1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to leak proof plastic containers or bottles, which are used to dispense healthcare lotions and creams. In particular, containers or bottles, which are capable of being separated into two individual sections.
2. Brief Discussion of the Related Art
Plastic containers come in many shapes, sizes, and colors. Containers of this type are usually made of such plastics as PET (Polyethylene Terphthalate), PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride), or HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) and manufactured using blow or injection molding techniques. Lotions, creams, and body soap dispenser containers are generally molded with a neck at the top of a container, which receives a finger actuated pump assembly, to dispense liquid contents. Most lotion containers have a single unit for storing liquids and are disposable once pump assembly is no longer capable of dispensing its contents.
One problem with the existing containers is that they allow a portion of the liquids to remain in the containers after their primary means of dispensing is exhausted, therefore, a large amount of the product is eventually thrown away. Manufacturers have designed other containers, (i.e. squeeze tubes and inverted tubes) in an effort to make consumers think that these products allow them to use all the liquids within its container. However, in most cases, liquids remain within these containers regardless of consumer efforts at retrieving them.
The present container has an upper section and a lower section (base) assembled together by means of a tamper evident closure assembly which, as assembled, constitute the sectional container. Upon separation into its individual sections, said container provides consumers access to the remaining liquids. Additionally, attached to the bottom of lower section (base) is a lid cover that is used to protect those liquids that remain in the lower section (base). Said lid cover is initially attached to the base by compression fitting said tamper evident closure lid onto beads molded onto the periphery of the lower section (base).
The separation of the upper section is made possible by removing the frangible band that locks it onto the lower section (base). Similar, prior tamper evident closure caps have performed the basic function of providing only secure capping of container contents. The present container provides a sectional container that provides access to the container liquids that in most cases would be lost to individual consumers; especially with those containers having more heavier bodied liquids. The present container provides for an additional feature, a lid cover for said base container. Said cover is attached underneath the base containers bottom by a compression fitted (push on) assembly operation.
Previously, tamper evident closures as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,553,727 which issued to Consumer Cap Corporation, as well as many others provide for simple secure capping of a container at its opening. Thus these closure designs provide only secure tamper evident closure and the ability for temporary re-capping of the opening. The present container provides tamper evident closure and expands the realm of its design usage, by expanding the vessel to which it is applied. The present container takes the tamper evident closure feature and creates a new type of application, a connector for components, thus giving the realized container additional usage. The additional usage includes, not only the accessing of liquids, that would have otherwise been lost, but now the consumer has gained the use of a base and lid cover. A base and cover that can be re-filled (as consumers re-purchase new product) with additional liquids, which can be used in other rooms or for travel purposes. The resulting base and lid cover can be compared to the individual cream and lotion jars currently in the marketplace. While the presently preferred embodiment of the container or bottle is made with the use of plastics, other suitable materials maybe used. Such materials include, but are not limited to rubber, waterproof fabrics, collapsible metals, etc.
There are groups of tamper evident closure assemblies of various designs that rely on different interlocking designs. They include threads, teeth and/or serrations in order to achieve closure assembly. Said closure designs, having these extending threads, with respect to cylindrical containers are adaptable and can be used with present container. Said present tamper evident closure band, in its new design can be used with cylindrical containers as well as other non-cylindrical containers to provide an alternate application in container design. Other closures; such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,553,727 to the Consumer Cap Corporation and many others illustrate possible thread designs. Thus by incorporation of such thread designs within the design and scope of present containers supplements its utility. Hence, the present container design provides for a liquid tight seal for a sectional container, created by accurate sealing surfaces of its molding process and design, and thus expands its usage beyond simple round one cavity containers e unlimited container shapes and sizes.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds