GB2398627A

GB2398627A - Atomiser bottle with light

Info

Publication number: GB2398627A
Application number: GB0303898A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter John Townsend
Original assignee: OLYMPIC PROMOTIONAL WATCHES LT
Current assignee: OLYMPIC PROMOTIONAL WATCHES LT
Priority date: 2003-02-20
Filing date: 2003-02-20
Publication date: 2004-08-25
Also published as: GB0303898D0

Abstract

An atomiser bottle having a clear or translucent body and a button 12 that is depressable manually to produce an atomised spray of a liquid contained within the bottle is additionally provided with a light source 24 for illuminating the body and any contents of the bottle and a switch 18 actuated during depression of the button 12 for operating the light source. Alternatively the light source may be actuated by tilting or moving the bottle. The light source may be a pair of LED's.

Description

ATOMI SER BOTTLE

The present invention relates to an atomiser or spray bottle, as commonly used to spray perfume.

It is common to store perfumes in a clear or translucent atomiser bottle. The atomiser bottle has a button connected to a tube that extends into the bottle. As the button is depressed, a spray of perfume is produced, lo which allows the user to apply small but controlled quantities of the perfume. The bottle may be pressurised so that the atomiser produces a spray constantly while the button remains depressed or the depression of the button may itself perform a pumping action so that perfume is released in spurts and no perfume is sprayed if the button remains in a released or depressed position.

Perfume atomisers are usually designed to be eye catching as their appearance and distinctiveness are often as much of a sale incentive as the smell of the perfume that they contain. Hence, the invention seeks to provide a novelty item which is intended to enhance the packaging of products such as perfume.

2s According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an atomiser bottle having a clear or translucent body and a button that is depressable manually to produce an atomised spray of a liquid contained within the bottle, wherein the bottle is additionally provided with a light source for illuminating the body and any contents of the bottle and means for automatically operating the light source during use of the atomiser.

The means for automatically operating the light source 3s may respond either to the depression of the button used to produce a spray or to tilting or shaking of the bottle. - 2 -

Thus in accordance to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an atomiser bottle having a clear or translucent body and a button that is depressable manually to produce an atomised spray of a liquid contained within the bottle, wherein the bottle is additionally provided with a light source for illuminating the body and any contents of the bottle and a switch actuated during depression of the button for operating the light source.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an atomiser bottle having a clear or translucent body and a button that is depressable manually to produce an atomised spray of a liquid contained within the bottle, wherein the bottle is additionally provided with a light source for illuminating the body and any contents of the bottle and means sensitive to tilting or movement of the bottle for operating the light source.

When one end of a bottle is illuminated, it generates a glow that is very eye-catching. If the body of the bottle has an etched surface, then the etched surface glows more brightly. Likewise, if the contents of the bottle are cloudy then the contents will also enhance the glow. Because the bottle glows when it is used as an atomiser, it draws attention to itself and thus promotes the product that it contains.

The light source is preferably mounted in the top of the bottle next to the button. In this way, the light source, the electrical power source and the button actuated switch can all be conveniently be contained in a housing fitted to the top of the atomiser bottle. If desired, the housing may be opaque to conceal its contents.

Alternatively, the light source and/or the electrical power source may be mounted in a housing fitted to the base of the atomiser bottle. In this case, conductors are required to run between the top and the base of the bottle to complete the electrical circuit of the light source.

Such conductors can be applied to the bottle in conventional ways, such as by electroless plating, and they may either be formed of a transparent material or they may intentionally be made visible and integrated into the design of the bottle.

The invention will now be described further, by way of lo example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a section through the top of an atomiser in accordance with a first aspect of the invention, and Figure 2 is a section through the top of an atomiser of a second embodiment of the invention.

In Figure 1, there is shown a top 10 for screwing on to a bottle containing a perfume or other liquid to be sprayed.

The top 10 comprises a cap 26 to screwed on to the top of the bottle which carries a housing 16. A printed circuit board 22 located within the housing 16 supports on its upper side a pair of batteries or cells 20 which are conventional and used extensively in wrist watches. A pair of LED's 24 projecting from the underside of the circuit board into the cap 26 are situated on opposite sides of a perfume feed pipe 28 to illuminate the liquid within the bottle when then are energised.

A spring 18 fitted over the cells 20 acts as a switch to complete the electrical circuit of the cells 20 and the LED's 24 when it makes contact with the cells 20. An actuating button 12 having a spray vent 14 which is fitted to the top of the feed pipe 28 in the usual manner is received in an opening in the top of the housing 16. When the button 12 is depressed to spray perfume from the bottle, it contacts the spring 18 and urges into contact with the cells 20 so as to complete the circuit and energise the 4 LED's 24. This causes the bottle to glow in an appealing and eye catching manner.

In the above described embodiment, light is emitted by the LED's only when the button 12 is at the bottom of its stroke and the button 12 is to close the contacts of the switch. This however is not essential as it is possible to operate the LED's before the button 12 is depressed, this being demonstrated by the embodiment of the invention shown lo in Figure 2.

Figure 2 shows a top 100 having an opening 110 which is fitted directly to the projecting upper end of the feed pipe (not shown) in place of the actuating button or nozzle. The top is formed of an outer opaque outer housing 112 within which there is slidably received a transparent inner housing 114. The spray vent 116 is formed by a passage in the transparent inner housing 114 which communicates with the opening llO.A small hole is also formed in the outer housing 112 to allow the spray to escape.

A circuit board 120 that rests on a small lip in the inner housing 114, supports two cells 122, 124 which are arranged one above the other. An LED 126 is mounted on the underside of the circuit board 120 and is energized by the cells 122 and 124 when the electrical circuit is completed, there being a strap 128 which acts as a return line.

When the outer housing is depressed to operate the atomiser, the outer housing 112 is moved towards the inner housing 14 and closes a resiliently biased switch that operates the LED 126. This occurs prior to as well as during the depression of the feed tube. It is thus possible to apply slight pressure to switch on the LED 126 without any perfume being sprayed. When the pressure is released, the outer housing 112 is resiliently biased away from the inner housing 114 back to its illustrated position, Separation of - 5 - the two housings 112 and 114 from ore anot'ner is prevented by a retaining ridge 130 of the outer housing 112. In this position, the electrical circuit is no longer completed and the LED is switched off.

In both of the described embodiments, the bottle is illuminated from above i.e. by a light source located near the top of the bottle. This however is not essential as it is only necessary for the switch which is to be operated by is the actuating button of the atomiser to be located on top.

The l ght source and/or the cells can be fitted to the base of the bottle and connected to the switch by conductors formed on the surface of the bottle.

is It is not essential to rely on depression of the button to detect that the atomiser is in use. In an alternative embodiment of the invention, a tilt switch (such as a pendulum operated switch or a mercury switch) or a trembler switch may be used in place of the button actuated switch to operate the light source when the bottle is tilted or moved quickly.

The circuit boards 22 and 120 may simply carry conductors to complete the circuit between the cells and the LED's but it is alternatively possible for them to carry timing circuits that act as hold on relays to maintain the LED's energized for a time after the atomiser has been set down after use, that is to say after release of the button or after restoring the bottle to a stationary upright position. The timing circuit can also be used to ensure that the battery is not drained through the light being left switched on, such as when an atomiser fitted with a tilt switch is placed down on its side. - 6

Claims

1. An atomiser bottle having a clear or translucent body and a button that is depressable manually to produce an atomised spray of a liquid contained within the bottle, wherein the bottle is additionally provided with a light source for illuminating the body and any contents of the bottle and means for automatically operating the light source during use of the atomiser.

2. An atomiser bottle having a clear or translucent body and a button that is depressable manually to produce an atomised spray of a liquid contained within the bottle, wherein the bottle is additionally provided with a light source for illuminating the body and any contents of the bottle and a switch actuated during depression of the button for operating the light source.

3. An atomiser bottle as claimed in claim 2, wherein the light source is mounted in the top of the bottle next to the button.

4. An atomiser bottle as claimed in claim 3, wherein, the light source, the electrical power source and the switch are contained in a housing fitted to the top of the atomiser bottle.

5. An atomiser bottle as claimed claim 2, wherein the light source and/or the electrical power source are/is mounted in a housing fitted to the base of the atomiser bottle.

6. An atomiser bottle having a clear or translucent body and a button that is depressable manually to produce an atomised spray of a liquid contained within the bottle, wherein the bottle is additionally provided with a light source for illuminating the body and any contents of the bottle and means sensitive to tilting or movement of the bottle for chelating the light source.

7. An atomiser as claimed in any preceding claim further comprising a timing circuit for maintaining the light source energized for a predetermined length of time after it has been energized.

8. An atomizer as claimed in claim 7, wherein the lo timing circuit is operative to switch off the light source after it has been energised for a predetermined length of time.

9. An atomiser bottle constructed substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in Figure 1 or Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.