Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
WO 95/23713 ~ ~ ~ ~ PC'TIGB9510043G
1
A DISC SHAPED CONTAINER
This invention relates to a disc shaped container:
Disc shaped containers are well known. One
extremely well known disc shaped container is a shoe
polish container which contains shoe polisi: for
different types of footwear. The known disc shaped
containers may generally include any suitable and
appropriate material so that, in addition to shoe
polish, the containers may contain polish for example
for handbags or furniture, or cosmetic creams for
example for faces or hands or hair gels, tocthpaste
powder or pharmaceuticals. In addition to being disc
shaped, the known containers are constructed to be held
in a person's hand and they have a body portion and a
lid. The lid is usually a press fit on the body
portion. The lid is usually removed from tl:e body
portion by a twisting and pulling action or by rotating
a lid-engaging device which forces the lid away from the
body portion.
The known disc shaped containers are traditionally
made of metal and although the manufacture of the
containers has been improved over the years with
advances in technology, the manufacture of the
containers is~still not as easy as it might be, not only
with regard to the manufacture of the containers but
CA 02184749 2005-05-26
2
also with regard to the printing of the containers with
appropriate advertising material and instructions.
It is an aim of the present invention to reduce the
above mentioned problem.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a disc
shaped container comprising a body portion and a lid which
is a press fit onto the body portion; the body portion
having a base, a circumferential side wall having an outer
face with an annular groove formed in the outer face of the
side wall, the groove having a pair of sides comprising a
first side adjacent the base and a second side away from the
base, and the lid having a top and a circumferential side
wall; the container being such that the side wall overlaps
the body portion side wall when the lid is on the body
portion; the body portion and the lid both being made of a
plastics material such that the lid side wall is pressable
into said groove causing the lid side wall to engage said
first side of the groove as the side wall is pressed into
the groove, in order to cause the lid to separate, from the
body portion with a sliding action; and the lid has an
inwardly projecting body portion-engaging part adjacent the
top that is engageable with the second side of said groove
so that the lid is maintained in its closed position; and
the lid being capable of repeated fitting to and separation
from the body portion.
The use of a plastics material for producing the disc
shaped container of the present invention enables
manufacturers to take advantage of plastics moulding
techniques which cannot be used when working in metal such
as tin. The plastics material lend;a itself to being
embossed to receive appropriate advertising designs. The
disc shaped container lends itself to being printed and/or
CA 02184749 2005-05-26
3
labelled, due to the ability of the container to be produced
with flat exterior surfaces for the lid top and side wall
and for the base of the body portion. The printing may be
effected, for example, with pad printers for printing on the
base of the body portion and the top of the lid, and with
rotary printers for printing on the side walls of the lid
and/or the body portion.
The disc shaped container of the present invention can
be produced to be the same size as existing disc shaped
containers made of tin so that there is no need for
manufacturers to change their packaging. The disc shaped
container of the present invention can also be made to look
as similar as possible to existing disc shaped containers
made of tin, in order to reduce any resistance of the
general public to buying and using a new type of disc shaped
container.
The removal of the lid from the body portion is simply
effected by pressing on the side wall of the lid. A person
pressing on the side wall of the lid can feel the groove in
the side wall of the body portion. The user of the disc
shaped container always feels that the removal of the lid is
being effected under their full control, which is often not
the case with disc shaped containers made of tin where a
large separating force has to be applied and the lid
suddenly comes away from the body portion, rather than in a
controlled manner as occurs with the disc shaped container
of the present invention. With the disc shaped container of
the present invention, a simple press and release action on
the side wall of the lid may be employed in order to cause
the body portion to separate from the lid and, for example,
fall into one hand of a person whilst: their other hand
retains hold of the lid.
CA 02184749 2005-05-26
4
Preferably, the side of the groove nearest the base is
a concave side which engages the side wall of the lid and
forces the lid away from the body portion as the side wall
of the lid is pressed into the groove.
When the container has the groove with the concave
side, then the container is preferably one: in which the body
portion has a formation which leads into the concave side of
the groove and which acts to facilitate an initial
separating movement of the lid from the body portion, the
formation being a convex formation.
The side wall of the lid may have a bead portion for
sliding over the formation during the initial separating
movement, the bead portion being thicker than an adjacent
part of the side wall of the lid. Such a lid construction
enables a relatively thin side wall to be used, with the
bead then helping to keep the lid in shape. In an
alternative construction, the side wall of
W095/23743 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ pCTIGB95/00.i36
the lid may have a radiused end remote .from the cover,
the radiused end being for sliding over the formation .
during the initial separating movement. In this
alternative formation .of the lid, the side wall will
usually be thicker than when a bead is employed.
The container may be one in which the top and the
side wall of the lid are of such a thickness that the
lid is able to assume a slight elliptical shape when the
side wall is pressed into the groove, thereby to reduce
the contact area between the lid and the body portion
and thereby to reduce the friction between the lid and
the body portion and to facilitate removal of the lid
from the body portion.
The container may be one in which the side wall of
the body portion has an inwardly inclined outer surface
part at its end remote from the base, and in which the
side wall of the lid has an inclined part between its
two ends, the inwardly inclined outer surface part of
the side wall of the body portion and the inclined part
of the side wall of the lid being such as to engageeach
other when the side wall of the lid is pressed fully
into the groove, and to ensure that the lid is able tc __
continue being slid away from the body portico when
finger pressure pressing the side wall of the lid into
the groove is released.
WO 95123743 PCT/GB95/0043G
6
~~847~~
The container may be one in which the top of the
lid has an inclined shoulder part which is positioned
adjacent an inner surface of the end of the side wall of
the body portion remote from the base when the container
is closed, the inclined shoulder part being such as to
act to force any contents of the container that are or.
the end of the side wall of the body portion back intc
the body portion. Such an arrangement may be
especially useful for container contents such as boot
polish which, during dispensation, will often get around
the open end of the body portion.
The baseof the body portion may have a plain inner
surface. With known disc shaped containers made of tin,
especially those used for shoe polish, there are
usually grooves on the inner surface of the base of the
body portion and the shoe polish stays in these grooves.
It is believed that users tend to retain the co.~.tairers
longer trying to get the last bit of polish out of the
grooves. With a plain inner surface, it is believed
that people will use up the contents of the container
more quickly-- than ifthe grooves are present.
Naturally, if desired, then the base of the bottom
portion may have a grooved inner surface.
The base of -the body portion preferably has a
single groove in its outer surface. This groove is able
to enable the body portion to be moulded with a '
WO 95123743 2 I 8 4 7 4 9 PCTIGB95100436
7
substantially even distribution of moulding material
without the need to employ a mould core. If desired,
the lid may also be provided with a grooved oute_-
surface.
Preferably, the side wall of the body portion has
an inner surface which is provided with at least one
circumferentially extending rib. This is to help to
retain the contents of the container in the body portion
in the event that the contents should become drl and
cracked. If desired however, the side wall of the body
portion may be plain or grooved on its inner surface.
The side wall of the lid may have a formation on
its outer surface for indicating where the side wall o.
the lid should be pressed in order to open a container.
The formation may be a raised formation with a
depression therein for -receiving fingers and a thumb o.
a person squeezing the lid.
The container may be one in which at least one of
the lid and the body portion has a formation for
preventing sealing of the body portion when t!:e
container is closed. This will then allow the contents -
of the container to breath, for example as is
traditional in the case of shoe polish where the meta_ -
disc, shaped containers are usually provided with a
pip/venting point to prevent sealing. The breathing is
desirable because the shoe polish contains solvents.
W O 95!23743 218 4 7 4 9 py GB95I00-13G
8
The container may be one in which the body portion
has a lid-engaging part which is positioned between the
inwardly inclined outer surface part and the groove, in
which the lid has an adjacent body portion-engaging '
part, and in which at least one of the lid-engaging part
on the body portion and the body portion-engaging par;
on the lid is-provided with the formation for preventing
the sealing of the body portion when the container is
closed. The formation is preferably a channel but ..
may be some other type of formation -such for example as
knurling if desired. Generally, any suitable and
appropriate formation may be employed.
If desired, the container of th=_ present invention.
may be one in which the lid seals the body portion when
the container is closed. Generally, the decision
whether or not to have the lid completely sealing the
body portion will depend upon the type of material being
stored in the container. Generally, the disc shaped
container of the present invention can contain any-
suitable and appropriate material, including those
materials currently stored in similar disc shaped
containers made of metal.
The container of the present invention will usually
be such that the lid and the body portion are made o.
the same plastics materials. Different plastics ,
materials for the lid and the body portion may however
W O 95123743 218 4 7 4 9 PCT/GB95100-t3G
9
be employed if desired. A presently preferred plastics
material for both the lid and the body portion is
polypropylene. Other plastics materials may be
employed.
Embodiments of the invention will now be described
solely by way of example and with reference to the
accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first disc
shaped container in an open condition;
Figure 2 is a bottom view of a body portion cf the
container shown in Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a side view of the body portion shown
in Figure 2;
Figure 4 is an enlarged view of part of the body
portion shown in Figure 3;
Figure 5 is a top view of a lid forming part of the
container shown in Figure 1;
Figure 6 is a side view of the lid shown in Figure
5;
Figure 7 is an enlarged view of part of the lid as
shown in Figure 6;
Figure 8 is a side view, partially in section, of
the container shown in Figure 1 with the lid of Figure 5
on the body portion of Figure 2;
Figure 9 - is an enlarged sectional view of part of
the disc shaped container as shown in Figure 8;
2184749
WO 951237.13 PCT/GB95IOOa36
IO
Figure 10 is a view of arrow A shown in Figure 7;
Figure 11. is a top plan view of a body portion for
a second disc shaped container;
Figure 12 is an enlarged view of the part which is
circled in Figure 11;
Figure 13 is a side view of the body portion shown
in Figure 11; and
Figure 14 is an enlarged view of the part which is
circled in Figure 13.
Referring to the drawings, there is shown a disc
shaped container 2 comprising a body portion 4 and a lid
6 which is a press fit on the body portion 4.
The body portion 4 has a base 8, a circumferential
side wall 10 and a groove 12 in an outer face 14 of the
aide wall 10. The lid 6 has a top 16 and a
circumferential side wall-18.
The container 2 is such that the side wall 1B o:
the lid 6 overlaps the side wall 10 of the body portion
4 when the lid 6 is on the body portion 4, as can best
be seen in Figures 8 and 9. The body portion 4 and the
lid 6 are both made of a polypropylene plastics material
and in thicknesses such that the side wall 18 of the lid
6 is pressable into the groove 12 in the outer face la
of the side wall 10 of the body portion 4, in order to
cause the lid 6- to separate from the body portion 4 with
a sliding action.
W0 95123743 ~ ~ PCTIGB95/00436
11
As can best be seen from Figure 9, the groove 12 is
defined by a pair of sides 20, 22. The side 20 is the
side of the groove 12 nearest the base 8. As can be
seen, this side 20 is a concave side 20. This side 20
engages the side wall 18 of the lid 6 and forces the lid
6 away from the body portion 4 as the side wall 18 of
the lid 6 is pressed into the groove 12.
As can best be seen from Figure 9, the body portion
4 has a formation 24 which leads into the concave side
20 and which acts to facilitate an initial separatin.~_.
movement of the lid 6 from the body portion 4. Th
formation 24 is a convex formation as shown.
The side wall 18 of the lid 6 has a bead portion 26
for sliding over the formation 24 during the iritia_
separating movement. The bead portion 26 is thicker
than an adjacent part 28 of the side wall 18 of the lid
6. In an alternative embodiment of the invention (not
shown) , the adjacent part 28 of the side wall 18 could
be made thicker than is shown in Figure 9, in which case
the bead portion 26 could be dispensed with and it could
be replaced by a curved end of the side wall 18.
The top 16 and the side wall 18 of the lid 6 are o~
such a thickness that the lid is able to assume a slight
eliptical shape when the side wall 18 is pressed into
the groove 12. This enables a reduction of the contact
area between the lid 6 and the body portion 4. This in
W O 95123743
~ ~ 8 4 7 ~ ~ PCTlGB9510043G
12
turn reduces friction between the lid 6 and the body
portion 4 and thus facilitates the removal of the lid ~ ,
from the body portion 4. As the lid 6 slides away from
the body portion 4, the contacting surface area between
the lid 6 and-the body portion 4 gets less and less so
that the lid 6 moves easier and easier away from the
body portion 4. A person opening the container 2 feels
as though the lid 6 is being moved with good control. A
simple squeeze- and release action with one hand on the
side wall 18 of the lid 6 is sufficient to cause the
body portion 4 to drop into the other hand.
The side' wall 10 of the body portion 4 has an
inwardly inclined outer surface part 30, see Figures
and 9. This outer surface part 30 is at the end of the
side wall 10 remote from the base 8. The side wall 18
of the lid 6 has an inclined part 32 between its ends,
see Figures 7 end 9. The outer surface part 30 cn thF
side wall IO of the body portion 4 and the inclined part
32 on the side wall 18 of the lid b are such as to
engage each other when the side wall 18 of the lid 6 is
pressed fully into the groove 12. This engagement o:
the outer surface part 30 and the inclined part 32
ensures that the lid 6 is able to continue being slid
away from the body portion 4 when finger pressure
pressing the side wall 18 of the lid 6 into the groove
12 is released.
WO 95/23743 ~ ~ ~ ~ PCT/GB95/00436
13
The top 16 of the lid 6 has an inclined shoul3er
part 34 as shown in Figures 6 and 7. This inclined -
shoulder part 34 is positioned adjacent an inner surface
36 of the end of the side wall 10 of the body portion 4
remote from the base 8 when the container 2 is closed.
The inclined shoulder part 34 is such as to act to force
any contents of the container 2 that are on the end of
the side wall 10 of the body portion 4 back into the
body portion 4.
As can best be seen in Figure 4, the base 8 of the -
body portion 4 has a plain inner surface 38. The base 8
of the body portion 4 has a grooved outer surface -
containing a groove 40. The groove 40 is important from ~
a manufacturing aspect since it enables the plastics
material in the adjacent vicinity to be moulded in a
substantially uniform thickness and without the need tc
use a mould collapsing core. If an alternative groove _.
were to be provided at position 41, then a mould
collapsing core would be needed and this would -
substantially double the cost of the mould for moulding
the body portion 4. It is necessary to have the
plastics material of a uniform thickness so that, during
moulding, even cooling is achieved. With too much
uneven cooling, the moulded body portion 4 could develop
. moulding defects.
WO 95123743 ~ ~ PCTlGS95100.736
14
The lid 6 has a central recessed area 42. This
area 42 may be grooved if desired. ,
The side wall 10 of the body portion 4 has an inner
surface 44 which is provided with two circumferentially
extending ribs 43 as best shown in Figure 4. The ribs
43 help to retain the contents of the container 2 in the
body portion ~1 if the contents are shoe polish or a
similar material and the contents have started to
harden, crack and have a tendency to fall out of the
body portion 4. If desired; in an alternative
embodiment of- the invention (not shown) the inner
surface 44 of -tie side wall 10 could be plain.
The side wall 18 of the lid 6 may have a formation
(not shown) on its outer surface 46 for indicating where
the side wall 18 of the lid 6 should be pressed in order
to open the container 2. The formation may be a raised
formation with a depression therein for receiving
fingers and a thumb of a person squeezing the lid 6_
The lid -6 and/or the body portion 4 may have a
formation (not shown) for preventing sealing of the body
portion 4 when the container 2 is closed. As can be
seen from Figure 9, the body portion 4 has a lid-
engaging part 48 which is positioned between the outer
surface part 30 and the groove 12. The lid 6 has an
adjacent body portion-engaging part 50. One or both cf
these parts 48, 50 may be provided with raised areas to
W0 95/23743 PCTIGB95100.136
2184749
act as the formation for preventing the sealing of the -
body portion 4 when the container 2 is closed. As an
alternative or supplement to the raised area=, a
breathing channel 52 in the lid 6 t see Figure 10 ) may
be employed, or any other suitable and appropriate type
of formation may be employed. It is -desired to prevent
the lid 6 sealing to the body portion 4 when the
contents of the container 2 are solvent based. If
sealing occurs, the solvent cannot escape and a build up
of gaseous solvent may cause the lid 6 to pop off the
body portion 4.
The container 2 is for containing shoe polish for -
shoes or other footwear. The shoe polish can be heated
to 60°C and then run into the body portion 4, in a
. similar manner as known containers made of metal are
filled. The temperature of 60°C isnot so high that it
adversely causes stresses in the polypropylene plastics
material from which the body portion 4 is moulded.
The body portion 4 and the lid 6 are produced in
shapes which enable them to be moulded such that
unwanted stresses in the plastics material are
minimised. Unwanted stresses tend to occur when
different parts of the container 2 expand or contract at
different rates, and the illustrated shape for the body
portion 4 and the lid 6 is intended to minimise such
adverse stresses as far as possible.
W0 95/23743 ~ 7 J~. ~ PCTIGB95100d36
16
As an alternative to using a hot feed gate on the
outer surfaces of top 16 o-f lid 6 and bottom 8 of base 4 .
in the tooling, as on conventional plastics containers,
the plastics material may be fed into the container 2
moulds from an area inside the lid 6 and base 4, so that
a residual pip which is formed when the feed hole is
closed, is not normally visible when the container 2 is
standing on a shelf or the like. Also, the pip will
then be on a part of the container 2 that will not
normally be printed on. This is preferred because
repeated printing over a number of pips on a number of
containers 2 may tend adversely to affect the printing
pad or roller being used.
The illustrated container 2 is for containing SOml
of shoe polish. The container 2 may be made is any
suitable and -appropriate sizes but ii will usually be
such as to contain from 40-110m1 of contents. If it is
desired to make the container 2 bigger than shown, it is
easy to elongate the side wall 10 of the base 8 and the
various above mentioned design features can all be
retained. Alternatively or in addition, the diameter of
the lid 6 and the base 4 can be widened up to a point
where the container can still be comfortably opened in a
person's hand. For a firm feel and quick and easy
opening, when the container 2 is closed, the lid 6 and
the base 4 should be such that the part 36 touches a
WO 95/237~13 21$ 4 7 4 9 PCTlGB95100.t3G
i
17
part 57 of the lid 6, the parts 48, 50 touch each other,
and the parts 24, 26 also touch each other.
Referring now to Figures 11-14, there is shown an
alternative body portion 4 in which similar parts as in
previous Figures have been given the same reference
numerals for ease of comparison and understanding. In
Figures 11-14, the part 54 shown in Figure 4 is modified _.
such that the body portion 4 has six raised portions 56.
These raised portions 56 are provided as high spots
where the lid 6 and the body portion 4 meet when the
container 2 is closed. The raised portions 56 are
easily reduced in height for initial mould production in
order to ensure that the lid 6 is not too tight a fit on
the body portion 4. Also the raised portions 56 reduce
friction between the lid 6 and the body portion 4 to
facilitate easy opening.
It is to be appreciated that the embodiments of the _
invention described above with reference to the
accompanying drawings have been given by way of example
only and that modifications may be effected. Thus, for
example, the illustrated container 2 has been described -
containing shoe polish. The container may however
contain any other suitable and appropriate type of fluid
material. iJsually, the fluid material will be semi-
solid or in the form of a gel. Also, the container 2
can be made of plastics materials other than
WO 951237.13 ~ ~ ~ ~ PCT1GB95I00-13G
18
polypropylene-: The chosen plastics material should be
chemically inert to the intended contents of the .
container 2. If desired, the container 2 or a part of '
the container 2, for example the base 8, can be made
transparent or opaque so that the contents of the
container 2 can be seen.
