Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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CONTAINER FITMENT COMPRISING A DISPENSING ORIFICE, AND METHOD
OF MAKING THE SAME
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a container fitment, specifically a container
fitment comprising a dispensing orifice, containers with such a dispensing
orifice, and a
method of making the same.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Non-pressurized containers have traditionally been equipped with a dispensing
orifice situated somewhere on the container. To dispense a product from a non-
pressurized container, the user simply turns the container upside down and
lets gravity do
the work. However, in order to dispense a dose of a shear-thinning structured
liquid
product (such as some automatic dishwashing and/or laundry compositions), the
user
must provide at least some shearing force, which is generally initiated by
squeezing the
inverted container. The contents are then "squeezed" out of the container
until the desired
amount is dispensed, for example, until a receiving receptacle is filled.
In dispensing shear-thinning structured liquid products or compositions, a
balance
must be achieved between providing an adequate dispensing orifice diameter
(e.g., to
result in an effective dosing of the shear-thinning structured liquid product)
and providing
a suitable flow rate once dispensing is initiated. Impacting the dosing regime
is the
negative perception of product quality that is elicited by the user when the
dispensing
orifice provides for either too restricted a flow (e.g. user perceives that
the product is too
thick) or too large a flow (e.g. user perceives that the product is too thin
and watery).
If the diameter of the dispensing orifice is too small, then only a limited
amount of
product is dispensed (often less than the optimal dosage) as it is squeezed
out the
dispensing orifice. If less than the optimal dosage is delivered to a
receiving receptacle
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(such as the dispensing cup in an automatic dishwashing machine or to a
washing
machine), then incomplete cleaning of a soiled article may occur.
As the diameter of the dispensing orifice increases, the dispensing flow rate
increases. While this is desirable up to a certain point, too large a diameter
and the user
may actually lose control of the amount being dispensed-causing the user to
overfill the
receiving receptacle. Too large a diameter makes it difficult for the user to
stop the
dispensing flow with adequate control of the amount and direction of the flow.
This often
creates an unwanted mess. Another problem with the use of large diameter
dispensing
orifices is that during dispensing, the user may perceive the shear-thinning
structured
liquid product to be too thin and watery. Marketing tests have shown that a
thin or watery
product is perceived as being of lesser quality than that of a thicker
product.
Thus, the size of the dispensing orifice is directly related to the user's
perception
of product quality. Therefore, the search for an improved container fitment
has continued.
It has been found that, in certain embodiments, the design of a container
fitment
containing a dispensing orifice, and optionally a dispensing ring, having an
opening with
a opening area between about 32 mm2 and about 65 mm2 provides adequate control
of
the dispensing of a shear-thinning structured liquid without the negative
appearance of the
product being too thin or watery. These areas are equivalent to circles with
diameters of
about 6.4 mm and about 9 mm, respectively. In one embodiment, the surface area
of the
opening is 55.4 mm2, or an area equivalent to a circle with a diameter of
about 8.4 mm. It
has also been found that if the container is provided with a dispensing
orifice that has a
non-circular configuration (for example, a plan view configuration having a
portion with
at least one smaller radius of curvature, which may be in the form of at least
one point),
pouring the product from a side of the orifice that comprises a portion with
the smaller
radius of curvature, reduces the messiness associated with cessation of the
dispensing
flow. The small radius or point helps the user "cut off' the dispensing flow
of the
product, especially at the end of the dosing operation, where most messiness
is observed.
Thus, when dispensing a shear-thinning liquid product, the container fitment
may provide
a user with an overall improvement and experience in dispensing.
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Such a container fitment could also be used with most any type of composition,
including non-shear thinning liquids or powders in any type of suitable
containers (e.g.,
single- and multiple-compartment containers). Thus, any suitable composition
may be
dispensed from any suitable container using the container fitment described
herein.
Suitable compositions include, but are not limited to: pastes, creams, gels,
liquids,
liquigels, powders, and granules. Although the examples herein typically
relate to
dispensing of structured automatic dishwasher and laundry products and
compositions,
this type of container fitment could be useful for a wide range of
applications, including
but not limited to hand dish-washing products, skin care and personal care
products, and
food products.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a container fitment, specifically a container
fitment comprising a dispensing orifice, containers with such a dispensing
orifice, and a
method of making the same.
In one embodiment, a container fitment comprising an annular ring and a top
panel is provided. The annular ring comprises upper and lower terminal ends
and an
outer and inner side wall. The inner side wall may comprises an attaching
means for
attaching the container fitment to the neck of a container opening. The top
panel may
comprise a sealing means for sealing the container fitment to the opening on
the neck of
the container. The top panel may be positioned on the upper terminal end in a
generally
normal position to the terminal ends of the annular ring. The top panel may
have a
dispensing orifice located therein. The dispensing orifice may be non-circular
in shape
and may have an opening with any suitable opening area including, but not
limited to
from about 32 mm2 to about 65 mm2. The container fitment may further comprise
a
dispensing ring located on the top panel around the dispensing orifice.
In another aspect of the invention, an article of manufacture is provided. The
article of manufacture comprises a kit comprising a container fitment, a
container
comprising a composition to be dispensed, and instructions for using the
container fitment
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to dispense the composition. In another aspect of the invention, a method of
manufacturing the container fitment described herein, is provided. The method
may
comprise the step of forming a one-piece container fitment using plastic
injection
molding.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and
distinctly claiming the invention, it is believed that the present invention
will be better
understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the
accompanying
drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one non-limiting embodiment of a container
fitment having a dispensing orifice in the shape of a rhombus (e.g. four-sided
diamond)
thereon.
FIG. 2 is a top view of the container fitment shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the container fitment taken along line 3-3
of
FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 is a partially fragmented cross-sectional view of the dispensing ring
taken
along line 4-4 of FIG. 2.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of another non-limiting embodiment of a container
fitment having a dispensing orifice in the shape of a "Marquis" diamond.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of another non-limiting embodiment of a container
fitment having a dispensing orifice in the shape of an ellipse (e.g., a North
American-type
football) thereon.
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the container fitment of FIG. 1 and shows the
mounting of the container fitment on a container.
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FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the container fitment of FIG. 1 with a flip
top lid
joined to the same.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
5 The present invention relates to a container fitment comprising a dispensing
orifice, containers with such a dispensing orifice, and a method of making the
same.
FIG. 1 shows one non-limiting embodiment of a container fitment 1 having a
dispensing orifice 15 therein. FIG. 7 shows the mounting of the container
fitment 1 on a
container. The container fitment 1 may be joined to any suitable container by
any suitable
attaching means. Suitable attaching means include, but are not limited to: a
snap lug
arrangement, a screw threaded type arrangement, or combinations thereof. The
container
fitment 1 may attach to right side up containers, as well as upside down
containers.
Alternatively, the container fitment 1 may be an integral part of the
container itself.
The container fitment 1 comprises an annular ring 3, a dispensing orifice 15,
and
an optional dispensing ring 2. As shown in FIG. 1, the annular ring 3 may have
a circular
plan view shape so that it is suitable for joining the container fitment 1 to
the spout of a
container which has a similar plan view shape. The annular ring 3 has upper
and lower
terminal ends 10 and 16, respectively, a top panel 8 positioned on the upper
terminal end
10 in a generally normal position to the terminal ends. The top panel 8 has
the dispensing
orifice 15 located therein. The annular ring 3 further comprises side walls,
which have
surfaces, such as an outer surface (or "outer side wall") 9 and an inner
surface (or "inner
side wall") 25 (the latter being shown in FIG. 3). The lower terminal end 16
and an upper
terminal end 10 define bottom and top, respectively, of the outer side wall 9.
An optional
transition portion (or "ring transition portion") 18 may be positioned between
the top
panel 8 and the annular ring 3. The transition portion may be joined to the
top panel 8
and the annular ring 3 and may have its boundaries defined by the upper
terminal end 10
of the outer wall 9 and the periphery 19 of the top panel 8. The optional
transition
element 18 may have sides that are flat, curved, or rounded in shape.
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The term "joined", as used in this specification, encompasses configurations
in
which an element is directly secured to another element by affixing the
element directly to
the other element; configurations in which the element is indirectly secured
to the other
element by affixing the element to intermediate member(s) which in turn are
affixed to
the other element; and configurations in which one element is integral with
another
element, i.e., one element is essentially part of the other element.
The dispensing orifice 15 may be in any suitable location on the top panel 8.
The
dispensing orifice 15 and/or the optional dispensing ring 2, when present, may
be spaced
any suitable distance from each other. In some embodiments, they may be
located
adjacent to one another. For example, the dispensing orifice 15 and/or the
dispensing ring
2 may be centrally positioned on the top panel 8 such that an unobstructed
passageway is
created between the container opening and the dispensing orifice 15. As shown
in FIG. 1,
the dispensing ring 2 may be immediately adjacent to and concentric with the
periphery of
the dispensing orifice 15, or coterminous with the periphery of the dispensing
orifice 15
such that the dispensing ring 2 surrounds the dispensing orifice 15.
The optional dispensing ring 2 extends upwardly from the top surface of the
top
panel 8. The dispensing ring 2 comprises side walls which have an outer
surface 4, an
inner surface 5, and optionally, beveled edges 6. The dispensing ring 2 may
comprise a
structure having the same general shape as the dispensing orifice 15, or it
may have a
different shape from that of the dispensing orifice 15.
The side walls of the dispensing ring 2 may have any suitable width or
thickness
(the width or thickness of the side walls being the distance between the inner
and outer
surfaces). It may be desirable for the width of the side walls to be
relatively small (that
is, the side walls are relatively thin or narrow) so that when the contents of
the container
are dispensed out of the dispensing opening, the contents will not spread out
or pool on
the top of the side walls causing messiness in dispensing and difficulty in
cutting off the
dispensing flow. The width of the side walls may, therefore, be less than or
equal to the
height of the side walls. The width of the side walls may be of a uniform
thickness
around the periphery of the dispensing ring 2, or the width of the side walls
may vary
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around the periphery of the dispensing ring 2. However, as discussed above, it
may be
desirable for the width of the side walls to be relatively small at the
location or locations
on the side walls from which the product is dispensed, such as at one of the
points or
vertices described below. At such locations, for example, it may be desirable
for the
width for the side walls to be less than or equal to any of the following
dimensions: about
5 mm, 4 mm, 3 mm, 2 mm, or 1 mm. As shown in FIG. 1, the width of the side
walls
may have a minimum dimension when the inner and outer surfaces taper up to an
edge at
the top of the side walls.
The side walls of the dispensing ring 2 may form any suitable angle with the
surface of the top panel including, but not limited to, a right angle (90 ),
or any angles that
are in 5 degree increments of a right angle inwardly or outwardly relative to
the
dispensing orifice 15. The inner surface 5 of the side walls defines a
passageway or
channel, which may be generally similar (or equal) in size, shape, or
configuration to the
size, shape, or configuration of the dispensing orifice 15. A passageway or
channel may
be formed by the marriage of the dispensing ring 2 and the dispensing orifice
which will
provide direct fluid communication between the contents of the container and
the
dispensing orifice 15 during dispensing with little or no obstruction to the
flow of the
contents of the container from the container opening through the passageway or
channel.
FIG. 2 is a top view of the container fitment shown in FIG. 1. The dispensing
orifice 15 and/or dispensing ring 2 may be provided in any suitable size,
shape, or
configuration so as to aid in the control of the dispensing of the contents of
a container. It
has been found that if the container is provided with a dispensing orifice
and/or
dispensing ring that has a non-circular configuration (for example, a plan
view
configuration having a portion with at least one smaller radius of curvature,
or at least one
point), pouring the product from a side of the orifice that comprises the
portion with the
smaller radius of curvature, reduces the messiness associated with cessation
of the
dispensing flow. The term "point", as used herein, includes both sharp points
and
rounded points. In cases where the container fitment defines a dispensing
orifice having a
configuration with a point thereon, this point may be a vertex formed by the
intersection
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of two segments of the bounding portions of the container fitment which form
an angle
therebetween. The term "vertex", as used herein, includes both sharp points
and rounded
vertexes. The angle formed by such segments can be any suitable type of angle
including
right angles, acute, and obtuse angles, and can range from greater than 0
degrees to less
than 180 degrees.
Examples of a suitable geometrical shape for the dispensing orifice 15 and/or
dispensing ring 2 include, but are not limited to: an annulus, an arbelos, an
astroid, a
paracycle, a cubocycloid, a circular sector, a circular segment, a cone, a
crescent, a
deltoid, an ellipse, a lune, an oval, a parallelogram, a penrose tile, a
polydrafter, a
polygon, a pyramid, a quadrilateral, a rectangle, a reuleaux polygon, a
rhombus, a rotor, a
ribbon, a salinon, a semicircle, a smoothed octagon, a square, a super
ellipse, a trapezium,
a trapezoid, a triangle, a triquetra, a ying-yang, and combinations thereof.
When the
dispensing ring 2 is specified as having a particular shape, it may be
desirable for the
inner surface of the side walls, the outer surface of the side walls, or both
to have such a
shape when viewed from the top of the container fitment 1, such as in FIG. 2.
In addition,
in some embodiments, it is desirable for the outer surface 4 of the side walls
to form the
outermost portion of the dispensing ring 2, and there to be no additional
enclosure(s)
around the dispensing ring 2.
In some embodiments, the dispensing orifice 15 and/or dispensing ring 2 may
comprise any shape that is non-circular, and has a point thereon (i.e. two
edges coming
together to make a point). Suitable point-containing shapes include, but are
not limited
to: a 4-sided diamond (rhombus), a "Marquis" diamond shape, a North American
football
(ellipse) shape, triangle, rectangle, square, and combinations thereof. Point-
containing
shapes, such as the 4-sided diamond shapes, allow the contents of the
container,
especially for liquids and gels, to be "cut off' at the end of the dosing, so
that even when
the contents appear to be coming out faster, the consumer does not experience
increased
messiness (e.g., dripping from the bottle) when the dosing is ceased. This
added control
provides a means to reduce the perception of a poor quality product (e.g., too
"thin and
watery"). The point-containing shape is also believed to provide a "cutting
edge" which
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helps promote the perception that the product is "pulled back" into the
container at the
end of the dosing. In cases where the dispensing orifice 15 and/or dispensing
ring 2 have
more than one portion with a point, the product can be poured from any side of
the
dispensing orifice 15 and/or dispensing ring 2 having a portion with a point.
In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-4 and 7-8, the dispensing orifice 15 and
dispensing ring 2 are in the configuration of a four-sided diamond. The
diamond-shaped
configuration has a major axis running in its longer dimension, and a minor
axis running
in its shorter dimension. The minor axis runs along section line 3-3 in FIG.
2. The major
axis runs perpendicular thereto through the center of the dispensing orifice
15. The
dispensing orifice 15 and dispensing ring 2 define acute angles at the ends of
its major
axis. These acute angles are the portions on the peripheries of the dispensing
orifice 15
and dispensing ring 2 with the smallest radius of curvature. The dispensing
orifice 15 and
dispensing ring 2 define obtuse angles at the ends of their minor axis.
As shown in plan view in FIG. 2, the configurations of the dispensing orifice
15
and dispensing ring 2 in this embodiment are radially asymmetrical. That is,
the
configurations of the dispensing orifice 15 and dispensing ring 2 are not
symmetrical in
all directions about a central axis. More specifically, the dispensing orifice
15 and
dispensing ring 2 are asymmetrical about an axis that is oriented
perpendicular to the top
panel 8 that passes through the intersection of the major and minor axes. In
other
embodiments, however, the configuration of one of the dispensing orifice 15
and
dispensing ring may, in fact, be radially symmetrical.
In addition, as shown in the non-limiting embodiment depicted in FIG. 2, it
may
also be desirable for at least one of the dispensing orifice 15 and dispensing
ring 2 to have
a configuration such that their peripheries have no right angles. In addition,
in some
embodiments, at least one of the dispensing orifice 15 and dispensing ring 2
may have a
configuration that is non-rectangular.
The container fitment 1 may also have a dispensing opening 15 that has a
substantially fixed opening size and shape both prior to use and during use.
In other
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words, it may be desirable for the dispensing opening 15 to have generally the
same shape
both when the container is at rest and when the contents of the container are
being
dispensed therefrom. In such a case, the size and shape of such a dispensing
opening 15
may change slightly, but dispensing opening 15, for instance, would not change
from a
5 circular shape to another shape (e.g., a star-shaped configuration) during
dispensing. It is
also desirable for the container fitment 1 to be used on a container that
contains the types
of compositions described herein (e.g., pastes, creams, gels, liquids,
liquigels, powders,
and granules, etc.), and that the container does not contain sheet-like
material, such as wet
wipes, tissues, or the like. When the container contains shear-thinning liquid
products of
10 compositions, it may be desirable for such compositions to have a viscosity
in the range of
from about 12,000 to about 24,000 Cps. The viscosity is measured with a TA
Instrument
Rheometer AR-2000 obtained from TA Instruments of New Castle, DE, U.S.A.
according
to the procedure in the manufacturer's instructions. The rheometer is equipped
with a
40mm 20 steel cone, and viscosity is measured at 25 C. The procedure utilizes
various
steps, including equilibration, continuous ramps and peak holds. The system is
set to run
an up curve for 1S-1 continuous ramp, hold and then continuous ramp down at 1S-
1 shear
rate, followed by a repeat of the process at shear rate of 150 S-lwith an
equilibration step
between the two shear rates changes. Apparent viscosities in Cps at 1S-1 are
automatically calculated from the readings using factors provided with the AR-
2000
rheometer.
Any suitable opening size for the dispensing orifice 15 and/or dispensing ring
2
may be chosen to aid in the proper dosing of a receiving receptacle. Many
shear-thinning
structured liquids are currently dosed from a container with a small, round,
singular hole
or orifice (e.g. often less than about 30 mm2). This often provides the
perception of too
thick a product. In certain non-limting embodiments, suitable opening areas
for the
dispensing orifice 15 and/or dispensing ring 2 opening include from about 32
mm2 to
about 65 mm2, or from about any of the following to about 65 mm2: 35 mm2, 40
mm2,
45 mm2 , 50 mm2 , 55 mm2 , or from about 60 mm~ to about 65 mm~. In another
non-
limiting embodiment, the opening area of the dispensing orifice 15 and/or
dispensing ring
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2 opening may be equal to about 55.4 mm2, which corresponds to the area of a
circle
having a diameter of 8.4 mm.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the container fitment taken along line 3-3
of
FIG. 2. In FIG. 3 the inner structure of the container fitment 1 is shown. The
annular ring
3 comprises an inner side wall 25 and an optional sealing surface 24. The
optional sealing
surface 24 serves to form a seal between the fitment 1 and the portion of the
neck of the
container that surrounds the spout opening. The inner side wall 25 may
comprise a
suitable attaching means, such as snap lug arrangement or a screw threaded
type
arrangement for attaching the container fitment 15 to the neck of a container.
The optional sealing surface 24 may be located on the inner surface of the top
panel 8. The optional sealing surface 24 may be an integral part of the inner
surface of the
top panel 8. The sealing surface 24, when present, may comprise a
compressible, flexible
and/or deformable material such that when the portion of the neck of the
container that
surrounds the spout opening is compressed against the deformable material it
forms a
tight seal when the container fitment 1 is fully attached to the neck of the
container by any
suitable attaching means. The seal may be a leak proof seal.
In the embodiment shown, the optional attaching means of the container fitment
1
comprises a thickened portion 26 (or snap bead) located on the inner side wall
25,
adjacent to the lower terminal end 16. The thickened portion 26 may comprise a
compressible, flexible and/or deformable material. When the container fitment
is
attached to the neck of the container by a suitable attaching means, the
thickened portion
is pressed against the neck of the container to hold the fitment 1 onto the
container.
In addition to (or alternatively, instead of) the optional attaching means 26,
the
inner side wall 25 may comprise a threaded region 17 located adjacent to the
terminal end
16 of the container fitment 1. The inner side wall 25 may be partially
threaded having
only a few threads, or may it may be fully threaded depending on the need
(e.g. to resist
the disengagement of the container fitment 1 from the container when a shear
force is
applied to the container by the user).
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FIG. 4 shows a portion of the dispensing ring 2 in greater detail. The side
walls of
the dispensing ring 2 have inner and outer surfaces, each of which has a lower
edge and
an upper edge. The lower edge and the upper edge of the outer surface 4 of the
side wall
define the bottom and top, respectively, of the outer surface 4 of the side
wall. The
bottom and top of the inner surface 5 of the side wall is defined by its lower
edge 11 and
its upper edge 12. The top portion 23 of the dispensing ring 2 is defined by
its inside edge
13 and outside edge 7. The upper edge 21 of the outer surface 4 of the side
wall and the
inner edge 7 of the top portion 23 may define an optional transition portion
22 between
the outer surface 4 of the side wall and the top portion 23 of the dispensing
ring 2. The
outer edge 13 of the top portion 23 and upper edge 12 of the inner surface 5
of the side
wall may define an optional beveled edge 6 between the inner surface 5 of the
side wall
and the top portion 23 of the dispensing ring 2. The optional beveled edge 6,
when
viewed from the side, may be flat or rectilinear, or it may be curvilinear.
The angle, a, between the surfaces of the beveled edge 6, when present, and
the
outer surface 4 of the side wall may comprise any suitable acute angle.
Suitable acute
angles include, but are not limited to: less than about 90, 60, 45, 44, 42,
40, 38, 36, 34,
32, 30, 28, 26, 24, 22, 20, 18, 16, 14, 12, or 10 degrees. In one non-limiting
embodiment,
the acute angle is formed between the surfaces of the beveled edge 6 and the
outer surface
4 of the side wall and comprises an angle from about 10 degrees to less than
45 degrees,
or alternatively, from about 20 degrees to about 30 degrees.
The container fitment 1 may be made of any suitable material. Suitable
materials
include plastics. Suitable plastics include, but are not limited to: firm or
rigid plastic
materials, rubbery or flexible plastic materials, and combinations thereof.
The container
fitment may be provided as a one-piece article or a composite article. In one
non-limiting
embodiment, the container fitment may be made entirely of an elastically
deformable or
rubbery plastic material. In another non-limiting example, the majority of the
container
fitment itself may be made of an elastically deformable plastic material, but
in this event it
may be necessary to make certain that the portion where the attaching means is
formed
less deformable or substantially non-deformable. One solution is to utilize
multiple-
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plastic injection molding systems, methods, and techniques, known in the art,
to provide a
single-piece container fitment having both flexible plastic components, and
firm,
deformable plastic components, or alternatively more rigid, less deformable,
or
substantially non-deformable plastic components. Another solution to such an
arrangement would be, for example, to prepare separately the attaching means
(such as, a
snap lug arrangement or a screw threaded type arrangement) and/or the
dispensing ring of
a more rigid or deformable, yet firm plastic material, or alternatively a non-
deformable
plastic material, and to associate it with an elastically plastic deformable
article to form
the container fitment by well known processes. In this case, the dispensing
orifice may be
melted, pressed, or cut out of the dispensing ring, if necessary.
Numerous other embodiments of the container fitment and container are
possible.
For example, FIG. 5 shows another non-limiting embodiment of a container
fitment 1
having a dispensing orifice 15 and/or dispensing ring 2 in the shape of a
"Marquis"
diamond.
FIG. 6 shows another non-limiting embodiment of a container fitment 1 having a
dispensing orifice 15 and/or dispensing ring 2 in the shape of a North
American football.
FIG. 7 shows the container fitment 1 mounted on a container. As shown in FIG.
7, the container has a shoulder portion, and is closed at the top, except for
the presence of
a spout. The container fitment 1 is mounted on the end of the spout (that is,
on the end of
the neck of the container). The dispensing orifice 15 and the dispensing ring
2 have a
similar plan view configuration. Both the dispensing orifice 15 and the
dispensing ring 2
are smaller than the opening of the spout. If desired, the fitment 1 may fit
onto the
container so that its dispensing orifice 15 is oriented with the portion with
the smaller
radius of curvature being oriented in a direction that consumers typically tip
the container
to dispense the contents therefrom. This may, for example, be either parallel
to one of
longer sides of the container, or perpendicular to one of the longer sides of
the container.
The container fitment 1 may also be provided as an integral part of a closure
cap
and/or sealing system for the container. For example as shown in FIG. 8, the
container
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fitment 1 can be part of a flip cap or child resistant cap. When the container
fitment 1 is
part of a closure cap, it may be desirable for the dispensing orifice 15
and/or dispensing
ring 2 to be in a particular orientation relative to the cap, especially when
the cap has a
fixed position on the container.
For instance, as shown in FIG. 8, the dispensing opening 15 in the top panel 8
has
at least a portion 29 with a smaller radius of curvature than another portion
of the
dispensing opening. The portion with the smaller radius of curvature 29 is
configured for
pouring therefrom. The portion with the smaller radius of curvature 29 (and
the major
axis of the dispensing opening 15 and dispensing ring 2) is oriented in a
pouring direction
(or first direction) 30. An openable closure cap 27 is joined to at least one
of said annular
ring 3 and the top panel 8 at a location that lies in a direction (or second
direction) 32 that
is generally opposed to the first pouring direction 30. For example, as shown
in FIG. 8,
the closure cap 27 opens in a direction 32 that is 180 opposite to the
direction 30 in
which the product will be poured.
In other embodiments, the closure cap 27 need not open in a direction that is
exactly 180 opposite to the direction in which the product will be poured. In
such other
embodiments, the closure cap 27 may open in a direction that forms any
suitable angle
relative to the direction 30 in which the product will be poured. It should
also be
understood that in any embodiments where the dispensing opening 15 and/or
dispensing
ring 2 has more than one portion with a smaller radius of curvature, point, or
vertex, it is
also possible to pour the product out of such other portions. For example, in
the
embodiment shown in FIG. 8, it is also possible for the product to be
dispensed from the
sides 34 of the dispensing ring 2.
As shown in FIG. 8, the dispensing ring 2 may be engageable with a closure cap
such as a flip-cap 27 having a male member 28 located on the inside surface
thereof. In
such an embodiment, the dispensing ring 2 acts as the female member to accept
the male
portion 28 of the closure cap when tightly engaged (e.g. closed). The
engagement thus
provides a sealing means for sealing the contents of the container from the
environment
and from leaking when in transport, storage, or not in use.
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The container fitment 1 may also provide an access means whereby the container
fitment may not be opened and exposure to the internal contents of the
container achieved
without exerting sufficient force to a portion of the container fitment. Thus,
although the
container fitment may not necessarily be child proof, the force required to
remove it may
5 provide some degree of resistance to child tampering and/or undesirable
access to the
contents of the container by children. The design and the shape of the
container fitment
and/or dispensing orifice and/or optional dispensing ring thereon may vary
according to
the desired visual appearance of the finished shape of the container with
which it is
associated.
10 The container fitment 1 may be packaged along with the container as an
article of
manufacture comprising a kit. The kit may include the container fitment
described herein,
a container having a composition stored therein, and instructions on the use
of the
container fitment to dispense of the contents of the container. The container
may have a
single compartment or multiple compartments.
15 The instructions may provide for using the container fitment to dispense a
shear-
thinning structured liquid composition from the container. Such instructions
may include
one or more of the following steps: (a) the user may hold the container
between his
thumb and fingers in the upright position; (b) the user may turn the container
upside
down and exert an effective amount of force (e.g. by squeezing) to shear the
shear-
thinning structured liquid so that it dispenses from the container into a
receiving
receptacle; (c) as the shear-thinning structured liquid begins to flow through
the
dispensing orifice 15 and/or optional dispensing ring 2, the user may utilize
one or more
portions thereof with a smaller radius of curvature, such as the points of a
point-
containing shaped dispensing orifice 15 and/or dispensing ring 2 shape (e.g.
the four-sided
diamond) to control the direction of the flow into the receiving receptacle;
and (d) when
the receiving receptacle begins to fill to the proper dosage volume, the user
may move the
container to the upright position, thereby engaging the cutting edge of the
dispensing
orifice 15 and/or optional dispensing ring 2 so that the dispensing flow or
stream of the
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16
product is cut off, which may help to reduce messiness (e.g. associated with
unwanted
drippings) once flow of shear-thinning structured liquid ceases.
The disclosure of all patents, patent applications (and any patents which
issue
thereon, as well as any corresponding published foreign patent applications),
and
publications mentioned throughout this description are hereby incorporated by
reference
herein. It is expressly not admitted, however, that any of the documents
incorporated by
reference herein teach or disclose the present invention.
It should be understood that every maximum numerical limitation given
throughout this specification would include every lower numerical limitation,
as if such
lower numerical limitations were expressly written herein. Every minimum
numerical
limitation given throughout this specification will include every higher
numerical
limitation, as if such higher numerical limitations were expressly written
herein. Every
numerical range given throughout this specification will include every
narrower numerical
range that falls within such broader numerical range, as if such narrower
numerical ranges
were all expressly written herein.
While particular embodiments of the subject invention have been described, it
will
be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications
of the subject
invention can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the
invention. In
addition, while the present invention has been described in connection with
certain
specific embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that this is by way of
illustration and
not by way of limitation and the scope of the invention is defined by the
appended claims
which should be construed as broadly as the prior art will permit.
