Patent Application
20230149964
The present invention generally relates to a device for preventing refilling of table-top sanitizer dispenser containers. More specifically, the invention relates to a device for detaching the dip tube to prevent removing and replacing the closure, pump and dip tube after refilling a single use table-top sanitizer dispenser container.
Current table-top hand sanitizer dispensers have a closure that screws onto the neck of a container. The closure connects a pump, a dip tube and dispenser nozzle to the container. Sometimes after the table-top hand sanitizer dispenser container is empty, a user unscrews the closure, removes the pump, dip tube and nozzle, refills the container, and screws the closure back on so the table-top dispenser can be reused. Often, the sanitizer that is used to refill the container is not the same as the original sanitizer. Accordingly, the ingredients in the table-top dispenser are not the ingredients listed on the container. Not only does this mislead and confuse customers as to the actual source of the sanitizer product, but it may be very harmful to users. For example, during the height of the corona virus pandemic, illegal, toxic and/or unregulated hand sanitizers were introduced into the market. Some of these illegal and unregulated hand sanitizers contain methanol, 1-propanol or other toxic additives, which are hazardous to consumers. Accordingly, a need exists to prevent refilling of containers of single use table-top dispensers.
Exemplary table-top sanitizer dispensers and dip tube separation members are disclosed herein. An exemplary table-top sanitizer dispenser includes a container. The container has a neck that has an inside diameter. The container having an annular wall extending outward from the base of the neck. The table-top dispenser has pump that has a pump housing. The pump housing has an annular retention member at the bottom of the housing. A nozzle is secured to the pump housing. A closure is also secured to the pump housing. The table-top dispenser further includes a dip tube. The dip tube is secured to the annular retention member. A dip tube separation member extending outward from the dip tub is also included. The dip tube separation member has a biased state and an unbiased state. In the biased state the dip tube separation member has a diameter that is smaller than the inside diameter of the neck. When the separation member moves toward its unbiased state, the separation member is wider than the inside diameter of the neck. When the dip tube is connected to the annular retention member and the separation member is located inside of the container, removing the closure and the pump from the container causes the dip tube to separate from the annular retention member and the dip tube remains in the container.
Another exemplary table-top sanitizer dispenser includes a container. The container has a neck. The neck has an inside diameter. A container surface extends outward from the bottom of the neck. The pump has a pump housing that has a dip tube connector at the bottom of the pump housing. A nozzle and a closure are secured to the pump housing. A dip tube is secured to the dip tube connector. A dip tube separation member extends outward from the dip tube. The dip tube separation member has a resilient body. The resilient body compresses to fit through the neck of the container. The resilient body expands upon passing through the neck of the container. After the closure, pump, dip tube and nozzle have been connected to the container, upward movement of the closure, pump, nozzle and dip tube connector causes the resilient body to engage with the surface extending outward from the bottom of the neck and causes the dip tube to separate from the dip tube connector.
Another exemplary table-top sanitizer dispenser includes a container having a neck that has an inside diameter and an annular wall that extends outward from the base of the neck. A pump is also included. The pump has a pump housing that has an annular retention member at the bottom of the pump housing. A nozzle and a closure are secured to the pump housing. A dip tube is secured to the annular retention member. Two or more resilient wings extend outward and upward from the dip tube. The two or more resilient wings biased outward. In their outward un-biased position the distance between the two or more wings is greater than the inside diameter of the neck and when the closure and the pump are separated from the container, the dip tube separates from the annular retention member and the dip tube remains in the container.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, and accompanying drawings in which:
The Detailed Description merely describes exemplary embodiments of the invention and is not intended to limit the scope of the claims in any way. Indeed, the invention is broader than and unlimited by the exemplary embodiments, and the terms used in the claims have their full ordinary meaning. In addition, the exemplar mythologies may include additional blocks or steps or may have some blocks or steps removed. Further, the blocks or steps may be performed in different orders.
Table-top sanitizing dispenser 300 includes a closure 310, a pump 320, an outlet nozzle 340, dip tube 330 and a dip tube separation member 332. Dip tube separation member 332 is an exemplary embodiment of an anti-refilling member. Pump 300 includes a pump housing 321, a pump chamber 326, a liquid inlet valve 322 and a liquid outlet valve 324. Nozzle 340 is secured to an upper portion of pump housing 321. Located at the bottom of pump housing 321 is a dip tube retention member 329. Pump housing 321 is connected to closure 310 by a chaplet 311.
Dip tube 330, which is a single use dip tube, has an elongated conduit 331 that extends from the pump housing 321 to the bottom of container 302. An upper portion 335 of the elongated conduit 331 extends into dip tube retention member 329. Located at an upper end of the elongated conduit 331 is a dip tube separation member 332. Dip tube separation member 332 is one or more members that have first position, which is at, or toward, un-biased position and a second position that is a biased position. In the first position, at least a portion of the one or more members have a width that is greater than the inside diameter of the neck 304. In the second position, the one or more members are configured to pass through the neck 304.
In this exemplary embodiment, dip tube separation member 332 has a pair of resilient wings 332A, 332B that extend outward and upward. Resilient wings 332A, 332B are biased outward. Resilient wings 332A, 332B include engagement members 333A, 333B. resilient wings 332A are configured to flex or deflect inward to a biased position to pass through neck 304. Once resilient wings 332A, 332B pass through the neck 304, they move outward toward their un-biased position. As resilient wings 332A, 332B move outward, engagement members 333A, 333B are located beneath annular wall 303. In some embodiments, engagement members 333A, 333B are in contact with annular wall 303.
When closure 310 is unscrewed from neck 304, dip tube 330 is prevented from moving upward because engagement members 333A, 333B contact annular wall 303. As a result, upper portion 335 of elongated conduit 311 pulls out of dip tube retention member 329, which is shown in
In some exemplary embodiments, dip tube separation member 332 has two or more wing members. In some embodiments, dip tube separation member 332 has three or more wing members. In some embodiments, dip tube separation member 332 has four or more wing members.
In some exemplary embodiments, dip tube separation member 332 has a single biased member, wherein the single biased member is configured to be biased inward to reduce its outside diameter or distance so that it fits through the neck, and expands or grows in outside diameter once it passes through the neck 304.
In some exemplary embodiments, dip tube separation member 332 extends radially outward from elongated conduit 330 and in some embodiments, extends upward from the bottom of the elongated conduit 330. In some exemplary embodiments, dip tube separation member 332 has a conical shape. In some exemplary embodiments, dip tube separation member 332 has a disc shape.
In some exemplary embodiments, dip tube 330 and/or dip tube retention member 329 has a fracture or plurality of partial fractures (not shown) in one of the upper portion 335 and the dip tube retention member 329. In that embodiment, rather than separating by pulling out, the upper portion 335 and/or the dip tube retention member 329 breaks off so that the elongated conduit 331 cannot be reconnected to the pump housing 321.
While various inventive aspects, concepts and features of the inventions may be described and illustrated herein as embodied in combination in the exemplary embodiments, these various aspects, concepts and features may be used in many alternative embodiments, either individually or in various combinations and sub-combinations thereof. Unless expressly excluded herein all such combinations and sub-combinations are intended to be within the scope of the present inventions. Still further, while various alternative embodiments as to the various aspects, concepts and features of the inventions—such as alternative materials, structures, configurations, methods, circuits, devices and components, software, hardware, control logic, alternatives as to form, fit and function, and so on—may be described herein, such descriptions are not intended to be a complete or exhaustive list of available alternative embodiments, whether presently known or later developed. Those skilled in the art may readily adopt one or more of the inventive aspects, concepts or features into additional embodiments and uses within the scope of the present inventions even if such embodiments are not expressly disclosed herein. Additionally, even though some features, concepts or aspects of the inventions may be described herein as being a preferred arrangement or method, such description is not intended to suggest that such feature is required or necessary unless expressly so stated. Still further, exemplary or representative values and ranges may be included to assist in understanding the present disclosure; however, such values and ranges are not to be construed in a limiting sense and are intended to be critical values or ranges only if so expressly stated. Moreover, while various aspects, features and concepts may be expressly identified herein as being inventive or forming part of an invention, such identification is not intended to be exclusive, but rather there may be inventive aspects, concepts and features that are fully described herein without being expressly identified as such or as part of a specific invention. Descriptions of exemplary methods or processes are not limited to inclusion of all steps as being required in all cases, nor is the order that the steps are presented to be construed as required or necessary unless expressly so stated.
This application claims priority to and any benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/280,252, filed Nov. 17, 2021, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63280252 | Nov 2021 | US |
