Patent Grant
7374360
The invention relates to personal care. More particularly, the invention relates to applicators for underarm antiperspirant and/or deodorant.
A well-developed art exists regarding dispenser/applicators for personal care products. One particular area involves applicators for solid or gel antiperspirant and/or deodorant compositions. Applicators for solid and gel compositions are typically thoroughly similar to each other, with a piston (platform) upwardly movable within a cylinder (barrel) to progressively drive the composition out the barrel upper end. Due to the relative lack of stiffness of many gels and soft solids, dispensers for such compositions commonly include apertured applicator elements across the upper end of the barrel.
Certain compositions are particularly sensitive to pressure. Accordingly, the imposition of residual pressure after the initial discharge of composition may be problematic. Soft solid compositions (especially those containing silicone oils) are particularly sensitive to pressure-induced microstructural changes. PCT/US98/09656, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein as if set forth at length, discloses exemplary such compositions. Thus pressure relief mechanisms have been provided. Exemplary pressure relief mechanisms are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,000,356, 5,547,302, 5,697,531, and 5,961,007, and pregrant publication US2005/0002883. One marketed dispenser resembles the cover page embodiment of the '356 patent, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein as if set forth at length. That dispenser includes a one-piece molded combination elevator screw and handwheel. Superimposed reciprocal movement of the screw is caused by camming interaction of respective groups of ratchet teeth on the molded element and barrel. The downstroke of this superimposed reciprocal movement provides pressure relief. The reciprocal movement is permitted by compliance of spring unitarily formed as a portion of the element. The spring is formed of a spiral-armed flange of the handwheel. The element is formed from a material appropriate for spring operation, specifically Celcon® polyoxymethylene acetal copolymer by Celanese Corporation.
The present dispenser replaces the one-piece single material screw, handwheel, and reciprocal compliance spring arrangement with a multi-piece arrangement. The exemplary spring is separately-formed from the screw member and the user-engagable element.
In various implementations, the spring may be metallic while the screw member and user-engagable element are polymeric. The separate forming may free the manufacture of the screw member and user-engagable element from the material performance constraints required for the spring. For example, the screw member and user-engagable elements may be manufactured of relatively inexpensive materials such as polypropylene.
The separation may also add economies to manufacture of different combinations. For example, a single spring may be used with different combinations of screw member and user-engagable element for example, with one basic user-engagable element and spring combination, different dispensers may feature differently colored and/or differently shaped user-engagable elements (e.g., handwheels having different contouring, elongate elements in place of handwheels, and the like). With one basic user-engagable element and spring, screws of different length may be used for different sizes of dispensers. Other variations are possible.
The details of one or more embodiments of the invention are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.
Like reference numbers and designations in the various drawings indicate like elements.
With an exemplary semisolid stick composition 36, raising of the piston applies pressure to the composition causing it to extrude through the applicator aperture(s) 42. This increment may be spread by the applicator outer surface 44. Exemplary compositions 36 utilize an anhydrous carrier comprising a mixture of volatile and nonvolatile silicones (e.g., as disclosed in PCT/US98/09656.
As heretofore described, the apparatus 20 may be of any of a wide variety of known or yet-developed configurations.
To provide the superimposed pressure-relief motion, the barrel is provided with a circumferential array of upwardly-directed teeth 80 at the upper end of a circumferential array of leaves 81. A complementary array of teeth 82 (
As the wheel 40 is rotated in a first direction about the axis 500, the piston is raised relative to the screw member 50. Additionally, in a first increment, a camming interaction between the teeth raises the screw member and piston relative to the barrel. This raising of the screw member 50 stresses a spring 90. The spring 90 provides a return force between the screw member 50 and the wheel 40. The exemplary spring 90 is formed of sheet metal (e.g., stainless steel). The exemplary spring 90 has a central aperture 92 (
Tip portions of the fingers 94 are engaged to the screw member. Exemplary engagement is by a mechanical backlocking. For example, the spring may be snapped over a dome or other tapering portion of a protuberance 100 unitarily molded as part of the screw 50 at the lower end thereof. The head underside contacts a spring underside to act as a barb at the lower end of the screw member 50 (e.g., facilitating a one-way insertion after assembly). Alternative engagements include use of a separate fastener 108 (
When the teeth pass out of their camming engagement, the spring returns the screw member to its lower position and, thereby, slightly returns the piston to reduce pressure on the composition. This may prevent residual extrusion of the composition and further microstructural change. The exemplary longitudinally protruding teeth 80 and 82 cooperate to form a ratchet substantially preventing rotation opposite the first direction. In the exemplary operation, various components other than the spring and screw (if present) are molded from appropriate plastics. For example, the exemplary wheel 40 may consist essentially of a polypropylene first piece; the screw member 50 may consist essentially of a polypropylene second piece; and the spring may consist essentially of a third piece not essentially of propylene (e.g. essentially of steel). The wheel and screw may respectively consist essentially of first and second pieces not essentially of acetal copolymer while the spring may consist essentially of a third piece of material dissimilar to at least one of the first and second pieces. The spring may be stamped. The invention may be applied to either top-fill or bottom-fill apparatus. As noted above various manufacturing economies may be facilitated. Pluralities of first dispensers and second dispensers may be manufactured. The screw members of the first and second dispensers may be identical whereas the wheels may be not identical. Alternatively the screw members may be not identical while the wheels may be identical. The springs of the first and second dispensers may be identical while the compositions contained therein may be not identical.
In an exemplary top-fill implementation, dispenser may be partially preassembled, as follows. The actuating mechanism 38 may be assembled. The piston may be inserted through the upper end and bottomed. The screw threaded distal portion 52 may be inserted through the barrel lower end and screwed into the piston aperture until a stop 53 thereon hits the piston. Then, the mechanism 38 may be pushed up a final bit so that the flange 84 passes along and outwardly flexes leaves 81 and then release the leaves to permit engagement of the teeth 80 and 82 and capture of the rib 68 in the channel/groove 70. After the preassembly, the dispensers may be boxed and shipped to a filler. The filler may fill the barrel with the composition atop the piston. The filler may then place the applicator (e.g., including a removeable foil seal) over the barrel upper end and then place the cap over the applicator.
One or more embodiments of the present invention have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the principles may be applied in the reengineering of an existing applicator configuration or in a clean sheet engineering. If a reengineering, details of the existing configuration may influence details of any given implementation. Additionally, to the extent that existing manufacturing equipment is desired to be used this may also influence the associated implementation. Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.
Benefit is claimed of U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 60/670,500, filed Apr. 11, 2005, and entitled “Applicator for Personal Care Compositions”, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein as if set forth at length.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5000356 | Johnson et al. | Mar 1991 | A |
| 5547302 | Dornbusch et al. | Aug 1996 | A |
| 5697531 | Fattori | Dec 1997 | A |
| 5839622 | Bicknell et al. | Nov 1998 | A |
| 5961007 | Dornbusch et al. | Oct 1999 | A |
| 6086276 | Gueret | Jul 2000 | A |
| 6143284 | Bush et al. | Nov 2000 | A |
| 6450716 | Szekely | Sep 2002 | B1 |
| 20050002883 | Chuah et al. | Jan 2005 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60670500 | Apr 2005 | US |
