US2773521A - Coupling for squeeze bottles - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 11, 1956 N. L. PERSSON COUPLING FOR SQUEEZE BOTTLES Filed March 2, 1954 IN V EN TOR.

United States Patent ice meme, fillfliii quantities, and the item of cost isliiriportant so faras the 1 containers themselves are concerned However, it often happens that it is impracticahfors 2 773 521}, consumersand users to handle large sizestockbottles or v t t 4 I 5 containers. This relates particularly to travelers, and COUPLING FOR'SJQUEEZE'BQTTLES especially'those using airplanes, where luggage:space'is.-

limited and at a premium. 7 I Furthermore, with the advent of plastic collapsible bot- Application s' 1954; SerihrN014135567 tles as distinguished from those made of glass, such plastic t I I s 10 types have increased greatly in demand, and here again, 6 Chums ((1141 5) the problem of providing a squeeze-typebottleof a relatively small'size, and at arelatively small'cost to the ultimate consumer, is'important. t t The receptacle 10 can therefore b'eof larger size and-of Thls lhvehtloh relates to pm eohphhg glass or even of metal, and can be provided with the-usual NelsLeonard Persson, Tujunga, Calif.

squeeze"b0ttles;"and ha's'fo'r oneof its principal objects Clbsure element, cap or stoppel. 12. thepwvlslonot a 51mph, efii'CIEHtPHd easlly'ohel'atedj The smaller refillable plastic squeeze-type containerdevicefor re-filling a squeeze-type dispenser-container-of adapted, to used in accordancetwithnthe prtnciplttsv f. r llquldsbythe c9nsumerforrgusethis invention is illustrated at 14, this also being fitted One of the important' ob ects ofithis invention is'to' withrga removablelcap or closure 16 provide meahs he q airelahvelyiarge s stock m- For distribution purposes, the-two containers 10 and tainerof various liquids, can be used to refillsmallercon 14 may bepackaged as atsingle unit in a container 718, tainers; particularly those-ofvthe typ k own as squeeze which may be of some transparent material, and in the e h h f emPloyed' can e of many ype same container, there is provided the'coupling 20 wherethe invention is directed more especially to those in the by the two receptacles can be connectedtfor a ready cosmFuc and drug; line? such Y g muons/Perfumes" transfer of liquid or the like from-thelarger-stock bottle rubbmg'alcfhoh hmments and h of rigid material to the smaller and lighterbottle orcon-- Another important ob ect of the invention is to provide tamer 14 f resilient orplastic matgriall a lak'pmot: q h wherein the stock q h fi i This smaller and more readily transferable container can he readlly'lolhed to the "Squeeze-type 'dlsPehslhg @011" 14 is illustrated in more detail in Figure '2, and is protaillel' EP 'P S vided with a restricted exteriorly screw-threaded neck 22 Yet ahothehohleet of'the h t e e' 'P whereby the closure 16 can be readily applied and as ticular type of coupling which is'interiorlythreadedsoas readily removed to be readily fitted to the two containers or bottles, or h neck 22 can be provided with a relatively wide. wherein astock liquid container with'female threads can outlet, b as th li id t i d i th receptacles he e with the Sq bottle, thereby eliminating the are ordinarily used in relatively small-quantitiesza dis-. heeesslty'of a couphhgpensing. gasket 24 is affixed at the outlet of theneck 22 Other and further important objectsofw the invention d preferably sealed in position. This gasket or disc" Willbe apparent from the disclosures in the accompanying 40 24 is provided with a Small central Opening26 f li id. drewihgahdfohowihg speeifieatiohdispensing purposes, and this perforated disc assist-s in The invention, in a preferred'form, is illustrated :in the the li id ,transferringtgperafion drawings n "hereinafter more fully described- For such a liquidtransferring operation, the coupling In the dfawlngs? 26, which may be of any suitable material, such as rub- Figure'l is a persnecfivqvlew of Package f her, plastic or metal, is employedto connect the stockcludes a relatively large size stock bottle or container bottle 10 to the dispensing or Squeeze bottle 14 as ;best. for a particular liquid, lotion or the like, and a relatively Shown in Figure smaller sized bottle of a collapsible or plastic material, Assuming that the dispensing or Squeeze bottle 14 i and the coupling for joining the two bottles or containers empty or nearly so, the conngcted containers are h refilling the Smelter one held in the position shown in Figure 4, and the collapsible Figure 2 is a Shghtly enlarged sectional View of the container 14 is compressed inwardly as shown by the squeeze-type bottle, and illustrates the same with the im- Zigzag arrows in the figure expelling some f i Proved attachment of this invention thereohtained air by compression through the opening 26 in the Figure 3 is a Sectional View of the specially designed disc or gasket 24, which air Will then rise to the top of p g, which s for the p p f the refilling Opera- 5 the stock bottle or container 10. Upon release of prestion and connects the eohtalherssure on the collapsible or plastic container 14, also as Figure 4 is a Sectional View Showing the larger Stock indicated by the zig-zag arrows, droplets of the liquid liquid container connected by the eehphhg to the smaller 36 will be expelled from the upper container through the w p container and hlhstl'atlhg the PmeesS of opening 26 into the lower container, and this will be filhhgexpedited by reason of the fact that air under compres- Figure 5 is a View Somewhat slmilal t0 fh hut sion is in the bottle it) and a slight vacuum will prelimiillustrating a slightly modlfied form of the invention. narily exist in the bottle 14. The liquid 30 will then be Figure 6 is a side elevation of a Special YP of closure transferred in a desired quantity to the smaller container, pp adaPted for use with the Stock container of as indicated in the figure, whereupon the smaller container Figure can be employed for subsequent dispensing operations,

Figure 7 illustrates Z111 e p and at the same time providing a more readily manipu- AS Shewh in the drawlhgs; lated package and one which is not subject to breakage The reference numeral 10 indicates generally a stock or n not be bulky i h li or transportation container for the purpose of holding a liquid such as a In Figures 5 and 6, a li l modified f f h Shaving lotion, Perfume of the likesuch containers ofdi' invention is illustrated, wherein a stock bottle 40 is pronarily comprise the most economical manner of marketing vid d, of usual size and shape, but with its neck 42 inthe contents because the customer purchases in larger teriorly screw-threaded for the normal reception of a 3 correspondingly screw-threaded closure or stopper 44. Such a stopper is illustrated in Figure 6.

The squeeze bottle 46 is of smaller size than the stock bottle 40, and is provided with a restricted exteriorly screw-threaded neck 48 which is of such dimensions and proportions that it can be readily fitted into the interiorly screw-threaded neck 42 of the stock bottle 40.

Instead of the perforated disc or gasket 24 of the bottle 14, a more restricted passage or opening 50 is provided in the neck 48 of the squeeze bottle 46, whereby only a relatively small quantity of the liquid 60 can be dispensed, and this restricted opening 50 facilitates the transfer of the liquid 60 from one container to the other by reason of the alternate compressing and releasing operation previously described.

It will be evident that herein is disclosed the concept of a close system of liquid transfer through a very small opening by simple control of pressure changes within the system. Pressure increases inside the entire system and consequent expulsion of air from the squeeze-type dispensing container are effected by manual compression of theplastic resilient smaller container. Pressure decreases and returns to approximate atmospheric pressure inside the system, and resultant liquid transfer from the larger stock liquid container to the smaller plastic dispensing container are eifected by release of pressure on the resilient container, and this is especially true when the system is held in such a position so that the stock liquid container is inverted.

The fundamental principles described in the above manner of liquid transfer can be extended to a system utilizing a stock liquid container with female threads replacing the standard exteriorly threaded container, and such will eliminate the necessity of the coupling, provided of course that the neck of the flexible dispensing container is exteriorly screw-threaded so as to accommodate itself and snugly fit into the interiorly screw-threaded neck of the stock container.

As shown in Figure 7, the cap 12 of the larger bottle can be dispensed with, and the coupling 20, together with the stopper 44 used as a permanent closure element for the stock bottle 10. In that event, the coupling 20, as

shown in Figure 1, can be omitted from the kit.

I am aware that many changes may be made and numerous details of construction varied throughout a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and I therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon otherwise than as necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. A coupling for stock containers and squeeze bottles whereby the latter may be refilled from the stock container, said coupling comprising a unitary tubular element interiorly and reversely screw-threaded at its ends to accommodate the correspondingly exteriorly screwthreaded necks of the respective stock and squeeze bottles, the outer end of the squeeze bottle neck having a restricted opening, said restricted opening comprising perforated disc mounted on the outer end of the squeeze bottle neck, said disc mounting comprising a liquid and airtight sealing relationship and an exteriorly screw threaded closure element for the stock bottle.

2. A method of transferring liquids from a stock bottle to a squeeze-type dispensing container, comprising connecting the bottles by a coupling, compressing the squeeze bottle to provide a pressure within the connected system and expel air from the squeeze bottle into the stock container, and thence releasing pressure on the squeeze bottle, whereby liquid is transferred from the stock bottle to the squeeze bottle by reason of a higher than atmospheric pressure in the stock bottle, and a lower than atmospheric pressure in the squeeze bottle.

3. A method as described in claim 2, wherein the coupling comprises a third element of tubular shape interiorly screw-threaded at each end to receive the necks of the stock and dispensing containers.

4. A method as described in claim 2, wherein the coupling comprises an interiorly screw-threaded neck for the stock bottle, and an exteriorly screw-threaded neck for the squeeze bottle.

5. A method as described in claim 4, wherein a restricted passageway is provided in the squeeze bottle neck.

6. A method as described in claim 4, wherein a disc having a restricted perforation therein is mounted on the outer end of the neck of the squeeze bottle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 463,215 Rodiger Nov. 17, 1891 687,253 Morgan Nov. 26, 1901 747,153 Dunn Dec. 15, 1903 820,987 Perotti May 22, 1906 1,241,352 Doering et al Sept. 25, 1917 1,728,964 Hein Sept. 24, 1929 1,853,028 Aronson Apr. 12, 1932 1,876,452 Gusdorf Sept. 6, 1932 2,122,757 Scott July 5, 1938

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