THEREOF"

DESCRIPTION

[0001]The present invention is in the field of children's toys, and in particular in the field of packages for playing with soap bubbles.

[0002]As is well known, playing with soap bubbles, despite being very old, is still very popular among children of all ages, who are always fascinated by creating bubbles, more or less numerous and more or less large, and by their propagation in the surrounding space.

[0003]The most common device for creating soap bubbles composed of a bottle, usually cylindrical, made of a rigid plastic material, with a cap that may be screwed onto the bottle, and a stem attached internally to the base of the cap; the stem ends in a ring, in which the film of liquid from which the bubble is generated is formed.

[0004]However, such devices have the drawback of not allowing all the liquid contained in the bottle to be used, since below a certain amount of liquid, it is no longer possible to wet the ring in order to form the film necessary to create bubbles.

[0005]In addition, the known solutions require a step of mounting the stem to the cap, which has to be performed on dedicated machinery and presents a risk due to the detachment of the parts, which could be ingested.

[0006]The object of the present invention is to make a package for playing with soap bubbles that overcomes the drawbacks mentioned above and satisfies the aforesaid requirements. Said object is achieved by a package according to claim 1. The dependent claims disclose further advantageous embodiments of the invention.

[0007]The features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description, given by way of non-limiting example according to the figures in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

- Fig. 1 shows a package for playing with soap bubbles according to an embodiment of the present invention;

- Fig. 2 shows a mouth of the package in Fig. 1;

- Fig. 3a through 3c are orthogonal views of the mouth in Fig. 2;

- Fig. 4 shows a cap-stem assembly of the package in Fig. 1, according to an embodiment of the invention;

- Fig. 5a and 5b are orthogonal views of the cap-stem assembly in Fig. 4;

- Fig. 6 shows a cap-stem assembly of the package in

Fig. 1, according to a further embodiment of the invention; - Fig. 7a and 7b are orthogonal views of the cap-stem assembly in Fig. 6;

- Fig. 8 shows a play element of the cap-stem assembly in Fig. 6. [0008]With reference to the figures in the appended drawings, 1 has been used to indicate collectively a package for playing with soap bubbles. The package 1 comprises a flexible, thin-walled bag 2 and is suitable to contain a liquid composed of a mixture of water and soap suitable for forming bubbles.

[0009]Preferably, the bag 2 comprises a first wall 4 and a second wall 6 facing the first wall 4. The walls 4, 6 are welded together along their respective peripheral edges, except in one functional section. Each wall 4, 6 is composed of a thin, flexible, single- or multilayer film comprising at least one barrier layer to the passage of gas.

[0010]According to a further example, the bag comprises one or two side walls, or, in a still further example, a bottom. Said side walls and said bottom are also composed of a thin, flexible, single- or multilayer film comprising at least one barrier layer to the passage of gas.

[0011]According to one variant embodiment, some regions of the bag are transparent to allow the remaining liquid content to be viewed.

[0012]The package 1 further comprises a mouth 10, in one piece by injection molding, applied to the bag 2.

[0013]The mouth 10 composed of a hollow body comprising an annular main wall 12 that delimits a main duct 14, e.g., circular cylindrical, developing along a main axis X between a lower end 16, where there is an inner opening 18, and an upper end 20, where there is an outer opening 22. The main wall 12 has an outer side surface 12a and an inner side surface 12b.

[0014]The mouth 10 further comprises a weld portion 24, inserted at said functional section and welded to the walls 4, 6.

[0015]Preferably, the mouth 10 further comprises a lower flange 26, projecting radially outward from the main wall 12, which delimits the weld portion 24 at the top and is arranged in support of the edge of the walls 4, 6.

[0016]Preferably, the mouth 10 comprises an upper flange 28, projecting radially outward from the main wall 12, spaced axially from the lower flange 26.

[0017]The outer side surface 12a of the main wall 12 is threadless, and in particular it is threadless in the region comprised between the upper flange 28 and the outer opening 22. [0018]Conversely, the mouth 10 is fitted with an inner thread 30, protruding from the inner side surface 12b of the main wall 12.

[0019]Said inner thread 30 provides for a single turn extending between a beginning 30' and an end 30''; preferably, said turn is incomplete, in that the beginning 30' and end 30'' are separated angularly, leaving a gap 32 therebetween.

[0020]The package 1 further comprises a cap-stem assembly 40, preferably in a single piece of plastic material, such as a monomaterial, e.g., by injection molding, comprising a cap portion 42 for closing the opening 22 of the mouth 10 and a play portion 44 for collecting the soapy liquid.

[0021]The cap portion 42 comprises a cap base 46 suitable to close the opening 22 of the mouth 10 and an outer cap thread 48 extending from the cap base 46, suitable to screw into the inner thread 30 of the mouth 10.

[0022]The cap portion 42 further comprises a handle 50, arranged on the opposite side of the cap thread 48 with respect to the cap base 46.

[0023]According to an embodiment, the handle 50 has a plurality of axial projections 52 on the outside, placed circumferentially in succession, to improve grip.

[0024]According to a further embodiment a cap-stem assembly 400 comprises a handle 50 having a frame 54 and a play element 56 placed within the frame 54 and joined thereto by at least one breakable foot 56.

[0025]In contrast, the play portion 44 comprises a stem 60 extending along a stem axis Z between an upper end 62, joined to the cap portion 42, flanking the cap thread 48, and a lower end 64 distal from the cap portion 42.

[0026]Finally, the play portion 44 comprises a ring 70 to collect the soapy liquid, joined to the lower end 64 of the stem 60. Preferably, the ring 70 has a ring axis Y incident, preferably orthogonally, to the stem axis Z and has faces provided with protrusions 72 that facilitate the formation of the liquid film, and is sized to be inserted into the bag 2 through the outer opening 22 of the mouth 10 and the related main duct 14. [0027]Innovatively, the package for playing with soap bubbles described above overcomes the drawbacks mentioned above with reference to the prior art in that the bag may be squeezed or folded until all the liquid contained therein is used. [0028]Also, advantageously, because the cap-stem assembly is in one piece, there is no possibility of parts coming off that may be ingested by a child or dispersed into the environment.

[0029]Also, advantageously, the package according to the invention has low production costs because the cap and the stem with the ring are in one piece, and it is therefore not necessary to apply the stem to the cap, as is the case with the solutions known today, in which there are three separate parts (the bottle, the cap, and the stem).

[0030]In particular, advantageously, by virtue of the one- turn shape of the inner threading of the mouth, it is "cheek" moldable, as is, consequently, the cap-stem assembly. [0031]Moreover, advantageously, the cap-stem assembly is lighter than a similar assembly made according to the prior art; thus, production is sustainable, as well as environmentally friendly, in monomaterial solutions.

[0032]It is clear that a person skilled in the art, in order to satisfy contingent needs, could make modifications to the package described above, said modifications all being contained within the scope of protection defined in the following claims.