US20160159532A1 - Dispenser and Methods - Google Patents

Abstract

A dosing bottle closure (24; 320) has a body (26; 326) and a lid (27; 327). The body (26) has: a sidewall (50) extending from a lower rim (54) to an upper rim (62); and means (58) along the sidewall (50) for engaging a container body (22). The lid (27) is hinged relative to the body for articulation between a closed condition and an open condition. The body defines an internal upwardly open chamber (25) at least partially covered by the lid in the closed condition. The body defines a feed passageway (100) having an outlet (110) to the chamber (25) and spaced above a bottom (72) of the chamber.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
• Benefit is claimed of U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 61/844,167, filed Jul. 9, 2013, and entitled “Dispenser and Methods”, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety as if set forth at length.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
• The invention relates to dispensing of home and garden granules/powders and liquids (flowable materials) such as detergents, fabric softeners, insecticides, fertilizers and the like. More particularly, the invention relates to dosing bottles.
• Exemplary flowable materials are laundry detergent, fabric softener, and home and garden chemicals (e.g., fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides).
• Conventionally in such fields, dosing may be achieved via providing a combined cap and measuring cup. Exemplary such caps/cups have installed conditions screwed onto a spout fitment to close/seal a bottle.
• One recently-proposed dispenser is found in International Patent Application No. PCT/US12/20471, “Dispenser and Methods”, filed Jan. 6, 2012, of inventors: Alex S. Szekely and Richard H. Seager.
• In other fields, a number of dosing bottles have been proposed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
• One aspect of the invention involves a dosing bottle closure that has a body and a lid. The body has: a sidewall extending from a lower rim to an upper rim; and means along the sidewall for engaging a container body. The lid is hinged relative to the body for articulation between a closed condition and an open condition. The body defines an internal upwardly open chamber at least partially covered by the lid in the closed condition. The body defines a feed passageway having an outlet to the chamber and spaced above a bottom of the chamber.
• The details of one or more embodiments of the invention are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
• FIG. 1 is a view of a container having a first closure.
• FIG. 2 is a central transverse vertical sectional view of the container ofFIG. 1 taken along line2-2.
• FIG. 3 is a central vertical longitudinal sectional view of the container ofFIG. 1 taken along3-3.
• FIG. 4 is a view of the first closure in an open condition containing a charge of material.
• FIG. 5 is a top view of the closure ofFIG. 4.
• FIG. 6 is a central vertical longitudinal sectional view of the closure ofFIG. 5, taken along line6-6.
• FIG. 7 is a central vertical transverse sectional view of the closure ofFIG. 5 taken along line7-7.
• FIG. 8 is a central vertical longitudinal sectional view of a second closure in a closed condition.
• FIG. 9 is a central vertical longitudinal cutaway view of the second closure in an open condition.
• FIG. 10 is a central vertical longitudinal sectional view of the second closure in a charging condition.
• FIG. 11 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the second closure in a drainback condition.
• FIG. 12 is a central vertical longitudinal sectional view of the second closure upon opening after the drainback.
• FIG. 13 is a central vertical longitudinal sectional view of the second closure during pouring/discharge.
• Like reference numbers and designations in the various drawings indicate like elements.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
• Two embodiments of a closure are disclosed which may otherwise operate in a similar fashion and may otherwise be manufactured similarly. Exemplary closures may be used in identical fashion. The first closure is a one-piece closure; whereas the second closure is a two-piece closure. Additionally, as is discussed further below, passageway inlet features of the two closures may differ.
• Anexemplary container20 comprises a bottle body orcontainer body22 and aclosure24. The exemplary bottle body has an interior23 (FIG. 2) forming a reservoir containing abody400 of flowable material. The closure defines adosing chamber25 which may, in various stages of operation, receive, hold and dispense a dose orcharge402 of the flowable material.
• The closure comprises abody26 and a lid, cap, orcover27. Exemplary bottle body, closure body, and closure lid materials are molded plastics such as various polyethylenes and polypropylenes.
• TheFIG. 1-7 embodiment closure lid and body are unitarily molded as a single piece with a living hinge150 (FIG. 3) such as a conventional butterfly hinge (or a hinge such as in PCT/US11/53858 (the disclosure if which is incorporated by reference in its entirety as if set forth at length), filed Sep. 29, 2011, “Living Hinge” of inventor H Stephen Quinn). TheFIG. 8embodiment closure320,lid327, andbody326 are shown as separate pieces forming respective halves of ahinge330.
• An exemplary bottle body (injection blow molded)22 (FIG. 2) has a neck28 extending upward from ashoulder29 about a central longitudinal/vertical axis500 to arim30 defining anopen mouth32. The neck has an external thread34 (or other feature) for mounting the closure body. Theexemplary thread34 is a double lead thread. An exemplary closure body (injection molded)26 screws onto the bottle neck/mouth and may lock with a lug or detent (not shown) thereon to prevent counter-rotation and extraction.
• Theexemplary closure body26 comprises an outer wall50 (sidewall) (FIG. 3). Alower portion52 of thewall50 extends upward from anupper rim54 and has an interior (inner diameter (ID))surface56 bearing aninternal thread58 for engaging thebottle body thread34. Anupper portion60 of thewall50 extends upward to arim62. A transverse web70 (FIG. 6) has a perimeter at a junction of thewall portions52 and60. An upper surface72 (or a portion thereof) of theweb70 forms an underside of thechamber25 containing thedose402 of material. Laterally, thechamber25 is partially bounded by theupper wall portion60 and partially bounded by atransverse wall80. In the exemplary embodiment, a central portion of thewall80 extends upward from theweb70 to anupper edge90 to separate thechamber25 from afeed passageway100. Edge90 is recessed below therim62 to create a gap110 (FIG. 4). Thegap110 forms an outlet of thefeed passageway100 during charging. In the exemplary embodiment, a partial flowback is permitted through thegap110 over the edge90 (which serves as a weir) to determine the height of the upper surface410 (FIG. 6) of the dose/charge402 when the container is uprighted after charging.
• An inlet120 (FIG. 6) to thefeed passageway100 may be formed at a lower end of thefeed passageway100.
• Exemplary dose volume is one fluid ounce (30 ml), more broadly 5-75 ml or 15-50 ml. Exemplary bottle interior volume is about 32 fluid ounces (one liter, more broadly, 0.4-4.0 liter or 0.4-2.0 liter) (e.g. sufficient to contain that much flowable material).FIG. 3 also shows an exemplary bottle as having a sidewall extending upward to the shoulder from a base or bottom (which may support the bottle in a standing condition).
• For providing a seal of the closure body to the bottle body, the closure body and bottle body may have complementary sealing surfaces which engage each other in the installed condition. A first sealing surface of the bottle body is formed by therim30. Its complementary first sealing surface of the closure body member is formed by a peripheral annular portion of the underside130 (FIG. 6) of theweb70.
• FIG. 6 furthers shows thelid27 connected to the closure body by aliving hinge150. The exemplary lid and body have interfitting sealing and locking features. For sealing, anuppermost portion160 of the sidewallupper portion60 is received within asidewall portion170 of the lid in the closed condition. Exemplary detented locking in the closed condition may be provided by interfitting features (e.g.,projections180 and182 of the lid and body).
• FIG. 6 also shows a partial annulardead chamber200 alongside of and behind thefeed passageway100 and separated therefrom by anarcuate wall202. Thedead chamber200 may be separated from a head space above thedosing chamber25 by lateral portions220 (FIG. 4) of thewall80 above thecentral portion90 of the upper edge (above a central portion224 (FIG. 5) of the wall80). Theupper edge203 of thewall202 and theupper edges221 oflateral portions220 extend upward to meet with theunderside225 of the lid in the closed condition to seal off the dead chamber in the closed condition. The lower extreme of the dead chamber is bounded by an annular segment of anupper surface72 of theweb70.
• In an exemplary charge/discharge sequence illustrated with the hinged embodiment, the lid is initially closed and the bottle upright (e.g., theFIG. 8 empty closure condition). The bottle is then fully or partially inverted (e.g., a full inversion to theFIG. 10 condition). Material flows from the bottle interior downward through the inlet120 into thepassageway100 and out theoutlet110 intodosing chamber25. The bottle is then uprighted (e.g., to theFIG. 11 condition) and any excess material in the closure will return (return flow shown inFIG. 11) through theoutlet110 over theweir90 and back into the bottle interior leaving a desired volume for thecharge402 in chamber25 (e.g., the first embodimentFIG. 3 condition). Thereafter, the lid may be opened (FIG. 12) and the bottle tilted to pour (FIG. 13). To facilitate pouring, the sidewallupper portion60 at the front is angled outward to form a partial spout, thereby, reducing the angle by which the bottle the must be tilted to pour from thechamber25. This facilitates the prevention of any further material passing through the feed passageway during pouring. The second embodiment contains abaffle350 along the forward portion of the feed passageway below theweb70 to shift thefeed passageway inlet360 to the rear of the closure, and, thereby, relatively high during pouring to prevent material from entering the inlet.
• After pouring, the bottle is re-uprighted and the lid closed (in any order). Thereafter, the process may be repeated by inverting to charge.
• One or more embodiments of the present invention have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the nature of the particular product to be dispensed may influence details of any particular embodiment. The bottle body may be based on the overall configuration of an existing or yet-developed conventional bottle for such product. Tamper-evident features may also be included. Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.

Claims (18)

1. A dosing bottle closure comprising:

a body comprising:

a sidewall extending from a lower rim to an upper rim;

means along the sidewall for engaging a container body; and

a lid hinged relative to the body for articulation between a closed condition and an open condition,

wherein:

the body defines an internal upwardly open chamber at least partially covered by the lid in the closed condition;

the body defines a feed passageway having an inlet and an outlet to the chamber spaced above a bottom of the chamber,

a hinge defines a rear end of the body; and

the inlet faces at least partially rearward.

2. The closure ofclaim 1 wherein the body and lid are unitarily molded as a single piece.

3. The closure ofclaim 1 wherein:

a hinge defines a rear end of the body; and

an open top second chamber is between the feed passageway and the hinge.

4. The closure ofclaim 3 wherein:

the lid closes the second chamber in the closed condition

5. The closure ofclaim 3 wherein:

lateral portions of a wall separate the chamber from the second chamber;

a central portion of the wall having a vertically recessed upper edge separates the chamber from the feed passageway.

6. The closure ofclaim 1 wherein:

the inlet of the feed passageway is spaced below the bottom of the chamber.

7. (canceled)

8. The closure ofclaim 1 wherein:

the chamber has a volume of 15-75 ml.

9. A container comprising:

a container body having an interior for storing a flowable material;

the closure ofclaim 1 secured to the container body.

10. The container ofclaim 9 wherein:

the container body is polyethylene; and

the closure body and lid are polypropylene.

11. The container ofclaim 9 further comprising:

a flowable material within the container body.

12. The container ofclaim 11 further comprising:

the flowable material is a particulate.

13. The container ofclaim 11 further comprising:

the flowable material is a detergent.

14. The container ofclaim 9 wherein:

the container body interior has a volume of 0.4-2.01.

15. A method for using the container ofclaim 9 comprising:

tilting the container with the lid in the closed condition to transfer a first dose of material from the interior through the feed passageway;

uprighting the container to leave some of the material in the chamber;

opening the lid to the open condition; and

tilting the container to pour at least a portion of the charge from the container.

16. The method ofclaim 15 further comprising:

after the pouring, reuprighting the container and closing the lid; and

repeating the tilting, uprighting, opening, and tilting.

17. A dosing bottle closure comprising:

a body comprising:

a sidewall extending from a lower rim to an upper rim;

means along the sidewall for engaging a container body; and

a lid hinged relative to the body for articulation between a closed condition and an open condition,

wherein:

the body defines an internal upwardly open chamber at least partially covered by the lid in the closed condition;

the body defines a feed passageway having an inlet and an outlet to the chamber spaced above a bottom of the chamber;

a hinge defines a rear end of the body; and

the inlet is rearwardly offset from a rear wall of the chamber.

18. A dosing bottle closure comprising:

a body comprising:

a sidewall extending from a lower rim to an upper rim;

means along the sidewall for engaging a container body; and

a lid hinged relative to the body for articulation between a closed condition and an open condition,

wherein:

the body defines an internal upwardly open chamber at least partially covered by the lid in the closed condition; and

the body defines a feed passageway having:

an inlet spaced below a bottom of the chamber; and

an outlet to the chamber spaced above the bottom of the chamber.

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