Claims
- 1. Apparatus for personal hygiene, in particular for oral hygiene comprising:
- a casing, a reservoir fitted on the casing for containing a liquid supply, a dispenser of an additive for addition to the liquid in the reservoir, the casing including means for receiving the dispenser, the receiving means comprises a housing situated below the reservoir, means for connecting the outlet of the dispenser to the interior of the reservoir, and means for activating said dispenser.
- 2. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the casing encloses a hydraulic pump connected by a flexible tubing to a handpiece, the reservoir being removably fitted on the casing fur supplying liquid to the pump, and the additive being a hygienic, cosmetic or therapeutic product.
- 3. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the dispenser is removable and replaceable.
- 4. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said dispenser comprises a container closed at the bottom by a flexible membrane and with an intermediate wall located above said membrane defining upper and lower compartments in the container, said intermediate wall having an opening therein to provide communication between the two compartments, means for removing the product contained within the lower compartment, a closure finger attached to the inside surface of said flexible membrane at a point opposite the opening so that pressure exerted on the membrane causes the closure finger to enter said opening and permits a measured quantity of product to be taken off from the lower compartment, said means for actuating said dispenser comprising a lever pivoted to the bottom of the casing below the dispenser.
- 5. Apparatus in accordance with claim 4, wherein said lever is coupled by a push-rod to a push-button which is located in a housing on the upper surface of the casing, and wherein means are provided for returning the push-button to its rest position.
- 6. Apparatus in accordance with claim 4, wherein said closure finger has a tip with reduced cross-section passing through said opening in the intermediate wall.
- 7. Apparatus in accordance with claim 4, wherein means are provided for returning the membrane to its rest position.
- 8. Apparatus in accordance with claim 7, wherein said return means consist of a spring washer fitted between said flexible membrane and the intermediate wall.
- 9. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the means connecting the outlet of the dispenser to the inside of the reservoir comprise a tube connected to a passage in the casing with its outlet directed towards the reservoir.
- 10. Apparatus in accordance with claim 9, wherein said means for removal of the product contained in the dispenser comprise a hollow needle connected to said tube and fixed to the bottom of the casing, its length being such that it pierces said membrane, when the dispenser is in position, at a point which is surrounded by an open, hollow boss on the lower surface of the intermediate wall.
- 11. Apparatus in accordance with claim 4, wherein the dispenser has in its upper wall an opening which is normally closed by a closure element which extends above said upper wall and can be moved towards the inside of the container to admit air thereto as the level of the product therein drops, and in that the dimensions of said housing are such that when the reservoir is placed on the apparatus, ready for use, it bears on said closure element and presses it down towards the inside of the container to admit air to said container.
- 12. A dispenser for use as part of an apparatus for personal hygiene which includes a reservoir for containing liquid, the dispenser being adapted to retain a dentifrice therein and to dispense the dentifrice therefrom upon demand, and comprising means on the dispenser for cooperating with complementary means on the apparatus to position the dispenser with respect to the apparatus so that dentifrice can be dispensed from the dispenser into the liquid in the reservoir of the apparatus, the dispenser comprising a container closed at the bottom by a flexible membrane and with an intermediate wall located above said membrane defining upper and lower compartments in the container, said intermediate wall having an opening therein to provide communication between the two compartments, means for removing the product contained within the lower compartment, a closure finger attached to the inside surface of said flexible membrane at a point opposite the opening so that pressure exerted on the membrane causes the closure finger to enter said opening and permits a measured quantity of product to be taken off from the lower compartment, said means for actuating said dispenser comprising a lever pivoted to the bottom of the casing below the dispenser.
- 13. A dispenser in accordance with claim 12, wherein it is hermetically sealed until required for use and comprises means for making a hole in its top for admitting air when it is to be used.
- 14. A dispenser in accordance with claim 13, wherein said hole is formed in the dispenser during manufacture and is sealed until the dispenser is required for use by means of a tear-off strip welded to the dispenser.
- 15. A dispenser in accordance with claim 13, wherein the dispenser is manufactured with a hole in its top closed by a ring and a membrane, a hollow closure member being located in the ring and having a sharp lower edge so that on pressing in the closure member the sharp edge cuts through the membrane, an air inlet hole being provided in the closure member.
- 16. A dispenser in accordance with claim 13, wherein said hole is closed by the reservoir when the latter is in position in the apparatus and open when the reservoir is removed, the bottom of the reservoir preferably having a pad of foam mounted on a metal plate retained with sufficient clearance in grooves on the bottom of the reservoir to be movable up and down therein.
- 17. A dispenser in accordance with claim 12, wherein the opening in the dispenser is made by means of a separate closure member having a tip for piercing, the closure member remaining in position in the dispenser once the opening is formed and being lifted in the axial direction by an extension of the closure finger when the latter enters the opening providing communication between the upper compartment and lower compartment, in order to admit air to said upper compartment.
- 18. A dispenser in accordance with claim 12, wherein the lower compartment and the product removing means are connected together by means of a tube attached to the bottom of the dispenser and opening into said lower compartment, the tube being closed until the dispenser is required by use by a membrane which is pierced by a projection in the casing when the dispenser is fitted into the casing.
- 19. A dispenser in accordance with claim 12, wherein the flexible membrane consists of an aluminum foil covered on each side with a plastics material.
- 20. A dispenser in accordance with claim 12, wherein the upper portion of the dispenser is provided with two pull-rings, preferably of a plastics material, for gripping the dispenser when it is empty and is to be removed from the apparatus.
- 21. A dispenser in accordance with claim 12, wherein a valve is provided, mounted by friction about the closure finger, this valve being entrained by the finger in both directions and its movement being limited by two fixed stops, an upper stop such that when it is pressed against the latter, said opening for connection between the two compartments is closed and that when it is moved away, said opening is clear and a lower stop which limits the travel of the valve on the finger.
- 22. A dispenser in accordance with claim 21, wherein the valve comprises a tubular part which fits on the finger and a head whose diameter is greater than said opening for connecting the two compartments and which moves between said lower and upper stops.
- 23. A dispenser in accordance with claim 22, wherein the intermediate wall is provided with a hollow cylindrical boss serving to guide the finger and surrounded by a cylindrical recess the base of which constitutes said lower stop for the valve, openings passing through said wall being provided astraddle the wall of the cylindrical recess and its base.
- 24. A dispenser in accordance with claim 23, wherein the closure finger is connected at its lower end to a washer and that a plate-spring is mounted on said finger against said washer such that its free ends bear against said intermediate wall in order to serve as a spring for returning the membrane to its inoperative position.
- 25. A dispenser in accordance with claim 24, wherein a protective base is provided below the membrane, which base has an opening in which a pusher-disc able to move against the action of the spring is mounted and that the central part of said membrane is clamped between the lower side of the washer and the upper side of said pusher-disc.
- 26. A dispenser in accordance with claim 25, wherein the dispenser is cylindrical and that is is surrounded by a protective wall in one piece with the protective base, said wall being provided at its upper end with a flange directed outwards and in its lower region with an asymmetrical projection also projecting outwards and that two resilient tongues are cut in said wall, these two tongues being longitudinal, diametrically opposed and provided at the end of their outer side with a lateral projection and horizontal ridges.
- 27. A dispenser in accordance with claim 24, wherein the closure finger is provided at its upper end with an annular groove, engaging resiliently in which is a radial rib formed inside the end of the tubular part of the valve in order to increase the frictional force between the finger and the valve in their inoperative positions.
- 28. A dispenser in accordance with claim 21, wherein when the dispenser has not yet been used, said outlet orifice is closed off by said flexible membrane which is compressed at this point between a boss formed on the lower surface of the intermediate wall which fits in a housing of complementary shape provided on the upper surface of the protective wall.
- 29. Apparatus in accordance wih claim 1, comprising a dispenser in accordance with claim 26 and a cylindrical recess whose diameter corresponds to the outer diameter of the wall for protecting the dispenser such that the flange of the dispenser rests on the periphery of this recess, the wall of the cylindrical recess being provided with an asymmetrical longitudinal groove for the passage of the asymmetrical projection of the dispenser and two diametrically opposed openings intended to receive the projections of the tongues, these two openings being surmounted by a recess to facilitate gripping of the dispenser by means of the two tongues which may be deformed radially in width.
Priority Claims (4)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
16365/76 |
Dec 1976 |
CHX |
|
16366/76 |
Dec 1976 |
CHX |
|
6484/77 |
May 1977 |
CHX |
|
14517/77 |
Nov 1977 |
CHX |
|
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 704,330 filed July 12, 1976 and now U.S. Pat. No. 4,078,558.
US Referenced Citations (5)
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
704330 |
Jul 1976 |
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