JP4839421B2 - Dispenser - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a dispenser for distributing viscous liquid, comprising a container for containing viscous liquid, an attachment connected to the container, and a roller that is restricted by the attachment and partially protrudes therefrom. In operation, there is some clearance between the attachment and the roller so that the liquid can be removed from the inward portion of the roller and can be rolled out and distributed by rolling. The attachment consists of a base part made of a relatively rigid shape-providing material and an apron that extends to the outer edge to constrain the roller and join the base part, with a relatively soft shape that follows the contour of the roller An apron made of a tracking material and a biasing element that presses the roller against the apron with a predetermined force.

  Known dispensers have the disadvantage that the clearance between the roller and the attachment required for liquid delivery causes undesirable leakage when the dispenser is not in use. British patent GB22215763 discloses a dispenser according to its opening features.

  A disadvantage of the known dispenser is that the apron of the attachment must be made from a relatively rigid material in order to maintain dimensional stability. As a result, misalignment may occur initially near the apron edge, and extra liquid is distributed locally. Stiffness provides a gap between the apron and the roller, and the apron cannot be used for permanent sealing. An additional disadvantage of the above environment is that most of the surface of the roller dries out when the dispenser is not in use, which often takes some time and rotates the roller several times before resuming the discharge of liquid. Is something that must be done. This is a drawback related to the ease of use of the dispenser. It is an object of the present invention to eliminate the disadvantages of the prior art described above, and to provide a dispenser that is free from leakage when not in use and that can be used immediately because the rollers are not dry.

  These advantages are achieved with a dispenser of the type mentioned at the beginning. The dispenser has a sealed edge on an apron made of a rubber-like conforming material, and the dispenser has a spherical top that promotes liquid in an upright position with continuous contact with the sealed edge. is doing. It should be noted that US patent specification US 5897267 discloses flexible fittings and proposes such flexible sealing edges. However, this patent specification does not solve the inconvenience described above. This is because the roller is pressed against the attachment during assembly. This can cause permanent deformation of the fixture, which then prevents the fixture from tightly blocking leaks.

  With the dispenser of the present invention, the apron can provide a tight occlusion with no leakage when using relatively soft materials. Since the attachment is assembled from individual parts, the apron does not undergo permanent deformation during assembly. The spherical top prevents the dispenser from being placed all the way, thus continuing the continuous contact of the liquid with the sealing edge. As a result, the roller does not dry up and a continuous distribution continues to be ensured. On the other hand, since the shape of the apron is determined by the base portion, the roller not in use is in permanent contact with the apron. As a result, no circumferential edge misalignment between the apron and the roller occurs and the blockage is complete. Furthermore, according to the invention, the disadvantage that the roller through which the various forces of the user pass is crushed by the basic element and deformed to lose its preferred shape is eliminated. The biasing element provides a permanent force on the roller, which is adjustable, so that pressure on the same part of the roller does not cause deformation of the roller after a long time. Since the structure of the present invention allows a seal to be formed near the edge of the apron, a portion of the roller covered with the apron remains wet with viscous liquid and the roller can be used immediately. In particular, this allows the dispenser to be placed in the orientation in which the roller is pointing down, so that the roller is permanently moistened without dripping the container due to leakage.

  According to a preferred embodiment, the biasing element comprises an elastic arm connected to the base part and in contact with the roller. The base portion and the elastic arm are integrally formed. In this way, a central element is formed which engages the inwardly facing part of the roller, which on the one hand contributes to the dimensional stability of the apron and on the other hand presses the roller against the apron.

  The roller can be cylindrical, but in a preferred embodiment the roller has a spherical shape and is made of a rigid material. Through this combination of a rigid, dimensionally stable sphere and a flexible, traceable apron, a very good seal can be achieved.

  The apron can include a sealing edge and a capillary groove extending toward the sealing edge. Since this groove facilitates the flow of liquid through the surface of the roller, the majority of the roller surface is continuously moistened.

  Furthermore, the dispenser preferably has a removable closure cap for covering the roller, such that there is always a space between the roller and the cap. As a result, the cap does not press the roller and the roller can retain its shape.

  In one embodiment, the apron is made from low density polyethylene or polypropylene, or flexible polypropylene, which is a relatively soft material. The base part and / or the roller can be made from polypropylene. In a preferred embodiment, the apron comprises a rigid wall made of, for example, polypropylene and a sealing edge with a sealing material such as TPE provided thereon.

In yet a further embodiment, the dispenser comprises a closure cap to block the roller, but the cap has a base that places the dispenser in the orientation in which the roller faces down.
The present invention will be further described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of a dispenser 1 of the present invention. The dispenser 1 constitutes a container 2 that can contain a viscous liquid such as a deodorizing agent or lotion. The apron 4 extending to the edge 3 is connected to the rigid cylindrical wall 5, and the wall 5 and the apron 4 form a mounting portion that restrains the roller 6. The roller 6 has a spherical shape and is manufactured from a rigid material such as polypropylene (PP). The apron consists of a relatively soft material that follows the contours of the rollers, such as low density polyethylene (LDPE). A part of the roller 6 protrudes from the apron 4. In use, the roller projections 7 can roll over a surface, such as the armpit, for example, and the deodorant and other liquids in the container 2 are distributed onto such surfaces. For this reason, some clearance (not shown) exists between the apron 4 and the roller 6, and the liquid can be taken out from the inward portion 8 of the roller 6, and can be moved outward by rolling. It can be distributed.

  The dispenser 1 has an urging element in the form of an elastic arm 9 that presses the roller 6 against the apron 4 with a predetermined force. The biasing element applies a permanent force to the roller, which is adjustable, so that pressure on the same part of the roller does not cause deformation of the roller after a long time. In this exemplary embodiment, the arm is coupled to the wall 5. In use, the roller can move away from the apron 4 against the pressure of the arm 9, and there is a little clearance between the apron 4 and the roller 5. As a result, the liquid can easily pass through the apron 4 to the free protruding portion 7 of the roller 6 and reach a surface (not shown) such as the armpit to wet it. FIG. 1 further shows a removable closure cap 10 that can be fitted to the container 2 to cover the roller 6. The cap 10 can be removed from the container by a snap connection, an insertion stop, or a screw cap system, and serves merely to protect the roller. The cap does not contact the roller. The cap has a flat side 11 which forms the base and places the dispenser in the downward orientation of the roller, in the direction of gravity indicated by the arrow g.

  FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the base portion 12. This base part is integral with the biasing element 9 and presses the roller 6 against the apron 4. The base portion 5 includes a cylindrical wall 5 on which the apron 4 can be secured as shown in FIG. As a result, the advantageous flexibility of the apron, which can be combined with the relatively rigid roller 6 to properly seal the liquid in the container 2, is the appropriate means of maintaining the apron shape, since the apron shape is determined by the wall 5. Also has. Furthermore, the base part 5 of this embodiment is provided with a curved elastic star arm 9, which has a common contact point 13 in the center of the roller, so that the roller is uniformly aproned through the circumferential edge. 4 (indicated by the arrow P), causing a liquid seal near the edge of the apron 4.

  Finally, FIG. 3 shows a schematic perspective view of the apron 4. The apron is made from a flexible conformable material such as low density polyethylene (LDPE). The inner wall 14 of the apron 4 follows a generally spherical line, the radius of which is somewhat different from the rollers contained therein, creating a wedge-shaped space that is bounded by a sealing edge 15 between them. The inner wall 14 is provided with grooves 16 extending in the axial direction of the apron, the number and size of which are adjusted by the viscosity of the liquid dispensed by the dispenser. The groove terminates adjacent to the sealing edge 15. The sealing edge 15 can be made from another material, for example a rubber-like flexible material such as TPE (thermoplastic polymer), which can be applied for example by so-called bi-injection. The groove facilitates the transfer of liquid along the inner wall, ensuring that the sphere remains wet to the seal edge adjacent location even after long periods of non-use. This enhances user convenience.

  The invention has been described with reference to the exemplary embodiments presented in the drawings. As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the present invention is not so limited and may include modifications without departing from the spirit of the invention. These modifications can also include cylindrical rollers instead of spheres. Furthermore, the container and the attachment may be separate elements but may be configured as a single body. Such modifications are understood to fall within the scope of the present invention as defined in the claims.

It is a schematic sectional drawing of the dispenser of this invention. It is a schematic perspective view of the basic part and biasing element of this invention. It is a schematic perspective view of the apron of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Dispenser 2 Container 3 Edge 4 Apron 5 Cylindrical wall part 6 Roller 7 Protruding part 8 Inward part of roller 9 Elastic arm 10 Closure cap 11 Flat side part 12 Base part 13 Common contact part 14 Inner wall part 15 Sealing edge Part 16 Groove

Claims (9)

A container containing a viscous liquid;
An attachment coupled to the container;
A dispenser for distributing a viscous liquid comprising a roller constrained by an attachment and partially protruding therefrom;
There is some clearance between the attachment and the roller during operation, the liquid can be taken out from the inward part of the roller, and it can be carried out and distributed by rolling,
The attachment is
A base portion comprising a relatively rigid shape-imparting material;
An apron that extends to the outer edge and restrains the roller, includes a relatively soft shape following material that traces the contour of the roller, and includes a capillary groove that extends along the contour of the roller toward the sealing edge With an apron,
A dispenser comprising a biasing element that presses the roller against the apron with a predetermined force,
The dispenser has a sealing edge provided on the apron containing a rubbery conforming material, and the dispenser, in an upright position, promotes liquid to have continuous contact with the sealing edge. And a capping cap having a spherical top and a base that places the dispenser in the orientation in which the roller is peeled down,
The dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the apron and the base portion are formed of separate parts, the base portion includes a hard cylindrical wall portion, and the apron is fixed to the cylindrical wall portion.   2. A dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the biasing element includes an elastic arm coupled to the base portion and in contact with the roller.   3. The dispenser according to claim 2, wherein the base portion and the elastic arm are integrally formed.   4. Dispenser according to at least one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the roller has a spherical shape and is manufactured from a rigid material. In dispenser according to at least one of claims 1 to 4, the dispenser includes a removable closure cap for covering the roller, that there is a space between the roller and the caps Dispenser featured.   6. The dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the apron includes a rigid wall portion and a sealing edge of the sealing material.   7. A dispenser according to claim 6, wherein the rigid wall is made of polypropylene and the sealing edge is made of a thermoplastic polymer.   8. The dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the apron is made of low density polyethylene, polypropylene, or flexible polypropylene.   9. Dispenser according to at least one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the basic part is made from polypropylene.

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