GB2231035A - A container comprising a cap provided with a suspension element - Google Patents

Abstract

A container 1 comprises a cap 3 provided with a free internal space and a hanger element constituted by a stirrup 4 comprising two flexible lateral sliding members 41a, 41b interconnected at one end by a central bar 42. The lateral sliding members 41a, 41b can slide through openings 37a, 37b from the inside towards the outside of the cap 3 (and vice versa) the stirrup 4 passing from a retracted position where it is disposed against the outer side of the cap side wall (Figure 3) to an extracted position (Figure 4). Moreover, the stirrup 4 can pass by tilting from the extracted position to a suspension position (Figure 5), where the stirrup (4) is in a plane substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the container. Preferably the lateral sliding members 41a, 41b during at least part of their travel inside the cap 3 slide over a slide 36. Each lateral sliding member ends in a harpoon-shaped hook (43, Figure 5) which includes a notch for engaging the thickness of the cap side wall at the top end of the openings 37a, 37b when in the suspension position. <IMAGE>

Description

A CONTAINER COMPRISING A CAP PROVIDED WITH A SUSPENSION ELEMENT The present invention concerns a container comprising a cap provided with a suspension device. It is known that when using a toiletry or hygiene product such as liquid soap, a shower gel, shampoo or similar, the container of the toiletry product tends to slip from the user's hands, particularly when they are wet.

To overcome this drawback, it has been proposed to provide the containers with devices allowing them to be suspended, for example, on the pipes in the bathroom.

It is known, moreover, that the containers intended in particular to contain toiletry or hygiene products are constituted by a bottle comprising a neck, and a cap which comprises the device for stoppering the neck of the bottle.

This device is usually constituted by a stopper comprising an upper surface to which is attached a skirt shaped such that it can be fitted by screwing or catch engagement on to the neck of the bottle. However, for general aesthetic reasons, the stoppering device is. inserted in a wider cover cap called a "hood" which is positioned on the shoulder of the bottle joining the neck to the body of the bottle. When the container is closed, a free internal space exists around the part forming the stopper of the cap in the type of cap comprising a hood-shaped cover cap. In the text that follows, the terms "free internal space" will designate this space.

In DE-A-3716546, a suspension system has been proposed constituted by a closed loop of cord disposed partly inside a cap comprising a free internal space and partly outside this cap, which cord is fixed to a point within the cap and slides through an opening of the cap between a stored position and suspension position. This system has the drawback that in the stored position, a loop of the cord remains outside the cap, which is awkward for storage because the loop can be hooked accidentally.

Moreover, there is only a small difference in dimensions of the loop between the stored position and the suspension position. Besides, the cord is difficult to fix to the inside of the cap.

The present invention concerns a suspension device allowing these drawbacks to be avoided. Moreover, it allows the suspension device to be easily brought into a plane parallel to the longitudinal axis of the container.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a container comprising a cap; and a bottle on which the cap is to be secured; the cap comprising a free internal space (as herein defined) and a suspension device constituted by a stirrup comprising: two flexible lateral slide members interconnected at one of their ends by a central bar disposed outside the cap, the ends of the lateral slide members remote from the bar being disposed inside the cap, the lateral sliding members being each capable of sliding inwardly and outwardly through an opening arranged in the cap between an extracted position and a retracted position, and a tilting element which when the lateral sliding members are extracted, allows the stirrup to be tilted from the extracted position where the stirrup is in a plane close to a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the container, to a suspension position where the stirrup is in plane close to a plane parallel to the longitudinal axis of the container.

Preferably, the lateral slide members slide over at least a part of their travel along a slide. In this case, the lateral slide members then more preferably also slide along the wall of the cap.

The lateral slide members may have the forms of strips, or wires, with a circular cross-section. They wind up along the wall of the cap and are locked by friction when the stirrup is in the retracted position.

According to a first form of the container in accordance with the invention, the flexible lateral slide members have, when at rest, a shape corresponding to the extracted position; in that case, the lateral slide members are generally rectilinear.

According to a second form of the invention, the lateral slide members have, when at rest, a shape corresponding to the retracted position that is to say, a generally curved shape.

The openings have the shape and dimensions of the cross-section of the lateral slide members, except that they offer the clearance necessary to enable the lateral slide members to slide.

The central bar of the stirrup is advantageously more rigid than the flexible lateral slide members. This rigidity is obtained either by using a plastic material different from that of the slide members or, preferably, by giving the central bar a greater thickness and/or a greater width. The central bar preferably has a shape complementary to the outer side of the cap on which it bears when the lateral slide members are in the retracted position.

Desirably, the tilting element is constituted by a harpoon-shaped hook provided at the end of each of the lateral slide members, the said hook comprising a hooking up part having, on the one hand, an inner notch of a shape such that it fits on to the thickness of the outer wall of the cap in the suspension position and having, on the other hand, a rounded portion capable of travelling over the edge of the opening and comprising a tongue situated in the extension of the hook capable of bearing on the inner side of the cap in the suspension position.

The slides are disposed inside the cap. They are fixed to the wall of the cap near the opening so that the lateral slide members are disposed between the wall of the cap and the slides. Advantageously, they have a shape such that they push the lateral slide members towards the wall so that the said lateral slide members slide on the inner side of the cap. The lateral slide members may be constituted by partition strips secured to the top of the cap, or they can be made of solid members also secured to the top of the cap.

The device of the present invention functions as follows: When the stirrup is in the retracted position, the user pulls on the central bar until the lateral slide members are in the extracted position in a plane close to a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the container, then he causes the stirrup to tilt, so as to bring it into a plane close to a plane parallel to the longitudinal axis of the container, the bar of the stirrup being placed beyond the part of the cap that is furthest away from the bottle. The harpoon-shaped element both prevents the lateral slide members from emerging completely from the cap and allows the lateral slide members to travel over the edge of the opening arranged in the cap during the tilting movement. The container can then be suspended.

When the user wishes to retract the stirrup, he causes it to tilt in the opposite direction and then he presses on the central bar to cause the stirrup to return into the cap.

The friction of the lateral slide members of the stirrup against the edge of the opening in the cap, on the slides and on the inner side of the cap suffices to lock the stirrup in the retracted position. When the stirrup comprises slide members moulded to adopt the suspension position, the elasticity of the slide members assists the stirrup to emerge from the cap. However, when the stirrup comprises slide members moulded to adopt the retracted position, the elasticity of the slide members assists the stirrup to return to its retracted position, and to maintain it in that position.

In order that the present invention may more readily be understood the following description is given, merely by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the closed container in accordance with the invention, with the stirrup in the suspension position; FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal section of the container of Figure 1; FIGURE 3 is a section along line III-III of Figure 2 with the suspension device in the retracted position; FIGURE 4 is also a section along line III-III of Figure 2 but showing the suspension device in the extracted position; and FIGURE 5 is a stripped sectional view taken along the line V-V of Figure 4 showing the tilting of the suspension device from the extracted position to the retracted position.

In Figures 1 to 5, the container is generally designated 1 and has a general cylindrical shape with an oval cross-section. The container 1 is formed by a bottle 2, a cap 3 and a suspension device 4. In the following description the various positions will be indicated for a bottle whose bottom is resting on a flat surface.

The bottle 2 comprises a bottom 21 and a side wall 22. In its upper portion, it has a neck 24 with a circular cross-section which is joined to the side walls 22 via a shoulder 23. There is an annular rebate 25 at the transition between the side walls 22 and the shoulder 23.

The neck 24 comprises an annular groove 26 and an outwardly inclined annular surface 27 having its maximum thickness near the groove 26.

The cap 23 comprises a flat upper panel 31 with an oval shape and to which is joined a lateral skirt 32 whose lower edge seats in the annular rebate 25 when the cap is fixed to the bottle 2. The cap 3 is fixed to the neck 24 of the bottle 2 by means of an element 33 comprising two concentric skirts, namely an outer skirt 34 and a skirt 35 inside the neck. The bottom edge of the outer skirt 34 is fixed by catch engagement in the groove 26 of the neck. The inner skirt 35 is shorter than the outer skirt 34 and is fitted inside the neck 24.

A free internal space E is situated between the skirt 32 of the cap 3, the skirt 34 of the element 33, the shoulder 23 of the bottle, and the upper panel 31 of the cap. In this free internal space, the cap 3 carries a slide 36 formed by a partition perpendicular to the upper panel 31, and having the shape represented in Figure 3. This partition is symmetrical relative to the minor axis of the oval cross-section of the cap. The partition 36 comprises two straight portions 36a inclined outwardly relative to the minor axis of the oval cross-section of the cap, and two other straight portions 36b tangential to the neck. The two straight portions 36a, as well as the two straight portions 36b are interconnected by arcs of a curve.

In the cap 3 are two openings 37a 37b disposed beyond the slide 36 symmetrically relative to the minor axis of the oval cross-section of the cap. These openings are rectangular, the longer side of the rectangle being parallel to the generatrices of the skirt 32 of the cap.

The stirrup 4 is formed by two lateral sliding members 41a and 41b interconnected at one of their ends by a bar 42. The lateral slide members 41a and 41b are constituted by two strips of a flexible plastic material.

In the embodiment shown, the bar 42 is a plastic strip which is thicker and wider to provide it with a greater rigidity than the lateral sliding members 41a and 41b. As illustrated in Figure 3, the bar 42 has the same curved shape as the portion of the skirt 32 on which it bears. In this way, the bar 42 virtually does not project from the side of the cap; it is therefore neither unpleasant in appearance nor of an obstructive nature.

The end of each lateral sliding member 41a and 41b carries a harpoon 43 (see Figure 5). This harpoon 43 comprises a hook 44 having a rounded portion 44a and defining a notch 44b with a width close to the width of the skirt 32, so that the skirt can be inserted therein. The harpoon 43 also comprises a tongue 45 disposed so that it can abut the inner side of the skirt 32 when the stirrup is in the suspension position.

In the closed position, as shown in Figure 3, the bar 42 of the stirrup is disposed against the outer side of the skirt 32 of the cap and the lateral sliding members 41a and 41k are retracted inside the internal space E of the cap between the slide 36 and the inner side of the skirt 32. At their ends the lateral sliding members 41a and 41b abut the inner side of the skirt over a certain length which is furthest away from the portion carrying the openings 37a, 37, and also abut the slide 36 over a portion nearer to the bar 42.The friction of the lateral sliding members 41a and 41b against the side of the skirt 32, on the slide 36, and in the openings 37a, 37 is sufficient to prevent the stirrup from emerging merely under the effect of the elasticity of the lateral slide members 41a and 41.

When the user wishes to suspend the container 1, he pulls on the bar 42 of the stirrup 4 which causes the lateral sliding members 41a and 41b to slide on the inner side of the skirt 32, on the slide 36 and through the openings 37a, 37b until the harpoon-shaped ends 43 of the slide members 41a and 41b lock them. The elasticity of the lateral slide members 41a and 4lb helps with the extraction of the stirrup 4. The stirrup 4 is then in the position represented in Figure 4 (and shown in solid lines in Figure 5).

The user then causes the stirrup 4 to tilt by causing the rounded portion 44a of the hook 44 of the harpoon 43 of each sliding member 41a, 41b to travel, over the lower edge of the respective openings 37a or 37b, so that on the upper edge of the opening, the thickness of the wall of the skirt 32 is inserted in the notch 44b of the hook, and the tongue 45 on the opposite side of the harpoon 43 abuts the inner side of the skirt 32 of the cap 3. The bar 42 comes to be positioned at a higher level than that of the top portion 31 of the cap. The stirrup is in the suspension position.

When the user wishes to retract the stirrup, having unhooked the container, he causes the stirrup to tilt in the opposite direction away from the suspension position towards the extracted position, then he presses on the bar 42 so as to cause the lateral sliding members 41a and 41b to slide against the slide 36, then against the side of the skirt 32, until the bar 42 comes into contact with the outer side of the skirt 32.

Claims (9)

1. A container comprising a cap; and a bottle on which the cap is to be secured; the cap comprising a free internal space (as herein defined) and a suspension device constituted by a stirrup comprising: two flexible lateral slide members interconnected at one of their ends by a central bar disposed outside the cap, the ends of the lateral slide members remote from the bar being disposed inside the cap, the lateral sliding members being each capable of sliding inwardly and outwardly through an opening arranged in the cap between an extracted position and a retracted position, and a tilting element which when the lateral sliding members are extracted, allows the stirrup to be tilted from the extracted position where the stirrup is in a plane close to a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the container, to a suspension position where the stirrup is in plane close to a plane parallel to the longitudinal axis of the container.

2. A container according to claim 1, wherein over at least a part of their travel the lateral sliding members slide along a slide.

3. A container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the lateral slide members also slide along the inner side of the cap.

4. A container according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the central bar of the stirrup is more rigid than the lateral slide members.

5. A container according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the central bar has a shape complementary to the outer side of the cap which it abuts when the lateral slide members are in the retracted position.

6. A container according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the tilting element is constituted by a harpoon-shaped hook provided at the free end of each of the lateral sliding members, said hook comprising a hooking up part having on the one hand an inner notch shaped such that it fits on to the thickness of the outer wall of the cap in the suspension position and having, on the other hand, a rounded portion capable of travelling over the edge of the opening, said hook further comprising a tongue situated in the extension of the hook and capable of bearing on the inner side of the cap in the suspension position.

7. A container according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the lateral sliding members have, when at rest, a shape corresponding to the retracted position.

8. A container according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the lateral sliding members have, when at rest, a shape corresponding to the extracted position.

9. A container constructed and adapted to operate substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.