Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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This application is a continuation-in-part application
of United States application Serial No. 07/759,328, filed
September 13. 1991.
This invention relates to squeeze dispensers for
viscous products.
Backqround and Summary of the Invention
It has heretofore been suggested that dispensers for
viscous products comprise a container which contains the product
and which is squeezed to dispense the product. In one type of such
a dispenser, a bag or pouch containing the viscous product is
provided withina container so that when the compressible sidewall
of the container is squeezed, the product is dispensed through
a opening or nozzle. In United States Patent No. 2,608,320
issued August 26, 1952 there is shown a dispenser which has a
cartridge as a refill unit which contains the viscous product.
The cartridge has a rigid upper portion and a flexible lower
portion and is suspended in a container or holder and a removable
cap is provided on the container. When the flexible portion of
the container is squeezed, the viscous product is dispensed
through an opening in a disk on the upper end of the cartridge and
an opening in the cap. ~n atmospheric valve is provided on the
lower end of the container which closes upon squeezing of the
flexible portion of the container. Other similar dispensers are
shown in United States Patent Nos. 2,743,038 (1965) and 2,804,995
(1957) which have an opening that is covered by the finger of
the user rather than an atmospheric valve. Dispensing closures
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with a valve in the dispensing portion have also been suggested
in the prior art as shown in United States Patent No. 3,592,365
(1971), and 3,669,223 (1972). Squeeze pump packages are shown
in United States Patent Nos. 4,842,165, 4,098,434, 4,469,250,
4,760,937 and 4,909,416.
In the aforementioned United States application Serial ,,'1-'~
No. 07/7~9,328, filed September 13, 1991, a squeeze dispenser
package comprising a container having a compressible portion and
a hanger and pouch assembly of plastic material, suspended in
10 the container. The hanger has an upper portion having an opening
and a flexible film pouch having an opening is bonded to the
opening in the hanger and has portions thereof bonded to the
hanger. The hanger has a lower flexible portion comprising
spaced flexible walls. In one form, a removable head is mounted
15 on the container and overlies the hanger and pouch assembly.
The head includes a nozzle having an opening overlying the opening
in the pouch and an atmospheric valve is provided for equalizing
the pressure after the compressible portions of the container
has been released and the hanger and pouch assembly returns to
20 its original position. The squeeze dispenser package comprises
a novel hanger and pouch assembly that can be filled from the
top; wherein the pouch is fully preformed before filling; wherein
the package can be refilled by replacing the hanger and pouch
assembly; wherein the package can be readily manufactured in
25 high production; and which efficiently dispenses the viscous
product.
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In another type of dispenser package, two viscous
products are kept separately because of their chemical nature
and are permitted to merge only after passing through a nozzle
to the atmosphere. A typical such packase comprises a viscous
product such as a baking soda product and peroxide viscous product
that upon merging provide an effective toothpaste.
Among the objectives of the present are to provide a
dispenser package of the type shown in the aforementioned
application Serial No. 07/759,328 filed September 13, 1991 which
will effectively dispense two components which are not mixed
until they pass into the atmosphere.
In accordance with the invention, the dispenser package
provides for dispensing dual viscous products which areseparately
retained within the package and merged at a dispensing nozzle.
The dispensing package comprises a container having a compressible
portion and a hanger and pouch assembly of plastic material
suspended in the container. The hanger has an upper portion with
a pair of openings. A flexible film pouch having an opening is
bonded in each opsning in the hanger and has portions bonded to
the hanger. The hanger has lower portions comprising of spaced
flexible walls associated with each pouch. The head assembly
includes a one-way valve associated with each opening in the
hanger and a portion which maintains the viscous products from
each of the pouches separate until they pass from a nozzle on
the head to the exterior when the compressible portion of the
container is squeezed. An atmospheric valve is provided for
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equalizing the pressure after the compressible portion of the
container has been released and the hanger and pouch assembly
returns to its original position.
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Description of the Drawin~s
Fig. 1 is a sectional front elevational view of a
dispenser package embodying the invention.
Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevational view of the
dispenser package shown in Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a top plan view, parts being broken away.
FigO 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4-4
in Fig. 1.
Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of a portion
of Fig. 1 on an enlarged scale.
Fig. 6 is a part sectional elevational view of the
hanger and pouch assembly.
Fig. 7 is a side elevational view of the hanger and
pouch assembly.
Fig. 8 is a top plan view of the hanger and pouch
assembly.
Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken along the line 9-9
in Fig. 6.
Fig. 10 i~ a fragmentary sectional view of a modified
form of the invention.
Fig. 11 is a fragmentary sectional view of another
modified form of the invention.
Fig. 12 is a fragmentary sectional view of a further
modified form of the invention.
Fig. 13 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along
the line 13-13 in Fig. 12.
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Fig. 14 is a vertical sectional view of a still further
modified form of the invention.
Fig. 15 is a sectional side elevational view of the
dispenser package shown in Fig. 14.
Fig. 16 is a fragmentary part sectional view of the
dispenser package shown in Fig. 15 parts being broken away.
Fig. 17 is a sectional view taken along the line 17-17
in Fig. 15.
Fig. 18 is a part sectional front elevational view of
the hanger and pouch assembly shown in Fig. 15.
Fig. 19 is a part sectional side elevational view of
the hanger and pouch assembly shown in Fig. 18.
Fig. 20 is a top plan view of the hanger and pouch
assembly shown in Fig. 18.
Fig. 21 is a sectional view taken along the line 21-21
in Fig. l9.
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De~cription
Referring to Figs. 1-9, a squeeze dispensing package
30 embodying the invention comprises a container 31, a head
assembly 32, a hanger and pouch assembly 33, and a cap 34. The
head assembly 32 is removable from the container 31 so that the
hanger and pouch assembly 33 can be replaced.
The hanger and pouch assembly 33 comprises a hanger
40. The hanger 40 includes a relatively rigid upper portion 41
including a pair of cylindrical portions 42 and a radial oval
10flange 43 that engages the upper end of the container 31 tFig. 5).
A pair of cylinders 44 extend axially downwardly from the cylinder
portions 42. A pair of pouches 45 made of relatively flexible
substantially imperforate lower portion 46 extend axially from
the cylindrical portions 44.
15A pouch 45 is provided for each of the cylindrical
portions 42 of the hanger and pouch assembly 33 and comprises
flexible film which is suspended and extends substantially beyond
the lower portion 44 of the hanger (Fig. 5). The bottom 46 of
each pouch is closed and the upper portion of each pouch is
bonded to the inner surface of the flexible lower portions 44 of
the hanger 40 at circumferentially spaced and vertically spaced
areas so that the u~per portion of each pouch 45 will be moved by
the flexing of the lower portion 44 of the hanger. Preferably,
each pouch 45 is bonded to the flexible portion 44 by heat sealing
at vertically spaced areas.
The pouch 45 may be sealed to its cylindrical opening
42 of hanger 40 directly or indirectly. As shown in Figs. 1, 2
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and 5, the open upper end of the pouch 45 is sealed by heat
bonding to a plastic ferrule 50 which includes a central
cylindrical body portion 51, an upper flange 52 and a wider lower
flange 53. The upper end of the pouch 45 is sealed to the lower
part of the cylindrical body portion 51.
Referring to Fig. 5, the head assembly 32 includes a
plastic collar 60 that includes a central opening 61 and a
peripheral skirt 62 having internal ribs 63(Fig. 2)for engagement
with external ribs 64 on the body 31. The head assembly 32
further includes a manifold 65 made of plastic and supporting
one-way valves 66 in integral cylinders 67 which frictionally
engage the ferrules 50. The manifold 66 includes an integral
upwardly axially extending portion 68 that extends through the
opening 61 in collar 60 and has a flange 69 engaging the periphery
lS of the opening 61 to retain the manifold 65 on the collar 60.
A fitment 70 is frictionally provided in the opening
84 of the manifold 65 to form a nozzle that includes an integral
intermediate wall 71 providing two chambers 72, 73 that
communicate with openings 74, 75 in the manifold 65 to the
respective interiors of the pouches 45. It can be seen that the
intermediate wall 71 engages a recess 76 in the valve supporting
member so that the components of the two pouches do not mix until
they reach of the exterior of the nozzle of the fitment 70. The
manifold 65 further includes external threads 77 that are engaged
with internal threads 78 of the cap 79.
The hanger 40 includes an integral axial projection
85 which extends into a complementary recess 86 in the manifold
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65 in order that upon removal and replacement of the hanger and
pouch assembly 33, the hanger and pouch assembly will always be
oriented circumferentially with respect to the manifold 65 such
that the products that flow into chambers 72, 73, respectively,
are the same.
The body 31 and the hanger 40 are made of a plastic
material such that the side walls of the body 31 and the side
walls of the hanger 40 are easily squeezable and yet are resilient
enough and have sufficient elastic memory to return to normal
when the squeeze is released.
The head assembly 32, one-way valve 66 and cap 34 are
preferably made of plastic such as polypropylene. The body 31
and the atmospheric or equalizer valve 33 are preferably made
of plastic such as linear low density polyethylene. The ferrules
50 are also preferably molded of plastic such as linear low
density polyethylene.
As indicated, thecross section of body 31 is preferably
oval to facilitate grasping and squeezing the body 31. The body
31 is sufficiently thin that it will flex under the squeezing
pressure of a user. The flexible portions of the hanger 40 have
a configuration such that a space exists between the outer surface
of the flexible portion 44 and the inner surface of the wall of
the body portion 35 of the container. Thus, the flexible portions
of the hanger 40 will flex independently of the body 31.
The pouch 45 is made of a single layer or multilayer
plastic film which will provide the desired protection for the
product to be dispensed.
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The design permits easy filling and assembly of the
components. For example, the hanger and pouch assembly may be
inserted into the body and filled with product through the ferrule
50. ~ir displaced during the filling process would be vented
through the gate spider 80. The head assembly 32 is then snapped
onto the top of the body 31, with the manifold entering the
ferrule 50, sealing the contents of the hanger and pouch assembly
33. The atmospheric valve 81 is bonded in place in the bottom
wall. Alternatively, the hanger and pouch assembly 33 may be
filled before insertion into the body 31. Labeling and protective
wrapping operations would follow.
To dispense viscous product, the closure 34 must be
removed. Then the front and back panels of the body 31 may be
pressed inwardly. This action causes the film flap valve 83 of
the atmospheric valve 81 to seat firmly against the ports.
Continuous pressure against the panels will force the products
through the valves 66 and outwardly through the nozæle. When
external pressure has been released, the product will start to
return to the inside of the pouches 45. This causes the valves 66
to close on the valve seats, stopping the return flow. Reduced
internal pressure then causes the atmospheric valve 81 to lift
away from the ports, admitting air into the space between the
body 31 and the pouches 45. This causes the bottom of the pouches
45 to rise. Repeated dispensing of product continues to cause
the bottom of the pouches 45 to rise until the product has been
exhausted. At this point, the pouches 45 will have been inverted
entirely within the hanger 40.
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Thus, when the container 35 is squeezed, the hanger
and pouch are also squeezed and the contents are dispensed. When
the squeeze forces are removed, the container walls return to
their original configuration. The reduced pressure between the
pouches 45 and walls of body 31 provides a force tending to
return the pouches 45 to their original configuration, assisted
in part by the elastic memory of the hanger portions. At the
same time, the reduced pressure in the contents of the pouches
45 closes the valves 66 but this is not instantaneous.
The dispenser may be refilled by:
1. Removing the head assembly 32 from the body 31.
2. Lifting the empty hanger and pouch assembly 33
from the body 31.
3. Lowering a filled hanger and pouch assembly 33
into the body 31.
4. Removing any seal from top of the hanger and pouch
assembly 33.
5. Firmly snapping the head assembly 32 onto the top
of the body 31.
In the form of invention shown in Fig. 10, the pouches
45a are bonded directly to the upper portion of the cylindrical
openings 42 in the hanger 40 and the ferrules 50 are omitted. I
all other respects the construction is like that shown in Figs.
1-9 .
In the form shown in Fig. 11, the collar 60a and the
manifold 65a are made integral in one piece. In all other
respects the construction is like that shown in Figs. 1-9.
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In the form shown in Figs. 12 and 13, the individual
one-way valves 66 are replaced by a single dual valve 90 provided
on the manifold portion 68a and comprising a body having spaced
openings and individual valve elements 91 connected by hinges 92
to the body portion.
In the forms of the invention shown in Figs. 14-21,
the construction is similar to that of the form shown in Figs. 1-
9 except that the pouches are provided side-by-side along the
short axis of the oval cross section of the container rather
than the long axis, corresponding parts being marked with the
suffix "C".
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