CA2069562A1 - Applicator for a liquid - Google Patents

Abstract

4550.epsilon.CANlA

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

An applicator for dispensing a liquid to a surface by means of a wicking member which conveys the liquid from a chamber to an application area. A resilient cushion member supports the wicking member in the application area during use.

45506CAN.BRA

Description

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APPLICATOR FOR A LIOUID

TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to an applicator for dispensing a liquid onto a surface at a controlled rate, and, more particularly, to bingo dabbers for marking the faces of playing cards in a game of bingo.

BACKGROUND ART
Applicators have been developed in the past for dispensing a liquid onto a surface in a controlled manner.
For instance, current technology in the bingo industry has replaced markers, such as chips, that may be accidentally moved, with applicators of a liquid that mark the bingo card when applied thereto. The applicators in bingo games are commonly and alternatively referred to as "dabbers,"
"markers," or "daubers." A bingo player generally holds the bingo dabber in an inverted position and repeatadly contacts the face of the card to record each alphanumPric combination called.
One existing type of bingo dabber, as shown in U.S. Patent Nos. 3,438,554; 4,620,648; and 4,693,623, includes an unvented bottle having a spring-loaded valve.
A porous cover is placed over the valve. When inverted, the marking end i5 pressed against the face of the bingo card to depress the spring valve and enable the liquid to flow out of the dabber. At the same time, air flows into the bottle to replace the dispensed liquid. However, it is somatimes difficult to regulate the flow of the liquid from the dabber, particularly if the player accidentally squeezes the bottle while applying the liquid.
Another approach is to provide a dabber with an absorben~ applicator tip, similar to that commonly found in felt tip pens and described in U.K. Patent No. 2,174,645A.
A marking liquid is contained in a microporous chamber forming a reservoir with no free liquid, inside of a vented bottle or like container. The reservoir within the chamber is in fluid communication with the tip so that the liquid is -2~ J~
drawn from the chamber to the applicator tip by capillary action. Generally, a material having smaller pore size and higher surface energy will have higher capillarity. For a given material, a smaller pore size results in an increase in the capillarity, but also an increase in the hardness of the material.
Frequently, bingo players will daily play multiple cards over extended periods of time. Such effort requires frequent, rapid and repetitive up and down movement of the players' forearms to mark each of the cards. If the applicator tip material is too hard, the repetitive movement often causes sore arms and hands in the player similar to "tennis elbow." On the other hand, if the tip material is too soft, too much liquid may be expelled, particularly if the player becomes exuberant.
It is known that if two porous materials are in contact with each other, a liquid will tend to be drawn into the material having the higher capillarity. One way to measure efficiency of a dabber liquid feed system is to measure the amount of liquid that can be dispensed from a particular dabber, compared to the quantity of liquid put into the dabber. Generally, a dabber having the same capillarity in the chamber and the tip exhibits about a 50%
efficiency. For a typical felt tip pen, the tip is constructed of a material having a higher capillarity than that of the porous absorbent material that is used ts construct the reservoir within the chamber. A well-designed felt tip pen can achieve an efficiency of about 80%.
However, even bingo dabbers constructed with a wicking member having a decreased capillarity, although softer, may tend to drain liquid from the application are~
under the influence of gravity if stored in an upright position so that the application area is "starved" of liquid when the dabber is initially inverted for use. If the capillarity is increased sufficiently to overcome the effects of gravity, the hardness of the application area may render the dabber unusable. Increasing the softness of the wicking member not only exacerbates the draînage problem _3~ 7~
when the dabber is in an upright position, but may cause an excess of liquid to flow out when the dabber is in an inverted position during use.
Thus, conventional bingo dabbers do not provide a design that is convenient for frequent and repetitive use and that is reliable, efficient, and dispenses a liquid in a controlled rate. This is particularly the case for low viscosity liquids.

The present inYention provides an applicator for dispensing a liquid to a surface. The applicator includes a body containing a chamber. The body contains an orifice communicating with the chamber. The chamber contains a quantity of the liquid. Application means are provided for conveying the liquid from the chamber and applying the liquid to the surface when the application means is in contact with the surface. The application means includes a wicking member located at least partially within the chamber and which extends through the orifice. The wicking member transfers the liquid from the chamber through the orifice by capillary action into position for application to the surface. Cushioning means are provided in contact with the application means for resiliently urging the application means against the surface during use. Means are provided for positioning and retaining the cushion with respect ts the application means. Means are provided for positioning and retaining the cushioning means and the application means with respect to said body.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the applicator further includes means for venting the chamber to equalize the pressure therein with atmospheric pressure as the liquid is withdrawn from the chamber.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
- The present invention will be further describPd with re~erence to the accompanying drawing wherein like ~4~
reference numerals refer to like parts in the several views, and wherein:
Figure 1 is a side view of an applicator according to the present invention during use;
Figure 2 is a side view of the applicator of Figure 1 in an upright position;
Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the applicator of Figures 1 and 2;
Figure 4 is an exploded cross-sectional view on an upper portion of the applicator of Figure 3, including a removable cap;
Figure 5 is a cross-sectional side view of an upper portion of an alternative embodiment of the applicator of Figure 1;
Figure 6 is a side view of an alternate embodiment of the applicator of this invention;
Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view along plane 7-7 of Figure 6; and Figure 8 is a top view of Figure 6.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referrinq now to the drawing, there is shown an applicator for a liquid, and specifically a bingo dabber, according to the present invention, generally designated by the re~erence numeral 10.
As shown in Figures 1-3, the applicator or dabber comprises a bottle or like container 12 having an exterior adapted for manual engagement and manipulation.
Bottle 12 includes an interior chamber 14 and an opening or orifi~e 16 providing communication between the chamber 14 and exterior of the bottle. Preferably, the bottle is a molded polymeric structure constructed of polyester, polypropylene, polystyrene, nylon or like materials but, most preferably, is constructed of molded high density polyethylene such as is available from Dominion Bingo and Novelties, 333 Guildwood, Hamilton Ontario, Canada, L9C 7B4.
A quantity of a liquid (18 in Figure 1) is contained in the chamber 14. Preferably, the liquid is a -5- ~J~
volatile marking fluid such as is used in a reusable binyo card system marketed under the trademark WindotTM by the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company o~ St. Paul, Minnesota. The WindotTM system includes bingo cards having a surface treatad to receive a marking fluid that evaporates after a predetermined period of time, enabling the card to be reused. The construction of the reusable bingo cards and marking fluids are disclosed in United States Patent Nos.
4,299,880; 4,418,098; 4,729,687; and 4,877,253, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Preferably, liquids utilized in the Windot system have a viscosity within the range of 0.5 to 200 centipoise at about 25C. The following is a non-limiting list o~
various liquids that may be employed with the present invention along with corresponding image duration times for each liquid:
Liquid Boilinq_~oint Imaqe Duration water 212F 10 minutes C-13 aliphatic 458F ~ hours 20 ethyl alcohol 173F 1 minute C-12 aliphatic 404F 12 minutes isooctane 212F 5 seconds diisobutyl adipate 570F 2 months dioctyl phthalate Unknown 9~ years Means are provided for applying the liquid to a ~urface. The application means includes wicking member 20 extending through opening 16 to chamber 14 o~ the bottle.
The wicking member 20 is constructed of a material that is absorbent to the liquid in the bottle and, prefarably, the portion within the chamber forms a reservoir having sufficient absorptiYe capacity to contain generally the entire amount of the liquid so that there is no free liquid within the container. However, it is permissible to allow a small amount (less than 10%) of the liquid to flow within the chamber.
The wicking member may be constructad of a sponge-like material, or any other material having the desired ~3~

capillary characteristics. In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1-5, the wicking member 20 is a web of polymeric fibers, such as polypropylene, polyethylene, nylon, polyester or blends thereof, cellulose, either in the form of cotton or paper, or, alternatively, cotton cloth. With the preferred liquid viscosity range indicated above, it is preferred that the wicking member have a capillarity in the range of 5 to 50 centimeters. It is believed that the particular range of sizes of the fibers is of lesser consequence compared to the distance between fibers creating voids within the structure of the wicking member. The preferred interfiber distance is approximately 0.4 to 40 microns. The fiber diameter is preferably between approximately 3 to 400 microns. Fiber shape is of lesser importance, as long as the preferred fiber-to-fiber distance is maintained.
The wicking member 20 acts by capillary action to draw the liquid from the chamber 14 through opening 16 exteriorly of the bottle 12 for application to a surface 22, which may be a bingo card as previously described in the manner illustrated in Figure 1. The wicking member includes an application area 20' exterior of the bottle where the application of the liquid to the surface occurs.
Capillarity or "suction potential" is defined as a measure of the resultant forces acting to move liquid through a porous material where the only external factor is gravity. Other factors affecting capillarity are: the liquid~s surface tension, gravity, density of the liquid, and pore size of the porous material (assuming that the liquid wets the pore surface). One way to determine the capillarity or suction potential of a porous material is to calculate the vertical height to which a liquid will be drawn in the porous material. For this calculation, the equation is:
s h = ____ 4dDg -7- ~ 7, where h is the height in centimeters, s is the surface tension in grams per square second (dynes per centimeter), d is the smallest continuous intersurface distance (pore size) in the porous material in centimeters, D is the density of the liquid in grams per cubic centimeter, and g is gravity as 980 centimeters per square second (see Perrv's Chemical Enaineers Handbook, 4th Edition, Section 15, page 39).
To select a porous material that will work of a given liquid, first determine that the liquid wets the porous material, then, knowing the vertical height requirement, the pore size can be calculated thus:

d = ~
4hDg So, for example, consider a bingo dabber that requires a vertical height of 12.5 centimeters and the liquid of choice has surface tension of 30 grams per square second and a density of 0.764 grams per cubic centimeter.
The maximum allowable pore size of the porous material must be:
d ~ - = 0.0008 centimeters = 0.008mm = 8.0 microns (4)x(12.5)x(.764)x(980) For a material of tubular configuration, this would mean an inside diameter of 8 microns for the tubes.
For a material of fibered configuration, this means a fiber-to-fiber spacing of 8 microns. For close-packed spheres, it means a sphere diameter of 64 microns (the distance between close packed spheres is roughly 1/8 of the sphere diameter).
At a pore size greater than 8 microns, the liquid would not flow from the bottom all the way to the top of the material.
At a pore size of less than 8 microns, it would work but become le~s and less efficient as the pore size decreased, assuming the diameter of fibers in a fibered configuration remained constant. That is, the volume available for the liquid would become less and less as the interfiber distance decreased. The viscosity of the liquid would not effect ,. .

.

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whether or not it would flow, but rather only the rate at which it would flow.
A resilient cushion member 24 is provided to resiliently support the wicking mamber 20 at least in the application area 20'. In the illustrated embodiment, the cushion member is a cylindrical member inserted into opening 16, with end 24' extending outwardly of the bottle 12 and chamber 14. Preferably, the cushion member is substantially non-absorptive of the liquid 18 and may be constructed of a material such as a closed cell crosslinked polyethylene foam. The cushion member material preferably has a density in the range of approximately 0.5 to 5.0 pounds per cubic foot, and, most preferably, a density of two (2) pounds per cubic foot (0.03gjcc). An example of a preferred material for use in constructing the cushion member is a two pound per cubic foot crosslinked closed cell polyethylene supplied by Tecnifoam Inc., 13800 24th Avenue No. Plymouth, Minnesota 55441.
The wicking member 20 extends about the cushion member with at least a portion of the application area 20' supported by end 24' of the cushion member. In this manner, when the applicator is inverted and pressed against a surface, as shown in Figure 1, the cushion member resiliently urges the application area of the wicking member into contact with the surface for dispensing of the liquid.
As shown in Figures 3 and 4, means may be provided to retain and position the cushion member 24 with respect to the wicking member. Additionally, means may be provided to retain and position the cushion member and the wicking member with respect to the bottle 12. For instance, the unconstrained diameter of the solid cylindrical cushion member 24 may be constructed so as to ba greater than the inner diameter of the opening 16 of the bottle so that the cushion member is frictionally retained within the opening with end 24' extending outwardly of the bottle. In the embodiment in Figure 4, the retaining and positioning means includes retaining bushing 26 concentrically interposed between the wicking member and the bottle 12 within opening _9_ 2 ~ ,J ~
16. The retaining bushing 26 i5 inserted within opening 16 and frictionally engaged therewithin. It may also be advantageous to include annular flange 28 on retaining bushing 26 for contact with end 30 of bottle 12. This prevents displacement of the cushion and wicking member in direction 32 during use of the applicator. Preferably, the retaining bushing is made of natural high density polyethylene and supplied by Contract Design, 8399 Coral Sea Street, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55432.
In Figure 5, an alternative embodiment 10' is illustrated in which the cushion member, wicking member and bottle are staked together, thus eliminating the need for a separate retaining bushing as in Figure 4. By staking, it is intended that a heated rod or like member is thrust through the wall of the bottle, the wicking member and the cushion member in one or more locations about the circumference of the bottle, as shown at 34 in Figure 5. The radially inward deformation of the material of the bottle mechanically retains and positions both the cushion member and wicking member in relation to each other and with respect to the bottle.
Figures 6 and 7 illustrate another, and most preferred, embodiment of the invention 10". In this embodiment, the wicking member 20 includes three separate components. First, at least one, and preferably a pair of paper towels, forming a first component 20a of the wicking member 20 are inserted into chamber ~4 to form a reservoir that absorbs all or substantially all of the liquid contained therein~ The paper reservoir material is cellulosic and available from Scott Paper Company, Chester, Pennsylvania 19013, under the trademark "ECONOMIZER 0528."
A second wicking member component 2Ob includes a blown microfiber web constructed of polypropylene positioned at least partially over the application area 24' of the cushion member 24. The wicking material may be a blown microfiber mat constructed of polypropylene such as is manufactured by Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company of St. Paul, Minneso~a. A portion of the component 2Ob extends into ,, ,~

-10- ~ 3~
chamber 14 into liquid conveying contact with first component 20a. This enables the liquid 18 to be conveyed by capillary action from the chamber 14 to the application area 20'. A third wicking member component 20c is provided at least over the portion of the second component 20b located in the application area 20'. This third component allows the liquid to pass through to the surface (not shown) for application thereto and also provides abrasion and wear resistance to the wicking member 20 through repeated contacts with the surface during use. In the preferred embodiment, the component 20c is constructed of woven cotton cloth such as is available from Glouster Fabrics, Massachusetts, is described herein in regard to Examples 22-25.
The three-part construction of the wicking member thus described is particularly suited for use with a C-13 liquid paraffin for the marking liquid, such as is available from Exxon Company USA, Downers Grove, Illinois 60515, under the trademark "NORPAR 13." The three-part construction also enables each component of the wicking member to be selected and optimized for different portions of the task of applying the liquid to the surface. For instance, the paper towels 20a are more suited to act as a reservoir for storing this liquid. The nonwoven polypropylene web is well suited to convey the liquid from the paper towels to the application area 20'. The woven cotton cloths are suited to transfer the liquid from the nonwoven polypropylene web to the surface and to protect the web from wear.
Also, in the preferred embodiment, the means for retaining and positioning the wicking member to the cushion membar includes staple 40 radially inserted through retaining bushing 26, wicking member components 20b and 20c into cushion member 24. This subassembly is then inserted through opening 16 as shown. The means for retaining and positioning the cushion member 24 and the wicking member 20 with respect to the bottle 12 includes staple 42 radially inserted though the wall of the bottle, the retaining bushing, the wicking member and into the cushion member.

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The metal staples may be galvanized iron supplied by Josef Xihlberg, HJO, Sweden.
Although unnecessary for the operation of the applicator, in the preferred embodiment of the invention, a cap or like cover 46 may be provided as shown in Figure 4.
Preferably, the cap is molded of polypropylene such as is available from Dab-O-Matic, Mount Vernon, New York 10550.
The cap may be engaged with the bottle so as to enclose the application area of the wicking member through helical threads 48 and cooperative threads (not shown) on the inner surface of the cap 40 in a manner well known in the art. Of course, snap closures or any other suitable means (not shown) may be provided to secure the cap to the bottle, as desired. When secured to the bottle, the cap prevents premature evaporation of a volatile marking fluid during periods of nonuse of the applicator.
As shown in Figures 6 and 7, body 12 includes a pair of diametrically opposed indentations 56. Each indentation includes a ribbed or knurled surface 58, all of which facilitates the manual engagement of the applicator by the user during use.
Preferably, means are also provided to vent the chamber 14 with respect to atmospheric pressure in order to equalize the pressure therebetween. In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 4, the venting means takes the form of a relatively small diameter hole or passageway 36 extending through the bottle to enable communication between the chamber and the exterior of th~ applicator. In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 8, the venting means takes the form of a longitudinal groove 50 formed in the inner surface 52 of the retaining bushing 28 and extending between lip 30 and the chamber 14. Alternatively, a groove (not shown) may be impressed upon the outer longitudinal surface 54 of the cushion member 24~ Finally, in certain embodiments in which the wicking member 20 is constructed wholly or partially of a porous material, such as woven cotton cloth, sufficient transmission of air therethrough may be accomplished so that the wicking member acts -12- ~J~ 3~
inherently as venting means. Preferably, the venting means is located so as to likewise be enclosed by the cap when secure~ to the bottle.
In any of the above arrangements, or any other construction that is found advantageous, air is gradually bled into the chamber to compensate for the liquid as the liquid is removed from the chamber through the wicking member.

These five examples demonstrate the effect of wicking member caliper upon control of the amount of liquid delivered to the surface per "dab" or application. The surface being dabbed in these Examples is described in U.S.
Patent No. 4,877,253, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. The surface was dry prior to each dab.
The amount of liquid dispensed per dab was determined by weighing the dabber bottle before and after a series of dabs and dividing the weight loss by the number of dabs. The absorbent material was a nonwoven web formed by blown polypropylene microfibers. The liquid in these Examples was a normal paraffin having an average carbon chain length of 13 atoms. This C-13 liquid paraffin is available from Exxon Company USA, Downers Grove, Illinois 60515, under the trademark "NORPAR 13.'l The dabbing force was 450 grams and the dabbing rate was 100 dabs per minute. The non-woven web forming the wicking member within the chamber weighed 7.5 grams in each Example and the amount of liquid in each was 34 grams. The cushion member was 2 lb. per cubic foot (0.03 g/cc) fine closed cell crosslinked unpigmented polyethylene foam measuring (unconstrained) 32 mm in length and 18.5 mm in diameter. The applicators were constructed according to Figure 4 by ~orming the wicking member tightly over one end of the cushion member and sliding a 14.4 mm long by 17.5 mm outer diameter by 16 mm inner diameter polyethylene retaining bushing (as shown in Yigure 4) over the wicking member and cushion member to leave the application area protruding 4 mm (and the uncovered end protruding about 14 mm). The wicking member, cushion member and retaining -13~ J
bushing were secured together by heat staking (as in ~igure 5) at three locations around the circumference approximately centered along the length of the retaining ring. Ater putting 34 grams of the liquid into the 2 ounce bottles, the 'Stail" of the wicking member was inserted into the chamber of the bottles through the 17.2 mm inner diameter opening.
The retaining bushing formed a tight friction fit into the opening of the bottle to hold the entire applicator together. A 0.2 mm diameter radial vent hole was then formed in the bottle just below the opening. A threaded cap was applied as shown in Figure 4. During testing, the caps were removed and the dabbers were used perpendicular to the "dabbed" surface with the application end down. In Examples 1-4, the caliper of the wicking member was varied by the number of layers, i.e., 1 layer - 0.1 mm, 2 layers = 0.2 mm, 3 layers = 0.3 mm and 4 layers = 0.4 mm. In Examples 1-4 the wicking member weighed 16 grams per square meter and had a caliper of 0.1 mm. In Example 5 the wicking member weighed 48 grams per square meter and had a caliper of 0.3 20 mm.
EXAMPLE N0. 1 2 3 4 5 Caliper of Tip Cover 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.3 (mm) Milligrams Per Dab 0.~6 0.580.69 0.79 0.70 Total Number of Dabs 10000 10000 10000 10000 10000 Dab Duration* 0.250.250.25 0.25 0.25 (seconds) *(Th~ dab duration is the length of time that the wicking member was in contact with the dabbed surface during each dab.) ~ 3 While testing this set of Examples, it was observed that Example 1 delivered the lowest level of liquid per dab due to the limited quantity of liquid which was able to flow through the single wicking layer from the chamber to the application area. Even so, Example 1 did form a full mark on the dabbed surface. It was also observed that at lower dabbing rates and longer dab durations, an otherwise identical dabber was able to yield a heavier full mark by depositing more liquid per dab.

Contrasting Examples 1-5 against Examples 6-10 demonstrates the effect of dab duration upon the milligrams per dab deposited by the dabber. The dabbers used in these Examples were constructed and filled the same as those in Examples 1-5. In these however, the dab duration was increased to 0.5 seconds while maintaining the dabbing rate at 100 dabs per minute.
EXAMPLE N0. 6 7 8 9 10 Caliper of Tip Cover 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.3 (mm) Milligrams Per Dab 0.80 0.92 1.02 1.05 1.03 Total Number of Dabs 10000 10000 10000 10000 10000 Dab Duration 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 (seconds) From these Examples it is apparent that increasing the caliper of the wicking member beyond .3 mm does not increase the milligrams per dab of the liquid by an appreciable amount. This may be due to reaching the limit of absorbency of the dabbed surface or the absorbency of the wicXing member, or bsth. This is one of the advantages of the present invention. Unlike the valved type of prior art -15- ~f~
dabbers which release liquid in amounts indep~ndent o~ ~he absorbency of the dabbed surface, the present invention will never dispense more than ths dabbed surface can absorb, thus eliminating or attenuating "flooding." Example 10, like Example 5, shows that the milligrams per dab is not effected by the number of layers as long as the caliper is the same.

Contrasting Examples 1-5 against Examples 11-15 demonstrates the effect of dabbing rate upon the milligrams per dab of liquid deposited. In the Examples, the dabbers were again constructed and filled as above. The dabs per minute were decreased to 50 dabs per minute while the application duration was held at 0.25 seconds.
EXAMPLE N0. 11 12 13 14 15 Caliper of Tip Cover 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.3 (mm, Milligrams Per Dab 0.56 0.66 0.74 0.81 0.74 Total Number of Dabs 10000 10000 10000 10000 10000 Dab Duration 0.25 0.25 0.25 0.25 0.25 (seconds) These Examples demonstrate the use of a nonwoven nylon wicking member as contrasted against the polypropylene wicking member used in the previous Examples. The dabbers were constructed as above except that these were not heat staked. The nylon wicking member had a caliper of 0.4 mm and was used as a single layer.
EXAMPLE NO. 16 17 Caliper of Tip Cover 0.4 0.4 (mm) rJ,i~, Milligrams Per Dab 1.7 0.84 Liquid in dabber Colored Water C-13 Paraffin Total Dabs 10000 10000 Dab Duration 0.5 second 0.5 second These Examples demonstrate the use of wet strength paper as the wicking member, specifically a paper towel available from the Scott Paper Company under tha trademark "WYPALL." The dabbing rate was 50 dabs per minute.
EXAMPLE NO. 18 19 _ 15 Caliper of Wicking 0.8 0.4 Member (mm) Milligrams Per Dab 1.2 1.2 20 Liquid in dabber Colored Water C-13 Paraffin Total Dabs 10000 10000 Dab Duration 0.5 0.5 (Seconds) (At a caliper of only 0.~ ~m, the dabbing rate of a dabber similar to Example 18 had to be held below 2 dabs per mlnute in order to form a full mark.) These Examples correspond to the preferred embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 6-8.
EXAMPLE No. 20 21 22 23 Liquid in Dabber C-13 C-13 C-13 C-13 (Liquid Paraffin) First Wicking paper paper paper paper Material Second Wicking pp-bmf pp-bmf pp-~mf pp-bmf*
Material Second Wicking Material Basis Weight (grams/sq.meter) 55 55 49 16 Second Wicking Material Caliper (mm) 0.34 0.34 0.3 0.1 Third Wicking Material cotton cotton cottoncotton (woven) Third Wicking Material Caliper (mm)0.17 0.17 0.17 0.17 20 Third Wicking Material Thread Count 90x80 90x80 90x8090x80 Dab Duration (sec) 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 Dab Force (grams) 450 950 450 450 Total Dabs 37,884 37,884 37,88437,884 30 Average Milligrams C-13 Per Dab 0.46 0.59 00490.46 *A nonwoven web of polypropylene blown micro fibers.

35In all Examples where the liquid in the dabber is colored water, the dabbed surPace was newsprint paper.
The present invention has now been described with reference to several embodiments thereof. It will be ~ -18- ~3~
apparent to those skilled in the art that many changes can be made in the embodiments described without departiny from the scope of the present invention. Thus, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the structures descxibed in this application, but only by structures described by the language of the claims and the equivalents of those structures. For instance, it will be understood that although the preferred embodiment of this invention is as a dabber for bingo games, the applicator of this invention may be employed as an applicator for any liquid that is desired to be dispensed to a surface in an efficient and controlled manner.
Further, the present invention includes not only an applicator as herein described and claimed, but also an applicator containing and in combination with a liquid.

45506 9A.11171

Claims (24)

1. An applicator for dispensing a liquid to a surface, comprising:

(a) a body containing a chamber, said body containing an orifice communicating with said chamber, said chamber adapted to contain a quantity of the liquid;

(b) application means for conveying the liquid from said chamber when placed therein and applying the liquid to the surface when said application means is in contact with the surface, said application means comprising a wicking member located at least partially within said chamber and which extends through said orifice exteriorly of said body, which wicking member transfers the liquid from said chamber by capillary action through said orifice and into position for application to the surface;

(c) cushioning means in contact with said wicking member for resiliently urging said wicking member against the surface during use;

(d) means for positioning and retaining said cushioning means with respect to said wicking member of said application means; and (e) means for positioning and retaining said cushioning means and said wicking member with respect to said body.

2. The applicator of claim 1, further comprising means for venting said chamber to equalize the pressure therein with atmospheric pressure as the liquid is withdrawn from the chamber.

3. The applicator of claim 2, wherein said venting means includes an aperture extending through said body to said chamber.

4. An applicator for dispensing liquid having a viscosity of between 0.5 to 200 centipoise at about 25°C.
onto a bingo card for creating indicia thereon, comprising:

(a) a body containing a chamber, said body containing an orifice communicating with said chamber, said chamber containing a quantity of the liquid;

(b) a flexible absorbent wicking member having an application area, said wicking member having a capillarity of at least 5 to 50 centimeters, at least a portion of said wicking member located within said chamber for contact with the liquid when placed therein, said wicking member extending through said orifice for absorbing the liquid from said chamber and transferring the liquid by capillary action through said orifice to said application area for application to the bingo card;

(c) a cushion having an application end outside said orifice, said application end at least partially covered by said application area of said wicking member, said cushion resiliently supporting said application area of said wicking member and being substantially non-absorbent of the liquid;

(d) first retaining means for retaining and positioning said wicking member with respect to said cushion;

(e) second retaining means for retaining and positioning said wicking member and said cushion with respect to said body; and (f) venting means for equalizing the pressure within said chamber and the pressure outside said chamber during use of the applicator.

5. The applicator of claim 4, further including a cap for removable engagement with said body to enclose said application area of said wicking member and said venting means when the applicator is not in use.

6. The applicator of claim 4, wherein said first retaining means and said second retaining means jointly comprise a radially inward deformation of said body, said wicking member, and said cushion.

7. The applicator of claim 4, wherein said first retaining means includes a retaining bushing having an aperture for receipt and frictional engagement of said cushion and said wicking member.

8. The applicator of claim 7, wherein said second retaining means includes said retaining bushing being inserted into and frictionally engaged within said orifice of said body.

9. The applicator of claim 7, wherein said first retaining means includes a staple radially extending through said retaining bushing, said wicking member and said cushion.

10. The applicator of claim 9, wherein said second retaining means includes a staple radially extending inserted through said body and said retaining bushing.

11. The applicator of claim 4, further including a liquid placed in said chamber selected from a group consisting of water, C-13 aliphatic, ethyl alcohol, C-12 aliphatic, isooctane, diisobutyl adipate, and dioctyl phthalate.

12. An applicator for dispensing a liquid onto a surface, comprising:

(a) a body containing a chamber, said body containing an orifice which permits access to said chamber, said chamber adapted to contain a quantity of the liquid;

(b) a flexible absorbent wicking member having an application area, at least a portion of said wicking member located within said chamber for contact with the liquid, said wicking member extending through said orifice, for absorbing the liquid from said chamber when placed therein and transferring the liquid by capillary action through said orifice to said application area for application to the surface;

(c) a cushion having an application end located outside of said orifice, at least a portion of said application end at least partially enveloped by said application area of said wicking member, said cushion resiliently supporting said application area of said wicking member during application of the liquid to the surface;

(d) means for positioning and retaining said cushion with respect to said wicking member; and (e) means for positioning and retaining said cushion and said wicking member with respect to said body.

13. The applicator of claim 12, wherein said positioning and retaining means comprise a retaining bushing surrounding said wicking member and said cushion to compressively urge said wicking member against said cushion, said retaining bushing being frictionally retained within said orifice.

14. The applicator of claim 12, wherein said wicking member includes a nonwoven web comprising polymeric fibers.

15. The applicator of claim 14, wherein said web is constructed of melt-blown microfibers.

16. The applicator of claim 16, wherein said web is constructed of polypropylene.

17. The applicator of claim 12, wherein said cushion is substantially non-absorbent of the liquid.

18. The applicator of claim 17, wherein said cushion is constructed of a closed cell polyethylene foam.

19. The applicator of claim 12, further including a cap for removably enclosing said application area of said wicking member when not in use.

20. The applicator of claim 12, wherein said wicking member includes:

(a) a first component inserted into said chamber for absorbing substantially all of a quantity of liquid placed in said chamber;

(b) a second component in fluid conveying contact with said first component and extending outwardly of said chamber through said orifice, and about at least a portion of said cushion, for transferring the liquid from said chamber to said application area; and (c) a third component overlying at least a portion of said second component in said application area for transferring the liquid from said second component to the surface, said third component being wear resistant.

21. The applicator of claim 20, wherein said first component of said wicking member includes at least one sheet of liquid absorbent paper.

22. The applicator of claim 20, wherein said second component includes a non-woven web comprising melt-blown microfibers constructed of polypropylene.

23. The applicator of claim 20, wherein said third component of said wicking member includes a sheet of woven cotton cloth.

24. The applicator of claim 20, further including a liquid placed within said chamber selected from a group consisting of water, C-13 aliphatic, ethyl alcohol, C-12 aliphatic, isooctane, diisobutyl adipate, and dioctyl phthalate.

45506CAN.BRA