BACKGROUND It is often desirable to be able to dispense controlled small quantities of liquid from an elongate container, tube or the like in a wiping action directly onto the skin, for example the arm or leg, for subsequent rubbing into the skin for treatment purposes.

Such a wiping action is most conveniently achieved by dispensing the liquid through an outlet in the side of the cap of the container rather than through an outlet in the top of the cap of the container, in particular by using a container having a relatively long neck and a narrower cap to provide an ergonomic profile to the container.

However, the number of such containers available with side outlets is limited, while those that are currently available suffer from a number of disadvantages, not the least of which are that the dispensing mechanisms thereof are of relatively complex construction and are expensive to manufacture.

For example, US specification no. 5197638 discloses a container having a nozzle provided with an outlet which dispenses the contents of the associated container in a direction perpendicular to the direction of feed of the content of the container to the nozzle and under the control of a flexible diaphragm. However, the nozzle incorporates a tortuous series of channels/passageways for the flow of fluid to the outlet, while the diaphragm is integral with, or connected to, a piston of complex configuration urged by a spring into a normal rest position sealing the outlet. Clearly such an arrangement is expensive to manufacture and requires careful manual assembly, while it has also been found to suffer from hygiene problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It would be desirable to be able to provide a container capable of controlled dispensing of liquid from a side outlet therein and of a simpler, more hygienic construction and more economically manufactured than heretofore.

According to the present invention there is provided a container comprising a body member for containing liquid and a neck at one end thereof through which liquid flows on pressurisation of the interior of the body member, and a closure for the body member including a cap located on the neck of the body member and having an outlet in a sidewall thereof for dispensing therethrough liquid flowing through the neck of the body member, and a control valve located within the cap for controlling the dispensing of liquid flowing from the body member to the outlet from the cap, characterised in that the control valve is a one piece plastic moulding including a diaphragm portion and a nose portion extending from one side of said diaphragm portion, the control valve being positioned within the cap with the central axis thereof substantially perpendicular to the central axis of the neck of the body member and having a rest position in which the nose portion engages in, to seal, the outlet from the cap, the other side of the diaphragm portion of the control valve remote from the nose portion being open to the atmosphere, the arrangement being such that, on pressurisation of the interior of the body member, liquid from the body member flows through the neck to engage with the one side of the diaphragm portion to distort said diaphragm portion whereby the nose portion of the valve is displaced from the outlet and liquid is dispensed therethrough, and, on subsequent release of pressure from the interior of the body member, the control valve returns, under the influence of its inherent resiliency and atmospheric pressure, to its rest position with the nose portion thereof seating in, to seal, the outlet.

It will be appreciated that, with such an arrangement, the closure for the body member is of extremely simple construction and comprises a minimal number of individual components which can be readily manufactured by plastic moulding techniques, and, where appropriate, automatically assembled.

The cap may include an annular seating integrally moulded therewith the central axis of which extends through the outlet in the cap and is substantially perpendicular to the central axis of the neck of the body member, the control valve being sealingly mounted on the seating.

In one embodiment of the invention the edge regions of the diaphragm portion of the control valve are integrally moulded with the seating. Alternatively the edge regions of the diaphragm portion of the control valve may be welded to the seating.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the control valve comprises a cylindrical skirt portion one end of which is closed by the other side of the diaphragm portion remote from the nose portion, the skirt portion of the control valve being sealingly mounted to the seating.

The skirt portion of the control valve may be overmoulded on the seating or may be a tight friction fit over, or welded to, the seating.

In a still further embodiment of the invention, the control valve is a tight friction fit in, or is welded in or is overmoulded in a corresponding aperture formed in a sidewall of the cap opposite the outlet.

The outlet from the cap may be formed in a plate portion movable relative to the remainder of the cap between a normal position completing the cap and a displaced position providing access to the interior of the cap and to the control valve.

The plate portion may be integrally moulded with the remainder of the cap and movable relative thereto by means of a hinge, or may be separate from the remainder of the cap and a snap fit into an associated operative position in the remainder of the cap.

The closure may further include a lid member mounted externally of the cap and provided with a plug portion, the lid member being movable between a closed position in which the plug portion seats in, to seal, the outlet thereby to prevent inadvertent dispensing from the container, and an open position in which the plug is displaced from the outlet.

Preferably the lid member is integrally moulded with the cap and is pivotal relative to the cap about a reduced thickness hinge between its open and its closed positions.

In an alternative arrangement for preventing inadvertent dispensing from the container, the closure may include a plug member adapted to be a tight friction fit within the cap to engage the other side of the diaphragm portion of the control valve remote from the nose portion and to retain the nose portion in its rest position engaging in, to seal, the outlet.

Conveniently, the plug member is integrally moulded with the cap and is pivotal relative thereto about a reduced thickness hinge between an operative position engaging the diaphragm portion of the valve and a released position displaced from the control valve.

The closure may be integrally moulded with the body member to form a continuation of the neck of said body member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figs. 1 and 2 are vertical sections through part of a first container according to the invention and including a plate portion, with the plate portion in its normal position and its displaced position respectively; Fig. 3 is a vertical section through part of the closure of a second container according to the invention, incorporating a removable valve and a removable plug member, and Fig. 4 is a vertical section through part of a closure of a third container according to the invention incorporating an overmoulded valve without a skirt portion.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to Figs 1 and 2 there is shown part of a container comprising a body portion or reservoir 2 of a flexible plastics material, and including a reduced- diameter, externally threaded neck 4.

A closure for the body member 2 is indicated generally at 6 and includes a hollow cap 8 moulded from a semi-rigid plastic material such as polythene or polyethylene. The cap 8 has an internally threaded skirt 10 at its lower regions for co-operation with the thread on the neck 4 to locate the closure 6 on the body member, although this location could be effected by means of a snap fit between the components or by the closure 6 being integrally moulded with the body member 2.

The upper regions of the cap 8 are of reduced diameter and include an outlet 12 in a sidewall thereof. More particularly, the outlet 12 is formed in a plate portion 14 forming part of the sidewall of the cap 8 but being mounted to the remainder of the cap 8 by means of a reduced thickness hinge 16 whereby the plate portion 14 can be pivoted between a normal operative position shown in Fig. 1 in which it is a sealing snap fit in a corresponding aperture 18 formed in the cap 8, and an open position shown in Fig. 2 displaced from said aperture 18 and providing access to the interior of the cap 8. Alternatively the plate portion 14 may be separate from the remainder of the cap 8 and not connected thereto by a hinge or other means.

Integrally moulded in the cap 8 opposite the outlet 12 is a hollow, open-ended cylindrical seating 20 which extends radially into the upper regions of the cap 8, the central axis of the seating 20 being perpendicular to the central axis of the neck 4 of the body member 2, said central axis of the seating 20 passing through the outlet 12.

The closure 6 further includes a control valve indicated generally at 22 and comprising an annular skirt portion 24 one end of which is closed by a circular diaphragm portion 26 on the surface of which remote from the skirt portion 24 is formed a central nose portion 28.

The valve 22 is integrally moulded from a soft thermoplastic elastomer or a silicone rubber with the skirt portion 24 thereof overmoulded on the seating 20 whereby the closure 6 comprises a unitary component.

In the rest position of the valve 22, the nose portion 28 thereof is urged into, to seal, the outlet 18, with atmospheric pressure being applied to the surface of the diaphragm portion 26 remote from the nose portion 28.

In order to dispense the content of the container, the body portion 2 thereof is squeezed to pressurise the interior of the container. This increase in pressure forces the content of the container through the neck 4 into the closure 6 and into forcible engagement with the surface of the diaphragm portion 26 carrying the nose portion 28.

The diaphragm portion 26 is thus displaced to the left as viewed in Fig. 1 whereby the nose portion 28 is displaced from the outlet 12, and the content of the container is dispensed through said outlet 12.

Conveniently this dispensing is accompanied by a downward movement of the container with the outlet 12 against the skin of a user whereby the liquid, for example moisturising cream or sun-tanning cream, is deposited on the skin of the user for subsequent rubbing therein.

On release of the squeezing pressure from the body member 2, and by virtue of its inherent resiliency and the application of atmospheric pressure on the surface of the diaphragm portion 26 remote from the nose portion 28, the control valve returns to the normal rest position 28 seating in and sealing the outlet 12, thereby terminating dispensing of the content from the container.

It will be appreciated that the described container is of relatively simple and therefore inexpensive construction, and that the closure 6 can be integrally moulded as a single component for location on the body member 2. Manual assembly is thus eliminated, while the container can be further simplified by moulding the closure 6 integrally with the body member 2 to form a continuation of the neck 4.

The provision of the hinged plate portion 14 enables ready access to the interior of the closure 6 and to the control valve 22 if and when required.

The location of the outlet 12 in the side of the closure 6, as distinct from the end thereof, makes the container of the invention particularly suited to the application of the content thereof to the skin with the aforementioned wiping action, such application ensuring all the dispensed liquid is deposited on the skin with the wiping action serving to remove all liquid from the exterior of the outlet and ensuring cleanliness and improved hygiene compared with equivalent containers.

The control valve 22 may be separate from the cap 8 and, as shown in Fig. 3, may be a sealing snap fit into the cap 8. More particularly, the free end of the skirt portion 24 of the valve 22 of Fig. 3 has overmoulded thereon a circumferential, radially-outwardly open channel 30, the valve 22 being a push-fit into a circular aperture formed in the sidewall of the cap 8 opposite the outlet 12 whereby the bounding edge of the aperture is received within the channel 30 to sealingly locate the valve 22 in the cap 8 in a normal rest position with the nose portion 28 thereof located in, to seal, the outlet 12.

Alternatively the skirt portion 24 of the valve 22 may be welded to the seating 20 of Figs. 1 and 2, or may be moulded in or welded in the circular aperture of Fig. 3.

Clearly the precise construction of the valve 22 and the means by which it is located in the cap 8 may be varied to suit particular requirements, while the angle between the axes of the skirt portion 24 of the valve 22 and the neck 4 may be other than 90°.

Inadvertent dispensing from the container, for example during travelling, may be prevented in any one of a number of different ways. For example, the closure 6 may be provided with a plug, such as that referenced 32 in Fig. 3, which, in the embodiment of Figs 1 and 2, is a tight friction fit in the volume V'defined by the seating 20 and the surface of the diaphragm portion 26 remote from the nose portion 28, said plug engaging said surface of the diaphragm portion 26 to prevent deflection of the diaphragm portion 26 until the plug 32 is removed from the volume V'. Conveniently the plug 32 is integrally moulded with the cap 8 and is connected thereto by a reduced thickness hinge to enable movement of the plug 32 into and out of its operative position in engagement with the valve 22.

In the embodiment of Fig. 3, the plug 32 is received directly within the hollow skirt portion 24 of the valve 22 to abut the diaphragm portion 26 thereof.

In an alternative arrangement, a lid member (not shown) is integrally moulded with the closure 6 and includes a central depending plug, the lid member being hingedly mounted adjacent the outlet 12 to be pivotal between an operative position in which the plug seats in, to close, the outlet 12, said plug displacing the nose portion 28 from the outlet 12, and an inoperative position remote from the outlet 12.

Referring to Fig. 4, there is shown an alternative arrangement particularly suited to narrow-necked containers in which the control valve 22 does not include a skirt portion 24, the peripheral edge regions of the diaphragm portion 26 being secured directly to the cap 8. More particularly the edge regions of the diaphragm portion 26 of the valve 22 may be overmoulded to the bounding edge of a circular aperture formed in the sidewall of the cap 8 opposite the outlet 12 with the other side of the diaphragm portion 26 exposed to the atmosphere, or the edge of the diaphragm portion 26 may be secured to the bounding edge of the aperture by ultrasonic welding or the like.

Clearly the precise construction of the containers could differ from those described and illustrated without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the container may include a number of outlets 12 and a corresponding number of control valves 22, each outlet having a number of bristles associated therewith externally of the cap whereby the content of the container can be applied in the manner of a brush, while the configuration of the control valve, in particular the nose portion 28 thereof, may be altered. In all embodiments of the invention, it is preferred that, in its normal rest position, the nose portion of the valve extends right through the outlet whereby no liquid can remain in said outlet after use of the container.

Although pressurisation of the content of the container has been described as being by distortion of the container itself, this pressurisation for dispensing purposes may be achieved by, for example, pump means within the container.