Adapter
An adapter which is readily applied to connect a dispensing container to a refill container. The adapter and one or more of the containers are structured so that the adapter can be readily and securely snapped onto the container and then easily rotated off without application of undue force by a consumer. The adapter features a snap on pipe having one or more retaining recesses and guidance recesses.
1. An adapter ( 14 ) comprising first and second adapter openings having first and second fastener protuberances, liquid being free to travel between the first and second adapter openings, travel between the first and second adapter openings optionally being through a passageway ( 50 ) therebetween, the second adapter opening ( 40 ) being opposed to the first adapter opening and defined by a wall ( 42 ) forming a second adapter chamber ( 44 ) having the second adapter opening, the second adapter wall having the second fastener protuberance ( 20 ) for fastening the second adapter wall ( 42 ) to a second container, which may be the same or different size as a first container, characterized in
a) a cylindrical snap-on pipe ( 32 ) opening defining a first adapter chamber and the first adapter opening,
the cylindrical snap-on pipe ( 32 ) having the first fastener protuberance ( 54 ) for fastening the first adapter opening to the first container ( 10 ), and
b) the cylindrical snap-on pipe ( 32 ) having a first proximal end and an opposed, distal second end;
c) the cylindrical snap-on pipe ( 32 ) including at least one retaining recess ( 60 ) at the second end;
d) the cylindrical snap-on pipe defining opposing first and second walls ( 64 , 46 ) of the retaining recess ( 60 );
e) the second end of the cylindrical snap-on pipe ( 32 ) being shaped to include a guidance recess ( 80 ) with a first guidance recess wall ( 72 ) consistent with lowering the cylindrical snap-on pipe fastener protuberance relative to a container when the container is oriented so that the adapter is on top of the container and the adapter is rotated in the opening direction, and the guidance recess includes a second guidance recess wall, which wall includes a downward gradient when the container is oriented so that the adapter is on top of the container,
the adapter being configured such that when the adapter is atop the container in a closed position, a lug ( 70 ) on a container can be wholly or partly accommodated within the retaining recess ( 60 ), and when the adapter is rotated in an adapter-opening direction of rotation, lug ( 70 ) can exert force against recess wall ( 64 ) forcing the snap-on pipe slightly upward and then contacting rim ( 36 ) wherein rotation of the adapter in the opening direction can result in an axial upwardly movement resulting from the angles of a bottle neck and snap-on pipe fastener protuberance and then, the first guidance recess wall ( 72 ) permits the cylindrical snap-on pipe axially to be lowered toward the container, and the second guidance recess wall ( 82 ) is consistent with the cylindrical snap-on pipe being raised relative to the container so that the fastener protuberance ( 54 ) on the snap-on pipe can maintain its axial position below a fastener protuberance ( 73 ) on a bottle neck ( 74 ) until the adapter is rotated to a position wherein, due to an interruption in one or more of the bottle neck and snap-on pipe protuberances, there is no container fastener protuberance ( 78 ) above a snap-on cylinder fastener protuberance ( 54 ) to retain the cylinder fastener protuberance on the container, and the adapter can be released from the container.
2. The adapter according to claim 1 wherein one or both of the first ( 54 ) and second ( 20 ) fastener protuberances are threads for mating with threads on a container neck.
3. The adapter according to claim 1 , wherein the snap-on pipe fastener protuberance is on an inner wall thereof.
4. The adapter according to claim 1 , wherein the snap-on pipe fastener protuberance is at least one snap bead.
5. The adapter according to claim 1 , wherein the adapter is configured to receive a lug ( 70 ) on a container ( 10 ) within the guidance recess when the container is being rotated to an open position.
6. The adapter according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second retaining recess walls have gradients wherein the gradient of one of the first and second retaining recess walls ( 64 , 46 ) is smaller at least at one point than the gradient on the other of the first and second recess sides at a point lying at the same axial height.
7. The adapter according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second retaining recess walls ( 106 , 104 ) have gradients which are essentially the same at each point lying at the same axial height.
8. The adapter according to claim 1 , wherein the guidance recess ( 80 ) is configured to receive a lug ( 70 ) on a container ( 10 ) and upon rotation in the opening direction is shaped to accommodate lowering and then raising of the adapter to facilitate sliding of a snap-on pipe fastener protuberance ( 54 ) relative to a container neck fastener protuberance until an interruption in the container neck fastener protuberance and/or snap-on pipe fastener protuberance is reached and the adapter ( 14 ) is released from the container.
9. The adapter according to claim 1 , wherein the interruption in one or both of the container and snap-on pipe protuberances is such that the adapter release from the container occurs when there is no container protuberance above the snap-on pipe protuberance whereby the adapter is released from the container.
10. The adapter according to claim 1 , wherein the second adapter wall is a second snap-on pipe.
11. The adapter according to claim 10 wherein the second snap-on pipe comprises at least one retaining recess and at least one guidance recess.
12. The adapter ( 14 ) according to claim 1 , in combination with a container ( 10 ) having a lug ( 70 ) and fastener protuberance wherein the adapter snap-on pipe ( 32 ) retaining recess ( 60 ) accommodates all or part of the lug therewithin when the adapter is in the closed position and wherein the lug contacts a rim ( 36 ) of the snap-on pipe ( 32 ) as the adapter is rotated in an opening position and the guidance recess ( 72 , 82 ) walls permit the adapter to move downwardly and then upwardly relative to the container whereby the fastener protuberance ( 54 ) on the snap-on pipe ( 32 ) slides relative to the fastener protuberance on the container and maintain their axial positions wherein the container fastener protuberance retains the adapter on the container until the adapter is rotated to a point where one or more of the container fastener protuberance and the snap-on pipe fastener protuberance is interrupted and the adapter is released from the container.
13. The adapter according to claim 12 wherein the protuberance(s) ( 54 ) on the snap-on pipe are internal to the snap-on pipe ( 32 ) and the protuberance(s) on the bottle neck are external to the bottle neck.
14. The adapter according to claim 1 , wherein the first guidance recess wall ( 72 ) has a gradient within the range of 90 and 135 degrees to a horizontal line drawn through section ( 36 ) of the bottom rim and then the second guidance recess downwardly extending wall ( 82 ) at a less severe gradient of within the range of 0 to 10 degrees, relative to a horizontal line drawn through the intersection ( 75 ) of wall ( 74 ) and pipe bottom ( 36 ).
15. The adapter according to claim 14 wherein the second guidance recess wall has a gradient within the range of 4 to 10 degrees.