Storage bottle for contact lens cleaning solution

Claim 2

A self-closing bottle assembly for the controlled dispensing of fluid, comprising; a collapsible bottle for receiving and containing fluid within, having a body and a neck at one end of said body, said neck having first discharge outlet means, whereby said fluid is dispensed hydraulically from the interior of said bottle through said first discharge outlet means upon the application of an external collapsing force to the exterior of said bottle; self-closing valve means on said neck, said valve means comprising; valve stem means including a tapering projection on said body adjacent said first discharge outlet means and projecting outwardly from said body; a resilient nozzle member on said neck normally closing said first discharge outlet means and so located to substantially enclose said valve stem means, said nozzle member having a resilient base region, said base region having an outer marginal portion and formed at its interior onto a hollow central portion projecting outwardly from said body and converging as it projects outwardly to an end of the nozzle member, said central portion having said second discharge outlet means at said end, said central portion being so designed and situated to seat in immediate contact with and elastically grip said tapering projection when in a closed position to produce an air-tight seal, and to balloon outwardly from said tapering projection when enough fluid pressure is applied to the interior surface of said hollow central portion of said nozzle member, and then to resiliently return to said closed position when the fluid pressure is relieved; and means for securely engaging said resilient nozzle member with said neck at the outer marginal portion of said base region of said nozzle member to provide an air-tight seal.

Claim 3

The self-closing bottle assembly of claim 1, wherein said means for securely engaging said resilient nozzle member with said neck comprises: a retaining ring mounted on said neck of said bottle, having a flange directed radially inward from the inner circumferential surface of said retaining ring, said flange being so situated and designed to abuttingly contact said outer marginal portion of said base region of said nozzle member and to secure the base region in pressed engagement with said neck.

Claim 4

The self-closing bottle assembly of claim 2 wherein; the end of said hollow central portion of said nozzle member is slightly beyond the end of said tapering projection, and said bottle assembly further comprises a locking cap secured to said retaining ring, said cap being so designed and situated to abuttingly engage and resiliently compress said end of the hollow central portion and to cover said second discharge outlet means when said cap is in a closed position to form an air-tight seal, with means to lock said cap in the closed position.

Claim 5

The self-closing bottle assembly of claim 3, wherein said hollow central portion is a hollow frustum: said retaining ring includes a radially outwardly projecting ridge in an upper perimetrical portion of said ring; and said locking cap comprises; a cover portion having a protuberance projecting inwardly toward said bottle when said cap is in the closed position, and arranged to abutting engage and resiliently compress said upper marginal portion of said hollow central portion when said cap is in the closed position to substantially close and seal said second discharge outlet means, said cover portion further having a cylindrical flange projecting inwardly toward said bottle when said cap is in the closed position, and arrange to abuttingly engage said base region of said nozzle member near the base of said hollow frustum to elastically pull said hollow frustum against said tapering projection on said valve stem means when the cap is in the closed position, said cover portion further having a notch opposing said ridge in said retaining ring when the cap is in the closed position and receiving said ridge, when the cap is in the closed position, hinge means diametrically opposite said notch, hingedly connecting said retaining ring and said cover portion, said hinge means being so designed to coact with said notch when receiving said ridge to tightly restrain said cover portion against said retaining ring, when the cap is in the closed position, said hinge means further being designed to coact with the notch when receiving the ridge, and with said protuberance to firmly engage said upper marginal portion of said hollow frustum of said nozzle member, when the cap is in the closed position, and said hinge means further being designed to coact with the notch when receiving the ridge, and with said circumferential flange to firmly engage said base region of the nozzle member near the base of the frustum, when the cap is in the closed position.

Claim 6

The self-closing bottle assembly of claim 1 wherein; an outer end of said hollow central portion of said nozzle member extends slightly beyond said tapering projection, and said bottle assembly further comprises an overcap assembly, secured to said neck, so designed and situated to abuttingly engage and resiliently compress said end of the hollow central portion and thereby close said second discharge outlet means, when in a closed position to form an air-tight seal, with means to lock said overcap assembly in said closed position, and with further means to disengage said overcap assembly from said hollow frustum and to expose said second discharge outlet means, when the overcap assembly is in an open position.

Claim 7

The self-closing bottle assembly of claim 5, wherein said overcap assembly comprises: a retaining ring mounted on said neck of said bottle, and having a radially outwardly projecting ridge in an upper perimetrical portion of said ring; a cap comprising, a protuberance projecting inwardly toward said bottle when said cap is in a closed position, and arranged to abuttingly engage and resiliently compress said end of said hollow central portion when said cap is in the closed position to substantially close and seal said second discharge outlet means, a cylindrical flange projecting inwardly toward said bottle when said cap is in a closed position, and arranged to abuttingly engage said base region of said nozzle member near the tapering projection to elastically pull said hollow frustum over said tapering projection on said valve stem means when the cap is in the closed position, a notch opposing said ridge in said retaining ring when the cap is in the closed position and receiving said ridge when the cap is in the closed position; and hinge means diametrically opposite said notch, hingedly connecting said retaining ring and said cap , wherein: said hinge means coacts with said notch when receiving said ridge to rightly restrain said cap against said retaining ring, when the cap is in the closed position, said hinge means coacts with the notch when receiving the ridge, and with said protuberance to firmly engage said end of said hollow central portion of said nozzle member, when the cap is in the closed position, and said hinge means coacts with the notch when receiving the ridge, to hold said cap with said circumferential flange firmly engaging said base region of the nozzle member near the tapering projection when the cap is in the closed position.

Claim 8

The self-closing bottle assembly of claim 1, wherein: said collapsible bottle is formed of a resilient material having a memory such that said bottle is partially restored toward its original configuration when the external collapsing force is removed; and the resilience of said nozzle member is sufficient to return said nozzle member to a condition of elastically and circumferentially gripping said tapering projection and forming an air-tight seal to seal the bottle-assembly closed upon removal of said collapsing force and independently of any configuration restoring effect of the bottle material memory.

Claim 9

The self-closing bottle assembly of claim 1, wherein: said second discharge outlet means is of sufficiently small diameter to provide a metered discharge of fluid through said outlet means.

Claim 10

The self-closing bottle assembly of claim 8, wherein: said second discharge outlet means is of sufficiently small diameter to provide a single droplet discharge when a minimal external collapsing force is applied to said collapsible bottle while allowing a continuous stream discharge of fluid through said outlet means when a sufficiently large external collapsing force is applied to said collapsible bottle.

Claim 11

The self-closing bottle assembly of claim 3 wherein: said locking cap further comprises a flat outer surface on which to balance and bear the weight of said bottle when resting on a substantially flat surface, when said cap is in the closed position.

Claim 12

The self-closing bottle assembly of claim 5 wherein: said overcap assembly further has a flat outer surface on which to balance and bear the weight of said bottle when resting on a substantially flat surface, when said overcap assembly is in the closed position.

Claim 13

The self-closing bottle assembly of claim 4, wherein said hinge means comprises: a living hinge integral with said cover portion and said retaining ring; said living hinge having a natural resistance to hinged rotation when in said cap is in the closed position; said living hinge having a natural resistance to hinged rotation when said cap is in the open position; and said living hinge smoothly hingedly rotates between said closed and open positions.

Claim 14

The self-closing bottle assembly of claim 6, wherein said hinge means comprises: a living hinge integral with said cover portion and said retaining ring; said living hinge having a natural resistance to hinged rotation when in said cap is in the closed position; said living hinge having a natural resistance to hinged rotation when said cap is in the open position; and said living hinge smoothly hingedly rotates between said closed and open positions.

Claim 15

The self-closing bottle assembly of claim 2, wherein said means for securely engaging said resilient nozzle member with said neck further comprises means for providing an air-tight interlocking seal between the nozzle member and the neck.

Claim 16

The self-closing bottle assembly of claim 14, wherein said means for providing an air-tight interlocking seal comprises: a support face on said bottle and projecting radially inward from the uppermost portion of the neck, said first discharge outlet means and said tapering projection being inboard from said support face, and, said support face providing a sealing surface situated to form a continuous perimeter surrounding the first discharge outlet means and the tapering projection, and said support face further including a continuous seal groove adjacently parallel and outboard of said sealing surface: a circumferential locating rib formed in said outer marginal portion of said base region of said nozzle member, said rib being directed downward toward said body and in opposing juxtaposition with said seal groove; and said outer marginal portion of the base region being in overlapping contact with the support face, and the locating rib being receivingly engaged within the seal groove, to provide a tight seal when said flange directed radially inward from said retaining ring is in abutting engagement with the outer marginal portion of the base region.

Claim 17

The self-closing bottle assembly of claim 1 wherein said resilient nozzle member is composed of an elastomeric material having a memory for a normal free shape.

Claim 18

The self-closing bottle of claim 16 wherein said elastomeric material is Kraton No. 2705.

Claim 19

The self-closing bottle assembly of claim 1, wherein said collapsible bottle is filled with a saline solution.

Claim 20

The self-closing bottle assembly of claim 18, wherein the material of said resilient nozzle member has resilience equivalent to that of an elastomeric material marketed as Kraton 2705, and said second discharge outlet means is an outlet aperture having an area substantially equal to that of a circle of .062 inch diameter.

Claim 21

The self-closing bottle assembly of claim 1, wherein said first discharge outlet means comprises a plurality of apertures.

Claim 22

The self-closing bottle assembly of claim 14, wherein said first discharge means comprises a plurality of apertures, each of said apertures located within said means for providing an air-tight interlocking seal.

Claim 25

The system of claim 22 further comprising a hinged locking cap means to cover and seal said self-closing resilient valve means.

Claim 26

The system of claim 22, wherein said resilient valve means further comprises discharge outlet means to provide a calibrated discharge of fluid from said squeeze bottle.

Claim 27

The system of claim 24, wherein said discharge outlet means is calibrated to provide a single droplet discharge.