Container
The container includes a body portion, an upper end portion, and a cap portion. The body portion, the end portion and the cap portion may be molded as one piece. The cap portion may be attached to the body portion with a hinge. The body portion may have a side wall which allows the user to squeeze the side wall and dispense the product which is stored within the container. The container may include a valve. The valve may include an opening which allows the contents to be dispensed. The valve may be attached using a retention feature, a retaining ring, an adhesive and/or fusion. The retaining ring may engage the retention feature. After the valve is assembled to the container, the container is filled with a product and the lower end portion may be closed by using a heat seal.
1 . A container for dispensing a product comprising
an upper end portion,
a body portion, the body portion extends away from the upper end portion,
a cap portion, the cap portion is attached with a hinge to one of the body portion and the upper end portion,
and a valve.
2 . The container as in claim 1 wherein the body portion, the upper end portion and the cap portion are one piece.
3 . The container as in claim 1 wherein the upper end portion includes an opening, the valve is located over the opening.
4 . The container as in claim 1 wherein the container includes a retention feature to hold the valve.
5 . The container as in claim 4 wherein the retention feature is a protrusion.
6 . The container as in claim 1 wherein the container includes a lower end portion, the lower end portion is closed.
7 . The container as in claim 6 wherein the lower end portion is closed by a heat seal.
8 . The container as in claim 1 wherein the body portion includes a side wall, the container includes a lower end portion, the side wall has a first thickness near the upper end portion, the side wall has a second thickness near the lower end portion, the first thickness is greater than the second thickness.
9 . The container as in claim 1 wherein the tube portion includes a side wall, the container includes a lower end portion, the side wall has a thickness, the thickness of the side wall tapers near the upper end portion toward the lower end portion.
10 . The container as in claim 2 wherein the container includes a valve retaining ring, the retaining ring holds the valve onto the container.
11 . The container as in claim 10 wherein the retaining ring is separate from the valve.
12 . The container as in claim 10 wherein the valve is molded onto the retaining ring.
13 . The container as in claim 10 wherein the container includes a retention feature, the retention feature engages the retaining ring.
14 . The container as in claim 1 wherein the tube portion, the upper end portion, and the cap portion are made of polypropylene.
15 . A method of making a container for dispensing a product comprising:
providing a container including an upper end portion, a body portion, and a cap portion; the body portion extends away from the upper end portion; the cap portion is attached with a hinge to one of the body portion and the upper end portion;
inserting a valve into the container;
filling the container with the product; and
closing the lower end portion.
16 . The method of claim 15 wherein the closing the lower end portion is performed by heat sealing.
17 . The method of claim 15 wherein the body portion, upper end portion, and the cap portion are one piece.
18 . The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of inserting a valve retaining ring into the container.
19 . The method of claim 18 wherein the valve is molded onto the retaining ring.
20 . The method of claim 18 wherein the valve is molded separately from the retaining ring.