The Procter Gamble Company

Robert A Paul

Peter W Hamilton

Ronald W Kock

Del M Thornock

James R Goldberg

William Willhite, Jr

James L Drobish

Arthur H Dornbusch

Calvin S Cook

Stephen W Harding

Lawrence E Robbins

Jimmy C Edwards

Frank A Ciboch, Jr

The present invention presents an improved pump piston for pressurizing liquid dispensing containers, and more particularly improved air inlet valve designs for such pistons. According to the present invention, the inlet valves are located remotely from the lower end of the pump piston, such that they are protected from contamination by liquid product and resulting degradation of performance. One inlet valve design utilizes a lost motion connection between the pump piston and upper cap, with structural elements of the upper cap and piston cooperating to form an inlet valve that is opened to admit air into the interior of the piston when the cap is pulled upward and tightly sealed when the cap is pushed downward. Another inlet valve design utilizes slits in the wall of the piston itself and the flexibility of the piston material to form an inlet valve that is opened to admit air into the interior of the piston when the cap is pulled upward and tightly sealed when the cap is pushed downward. The lost motion design is disclosed in two possible embodiments, and a number of versions of the valve slit embodiment are disclosed.

Pump pistons for pressurizing liquid dispensing containers

An elevator/threaded shaft dispensing package for a solid stick-form product. The package has a refill cartridge designed to telescope into a reusable base. The base is tubular and has a threaded shaft axially oriented within it through a central aperture at its bottom where the shaft is connected to a hand wheel. The cartridge holds the product in a tubular body which preferably has a non-circular cross-section. A push plate is disposed in the bottom of the cartridge and the top of the cartridge preferably has a downwardly extending annular collar on its exterior. The package has a telescoping elevator system disposed within it which includes a platform which abuts against the push plate and an internally threaded neck below the platform. The internally threaded neck receives the threaded shaft in threaded telescoping relation. When the hand wheel is turned in a predetermined direction the elevator system advances towards the top, pushing the product in the cartridge up and out of the package so the consumer can have access. The package is able to reset the elevator to its lowermost position when it is in its uppermost position without manually rotating the hand wheels.

Reset elevator/threaded shaft dispensing package for stick form product

A method for producing an integral bottle/collar combination for use in a package for storing and dispensing potentially dangerous material such as medicament tablets. The package is resistant to opening by children yet readily openable by adults. The process includes a step of injection molding a polymeric part having a finish portion, a preform portion, and a flange portion. The flange portion has at least one integrally formed socket having a resiliently deformable pushtab connected by a hinge. The preform portion of the injection molded part is blow molded into the shape of the bottle. The hingedly connected pushtab is then folded into its in-use position.

Injection blow molding process for forming a package exhibiting improved

A package for storing and dispensing potentially dangerous materials, such as medicament tablets or the like, said package being resistant to opening by children but readily openable by adults, particularly adults having impaired manual dexterity of their hands and/or fingers. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the package comprises a bottle, a collar which is secured in place over the uppermost portion of the bottle and a closure which is secured to the finish portion of the bottle by means of complementary screw threads. The collar preferably includes a pair of spring-like pushtabs containing vertical extensions which engage interlocking teeth on the innermost surface of the closure skirt when the closure is fully assembled onto the bottle. To remove the closure, the opposed pushtabs must be manually depressed prior to applying unscrewing torque to the closure to disengage the pushtab extensions from the interlocking teeth on the closure. In a particularly preferred embodiment, application of the closure to the finish portion of the bottle gives the user an audible confirmation that the package has been restored to its child resistant condition for the next dispensing cycle. Method and apparatus for producing the package are also disclosed.

Package exhibiting improved child resistance without significantly

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Fairfield, OH, United States of America

Robert A Paul