility to make this container squeezable and recoverable to its original shape, and said inner layer forming an inner container for receiving its content inside and capable of being deflated and deformed inward with the decrease in inner pressure; and
a discharge cap having an opening and attached to neck of the container.
In this configuration, a pair of adhesive resin strips is formed at both ends of the long axis of the body, axisymmetrically on the central axis, by adhering the outer shell layer and the inner layer over the roughly entire height of the container, and the width (La) of this adhesive resin strips is set in the range of 0.8(¼)(L−2D1) to 1.2(¼)(L−2D1), preferably at (¼)(L−2D1), wherein D1 is the length of the long axis in the cross-section of the body (2); and L is the peripheral length in the cross-section of the body.
The discharge cap is provided with the first check valve mechanism that prevents the back flow of the content from the opening to the inner container and also prevents the inflow of outside air. The outer container is equipped with an outside air introduction mechanism for introducing outside air into the interlaminar void between the outer shell layer and the inner layer, with the outside air introduction mechanism being connected to the second check valve mechanism, which has a function to confine air within the void at the time of squeeze.
In the invention of claim
1
, the pouring vessel is squeezed to discharge the content. When the squeeze is stopped and the pressure is released, the outer container begins restoring its original shape because of its resilient, restoring force. At the same time, the first check valve mechanism provided in the discharge cap is in action to stop the discharge of the content and to prevent the back flow of the content and the inflow of outside air into the inner container. Since the inner container remains deformed with the decrease in the volume of content, outside air is introduced into the void between the outer shell layer and the inner layer through the air introduction mechanism, and the outer container is restored to its original shape.
If the pouring vessel is squeezed again in the state in which the outer container has been restored to its original shape, air in the void is pressurized by the squeeze because the second check valve mechanism seals the void. Thus, a pressure is applied on the inner container to discharge the content further.
Since the first check valve mechanism prevents the inflow of outside air into the inner container, there is no airspace in the inner container. The content is thus always located in front of the opening. No matter what position the pouring vessel takes when it is used, the content can be discharged easily. It is also possible to prevent the content from being decomposed or deteriorated cause

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Pouring vessel does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Pouring vessel, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Pouring vessel will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3304755