US3581958A - Seal-isolating means for sealed containers - Google Patents

Abstract

A container having an opening to be closed and sealed by a closure member and sealing means and having means within the container for isolating the sealing means from the contents of the container. If the closure includes an aerosol-dispensing valve, it, too, is provided with means to isolate the valvesealing means from the contents of the container. If the container is of metal and has a bead around the opening, the isolation means reinforces the bead during the application of the closure to the container.

Description

United States Patent 56] References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS 1,000,155 2/1952 France Inventor Philip Meshberg l5 Stoneleigh Road, Fairfield, Conn. 06430 832,209

[2]] Appl. No. [22] Filed June 11, 1969 [45] Patented June 1, 1971 ABSTRACT: A container having an opening to be closed and aling means and having [54] SEAL-ISOLATING MEANS FOR SEALED sealed by a closure member and se CONTAINERS means within the container for isolating the sealing means from the contents of the container.

6 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

If the closure includes an [52] [1.8. 222/542, aerosol-dispensing valve, it, too, is provided with means to isolate the valve-sealing means from the contents of the container. If the container is of metal and has a head around the opening, the isolation means reinforces the bead durin application of the closure to the container.

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SEAL-ISOLATING MEANS FOR SEALEDLOINTAINERS Heretofore the contents of containers have been 66 taminated by coming in contact with the rubberlike sealing means for the closure of the container.

The present invention overcomes this difficulty by providing an isolation means of an inert material, such as of plastic material, disposed within the container to prevent the contents of the container from contacting the sealing means for the closure. This is accomplished in a glass bottle container, in which the neck dimensions are difficult to maintain during manufacture, by means of an isolation sleeve which seals against the valve housing, the inner neck portion of the bottle, and has a flange interposed between the closure and bottle to isolate the sealing means from the contents of the glass bottle container.

In a metal aerosol container with an inturned flange providing a bead forming the mouth of the container, the isolation element has meanssealing against the dispensing valve housing and a rim disposed in the bead to isolate the sealing means with the rim reinforcing the bead against crushing as the closure is secured in position.

In a metal container having a bead around the mouth and a closure therefor without a valve, the isolation means reinforces the bead and isolates the sealing means.

Further, where a dispensing valve is carried by the closure, the sealing means for the valve can have an isolation means to prevent the sealing means from contacting the contents of the container.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the specification and claims when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a glass container with a valve and isolation means.

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing a metal container.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a container, closure and isolation means.

The invention is illustrated as applied to a glass aerosol container as shown in FIG. 1. In this figure a container has a neck 11 terminating in an opening or mouth 12 which is closed by a mounting cup 13 for a dispensing valve 14 having a housing 15 of plastic material and can be a metered or nonmetered valve. The cup 13 is secured to the valve housing 15 by a crimp 13a and to the container by having its flange 16 extending under the outer lip 17 of the container and encloses a rubber or the like gasket or sealing washer 18 disposed between the end 10a of the container and the cup.

Inasmuch as it is difficult in the manufacture of glass bottles to maintain round and uniform dimensions in the end of the neck and the mouth, there has been a problem of preventing the contents of the container from engaging the rubber sealing gasket 18.

In accordance with the invention an isolating element of inert material with respect to the contents of the container in the form of a sleeve 19 of plastic material, such as high-density polyethylene, is provided. It has an inner end 20 which is preferably slightly tapered so as to tightly engage the outer surface of the housing 15. It has a wall portion 21 which is slightly tapered to engage the inner surface of the neck to seal therewith and to compensate for variations in the internal diameter of the neck and has at its outer end an inclined flange 22 which-is inclined as shown in FIG. 1 and positioned to engage the cup 13 and the end 10a of the container to effectively seal off the space therebetween and isolate the sealing gasket from the contents of the container when the cup is secured in position. 1

Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the edge of the flange 22 will engage the gasket to confine it and prevent it from spreading laterally under the pressure of the cup as it is secured in position to enhance the sealing of the gasket 18.

To complete the isolation, a disc 24 of plastic material is disposed in the mouth 25 of housing 15 to underlie the usual rubber sealing washer 26 which seals the plastic stem 27 of the valve 14. A shoulder 28 on the stem is normally urged against the disc 24 by a spring 29 when the stem is in nondispensing position.

In the form of the invention shown in FIG. 2, a metal container has a neck 111 terminating in an internal flange 111a forming a head 1 1 1b surrounding an opening or a mouth 112 which is closed by a mounting cup 113 for a dispensing valve 14 having a plastic housing 15 The cup is secured to the housing by a crimp 113a and has a central depression 113b to engage the flange 111a and has the flange 116 extending around the bead and under the lip 117 of the container formed by the bead 1 1 1b. The cup has the sealing gasket I18 disposed between the cup and end of the bead.

An isolation element 119 of plastic material has an inwardly projecting sleeve 120, which is preferably slightly tapered, sealingly engaging the surface of the housing 15 and depends from a disc portion 121 having a sealing portion or rim 122 disposed in and sealingly filling the bead lllb as shown in FIG. 2. This rim also functions to prevent the collapsing of the bead when the flange 116 is crimped thereto. With this construction it will be seen that the gasket 118 is completely isolated from the contents of the container. The dispensing valve is similar to the one shown in FIG. I and has the isolation disc 24 for preventing contact of the rubber sealing washer by the contents of the dispenser as explained above.

If the container of FIG. 2 has a closure 213, as is shown in FIG. 3, such as a crown cap applied to the mouth, the isolation member 219 having a thickened rim 220 is disposed in the bead and prevents the bead from crushing during the crimping of the flange 216 around the bead. The crown cap has a sealing layer 226 of rubber and an isolation disc 224 which rests on the shoulders 225 of the rim 220 and completely isolates the contents of the container from the seal 226.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of the invention and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Iclaim:

11. In a container having a neck terminating in an open mouth and a closure therefor having a cup and a dispensing valve having a housing for closing the open mouth, said closure having sealing means disposed between the closure and the mouth of the container, the combination of an isolation member disposed within the mouth of the container and having portions interposed between the seal and the interior of the container to isolate the contents of the container from contact with the sealing means, said isolation member comprising a sleeve having a portion sealingly engaging the housing, a portion sealingly engaging the neck and a portion disposed between the cup and the mouth of the container to isolate said sealing means from the interior of the container.

2. In a container having a neck terminating in an inwardly directed flange providing a bead forming an open mouth and a closure therefor having a cup and a dispensing valve having a housing for closing the open mouth, said closure having sealing means disposed between the closure and the mouth of the container, the combination of an isolation member disposed within the mouth of the container and having portions interposed between the seal and the interior of the container to isolate the contents of the container from contact with the sealing means, said isolation member comprising a disc having an aperture therein and a sleeve depending from said disc adjacent said aperture in the disc and sealingly engaging the housing and a rim on the disc disposed in the head to isolate said sealing means from the interior of the container.

3. The invention as defined in claim 2, wherein the closure is secured to the bead and wherein the rim substantially fills the bead and prevents deformation thereof when the closure is secured thereto.

4. In a container having a neck terminating in an inwardly directed flange providing a bead forming an open mouth and a closure therefor for closing the open mouth, said closure having sealing means disposed between the closure and the mouth of the container, the combination of an isolation member disposed within the mouth of the container and having portions interposed between the seal and the interior of the container to isolate the contents of the container from contact with the sealing means, said isolation means comprising a disc having an aperture therein and a rim disposed in the bead and having a shoulder around the aperture in the disc supporting a second isolation member closing said aperture, the isolation members preventing contact of the contents of the container from the sealing means.

5. The invention as defined in claim 4, wherein the closure is secured to the bead and wherein the rim substantially fills the bead and prevents deformation thereof when the closure is secured thereto.

6. In a container for pressurized material having a neck terminating in an open mouth and a closure member therefor including a dispensing valve for dispensing the pressurized contents of the container therefrom, said dispensing valve having a housing, a stem, and a sealing gasket sealingly engaging the stem for closing the open mouth, said closure having sealing means disposed between the closure and the mouth of the container, the combination of an isolation member disposed within the mouth of the container and having portions interposed between the seal and the interior of the container to isolate the contents of the container from contact with the sealing means, and a second isolation member comprising a plastic disc extending under the gasket and isolating the gasket from the contents of the container.

Claims (6)

1. In a container having a neck terminating in an open mouth and a closure therefor having a cup and a dispensing valve having a housing for closing the open mouth, said closure having sealing means disposed between the closure and the mouth of the container, the combination of an isolation member disposed within the mouth of the container and having portions interposed between the seal and the interior of the container to isolate the contents of the container from contact with the sealing means, said isolation member comprising a sleeve having a portion sealingly engaging the housing, a portion sealingly engaging the neck and a portion disposed between the cup and the mouth of the container to isolate said sealing means from the interior of the container.

2. In a container having a neck terminating in an inwardly directed flange providing a bead forming an open mouth and a closure therefor having a cup and a dispensing valve having a housing for closing the open mouth, said closure having sealing means disposed between the closure and the mouth of the container, the combination of an isolation member disposed within the mouth of the container and having portions interposed between the seal and the interior of the container to isolate the contents of the container from contact with the sealing means, said isolation member comprising a disc having an aperture therein and a sleeve depending from said disc adjacent said aperture in the disc and sealingly engaging the housing and a rim on the disc disposed in the bead to isolate said sealing means from the interior of the container.

3. The invention as defined in claim 2, wherein the closure is secured to the bead and wherein the rim substantially fills the bead and prevents deformation thereof when the closure is secured thereto.

4. In a container having a neck terminating in an inwardly directed flange providing a bead forming an open mouth and a closure therefor for closing the open mouth, said closure having sealing means disposed between the closure and the mouth of the container, the combination of an isolation member disposed within the mouth of the container and having portions interposed between the seal and the interior of the container to isolate the contents of the container from contact with the sealing means, said isolation means comprising a disc having an aperture therein and a rim disposed in the bead and having a shoulder around the aperture in the disc supporting a second isolation member closing said aperture, the isolation members preventing contact of the contents of the container from the sealing means.

5. The invention as defined in claim 4, wherein the closure is secured to the bead and wherein the rim substantially fills the bead and prevents deformation thereof when the closure is secured thereto.

6. In a container for pressurized material having a neck terminating in an open mouth and a closure member therefor including a dispensing valve for dispensing the pressurized contents of the container therefrom, said dispensing valve having a housing, a stem, and a sealing gasket sealingly engaging the stem for closing the open mouth, said closure having sealing means disposed between the closure and the mouth of the container, the combination of an isolation member disposed within the mouth of the container and having portions interposed between the seal and the interior of the container to isolate the contents of the container from contact with the sealing means, and a second isolation member comprising a plastic disc extending under the gasket and isolating the gasket from the contents of the container.

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