CN1191472A - Venting roll-on applicator - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a roll-on applicator (10) which allows venting of gases between the inside and the outside of said applicator. This applicator comprises a ball (3) within a dispensing opening (2) and a flexible and resilient support means (4) for said ball. Said flexible and resilient support means is such to urge said ball against said dispensing opening, achieving a leak tight engagement between said ball and said dispensing opening. This engagement is such that the pressure built up inside said container is not efficiently released to the outside of said container. Furthermore, said flexible and resilient support means can be resiliently deformed by an external force acting on said ball to disengage said leak-tight engagement between said ball and said dispensing opening, allowing said contained product to be spread by said ball. Said applicator further comprises a cap which presses onto said ball creating a free passage (23) between said ball and said dispensing opening only when said cap is engaged and/or disengaged from said container.

Description

aerated roll-on applicator

field of invention

The present invention relates to roll-on applicators. The roll-on applicator of the present invention allows ventilation between the interior and exterior of the applicator.

Background of the invention

Roll-on applicators are known in this art. These above-mentioned applicators are usually containers comprising a hollow body containing a liquid, a bulb and a fixed support to hold said bulb. These roll-on applicators generally apply a film of liquid in a hollow body to a selected surface. A common problem with these applicators is preventing leakage or spillage of the liquid contained in the aforementioned roll-on applicators when not in use. The prior art solves this problem by cooperating with a cover. In fact, when the container is closed by the lid, the ball is forced to seal against the aforementioned fixed support, as disclosed in U.S. Patent Nos. The surface fits and presses against the surface. But this solution to leakage or spillage is inconvenient if the above-mentioned fixed support with the ball is located below the level of the liquid contained. In fact, leaks or spills may occur during the unscrewing operation of the cap. For this reason, prior art applicators often have the ball's fixed support mounted only on top of the respective container, above the contents when said container is stored in an upright position.

Another disadvantage of prior art roll-on applicators is the inability to increase the spread of liquid. On the contrary, the prior art can only reduce the amount of dispersion mentioned above. In fact, the roll-on device described in the above-mentioned prior art can force the ball to engage and press against the sealing surface of the above-mentioned fixed support, thereby reducing or stopping the flow of the contents on the ball. The reverse process is never possible. Conversely, increasing the amount of spread is useful especially when pretreating stains on fabrics. In fact, various stains may require more wash solution in order to pre-treat more effectively. For example, stains formed by certain components may require more detergent for more thorough and effective pre-treatment. Larger volumes of washing liquid are also required to simply cover the extent of the stain itself.

The above problems have been solved by the roll-on applicator described in co-pending European Patent Application No. 94870179.2. The roll-on applicator described above includes a container suitable for containing and dispensing a product. Said container comprises a hollow body, a dispensing opening, a ball and a flexible elastic support for said ball. The flexible resilient support pushes the ball against the dispensing opening, thereby forming a leak-tight joint between the ball and the dispensing opening. said flexible resilient support member is elastically deformable when an external force is applied to said ball, whereby said leak-tight joint formed between said ball and said dispensing opening is disengaged, allowing the product contained therein to be dispersed by said ball . In fact, said flexible and elastic support together with said ball acts as a valve which opens when said ball is depressed.

We have found that an airtight joint can also be achieved by pressing said ball against said dispensing opening by means of said flexible and resilient support. Hereinafter, the term "airtight joint" refers to the joint portion between the inside and outside of the container where no gas can pass through at all. Alternatively, the term "airtight joint" also means that the speed of release to the outside of the container through the joint (hereinafter referred to as "pressure release speed") is smaller than the speed at which pressure is generated in the above container. A pressure is thus built up in the above-mentioned container, since the amount of gas which can escape to the outside of the above-mentioned container is too small compared to the pressure which builds up in the above-mentioned container.

There are a number of possible factors that can cause pressure in such containers, for example the contents of the package may be chemically unstable or reactive with gases present in the headspace of the package or in certain The packaging material itself reacts. Any chemical reaction involving liquid contents will generally generate gas, thus causing overpressure in the package. Pressure in liquid-filled and sealed containers can also increase when the temperature of the container differs significantly from the external temperature during filling, transport and storage. Even when the atmospheric pressure at which the container is filled is different from another atmospheric pressure at a different geographic location, a pressure difference can result.

We have found that as the pressure in the container increases, the airtightness between the ball and the opening can be further increased or the pressure release rate can be further reduced. In fact, the internal pressure will press the ball further against the dispensing opening, thus further reducing the pressure release rate. The pressure release rate can be reduced to almost no pressure release at all.

We have also found, in co-pending European Patent Application No. 94870179.2, that the product may spill out when the pressure inside the roll-on applicator has increased. In order to coat the balls with the product contained, the container must be inverted so that the product is transferred to the balls. There is no need to invert the container if said ball and said flexible elastic support are always together below the filling level of said product. In both cases, however, a free passage is formed between the ball and the dispensing opening when the ball is depressed. Gas accumulated in the container thus tends to quickly burp out through the channels. The product located between said trapped gas and said free passage is thus also expelled in an extremely rapid and uncontrollable manner. Such quick-draining products lead to mess and waste. In fact, the expelled product can also be applied to other areas that the user does not wish to cover. Additionally, the amount of product discharged may be uncontrollably greater than required.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an impermeable container comprising a roll-on applicator, but which is vented so as to prevent the product from being expelled from said container as it is driven by the pressure developed in the container, by This avoids contamination and waste of the contained product.

Summary of the invention

The present invention is a package comprising a container (10) and a lid (20) suitable for containing and dispensing a product. Said container comprises a hollow body (1), a dispensing opening (2), a ball (3) and a flexible elastic support (4) of said ball. The flexible resilient support presses the ball against the dispensing opening to form a substantially leak-free joint between the ball and the dispensing opening. External forces acting on the ball elastically deform the flexible resilient support, thereby disengaging the leak-tight joint between the ball and the dispensing opening, whereby the ball disperses the product contained therein. The above-mentioned lid may be detachably fitted on the above-mentioned container. The above-mentioned cover covers the delivery port. Said cap exerts pressure on said ball only when it engages and/or disengages said container, thereby forming a free passage between said ball and said dispensing opening.

Brief description of the drawings

Figures 1a and 1b are cross-sectional views showing a container (partially shown) and one embodiment of the flexible elastic support for supporting a ball of the present invention;

Figures 2a and 2b are cross-sectional views showing a container (partially shown) and other embodiments of the flexible elastic support for supporting balls of the present invention;

Figure 3 shows a top view of an embodiment of the flexible elastic support for supporting the ball of Figure 2b;

Figures 4a and 4b are cross-sectional views showing a container (partially shown) including a lid. In Figure 4a the lid is in a fixed position, i.e. the lid is not pressing on the ball, on the contrary, Figure 4b is an enlarged view of the upper part of the container showing the momentary state when the lid is pressing on the ball. Figures 4c and 4d are front views showing the engagement means in the upper part of the above container of the present invention;

Figures 5a, 5b and 5c correspond to corresponding Figures 4a and 4b, showing another embodiment of the lid of the present invention;

Figure 6 is a front view of the engagement means between the lid and the container, said engagement means being a child safe closure means.

Detailed description of the invention

Figures 1a and 1b show cross-sectional views of an embodiment of the container (10) of the invention. The present invention provides a container (10) suitable for containing and dispensing articles (only partially shown in Figure 1a). The term "container" includes any form and/or kind of container comprising a hollow body (1) and a dispensing opening (2). For example bottles, tubes, metering devices and/or dispensing devices are containers as defined in the present invention. The hollow body 1 of the container can be made of hard, soft or flexible material. It is best to use a soft or flexible material so that the hollow body itself can be squeezed to further control the dispensing of the product through the opening. Specifically for the metering and/or dispensing device, the above-mentioned hollow body is preferably made of water resistant to 95 ° C. Material production. The above-mentioned dispensing port is located on the upper part of the above-mentioned container. Hereinafter, "the upper part of the above-mentioned container" refers to the part of the above-mentioned container from the above-mentioned dispensing opening down to the highest liquid level of the contained product when the container is in an upright position, or when the above-mentioned container is a bottle, for example, its neck. In addition, "the axis of the container" refers to a direction perpendicular to the base on which the above-mentioned container is located in its upright state.

In particular, the aforementioned metering and/or dispensing devices are suitable for pre-treating fabrics, for example as described in WO92/09736 and/or WO92/09736. The above-mentioned metering and/or dispensing devices suitable for pre-treatment generally comprise a further opening for the injection of liquid into the device. When the device is placed in the washing machine with the fabrics, the above-mentioned filling port also allows dispensing of the contents into the washing liquid of the washing machine during the washing operation. When the aforementioned metering and/or dispensing device is in an upright position, the filling port is usually located at the top of the device.

The hollow body (1) is preferably selected to be partially or completely transparent, so that the user can see the quantity of the product contained, and it is convenient to measure and measure with the metering and/or dispensing device. As another preferred solution, the above-mentioned container has an upper part inclined relative to other parts of the above-mentioned hollow body, that is, the above-mentioned dispensing opening is not on the axis of the above-mentioned container. This reduces the angle of inclination required to dispense the loaded product through the aforementioned dispensing opening. As another preferred solution, the above-mentioned hollow body further includes at least one metering line (11 of FIG. 4 ) on its outer surface and/or inner surface. Said container is preferably made of plastic such as polypropylene, polyethylene, polyurethane or polyvinyl chloride.

The container (10) is suitable for containing liquid substances. The above articles are preferably liquid detergents. Liquid detergents according to the present invention may comprise any ingredient known in the art. These ingredients include surfactants, suds suppressors, bleaches, chelating agents, builders, enzymes, fillers and perfumes.

An essential feature of the invention is the ball (3). Said ball is partially located inside said hollow body (1) at said dispensing opening (2), ie said ball protrudes at least partially from said dispensing opening, ie said ball is located in the upper part of said container. The dimensions of the ball and the dispensing opening are adapted to each other such that the ball cannot normally escape from the dispensing opening to the outside of the hollow body. In use, the contents of the container are dispensed by the ball, since the ball is always in contact with the product in the container (10). In use, a portion of said contents is brought into contact with said ball and the rotation of the ball applies the article to a surface on the outside of said container.

The above-mentioned ball (3) can be hollow or solid, and has a generally smooth outer surface or an outer surface with a certain degree of roughness. The above-mentioned balls may be constructed of open-cell or closed-cell structures. The above-mentioned ball is preferably rigid. The use of spherical balls allows for non-directional diffusion, since spherical balls can be rotated in any direction equivalently if not fixed on an axis. Other shaped spheres may be utilized, such as cylindrical or ellipsoidal. However, such balls are limited in their usefulness, since balls of this shape can only rotate approximately about one axis. The present invention preferably utilizes spherical balls for omnidirectional diffusion. We have found this feature to be useful for accurate and convenient dispensing of liquid detergent during pretreatment regardless of the shape of the stain. On the contrary, if the ball is limited to rotation along one axis, the user's hand must perform complicated movements such as twisting the wrist and the like. Better control is possible when spreading with an omnidirectional ball. Waste of detergent can thus be avoided since spreading can easily be carried out only on a limited stained area.

Specifically for the metering and/or dispensing device, the above-mentioned balls are preferably made of materials resistant to water temperature up to 95° C., for example, can be made of plastics such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyurethane or polyvinyl chloride.

The ball (3) is manufactured separately from the hollow body (1). The ball is then inserted through the dispensing opening into the flexible resilient support by simply pushing it over the lip (9) of the dispensing opening. This is possible because said lip (9) of said dispensing opening is soft enough to undergo a slight elastic deformation, since said lip is preferably made of plastic as part of a hollow body or flexible elastic support. The container (10) may also comprise more than one ball (3), which are fixed separately in different dispensing openings (2) or in a common dispensing opening.

Another essential feature of the invention is a flexible elastic support (4) for supporting said ball, said flexible elastic support pushes the ball (3) against said dispensing opening (2) so that the balls and said dispensing Forms a leak-tight, airtight joint between the ports. Therefore, the above-mentioned flexible elastic supporting member cooperates with the above-mentioned ball to close the above-mentioned dispensing opening. The support is located in the upper part of the container. In a preferred embodiment, said flexible elastic support presses said ball against the outermost edge or lip (9) of said dispensing opening. We have found that the joint formed between said opening (2) and said ball pushed by said flexible elastic support is substantially liquid-tight. Hereinafter, "substantially liquid-tight" means that said sealing engagement prevents flow of said article when the only force acting on said article to break the sealing engagement between said ball and said opening consists solely of hydrostatic pressure. Therefore, when the function of the lid is not added, large leakage or spillage can be avoided during periods when the above-mentioned container (10) is not in use.

As a preferred solution, the above-mentioned lip (9) of the above-mentioned flexible elastic support member is flexible or deformable. The flexible or deformable lip can thus match and/or compensate for any imperfections of the above-mentioned ball shape, for example when the ball has a non-ideal spherical shape. To achieve this, the above-mentioned flexible or deformable lip can be made of a separate material which can be fixed to the outer periphery of the dispensing opening. Said flexible or deformable lip of said flexible resilient support may also be produced by co-injection, i.e. the flexible or deformable material forming said lip, such as rubber, is co-injected simultaneously with the harder material forming the rest of said flexible resilient support. injection molding. A flexible or deformable lip does not affect the strength and/or structure of the flexible elastic support described above.

The external force acting on the above-mentioned ball (3) can make the above-mentioned flexible elastic supporting member (4) produce elastic deformation. The substantially leak-tight sealing engagement between the ball and the dispensing opening (2) is thus disengaged when the ball is pushed into the container. The ball is thus free to turn and spread the contents, since the free passage between the lip (9) and the ball connects the contents to the bulge of the ball. The free passage between the above-mentioned lip (9) and the above-mentioned ball is hereinafter referred to as "product flow passage". As soon as the external force ceases to push the ball into the container, a substantially leak-tight sealing engagement is automatically formed. The product flow channel is then closed, shutting off the flow of product from the interior of said container. Said ball pressing against said dispensing opening forms a sealing engagement which renders said container substantially leak-free when not in use.

The flexible elastic support (4) of the present invention is suitable for the flow of said product from inside said container. In fact, the user can adjust the dimensions of the channel between said lip (9) and said ball (3) by changing the external force acting on said ball. Therefore, by changing the size of the passage, the amount of product flowing out of the container can be controlled. Specifically, a greater product flow can be obtained by pressing the ball further into the container. In addition, the above-mentioned flexible elastic support in combination with the flexible container can also directly dispense or inject the product onto the surface by squeezing the above-mentioned ball and squeezing the above-mentioned flexible container.

Figure 1a shows an embodiment of the present invention, said flexible elastic support (4) comprising a spring (5) located below said ball (3). Said spring presses said ball (3) against said dispensing opening (2), thereby achieving said substantially leak-tight sealing engagement during periods of non-use of said container. When a force F is exerted on the ball towards the inside of the container, the spring deforms elastically and forms the desired product flow path, as shown in Figure 1b. The above-mentioned spring can be separately fixed on the above-mentioned hollow body (1) or formed as an integral part thereof. In addition, the above-mentioned spring can be made of any possible material such as metal or plastic, and the above-mentioned spring can have any possible shape, such as a coil spring or a cylindrical spring.

As another preferred embodiment of the present invention, said flexible elastic support comprises at least one elastically deformable arm (6) in the area opposite to said dispensing opening, which arm presses said ball against said dispensing opening (2) , thereby forming the above-mentioned leak-tight sealing joint. The above-mentioned arm (6) can be bent at an angle α (Fig. 2a) in order to obtain the above-mentioned elastic deformation properties. The angle α is preferably between 0° and 90°. Said flexible elastic support preferably comprises a casing (4a) mounted on the container and forming said dispensing opening at one end thereof, as shown in Figure 2b. The assembly of the above-mentioned shell and the above-mentioned container must be leak-proof, but the above-mentioned assembly can be screwed on the above-mentioned container by threads or snapped on the above-mentioned container. An advantage of the threaded connection of the housing and the container is that the user can easily refill the product into the container. Thus said flexible elastic support (4) can consist of a hard or flexible shell supporting said spring (5) or said flexible arm (6), which support can be inserted into said dispensing opening (2).

As a more preferred embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned flexible elastic support (4) includes more than one above-mentioned elastic deformation arm (6), as shown in Figure 2b, as the most preferred embodiment of the present invention, all of the above-mentioned arms are in a contact A ring or a single contact point (Fig. 2b, 7) is connected to the ball. The only point of contact (7) with the ball is preferably at a point on the ball directly opposite the dispensing opening (2).

As another preferred solution, the above-mentioned flexible elastic supporting member (4) includes intermittent edges (8 in Fig. 3) at its region facing the above-mentioned dispersion opening (2), and when an external force is applied, the above-mentioned ball (3) ) is pressed against the discontinuous edge. This means that the interrupted edge prevents the ball from being pushed further into the container. However, since said edge is discontinuous, ie said edge has at least one permanently open channel for the contents, a channel for product circulation is ensured. The above-mentioned discontinuous edge thus forms the maximum product flow path allowed by the above-mentioned flexible elastic support. In addition, said discontinuous edge prevents said ball from being pushed further inwards with the risk of breaking the spring of said flexible elastic support.

The above-mentioned flexible elastic supporting member (4) may be an integral part or a separate part of the above-mentioned container (10). The above-mentioned flexible elastic supporting member can be made of injection molding resin (such as polypropylene, polyethylene, polyamide, polyoxymethylene) or elastic polymer such as thermoplastic elastomer (such as polyurethane rubber, isoprene rubber, styrene-butadiene rubber) or a combination thereof become. In addition, a flexible resilient support having, for example, a resilient spring with rigid connection features, may be formed by two-stage or multi-stage injection molding material.

The aforementioned cover (20) is another essential feature of the present invention. Figure 4a shows the aforementioned lid engaged on the aforementioned container (10). Said cover comprises a top wall (21) and a skirt (22) substantially perpendicular to said top wall. Engagement means (30) for engaging said lid on said container is a portion of said skirt. Said container comprises a flexible elastic support (4) as shown in Fig. 2b above. However other flexible elastic supports (4) as described above, eg in Figures 1a and 2b, can also be used. The cover protects the ball from damage when not in use. When the fully engaged cover is in the rest position, the surface in which the cover faces the ball (hereinafter referred to as the "underside surface" of the cover) does not contact the ball at any point. The ball is still pushed up by the pressure built up inside the container until the ball hits and finally presses against the underside surface of the lid. The lid thus helps prevent the pressure built up in the container from pushing the ball out of the container. According to the invention, said cap is pressed against said ball only when said cap is engaged with or disengaged from said container, forming a free passage between said ball and said dispensing opening (as shown in Figure 1b). Engagement or disengagement of the cover means movement of the cover towards or away from the rest position.

As mentioned above, free passage occurs when the cap is pressed on the ball. This free passage occurs when the lid is engaged or disengaged from the container. This means that, during this operation, the container is in its upright position and the headspace is located in the upper part of the container above the liquid level of the product contained in the container. "Headspace" is the volume of gas remaining in the container after filling between the uppermost liquid level of said product and the lip (9) of said dispensing opening (2). The gas in the aforementioned headspace then escapes through the aforementioned free channels without exiting the article. Therefore the above container is ventilated without contamination and waste.

Utilization of the aforementioned free passage is limited to a relatively short period of time. In practice, this utilization is limited only to the time required to engage and disengage said lid (20) on said container (10). We have found, however, that this period of time is sufficient to relieve at least a portion of the pressure built up within said vessel, thereby substantially reducing the pressure differential between the interior and exterior of said vessel. We have further found that the amount of pressure reduced in this manner is sufficient to avoid uncontrollable expulsion of the article surrounding the ball as the pressure is released. Contamination and waste of the discharged product is thus substantially avoided. The overpressure existing within the above-mentioned container is defined as the pressure difference between the pressure inside the above-mentioned container and the pressure outside the above-mentioned container. When said cap is engaged or disengaged from said container and free passage is formed, overpressure is reduced by at least about 10%, more preferably by at least about 50%, most preferably by at least about 90%. In particular, we have found that when a pressure of about 250 mbar develops in the aforementioned container, this pressure must be brought down below 50 mbar to avoid significant dispensing defects. Dispensing defects are primarily contamination and waste when the gas inside said container is expelled in the aforementioned burp during dispensing of the product.

Figure 4a shows the above-mentioned cover (20) in a rest position. None of the above-mentioned covers touch the above-mentioned ball (3). In particular, a gap (24) separates the outer surface of said ball from the inner surface (31) of said cap. The above-mentioned ball pressing against the above-mentioned dispensing opening (2) thus closes the above-mentioned dispensing opening in an air-tight manner. Hereinafter, "airtight" means that no gas can pass through the junction between the inside and outside of the container. Or in another way, "airtight" means that the speed at which the pressure is released to the outside of the container through the joint (hereinafter referred to as the pressure release speed) is smaller than the speed at which the pressure is generated in the above container. A pressure is thus gradually built up inside the above-mentioned container, since the amount of gas that can be released outside the above-mentioned container is too small relative to the pressure built up in the above-mentioned container. Fig. 4b is an enlarged view showing a momentary state in which the lid depresses the ball during the disengagement of the lid from the container. The same moment of depressing the ball also occurs in the reverse case when the lid is engaged on the container. Like this just makes larger air flow flow to the container outside through above-mentioned free channel (23) as shown by arrow during taking off lid.

As mentioned above, said cap (20) depresses said ball (3) when said cap is engaged with said container (10) or disengaged from said container. This is achieved by providing engaging means (30) between said lid and said container which, when engaging and disengaging the lid, guide the top wall of said lid to move towards and bear against said ball. We believe that a possible embodiment would have the above-mentioned engagement means comprising inclined threads (30 in Figure 4c). Threads are formed on the skirt (22) of the cap, while other threads are formed on the outer surface of the hollow body (1) below the opening (2). We have found that the threads on the outer surface of the hollow body should be inclined such that the top wall of the cap contacts the ball and thereby presses on the ball. Said thread can be part of the outer surface of said container or part of the outer surface of said flexible elastic support (4).

One example is shown in Figure 4c. Said thread comprises two ribs (32, 32') forming a groove (33) in the middle of them. The grooves are sized to fully accommodate the corresponding threads on the cap. Said slot is open at one end (33a) and its opposite end is closed by a wall (34). Said wall (34) preferably integrates said two ribs (32, 32'). Thus in order for the cap to engage the container, the threads of the cap must enter the groove from its open end. When the above-mentioned container is in the upright position, the open end of the above-mentioned groove (33) is in a position lower than the closed end. This means that the cap must be pressed down until its threads can enter the groove.

As a more preferred solution, the rib (32) on the groove (33) closest to the opening (2) further includes an inclined portion (35). The above-mentioned inclined portion is inclined towards the above-mentioned opening (2), as shown in Fig. 4d. This inclination facilitates the threaded engagement of said cap into said groove (33). In fact, said inclined portion (35) guides the thread of said lid (20) back into said groove when reclosing said container. Turning is then easily performed to engage said lid (20) with said engagement means (30) without pushing down on the lid. As another preferred solution, the rib (32') leaving the opening below the groove (33) also includes a second inclined portion (36), and the second inclined portion is also inclined to the opening (2), as shown in Fig. 4d is shown. This second inclined portion (36) particularly facilitates the threading of said cap out of said groove (33). In fact, said sloping portion (36) forces said lid upwards, thereby facilitating the lifting of said lid when it is disengaged from said container.

In the following, plane P (P in Fig. 2b) is the plane tangent to the highest point of the above-mentioned ball when the container is in the upright position. In addition, dt is the distance between the above-mentioned screw thread of the above-mentioned cover and the above-mentioned top wall (31 in Fig. 2b) on the lower surface of the above-mentioned cover, and dc is the distance between the above-mentioned opening end (33a in Fig. )the distance between. Thus, when the distance dt is less than dc it is ensured that the top wall bears on the ball when the thread of the cap enters the open end of the groove. The difference Δ=(dc-dt) may be less than or equal to the maximum displacement of said ball in said container by said flexible elastic support. The lid is then further turned to the left until the threads of the lid are stopped by the wall (34 in Figure 4c). In this position the lid closes the container. When the lid is disengaged from the container, the lid also presses on the ball. Actually turning the cover to the right moves the cover from the closed end of the slot to the open end, ie the cover moves downwards from the closed end to the open end. Said lid is thus again pressed against said ball, thus opening a free passage between the interior and exterior of said container.

The lid (20) may include a child-safe feature as another means of creating a free passage when engaging and disengaging the lid from the container. An embodiment is shown in FIG. 6 . In this case, the thread (41) of the above-mentioned cover must first be pushed down from the space 42 into the above-mentioned groove (33), so that the thread (41) of the above-mentioned cover can reach the open end (33a), so that the above-mentioned cover Disengage from the aforementioned container. If only the screw thread (41) of the above-mentioned cover is turned without pressing down, the wall 42 can stop the further rotation of the above-mentioned screw thread (41).

Hereinafter, "airtight lid" refers to a lid that can substantially prevent gas from flowing to the outside of the above-mentioned container. If the above-mentioned cover (20) is not airtight, the gas passing through the above-mentioned free passage flows directly to the external atmosphere, for example through the threaded area. In order to facilitate gas flow to the outside of the above-mentioned container, at least one air hole is preferably formed in the above-mentioned lid. The air holes are holes through the thickness of the cover. The situation is different when said lid (20) closes said container in an airtight manner. In this case, the manner in which the gas may escape through the above-mentioned free passage (23) must be foreseen. Preferably, said airtight cover is useful when said engagement between said ball (3) and said opening (2) can release pressure at low speed. In fact, we have found that the gas passing through the junction between the aforementioned ball and the aforementioned opening can also press outwards a certain amount of the contained liquid product. Therefore, the above-mentioned airtight cover can avoid pollution and waste.

The simplest method is to let the gas escape first into the free volume between the above-mentioned lid and the above-mentioned container (A in Fig. 4b). The gases in this volume (A in FIG. 4b ) can then be completely released after the above-mentioned lid has been completely disengaged. This is not an ideal solution when the volume (A in Fig. 4b) does not provide enough space for the gas to flow out of the aforementioned container.

Another airtight lid (20') is shown as an example in eg Figures 5a and 5b. The above-mentioned cover (20') preferably also includes a sealing ring (25). Said sealing ring is a continuous wall extending from the inner surface of said top wall (21) and generally parallel to said skirt (22). Said sealing ring completely surrounds the outer surface of said hollow body (1) in said upper part of said container. Preferably, the sealing ring surrounds the outer surface of the hollow body directly below the lip (9). More preferably, the above-mentioned sealing ring surrounds the outer surface of the above-mentioned housing (4a) directly below the above-mentioned lip (9). When said lid is in said rest position, said sealing ring forms a leak-tight connection with the outer surface of said hollow body. As noted above, when the cap is disengaged, the cap moves downwardly against the ball. In this way, the sealing ring is pressed down to a position on the outer surface of the hollow body at which the sealing ring no longer forms a gas-tight joint, so that the gas flowing through the passage (23) finally escapes to the bottom of the container. external. Such venting is facilitated by the provision of at least one air hole beneath said sealing ring when said container is in an upright position.

An embodiment of the ventilation mechanism to achieve the above is shown in Figure 5a. The upper part of the above-mentioned container also includes at least one groove (27). Said recess is located on the outer surface of said hollow body (1) below the sealing ring (25) of said lid (20') when said lid closes said container in its rest position. The above-mentioned groove may be a continuous groove completely surrounding the outer surface of the above-mentioned hollow body. It is also possible to form more than one groove apart from each other along the outer surface of the above-mentioned hollow body. All grooves are preferably at the same height. The aforementioned groove can be formed by reducing the thickness between the inner and outer surfaces of the aforementioned hollow body. Alternatively, the groove may be a concavely curved portion of the wall of the hollow body when viewed from the outside of the container.

The groove (27) allows gas escaping from the inside of the container to pass to the outside of the container. In fact, when said lid (20') is disengaged from said container, said sealing ring pushes down towards this groove. Once pushed on the groove, the sealing ring no longer ensures an airtight engagement with the upper part of the container, ie a gap of free space is formed between the groove and the sealing ring. Then, when the cap depresses the ball, the gas passing through the free channel (23) escapes to the outside of the container through this gap between the groove and the sealing ring. The same process occurs when engaging the lid on the container.

Another possible embodiment of the ventilation mechanism identical to that shown in Figure 5a is shown in Figure 5b. In this case, said recess (27) is replaced by at least one protrusion (28), which means that said protrusion (28) is located in said hollow body when said lid closes said container in its rest position. (1) on the outer surface of the above-mentioned cover (20') below the above-mentioned sealing ring (25). It is also possible to form more than one mutually independent protrusions along the outer surface of the hollow body. All projections are preferably at the same height. The above-mentioned protrusions are not connected to each other, otherwise no ventilation channel can be formed. The protrusion may be formed by increasing the thickness between the inner and outer surfaces of the hollow body, or the protrusion may be a convexly curved portion of the wall of the hollow body when viewed from the outside of the container.

As previously described for the recess (27), the protrusion (28) allows gas to escape from the interior of the container to the exterior of the container. In fact, when said lid (20') is disengaged from said container, said sealing ring is pushed down towards said protrusion. Once pushed onto the projection, the sealing ring is no longer in airtight engagement with the upper part of the container, ie a gap of free space is formed between the sealing ring and the immediate surroundings of the projection. In fact, said sealing ring is at least locally raised by said protrusion, as shown in Fig. 5c. When more than one of said protrusions is present, said sealing ring is fully raised so that gas escaping from the interior of the container flows through the free spaces between said separating protrusions. Thus, when the ball is depressed by the lid, the gas flowing through the free channel (23) escapes to the outside of the container through the free space between the protrusion and the sealing ring. The same process takes place when the lid is engaged on the container.

Claims (16)

1. one kind is suitable for splendid attire and the container (10) of the goods of providing and delivering, described container comprises hollow body (1), dispensing mouthful (2), ball (3), the flexible resilient supporting member (4) and the lid (20) that are used for above-mentioned ball, described flexible resilient supporting member is pressed against on the above-mentioned dispensing mouth ball, make the non-leakage basically sealed engagement of formation between above-mentioned ball and above-mentioned dispensing mouth, the external force that acts on the above-mentioned ball can make above-mentioned flexible resilient supporting member produce elastic deformation, thereby the above-mentioned non-leakage basically joint between above-mentioned ball and the dispensing mouth will break away from cooperation, thereby can utilize above-mentioned ball to spread out the above-mentioned goods of adorning, above-mentioned lid meshes said vesse removably, above-mentioned lid covers above-mentioned ball, it is characterized in that, only when above-mentioned lid and said vesse engagement and/or disengagement, above-mentioned lid just is pressed on the above-mentioned ball, thereby forms clear passage (23) between above-mentioned ball and above-mentioned dispensing mouth.

2. container as claimed in claim 1, it is characterized in that, said vesse comprises geared assembly (30), this device is between above-mentioned lid and said vesse, perhaps between above-mentioned lid and above-mentioned flexible resilient supporting member, this device is as long as shift to above-mentioned ball and be pressed on this ball at the roof that just guides above-mentioned lid with above-mentioned lid engagement or when throwing off.

3. container as claimed in claim 2, it is characterized in that, above-mentioned geared assembly (30) comprises the leaning thread (30) that is positioned on above-mentioned hollow body (1) outer surface, above-mentioned screw thread (30 among Fig. 4 c) comprises at least two ribs (32,32 '), in the middle of rib, form groove (33), make the size of above-mentioned groove can hold respective threaded on the described lid fully, one end (33a) of above-mentioned groove is an opening, its opposite end is sealed by wall (34), when said vesse was positioned at its stand up position, the above-mentioned open end of above-mentioned groove (33) was in the position lower than blind end.

4. container as claimed in claim 3 is characterized in that, above-mentioned wall (34) links together above-mentioned two ribs (32,32 ').

5. as claim 3 or 4 described containers, it is characterized in that above-mentioned rib (32,32 ') also comprises a sloping portion (35 and 36) respectively.

6. as the described container of above-mentioned each claim, it is characterized in that above-mentioned lid (20 ') comprises sealing ring (25).

7. container as claimed in claim 6, it is characterized in that, said vesse comprises at least one groove (27) or projection (28), when above-mentioned lid is closed said vesse with its resting position, above-mentioned groove or above-mentioned projection be positioned on the outer surface of above-mentioned hollow body (1) or shell (4a), be positioned at above-mentioned antelabium (9) and above-mentioned lid (20 ') sealing ring (25) below.

8. as the described container of above-mentioned each claim, it is characterized in that: above-mentioned lid comprises at least one pore.

9. as the described container of above-mentioned each claim, it is characterized in that, above-mentioned flexible resilient supporting member (4) comprises shell, this shell is contained on the container and forms above-mentioned dispensing mouth in the one end, above-mentioned shell comprises a spring (5) that is positioned at below the above-mentioned ball (3) in the relative stub area of above-mentioned dispensing mouth, above-mentioned spring is pressed against on the above-mentioned dispensing mouth (2) above-mentioned ball (3), thereby forms above-mentioned non-leakage sealed engagement during not using said vesse.

10. container as claimed in claim 9 is characterized in that, above-mentioned shell comprises interrupted edge (8) in the zone with respect to above-mentioned dispensing mouth (2), when to ball (3) when applying external force this ball be urged and lean against on this edge.

11. as each described container in the above-mentioned claim, it is characterized in that, the antelabium of above-mentioned dispensing mouth (9) but be deformation.

12., it is characterized in that above-mentioned flexible resilient supporting member is made by the material that is selected from casting resin, elastomeric polymer and composition thereof as the described container of above-mentioned each claim.

13., it is characterized in that said vesse is made by rigidity or flexible material as the described container of above-mentioned each claim.

14., it is characterized in that said vesse is bottle or pipe as the described container of above-mentioned each claim.

15., it is characterized in that the top of said vesse tilts with respect to the axis of this container as the described container of above-mentioned each claim.

16., it is characterized in that above-mentioned ball (3) is a spheroidal as the described container of above-mentioned each claim.

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