Preforms for flair applications
A preform can be made from two different materials that do not bond together by a bi-injection process, using the same mold. First an outer preform can be fashioned first, then an inner preform molded through a center hole in the outer preform, and the preforms connected. Inner/outer preform materials can be different, e.g., PET/polyolefin or polyamide, or the same, e.g., PET/PET. To prevent mutual bonding during molding of the second, a non-stick coating can be sprayed on a surface portion of the first preform prior to molding, the second. Manufacturing order can be either outer/inner, or inner/outer, and the non-stick coating sprayed on the inside/outside of the perform first molded.
1 . A pre-form for a liquid dispensing device, comprising:
an inner layer; and
an outer layer,
the inner layer is connected to the outer layer at both a top portion of the pre-form a bottom portion of the pre-form; and
the inner layer comprises a neck, the neck provided with four lugs on an outer surface of the neck, the four lugs equidistantly spaced around the outer surface of the neck, and configured to mate with corresponding hooks of a cover,
wherein two of the four lugs, provided opposite each other on the outer surface of the neck (“lead-in lugs”), are each further provided with a rotational lead-in guidance structure adjacent or attached to an upper portion of the lug, configured to guide a corresponding hook downwards towards the lug when the cover is rotated towards the lug,
wherein, two others of the four lugs (“plain lugs”) do not have the rotational lead-in structures, the plain lugs each comprising a single vertical protrusion from the neck connected to a single horizontal protrusion from the neck, and
wherein the two lead-in lugs each further include first and second vertical protrusions from the neck, each having the same height, connected to opposite ends of a single horizontal protrusion from the neck, the rotational lead-in guidance structure attached or adjacent to a first of the vertical protrusions, the first vertical protrusion being a vertical back-off prevention rib, configured to require a minimum rotational force needed to remove a hook from within the lug.
2 . The pre-form of claim 1 , wherein the neck has a top region, having a height of at least 4 mm, where no lugs or portions of lugs are provided.
3 . The pre-form of claim 1 , wherein at least one of:
the rotational lead-in guidance structure comprises an upward sloping protrusion adjacent or attached to the upper portion of the lug; or
the two lead-in lugs further include rotational lead-out guidance structures.
4 . The pre-form of claim 1 , wherein the first vertical protrusion protrudes radially outward from the outer surface of the neck a greater distance than either the second vertical protrusion, or the single horizontal protrusion.
5 . The pre-form of claim 1 , wherein at least one of:
the four lugs each include vertical end ribs, configured to prevent the cover from being excessively rotated when affixed; and
the four lugs each include a horizontal portion, with sloped snap-on lead-in structures provided adjacent to the horizontal portion of the lug.
6 . The pre-form of claim 1 , wherein the outer surface of the neck includes a top region, of pre-defined height, where no lugs or portions of lugs are provided, and wherein the pre-defined height is sufficient to insure that no deformation of the neck is created at this top region when the hooks are secured in the lugs.
7 . The pre-form of claim 1 , wherein at least one of:
the inner layer and the outer layer are formed of the same material;
both the inner and the outer layer are made of PET;
the inner layer is made of PET and the outer layer is made of a polyolefin; or
the inner layer is made of a polyolefin and the outer layer is made of PET.
8 . The pre-form of claim 1 , wherein the inner layer and the outer layer are made by bi-injection molding,
wherein the two layers are either of the same material, or of different materials that have molding temperatures that are close enough such that the two layers would at least partially bond during molding, and
wherein a non-stick coating is applied to at least a portion of a first of the layers to be molded prior to molding the other layer.
9 . The pre-form of claim 8 , wherein at least one of:
the outer layer is molded first and wherein the non-stick coating is applied to the inside of the outer layer;
the non-stick coating is only applied to a lower portion of the first layer to be molded;
the inner layer is made from one of a polyolefin and a polyamide;
the inner layer is arranged to shrink relative to the outer layer;
the inner layer is molded first, a hole is left in the bottom of the inner layer, and the outer layer is overmolded onto the inner layer; or
the inner layer is molded first, a hole is left in the bottom of the inner layer, the outer layer is overmolded onto the inner layer, and the hole in the bottom of the inner layer is filled by a vertical protrusion from the inside bottom of the outer layer, joining the two layers.
10 . A liquid dispensing device, manufactured from the pre-form of claim 1 .
11 . The liquid dispensing device of claim 10 , further comprising a cover, the cover comprising four hooks that are respectively configured to mate with the four lugs provided on the neck of the pre-form.
12 . The liquid dispensing device of claim 11 , wherein the four lugs of the pre-form are configured so that the cover may be attached to the bottle either via rotation or by snapping-on.
13 . The liquid dispensing device of claim 11 , wherein at least one of:
the four hooks of the cover are identical;
two of the four lugs include back-off prevention ribs, configured to prevent removal of the cover; and
the four lugs include end ribs, configured to prevent the cover from being excessively turned when affixed.
14 . The liquid dispensing device of claim 11 , wherein each of the four lugs has a center;
wherein the respective centers of the four lugs are equidistantly spaced around the outer surface of the neck;
wherein each of the four hooks has a center;
wherein the centers of the four hooks are equidistantly spaced around the inner surface of the cover; and
wherein the angle between the centers of any two lugs is equal to the angle between the centers of any two hooks.
15 . The liquid dispensing device of claim 12 , wherein configured so that the cover may be attached to the bottle by snapping-on includes having an outward sloping outer surface on an upper horizontal portion of each lug.