Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
lQ41045
The present invention relates to a dispensing container for an
air-treating gel and, more particularly to a container for such gel which is
adapted to introduce into the atmosphere, at regulated rates, the volatizable
air-treating agents in the gel and to provide vapor tight sealing during
transit and storage.
It has been found that air-treating gels of the type disclosed in
United States Patent No. 2,691,615 to Turner et. al. provide effective means
for gradually introducing into the atmosphere volatizable air-treating comp-
onents including, for example, air freshening and odor counteractant components.Originally, such gels were pre-formed into blocks or bodies of a suitable shape
and placed in a container or dispenser which fully exposed the block to the
air for volatilization when in use. More recently, however, a number of
various types of dispensers have been provided which permit substantial control
or variation of the rate of volatilization, while at the same time preventing
loss of air-treating agent during periods of non-use. Such containers are
provided in a variety of configurations, and generally consist of two parts
(for example a base and cover) which are adapted to be placed in various
positions with respect to one another in order to expose the body of air-treat-
ing gel therein to varying degrees in order to regulate the rate of volatili-
zation of the gel.
Two such containers are disclosed, for exa~ple, in United States
Patent Nos. 2,878,060 and 3,239,145, issued to Aurelio Dello Russo. These
latter types of containers have been found to be substantially satisfactory
in use, with the structur~ of the latter patent providing a highly effective
vapor tight seal between the base and cover that prevents volatilization of the
gel when the dispenser is in storage or transit. However, to assist in per-
fecting the vapor tight seal in the container disclosed in the 3,239,145
patent a bayonet lock arrangement is utilized which requires the manufacturer
to perform an extra step in the manufacturing process.
Typically, the solid air-treating gel material is initially placed
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in a closed container in its liquid state and permitted to solidify therein,
Thus, in the Dello Russo Patent ~o. 3,239,145 the manufacturer must first
assemble the cover and base member by moving the parts into mating relation-
ship with one another and then twist the cover or base, to permit the bayonet
- locks thereon to mesh Thereafter the sealed container is filled with liquid
air_treating gel, in any convenient manner, and allowed to solidify. The
vapor tight seal formed in conjunction with the bayonet locks prevent volat-
ilization of the gel when the container is closed As will be appreciated,
the use of the bayonet arrangement in this container structure and the extra
operating step required thereby increases the cost of manufacture of the
container.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to regulate
the rate of volatilization of solid air-treating gels in a dispensing container
which is relatively simple and inexpensive in construction.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a dis-
pensing container for air-treating gels which is adapted to form a vapor
tight seal by a simple mating arrangement between its cover and base.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a struct-
urally simple and relatively easily manufactured dispenser for air-treating
gel.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a vapor tight -
dispenser for air-treating gel which is relatively simple to fill with liquid
gel,
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a
dispenser for air-treating gel which is attractive in appearance and relatively
easy for the consumer to use.
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, a dispensing
: container for a solid air-treating gel has a base member in the form of a cup
which includes an open upper end portion and an integral base and side walls.
The cup also is provided with internal guide and support means consisting of a
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plurality of integrally formed axially elongated and peripherally spaced
spring fingers that extend upwardly from the interior of the base to positions
above the upper end portion of the base. In addition, a closure member for
the container is provided which consists of an elongated cup having opposed
closed and open end portions and a side wall that extends therebetween. The
cover is adapted to receive and slidably engage the spring fingers, through
its open end, in a friction fit with the inner surface of its side wall
engaging the fingers, whereby said closure member is adapted to be supported
on said spring fingers above the open end of said base member and to engage
the open end of the latter outside the fingers with a vapor tight seal when
the outside walls of the two members are aligned with one another in a
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determined closing position. The elongated cup is tapered slightly from a first
cross-sectional dimension at the closed end portion thereof to a slightly
~: larger cross-sectioned dimension at said open end portion. The elongated
closure member has a plurality of convex ribs formed in its side wall
-: opening towards the interior of the closure member. These convex ribs are
dimensioned to respectively receive the spring fingers freely therein. With
thls arrangement the closure member is seated on the shoulder without stressing
the spring fingers when said convex ribs are aligned with said fingers and
said closure member is supported on said fingers above the open end portion
of said base member by the engagement of said spring fingers with the inner
surface of the side wall of the closure member when said closure member is
rotated to move said ribs out of alignment with said spring fingers.
By this construction, the elongated closure member is adapted to be
supported on the spring fingers of the base above the open end of the base
member, in a plurality of relative positions thereby to control the amount
of air introduced to the container to in turn regulate the volatilization of
air-treating agents in the gel. In addition, the cover and base include
cooperating beveled surface portions which, when the cover is fully engaged
with the base, serve to provide a vapor tight seal to prevent volatilization
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of the air-treating agents in the gel when the container is stored or in
transit.
, The above, and other object, features, and advantages of this
invention will be apparent in the following detailed description of
illustrative embodiments of the invention which is to be read in connection
~`: with the accompanying drawings wherein:
Figure 1 is an elevational view of a dispensing container for solid
: air-treating gel constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the present
~ invention, and showing the container in its closed position;
: 10 Figure 2 is an elevational view, similar to Figure 1, showing the ::
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configuration of the container during use of the gel, but showing the gel in ~-
dotted lines for clarity; ~ :
Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the dispensing container ~-
of Figures 1 and 2;
Figure 4 is an enlarged elevational view, taken in section, of the
~; dispensing container of Figure l;
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Figure 5 is an enlarged partial sectional view of a portion of the
cover and base of another embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 6 is an enlarged partial sectional view similar to Figure 5
of yet another embodiment of the invention; and
Figure 7 is a bottom view of the dispenser shown in Figure 1.
Referring now to the drawing in detail, and initially to Figures 1
and 2 thereof, it will be seen that the dispensing container 10 of the present
; invention includes a base 12 and a top cover or closure member 14 which con-
tains a solidified body 16 (shown in dotted lines in Figure 2 for clarity) of
an air-treating gel containing volatilizable air-treating components, such as
. for example as described in the above noted United States Patent No. 2,691,615.
Preferably, each of the base and cover elements comprise a unitary body of
~ molded plastic material formed from polyethylene or polypropylene. However,
- it is to be understood that various types of plastics can be used and that the
respective base and cover can be formed from the same or different plastic
materials and in different colors, as desired.
Base 12, shown in greater detail in Figures 3 and 4, is in the form
of a cup having a generally circular crass-section and an open top 18 in which
gel 16 is seated. The cup includes a base or bottom wall 20 and a tapered
side wall 22 which~ at its upper end 24, has a laterally (or radially) offset
annular w~ll portion 26 that cooperates with cover 14 to form a substantially
vapor tight seal as described hereinafter. In addition, cup 12 includes a
plurality of axially elongated integral spring fingers 28 that extend up-
wardly from the cup~s side wall 22 in spaced relation to the offset wall 26 to
positions above the open end 18 of the cup. Although four such spring fingers
are shown for purposes of illustration, it is to be understood that two, three
or more than four such fingers can be used in the dispensing container of the
invention.
Spring fingers 28 are tapered from their bottom-most positions
adjacent wall 22 to their upper ends and have a relatively flat exterior
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surface 30. When container 10 is filled with liquid air-treating gel, as
described hereinafter, fingers 28 are embedded within the gel with the outer
surfaces 30 thereof being exposed. The fingers each include an inner narrow
rib 32 that extends deeper into the gel than the main body portion of the
fingers, thereby to provide additional anchoring support for the gel body
within the fingers. Of course, it will be appreciated that the fingers obtain
their spring characteristic, which is used to support cover 14 as described
hereinafter, since they are formed of a resilient plastic material.
The closure part or cover 14 is essentially a cylindrical cup
, having a closed end 34 and a slightly tapered side wall 36 which extends to
j an open end 38 of slightly larger diameter than end 34. The diameter of cover
14 is selected such that the open end 38 thereof has a diameter which is
slightly less than the distance between the surfaces 30 of any two diametrical-
ly opposed fingers 28. Thus cover 14 is adapted to receive spring fingers 28
with the outer surfaces 30 of the spring fingers in engagement with the inclin-
ed inner surface 40 of the cover in a slidable friction fit. To improve this
friction fit the bottom half of cover 14 has its sidewall tapered from a
first thickness approximately halfway up the cover to a second larger thick-
ness near the bottom of the cover, at 41, where the cover wall returns to a
smaller thickness to form a ridge on the inner surface 40. This arrangement
decreases the inner diameter of the cover so that the frictional engagement
of the cover with fingers 28 is increased to prevent the cover from slipping
down on the fingers. In this manner, as illustrated in Figure 2, the cover
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14 can be supported on base 12 in a variety of positions with respect to the
open top of the base 12 by spring fingers 28 The opening 42 provided between
base 12 and cover 14 can thus be varied by moving cover 14 along fingers 28
to a variety of positions in order to regulate the amount of gel exposed to
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the atmosphere for volatilization.
The lower open end portion 38 of cover 14 includes a laterally off_
; 30 set annular wall portion 44 which forms an enlarged bore having a diameter
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substantially complementary to the external diameter of the annular wall 26 of
base 12, Preferably, the inner surface 46 of annular wall 44 and the outer
surface 48 of~all 26 are slightlybeveled, for example 2 from the vertical
(see Figure 5), in a complementary configuration, so as to form a relatively
tight friction fit therebetween when cover 14 is lowered into its sealing
position, shown in Figures l and 4 This lower position of cover 14 is limited
and defined by an annular shoulder 50, formed on the e~terior of the laterally
offset portion 26 of base 12, and faces upwardly towards the open end of the
base, This shoulder engages the lower edge 52 of the wall 44 in cover 14,
when the cover 14 is seated in its lowermost position. The engagement of edge
52 with shoulder 50, and the further tight friction fit between the beveled
surfaces 46, 48 serve to provide a substantial vapor tight seal between the
cover and the base which ~reven~s volatilization of the air-treating gel in
order to preserve the gel during storage or transit.
In accordance with a feature of the present invention, cover 14 is
- constructed to allow spring fingers 28 to remain in a relaxed configuration
when cover 14 is sealed against base 12. This is permitted by the provision
of a plurality of convex ribs 54 formed in the peripheral side wall 36 of
cover 14. These ribs are provided in a number equal to the number of ribs 28
in base 22 and are peripherally spaced about the circumference of wall 36
distances equal to the circumferential distances separating fingers 28.
In addition, these ribs 54 open towards the interior of cover 14 thereby to
define recesses 56 which will receive fingers 28 in a relaxed condition when
the cover 14 is moved downwardly onto base 12 with the ribs 54 aligned with
fingers 28. Thus, as illustrated in Figure 4, when cover 14 is placed on base
; 12 with ribs 54 radially aligned with fingers 28, the fingers are received
within recesses S6 in an unstressed condition. On the other hand, it will be
appreciated that when cover 14 is raised away from base 12 and rotated axially
a distance sufficient to move ribs 54 out of the alignment with fingers 28
the tapered inner surface 40 of the cover 14, in the areas 58 between ribs 54,
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- will be moved into engagement with the outer surface 30 of each of the fingers,
compressing the fingers inwardly, so that the stressed fingers will then
support the cover in its raised position. It is noted that only the areas 58
of surface 40 has the increased thickness described above to form ridge 41;
the surface 40 is not tapered and does not form ridge 41 in ribs 54.
In order to insure that ribs 54 and spring fingers 28 are in proper
alignment when cover 14 is closed on base 12, the base and cover are provided
with cooperating keying means 60. In the illustrative embodiments of the
invention this keying means consists of one or more recesses 62 formed in the
` 10 annular wall 44 at the lower end of cover 14 and a cooperating complementary
protuberance or key 64 formed on the shoulder 50 of base 12. The complement-
ary recesses and keys 64 are formed on the cover and base in predetermined
locations such that they will mate with each other only when the fingers 28
and ribs 54 are in 31ignment. Thus, in the illustrative embodiments of the
invention, it will be seen that a recess 62 is located in cover 14 in align-
ment with each of the ribs 54, while a key 64 is located in alignment with
each of the spring fingers 28. Accordingly, when cover 14 is moved downwardly
over and along fingers 28, with the ribs 54 in radial alignment with the fing_
ers, the recesses 62 will receive their associated complementary keys 64,
thereby allowing the lower edge 52 of the cover 14 to engage shoulder 50 to
form the vaporrtight seal between the beveled surfaces 46, 48 as described
above. Of course, if ribs 54 and fingers 28 are not properly aligned, l~eys
64 will engage the lower edge 52 of cover 14 and prevent the cover from closing
i properly~ (It is noted that the number of recesses 62 and cooperating keys 64
` ~ may vary as desired and need not be limited to the number of spring fingers on
the base 12.)
As seen in Figures 3 and 4, cover 14 for container 10 has an opening
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66 formed in its closed end 34, with a circular cap or plug 68 seated therein
to close the opening. The cap 68 is held fast on cover 14 by an annular snap
- 30 bead 70 formed on the periphery of its integral cylindrical extension 72, which
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snap bead engages the inner surface of cover 14 adjacent aperture 66 when the
plug is properly in position. Aperture 66 is provided in this manner to
facilitate filling of the container 10 by the manufacturer with air-treating
gel. Thus, in khe manufacturing procedure, cover 14 and base 12 are assembled,
as described above, with fingers 28 received in recesses 56 and the bottom edge
52 of the cover engaged against shoulder 50 of the base As mentioned, in
this configuration the fingers 28 are in a relaxed position, with their outer
surfaces substantially adjacent the inner surface of the recesses 56, but not
compressed by the surface of the recesses. In this configuration, with open-
ing 66 unobstructed, the manufacturer can fill the container 10 with air-
treating gel in its liquid form to a pre-determined level with the container
in its upright position. After filling, the opening 66 is closed by simply
snapping cap 68 in place. Since the construction of the container as described
above forms a vapor tight seal at the interface between the tapered sufaces
46, 48, that seal is also liquid tight so that the liquid air-treating gel is
fully contained in container 10. The liquid in the container can then solidify
and the entire package is ready for shipment by the manufacturer.
As will be appreciated from a consideration of Figure 4, the liquid
gel supplied to the container will substantially fill all the voids and spaces
in the container. Thus, the gel will fiIl recesses 56 and the annular area
between the offset wall 26 of base 12 and the fingers 28, as weIl as the
annular area between the offset wall 44 of cover 14 and the fingers 28. How_
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ever, it is noted that since the outer surface 30 of fingers 28 (in their
relaxed condition, as shown in Figure 4), are located adjacent the inner
surface 40 of cover 14, the surfaces 30 will be exposed in the final product
and not surrounded by solidified gel, even though the surrounding space within
- ribs 54 will be filled with gel, as seen in Figure 3. Accordingly, the surf-
aces 30 will be free to engage the tapering inner wall 40 of cover 14 in the
areas 58 between ribs 54 when the dispensing dévice is in use.
As mentioned, since there are spaces between the surfaces 30 of
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fingers 28 and the inner surface 74 of annular wall 26 in base 12, an annular
ring of air-treating gel will also tend to form in the base 12 about fingers
28. Since the air-treating gel has a tendency to harden and shrink when in
use, such an annular ring or air-treating gel at this point may have a tend-
ency to compress the fingers 28 inwardly after the dispenser has been used for
some time, thereby reducing the ability of fingers 28 to support cover 14.
This however is avoided, in accordance with the present invention, by the
provision of a plurality of thin webs or plates 76 extending radially inwardly
from the inner surface 74 of wall 26 towards fingers 28. These plates may
extend up to the surface of walls 30, but preferably are spaced a slight dis-
tance therefrom, as seen in Figure 4, to permit full flexibility in the fing-
ers. The plates serve to break up the annular ring which would tend to form
adjacent the laterally offset portion 26 of base 12, so as to avoid any tend-
ency for the hardening and shrinking gel in this area to puIl fingers 28
inwardly. It is noted that even though a small space is left between the
inner edge of plates 76 and the surfaces 30 of fingers 28, the small amount of
gel which can occupy this space to form a continuous ring about fingers 28 is
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so slight that it will break upon movement of the fingers 28 and on volatili-
zation of gel in that area. Accordingly, the formation of an undesirable
hoop of solidified gel about the base of the fingers 28 is avoided.
As mentioned, when the dispensing container 10 of the invention is
~ in use, the cover 14 is lifted to free recesses 62 from the keys or protuber-
: ances 64 and then rotated so as to engage the surface 40 of cover 14, in the
area 58 between ribs 54, with the surfaces 30 of fingers 28. Since the gel in
. the container has a tendency, particularly when first used to stick to the
interior surfaces of cover 12, the fingers 28 are provided with the narrow
ribs 32 that serve to anchor the gel against rotation during rotation of cover
14 To assist in this anchorage, the bottom wall 20 of base 12 is provided
with a cylindrical member 78 which becomes embedded in the solidified gel. In
addition, the base can be provided with a plurality of individual cylindrical
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protuberances 80, about the bottom of the base, which also become embedded
in the gel and which, along with the member 78, further resists rotation of
the gel when the cover 14 is raised and rotated.
As seen in the portion of Figure 4 surrounded, for illustrative
purposes, by a dashed circle, the inner surface 40 of cover 14 adjacent the
lower end 38 thereof includes a transition surface 82 which, in this embodiment
of the invention, is a relatively smooth curve extending between the tapered
inner surface 40 and the inner surface 46 of the laterally offset wall 44.
During filling of container 10 with liquid gel, the gel will occupy the area
adjacent this transition surface 82 and, when solidified, will have a periph-
eral surface conforming substantially to the configuration of surface 82.
This curved surface is illustrated in Figure 3 at the portion 84 of the gel
- body shown therein.
While such a curved surface on the exterior of the gel body is
generally satisfactory, it has been found that the solidified gel may produce
a liquid film or drops of air-treating agent or components therein which,
under the influence of gravity, will tend to move down the outer surface of
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the gel body to the curved transition portion 84 thereof. If sufficient
liquid forms in this manner, the liquid may ultimately drip off the edge or
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side 86 of the gel body over the edge of base 12 and onto the supporting surf-
ace for the container. In accordance with another feature of the invention,
such dripping is avoided by constructing cover 14 such that it will form an
: annular trough in the area 84 of the solidified gel body, This is accomplish_
- ed, for example as shown in Figure 5, by forming the transition area 82 of
cover 14, such that it extends first from the inner surface 40 of cover 14
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downwardly, to a first level 88, and then upwardly to a second higher level
90 at which it joins the beveled surface 46 of laterally offset wall portion
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M . In effect, the transition surface 82 is formed with a reversed S_curve
surface, in section, so that when liquid gel is introduced into container 14
~ 30 it occupies the zone 92 (see Figure 5) with the lowermost level 88 of the
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transition surface 82 forming an annular trough about the periphery of the
solidified body. This trough will receive liquid from the surface of the
- solidified gel body when the container is in use, and prevent its dripping
onto the supporting surface for the container. The liquid received in the
. trough 88 will vaporize relatively rapidly, so that the trough is continuously
available for receiving other liquid which may form on the surface of the gel
body.
It is noted that the embodiment of the invention illustrated in
Figure 5 provides the transition surface 82 on the interior of cover 14 with-
out changing the configuration of the exterior surface of the cover from that
of the embodiment shown in Figure 4. As a result, it will be appreciated that
a substantial mass of plastic in the cover 14 will be present at the trans-
ition area 82, which mass re~resents an additional expense in plastic and may
create a heat sink at that point in the cover during the plastic molding -
opcration, Accordingly, in accordance with another embodiment of the invention,
the outer surface of cover 14, as shown in Figure 6, may be constructed to
conform to the inner surface 40 thereof at transition area 82 so that the cover
has a substantially uniform thickness throughout its entire length, while the
same reversed curved transition surface is provided in order to form a trough
in the gel,
In accordance with yet another feature of the present invention,
container 10 is adapted to be stacked for display on other containers of
identical construction. This is permitted by the construction of the bottom
wall 20 of base 12 which, as seen most clearly in Figure 4, has a generally
` ~ concave construction opening outwardly of the base. This wall is provided
with a plurality of radially extending tabs 98 formed integrally therewith
(see Figure ~) and which are dimensioned to receive therebetween the outer
wall 100 of a cap 68 on another dispenser. This is shown for illustrative
purposes in dot and dash lines in Figure 4. Accordingly, in order to stack
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;~ 30 a plurality of COntAiners 10 of the present invention for storage or display,
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the containers are simply seated on one another in a nesting relationship
with the caps 68 thereof received within the concave bottom wall of an adjac-
ent base 12. The tabs 98 serve to center the top container on the lower
container to insure proper stacking.
It will be appreciated that in use the dispensing container 10 of
the present invention can be opened and supported on spring fingers 28 innum-
erable times before the gel therein is consumed As is well known, the
volatilization process for the solid air-treating gel progresses relatively
910wly when the gel is exposed to the atmosphere and, by the construction of
the present invention, is substantially completely arrested when the cover
is closed This is accomplished, as described above, because of the vapor
tight seal formed between the beveled matting surfaces 46, 48 Moreover, the
degree of volatilization is adapted to be controIled by the construction of
the container disclosed herein since the amount of gel exposed can be varied
simply by varying the position of cover 14 on spring fingers 28 to a greater
or lesser height with respect to the open end of base 12 Thus, by exposing
a greater amount of gel a more rapid volatilization of the gel is achieved.
Accordingly, it is seen that a dispensing container of relatively
simple and inexpensive construction is provided which can regulate the rate of
volatilization of air-treating agents in a solid air-treating gel while, at
the same time, providing a substantially vapor tight seal preventing such
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volatilization when the gel is to be stored or transported. Moreover, th0
;~ container avoids many of the problems of the prior art and eliminates a number
- of manufacturing steps required by previously proposed containers for solid
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air-treating gels.
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Although illustrative embodiments of the present in~ention have
been described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be
understood that the invention is not limited to those precise embodiments, and
that various changes and modifications may be effected therein by one skilled
in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of this invention.
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