US3428220A - Pressurized container with cap having suspension means for display purposes - Google Patents

Description

H. osRow 3,428,220 PRIIssURIzEn CONTAINER wIIH CAP HAVING SUSPENSION MEANS FOR DISPLAY PuRPosEs Filed Nov. 17, 196e Sheet 1 of 2 Feb. is, 1969 48] l i l 50 I INVENTOR. i /Z Affi/Pazo f/Pak/ i E 52 BY /a-/ywfy/J/@JCAAMU/M Feb. 18, 1969 H. osRow 3,428,220 PRESSUHIZED CONTAINER WITH CAP HAVING SUSPENSION MEANS FOR DISPLAY PURPOSES Filed Nov'. 17, 1966 Sheet 2 01'2 JNVENTOR. fn/Pazo' 05km/ United States Patent 3,428,220 PRESSURIZED CONTAINER WITH CAP HAVING SUSPENSION MEANS FOR DISPLAY PURPOSES Harold Osrow, Mineola, N.Y., assignor to Osrow Products Company, Inc., Glen Cove, N.Y.

Filed Nov. 17, 1966, Ser. No. 595,111 U.S. Cl. 222-153 11 Claims Int. Cl. B67d 5/32, 5/64; B67b 5/00 ABSTRACT 0F THE DISCLOSURE The combination of a pressurized container of substantial Weight and a closure cap for the container, which closure is adapted to be hung from a horizontally elongated display hanger. The closure is an overcap having an open bottom which is removably engageable with the top of the container. Tamper-proof means securely aixes the closure to the container. The closure further includes a bail-type suspension integral with and extending upwardly from the top wall of the closure. The force required to separate the closure from the container is greater than the weight of the container.

The present invention relates to a pressurized container with a cap having suspension means for display purposes.

It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a pressurized container having a closure cap which unlike most caps that are readily, i.e. easily, detachably attached to containers, is securely allixed to the container, bieng removable either only by destruction of the connection between the cap and the container or only by a high degree of force as could be applied by an instrument, the cap further having suspension means enabling the pressurized container to be hung from a horizontally elongated display hanger so that the container can be economically and conveniently displayed for sale.

It has long been the desire of manufacturers and sel- 1ers of products loaded into and sold in pressurized containers to display such containers in an improved manner. Heretofore, such containers have simply been stood on shelves Where they had to compete with many other products for display room. On these shelves, in the midst of other products, the containers were not brought to the prominent attention of the buying public. These containers also were previously placed into transparent plastic bags with closed mouths reinforced by cardboard strips. The reinforced mouth of each of these bags had an aperture formed therein which was threaded on a pegboard display hanger. However, this assembly involved an extra packaging cost, the bags often split or became dirty, the package was prone to tear near or at the aperture, the bag material might cloud and tend to hide the container, and the entire procedure was generally unsatisfactory.

In accordance with the present invention, and to overcome the foregoing defects, there is provided a new and improved arrangement whereby a pressurized container may be suspended by its own structure directly from the ubiquitous horizontally elongated pegboard display hanger. It will be appreciated that such hangers are in universal use in supermarkets, grocery stores, drug stores and all other types of retail outlets.

It is an object of the present invention to provide sus pension means ofthe character described wherein the suspension means forms an integral part of the structure of the closure cap and enables the container to be suspended from a conventional display hanger.

It is another object of the present invention to provide suspension means of the character described wherein the Ace said means forms a part of the cap for the container and the cap is securely aixed to the pressurized container l while the vsame is situated in a retail outlet, the cap being removed either only by destruction of the connection between the cap and the container or only by the application of a strong force, more than could be applied by hands alone, but which can be applied by instrument.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide suspension means of the character described wherein the closure, that is the cap, the secure aixing means and the suspension means, is adapted to be formed as a single, i.e. one-piece, unit by conventional high speed mass molding techniques such as injection molding, which when suspended from a display hanger has an attractive appearance and which, While carrying out its intended function, does not appreciably increase the unit price of the closure.

Other objects of the invention in part will be obvious and in part will be pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of the construction, combination of elements and arrangements of parts which will be exemplified in the container assemblies hereinafter described and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings in which are shown various possible embodiments of the invention,

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of two container assemblies made in accordance with the present invention and suspended in tandem from a pegboard display hanger;

FIG. 2 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary axial crosssectional view of a container assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partially broken away top plan view of a container assembly taken substantially along the line 3 3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged axial cross-sectional View of a second form of container assembly embodying the invention;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of a container assembly embodying another modified form of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary elevational view of a container assembly embodying another modified form of the invention; and

FIG. 7 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 7-7 of FIG. 6.

In general, the present invention constitutes a container and a closure therefor, the closure including suspension means for hanging the container from a pegboard display hanger. The container is of the conventional valved pressurized type. Such containers typically hold paints, shaving preparations, deodorants, cosmetics, medicaments, insecticides and numerous other products adapted to be dispensed in aerosol, lather or creamy form. The closure for the container encloses the dispensing valve located at the top of the container and a part or all of the top wall of the container.

The closure may be said to include three components, first, a cap, second, means securely aixing the cap to the container and third, the suspension means previously mentioned. The secure aixng means firmly holds the cap to the container as by mechanical or adhesive engagement so that the cap cannot be pulled from the container by the weight of the container itself or by accidental handling thereof during the marketing process and so that the cap cannot be easily `separated from the container by persons who wish to surreptitiously remove part of the contents and unnoticably restore the cap to its closed position. Said secure aixing means is such that the cap can be removed from the container for an initial dispensing operation either (in -one mode) only by destroying the connection between the cap and the c011- tainer or (in another mode) only by applying a high degree of force to pull the cap off the container. It is this secure connection between the cap and the container that enables the container assembly to ybe hung by suspension means without fear of accidental separation of the cap from the container.

The suspension means is situated on the top wall of the cap and comprises a member extending from the top of the cap, the member defining a rod-engaging aperture. The said aperture constitutes a through passageway of dimensions large enough to permit the shank of a display hanger to be threaded therethrough, whereupon the container will Abe suspended from the hanger. Typically, the suspension means may be a bail, a ring, a clip or a hook.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, and, more specilically, to FIGS. 1 through 3, a container assembly embodying the invention comprises, in combination, a closure and a conventional valved pressurized container 12. The container will be briefly described for the purpose of completeness.

The container includes a cylindrical hollow elongated Ibarrel 14 usually made of sheet steel, The barrel has a bottom wall 1S which is joined to the lower end of the barrel 14 by a chime 16. The container 12 further has a dome-shaped annular top wall 18 which is joined at its outer periphery to the upper end of the barrel 14 by an outwardly and upwardly protruding closure mounting chime 20.

A cup-shaped ferrule 24 is located in a central opening of the top wall 18 and carries a dispensing valve 26 in its *bottom Wall. The valve 26 includes a dispensing head 28 located above the top wall, a valve -body 30 situated immediately below the head and below the ferrule, and an elongated siphon tube 32 which runs from the body to the bottom of the container. The valve is spring biased to a closed position and is opened by depression or tilting of the head by the fingers of the user. An inner chime 34 joins the ferrule to the top wall.

The closure 10 of the present embodiment is formed from any strong and dura-ble flexible resilient plastic material. Plastics such as polystyrene, polyethylene, polypropylene, methyl methacrylate, natural and synthetic rubber, polyvinylchloride, acrylonitrileand cellulose acetate butyrate are exemplicative of suitable materials from which the closure can be fabricated.

As has been said the closure 10 includes three components. First, a tubular cap 36, second, suspension means 38 and third, means securely aixing the cap to the container, said last named means in general being such that the cap cannot be removed for an initial dispensing of the contents of the container without rst either destroying the connection between the cap and the container, or by pulling the cap from the container with a great degree of force, a force greater than can be applied by a persons hands but which can be applied by use of an instrument. The use of such secure aixing means accomplishes two purposes. First, it prevents the cap from being surreptitiously removed and replaced, and part of the container contents from being dispersed. This function which assures the consumer of a full container is, per se, well known. The second purpose is to ensure that the cap is held firmly enough to the container to enable the assembly to be hung by the suspension means. This latter function is unique to and characterizes the present invention.

The cap 36 includes a dat top wall 42 which is circular in plan and which lies in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the barrel 14. The cap 36 further includes a cylindrical continuous side wall 44 which is in one piece with the top wall and which has a diameter substantially the same as the diameter of the barrel 14.

The cap 36 also has an internal cylindrical skirt 46 having its top edge xed to the interior surface of the top wall 42 and being coaxial with the axis of the closure 10. The skirt is molded in one piece with the remainder of the cap. The lower edge of the skirt 46 surrounds and telescopically frictionally engages the inner chime 34, The seating of the chime 34 within the lower end of the skirt 46 enables the cap to reengage the container after severance of the connection between the cap and the container in a manner soon to be described.

The means securely affixing the cap 36 to the container 12 is such that the container will not separate from the cap by the weight of the container simply pulling it downwardly away from the cap when the cap is held. In other words, the cap cannot simply slip o the top of the container. Moreover, the aforesaid secure afxing means is such that normal handling of the container during the marketing process or accidental downward pulling thereof at a retail outlet will not serve to separate the cap from the container. However, it is necessary and intended that separation of the cap from the container be accomplished when so specifically desired by a user of the container through destruction of the connection `between the cap and the container.

The secure aixing means is of the tamper-proof type, that is, of the type which is intended to prevent unauthorized tampering by mischievous persons with the valve of the container and the discharge of some of the containers contents. Said means in the form illustrated in FIGS. l-3 includes a ring 48 tightly secured to the container 12 and a plurality of spaced legs 50 connecting the cap 36 to the ring 48. The ring 48 is situated at the lower boundary of the closure 10 and includes a pair of opposed spaced generally parallel walls, viz, an upper wall 52 and a lower wall 54. An intermediate wall 56 joins the upper wall and lower wall, and said three walls define, on the inside of the ring, an inwardly facing circumferential groove in which the outer chime 20 is tightly gripped. Optionally, the ring may be bonded to the chime as by the use of an appropriate adhesive and other expedients such as hot crimping or heat and pressure sealing may be employed to tightly secure the ring to the chime.

The legs 50 are squat and broad and interconnect the cap 36 with the ring 48. The legs have a circumferential dimension which is less than the spacing between them, and said spacing constitutes circumferential slots 58. The legs are of such thickness and width that they cannot be broken by manually twisting, pulling or flexing the cap relative to the ring. Said legs run axially of the container 12 and lie in a plane the same as the plane of the side wall 44. The only way the cap can be removed from the container is by destroying the secure afxing means, in lthis embodiment by using an implement, e.g. a knife, to cut the legs from the ring 48.

The suspension means 38 is situated at the top of the cap 36 and desirably is formed in one piece therewith. The suspension means in this form of the invention includes an upright apertured member, viz, an elongated curved central bridging strip 60, i.e. bail, having a middle arched portion 62 situated at a level higher than the plane of the top wall 42 and having a pair of opposed ends, respectively, 64, 66 xed to the top wall 42 at diametrically spaced points in the plane of said top wall. The strip 60 is of uniform width (side-to-side dimension).

The bridging strip 60 defines between it and the top wall 42, a passageway 68. Said passageway is open on both of its ends and is perpendicular to the length of the strip and perpendicular to the axis of the barrel 14. The passageway 68 is of suicient internal dimensions, as shown in the drawings, to permit the shaft 70 of an enlongated horizontal pegboard display hanger 72 to be threaded or pushed therethrough without diiculty. Desirably, the passageway is of such dimensions that there is a sliding frictional fit between the shaft 70 and the under surface of the bridging strip 60 and the surrounding area of the top surface of the top wall 42.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the top wall 42 is formed with an elongated slot 74 immediately below the strip 60 and of a shape and size equal to a projection of the strip onto said wall, the strip bridging the ends of the slot. This enables the closure to be molded with a two-piece die.

With the suspension means 38 having the structure just described, it will be apparent that several containers 12 each including such means can be threaded on an elongated hanger 72 in tandem fashion. The secure afxing means ensures that the cap will not accidentally disengage from the container 12, In this condition, the containers are marketed in a retail location.

A cousumer at such a retail location looking at the container and observing the condition of the legs 50 will be assured, if the legs 50 are intact, that the container and its contents have not been tampered with and that none of the contents of the container have been accidentally or intentionally removed. The container is easily slipped off of the hanger 72 by the consumer or a store clerk by simply sliding the suspension means with the remainder of the container off the shaft 70.

The purchaser may quickly and easily open the container at home by severing the legs with a cutting instrument having a cutting edge. Ordinary kitchen knives serve this function `quite well. The knife edge is used to slice each leg in turn until all of the legs are severed. When this has been done, the cap can be removed and the contents thereof partially or completely used. When it is desired to replace the cap, the lower end of the skirt 46 is slid over the inner chime 34, holding these parts in frictional engagement.

In a second form of the invention illustrated in FIG. 4, the same container 12 is used but with a different form and construction of the closure The cap 36 of the closure 10 is of small diameter than that of the closure 10, covering only the portion of the top wall 18 bounded by the inner chime 34 and leaving exposed the remainder of the top wall to the outer chime. In addition, the cap has an upwardly tapering rather than a cylindrical side wall. The secure aflixing means includes a ring 4S' having an inwardly facing groove that tightly engages the inner chime 34'. Radially oriented legs 50" unitarily interconnect the cap 36' with the ring 48. Said legs 50' are frangible, i.e. readily breakable, upon manual application of sidewise pressure or twisting force to the cap 36 thereby to destroy the connection between the cap and the container. The closure 10" is made from a moldable material, e.g. a plastic such as described for the manufacture of the closure 10. A closure such as described to this point is shown in United States Letters Patent No. 3,162,329 dated Dec. l2, 1964.

In accordance with the present invention the cap 36', which is effectively permanently secured to the container 12 and thus is rendered capable of having a fully charged container hanging therefrom without any chance of separation, is provided with suspension means 38', preferably identical to the suspension means 3S described above and diifering therefrom only in that the ends of the arched strip 62 terminate at the periphery of the top wall of the cap instead of being spaced inwardly thereof. The same slot 74' is provided, matching the projection of the strip on the top wall, to allow the closure to be fabricated in a two-part mold.

Still another embodiment of the instant invention is shown in FIG. 5 in which again the same container 12 is shown for the sake of convenience. Mounted thereon is a closure 10" of yet another form of tamper-proof construction, that except for suspension means 38, is conventional and includes a cap and a means to securely afx the cap to the container, said means being such that it must be destroyed to permit the cap to be removed from the container.

The closure 10" is a molded plastic one and constitutes a cap 36" integrally carrying a ring 48 at its open mouth. The ring is provided with an inwardly facing annular groove that tightly engages the outer top chime in a manner detailed in the description of FIGS. l-3. Unlike the forms of the closures illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 the connection between the cap 36 and the ring 48" is not designed to be broken with the aid of an instrument as in FIGS. 1-3 or by manual manipulations as in FIG. 4. However, to facilitate the breaking of the connection between the cap 36" and the container so that this can be performed readily by a housewife, the ring 48" is so deliberately weakened as to enable its circumferential integrity to be destroyed by manual manipulation. Specifically, said ring is molded with two parallel grooves 76 that are oriented to lie perpendicular to the circumference of the ring and to extend all the way from the bottom free edge of the ring and the juncture of the ring with the cap 36". The thickness of the ring at the bases of the grooves is heavy enough to withstand the circumferential stress incident to tightly aiixing the ring to the chime, but is thin enough to enable the tongue lying between the grooves to be ripped from the ring by a manually applied tearing force whereby to destroy the ring by opening the circumference of the same so that the ring can be disengaged from the top outer chime. To expedite the application of a manual ripping force a tab 78 is formed integrally with the ring and depending from the free lower edge thereof between the grooves 76K.

The closure 10" includes suspension means 38 identical to the suspension means 38 and which can be used with the cap 36" and container 12 solely because said cap is attached to the container by a secure aixing means capable of being destroyed to break such connection.

Yet another form of the invention is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. Therein, the container 12 is again the same. The closure 10" is of generally similar configuration. It has a ring 48' with a number, e.g. four, of circumferentially extending, coequal, radially inwardly protruding, interrupted locking lugs 80 with upper and lower inclined cam faces. When the cap is situated over the top of the container, said lugs engage the lower surface of the chime 20'. The cap has a through slot 82 formed in a thickened portion 84 of its side wall. The cap can be removed only by placing an instrument I, e.g. a screwdriver, through the slot 82 until its tip rests on an upper portion of the container, here the inner chime 34, and then prying the instrument upwardly in the direction indicated by the arrow A, forcing the cap upwardly. Thereby the lugs 80 are forced to shift outwardly and to slip over the past the outer chime 20, thus separating the cap from the closure. The cap 10 cannot be pulled off the container by the force which can be applied by a persons hands. The inclined upper and lower cam faces of the lugs facilitate emplacement of the closure under pressure and enable the closure to be pried off.

The suspension means 38 of this form constitutes an upright planar member, i.e. a tab 86 formed in one piece with the cap and extending upwardly from the center of the top wall of the cap. The tab lies in a plane perpendicular to the top wall and the tab has an aperture 8-8y at the base thereof `dening a through passageway for admitting a display hanger. A slot 90` is situated in the top wall immediately below and bridging the aperture 8,8 and in the same plane as the tab, to permit the cap to be formed by a two piece mold. Said slot is of a Width the same as that of the tab.

It thus will be seen that there have been provided container assemblies which achieve the several objects of the present invention and which are well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention and as various changes might be made in the embodiments set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein described or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

There is claimed:

1. In combination, a pressurized container of substantial weight and a closure therefor, adapted to be hung from a horizontally elongated display hanger;

the container including:

a hollow barrel having a central axis, a bottom wall closing the lower end of the barrel and a top wall closing the upper end of the barrel, and a manually controllable dispensing valve having a dispensing head `carried by and located above the top wall,

the closure including:

a hollow removably engageable cap, the cap having a side wall, a top wall closing the upper end of the cap, the lower end of the cap being open and dimensioned to telescopically engage and be closed by the top wall of the container,

tamper-proof means securely `aiiixing the cap to the container, the force required to separate the cap from the container being greater than said weight, and

suspension means integral with the cap and carried by the top wall thereof, said suspension means comprising a member having a rst portion at a level higher than the top wall and having a portion fixed to the top wall, said rst named portion defining a through passageway having an axis lying in a plane perpendicular to the taxis of the barrel, the passageway being of sufficient dimensions to have the hanger threaded therethrough.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein the member constitutes a strip having its ends fixed to the top wall, the center of the strip lbeing higher than the ends `and than the top wall to define said through passageway.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 2 wherein the closure is a one piece unit made of plastic, and a slot is formed in the top wall immediately below the passageway of the member, the slot having a width the same as that of the member, whereby the closure can be formed by a two piece mold.

4. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein the top wall is circular in plan, the member constitutes a strip centered on the top Wall of the cap, the strip being of uniform width and having its ends fixed to said top wall at diametrically spaced points thereon.

5. The combination as set forth in claim 2 wherein the strip is centrally arched, and the passageway is delined by the under surface of the strip and the surrounding area of the top surface of the top lwall, the passageway being dimensioned so that a hanger threaded through the passageway is frictionally engaged by said under surface and said top surface.

6. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein the tamper-proof means is destructable and includes as an element thereof a severalble zone in the closure which, when severed, enables the cap to be separated from the container.

7. The combination as set forth in claim 2 wherein the ends of the strip join the top wall at diametrically spaced points space-d inwardly from the periphery of the top wall.

8. The combination as set forth in claim 2 wherein the ends of the strip join the top wall at diametrically spaced points at the periphery of the top wall.

9. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein the secure aiiixing means includes a ring permanently attached to the container and plural spaced legs attaching the cap to the ring, the legs being severable.

10. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein the member constitutes an upright tab lying in a plane perpendicular to the top wall and having an aperture therein defining said passageway and wherein the side wall of the cap has a through slot therein, whereby an instrument can be inserted therethrough with its tip against an upper portion of the container to enable the cap to be pried upwardly and separated from the container.

11. The combination as set forth in claim 10 wherein the secure aixing means includes an annular ring fixed to the lower boundary of the side wall of the cap, said ring having plural interrupted lugs protruding radially inwardly, said lugs engaging an upper portion of the container, the ring with its lugs being 'disengageable from the container by prying force applied by the instrument, said force being greater than the force which can be applied by human hands alone.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,037,672 6/1962 Gach 222--182 3,088,635 5/1963 Steinkamp 222-182 3,125,259 3/1964 Young 222--182 X 3,128,004 4/1964 Soffer 222-182 X 3,162,339 12/1964 Lecluyse Z22-18() X 3,318,488 5/1967 Barnes 222-182 ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner.

H. S. LANE, Assistant Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R.

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