Flexible bottle making it possible to effect spraying or drop by drop dispensing of a liquid contained therein

• US 4,809,914 A
• Filed: 11/17/1987
• Issued: 03/07/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: L'Oreal SA
• Original Assignee: L'Oreal SA
• Inventors: Goncalves, Antonin
• Primary Examiner(s): Kashnikow, Andres
• Assistant Examiner(s): Weldon, Kevin P.
• Application Number:
  US07/122,513
• Time in Patent Office: 476 Days
• Field of Search: 222/331, 222/330, 222/200, 222/211, 222/215, 222/420, 222/421, 222/478, 222/561, 222/212, 239/436, 239/437, 239/443, 239/444, 239/327
• US Class Current: 239/327
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/1663 by relative translatory movement of the valve elements B05B1/1672 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/0059 allowing operation in any orientation, e.g. for discharge in inverted position
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/0086 Arrangements for allowing spraying and pouring
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/047 characterised by the outlet or venting means B05B11/041 and B05B11/042 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 47/18 for discharging drops; Droppers droppers in general B01L3/00; pipettes connected to container closures B01L3/0282

Abstract

The bottle comprises in its upper portion a spraying orifice (6) and a drop by drop dispensing orifice (7) with a larger cross section, provision being made for shutters for selecting one of the orifices. The bottle has a flattened shape and has two flat narrow facing sides (2, 3); the spraying orifice (6) and the dispensing orifice (7) are provided respectively towards the top of each narrow side. The selection devices comprise, for each orifice, a push shutter (18, 19) movable in translation along the direction of the large dimension of the corresponding side between one position wherein the associated orifice is closed and another position wherein the orifice is open.

Claims

1. A flexible bottle for effecting either a spraying operation or drop by drop dispensing of a liquid contained therein, said bottle comprising an upper portion having a spraying orifice associated with means for the take up of the liquid in the bottle, and drop by drop dispensing orifice having a larger cross-section than the spraying orifice, means for selecting one of the orifices, said bottle having a flattened shape and having two flat narrow facing sides, one of said sides having said drop by drop dispensing orifice and the other of said sides having said spraying orifice, each said orifice having associated therewith a push shutter, each push shutter being movable in translation along a direction parallel to the large dimension of the corresponding facing side between one position wherein the associated orifice is closed and another position wherein said respective orifice is open,

said upper portion of said bottle comprising a cap having said facing sides and said selection means, said bottle having a neck receiving said cap, said bottle having a selected width and said neck being of a reduced width relative to said width of said bottle, said neck having two flat narrow facing sides extending substantially parallel to said flat narrow facing sides of said bottle and said cap having two flat narrow facing sides on opposite ends thereof extending in abutting relationship with said two flat narrow facing sides of said neck but being recessed from the plane in which said two flat narrow facing sides of said bottle extend, said shutters each lying substantially in said plane of said respective two flat narrow facing sides of said bottle, said cap being made of a material that is relatively more rigid than the material of said bottle, said bottle having a transverse wall surrounding said neck with said juncture of said transverse wall and the bottle defining a convex portion surrounding said transverse wall, said transverse wall serving as a stop for each of said push shutters when each said shutter is moved from said another position to said one position, said bottle having two side walls of larger dimension than said two narrow flat facing sides and extending therebetween, said two flat narrow facing sides being located at a position to minimize transmission of deformations thereto when said side walls of larger dimension are compressed.

2. A bottle according to claim 1, characterised in that each orifice (6, 7) is provided in a nozzle (14, 15) which comprises a flange (14a, 15a) projecting towards the outside, capable of bearing in a leakproof manner against the side opposite of the push shutter, this push shutter comprising an opening (21, 22) with a larger diameter than that of the corresponding orifice (6, 7), this opening being capable of coming to be opposite the orifice when the push shutter is in the open position.

3. A bottle according to the claim 1, characterised in that the cap comprises a recess (16, 17) associated with each orifice (6, 7) intended to accommodate the corresponding nozzle.

4. A bottle according to claim 3, characterised in that the push shutters (18, 19) are guided in the grooves (g) provided in the cap.

5. A bottle according to claim 1 characterised in that the push plates (18, 19) have a flat external surface essentially situated in the plane of the associated side (2, 3) of the bottle, the said external surface of the push shutters comprising projecting rib sections (20) for facilitating the action on the push shutters

6. A bottle according to claim 1 , characterised in that the cap (8) comprises a return (24) forming an appendage towards the bottom of the bottle, associated with the spraying orifice (6), this return being intended to carry a plunger tube (26).

7. A bottle according to claim 1, characterised in that the sidewalls of larger dimension are slightly convex towards the outside.