Patent Application
20110219623
Hand held liquid dispensing devices, such as razors and toothbrushes, are known. For example, razors that dispense liquid have been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,653,188, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,701674 and 5,070611, and U.S. Applications 2009/0235530, 2009/0211099, 2009/0183371, 2008/0216322, and 2006/0272154. Disclosed in these and other publications are various wet shaving product configurations that include systems for conveying a shaving preparation during shaving, e.g., a lubricating fluid, from a reservoir incorporated in the razor structure in the form of a hollowed out razor handle or even an aerosol can that acts as a razor handle, to a dispensing location near the head of the razor. A number of more recent wet shaving razors have cartridges that are moveably mounted, in particular, pivotable, relative to the handle structures on which they are mounted either permanently, in the case of disposable safety razors intended to be discarded when the blade or blades have become dulled, or detachably to allow replacement of the blade unit on a reusable handle structure. Exemplary razors of this sort are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,789,321 and 7,127,817. Exemplary toothbrushes having pumps are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,918,995, 5,458,563, and 7,699,552.
Additionally, the use of movable actuators to dispense liquid from the razor is known. Examples of razors utilizing peristaltic pumps are disclosed in U.S. Applications 2006/0289031 and 2008/0016692. However, many of these wet razors that dispense liquid during use are awkward to operate and cumbersome to hold because of the size and shape needed to accommodate a peristaltic pump. Some of these devices require the mechanism for dispensing the liquid to be reset after every operation of the device. Moreover, some even require multiple parts and electrical power from a wall outlet, limiting the portability of the hand held device. Furthermore, with multiple parts, when stored and during operation, these hand held devices occupy valuable space in bathrooms that are typically limited in size. Additionally, most peristaltic pumps contain a rotor with rollers attached thereto. Smaller peristaltic pumps, however, requires nodes or nubs on a rotor, rather than rollers, like those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,098261 and 4,025,241, and GB 2,270,300. When rotated, the nodes or nubs tend to pull and/or tug on the tube transporting the liquid. This pulling and tugging by the smaller peristaltic pumps is believed to cause displacement of the tube, as well as wear and tear on the material of the tube, ultimately reducing the life of the device. Exemplary toothbrushes having pumps are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,918,995, 5,458,563, and 7,699,552.
A need therefore exists to provide a razor that overcomes one or more of the aforementioned problems.
One aspect of the present invention provides a hand held device for dispensing a liquid upon actuation by the user. The device can be a hand held device such as a liquid dispensing razor or can be a dispensing toothbrush or other personal car product. The hand held device comprises a handle and a device head that is operably connected to the handle. Where the device is a hair removal device, it can be by shaving with a razor or other hair removal technology, such as depilatories. The handle comprises a proximal end that forms a product dispensing aperture and a distal end, opposite of the proximal end, that forms a cavity for housing a fluid disposed within the handle. The product dispensing aperture in the proximal end of the handle is in fluid communication with the cavity in the distal end of the handle via a supply channel. Additionally, a peristaltic pump is positioned between the proximal end and the distal end of the handle. The peristaltic pump comprises a rotating actuator that is physically engaged with the supply channel and configured to transport fluid from the vicinity of the cavity to the product dispensing aperture when triggered. The device of the present invention comprises a flexible barrier between the rotating actuator and the supply channel, allowing the rotating actuator to indirectly engage the supply channel.
In another embodiment, the actuator is equipped with a ratchet system, limiting the actuator has a unidirectional rotation, allowing only fluid to move out of the cavity and through the aperture. In another embodiment, the rotating actuator on the peristaltic pump comprises at least two nodes. At least one of these at least two nodes is in contact with the supply channel forming a pinch point. At least one of the nodes forms a pinch point with the supply channel throughout the rotation of the rotating actuator.
In yet another embodiment, the invention features a rotating actuator with a central axis and a maximum radial movement of up to about 15 mm. In one embodiment, the device further comprises a channel in the handle, allowing for the movement of the rotating actuator within the channel. Furthermore, a notch may be located along the channel, indicating the central axis of the peristaltic pump. Additionally, a spring may be attached to the peristaltic pump allowing it to return to its central axis after it has been moved within the channel.
Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims Methods of using said device are also provided.
As shown in
The cavity (202), or a removable pouch/container within the cavity (205) as shown in
Furthermore, as shown in
Additionally, the contact wheel (303), along with the actuator (301) may be positioned to have various axes of rotation. In one embodiment, the contact wheel (303) and the actuator (301) rotate around an axis substantially parallel to the proximal-distal axis (208) of the handle (200), within about 0 to 30 degrees from parallel of the proximal-distal axis (208) of the handle (200). In another embodiment, as shown in
In an embodiment shown in
Without intending to be bound by theory, it is believed that the addition of the flexible barrier can extend the life of the device by minimizing wear and tear on the internal parts which would be in direct contact with the nodes. Further, the barrier allows the device to be more accommodating to various types of users, such as those who push down with a great amount of force on the rotating actuator. Additionally, the flexible barrier may act as a cushioning member to spread out the force applied by each node onto the supply channel. This can allow the force to be more evenly distributed across the supply channel to push a more consistent amount of composition along.
One possible effect on the supply channel (201) is the eventual deformation of the supply channel (201) material, potentially wearing down the supply channel (201) prematurely. A second possible effect on the supply channel (201) is pulling or tugging of the supply channel (201) by the nodes (302). This is believed to cause the supply channel (201) to reposition within the handle (200), having many potentially undesirable consequences on the hand held device (100). One potential consequence includes the repositioning the supply channel (201) to where it becomes disengaged with the rotating actuator (301), minimizing or preventing the nodes (302) from forming a pinch point. If this were to occur, the nodes (302) would not be to direct fluid through the supply channel (201). Another potential outcome from the supply channel (201) repositioning due to friction with the nodes (302) would be disconnection of the supply channel (201) from the either the cavity (202) or the product dispensing aperture (203). If the supply channel (201) disconnected from either of these two elements, the performance of hand held device (100) could be hindered.
Additionally, the flexible barrier (305), shown in
In one embodiment, the barrier material comprises a composite of PTFE and glass cloth or tape, such as coating the glass with PTFE. Without intending to be bound by theory, it is believed that the PTFE coated glass is preferred because of its strength and flexibility PTFE coated glass cloth/tape. One example of a commercially available version of this material is PTFE Coated Glass Cloth/Teflon Tape from PAR Group out of the UK. It is believed that PTFE coated glass cloth or Teflon Tape combines the properties of PTFE/Teflon with the mechanical strength of glass cloth. It has a good heat and chemical resistance along with excellent non stick properties. It is available in plain or self adhesive backed and as anti static if required. This material is believed to withstand temperatures between −190° C. to +260° C. Further, the PTFE coated glass can have a thickness such as from about 0.07 mm to about 0.5 mm, or from about 0.1 mm to about 0.25 mm, or from about 0.15 mm to about 0.2 mm, ±0.005 mm. This material can also be used along with other materials to form a layered barrier of the overall thickness described below.
Where the barrier material comprises a thermoplastic material (such as PTFE or the PTFE coated glass) as the portion of the barrier forming the node contacting surface, an acceptable static coefficient of friction between polished steel and the material used to form the node contacting surface of the flexible material may be less than 0.3, while an acceptable dynamic coefficient of friction (“CoF”) may be less than 0.45, or less than the static friction. Those of skill in the art will understand that dynamic CoF is also referred to as kinetic CoF. In one embodiment, the static and/or dynamic coefficient of friction for the flexible barrier (305) may be in the range of about 0.05 to 0.30, preferably from about 0.10 to about 0.20. Those of skill in the art will understand that static friction is friction between two solid objects that are not moving relative to each other, and dynamic friction occurs when two objects are moving relative to each other and rub together (like a sled on the ground. The static and dynamic CoF for the material used to form the node contacting surface of the barrier material can be determined in accordance with ASTM D3702, here the sample specimen is mated against a steel thrust washer. The test apparatus is rotated and the torque required is measured. Those of skill in the art will understand that if a metal barrier is used, the nodes can have one of the above described low friction thermoplastic materials in the portion of the node which contacts the flexible barrier. In such an embodiment, the thermoplastic material used to form the node can have a CoF as herein described.
In one embodiment, one of both sides of the barrier material can be polished to form a smooth surface to make the barrier and node have even less friction, preferably it is the surface which contacts the nodes. The other surface of the barrier (which contacts the supply channel can similarly be polished but could also be left rough or have texture added to it. One benefit of adding texture to the surface contacting the supply channel is that it decreases the ability of either the barrier or supply channel to get displaced or dragged relative to one another. In one embodiment, the flexible barrier comprises a rotating actuator or node contacting surface comprising thermoplastic material or metal having the static and/or dynamic CoF as described above, and a supply channel contacting surface which can also be made of a thermoplastic material and/or a metal but have a higher CoF than the rotating actuator/node contacting surface. The two surfaces can be made by a two layer flexible barrier, or a barrier made of many layers. Although the layers can be made of different materials, they can also be made of the same material.
An acceptable thickness of the flexible barrier (305) may be between about 0.07 mm to about 1.5 mm, or about 0.15 mm and 1.2 mm, or may be between about 0.5 mm and 1.0 mm±0.005 mm. A thickness within this range of most thermoplastic materials may provide an appropriate amount of deformation for the node (302) of the rotating actuator (301) to indirectly create a pinch point in the supply channel (201). If the flexible material is too thick, proper deformation may not occur, resulting in a loss of the peristalsis effect in the supply channel (201). Moreover, a flexible barrier (305) too thin may not guard the supply channel (201) from the flexible barrier's designed beneficial effects. The barrier can also be thinner or thicker depending upon the flexibility and resiliency of the materials used.
In one embodiment, the flexible barrier comprises a material having a relatively low stiffness to allow it to flex and deform when contacted by the rotating actuator and/or node(s) such that the supply channel can similarly flex and deform moving a volume of the composition towards the dispensing location. In one embodiment, the material or materials used to form the flexible barrier has a young's modulus of from about 0.01 GPa to about 200 GPa, preferably from about 0.1 GPa to about 100 GPa, more preferably from about 1 GPa to about 70 GPa. Those of skill in the art will understand that stiffness is an extensive material property which can be impacted by the proportion of the sample, whereas young's modulus is an intensive or bulk property which does not depend on the size or volume of material in the sample. Further, although the barrier can be made of multiple layers consisting of one or more different materials, it is preferable that the entire barrier be flexible so a force applied by the rotating actuator and/or node can be transferred through the flexible barrier to create the pinch point on the supply conduit.
Further, without intending to be bound by theory, it is believed that without the flexible barrier, the rotating actuator can have an inconsistent feel when rotating (possibly caused by the movement of the nodes over the supply conduit. This can cause the rotating actuator to feel notchy. Without intending to be bound by theory, it is believed that the friction barrier smoothes out the action of the rotating actuator making it feel a more efficient pumping action.
In another embodiment, the device comprises a ratchet mechanism (306), which reduces the rotation of the actuator (301) to unidirectional rotation.
The invention may further contain a nozzle (204) attached to the product dispensing aperture (203) for dispensing the fluid onto a variety of surfaces. These various surfaces may include the guard of a shaving cartridge, the skin of the user, or a combination of the two. The nozzle (204) may extend from the product dispensing aperture (203) to the guard of a shaving cartridge and be shaped for equal distribution of the fluid onto the guard. Moreover, the handle may further include a closure (211) that allows access to the cavity (202) for cleaning and refilling with the fluid, or removing a sachet or pouch (205). The closure (211) may be a cap that screws onto the handle (200), a cap that slidably engages with the handle (200), or a panel that opens on the handle (200). Furthermore, the peristaltic pump (300) may be electrically actuated rather than manually actuated. The handle (200) may contain a small electric motor (307) connected to the peristaltic pump (300) described above. The user may simply turn the electric motor (307) on and off to control the amount of fluid pumped from the cavity (202) during operation of the hand held device (100). The electric motor (307) enables the user to dispense fluid during operation of the hand held device (100) with minimal effort compared to the manual actuation of the peristaltic pump (300).
A method for using the hand held device (100) comprises actuating the peristaltic pump (300) to dispense fluid from the cavity (202) through the product dispensing aperture (203), dispensing fluid onto a surface for hair removal, and removing hair from the surface via the hand held device (100).
It should be understood that every maximum numerical limitation given throughout this specification includes every lower numerical limitation, as if such lower numerical limitations were expressly written herein. Every minimum numerical limitation given throughout this specification includes every higher numerical limitation, as if such higher numerical limitations were expressly written herein. Every numerical range given throughout this specification includes every narrower numerical range that falls within such broader numerical range, as if such narrower numerical ranges were all expressly written herein.
All parts, ratios, and percentages herein, in the Specification, Examples, and Claims, are by weight and all numerical limits are used with the normal degree of accuracy afforded by the art, unless otherwise specified.
The dimensions and values disclosed herein are not to be understood as being strictly limited to the exact numerical values recited. Instead, unless otherwise specified, each such dimension is intended to mean both the recited value and a functionally equivalent range surrounding that value. For example, a dimension disclosed as “40 mm” is intended to mean “about 40 mm”.
All documents cited in the DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION are, in the relevant part, incorporated herein by reference; the citation of any document is not to be construed as an admission that it is prior art with respect to the present invention. To the extent that any meaning or definition of a term or in this written document conflicts with any meaning or definition in a document incorporated by reference, the meaning or definition assigned to the term in this written document shall govern.
Except as otherwise noted, the articles “a,” “an,” and “the” mean “one or more.”
While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of this invention.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/340,289 filed Mar. 15, 2010.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61340289 | Mar 2010 | US |
