Hand held fluent dispensing containers

Abstract

The present invention is directed toward molded plastic re-sealable closures ( 1, 31 ) for use with a fluent dispensing container ( 2 ). The closures ( 1, 31 ) each have a rupturing member ( 12 ) and a cover ( 19 ) on whose initial opening causes the rupturing member to tear a tearable sealing to form a generally rectangular fluent exit aperture ( 4 ), and secures the torn away material remote from the fluent exit aperture to prevent it from blocking same during subsequent re-openings and re-sealings. The present invention is also directed to screw cap assemblies ( 41, 61 ) similar to the closures ( 1,31 ) but each having an axially displaceable puncturing member and a cap on whose initial unscrewing causes the puncturing member to puncture a tearable sealing to form a generally circular fluent exit aperture. The present invention is further directed to toggle cap assemblies ( 71, 81 ) for use with a hand squeezable plastic bottle, the toggle cap assemblies each including a latchable arrangement disposable from a sealing position for preventing the dispensing of a bottle's contents to a flow communication position for enabling the dispensing of a bottle's contents on squeezing the bottle, and vice versa on applying a force against an exposed surface of the latchable arrangement in the direction of the bottle's interior. The present invention is still further directed to a collapsible plastic bottle ( 91 ), and a dual container dispenser ( 101 ).

1 . A molded plastic re-sealable closure for initially forming a generally rectangular fluid exit aperture in a tearable sealing provided in a container, and thereafter capable of being selectively and repeatedly re-opened and re-sealed for respectively enabling and preventing the dispensing of the container's contents via the fluid exit aperture, the closure comprising: 
 (a) a frame member for sealingly adhesion to the container, and having an aperture for exposing the tearable sealing, said frame member having a trailing end, and a leading end for dispensing the container's contents;    (b) a cover pivotably hinged to said frame member towards said trailing end, and selectively and repeatedly disposable between a generally horizontal sealing position for initially and repeatedly sealing said aperture, and a generally upright open position for enabling the container's contents to be dispensed via the fluent exit aperture; and    (c) a substantially flat tearing member initially overlying the tearable sealing and pivotably attached to said cover also toward said trailing end on whose initial opening from its sealing position to its open position, a leading edge of said tearing member initially tears a fluent exit aperture in the tearable sealing adjacent said leading end and thereafter urges the tearable sealing away from the fluent exit aperture.    
   
   
       2 . The closure according to  claim 1  wherein said frame member has a pair of opposite rails for guiding the rearward displacement of said tearing member during said initial opening.  
   
   
       3 . The closure according to  claim 1  wherein said tearing member includes lug members adapted to snap fit into recesses formed in said cover towards said trailing end on the initial sealing of said cover on said frame member during the assembly of the closure.  
   
   
       4 . The closure according to  claim 1  wherein said tearing member is hingedly connected to said cover towards said trailing end.  
   
   
       5 . The closure according to  claim 1  wherein, on said cover being initially disposed into its upright open position, said tearing member lockingly interengages with an arresting member, thereby preventing the forward displacement of said tearing member during subsequent re-openings of said cover.  
   
   
       6 . The closure according to said  claim 5  wherein said tearing member includes an arresting projection for lockingly interengaging with an arresting recess formed in the cover's underside.  
   
   
       7 . The closure according to said  claim 5  wherein said tearing member is urged past an arresting protrusion protruding laterally inwards from said frame member.  
   
   
       8 . A fluent dispensing container fitted with a closure according to  claim 1 .  
   
   
       9 . A screw cap assembly for initially forming a fluent exit aperture in a tearable sealing provided in a container, and thereafter capable of being selectively and repeatedly re-opened and re-sealed for respectively enabling and preventing dispensing of the container's contents via the fluid exit aperture, the screw cap assembly comprising a base for sealingly adhesion to the container, said base having an upright sleeve with an external screw thread on which a cap is initially and re-sealingly screw threadable thereon, said sleeve having a tubular puncturing member slidingly disposable therein with a puncturing tip initially overlying the tearable sealing, said puncturing member being urgable inwards towards the container's interior on an initial unscrewing of said cap from said base whereupon said puncturing tip punctures the tearable sealing for forming the fluent exit aperture.  
   
   
       10 . The assembly according to  claim 9  wherein said sleeve has a longitudinal axis and said puncturing tip lies substantially c-axial therewith.  
   
   
       11 . The assembly according to  claim 9  wherein said puncturing member has one or more outwardly radially protruding flange urged sufficiently inwards beyond the rim of the fluent exit aperture on said cap's initial unscrewing for preventing outward displacement of said puncturing member pursuant to the formation of the fluent exit aperture.  
   
   
       12 . The assembly according to  claim 9  wherein said puncturing member has a multitude of cutting blades radiating from said puncturing tip for cutting the container's exterior's surface on said cap's initial unscrewing.  
   
   
       13 . The assembly according to  claim 9  wherein said cap has a downwardly spiraling abutment surface for urging said puncturing member inwards towards the container's interior for forming the fluent exit aperture on said cap's initial unscrewing.  
   
   
       14 . The assembly according to  claim 9  wherein said cap and said puncturing member have a reverse screw arrangement for urging said puncturing member inwards towards the container's interior for forming the fluent exit aperture on said initial unscrewing.  
   
   
       15 . A fluent dispensing container fitted with a screw cap assembly according to  claim 9 .  
   
   
       16 . For use with a hand squeezable plastic bottle, a toggle cap assembly for selectively and repeatedly enabling and preventing dispensing of the bottle's contents, the toggle cap assembly comprising: 
 (a) a spout fixedly mounted with respect to the bottle;    (b) a tubular dispensing member sealingly disposed within said spout, and having an open end in continuous flow communication with the bottle's interior on mounting the toggle cap assembly thereon, and a sealed end with at least one radially directed fluent exit aperture disposed theretoward, said dispensing member being reciprocable between a retracted position and a protruding position with respect to said spout's rim correspondingly preventing and enabling dispensing of the bottle's contents via said at least one fluent exit aperture; and    (c) an annular flow control diaphragm sealingly extending between said open end and the bottle's interior surface, said flow control diaphragm being selectively and repeatedly latchable between a sealing position and a flow communication position correspondingly urging said dispensing member between said retracted position and said protruding position, said flow control diaphragm being disposable from said sealing position to said flow communication position by increasing the prevailing fluid pressure in the bottle by squeezing same, and vice versa on applying a force against said sealed end in the direction of the bottle's interior.    
   
   
       17 . The assembly according to  claim 16  wherein a cap screw threadable on a bottle tapers to said spout.  
   
   
       18 . The assembly according to  claim 16  wherein said spout is a discrete component sealingly secured in an annular recess formed in a cap screw threadable on the bottle, and integrally formed with said flow control diaphragm and said dispensing member.  
   
   
       19 . A hand squeezable plastic bottle fitted with a toggle cap assembly according to  claim 16 .  
   
   
       20 . A collapsible plastic bottle comprising at least one axially collapsible portion each capable of assuming only two possible states: a fully axially extended state or a fully axially compacted state.  
   
   
       21 . The bottle according to  claim 20  wherein a collapsible portion has a multitude of spiral ribs axially extending between a pair of non-collapsible portions, each rib having a leading surface facing the bottle's opening and a trailing surface facing away therefrom, 
 one of its leading surface and its trailing surface being wider than the other.    
   
   
       22 . A dual container dispenser having a substantially ellipsoidal-like shape with a longitudinal axis and a pair of opposite flat end surfaces on each of which it can freely stand upright, the dispenser having two separable, side-by-side interlockable, hand squeezable plastic containers each having a selectively and repeatedly re-sealable closure associated therewith for enabling the dispensing of its contents upon being squeezed, each end surface of said pair of end surfaces having one of said pair of re-sealable closures.  
   
   
       23 . The dispenser according to  claim 22  wherein each container of said pair of containers extends along the full length of the dispenser whereby said pair of closures are diagonally disposed with respect to said longitudinal axis.  
   
   
       24 . The dispenser according to  claim 23  wherein each container has a bottom surface on which it can be freely stood upright.