Dispensing – With flow controller or closure – Rotary – axially
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-12
2001-03-20
Derakshani, Philippe (Department: 3754)
Dispensing
With flow controller or closure
Rotary, axially
Reexamination Certificate
active
06202902
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a container for power. More particularly this invention concerns a powder-containing sifter bottle.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A standard sifter bottle intended to hold a supply of fine powder, for instance talcum powder, has a neck or finish to which is fitted a sifter cap. The cap comprises an inner disk part that snaps tightly to the bottle neck and normally does not move once installed, and an outer cup-shaped part engaged with a collar down around the disk with a rim on the bottle neck. The two parts are formed with identical arrays of holes and the outer part can be twisted between an open position with its holes aligned with those of the inner part and a closed position with the arrays of holes offset from each other. In the aligned position powder can be shaken out of the bottle through the cap.
Normally the bottle neck or finish is of cylindrical shape and is formed with a radially outwardly projecting annular ridge that engages under a radially inwardly projecting rim of the outer part. The inner part and neck are also formed with, relative to an axis on which the neck is centered, axially extending groove and ridge formations that interengage to rotationally lock the inner part on the neck so that it does not rotate with the outer part.
The main problem with this type of package is leakage around the edge of the cap. On the one hand the outer part must be mounted loosely enough that it can be turned easily and that it can easily be snapped in place over the neck after filling, and on the other hand it must be tight enough that the powder cannot readily leak out of the joint between the outer part and the neck. One must therefore trade off ease of use and manufacture with potential for leakage so that the bottles and caps must be made to very tight tolerances. As a result they are expensive to manufacture, since if the fit is too tight the cap will not turn and/or the bottle will be crushed as the cap is fitted to it after filling, and when the cap is too loose the resultant package is messy and unmarketable.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved powder-containing bottle with a sifter cap.
Another object is the provision of such an improved powder-containing bottle with a sifter cap which overcomes the above-given disadvantages, that is which is easy to open and close, which easy to manufacture, and which will not leak.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A package has according to the invention a bottle formed with an annular open and rigid neck centered on an axis, a mass of finely divided powder in the bottle, an inner part engaged over the open neck and formed with an array of throughgoing holes, an outer part engaged over the inner part, formed with a similar array of throughgoing holes, and rotatable about the axis between an open position with its holes aligned with the holes of the inner part and a closed position with its holes out of alignment with the holes of the inner part. In accordance with the invention a flexible annular lip formed unitarily with the neck projects axially outward therefrom and elastically engages the inner part around the array of holes thereof.
Thus with this system the fit of the outer part, inner part, and neck is not extremely critical since the flexible lip can compensate, producing a powder-tight fit between the neck and the inner part. As a result the neck and cap parts can be made to looser tolerances, facilitating manufacture and assembly of the package.
According to the invention the inner part has a radially inwardly directed surface and the neck has an outer surface formed offset from the lip with a radially outwardly directed surface confronting the surface of the inner part. One of the surfaces is formed with an axially extending and radially open groove and the other of the surfaces is formed with a generally complementary, axially extending and radially projecting ridge engaged in the groove so that the ridge and groove lock the inner part on the neck against rotation thereon.
The outer part in accordance with the invention has an annular rim projecting axially toward the bottle past the lip and past the inner part and the rim and neck are formed with annular ridges riding on each other and retaining the outer part on the neck. Thus the outer part is a snap fit over the ridge of the neck. In addition the inner part has a radially outwardly directed surface and the rim has a radially inwardly directed surface radially confronting the inner-part surface and one of the surfaces is formed with a wide axially extending groove and the other of the surfaces is formed with a narrow axially extending ridge engaged in the groove with angular play. The outer part is therefore angularly displaceable on the inner part with the ridge moving angularly from one end to an opposite and of the groove. In fact the inner part can be made of uniform wall thickness with inner grooves mating with outer ridges on the neck to fix it against rotation on the neck and outer ridges fitting in wider inner grooves in the outer cap part.
The neck and lip are unitarily made of plastic and the lip has a radially outwardly concave C-section. Furthermore this lip has a radial thickness equal to at most one third a radial thickness of the neck and an axial length equal to at least twice its radial thickness.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2049795 (1936-08-01), Barnby
patent: 3260426 (1966-07-01), Ayotte
patent: 5383582 (1995-01-01), Baxter et al.
Derakshani Philippe
Dubno Herbert
Wilford Andrew
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