Patent Application
20220248827
The present application relates to dispensing systems for dispensing fluid personal care products including hair care, skin care, body care, and cosmetic products and in particular to dropper bottle type dispensing systems.
A wide range of personal care products, including hair care, skin care or skincare, body care, cosmetics, foundation, concealer, primer, and a range of other beauty products, that consumers replenish frequently. As used herein, personal care and beauty care are used interchangeably to cover the afore-mentioned broad range of products. Often personal care products are selected based on consumer experience with trying such products and achieving a certain result. For these products, rather than seeking newness and variety, consumers purchase the same product for consistency in application and results. Due to all the packaging typically used with personal care products, replenishing a consumer's product is expensive. High-end brands can have especially expensive packaging and e-commerce brands may be burdened with the extra expense of shipping costs based on volume and weight. This means the consumer ends up paying more to replenish personal care product supply.
What is needed is a product and in particular a personal care product dispensing system that provides for less expensive replenishment while maintaining an elevated consumer experience that is both seamless and fun. Such a product would increase customer loyalty to the brand providing it by dramatically decreasing the cost to the consumer of replenishing product while maintaining the same or an improved customer experience.
Such a replenishment mechanism would also enable the brand to launch a subscription service. In beauty today, we see “trial” subscription services where the consumer receives recurring shipments of mystery boxes with different product assortments. However, we do not see any companies that are successful in selling either single-brand or fixed-product subscriptions.
Another challenge in the beauty industry today is sustainability. The large amount of packaging used for beauty products is of increasing concern within today's political climate and among younger consumers.
What is needed is a product that can deliver an equally elevated consumer experience while requiring less packaging and being more environmentally friendly. Many consumers demand the products they purchase are “eco-friendly.”
Finally, to achieve their desired transformation for various occasions, consumers use multiple liquid/gel personal care products at the same time. For example, they might use primer and foundation, foundation and concealer or two types of foundation. They might use both products at the same time to get results on different areas of their face, or they may use one product on some occasions and another product or combination of products in other cases. They likely use these products up at a difference cadence.
What is needed is (1) a way for the consumer to replenish products based on their individual needs and the cadence at which they use up each product and (2) the ability to carry a single product that can deliver the benefits of multiple products.
The present invention is a product that supports ongoing replenishment. It makes it less expensive for a company to replenish the consumer's product and, therefore, it makes it less expensive for the consumer to continue buying the same product. This increases loyalty. The replenishment mechanism also has a lower environmental impact, resonating with consumer values. The replenishment experience is seamless and fun for the consumer. Finally, the reusable dropper bottle dispenser may be used to support a variety of personal care products supplied in a common replacement capsule format. This means that consumers can exchange capsules supported by the reusable dropper bottle as they desire to enjoy use of the base dispensing mechanism with multiple product types.
When the consumer uses up or depletes personal care product, the consumer can easily replace them. For example, the consumer may open the dropper bottle at the top cover, which may be completely removable in a threaded manner. The consumer then removes the spent capsule of product and replaces it with a new capsule of the same or other type of product. The consumer then replaces the cover on the dispenser and proceeds to use the dropper bottle dispenser as before. The process of replacing the capsule provides an improved configuration that is mess-free and spill-proof. The capsules in this manner provided added benefit as they are comprised of significantly thinner material than the reusable dropper bottle and are therefore significantly less expensive to make and less expensive to ship. They also have a reduced environmental impact. To make it easy for the consumer to refill the product correctly—specifically to make sure they are replacing a used capsule with the same type of product—the capsules may be color-coded or themed or designed with different patterns that are easily recognizable.
The present invention may be applied to a wide range of personal care products. The dropper bottle and replaceable capsule system can be applied to any liquid or gel product.
The present invention also provides for a personal care product subscription service that is the first of its kind. This subscription could be for any type of frequently replenished liquid or gel makeup or skincare or hair care or other personal care product. For example, for a subscription leveraging the reusable dropper bottle and capsule system of the present invention, the consumer would initially receive the reusable dropper bottle and a set of capsules, each with a different type of product. The consumer would then subscribe to receive regular deliveries of capsules, which they would use to refill the reusable dropper bottle. The cadence of the deliveries could be customized to the consumer's usage speed for both types of products. Due to the reusable configuration of the dropper bottle, the more limited packaging of the capsules, the shipping costs would be relatively low compared to shipping a traditional product case. The reduced shipping costs plus the reduced packaging costs would enable this service and product to be provided to consumers at a lower cost relative to a subscription service using traditional product packaging. The consumer experience would remain elevated due to the ease and fun of replacing the product capsules. Also, while prior dispenser systems might allow for manual refilling of a dispenser, this is often messy and detracts from user experience. Also, many personal care products are not available in larger “refill” formats and are not possible.
In a first embodiment, the present invention provides a dropper bottle liquid dispenser adapted to removably receive a replaceable capsule and dispense a liquid personal care product contained in an installed capsule, the dropper bottle dispenser comprising: a body having a top and a bottom and defining an interior space, wherein at least a portion of the body is transparent or semi-transparent to reveal at least in part the interior space, the top having an opening; and a dropper assembly comprising a top component and a dropper tube with an outlet disposed opposite the top component, the dropper tube defining an interior channel for receiving and dispensing liquid via a dropper tube outlet/inlet upon actuation of an actuator mechanism housed in the top component, the top component configured to be grasped by a user for removal of the dropper assembly from the body for dispensing liquid contained in the dropper tube; wherein the body opening is configured to receive the dropper tube therethrough and is further adapted to receive a capsule containing personal care liquid and to be supported and housed within the body.
The first embodiment dropper bottle liquid dispenser may be further characterized in one or more of the following manners and features: wherein the actuator mechanism is spring-biased and is self-actuated upon a user rotating the top component to draw in a pre-determined amount of liquid contained in the interior space of the body; wherein the actuator mechanism comprises a depressible pump adapted to causes personal care product liquid to flow into the dropper tube and to exit the dropper tube upon further action; further comprising a retaining cover adapted to be received on to the top of the body, the retaining cover comprising a threaded interior circumference serving as a first connector and adapted to matingly couple with an oppositely positioned threaded neck or shoulder serving as a second connector disposed on the top, whereby the retaining cover may be removably attached and secured to the top by threading and screwing the first and second connectors together; wherein the retaining cover further comprises a first neck extending upward from the top of the cover and defining an opening configured to receive therethrough the dropper tube, the first neck having a first neck threaded portion, and wherein the dropper top component includes a threaded interior portion, whereby the first neck threaded portion and the dropper top interior threaded portion are adapted to be threaded and screwed together to secure the dropper to the body with the dropper tube contained at least in part in the interior space of the body; wherein the retaining cover further comprises a second neck extending downward opposite the first neck and having a second neck threaded portion adapted to threadedly engage with a threaded portion of a capsule, whereby the second neck threaded portion and the capsule threaded portion are adapted to be threaded and screwed together to secure the capsule to the retaining cover and whereby the dropper tube is inserted through the first neck, through the second neck and into an interior space of the capsule; wherein the capsule is disposed within the interior space of the body through the top opening and the assembled dropper assembly and retaining cover are secured to the dispenser bottle body via the first and second connectors; wherein the capsule comprises an outer cap to conceal and protect the top of the capsule and to prevent spillage of liquid contents of the capsule prior to use, the outer cap being removeable from the capsule to provide access to the capsule threaded portion for secure attachment to the retaining cover; further comprising a sifter disposed at or near the opening for clearing liquid from the outside of the dropper tube when the dropper assembly is removed from the bottle body to prevent spillage and mess; further comprising a bottom cover for attaching to and protecting the bottom of the bottle body, the bottom cover having a flat portion to promote stability of the dropper bottle dispenser when place on a flat surface; wherein the capsule includes indicia disposed on the outside of the capsule indicating the personal care product contained in the capsule and with the capsule contained in the bottle body allowing the user to view the indicia through the transparent or semi-transparent portion of the body to ensure user awareness of personal care liquid dispensed.
In a second embodiment, the present invention provides a personal care liquid capsule adapted for use with a dropper bottle dispenser, the dispenser having a housing adapted to removably receive a capsule and a dropper assembly adapted to dispense a liquid personal care product contained in an installed capsule, the capsule comprising: a body having a top and a bottom and generally defining a personal care product reservoir and configured to be received within a correspondingly configured dispenser body, the top including an opening through which a dropper tube is received into the reservoir and is in fluid contact with the personal care product contained in the reservoir; a connector portion disposed at the top and adapted to matingly secure the capsule to the dispenser housing with the capsule received within the dispenser housing; and a cover disposed over the opening and adapted to prevent spillage of the personal care product contained in the reservoir prior to installation of the capsule in the dispenser housing, the cover being removeable from the capsule to provide access to the connector portion for secure attachment to the dispenser housing.
The second embodiment dropper bottle liquid dispenser may be further characterized in one or more of the following manners and features: wherein the capsule connector portion is a threaded neck and the dispenser housing includes a retaining cover having an oppositely threaded connector, whereby the retaining cover and the capsule are secured together by threading and screwing the threaded neck and the oppositely threaded connector together; further comprising a sifter disposed at or near the capsule opening for clearing liquid from the outside of a dropper tube when a dropper assembly is removed from the capsule to prevent spillage and mess.
To facilitate a full understanding of the present invention, reference is now made to the accompanying drawings, in which like elements are referenced with like numerals. These drawings should not be construed as limiting the present invention but are intended to be exemplary and for reference.
The present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to exemplary embodiments as shown in the accompanying drawings. While the present invention is described herein with reference to the exemplary embodiments, it will be understood that the present invention is not limited to such exemplary embodiments. Those possessing ordinary skill in the art and having access to the teachings herein will recognize additional implementations, modifications, and embodiments, as well as other applications for use of the invention, which are fully contemplated herein as within the scope of the present invention as disclosed and claimed herein, and with respect to which the present invention could be of significant utility.
Reusable liquid dropper bottle dispenser 100 includes a body or housing 104 having a top and bottom and that generally defines an interior space 105. The interior space 105 contains personal care liquid products for dispensing via dropper assembly 150 including dropper tube 152. The body or housing 104 may include a transparent or semi-transparent or translucent portion to allow a user to visually inspect the contents of the liquid within interior space 105. As shown here, no capsule is disposed within interior space 105, which may initially be provided to the user unfilled and for use with a capsule, may be filled with liquid product, may include a capsule installed, or may be provided with a capsule for insertion by the user. As shown the dropper assembly 150 is secured to a top portion or cover or collar 120 of the body or housing 104 and may be removed from the housing, e.g., unscrewed if threaded, for use by the user in dispensing product contained in the bottle 100. The dropper assembly includes an actuator for
Self-contained refillable or replacement capsule 200 includes a capsule top or cover 220 and a capsule body 204 that defines an interior liquid reservoir or cavity or space 205 in which liquid personal care products is stored. Cover 220 may be removeable by threaded attachment to the body 204 or may be a pop-off type and may be discarded upon opening of the capsule. Preferably, when screwing a threaded cover 220 onto the threaded neck 206, a protrusion and recess pair are provided, or similar means, to provide a “click” when the cover is fully and securely attached to the capsule. Preferably an airtight seal is formed when the cover 220 is connected to the capsule. In addition, a wrap or other seal may be placed about the circumference of where the cover 220 meets the capsule body 204.
With the cover 220 removed, the capsule 200 may be placed within body 104 of re-usable dispenser 100 as described in detail below. Capsule 200 may be refillable or disposable and may be returned to the retail or e-commerce source for a credit or other incentive to avoid waste associated with the container 200. Branding/text indicia 210 may be an adhesive label or otherwise affixed to the capsule body 204 and may include brand identifier, content description, application information, or other messaging visible when the capsule is placed into housing 104 via transparent portion made of glass or other transparent material. In this manner, the capsule 200 serves to inform the user as to the nature of the personal care product available for dispensing by the dispenser 100. In this manner the user knows exactly what she/he is about to use to prevent inadvertent application of product. When capsule 200 is installed in dispenser 100, there is preferably an annular gap separating the body 104 of the bottle from the body 104 of the capsule. The bottle body is preferably glass and transparent to provide clear view of the capsule and any marking, e.g., brand logo or identifier, directions, product description, on the circumference of the body 104 of the capsule when assembled.
A sifter 244 is disposed between the capsule opening 207 defined by the neck 206 and the opening 130 defined by the downwardly extending neck 122 of the collar. The sifter 244 may be made of a flexible material (e.g., plastic-PCR, rubber, elastic polymer, or neoprene) with a discontinuity formed therein, e.g., an “X-shaped” or “plus-shaped” cut (shown more clearly in
In addition, A feedback mechanism, such as embossed projection/recess combination, may be provided in the collar 120 and capsule 200 to confirm secure attachment when screwed together, e.g., causes a “click” sound with the parts are secured together.
With reference to
With reference to
While the invention has been described by reference to certain preferred embodiments, it should be understood that numerous changes could be made within the spirit and scope of the inventive concept described. Also, the present invention is not to be limited in scope by the specific embodiments described herein. It is fully contemplated that other various embodiments of and modifications to the present invention, in addition to those described herein, will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art from the foregoing description and accompanying drawings. Thus, such other embodiments and modifications are intended to fall within the scope of the following appended claims. Further, although the present invention has been described herein in the context of particular embodiments and implementations and applications and in particular environments, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that its usefulness is not limited thereto and that the present invention can be beneficially applied in any number of ways and environments for any number of purposes. Accordingly, the claims set forth below should be construed in view of the full breadth and spirit of the present invention as disclosed herein.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62890565 | Aug 2019 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 16947933 | Aug 2020 | US |
| Child | 17454850 | US |
