Field of the Invention: Embodiments of the invention relate to dispensing systems and more particularly to atomizers or aspirator-type dispensers and bottles configured to work with such atomizers or aspirator-type dispensers.
State of the Art: There are many different types of dispensers which may be used to atomize a fluid being dispensed therefrom. Some atomize a fluid utilizing an orifice having specific spin mechanic features designed to cause atomization. Others atomize a fluid by forcing the fluid to collide with a gas stream, such as air. For example, such dispensers are often referred to as aspirators and may include designs such as those illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 6,250,568, which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. Such devices may be used to atomize a fluid stream being dispensed therefrom. Such devices are often attached to a bottle filled with a fluid. As the bottle is squeezed, air and fluid from within the bottle are forced through the atomization device to produce an atomized spray of fluid.
While aspirators or other atomization devices exist, there are known issues with such devices. For instance, such devices often have one or more fluid or product outlets along with one or more air or gas outlets configured to allow the air and fluid to mix. When such devices are attached to a bottle and the bottle tips or falls on its side, fluid often leaks from the devices through both fluid and air outlets. Such leaking is undesirable. In addition, such devices may not produce complete atomization of the fluid, resulting in larger droplets or even streams of product fluid being dispensed instead of an atomized fog or cloud. Furthermore, the bottles used with such dispensers are often designed with a large bulb or reservoir at the top of the bottle to contain liquid during use and to provide an air pocket for initial use of the dispensing product. Such bottles do not allow complete evacuation of the fluid from the bottle or make it very difficult to do so.
Thus, there is a need for improved dispensing systems utilizing simple atomization features and having improved bottle and dispensing combinations to provide users with a better dispensing experience.
According to certain embodiments of the invention, a dispenser includes a bottle and an aspirator or atomizer. In some embodiments of the invention, a bottle may include a hand ledge defining a natural position for a user to place their hand. A hand ledge may be positioned below the upper third of the bottle. In other embodiments, a hand ledge may be positioned within the middle third of the bottle.
In other embodiments of the invention, a bottle may include a bottle curve adjacent to or above a hand ledge. The bottle curve may have rounded corners. In some embodiments of the invention, a cross-sectional slice of the bottle curve or hand ledge may be of substantially oval shape.
In still other embodiments of the invention, an atomizer may include features to allow the atomizer to be turned on or off. In some embodiments, an atomizer may be turned on and off by closure of a cap. In other embodiments, an atomizer may be turned on and off by rotation of a nozzle relative to a closure associated therewith. In still other embodiments, an atomizer may be turned on and off by a push/pull motion of a nozzle relative to a closure associated therewith.
While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming particular embodiments of the present invention, various embodiments of the invention can be more readily understood and appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art from the following descriptions of various embodiments of the invention when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
According to certain embodiments of the invention, a dispenser 100 may include an atomizer 200 attached to a bottle 900. For example, according to some embodiments of the invention, an atomizer 200 may be attached to a bottle as illustrated in
An atomizer 200 according to certain embodiments of the invention may include one or more molded components configured to attach to a bottle 900. Attachment of the atomizer 200 to the bottle 900 may be made in any one of many different ways. For instance, a bayonet-type closure as known may be used. In other embodiments, a screw-type closure may be used wherein threads on an interior surface of the atomizer 200 may mate with threads on an exterior surface of the bottle 900 to allow the atomizer 200 to be attached to the bottle 900. In still other embodiments, other connection systems may be used, including but not limited to, ultrasonic welding, snap-fit closure features, and plug-seal closure or connections. In addition, child-resistant or tamper evident features may be incorporated into the closure design to prevent or restrict removal of an atomizer 200 from a bottle 900 once the atomizer 200 is attached thereto. For example, ratchet features on the atomizer 200 and bottle 900 may work together to retain the atomizer 200 on the bottle 900. Various embodiments of the invention are not limited by how such features are incorporated with the dispensers 100 of the current invention.
In some embodiments of the invention, an atomizer 200 may include a flip-top aspirator such as those illustrated and described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,250,568. In other embodiments, an atomizer 200 according to various embodiments of the invention may incorporate other features.
An atomizer 200 according to certain embodiments of the invention may be part of a dispenser 100 as illustrated in
According to various embodiments of the invention, an atomizer 200 may include different shapes and aesthetic designs. For instance, the aesthetic design illustrated in
As illustrated in
A cross-sectional view of one embodiment of an atomizer 200 illustrated in
A chamber shell 208 may be snap-fitted or otherwise attached to the plug seal 204 above the one or more air passageways 214 and fluid passageways 216, creating a mixing chamber 209 between the chamber shell 208 and the plug seal 204. The chamber shell 208 may also include one or more orifice openings 210 in communication with the mixing chamber 209. An orifice opening 210 may allow product to pass from the mixing chamber 209 to atmosphere.
A closure 206 may attach and secure the plug seal 204 to an opening in a bottle 900. In some embodiments, a plug seal 204 may be attached to the closure 206 while in others the closure 206 may just hold the plug seal 204 in place. For example, as illustrated in
In some embodiments of the invention, a chamber shell 208 may also be attached to the closure 206 rather than to the plug seal 204.
An exterior shell 202 may be attached to the closure 206 as illustrated in
According to various embodiments of the invention, the exterior shell 202 may be customizable such that the closure 206, plug seal 204 and chamber shell 208 may be manufactured in mass and the exterior shell 202 changed to provide a custom aesthetic look for the atomizer 200. In this fashion, costs associated with manufacturing and assembling the atomizer 200 may be kept low by running most of the components in high-speed or high-cavitation molds while allowing for easy modification and customization by changing only the exterior shell 202.
While the atomizer 200 illustrated in
According to some embodiments of the invention, an atomizer may include features to allow the atomizer to be turned on and off or adjusted from a closed to an open position wherein in the closed or off position a product may not be dispersed from the dispenser 100 and in the open or on position, product distribution is possible. In some embodiments of the invention, the on/off or open/closed toggling is accomplished with an atomizer 300 having a push/pull feature. In other embodiments of the invention, the on/off or open/closed toggling is accomplished with an atomizer 400 having a rotational feature. Other features may be incorporated with various embodiments of the invention to control the on/off or open/closed states of an atomizer as desired.
An atomizer 300 having a push/pull toggle feature according to some embodiments of the invention is illustrated in
According to certain embodiments of the invention, the closure 310 of an atomizer 300 may include a primary wall 311 having a top surface and a bottom surface. A dip tube connector 312 may extend away from the bottom surface of the primary wall 311. The dip tube connector 312 may be circular in shape and may be configured to retain a dip tube 800 therein. One or more fluid openings 316 may extend through the primary wall 311, with one end of each of the one or more fluid openings 316 being on the bottom surface of the primary wall 311 and bounded by the dip tube connector 312 such that the one or more fluid openings 316 are in communication with an interior space formed by the dip tube connector 312. An example of a fluid opening 316 according to various embodiments of the invention is illustrated in
The closure 310 may also include one or more seal rings 318 extending off of and away from the bottom surface of the primary wall 311 as illustrated in
A closure 310 may also include a closure skirt 325 extending off of the primary wall 311 to help retain the closure 310 on a bottle 900. The closure skirt 325 may include one or more features used to connect the closure 310 to a bottle 900. For example, as illustrated in
A central post 330 may extend upwards from the primary wall 311 as illustrated in
An outer wall 335 may extend upwards from the primary wall 311 as illustrated in
An atomizer 300 according to various embodiments of the invention also includes a nozzle 340 as illustrated in
As illustrated, connection of the nozzle 340 to the closure 310 forms an interior chamber 341 between the nozzle 340 and the closure 310. The outer seal rib 350 of the nozzle 340 may seal against and contact an inner surface of the outer wall 335 of the closure 310, helping to define the interior chamber 341. The interior chamber 341 is open to or in communication with the one or more fluid openings 316 and one or more air holes 317. Fluid and air may pass freely into the interior chamber 341 through these openings and the contact between the outer seal rib 350 and the inner surface of the outer wall 335 prevents fluid from leaking from the atomizer 300.
A mixing chamber 338 is formed between a portion of the nozzle 340 circumscribed by the inner seal rib 344 and the central post 330. In an open or “on” state, the nozzle 340 is pulled away from the primary wall 311 of the closure 310, raising the position of the outer rib seal 350 relative to the outer wall 335 and expanding the volume of the interior chamber 341. At the same time, as the nozzle 340 is pulled away from the primary wall 311, the inner seal rib 344 disengages from contact with portions of the central post 330, exposing one or more flow channels 380 between the central post 330 and inner surface of the inner seal rib 344. The one or more flow channels 380 lead to the mixing chamber 338 where fluid and air are mixed before being expelled through the orifice opening 343 in the nozzle 340.
In a closed or “off” state, the nozzle 340 is pushed towards the primary wall 311 of the closure 310, resulting in an engagement of the inner seal rib 344 with an outer surface of the central post 330 such that fluid and air cannot pass from the interior chamber 341 into the mixing chamber 338. In this manner, the atomizer 300 may be turned “off” and leakage may be prevented because any fluid flowing into the interior chamber 341 is precluded from leaving the interior chamber 341 by the outer seal rib 350. The only place for fluid in the interior chamber 341 to go is to flow back into an interior of a bottle 900 attached to the atomizer 300.
According to various embodiments of the invention, an interior surface of the inner seal rib 344 may be configured to match the shape of the central post 330 to form a better seal. Flow channels 380 may be formed between the central post 330 and the inner seal rib 344 by changing the shape or creating channels in either or both of the respective parts.
A push/pull configuration of an atomizer 300 according to various embodiments of the invention may be turned on by pulling the nozzle 340 away from the closure 310 and may be turned off by pushing the nozzle 340 towards the closure 310. In addition, a twist feature may be added such that once pulled outwards, the nozzle 340 could be twisted into a locked position such that it will not be pushed back down towards the closure 310 without first rotating the nozzle 340 back to the original position. One or more posts on an exterior surface of the outer wall 335 may engage the outer skirt 346 of the nozzle 340 to prevent such movement as desired.
An atomizer 400 for use with a dispenser 100 according to other embodiments of the invention is illustrated in
According to various embodiments of the invention, an atomizer 400 closure 410 may include a primary wall 411 having a top surface and a bottom surface, the bottom surface configured to be adjacent a bottle 900 surface when the atomizer 400 is attached to a bottle 900. A closure skirt 425 may extend off of the primary wall 411 and may include closure features adapted to connect the atomizer 400 to a bottle 900. For instance, closure features as described with respect to other embodiments of the invention may be utilized, including threaded closure features, bayonet closure features, and snap-fit closure features. A dip tube connector 412 may also extend off of a bottom surface of the primary wall 411. In addition, in some embodiments of the invention, a dip tube connector 412 may extend off a secondary wall formed as part of the closure 410 but not necessarily as part of the primary wall 411 as illustrated in
A nozzle 440 of an atomizer 400 may include a nozzle face 443 having an orifice opening 443 passing through the nozzle face 443. An inner seal rib 444 may extend off of a bottom—or interior—surface of the nozzle 440, circumscribing the orifice opening 443. An outer seal rib 450 may extend off of a bottom—or interior—surface of the nozzle 440, circumscribing the inner seal rib 444. An outer skirt 446 circumscribes both the inner seal rib 444 and the outer seal rib 450 as illustrated in
According to various embodiments of the invention, a nozzle 440 fits onto the closure 410 such that the inner seal rib 444 sits adjacent the central post 430, circumscribing the central post 430 and coming into sealing contact with the central post 430 in certain configurations. The outer seal rib 450 contacts an inner surface of the outer wall 435 of the closure 410 in sealing engagement and is moveable against the inner surface of the outer wall 435. Fitment of the nozzle 440 on the closure 410 defines an interior chamber 441 in the atomizer 400. In addition, a mixing chamber 438 is defined between a bottom surface of the nozzle face 442 and the top of the central post 430 as illustrated in
The nozzle 440 may attach to the closure 410 by engagement of the outer skirt 446 of the nozzle 440 with the outer wall 435 of the closure 410. The nozzle 440 is attached to the closure 410 such that the nozzle 440 may be rotated relative to the closure 410 to turn the atomizer 400 on and off. In some embodiments, the nozzle 440 and the closure 410 may include corresponding ramps or other features to allow movement of the nozzle 440 up and down relative to the closure 410 to open and close the atomizer 400. In other embodiments, rotation of the nozzle 440 may move the nozzle 440 and corresponding openings in the nozzle 440 and closure 410 so that they align or do not align to form pathways through the atomizer 400. For example, as illustrated in
Similarly, portion of a bottom or lower surface of the nozzle face 442 may include grooves or openings that aligned with air flow channels 382 when the nozzle 440 is in an “on” or open position as illustrated in
When an atomizer 400 is in an “off” or closed position, the nozzle 440 prevents flow of any fluid, product, or air from the bottle 900 through the atomizer 400. When rotated to an “on” or open position, the nozzle 440 and closure 410 are aligned such that fluid may pass through one or more fluid flow channels 480 and air may pass through one or more air flow channels 382. Fluid and air passing through the respective channels may be mixed in the mixing chamber 438 and forced out of the orifice opening 443 as a fog or spray of product.
An atomizer 500 according to still other embodiments of the invention is illustrated in
A nozzle 540 may be connected to or mated with the closure 510 in such a way that the nozzle 540 may be rotated to move the atomizer 500 into an “on” or open position in which a product may be dispensed and into an “off” or closed position in which product is not and cannot be dispensed. A nozzle 540 may include an orifice opening 543 through a nozzle face 542. A nozzle wall 541 may extend off of a bottom surface of the nozzle face 542. As illustrated in
Attachment of the nozzle 540 to the closure 510 creates a mixing chamber 538 defined by an interior of the central post 530, a portion of the primary wall 511, and a bottom surface of the nozzle face 542. In an “on” or open position, the orifice opening 543 may be aligned with the mixing chamber 538 to allow product—fluid and air—in the mixing chamber 538 to escape through the orifice opening 543. In an “off” or closed position, the nozzle 540 is rotated such that the orifice opening 543 is no longer in communication with the mixing chamber 538, such that the mixing chamber 538 is sealed and product and air can only drain back into a bottle 900 connected to the atomizer 500.
In some embodiments of the invention, an atomizer 500 may include one or more stop features incorporated on the closure 510, the nozzle 540, or both to facilitate selection of “on” and “off” positions of the atomizer 500. For example, an atomizer 500 according to certain embodiments of the invention is illustrated in
An atomizer 600 according to other embodiments of the invention is illustrated in
An atomizer 600 according to other embodiments of the invention is illustrated in
An atomizer 600 according to still other embodiments of the invention is illustrated in
According to some embodiments of the invention, a bottle 900 may improve the functional aspects of a dispenser 100. The bottle 900 illustrated in
In other embodiments of the invention, the positioning of a bottle curve 952 may be critical to operation of the atomizer and the regulation of force to actuate and recovery of a bottle 900. For example, providing a bottle curve 952 above the hand ledge 950 that has a rounded configuration is believed to reduce the force to actuate and improve the recovery of the bottle 900. In addition, having a general bottle 900 cross-sectional shape that is substantially oval at the bottle curve 952 or in the middle of the hand ledge 950 area is believed to improve the force to actuate and the recovery of the bottle 900 following actuation of the bottle 900 and atomizer.
While various embodiments of the invention include different closure and nozzle features, it is understood that the particular combinations of such features are not limited. Various embodiments of the invention may utilize closure and nozzle features that are describe with respect to other embodiments of the invention.
Having thus described certain particular embodiments of the invention, it is understood that the invention defined by the appended claims is not to be limited by particular details set forth in the above description, as many apparent variations thereof are contemplated. Rather, the invention is limited only be the appended claims, which include within their scope all equivalent devices or methods which operate according to the principles of the invention as described.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/US2017/059911 | 11/3/2017 | WO | 00 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
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WO2018/128686 | 7/12/2018 | WO | A |
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