US2218092A - Container - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 15, 1940. F. w. NlTARDY CONTAINER Filed Oct.' 5, 1939 42% INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 15, 1940 PAT ENT OFFICE.

CONTAINER Frcdinand W. Nitardy, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to E. R. Squibb & Sons, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application October 6, 1939, Serial No. 298,195

3 Claims.

This invention relates to multicameral contalners of the collapsible-tube type.

Numerous containers have heretofore been devised for the unitary packaging of mutually-re- 5 active or other different products out of contact with each other, and for the dispensing thereof i2. intermixed condition. The most common type comprises a collapsible tube Within and spaced from another collapsible tube and forming there- H) with a bicameral container, the chambers having a common outlet, or proximate outlets, closed by a single cap. These prior containers, however,

have been characterized by their inability to maintain the several products separate at the outlets, once the cap has been removed and part of the contents dispensed, because the common or proximate outlets then permit mutual contact and reaction between the different products-a difliculty that does not arise with multicameral m containers for single-dose dispensing, the entire contents of the tube being discharged in a single application-wherefore multioameral containers of the collapsible-tube type have not heretofore been extensively used for multiple-dose dispens- 25 ing.

It is the object of this invention to provide an improved multicameral container of the collapsible-tube type especially adapted for multipledose dispensing.

.m Essentially, the container of this invention comprises a collapsible tube having an open neck, another open-necked collapsible tube within and spaced from the first tube, to provide a (preferably annular) chamber between the tubes and a (preferably annular) outlet therefor between the necks, the neck of the inner tube extending substantially beyond the neck of the outer tube, and a cap adapted simultaneously and separately to seal the inter-tube (annular) outlet and the opening of the inner-tube neck. Preferably, the cap interior is shaped to receive snugly the neck extension, thus further minimizing contact between the different products in the package; and preferably also the cap is provided with sealing gaskets spaced apart in planes corresponding to those of the annular outlet and the opening of the inner-tube neck.

The operation and advantages of the improved container of this invention will be apparent from 50 the following detailed description of an embodiment thereof, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a package utilizing the improved container of this invention;

55 Fig. 2 is a plan view of the container shown in Fig. 1, enlarged and with the cap removed for clearer presentation; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary axial section (on line 3-3 of Fig. 2) with the cap in sealing position.

Referring to Fig. 3, indicates a collapsible 5 soft-metal tube of a conventional shape, having a shoulder 6 and an externally-threaded relatively wide-mouthed open neck I. A smaller collapsible soft-metal tube 8 is situated concentrically within tube 5, its shoulder 9 and open neck It) 10 being spaced from the corresponding parts. of the outer tube. Neck I0 is elongated, and preferably tapered, extending substantially (e. g., A; to inch) beyond the neck of the outer tube.

The spacing of the tubes provides an annular chamber ll, having an annular outlet between neck 1 and neck l0; and the inner chamber 2| has its outlet at the tip of elongated open neck Ill. The tubes may be maintained in this relative position by any conventional means, preferably by means of a number of lugs l2, l3, and M (Fig.

2) integral with the inner tube. As shown in Fig. 3, lug l2 (with which lugs l3 and H are identical) is so shaped as to seat on the inside of shoulder 6 and neck I of the outer tube, thus stabilizing the spacing of the tubes.

The bicameral container thus formed is provided with a cap l5 (Fig. 3), Preferably molded of a synthetic plastic, which simultaneously and separately seals the outlets of the respective 3o chambers. An axial cross sectionof the interior 7 of the cap corresponds generally to the axial cross section presented by the outer-tube neck and inner-tube neck extension; thus, cavity It has an internal threading corresponding with the 5 threading on neck! (the cap being screwed on in the usual manner), and the smaller-diameter cavity extending from cavity I6 is shaped to receive (preferably snugly) the extension of the inner-tube neck. A resilient annular gasket ll 40 iscarried (e. g., fnctionally held) at the base of cavity 16, andanother resilient gasket l8 at the base of the narrow cavity. By virtue of this arrangement, the gaskets separately and simultaneously seal the outlets of the respective chambers when the screw cap is applied; and the snug fit of the smaller cavity of the cap on the innertube neck extension assists in preventing contact between the products in the respective chambers.

The container of this invention is assembled and filled in the conventional manner; i. e., the tubes are assembled, capped, held (inverted) in the usual filling position, the chambers filled with the desired products through the open ends, and

the tubes ends sealed in the usual manner (separately or together, by interioldlng and crimping, welding, or the like). I! desired, a plug of an expressible solid material, such as petrolatum, may be placed in the bore of either or bothtubes between the product and the outlet, as described and claimed in my copending application 'Serial No. 235,968, filed October 20, 1938.

To dispense the container contents, the cap is unscrewed, and the desired quantity extruded by pressure on the outer tube, theseveral hithertoseparated products being intermixed at the opening of the inner-tube neck; or the screw cap may be replaced with a vaginal applicator of conventional design (attached, for-example, by means of the threading on neck I),- and the products are expressed into the applicator and dispensed from it in intermixed condition. The'cap is then restored-preferably aiter wiping or otherwise cleaning the inner-tube neck extension-and the products are thus maintained out of contact with each other until the next dose is required.

The invention may be variously otherwise embodied within the scope of the appended claims.

Lclaim: V

1. A multicameral container of the collapsibletube type adapted for multiple-dose dispensing, comprising a collapsible tube having an open neck, another open-necked collapsible tube within and, spaced from the first tube to provide an annular chamber between the tubes and an annular outlet therefor between the necks, the neck of the inner tube extending substantially beyond the neck of the outer tube, and a cap adapted simultaneously and separately to seal the annular outlet and the opening of the inner-tube neck, the cap interior being shaped to receive snugly the neck extension.

2. A multicameral container of the collapsibletube type adapted for multiple-dose dispensing, comprising a collapsible tube having open neck, another open-necked collapsible tube within and spaced from the first tube to provide an annular chamber between the tubes and an annular outlet therefor between the necks, the neck of the inner tube extending substantially beyond the neck of the outer tube, and a cap provided with sealing gaskets spaced apart in planes corresponding to those of the annular outlet and the opening of the inner-tube neck.

3. A multicameral container of the collapsibletube type adapted for multiple-dose dispensing. comprising a collapsible tube having an open neck, another open-necked collapsible tube within and spaced from the first tube to provide an annular chamber between the tubes and an annular outlet therefor between the necks, the neck .of the inner tube extending substantially berior being shaped to receive snugly the neck ex- 30 tension.

W. NITARDY.

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