Patent Application
20250064271
This patent specification relates to the field of devices for dispensing dentifrices. More specifically, this patent specification relates to a device for dispensing controlled amounts of dentifrices, such as toothpaste and gel.
The use of fluoride containing toothpaste has been shown to be important in maintaining healthy teeth and preventing cavities. However, it is critical to use the correct amount of fluoride containing toothpaste during each toothbrushing session to provide optimal effectiveness against cavities while minimizing the risk of negative effects from excessive fluoride ingestion from toothbrushing. This is particularly important for young children, so using a ‘smear’ or ‘grain of rice’ sized amount of fluoride toothpaste for children up to 3 years of age and a ‘pea-sized amount’ is recommended for ages 3-6 years. Unfortunately, as current literature has shown, many adults and children are unable to dispense and use the amount of fluoride toothpaste that is appropriate for the age of the tooth brusher.
Therefore, a need exists for novel devices for dispensing controlled amounts of dentifrices, such as toothpaste and gel.
A controlled dentifrice dispensing device is provided. The device may include a reservoir that is configured to hold a volume of dentifrice. A pump may be coupled to the reservoir and configured to withdraw dentifrice from the reservoir when the pump is engaged by an actuator. The pump may be engaged by the actuator when the actuator is pressed towards the reservoir. The distance that the actuator is able to be pressed towards the reservoir may be controlled by a plurality of metering channels that may extend longitudinally towards the reservoir that may interact, directly or indirectly, with the actuator. When the actuator interacts with a relatively longer metering channel, the actuator may engage the pump to a greater degree than when the actuator interacts with a relatively shorter metering channel, thereby allowing the pump to withdraw a greater amount of dentifrice from the reservoir and to dispense the greater amount of dentifrice from the actuator, preferably onto a user's toothbrush.
In further embodiments, the device may include a reservoir having a reservoir cavity that is configured to hold a volume of dentifrice, the reservoir having a proximal end and a distal end. A first metering channel may be coupled to the reservoir, and the first metering channel may have a first channel length. A second metering channel may be coupled to the reservoir, and the second metering channel may have a second channel length that is less than the first channel length. The device may also include an actuator and a pump. The actuator may have a dispensing aperture and a controlling protrusion, and the actuator movably coupled to the reservoir. The actuator may be positionable in a first position and a second position. When the actuator is positioned in the first position and moved towards the distal end, the controlling protrusion may be configured to enter the first metering channel and travel the first channel length, and when the actuator is positioned in the second position and moved towards the distal end, the controlling protrusion may be configured to enter the second metering channel and travel the second channel length. The pump may be fluid communication with the reservoir and with the dispensing aperture. The pump may be operated by moving the actuator towards the distal end, and the pump may be operable to withdraw a first amount of dentifrice from the reservoir and to dispense the first amount of dentifrice from the dispensing aperture as the controlling protrusion travels the first channel length, and the pump may be operable to withdraw a second amount of dentifrice from the reservoir and to dispense the second amount of dentifrice from the dispensing aperture as the controlling protrusion travels the second channel length and the first amount of dentifrice may be greater than the second amount of dentifrice.
In further embodiments, the dispensing aperture may be formed in the controlling protrusion.
Some embodiments of the present invention are illustrated as an example and are not limited by the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which like references may indicate similar elements and in which:
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well as the singular forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one having ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and the present disclosure and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.
In describing the invention, it will be understood that a number of techniques and steps are disclosed. Each of these has individual benefit and each can also be used in conjunction with one or more, or in some cases all, of the other disclosed techniques. Accordingly, for the sake of clarity, this description will refrain from repeating every possible combination of the individual steps in an unnecessary fashion. Nevertheless, the specification and claims should be read with the understanding that such combinations are entirely within the scope of the invention and the claims.
For purposes of description herein, the terms “upper,” “lower,” “left,” “right,” “rear,” “front,” “side,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” and derivatives thereof shall relate to the invention as oriented in
Although the terms “first,” “second,” etc. are used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another element. For example, the first element may be designated as the second element, and the second element may be likewise designated as the first element without departing from the scope of the invention.
As used in this application, the term “about” or “approximately” refers to a range of values within plus or minus 10% of the specified number. Additionally, as used in this application, the term “substantially” means that the actual value is within about 10% of the actual desired value, particularly within about 5% of the actual desired value and especially within about 1% of the actual desired value of any variable, element or limit set forth herein.
A new controlled dentifrice dispensing device is discussed herein. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be evident, however, to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details.
The present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments illustrated by the figures or description below.
The present invention will now be described by example and through referencing the appended figures representing preferred and alternative embodiments.
The device 100 may comprise a reservoir 11 having a cavity 16 that is configured to hold a desired volume of dentifrice 200. Preferably, a reservoir 11 may be configured to hold a volume of dentifrice 200 that may be between 3 ounces and 10 ounces, although it may be configured to hold larger or smaller amounts.
The reservoir 11 may have a proximal end 21 and an opposing distal end 22, and the proximal end 21 may be movably coupled to the actuator 13 so that the actuator 13 may be moved relative to the reservoir 11. Preferably, a reservoir 11 may comprise one or more reservoir walls 23 that may extend between the proximal end 21 and distal end 22. A reservoir 11 may be configured in any shape and size. For example, a reservoir 11 may comprise a generally cylindrical shaped reservoir wall 23 and the reservoir 11 may be generally cylindrical shaped as shown in
In some embodiments, the device 100 may comprise a cap 19 that may be removably coupled to the distal end 22 of the reservoir 11. Preferably, a cap 19 may allow access to the reservoir cavity 16, such as for dentifrice 200 filling and refilling purposes. Optionally, an actuator 13 may be coupled to the proximal end 21 of the reservoir 11 and a cap 19 may be coupled to the distal end 22 of the reservoir 11 so that the cap 19 is coupled to the opposite end of the reservoir 11 that the actuator 13 is coupled to. A cap 19 may be removably coupled to the reservoir 11 via threading 24 or any other suitable connection method.
The device 100 may comprise an actuator 13 which may be movably coupled, either directly or indirectly, to the reservoir 11. For example, an actuator 13 may be directly movably coupled to the reservoir 11 so that the actuator 13 may contact and slide against one or more reservoir wall 23. As another example, an actuator 13 may be coupled to the movable piston 12A of the pump 12 and the pump 12 may be coupled to the reservoir 11 so that the actuator 13 may be indirectly movably coupled to the reservoir 11. In preferred embodiments, the actuator 13 may be rotatably coupled, either directly or indirectly, to the reservoir 11 so that the actuator 13 may be configured to be rotated into and between one or more positions 71, 72, (
In preferred embodiments, the actuator 13 may be biased away from the distal end 22 of the reservoir 11 so that after a user stops pressing or motivating the actuator 13 to be relatively closer to the distal end 22, the actuator 13 may return to a position that is relatively farther from the distal end 22. An actuator 13 may be biased away from the distal end 22 via an actuator spring 18, a spring 12B of the pump 12, or other suitable biasing device or method. Example, springs include tension/extension springs, compression springs, constant-force springs, torsion springs, variable springs, coil springs, etc.
In preferred embodiments, a user may press or otherwise move or motivate the actuator 13 in order to engage or operate the pump 12. In preferred embodiments, an actuator 13 may be moved or pressed towards the distal end 22 of the reservoir 11. Generally, an actuator 13 may dispense dentifrice 200 motivated out of the reservoir cavity 16 by the pump 12 through a dispensing aperture 20. The actuator 13 may comprise a conduit 17 that may extend through the actuator 13. The conduit 17 may provide fluid communication between the pump 12 and dispensing aperture 20. An actuator 13 may be configured in any size and shape. Preferably, an actuator 13 may comprise a top wall 25 that may form the portion of the actuator 13 that is most distal to the reservoir 11, and the top wall 25 may comprise an actuator top surface 26 that a user may contact and press on to move the actuator 13 towards the distal end 22.
An actuator 13 may comprise a dispensing aperture 20 and a controlling protrusion 15. Generally, a dispensing aperture 20 may form an opening that may be in communication with the conduit 17 that enables dentifrice 200 that is motivated by the pump 12 to exit the device 100, and a controlling protrusion 15 may comprise a protrusion that may enter and interact with the metering channels 31, 32, 33, 34, in order to control the stroke of the pump 12 and therefore to control the amount of dentifrice 200 that may be motivated by the pump 12 to exit the device 100. In some embodiments, a dispensing aperture 20 and a controlling protrusion 15 may be separate from each other. In further embodiments, a dispensing aperture 20 may be formed in a controlling protrusion 15 of the actuator 13 so that dentifrice 200 may be motivated out of a dispensing aperture 20 in the controlling protrusion 15.
A controlling protrusion 15 may be configured in any size and shape which may enable the controlling protrusion 15 to contact portions of a metering channel 31, 32, 33, 34, including a stop wall 45, 46, 47, 48, of the metering channels 31, 32, 33, 34. As an example, a controlling protrusion 15 may comprise a cylindrical protrusion that may extend away from the top wall 25. As another example, a controlling protrusion 15 may comprise a rectangular prism shaped protrusion or any other shaped protrusion that may extend away from the top wall 25.
The device 100 may comprise a pump 12 that may be configured to withdraw dentifrice 200 from the reservoir 11 when the pump 12 is operated by an actuator 13. A pump 12 may comprise any pumping device that is capable of pumping liquid, gel, and paste dentifrices. As an example, a pump 12 may rely on components, such as the actuator 13, a piston 12A, a pump spring 12B, and one or more balls 12C, 12D, to produce suction to withdraw the fluid from the reservoir 11 and to dispense it out of the actuator 13. Each time a user pushes down on, or primes, the actuator 13, the actuator 13 pressed on an operates the piston 12A so that the piston 12A puts pressure on the pump spring 12B and moves one of the balls 12C, 12D, upward, taking some fluid with it. When the user releases the actuator 13, the piston 12A and spring 12B return to their resting position, sealing off the housing chamber to stop fluid from flowing into the reservoir 11.
Preferably, the device 100 may comprise a dip tube 14 that may be coupled to the pump 12 and which may extend into the reservoir 11. The dip tube 14 may comprise a fluid conduit, such as a hollow tube, through which the pump 12 may withdraw fluid from the reservoir 11 preferably near the bottom of the reservoir 11.
The device 100 may comprise one or more metering channels 31, 32, 33, 34, such as a first metering channel 31, a second metering channel 32, a third metering channel 33, a fourth metering channel 34, etc., which may be coupled to the reservoir 11. Generally, a metering channel 31, 32, 33, 34, may comprise a channel or track that a controlling protrusion 15 may fit into, and the distance that the actuator 13 may be moved may be governed by the length of the metering channel 31, 32, 33, 34. Preferably, each metering channel 31, 32, 33, 34, may be positioned proximate to the proximal end 21 of the reservoir 11. In some embodiments, each metering channel 31, 32, 33, 34, may be in communication with the proximal end 21 so that the entrance 36, 36, 37, 38, of each metering channel 31, 32, 33, 34, may be in the proximal end 21 of the reservoir 11.
Metering channels 31, 32, 33, 34, may be configured in any size and shape. In preferred embodiments, one or more metering channels 31, 32, 33, 34, may be elongated in shape, and one or more metering channels 31, 32, 33, 34, that are elongated in shape may each be elongated in a substantially parallel direction (plus or minus 10 degrees) to each other. For example, and as shown in
Each metering channel 31, 32, 33, 34, may comprise a channel entrance 35, 36, 37, 38, and a stop wall 45, 46, 47, 48. Preferably, channel entrances 35, 36, 37, 38, may each be the same distance from the distal end 22 of the reservoir 11, while each stop wall 45, 46, 47, 48, may be a different distance from the distal end 22 of the reservoir 11 relative to the other stop walls 45, 46, 47, 48. Preferably, the distance between the channel entrance 35, 36, 37, 38, and stop wall 45, 46, 47, 48, of a metering channel 31, 32, 33, 34, may define the channel length of that metering channel 31, 32, 33, 34. For example, and as perhaps best shown in
In some embodiments, one or more metering channels 31, 32, 33, 34, may be directly coupled to the reservoir 11 by being formed, e.g., cut into, molded into, etc., into a reservoir wall(s) 23. In other embodiments, one or more metering channels 31, 32, 33, 34, may be indirectly coupled to the reservoir 11 by being formed, e.g., cut into, molded into, etc., into a structure that may then be coupled to reservoir wall(s) 23.
In some embodiments, the device 100 may comprise a reservoir 11 having one or more metering channels 31, 32, 33, 34, and an actuator 13 may be movably coupled to the reservoir 11. The actuator 13 may be rotated to a position, such as a first position 71, a second position 72, etc., so that when the actuator 13 is pressed down to operate the pump 12, the controlling protrusion 15 may enter a desired metering channel 31, 32, 33, 34, and the downward movement of the actuator 13, and therefore pump stroke of the pump 12, may be limited or stopped when the controlling protrusion 15 contacts the bottom or stop wall 45, 46, 47, 48, of the desired metering channel 31, 32, 33, 34. When the controlling protrusion 15 is pressed down into a relatively longer metering channel 31, 32, 33, 34, the actuator 13 may engage the pump 12 to a greater degree than when the controlling protrusion 15 is pressed down into a relatively shorter metering channel 31, 32, 33, 34, thereby allowing the pump 12 to withdraw a greater amount of dentifrice 200 from the reservoir 11 and to dispense the greater amount of dentifrice 200 from the dispensing aperture 20.
The device 100 may comprise any number of metering channels 31, 32, 33, 34, preferably with each metering channel 31, 32, 33, 34, having a different depth (so that the stop wall 45, 46, 47, 48, of each metering channel 31, 32, 33, 34, may be a different distance from the distal end 22) and so that when the controlling protrusion 15 is pressed down into a metering channel 31, 32, 33, 34, the pump 12 may dispense a different amount of dentifrice from the dispensing aperture 20 depending on which metering channel 31, 32, 33, 34, the controlling protrusion 15 is pressed into. For example, the reservoir 11 may comprise four metering channels 31, 32, 33, 34, with the shortest metering channel 34 allowing approximately 5 grams (or corresponding volume) of dentifrice 200 to be dispensed, the next longest metering channel 33 allowing approximately 25 grams (or corresponding volume) of dentifrice 200 to be dispensed, the next longest metering channel 32 allowing approximately 50 grams (or corresponding volume) of dentifrice 200 to be dispensed, and the longest metering channel 31 allowing approximately 75 grams (or corresponding volume) of dentifrice 200 to be dispensed.
While some exemplary shapes and sizes have been provided for elements of the device 100, it should be understood to one of ordinary skill in the art that the reservoir 11, actuator 13, controlling protrusion 15, and any other element described herein may be configured in a plurality of sizes and shapes including “T” shaped, “X” shaped, square shaped, rectangular shaped, cylinder shaped, cuboid shaped, hexagonal prism shaped, triangular prism shaped, or any other geometric or non-geometric shape, including combinations of shapes. It is not intended herein to mention all the possible alternatives, equivalent forms or ramifications of the invention. It is understood that the terms and proposed shapes used herein are merely descriptive, rather than limiting, and that various changes, such as to size and shape, may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.
Additionally, while some materials have been provided, in other embodiments, the elements that comprise the device 100 may be made from or may comprise durable materials such as aluminum, steel, other metals and metal alloys, wood, hard rubbers, hard plastics, fiber reinforced plastics, carbon fiber, fiberglass, resins, polymers or any other suitable materials including combinations of materials. Additionally, one or more elements may be made from or may comprise durable and slightly flexible materials such as soft plastics, silicone, soft rubbers, or any other suitable materials including combinations of materials. In some embodiments, one or more of the elements that comprise the device 100 may be coupled or connected together with heat bonding, chemical bonding, adhesives, clasp type fasteners, clip type fasteners, rivet type fasteners, threaded type fasteners, other types of fasteners, or any other suitable joining method. In other embodiments, one or more of the elements that comprise the device 100 may be coupled or removably connected by being press fit or snap fit together, by one or more fasteners such as magnetic type fasteners, threaded type fasteners, sealable tongue and groove fasteners, snap fasteners, clip type fasteners, clasp type fasteners, ratchet type fasteners, a push-to-lock type connection method, a turn-to-lock type connection method, a slide-to-lock type connection method or any other suitable temporary connection method as one reasonably skilled in the art could envision to serve the same function. In further embodiments, one or more of the elements that comprise the device 100 may be coupled by being one of connected to and integrally formed with another element of the device 100.
Although the present invention has been illustrated and described herein with reference to preferred embodiments and specific examples thereof, it will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that other embodiments and examples may perform similar functions and/or achieve like results. All such equivalent embodiments and examples are within the spirit and scope of the present invention, are contemplated thereby, and are intended to be covered by the following claims.
This application claims priority to and the benefit of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/578,253, filed on Aug. 23, 2023, entitled “CONTROLLED DENTIFRICE DISPENSING DEVICE”, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63578253 | Aug 2023 | US |
