Sept. 19, 1967 64

Sept. 19, 1967 J. P. FOEY 3 342,379 SQUEEZE BOTTLE AND SUPPORT CAP Filed Oct. 24, 1965 2. Sheets -Sheet l SS a A Y2Ya3. X 33N as NY Nasya Ny. JAAies e feley 64 a. eyS Filed Oct. 24, 1965 2. Sheets -Sheet 2 INVENTOR. (Jaanes f /dLey 3,342,379 United States Patent Office Patented Sept. 19, 1967 2 nomical construction, which is leak proof, and which is 3,342,379 not subject to any of the disadvantages of screw threaded SQUEEZE BOTTLE AND SUPPORT CAP caps. With the construction of the present invention, a James P. Foley, 748 Forest Ave., squeeze bottle is maintained permanently in inverted or Larchmont, N.Y. 10538 neck down position so that its contents are maintained im Filed Oct. 24, 1965, Ser. No. 504,320 mediately against its dispensing aperture. Thus, whenever, 6 Claims. (Ci. 222-173) the cap is removed and the bottle is squeezed, its fluid contents will immediately be dispensed. ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An important aspect of the present invention lies in a 10 unique construction which permits of practical utilization Inverted squeeze bottle and supporting cap configura of the above-described inverted storage feature. Accord tion, the bottle having a neck and a central outlet opening ing to this aspect, there is provided a cap construction therein, the cap having a flat expansive base and a central which provides support for maintaining the squeeze bottle plug which fits closely into the bottle opening, the cap also in inverted position and at the same time provides a posi including a plurality of displaced neck embracing guide 5 tive seal to prevent any gradual running out of the con elements and laterally positioned buttress means to insure tainer's contents. This unique cap arrangement moreover proper alignment on the plug with the opening when the requires no screw threads and the bottle, after use may be bottle is set on the cap. replaced with one hand merely by setting it on the cap. This latter aspect of the invention is achieved by means 20 of a novel cap construction which includes an expansive This invention relates to dispensing containers and more bottom wall with a stub like projection rising upwardly particularly it concerns an improved squeeze bottle ar from the center of the wall. This stub like projection fits rangement for containing and dispensing highly viscous very closely with a dispensing aperture in the neck of the fluids. Squeeze bottle. Guiding elements extend upwardly about The use of flexible plastic bottles which are squeezed to 25 the stub like projection; and these guiding elements are dispense controlled amounts of their contents is well resiliently supported to guide the neck of the squeeze bot known. Such bottles are used, for example, as dispensers tle such that its dispensing aperture becomes precisely for lotions, hair dressings and even certain condiments aligned with the stub like projection. Thus, the projection such as catchup or mustard. will enter the dispensing aperture with no relative tilting Difficulties have been experienced where the fluid being 30 movement, thus ensuring a positive fluid seal. dispensed is highly viscous. In order to dispense the fluid, There has thus been outlined rather broadly the more it must cover the discharge opening at the time the con important features of the invention in order that the de tainer is squeezed. However when the bottle is not being tailed description thereof that follows may be better under used, the fluid settles at the bottom end of the bottle stood, and in order that the present contribution to the away from the discharge opening. In the case of highly 35 art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, addi viscous fluids, it may take a considerable length of time tional features of the invention that will be described for the fluid to flow down to the opening after the contain hereinafter and which will form the subject of the claims er is picked up and inverted to a dispensing position. This appended hereto. Those skilled in the art will appreciate is often quite inconvenient and a frequent source of annoy that the conception upon which this disclosure is based ment to the user. 40 may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other It has been proposed to maintain the dispensing con Structures for carrying out the several purposes of the in tainer in an inverted position while not in use, so that when vention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be it is picked up its contents will always be over the dis regarded as including such equivalent constructions as do charge opening, and therefore will be discharged im not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention. mediately as the container is squeezed. There are certain 45 Certain specific embodiments of the invention have been problems attendant such arrangement however, and it is to chosen for purposes of illustration and description, and these that the present invention addresses itself. are shown in the accompanying drawings, forming a part The first such problem is that of maintaining an ade of the specification, wherein: quate seal which will prevent leakage of the inverted con FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of tainer under various ambient conditions. In the past, con 50 the present invention; tainers have been sealed by threaded caps which were FIG. 2 is a section view taken along lines 2-2 of screwed tightly over the neck of the container. This tech FIG. 1; nique, while providing a good seal, is disadvantageous in FIG. 3 is a section view taken along lines 3-3 of FIG. that it requires two-handed manipulation of the cap and 1. - container in order to replace the cap. In cases where one 55 FIG. 4 is an exploded section view taken in perspective hand is already being used, as where a quantity of hair of the embodiment of FIG. 1; cream or location has been squeezed onto one hand from FIG. 5 is a top plan view of a cap member forming a the container, it becomes quite difficult to replace a thread portion of the embodiment of FIG.1; ed cap. Another disadvantage of threaded caps is that FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 2 and showing another when used on necked containers they are incapable of 60 embodiment of the present invention; supporting the container in an inverted position unless FIG. 7 is a fragmentary exploded section view of the they are formed with their threaded portions out toward embodiment of FIG. 6; the shoulder region of the container. This however, in FIG. 8 is an overall perspective view of a still further addition to being costly and complex often results in embodiment of the present invention; and leakage within the cap and about the neck of the con 65 FIG. 9 is an exploded fragmentary perspective view of tainer. Finally, threaded caps have the inherent disadvan the embodiment of FIG.8. tage of being limited to circularly cross sectioned con The squeeze bottle arrangement of FIG. 1 comprises a tainers. bottle 10 and a cap 12. The bottle 10, as shown, is of The present invention overcomes all of the above dis 70 oblong cross section and is tapered toward its upper tip. advantages. According to the present invention there is The cap 12 extends downwardly from the widest region of provided a squeeze bottle arrangement which is of eco the bottle 10, and follows the same outer contour as that 3,342,379 3 4 of the bottle, tapering slightly inwardly and then terminat ments 48 are engaged by the peripheral flange 30 of the ing abruptly at 14 to form a flat expensive base surface. insert piece 24 when the neck of the body 10 is pushed The outer contours of the overall assembly are esthet down on the cap 12. The guide elements 48 are pushed ically proportioned and at the same time they serve a outwardly slightly by the insert piece and, because of the practical function in that the bottle 10 is easy to grasp segmentation of the support wall 44, they resiliently re and is conveniently supported by the cap 10 in an in sist such outward push. The action of these guide ele ments in cooperation with the segmented support wall 44 vertedThe position.bottle 10 may be formed of any resiliently- e flexibleas a serves to guide the neck 18 of the bottle 10 such that the material, such as polyethylene or the like. The lower passage 32 is properly aligned with the stub-like projec region of the bottle 10, tapers inwardly to form shoulders tion 42. Thus the stub-like projection will immediately 16 which converge upon a centrally located, downwardly and straightly enter into the passage 32. This particular ar extending cylindrical neck 8. As shown in FIGS. 3 and rangement has been found to be particularly advanta 4, there is provided a step 20 which extends about the geous in that it permits the bottle 40 to be fitted to the girth of the bottle 10 at the outer limits of the shoulders cap 12 with one hand while the cap 12 is resting on a 16. This step 20, as shown in FIG. 4, serves to locate 5 Shelf or other horizontal surface. At the same time, it and brace the upper peripheral edges of the cap 12. The permits a positive seal between the cap 12 and bottle 10 width of the step 20 is substantially the same as the thick which Seal may be repeatedly closed and opened without ness of the cap material so that when the cap is in place, leakage or dripping of the contents from the bottle 10.

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