Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01L—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE
  • B01L3/00—Containers or dishes for laboratory use, e.g. laboratory glassware; Droppers
  • B01L3/02—Burettes; Pipettes
  • B01L3/0241—Drop counters; Drop formers
  • B01L3/0272—Dropper bottles
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01L—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE
  • B01L3/00—Containers or dishes for laboratory use, e.g. laboratory glassware; Droppers
  • B01L3/02—Burettes; Pipettes
  • B01L3/021—Pipettes, i.e. with only one conduit for withdrawing and redistributing liquids
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01L—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE
  • B01L3/00—Containers or dishes for laboratory use, e.g. laboratory glassware; Droppers
  • B01L3/02—Burettes; Pipettes
  • B01L3/0282—Burettes; Pipettes mounted within a receptacle
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01F—MEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUID LEVEL; METERING BY VOLUME
  • G01F11/00—Apparatus requiring external operation adapted at each repeated and identical operation to measure and separate a predetermined volume of fluid or fluent solid material from a supply or container, without regard to weight, and to deliver it
  • G01F11/02—Apparatus requiring external operation adapted at each repeated and identical operation to measure and separate a predetermined volume of fluid or fluent solid material from a supply or container, without regard to weight, and to deliver it with measuring chambers which expand or contract during measurement
  • G01F11/08—Apparatus requiring external operation adapted at each repeated and identical operation to measure and separate a predetermined volume of fluid or fluent solid material from a supply or container, without regard to weight, and to deliver it with measuring chambers which expand or contract during measurement of the diaphragm or bellows type
  • G01F11/084—Apparatus requiring external operation adapted at each repeated and identical operation to measure and separate a predetermined volume of fluid or fluent solid material from a supply or container, without regard to weight, and to deliver it with measuring chambers which expand or contract during measurement of the diaphragm or bellows type using a bulb to pressurise the fluid to be dispersed
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01L—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE
  • B01L2200/00—Solutions for specific problems relating to chemical or physical laboratory apparatus
  • B01L2200/02—Adapting objects or devices to another
  • B01L2200/025—Align devices or objects to ensure defined positions relative to each other
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01L—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE
  • B01L2200/00—Solutions for specific problems relating to chemical or physical laboratory apparatus
  • B01L2200/06—Fluid handling related problems
  • B01L2200/0689—Sealing

Definitions

• the present invention relates to droppers and bottles that utilize droppers.
• Droppers e.g., bulb pipettes
• wellness products e.g., essential oils, vitamins, and/or supplements
• cosmetics e.g., foundations, serums, etc.
• the droppers are often used with a skirt to form a cap for a bottle of fluids.
• droppers that appear to fasten securely often leak While the dropper cap may not appear to leak since the cap may be tightly fastened, the caps may leak when the bottles are shipped (e.g., due to vibration and/or changes in temperature and/or pressure). Additionally bottles may leak when fail to fully tighten the cap or over tighten the cap, which may cause damage to the cap and/or bulb.
• the pipette coupling member may retain at least a portion of the pipette in the cavity of the bulb.
• the bulb may include a flange and a collar.
• the flange of the bulb may extend from an outer surface of the body of the bulb between the open end and the closed end of the body.
• the flange of the bulb may include a first surface (e.g., proximate the closed end of the bulb) and an opposing second surface (proximate the open end of the bulb).
• the flange of the bulb may have a greater diameter than an opening of a bottle in which the dropper is positionable.
• the collar of the bulb may be disposed proximate the open end of the bulb.
• the collar may include an inner surface proximate the cavity of the bulb and an outer surface.
• the pipette of the dropper may extend into the cavity of the bulb (e.g., extend into and be proximate the inner surface of the collar, extend past the collar, etc.).
• the pipette may include a top portion, which is received in the pipette receiving member of the cavity of the bulb, and an elongated body.
• the elongated body may include a lumen (e.g., disposed through the elongated body of the pipette).
• fluid from a bottle may be drawn into the lumen of the pipette (e.g., by releasing a depressed dropper bulb) and expelled from the lumen of the pipette (e.g., by depressing the dropper bulb).
• the pipette may include a lip extending from the body of the pipette proximate the top portion.
• the lip of the pipette may be retained and/or received by recess(es) in the cavity of the bulb.
• the cavity may include a narrow portion proximate the top portion of the pipette.
• the narrow portion of the cavity may approximately align with the lumen of the pipette such that fluid in the bulb of the dropper is transmitted to the lumen of the pipette when the dropper is depressed.
• the outer surface of the bulb may include a recess disposed between the closed end of the bulb and the flange.
• the dropper may include a cap with a skirt and side walls.
• a dropper may include a bulb, with a closed end and an opposing open end, and a pipette partially disposed in the bulb.
• the pipette of the dropper may be disposed at least partially in the open end of the bulb.
• the bulb may include at least one cavity extending between the closed and the open end of the bulb.
• the cavity may include a pipette coupling member (e.g., recess, ledge between cavities and/or portions of cavities, etc.) configured to receive at least a portion of a pipette.
• the pipette coupling member may retain at least a portion of the pipette in the cavity of the bulb.
• the bulb may include a flange and a collar.
• the flange of the bulb may extend from an outer surface of the body of the bulb between the open end and the closed end of the body.
• the flange of the bulb may include a first surface (e.g., proximate the closed end of the bulb) and an opposing second surface (proximate the open end of the bulb).
• the flange of the bulb may have a greater diameter than an opening of a bottle in which the dropper is positionable.
• the collar of the bulb may be disposed proximate the open end of the bulb.
• the collar may include an inner surface proximate the cavity of the bulb and an outer surface.
• the pipette of the dropper may extend into the cavity of the bulb (e.g., extend into and be proximate the inner surface of the collar, extend past the collar, etc.).
• the pipette of the dropper may extend into the cavity of the bulb (e.g., extend into and be proximate the inner surface of the collar, extend past the collar, etc.).
• the flared portion of the bulb may extend over the skirt and/or may have a diameter greater than the aperture of the skirt.
• the side walls of the cap may extend from the skirt. The side walls may be disposed proximate outer side walls of the neck of the bottle when the dropper is disposed in the bottle.
• the side walls of the cap may include threads configured to mate with threads on an exterior of a bottle.
• the collar may be at least partially compressed when the collar of the dropper is inserted into a bottle to close the bottle such that leaks are inhibited.
• the flange of the bulb may have a greater diameter than an opening of a bottle in which the dropper is positionable.
• the collar of the bulb may be disposed proximate the open end of the bulb.
• the collar may include an opening that provides access to the cavity of the bulb.
• the opening in the collar may be greater than the diameter of the pipette to be received by the cavity such that a gap is created between the outer wall of the pipette and an inner wall of the pipette.
• Implementations may include one or more of the following features.
• a pipette may be partially disposed in a cavity of the bulb.
• the pipette may include a lip extending from the body of the pipette proximate the top portion. The lip may be received by a recess in the cavity of the bulb.
• Figure 2B illustrates a top view of an implementation of the example dropper in the example bottle illustrated in Figure 2A.
• Figure 2D illustrates a side view of an implementation of the example dropper in the example bottle illustrated in Figure 2A.
• Figure 4A illustrates a top perspective view of an implementation of an example dropper with an example skirt disposed in a bottle.
• the bulb 110 may include a first end 112 and an opposing second end 114.
• the bulb may have a first cavity 116 and a second cavity 118.
• the first cavity 116 and the second cavity 118 may be continuous.
• the first cavity 116 may narrow proximate an end of the pipette (e.g., the end disposed in the bulb).
• a portion 117 of the first cavity 116 may have a similar dimension (e.g., diameter, width, and/or length) to the dimension of an opening in the pipette proximate the portion of first cavity.
• the first cavity may be in communication (e.g., fluid communication) with the lumen of the pipette.
• This portion 117 may inhibit the first end 132 of the pipette 130 from entering and/or substantially entering the first cavity 116 of the bulb 110.
• the pipette flange may include one or more protrusions extending radially proximate the first end (e.g., as opposed to a continuous flange about the first end as illustrated in Figure 1E).
• the pipette may include a recess and a cavity of the bulb may include a protrusion received by the recess of the pipette to retain the pipette in the bulb.
• the bulb may include a first cavity 116, a second cavity 118, and/or a narrow portion 117 disposed between the first cavity and the second cavity.
• An exterior surface of the bulb may include a tapered portion 150, a flange 152, and a recess 154 between the tapered portion and the flange.
• a skirt 310 may have an inner surface 312 and an outer surface 314. A portion of the inner surface may be configured to contact a bottle. A portion of the outer surface may or may not include a texture (e.g., ribbed) to facilitate gripping of the skirt from the outer surface.
• the skirt may have an opening through the top 316 of the skirt and wall(s) may extend from the top of the skirt.
• the cavity may include a pipette coupling member (e.g., recess, ledge between cavities and/or portions of cavities, etc.) configured to receive at least a portion of a pipette.
• the pipette coupling member may retain at least a portion of the pipette in the cavity of the bulb during use. For example, when a dropper is being inserted into a bottle to close the bottle and/or pulled from a bottle to open the bottle, the pipette coupling member may retain the pipette at least partially in the cavity of the bulb so that the bulb and the pipette are moved together.
• the pipette coupling member may be a narrowing of the cavity that retains the pipette in the cavity of the bulb.
• the bulb may include a flange and a collar.
• the flange of the bulb may extend from an outer surface of the body of the bulb between the open end and the closed end of the body.
• the flange may or may have a shape similar to a cross-sectional shape of a top surface of a neck of a bottle and/or an aperture in the opening of a neck.
• the flange may be circular, oval, etc.
• the flange of the bulb may include a first surface (e.g., proximate the closed end of the bulb) and an opposing second surface (proximate the open end of the bulb).
• the flange of the bulb may have a greater diameter than an opening of a bottle in which the dropper is positionable, in some implementations.
• leaks may be inhibited.
• fluids in the bottle that splash upward e.g., from motion of the bottle such as motion during transport and/or the bottle falling
• the flange may inhibit any fluid that leaks past the collar from exiting the bottle (e.g., by physically blocking such leakage).
• the pipette of the dropper may be disposed at least partially in the open end of the bulb.
• the pipette of the dropper may extend into the cavity of the bulb (e.g., extend into and be proximate the inner surface of the collar, extend past the collar, etc.).
• the pipette of the dropper may extend into the cavity of the bulb (e.g., extend into and be proximate the inner surface of the collar, extend past the collar, etc.).
• the pipette may include a top portion, which is received in the pipette receiving member of the cavity of the bulb, and an elongated body.
• the elongated body may include a lumen (e.g., disposed through the elongated body of the pipette).
• a gap may reside between at least a portion of the inner surface of the collar of the bulb and at least a portion of an outer wall of the pipette disposed in the collar.
• the gap may allow radial movement of at least a portion of the pipette disposed in the collar. Since the pipette coupling member retains the pipette in the bulb, the radial movement may be allowed without concern of the pipette releasing from the bulb (e.g., falling out).
• the walls of the collar may at least partially compress however, at least a portion of the gap may remain. The compression of the collar may create a seal between the dropper and the bottle and inhibit leaks.
• the flexible material of the bulb may include any appropriate flexible material.
• the flexible material may include natural and/or synthetic rubber(s).
• the flexible material may include TPE (thermoplastic elastomer).
• the pipette of the dropper has been described as cylindrical and/or linear, the pipette may have other shapes.
• the pipette may have a curved and/or bent tip.
• the tip of the pipette may be disposed at an angle (e.g., greater than 0 degrees, greater than 20 degrees) such that the tip is slanted relative to the body.
• the pipette may have any appropriate tip, such as but not limited to a tapered end (e.g., as illustrated in Figure 3 A), a blunt end, a rounded end (e.g., as illustrated in Figure 1 A), any other appropriate shape for a pipette end, and/or combinations thereof.
• the pipette may be formed of any appropriate material, such as glass, borosilicate glass, plastic, etc.
• the pipettes may be any appropriate type of pipette such as graduated and/or volumetric.
• the pipettes may be for any appropriate volume.
• the pipette may or may not be a micropipette.
• the pipette may or may not be a macropipette.
• the dropper may be replaceable and a first dropper may be removed and a second dropper may be utilized in place of the first dropper with a bottle.
• the pipette and/or bulb of the dropper may be replaceable, in some
• a bulb wears (e.g., tears, rips, etc.)
• the bulb may be removed and the existing pipette may be inserted at least partially into a new bulb.
• the pipette may be removed and replace with a new pipette.
• users have been described as a human, a user may be a person, a group of people, a person or persons interacting with one or more computers, and/or a computer system (e.g., robotics)

Landscapes

• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Clinical Laboratory Science (AREA)
• Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
• Dispersion Chemistry (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Closures For Containers (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=69953050

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

Families Citing this family (2)

Family Cites Families (15)

• 2019
  • 2019-09-24 WO PCT/US2019/052806 patent/WO2020068884A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2019-09-24 EP EP19865689.4A patent/EP3856418A4/de active Pending
  • 2019-09-24 CN CN201980062802.6A patent/CN113164960A/zh active Pending
  • 2019-09-24 KR KR1020217012239A patent/KR102831896B1/ko active Active
  • 2019-09-24 CA CA3113437A patent/CA3113437A1/en active Pending

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events