Container for refill

• US 8,555,936 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2009
• Issued: 10/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Societe des Produits Nestle SA (Nestle SA), Toppan Printing Co., Ltd. (TOPPAN Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nestec SA (Nestle SA), Toppan Printing Co., Ltd. (TOPPAN Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gotoh, Masashi, Terayama, Takashi, Sasaki, Noriyuki, Saitoh, Takeshi, Takeuchi, Daiji, Naitoh, Toyoaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Huson, Gregory
• Assistant Examiner(s): ARNETT, NICOLAS ALLEN
• Application Number:
  US12/989,313
• Publication Number:
  US 20110036868A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,635 Days
• Field of Search: 141/5, 141/83, 141329-330, 141/331, 141/332, 141/335
• US Class Current: 141/332
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2231/007 Funnels or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 3/26 Opening arrangements or devices incorporated in, or attached to, containers
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 51/20 Caps, lids, or covers co-operating with an inner closure arranged to be opened by piercing, cutting, or tearing B65D51/185 takes precedence; co-operating with an auxiliary container for additional articles or materials B65D51/28

Abstract

The invention aims at providing a container for refill that enables transfer of the contents with one action and successfully secure the self-supporting property of the container for allowing the safe transfer. The opening portion (2A) of body (2) of a cup-shaped container is provided internally with a hopper (3) tapering toward the opening portion (2A). Ribs (12) are integrally provided between the outside of the hopper (3) and the inside of a ring (3A) and arranged circumferentially at predetermined intervals. Height H from the top surface of the rib (12) to the opening (3C) of hopper (3) is approximately a quarter or more of diameter φ of the opening (3C) of hopper (3). A lid (4) tearable by pressing is attached to the opening portion (2A) so as to enable the instant coffee P to be directly supplied through the mouth (13A) of a refillable container (13) while being gathered to a central portion by the hopper (3) by inverting the container body (2) and pressing the lid (4) against the mouth (13A) of container (13) to tear the lid (4).

Claims

1. A refillable container comprising:

a container body having an opening portion;

a hopper assembly positioned integrally on the opening portion of the container body comprising a hopper tapering toward the container opening portion and the hopper assembly having ribs extending from an outer circumferential wall of the hopper assembly to the inner tapering wall of the hopper and arranged circumferentially at intervals, the height from an upper ends of the ribs to an upper edge of the hopper opening is at least a quarter of the diameter φ

of the hopper opening; and

a tearable sealing lid closing the container body opening portion.

2. The container according to claim 1, wherein the hopper is positioned integrally with a tubular member on the end of its tapered opening, the tubular member extending axially with the same internal diameter φ

as an end of the tapered opening.

3. The container according to claim 1, wherein the outer circumferential wall of the hopper assembly is a ring, the ring having an outer shape with a dimension that is the same as the inner diameter of the container opening portion, thereby enabling the hopper to be mounted by attaching the ring to the inner surface of the container opening portion.

4. The container according to claim 3, wherein the ring is attached on an edge of the hopper that is nearer to the interior of the container body.

5. The container according to claim 1, wherein the hopper assembly is made of a material selected from the group consisting of paper and resin material.

6. The container according to claim 1, wherein the hopper assembly has a thickness of 0.8 mm.

7. The container according to claim 1, wherein the hopper assembly comprises 3 to 8 ribs.

8. The container according to claim 1, wherein the ribs are formed integrally with the hopper and the outer circumferential wall.