Method and assembly for retaining a mounting cup with a sealing collar

Claim 2

An improved mounting cup for use in mounting a sealing collar to a container having a neck with a flange including an upper surface surrounding an opening for dispensing product and an inwardly directed ledge at a lower end thereof, said collar including a resilient deformable molded polymeric material and having a central opening for receiving a dispenser to be mounted in said container through said neck, said mounting cup being formed along an axis and having an end wall extending at least partially normal to said axis for forming a cavity open to at least one end of said cup, said cup being moveable through a path of movement over said container flange to an assembled position with said cavity retaining said sealing collar therein, said mounting cup having a skirt extending from said end wall in an axial direction, said skirt having an inner sidewall facing radially inwardly for engaging a radially outward perimeter of said sealing collar, the improvement comprising: a circumferentially extending groove formed in said sidewall around at least a portion of said sidewall at a spaced distance from said endwall, said groove for snappingly engaging said collar perimeter when said collar is inserted axially into said cavity, whereby said collar is lockingly retained in combination with said cup by the cooperation of said groove with said collar perimeter to retain said collar with said cup in a pre-assembled state before use in mounting said collar onto said flange.

Claim 3

The mounting cup of claim 1, wherein said groove is generally wedge shaped and open to said cavity.

Claim 4

The mounting cup of claim 1, wherein said groove is formed by at least a pair of groove sidewalls with one groove sidewall substantially normal to said axis, said one groove sidewall forming a shelf for interlockingly engaging said perimeter when said collar is inserted into said cavity.

Claim 5

The mounting cup of claim 1, wherein said groove extends substantially around a substantial portion of the entire inner sidewall circumference.

Claim 6

The mounting cup of claim 1, wherein said skirt has an outer sidewall that is continuous and flush.

Claim 7

The mounting cup of claim 1, wherein said cup has an inner diameter of d 1 , said collar has a diameter of said perimeter of d 2 , and d 2 is slight larger than d 1 to permit said collar to be retentively pressed into said groove.

Claim 8

The mounting cup of claim 3, wherein said groove is substantially V-shaped.

Claim 9

An assembly for use in sealing a container having a neck with a flange including an upper surface surrounding an opening for dispensing product and inwardly directed ledge at a lower end thereof, said assembly comprising: (a) a sealing collar including a resilient deformable molded polymeric material and having a central opening for dispensing therethrough product from said container through said neck; (b) a mounting cup formed along an axis and having an end wall extending at least partially across aid cup normal to said axis for forming a cavity open to at least one end of said cup, said cup being slidable through a path of movement over said container flange to an assembled position with said cavity retaining said sealing collar therein, said cup having a skirt extending from said end wall in an axial direction, said skirt having an inner sidewall facing radially inwardly for engaging a radially outward perimeter of said sealing collar, said sidewall having a circumferentially extending groove formed therein around at least a portion of said sidewall at a spaced distance from said endwall, said groove for snappingly engaging said collar perimeter when said collar is inserted axially into said cavity; and (c) a dispenser body affixed in said central opening to said sealing collar, whereby said collar and dispenser body are lockingly retained in combination with said cup by the cooperation of said groove with said collar perimeter to retain said collar with said cup in a pre-assembled state before use in mounting said collar onto said flange.

Claim 10

An assembly for use in sealing a container having a neck with a flange including an upper surface surrounding an opening for dispensing product and inwardly directed ledge at a lower end thereof, said assembly comprising: (a) a sealing collar including a resilient deformable molded polymeric material and having a central opening for dispensing therethrough product from said container through said neck; (b) a mounting cup formed along an axis and having an end wall extending at least partially across aid cup normal to said axis for forming a cavity open to at least one end of said cup, said cup being slidable through a path of movement over said container flange to an assembled position with said cavity retaining said sealing collar therein, said cup having a skirt extending from said end wall in an axial direction, said skirt having an inner sidewall facing radially inwardly for engaging a radially outward perimeter of said sealing collar, said sidewall having a circumferentially extending groove formed therein around at least a portion of said sidewall at a spaced distance from said endwall, said groove for snappingly engaging said collar perimeter when said collar is inserted axially into said cavity; and (c) a dispenser body affixed in said central opening to said sealing collar, whereby said collar and dispenser body are lockingly retained in combination with said cup by the cooperation of said groove with said collar perimeter to retain said collar with said cup in a pre-assembled state before use in mounting said collar onto said flange.

Claim 11

The mounting cup of claim 8, wherein said groove is generally wedge shaped and open to said cavity.

Claim 12

The mounting cup of claim 8, wherein said groove is formed by at least a pair of groove sidewalls with one groove sidewall substantially normal to said axis, said one groove sidewall forming a shelf for interlockingly engaging said perimeter when said collar is inserted into said cavity.

Claim 13

The mounting cup of claim 8, wherein said groove extends substantially around a substantial portion of the entire inner sidewall circumference.