Method for manufacturing a container assembly for storing and dispensing fluid materials

Claim 1

A method for manufacturing a container assembly for storing and dispensing fluid material, said container assembly including: a collapsible resilient container adapted to be stretched and collapsed from an initial nominal position; said container being adapted to contain therein said fluid material to be stored and dispensed with dispensing of said fluid material being effected by compression of said collapsible container from said initial nominal position toward said collapsed position to diminish the internal volume thereof; an upper neck portion formed as part of said container; a lower grip portion; a cap member adapted to be placed in sealing engagement with said neck portion, said cap member defining a dispensing flow conduit which is in direct flow communication with the interior of said container when said cap member is placed in sealing engagement with said neck portion; and check valve means mounted in said cap member located at the outlet end of said dispensing flow conduit to enable fluid flow therethrough in one direction only, said check valve means being normally closed and operating to automatically respond to increased pressure in the fluid material in said container when said container is compressed to open said dispensing flow conduit to permit flow of dispensed fluid therethrough during collapsing of said container and to automatically respond to cessation in the compressing of said container to return to said normally closed condition to seal said dispensing flow conduit; said method comprising the steps of gripping said container about said neck portion and said lower grip portion, stretching said container from said initial nominal position to increase the internal volume thereof, filling said container with a fluid material to be stored therein and dispensed therefrom, attaching said cap member to said container by connecting said cap member in operative engagement with said upper neck portion after said container has been filled with said fluid material, and thereafter releasing said neck portion and said lower grip portion of said container to allow said container to return to said initial nominal position whereby a quantity of the fluid material stored therein is caused to be emitted from said check valve means thereby to completely fill said dispensing flow conduit in said cap member with said fluid material to be dispensed.

Claim 2

A method for manufacturing a container assembly for storing and dispensing fluid material, said container assembly including: a collapsible resilient container adapted to be stretched and collapsed from an initial nominal position; said container being adapted to contain therein said fluid material to be stored and dispensed with dispensing of said fluid material being effected by compression of said collapsible container from said initial nominal position toward said collapsed position to diminish the internal volume thereof; an upper neck portion formed as part of said container; a lower grip portion; a cap member adapted to be placed in sealing engagement with said neck portion, said cap member defining a dispensing flow conduit which is in direct flow communication with the interior of said container when said cap member is placed in sealing engagement with said neck portion; and check valve means mounted in said cap member located at the outlet end of said dispensing flow conduit to enable fluid flow therethrough in one direction only, said check valve means being normally closed and operating to automatically respond to increased pressure in the fluid material in said container when said container is compressed to open said dispensing flow conduit to permit flow of dispensed fluid therethrough during collapsing of said container and to automatically respond to cessation in the compressing of said container to return to said normally closed condition to seal said dispensing flow conduit; said method comprising the steps of gripping said container about said neck portion and said lower grip portion, stretching said container from said initial nominal position to increase the internal volume thereof, filling said container with a fluid material to be stored therein and dispensed therefrom, attaching said cap member to said container by connecting said cap member in operative engagement with said upper neck portion after said container has been filled with said fluid material, and thereafter releasing said neck portion and said lower grip portion of said container to allow said container to return to said initial nominal position whereby a quantity of the fluid material stored therein is caused to be emitted from said check valve means thereby to completely fill said dispensing flow conduit in said cap member with said fluid material to be dispensed.