The Procter Gamble Company

Robert H Van Coney

Malcolm B Lucas

Douglas Herrin Benson

Delmar R Muckenfuhs

Arnold George Benecke

Dale Edwin Barker

William P Dirksing

John S Amneus, Iii

Theodore P Merz

William H Goodman, Jr

Alan E Byrd

Griscom Bettle, Iii

Paul K Platt

Kenneth R Ericson

Marvin G Leman

Eric W Meyer

Elmer K Linman

James E Van Loan

A storage and dispensing package for fluent material capable of bimodal operation. The package has a first mode of operation capable of storing the fluent material without leakage when the package is subjected to unintentional external forces. The package is also provided with a second mode of operation capable of dispensing the fluent material when the package is subjected to external forces intentionally applied by the user. The second mode of operation is also capable of automatically isolating substantially all of the fluent material remaining in the package from the surrounding atmosphere as soon as the intentionally applied external forces are removed. In a preferred embodiment, the package comprises a container, means for applying pressure to the fluent material in the container, a fluid conduit having an inlet end for receiving the fluent material from the container and a discharge end remote from the inlet end. A first valve which does not open in response to pressure is provided at the inlet end of the conduit. In its 'closed' position, the valve prevents fluid communication between the fluent material in the container and the inlet end of the fluid conduit. In its 'open' position, the valve permits fluid communication between the fluent material in the container and the inlet end of the fluid conduit. The valve further includes means for switching the valve between its 'closed' and 'open' positions. A second normally closed valve is also provided at the discharge end of the fluid conduit. The second valve prevents fluid communicaton between fluent material contained in the fluid conduit and the surrounding atmosphere. The second valve is openable only in response to pressure applied by the fluent material in the fluid conduit, and is automatically closable whenever the pressure on the fluent material in the conduit is relieved.

Bimodal storage and dispensing package for fluent material

A method for blow-molding a thermoplastic container having a body-portion and a neck-portion provided with a dispensing orifice and internal attachment means, with such method including the steps of: (a) forming a hollow parison of thermoplastic material having an open end; (b) placing the parison within a female mold cavity having a body-forming portion and a neck-forming portion such that the open end of the parison is located within the neck-forming portion of the mold cavity; (c) inserting an expandable core pin into the open end of the parison, with such core pin including blowing means connected to a pressure source and having relieved areas formed on its exterior surfaces; (d) expanding the core pin such that the open upper end of the parison is forced against the neck-forming portion of the mold cavity and into the relieved areas on the exterior of the core pin, thereby forming the internal attachment means on the inner surface of the open end of the parison; (e) introducing pressure through the blowing means of the core pin to the interior of the parison thereby expanding the parison against the inner surfaces of the body-forming portion of the female mold cavity to form the body-portion of the thermoplastic container; (f) removing the molded thermoplastic container from the female and mold cavity; and (g) collapsing the expandable core pin and, thereafter, removing the core pin from the neck-portion of the thermoplastic container.

Method for blow-molding a container having a neck-portion with internal

A resilient squeeze bottle dispensing package capable of dispensing viscous products without excessive air entrainment and belching on successive dispensing cycles. In a preferred embodiment, the viscous product is preferably suspended inside a resilient squeeze bottle in a thin flexible bag. The flexible bag is secured about its perimeter to the interior of the squeeze bottle at its top and approximately at its midpoint to facilitate both complete emptying of product and desirable suckback characteristics when the opposed squeezing forces ae removed from the resilient outer wall of the bottle. A suckback valve is located between the dispensing orifice in the shroud of the package and the flexible bag to limit the amount of air which can enter the package through the dispensing orifice at the conclusion of each dispensing cycle and to prevent slumping of viscous product remaining in the shroud into the bottom of the flexible bag between dispensing cycles. An air check valve is preferably provided in the bottom of the resilient squeeze bottle to facilitate a pressure buildup within the bottle when opposed squeezing forces are applied thereto.

Resilient squeeze bottle package for dispensing viscous products without

A liquid dispensing package is described which is adapted to dispense liquids without mess. The package preferably incorporates a measuring cup which is also the closure for the package. The package of the present invention includes a container for storing the liquid product and a collar sealingly secured to a dispensing orifice on the container. The collar has an extended pouring spout and a transverse drain back partition with a drain hole to collect and return residual liquid to the container. A drip concentrating member originates in the lowermost surface of the drain back partition about the periphery of the drain hole and extends generally downwardly from the drain back partition toward the pouring spout to form a drip concentrating point in the interior of the container. Any liquid spilled on the exterior of the drain back partition or draining back onto the exterior of the drain back partition from the cap after a dispensing cycle is completed coalesces at the drip concentrating point. Coalescence of liquid at a single point causes a larger and larger droplet to form at the point. When the weight of the droplet finally exceeds the surface tension forces exerted by the liquid on the drip concentrating point, the droplet falls back into the container, and the process is restarted until the bulk of the liquid has been redeposited into the container.

Liquid product dispensing package with self draining feature employing

A pump dispenser for fluent products is disclosed as inluding a container for housing the fluent product, dispensing outlet means on the container, a follower piston closing the lower end of the container below the product, and means for varying the volume within such dispenser. The volume varying means comprises a plunger adapted to be reciprocated within the dispenser to alternately decrease the volume therewithin and, following such decrease, return to its original position thereby increasing the volume within the dispenser. The plunger further comprises a peripheral skirt having predetermined outer lateral dimensions at its lower distal end, and an enlarged attachment head on such lower distal end. The attachment head has predetermined outer lateral dimensions which are larger than the outer lateral dimensions of such lower distal end therey effectively forming a reentrant portion on the plunger above the enlarged head. A flexible thin-walled diaphragm adapted to isolate and seal the volume reducing means from the fluent product is connected about its outer periphery to the dispenser. The diaphragm further has a central portion substantially conforming to the enlarged attachment head and reentrant portion of the plunger thereby effectively locking the diaphragm to the plunger and its attachment head. The attached diaphragm is thereby adapted to provide a substantially frictionless seal between the reciprocable plunger and the fluent product. The unique structure and combination of the plunger and flexible diaphragm of the subject pump dispenser provides for ease of manufacturing and handling of such pump dispenser subassembly.

Pump dispenser for fluent products featuring a reciprocable plunger and

A radially expandable core pin is disclosed for blow-molding a thermoplastic container having a body-portion and a neck-portion, with such neck-portion including a dispensing orifice and internal attachment means. The core pin is radially expandable to compression mold the internal attachment means of the container and comprises a plurality of circumferentially disposed core sections surrounding the central axis of the core pin. These core sections are radially movable between a normally collapsed position and an expanded position, and have outer surfaces which mate along their longitudinal adjacent sides when radially displaced to expanded position to form a substantially continuous neck-forming surface thereabout. The neck-forming surface is relieved in a predetermined pattern to form the internal attachment means of the container. The core pin also includes expansion means for moving the core sections to expanded position, and blowing means formed through the core pin and adapted to be connected to a pressure source. The blowing means provides blow-molding pressure for forming the body portion of the thermoplastic container.

Expandable core pin for blow-molding a container having a neck-portion

A liquid dispenser package is described which is adapted to dispense liquids without mess and which incorporates a measuring cup which is also the closure for the package. The package of the present invention includes a container having a dispensing orifice for storing the liquid product, a transition collar to be attached to the container finish surrounding its orifice and having an extended pouring spout and a transverse partition with drain to collect and return residual liquid to the container, and a measuring cup with an open mouth having threads on its exterior to attach the cup to the interior of the transition collar where it functions as the closure for the package. Because of the extended pouring spout, the residual liquid drain back feature, and the exterior threads on the measuring cup, virtually all mess normally associated with liquid product measuring and dispensing is obviated.

Liquid product pouring and measuring package with self draining feature

An apparatus for uniformly debossing and perforating a ribbon of thermoplastic sheet material or film through the use of vacuum in combination with a flash heating source such as a flow of hot air. The apparatus causes a ribbon film to be forwarded from a supply such as a roll of thermoplastic material, then about a circumferentially extending portion of a rotating debossing-perforating cylinder, and then downstream where the debossed and perforated film may be further processed or where it may be wound on a spool to form a roll thereof. The debossing-perforating cylinder comprises a perforated tubular member through which a plurality of independently adjustable levels of vacuum can be applied from within the cylinder to circumferentially spaced sections of the film in contact with the exterior surface of the perforated tubular member. The apparatus further causes a virtual curtain of hot air to be directed radially inwardly towards a predetermined zone of the perforated tubular member. Thus, vacuum applied from within the cylinder acts in concert with the curtain of hot air which flash heats the film sufficiently to effect debossing and perforating the film running circumferentially about the rotating cylinder. The apparatus may further control tension in the film both upstream and downstream of the debossing cylinder at predetermined constant levels.

Apparatus for debossing and perforating a running ribbon of

Method and apparatus for imparting a predetermined shape to discrete units of product of dough-like consistency. In a preferred embodiment, said method comprises filling an image containing cavity exhibiting said shape with said dough-like product and thereafter removing said product from said cavity without substantially altering its shape by causing said cavity to assume an image substantially symmetrical to its original image. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the image containing cavity is lined with a resiliently deformable diaphragm, and the cavity is turned inside out by applying fluid pressure to the surface of the diaphragm opposite the product.

Method and apparatus for imparting a predetermined shape to product of

A method of and apparatus for uniformly debossing and perforating a ribbon of thermoplastic sheet material or film through the use of vacuum in combination with a flash heating source such as a flow of hot air. The apparatus causes a ribbon of such film to be forwarded from a supply such as a roll of thermoplastic material, thence about a circumferentially extending portion of a rotating debossing-perforating cylinder, and then downstream where the debossed and perforated film may be further processed or where it may be wound on a spool to form a roll thereof. The debossing-perforating cylinder comprises a perforated tubular member through which a plurality of independently adjustable levels of vacuum can be applied from within the cylinder to circumferentially spaced sections of the film in contact with the exterior surface of the perforated tubular member. The apparatus further causes a virtual curtain of hot air to be directed radially inwardly towards a predetermined zone of the perforated tubular member.

Method for debossing and perforating a running ribbon of thermoplastic

Apparatus comprising means for blow molding a preform having a body which is longitudinally partitioned by a bulkhead having the size, shape, and orientation required in a finished, precisely partitioned bulbous-shape container to convert the preform into such a finished bulbous-shape container while constraining the bulkhead from changing size, shape, or orientation during the blow molding operation. An integrated injection-blow molding embodiment is disclosed as well as discrete injection molding and blow molding apparatuses.

Growing community of inventors

Cincinnati, OH, United States of America

Robert H Van Coney