US20040206775A1 - Container with divided compartments - Google Patents
Container with divided compartments Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20040206775A1 US20040206775A1 US10/638,074 US63807403A US2004206775A1 US 20040206775 A1 US20040206775 A1 US 20040206775A1 US 63807403 A US63807403 A US 63807403A US 2004206775 A1 US2004206775 A1 US 2004206775A1
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- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- container
- cap
- opening
- reservoirs
- housing
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
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Classifications
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
- B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
- B05B11/00—Single-unit hand-held apparatus in which flow of contents is produced by the muscular force of the operator at the moment of use
- B05B11/01—Single-unit hand-held apparatus in which flow of contents is produced by the muscular force of the operator at the moment of use characterised by the means producing the flow
- B05B11/02—Membranes or pistons acting on the contents inside the container, e.g. follower pistons
- B05B11/026—Membranes separating the content remaining in the container from the atmospheric air to compensate underpressure inside the container
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
- B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
- B05B11/00—Single-unit hand-held apparatus in which flow of contents is produced by the muscular force of the operator at the moment of use
- B05B11/01—Single-unit hand-held apparatus in which flow of contents is produced by the muscular force of the operator at the moment of use characterised by the means producing the flow
- B05B11/10—Pump arrangements for transferring the contents from the container to a pump chamber by a sucking effect and forcing the contents out through the dispensing nozzle
- B05B11/1081—Arrangements for pumping several liquids or other fluent materials from several containers, e.g. for mixing them at the moment of pumping
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D35/00—Pliable tubular containers adapted to be permanently or temporarily deformed to expel contents, e.g. collapsible tubes for toothpaste or other plastic or semi-liquid material; Holders therefor
- B65D35/22—Pliable tubular containers adapted to be permanently or temporarily deformed to expel contents, e.g. collapsible tubes for toothpaste or other plastic or semi-liquid material; Holders therefor with two or more compartments
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D81/00—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents
- B65D81/32—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents for packaging two or more different materials which must be maintained separate prior to use in admixture
- B65D81/3283—Cylindrical or polygonal containers, e.g. bottles, with two or more substantially axially offset, side-by-side compartments for simultaneous dispensing
- B65D81/3288—Cylindrical or polygonal containers, e.g. bottles, with two or more substantially axially offset, side-by-side compartments for simultaneous dispensing composed of two or more separate containers joined to each other
Definitions
- the present invention relates to bottle dispensers, and, in particular to a container with divided reservoirs.
- spray bottles are used for dispensing liquids, such as cleaning fluids, air fresheners, beauty products, perfumes, lubricators, etc.
- Some spray bottles have multiple reservoirs for simultaneously dispensing one or more liquids from a spray nozzle.
- One benefit to having multiple reservoirs in a spray bottle is that multiple liquids can remain separated until dispensed. This avoids premixing multiple liquids prior to use. Mixing multiple liquids to acquire a particular mix ratio can be cumbersome and inconvenient. In some situations, spillage and waste occurs trying to mix appropriate ratios, which can be costly.
- these types of spray bottles are useful for dispensing liquids having active ingredients that provide desirable results when mixed but lose these beneficial characteristics if stored for a period of time. Therefore, spray bottles with multiple reservoirs are less messy, enhance convenience, and can readily mix multiple liquids to desirable ratios during use.
- U.S. Pat. No. 5,971,210 illustrates two separate pumping mechanisms that simultaneously operate to dispense fluid from a common nozzle. Each pumping mechanism draws fluid from respective reservoirs and delivers the drawn fluid to the common nozzle.
- This concept is inefficient in that two separate pumping mechanisms are needed, which increases the manufacturing costs associated with this particular spray bottle. Therefore, for many consumers, this particular design concept is inefficient and expensive to operate.
- U.S. Pat. No. 5,385,270 uses a common mixing chamber and a single pumping mechanism to draw in fluids from two separate reservoirs.
- the mixing chamber comprises an inverted conical section having a flat lower surface adjacent the reservoirs.
- the pointed section of the conical mixing chamber is attached to the pumping mechanism leaving gaps between the inclined outer surfaces of the conical mixing chamber and the straight edged pump housing.
- the pump housing loosely fits on top of the inverted conical section.
- the seal formed therebetween can deteriorate over time with excessive use thereby adversely effecting the vacuum pressure needed to draw in fluid from the reservoirs. Therefore, this particular design concept is unreliable and undesirable for many consumers.
- the conical section requires a specially designed mounting structure to attach the inverted conical mixing chamber to the bottle.
- this complex design requires an additional spacer that is threaded on inner and outer surfaces so that the inner surface can be screwed on the bottle and the pump assembly can then be screwed onto the outer surface of the additional spacer.
- the additional spacer is needed to properly seal the flat lower surface to the bottle.
- the complexity associated with this particular design concept increases production costs associated with manufacturing the spray bottle in that additional structures have to be separately formed and additional time is needed to assemble all the additional pieces thus resulting in an increase in labor costs.
- the container may comprise a compressible housing that defines a plurality of chambers that contain a plurality of viscous materials, wherein the compressible housing has an opening at a first end and wherein the plurality of different chambers are in fluid communication with the opening such that compression of the compressible housing results in a mix of the plurality of viscous materials being urged out of the opening.
- the container may further comprise a cap assembly that is positioned over the opening, wherein the cap is movable between a closed and an open orientation wherein the cap has a flat surface having an area sufficient to support the dispensing container in an upright orientation when the cap is positioned in the closed orientation.
- the cap assembly may include a cap housing that mates onto the first end of the compressible housing and a cap that is pivotally connected to the housing wherein the housing includes an opening that is sized so as to be in fluid communication with each of the plurality of chambers.
- the opening in the cap housing may be sized so as to permit a pre-determined substantially constant ratio of the viscous liquids to be urged out of the opening when the compressible housing is compressed.
- the plurality of chambers may comprise two chambers that are divided by a common wall, and wherein the opening in the cap housing is elongate so as to extend in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane of the common wall and so that a substantially equal amount of viscous material from the two chambers emanate out of the opening when the compressible housing is compressed.
- the chambers may respectively contain peanut butter and jelly.
- the cap member of the housing may include a protrusion that matches the contour of the opening in the cap housing such that when the cap is closed, the protrusion extends into the opening to thereby seal the opening.
- the protrusion may be sized so as to extend into the compressible housing a sufficient distance to inhibit viscous liquids from different containers from mixing.
- the assembly may comprise a container having a flexible housing with a partition formed therein so as to divide the interior of the housing into a plurality of reservoirs, the container having a neck portion with an opening formed in a first end, wherein the partition extends within the neck portion so as to define first and second apertures adjacent the opening, and wherein the flexible sidewall is compressible such that compressing the flexible sidewall produces a force that inwardly collapses the flexible housing to thereby extrude the viscous materials from the reservoirs through the opening via the first and second apertures.
- the assembly may further comprise a cap mounted to the neck portion so as to overlie the opening, wherein a third aperture is formed in the cap so as to communicate with the opening for extrusion of the vicious materials from the container.
- the container may comprise a housing having a compressible skin and an interior chamber and a neck portion with an opening formed therein.
- the container may further comprise a common wall that is joined to the compressible skin in a manner so as to divide the interior chamber of the housing into at least two reservoirs, wherein the common wall extends within the neck portion so as to define at least two apertures interposed between the at least two reservoirs and the opening, and wherein the compressible skin is compressible such that compressing the compressible skin produces a force that inwardly collapses the housing to thereby express the viscous materials from the reservoirs through the opening via the first and second apertures.
- the container may still further comprise a manifold positioned within the neck portion in a manner so as to replace at least a portion of the common wall that extends within the neck portion, and wherein the manifold is positioned within the neck portion so as to be interposed between the opening and the common wall.
- the manifold may comprise a hollow interior region and a partition component that defines the at least two apertures, and wherein the partition component abuts the common wall, and the at least two apertures provide a communication path from the reservoirs to the opening.
- FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a spray bottle assembly.
- FIGS. 2A, 2B illustrate expanded views of the spray bottle assembly of FIG. 1.
- FIG. 3 illustrates a cut-away view of the spray bottle assembly of FIG. 1.
- FIGS. 4A-4C illustrate one embodiment of a container assembly.
- FIGS. 5A, 5B illustrate a bottom view of the container assembly.
- FIGS. 6A, 6B illustrate a cross-sectional view of the container assembly.
- FIG. 7A, 7B illustrate the container assembly with a manifold.
- FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a spray bottle assembly 100 having a bottle 102 with a neck portion 104 and first and second reservoirs 110 , 112 for dispensing a plurality of fluids contained therein.
- the bottle 102 comprises first and second outer walls 120 , 122 that are adapted to join together at a central portion 124 in a manner so as to define the first and second reservoirs 110 , 112 .
- the spray bottle assembly 100 comprises a liquid sprayer, and the first and second reservoirs 110 , 112 comprise discrete containment sections that are separated by the central portion 124 , wherein the reservoirs 110 , 112 are each configured to hold a different product in each reservoir or compartment, such as fluids or lotions.
- the spray bottle assembly 100 may be translucent or opaque and formed of a semi-rigid or flexible material, such as polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl-chloride (PVC), polyethylene-terephthalate (PET), etc.
- a semi-rigid or flexible material such as polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl-chloride (PVC), polyethylene-terephthalate (PET), etc.
- differently sized manifold diameters can be used or incorporated to dispense various types of viscosity products depending, in one aspect, on the particular application. For example, it may be desirable to use a larger manifold diameter for a higher viscosity fluid product, such as a lotion, than for a lower viscosity fluid product, such as a liquid.
- each manifold may use or incorporate differently sized orifice pick-up tubes adapting to various types of generally available off-the-shelf components or stock components including mist sprayers, trigger sprayers, and pump dispensers.
- mist sprayers that may be used include the Mark IV, V, VI, and the Sprayette IV manufactured by Calmer in Lee's Summit, Mont.
- trigger sprayers that may be used include the TS-800 also manufactured by Calmer
- dispensing pumps that may be used include the D5, SD100, and P2000 also manufactured by Calmar.
- other various types of off-the-shelf or stock component mist sprayers, trigger sprayers, and dispensers manufactured by other generally known manufacturers may also be used without departing from the scope of the present invention.
- the bottle 102 comprises a cylindrical shape at a lower end 108 a with an elliptical cross-section that narrows to a circular cross-section at an upper end 108 b adjacent the neck portion 104 .
- the neck portion 104 comprises upper and lower sections 116 a , 116 b with a bulging section 118 interposed therebetween.
- the lower section 116 b of the neck portion 104 provides access to the reservoirs 110 , 112 . Further scope and functionality of the neck portion will be described in greater detail herein below.
- the spray bottle assembly 100 further comprises a manifold 128 positioned within the lower section 116 b of the neck portion 104 of the bottle 102 .
- the manifold 128 is cylindrical in shape with a circular cross-section and the lower section 116 a of the neck portion 104 comprises a similar shape that is preferably sized so as to correspondingly receive the manifold 128 in a secure manner.
- the manifold 128 further comprises first and second access tubes 130 , 132 that are respectively positioned within the first and second reservoirs 110 , 112 .
- the access tubes 130 , 132 comprise tubular conduits that extend from the manifold 128 to the lower regions of the reservoirs 110 , 112 .
- the access tubes 130 , 132 are mounted to the manifold 128 so as to fluidly communicate therewith.
- the access tubes 130 , 132 provide quick and easy access to the fluid for withdrawal from the reservoirs 110 , 112 .
- the central portion 124 includes a plurality of interior walls or partitions 126 that serve to divide the reservoirs 110 , 112 from each other.
- the manifold 128 is positioned within the neck portion 104 so as to be positioned adjacent to the interior walls 126 to thereby impede fluid contained within the reservoirs 110 , 112 from traveling from the first reservoir 110 to the second reservoir 112 and vice versa.
- the interior walls 126 at least partially bisect the bottle 104 such that a first volume enclosed by the first reservoir 110 is substantially similar to a second volume enclosed by the second reservoir 112 .
- the interior walls 126 may comprise a first interior 136 a partition or wall adjacent to the first reservoir 110 that is spaced from the from a second interior partition or wall 136 b that is adjacent to the second reservoir 112 by a joining member 138 that is adapted to join the first and second interior walls 136 a , 136 b .
- the manifold 128 is adapted to abut the joining member 138 and the interior walls 136 a , 136 b to thereby to inhibit fluid leakage from the reservoirs 110 , 112 .
- the spray bottle assembly 100 further comprises a pump assembly 140 that threadably mounts to the neck portion 104 of the bottle 102 .
- the pump assembly 140 includes a single intake tube 142 in fluid communication with the manifold 128 and a user actuatable pump mechanism 144 that creates a vacuum force to thereby extract fluid from the reservoirs 110 , 112 for expression out of the pump assembly 140 .
- fluid contained within the reservoirs 110 , 112 is drawn upward from the lower regions of the reservoirs 110 , 112 to the pump mechanism 144 via the fluid communication between the access tubes 130 , 132 , the manifold 128 , and the intake tube 142 .
- the pump mechanism 144 comprises a housing 150 that is threadably mounted to the neck portion 104 and a plunger 152 having a spray port 154 , wherein operation of the pump assembly 144 comprises pushing the plunger 152 into the housing 150 one or more times for expression of the fluid out of the spray port 154 . Further scope and functionality of the pump assembly 140 including the pump mechanism 144 will be described in greater detail herein below.
- FIGS. 2A, 2B illustrate an expanded view of the spray bottle assembly 100 of FIG. 1.
- the bottle 102 further comprises an opening 160 at the upper section 116 a of the neck portion 104 that provides access to the interior region of the bulging section 118 and the reservoirs 110 , 112 .
- the bulging section 118 of the neck portion allows easy user access to the lower section 116 b of the neck portion 104 to thereby readily position the manifold 128 within the lower section 116 b .
- the manifold 128 is positioned within the lower section 116 b of the neck portion 104 such that the first access tube 130 is positioned within the first reservoir 110 and the second access tube 132 is positioned within the second reservoir 112 .
- the diameter and volume of the manifold 128 is similar in proportion to the diameter and volume of the lower section 116 b of the neck portion 104 to thereby allow a pressed fit between the manifold 128 and the lower section 116 b when the manifold 128 is slideably positioned within the lower section 116 b.
- an outer surface 162 of the upper section 116 a adjacent the opening 160 of the neck portion 104 is threaded so as to function as a threaded male connector.
- the interior surface 164 of the housing 150 of the pump assembly 144 is threaded to function as a threaded female connector in a manner so as to mechanically communicate with the threaded outer surface 162 of the upper section 116 a .
- the housing 150 of the pump assembly 144 can be securely and readily fastened to the neck portion 104 of the bottle 102 .
- the access tubes 130 , 132 are pressed to fit within the input ports 170 , 172 of the manifold 128 in a securely fastened manner.
- the opening 160 in the neck portion 104 is preferably sized so as to provide a path for the manifold 128 to pass through the upper and bulging sections 116 a , 118 for mounting to the lower section 116 b .
- the access tubes 130 , 132 are positioned within their respective reservoirs 110 , 112 via upper apertures 176 a , 176 b formed adjacent the lower section 116 b of the neck portion 104 .
- the manifold 128 functionally forms a seal against the joining member 138 and the lower section 116 a so as to inhibit mixing of fluids between the reservoirs 110 , 112 .
- the manifold 128 comprises upper and lower ends 148 a , 148 b having substantially flat surface features.
- the manifold 128 defines a common chamber 168 adjacent the upper end 148 a having first and second input ports 170 , 172 adjacent the lower end 148 b to which the first and second access tubes 130 , 132 are respectively attached so as to provide fluid communication thereto.
- the common chamber 168 may function as a mixing chamber, where fluid drawn from the reservoirs 110 , 112 is mixed together during operation of the pump assembly 140 .
- fluids from the reservoirs 110 , 112 are mixed to an approximate ratio of 50:50.
- fluids or lotions may be separately contained in the reservoirs 110 , 112 and then mixed in the common chamber 168 so as to provide a mixed spray, mist, or stream during operation of the pump assembly 140 .
- the pump assembly 144 attaches to the manifold 128 via the intake tube 142 in a manner so as to fluidly communication with the common chamber 168 of the manifold 128 .
- the intake tube 142 may comprise a protrusion 156 that extends within the common chamber 168 of the manifold 128 when the intake tube 142 is mounted to the manifold 128 .
- the diameter of the protrusion 156 is at least less than the diameter of the intake tube 142 so as to form a ledge 178 , where the protrusion 156 joins the intake tube 142 .
- the diameter of the common chamber 168 is similarly sized to the diameter of the protrusion 156 so as to receive the protrusion 156 until the upper surface 148 a of the manifold 128 abuts the ledge 178 .
- the protrusion 156 is pressed to fit within the common chamber 168 so as to provide a secure attachment and to form a tight seal therebetween.
- the ledge 178 presses the manifold 128 against the central portion 124 and the joining member 138 during mounting of the housing 150 of the pump assembly 140 to the upper section 116 a of the bottle 102 .
- This allows the lower surface 148 b of manifold 128 to firmly seal against the lower section 116 b of the neck portion 104 so as to prevent fluid from intermixing between the reservoirs 110 , 112 . Therefore, as illustrated in FIG.
- the manifold 128 rests securely within the lower section 116 b of the neck portion 104 so as to firmly seal against the interior walls 126 of the central portion 124 and the joining member 138 when the pump assembly 140 is securely attached to the bottle 102 via the threaded outer surface 162 of the neck portion 104 and the threaded housing 150 of the pump assembly 140 .
- the protrusion 156 may be adapted to comprise sidewall apertures 158 a , 158 b .
- a first sidewall aperture 158 a is adapted to communicate with the first input port 170 of the manifold 128
- a second sidewall aperture 158 b is adapted to communicate with the second input port 172 of the manifold 128 .
- the sidewall apertures 158 a , 158 b allow fluid to flow through the manifold 128 from the input ports 170 , 172 to the intake tube 142 via the common chamber 168 .
- the ledge 178 may be extended to form a washer structure having a lower surface 190 with a larger surface area. As illustrated the extended ledge 178 is substantially perpendicular to the intake tube 142 and the protrusion 156 . In one aspect, when the protrusion 156 is inserted into the common chamber 168 , the lower surface 190 of the expanded ledge 178 more evenly distributes the pressing force acting on the upper surface 148 a of the manifold 128 during tightening of the pump assembly 140 onto the upper section 116 a of the bottle 102 .
- the expanded ledge 178 more firmly presses the manifold into the lower section 116 b of the neck portion 104 so as to form a secure seal within the neck portion 104 therebetween. Also, the expanded ledge 178 also prevents movement of the manifold 128 within the neck portion 104 so that the secure seal therein remains intact to thereby increase the reliability of the seal.
- FIG. 3 illustrates a cut-away view of the spray bottle assembly 100 of FIG. 1 so as to show the internal components of the pump assembly 140 .
- the pump assembly 140 is user actuated and is configured to create a vacuum force that extracts fluid from the reservoirs 110 , 112 via the access tubes 130 , 132 into the common chamber 168 and into the single intake tube 142 for expression out of the pump assembly 140 via the spray port 154 .
- the pump mechanism 144 of the pump assembly 140 comprises a piston 180 , a spring 182 housed inside the intake tube 142 , and a contoured trigger 184 .
- the intake tube 142 is cylindrical in shape with a circular cross-section and is sized so as to receive the spring 182 .
- a user actuates the pump mechanism 144 by pushing down on the trigger 184 thereby plunging the piston 180 into the intake tube 142 .
- the moving piston 180 compresses the spring 182 , so when the user subsequently releases the trigger 184 , the biasing force of the spring 182 pushes the piston 180 upward and back out of the intake tube 142 .
- the plunging actuation of the piston 180 into and out of the intake tube 142 , defines a pump cycle.
- the down-stroke of the piston 180 plunging inward compresses the volume within the intake tube 142 forcing fluid out of the spray port 154 .
- the up-stroke of the piston 180 plunging outward from the intake tube 142 expands the volume of the intake tube 142 , drawing fluid within the intake tube 142 .
- the fluid contained within the bottle 102 flows through the pump assembly 140 in one direction from the reservoirs 110 , 112 through the access tubes 130 , 132 into the common chamber 168 of the manifold 128 and further into the intake tube 142 of the pump assembly 140 .
- the pump assembly 140 may comprise at least one of the generally available off-the-shelf components or stock components manufactured by Calmar in Lee's Summit, Mont.
- one or more of these generally available off-the-shelf or stock components can be readily adapted to mount to the manifold 128 using friction-fit or generally known adhesives, such as epoxy or silicon based materials.
- off-the-shelf or stock components such as the generally available spray nozzle, reduce manufacturing costs associated with the spray bottle assembly 100 of the present invention because a specially designed pump mechanism does not necessarily have to be constructed to gain the benefits of the spray bottle assembly 100 as described herein.
- the spray bottle 100 of the present invention is an improvement over prior art spray bottles.
- the spray bottle assembly 100 may comprise an aerosol sprayer.
- the reservoirs 110 , 112 would comprise an active ingredient, such as a liquid, and a compressed gas called a propellant.
- the compressed gas propels the active ingredient out of the reservoirs 110 , 112 pushing outward on the walls 120 , 122 , 126 and also down on the active ingredient.
- the trigger 184 is depressed, the pressure differential between the interior and exterior of the bottle 102 forces the active ingredient out of the spray port 154 .
- gases are highly compressible and highly elastic, which makes them useful in storing and releasing energy similar in function to a spring.
- the energy used to compress the gas propellant in the bottle 102 is used to propel the active ingredient out of the bottle 102 .
- FIGS. 4A-4C illustrate one embodiment of a container assembly 200 having a container 202 with a neck portion 204 and first and second reservoirs 210 , 212 for dispensing a plurality of materials or products, such as highly viscous liquids or semi-solids, contained therein.
- the container 202 comprises at least one outer wall, sidewall, or skin 220 that is adapted to comprise at least one internal partition 224 in a manner so as to define the first and second reservoirs 210 , 212 .
- the container 202 may also be referred to as a housing, containment section, etc. and the reservoirs 210 , 212 may also be referred to as compartments, sections, chambers, regions, etc. without departing from the scope of the present teachings.
- the first and second reservoirs 210 , 212 of the container 202 comprise discrete containment compartments or sections that are separated or divided by the internal partition 224 , which may also be referred to as a common wall defined between the first and second reservoirs 210 , 212 .
- the reservoirs 210 , 212 are each configured to hold a different material, product, or viscous fluid in each section, reservoir, or compartment, such as food materials, products or viscous fluids, including peanut butter, jelly, jam, margarine, honey, cheese, refried beans, etc., or various other types of materials, products, or viscous fluids, such as shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, lotion, etc.
- the internal partition 224 comprises at least one interior wall that is positioned within the container 202 and is adapted to divide the interior of the container 202 into at least two reservoirs 210 , 212 .
- the upper portion of the internal partition 224 is positioned within the neck portion 204 so as to impede material or products contained within the reservoirs 210 , 212 from traveling from the first reservoir 210 to the second reservoir 212 and vice versa.
- the interior partition 224 at least partially bisects the container 202 such that a first volume enclosed by the first reservoir 210 is substantially similar to a second volume enclosed by the second reservoir 212 .
- the interior partition 224 may comprise a plurality interior walls that are securely attached together or distally spaced apart as previously described with reference to the bottle 102 of FIG. 1.
- the container assembly 200 comprises a squeezable or compressible “tottle” bottle, wherein the outer wall 220 of the container 202 is readily flexible, bendable, or compressible in a manner so as to dispense, extrude, or express the contents of the reservoirs 210 , 212 .
- a lower end 214 adjacent the neck portion 204 of the container 202 comprises a circular cross-section that narrows to a substantially flat cross-section at an upper end 216 of the container 102 .
- the at least one outer wall 220 may be joined to the internal partition 224 at the upper end 216 with a seam 222 .
- the seam 222 may comprise a fused seal that substantially seals the upper end 216 of the container 202 .
- the container 202 may be translucent or opaque and formed of a semi-rigid, flexible, or compressible material, such as polyethylene (PE).
- PE polyethylene
- the container assembly 200 including one or more of its components as described herein may comprise various other materials, such as various types of co-extrusion air barrier plastics, polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl-chloride (PVC), polyethylene-terephthalate (PET), etc., without departing from the scope of the present teachings.
- the container assembly 200 further comprises a cap 230 mounted to the container 202 at the lower end 214 thereof.
- the cap 230 comprises a lid portion 232 hinged to a base portion 234 with a hinge component 236 .
- the lid portion 232 of the cap 230 hingedly retracted in a closed position to the base portion 234 of the cap 230 .
- the base portion 234 of the cap 230 comprises a threaded interior sidewall 248 , as illustrated in FIGS. 6A, 6B, that is adapted to threadably communicate with an outer sidewall 228 of the neck portion 204 of the container 200 for mounting thereto.
- the cap 230 may comprise various types of push-pull cap components, off-the-shelf cap components, or stock cap enclosures without departing from the scope of the present teachings.
- the cap 230 provides resistance to air contamination by gravity fed of the material or products contained with the reservoirs 210 , 212 of the container 202 .
- FIG. 4A further illustrates the container assembly 200 in a first position with the lower end 214 of the container 202 including the cap 230 positioned below the upper end 216 of the container 202 .
- the lid portion 232 of the cap 230 further comprises an outer surface 237 that is substantially flat to thereby allow the container 202 to stand upright in the first position when the cap 230 is mounted to the container 202 and when the container assembly 200 is positioned on a substantially flat supporting surface, such as a shelf or table.
- the outer surface 237 of the cap 237 is substantially flat enough to communicate with a flat supporting surface such that the container assembly 200 balances on the substantially flat supporting surface in the first position.
- the first position of the container assembly 200 allows gravity to settle the contents of the reservoirs 210 , 212 towards the lower end 214 of the container 202 such that the contents contained within the reservoirs 210 , 212 are readily dispensable via the cap 230 in a manner that will be described in greater detail herein below.
- FIG. 4B illustrates the container assembly 100 with the cap 230 detached from the container 102 .
- the neck portion 204 of the container 202 comprises a cylindrical shape with a circular lower end 226 and the outer sidewall 228 that is threaded so as to receive the base portion 234 of the cap 230 .
- the cap 230 is threadably mounted to the neck portion 204 of the container 202 such that the cap 230 can be readily attached and detached to and from the container 202 . Additionally, as illustrated in FIG.
- the diameter or size of the neck portion 204 is at least less than the diameter or size of the container 202 at the lower end 214 thereof so as to define a ledge portion 268 interposed between the neck portion 204 and the outer wall 220 the container 202 .
- the ledge portion 268 joins the neck portion 204 to the outer sidewall 220 of the container 202 at an angle as illustrated in FIGS. 6A, 6B. It should be appreciated by one skilled in the art that the ledge portion 268 may be adapted to join the neck portion 204 to the outer sidewall 220 of the container 202 at various angles including offset angles without departing form the scope of the present teachings.
- the internal partition 224 of the container 202 substantially bisects the neck portion 204 so as to define first and second outtake apertures 240 , 242 with the internal partition 124 positioned therebetween.
- the first and second apertures 240 , 242 of the neck portion 204 are semi-circular in shape and provide access to the first and second reservoirs 210 , 212 , of the container 202 , respectively. Further scope and functionality of the neck portion 204 including the outtake apertures 240 , 242 will be described in greater detail herein below.
- FIG. 4C illustrates the container assembly 200 with lid portion 232 of the cap 230 hingedly deployed in an open position from the base portion 234 of the cap 230 .
- the cap 230 comprises an elongate aperture 250 having a raised profile that protrudes from a sidewall 238 of the base portion 234 of the cap 230 in a substantially perpendicular manner.
- the elongate aperture 250 is positioned substantially perpendicular to the internal partition 224 of the container 202 such that the elongate aperture 250 is in fluid communication with the outtake apertures 240 , 242 of the neck portion 204 and provides access to the reservoirs 210 , 212 of the container 202 .
- the threads on the outer sidewall 228 of the neck portion 204 are oriented such that the elongate aperture 250 of the cap 230 is positioned substantially perpendicular to the internal partition 224 of the container 202 when the cap 230 is securely fastened or mounted to the neck portion 204 of the container 202 .
- the lid portion 232 of the cap 230 comprises a hollow interior region 260 and a stopper 262 that protrudes from a sidewall 264 of the lid portion 232 in a substantially perpendicular manner.
- the stopper 262 is adapted to communicate with the elongate aperture 250 of the base portion 234 so as to plug therewith when the lid portion 232 is retracted to the closed position as illustrated in FIG. 6A.
- the stopper 262 when received by the elongate aperture 250 in the closed position, substantially prevents the contents of the reservoirs 210 , 212 from dispensing therefrom.
- FIG. 4C the lid portion 232 of the cap 230 comprises a hollow interior region 260 and a stopper 262 that protrudes from a sidewall 264 of the lid portion 232 in a substantially perpendicular manner.
- the stopper 262 is adapted to communicate with the elongate aperture 250 of the base portion 234 so as to plug therewith when the lid portion 232 is retracted to the closed position
- the stopper 262 may be adapted to extend within the elongate aperture 250 so as plug therewith and abut the internal partition 224 to thereby form at least a partial seal therewith so as to substantially prevent the contents of the reservoirs 210 , 212 from intermixing.
- the flexible or compressible sidewall 220 of the container 202 is user actuatable such that “squeezing” or compressing the sidewall 220 produces a force that inwardly collapses the sidewall 220 to thereby extrude material, product, or viscous fluids from the reservoirs 210 , 212 via the apertures 240 , 242 , 250 for expression out of the cap 230 .
- a plane of “squeeze” direction is defined substantially perpendicular to the outer sidewall 220 of the container 202 .
- a plurality of contained materials, products, or viscous materials that are separately held in the reservoirs 210 , 212 can be simultaneously extruded or expressed from the container 202 via the apertures 240 , 242 of the neck portion 204 and the aperture 250 of the cap 230 .
- the elongate aperture 250 is positioned, for example, towards the center of the base portion 234 of the cap 230 .
- This positioning allows a first ratio of extrusion to comprise approximately a 50/50 extrusion ratio, wherein the extrusion ratio is defined by the amount of contents expressed from each of the reservoirs 210 , 212 of the container 202 .
- the position of the elongate aperture 250 may vary along the sidewall 238 of the base portion 234 depending on the desired ratio of products extruded from the reservoirs 210 , 212 of the container 202 .
- One example of this concept would be to orient the position of the elongate aperture 250 approximately 25% more towards the first reservoir 210 than the second reservoir 212 such that the extrusion ratio is approximately 75% of the contents of the first reservoir 210 and 25% of the contents of the second reservoir 212 . Therefore, it should be appreciated by one skilled in the art that the position of the elongate aperture 250 on the base portion 234 of the cap 230 may be adapted to comprise a desired extrusion ratio without departing from the scope of the present teachings.
- the positional adaptability of the elongate aperture 250 along the base portion 234 of the cap 230 makes it easier to adjust the amount of contents expressed from each of the reservoirs 210 , 212 of the container 202 .
- FIG. 5A illustrates a bottom view of the container assembly 200 with the cap 230 232 removed from the neck portion 204 of the container 202 .
- the central partition 224 of the container 202 substantially bisects the neck portion 204 of the container 202 so as to define the outtake apertures 240 , 242 .
- the central partition 224 divides the interior of the container 202 into at least two discrete sections or compartments comprising the first and second reservoirs 210 , 212 such that a plurality of materials or products can be separately contained within the reservoirs 210 , 212 .
- the outtake apertures 240 , 242 provide access to the reservoirs 210 , 212 for expression of material or products contained within the reservoirs 210 , 212 from the container 202 .
- FIG. 5B illustrates a bottom view of the container assembly 200 with the lid portion 232 removed from the base portion 234 of the cap 230 .
- the base portion 234 of the cap 230 is mounted to the neck portion 204 of the container 202 such that the sidewall 238 of the base portion 234 abuts the central partition 224 of the container 202 and the elongate aperture 250 is substantially perpendicular to the central partition 224 .
- FIG. 6A illustrates a cross-sectional view of the container assembly 200 taken along lines 6 A- 6 A of FIG. 4A.
- the at least one internal partition 224 divides the container 202 into at least two reservoirs 210 , 212 .
- An upper end 256 of the internal partition 224 is securely attached to the outer wall 220 of the container 202 at the upper end 216 thereof so as to form the seam 222 with a fastening means, such as a fused seal using heat induction, epoxy, glue, etc.
- the internal partition 224 runs along the height of the container 202 such that a lower end 258 of the internal partition 224 is positioned within the neck portion 204 of the container 202 and is substantially aligned with lower end 226 of the neck portion 204 .
- the internal partition 224 substantially bisects the neck portion 204 so as to define the first and second outtake apertures 240 , 242 above the first and second reservoirs 210 , 212 , respectively.
- FIG. 6A further illustrates a cross-sectional view of the cap 230 , which is attached to the container 202 via a threaded interconnection between the interior sidewall 248 of the base portion 234 and the outer sidewall 228 of the neck portion 204 .
- the cap 230 is attached to the lower end 214 of the container 202 so as to overlie the lower end 238 of the neck portion 204 such that the elongate aperture 250 of the base portion 234 of the cap 230 is positioned over the outtake apertures 240 , 242 .
- the hinge 236 is integrally formed as part of the lid and base portions 232 , 234 such that the lid portion 232 is hingedly attached to base portion 234 to thereby readily allow the lid portion 232 to be deployed and retracted between the open and closed positions.
- the lid portion 232 of the cap 230 is retracted into the closed configuration, as illustrated in FIG. 6A, such that the stopper 262 at least partially extends with the elongate aperture 250 .
- the stopper 262 may be adapted to extend within the elongate aperture 250 so as to abut the internal partition 224 without departing from the scope of the present teachings.
- FIG. 6B illustrates a cross-sectional view of the container assembly 200 with the cap 230 detached from the neck portion 204 and the lid portion 232 deployed from the cap 230 in the open position.
- the cap 230 can be detached from the neck portion 204 of the container 202 by way of the threaded interconnection between the interior sidewall 248 of the base portion 234 and the outer sidewall 228 of the neck portion 204 .
- the lid portion 232 of the cap 230 can be deployed into the open position, as illustrated in FIG. 6B, by pivoting the lid portion 232 about the hinge 236 with respect to the base portion 234 .
- This advantageous configuration allows the cap 230 be readily detached from the container 202 and further allows the lid portion 232 of the cap 230 to be readily deployed and retracted into open and closed positions, respectively.
- FIG. 7A illustrates a perspective view of the container assembly 200 with the neck portion 204 of the container 202 adapted to receive a manifold 270 having an integral partition 272 .
- FIG. 7B illustrates an exploded view of the container assembly 200 with the manifold 270 and the cap 230 detached from the neck portion 204 of the container 202 .
- the container assembly 200 may optionally comprise a manifold 270 securely positioned within the neck portion 204 of the container 202 .
- the manifold 270 is cylindrical in shape with a circular cross-section and the interior of the neck portion 204 comprises a similar shape that is sized so as to correspondingly receive the manifold 270 therein in a secure manner.
- the manifold 270 may be securely fastened or attached to the interior sidewalls of the neck portion 204 via a friction-fit, heat induction fuse, epoxy, glue, etc.
- the internal partition 224 of the container 202 is adapted to abut the manifold 270 when the manifold 270 is positioned in the neck portion 204 of the container 202 .
- the manifold 270 further comprises an integral partition 272 that runs along the height and width of the manifold 270 in a manner so as to abut the internal partition 224 of the container 202 when the manifold 270 is positioned within the neck portion 204 of the container 202 .
- the integral partition 272 is positioned within the manifold 270 so as to bisect the interior of the manifold 270 to thereby define first and second outtake apertures 280 , 282 that are respectively positioned over the first and second reservoirs 210 , 212 .
- the outtake apertures 240 , 242 as defined by the manifold 270 are adapted to fluidly communicate with the reservoirs 210 , 212 of the container 202 .
- the integral partition 272 is positioned, for example, towards the center of the manifold 270 .
- the contour of the integral partition 272 is substantially rectangular in shape so as to define a first ratio of extrusion to comprise approximately a 50/50 extrusion ratio, wherein the extrusion ratio is defined by the amount of contents expressed from each of the reservoirs 210 , 212 of the container 202 .
- the contour of the integral partition 272 may vary in width depending on the desired ratio of products extruded from the reservoirs 210 , 212 of the container 202 .
- One example of this concept would be to form the contour of the integral partition 272 of the manifold 270 with approximately 25% more width above the first reservoir 210 than the second reservoir 212 such that the extrusion ratio is approximately 75% of the contents of the second reservoir 212 and 25% of the contents of the first reservoir 210 .
- the cross-sectional area of the first outtake aperture 280 defined by the manifold 270 is at least less than the cross-sectional area of the second outtake aperture 282 defined by the manifold 270 . Therefore, it should be appreciated by one skilled in the art that the contour of the integral partition 272 of the manifold 270 may be adapted to comprise a desired extrusion ratio without departing from the scope of the present teachings.
- the manifold 270 including the outtake apertures 240 , 242 allow ready access to the materials or products contained within the reservoirs 210 , 212 of the container 202 .
- the adaptability of the contour of the integral partition 272 makes it easier to adjust the amount of material or products expressed from each of the reservoirs 210 , 212 of the container 202 .
- differently sized manifold diameters can be used or incorporated to dispense various types of viscosity products depending, in one aspect, on the particular application.
- manifold 270 may be adapted to use or incorporate differently sized orifice pick-up tubes adapting to various types of generally available push-pull, off-the-shelf, or stock cap components.
- push-pull, off-the-shelf, or stock cap components or enclosures manufactured by generally known manufacturers in the art may also be used without departing from the scope of the present teachings.
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Abstract
The present teachings describe an improved dispensing container for a plurality of viscous liquids. In one aspect, the container includes a compressible housing that defines a plurality of chambers that contain a plurality of viscous materials, wherein the compressible housing has an opening at a first end and wherein the plurality of different chambers are in fluid communication with the opening such that compression of the compressible housing results in a mix of the plurality of viscous materials being urged out of the opening. In addition, the container further includes a cap assembly that is positioned over the opening, wherein the cap is movable between a closed and an open orientation wherein the cap has a flat surface having an area sufficient to support the dispensing container in an upright orientation when the cap is positioned in the closed orientation.
Description
- This application is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/420,043 filed Apr. 18, 2003, which is incorporated by reference in is entirety.
- 1. Field of the Invention
- The present invention relates to bottle dispensers, and, in particular to a container with divided reservoirs.
- 2. Description of the Related Art
- In general, spray bottles are used for dispensing liquids, such as cleaning fluids, air fresheners, beauty products, perfumes, lubricators, etc. Some spray bottles have multiple reservoirs for simultaneously dispensing one or more liquids from a spray nozzle. One benefit to having multiple reservoirs in a spray bottle is that multiple liquids can remain separated until dispensed. This avoids premixing multiple liquids prior to use. Mixing multiple liquids to acquire a particular mix ratio can be cumbersome and inconvenient. In some situations, spillage and waste occurs trying to mix appropriate ratios, which can be costly. In addition, these types of spray bottles are useful for dispensing liquids having active ingredients that provide desirable results when mixed but lose these beneficial characteristics if stored for a period of time. Therefore, spray bottles with multiple reservoirs are less messy, enhance convenience, and can readily mix multiple liquids to desirable ratios during use.
- Many prior art spray bottles that have multiple reservoirs lack an efficient mechanism for dispensing fluid contained therein. In one instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,971,210 illustrates two separate pumping mechanisms that simultaneously operate to dispense fluid from a common nozzle. Each pumping mechanism draws fluid from respective reservoirs and delivers the drawn fluid to the common nozzle. Unfortunately, this concept is inefficient in that two separate pumping mechanisms are needed, which increases the manufacturing costs associated with this particular spray bottle. Therefore, for many consumers, this particular design concept is inefficient and expensive to operate.
- Another inefficient prior art spray bottle, U.S. Pat. No. 5,385,270, uses a common mixing chamber and a single pumping mechanism to draw in fluids from two separate reservoirs. In particular, the mixing chamber comprises an inverted conical section having a flat lower surface adjacent the reservoirs. The pointed section of the conical mixing chamber is attached to the pumping mechanism leaving gaps between the inclined outer surfaces of the conical mixing chamber and the straight edged pump housing. As illustrated, the pump housing loosely fits on top of the inverted conical section. Unfortunately, the seal formed therebetween can deteriorate over time with excessive use thereby adversely effecting the vacuum pressure needed to draw in fluid from the reservoirs. Therefore, this particular design concept is unreliable and undesirable for many consumers.
- Furthermore, the conical section requires a specially designed mounting structure to attach the inverted conical mixing chamber to the bottle. As illustrated, this complex design requires an additional spacer that is threaded on inner and outer surfaces so that the inner surface can be screwed on the bottle and the pump assembly can then be screwed onto the outer surface of the additional spacer. The additional spacer is needed to properly seal the flat lower surface to the bottle. Unfortunately, the complexity associated with this particular design concept increases production costs associated with manufacturing the spray bottle in that additional structures have to be separately formed and additional time is needed to assemble all the additional pieces thus resulting in an increase in labor costs.
- Many conventional containers for dispensing various products, such as food products including peanut butter, jelly, ketchup, mustard, etc. and cosmetic products including lotions, conditioner, shampoo, toothpaste, etc., typically have a single compartment or reservoir for expression or extrusion of the product therefrom. Unfortunately, consumers have to use and handle a plurality of these conventional single reservoir containers for dispensing a plurality of products, which can be inefficient, inconvenient, and uneconomical. Additionally, storage inefficiencies can arise due to the large numbers of separate containers that need to be stored or put away in cabinets, drawers, etc. Therefore, from the foregoing, there currently exists a need for an improved container that reduces the inconveniences and inefficiencies of typical single reservoir containers.
- The aforementioned needs may be satisfied by a dispensing container for a plurality of viscous liquids. In one embodiment, the container may comprise a compressible housing that defines a plurality of chambers that contain a plurality of viscous materials, wherein the compressible housing has an opening at a first end and wherein the plurality of different chambers are in fluid communication with the opening such that compression of the compressible housing results in a mix of the plurality of viscous materials being urged out of the opening. In addition, the container may further comprise a cap assembly that is positioned over the opening, wherein the cap is movable between a closed and an open orientation wherein the cap has a flat surface having an area sufficient to support the dispensing container in an upright orientation when the cap is positioned in the closed orientation.
- In one aspect, the cap assembly may include a cap housing that mates onto the first end of the compressible housing and a cap that is pivotally connected to the housing wherein the housing includes an opening that is sized so as to be in fluid communication with each of the plurality of chambers. In addition, the opening in the cap housing may be sized so as to permit a pre-determined substantially constant ratio of the viscous liquids to be urged out of the opening when the compressible housing is compressed. Also, the plurality of chambers may comprise two chambers that are divided by a common wall, and wherein the opening in the cap housing is elongate so as to extend in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane of the common wall and so that a substantially equal amount of viscous material from the two chambers emanate out of the opening when the compressible housing is compressed. Also, the chambers may respectively contain peanut butter and jelly.
- In another aspect, the cap member of the housing may include a protrusion that matches the contour of the opening in the cap housing such that when the cap is closed, the protrusion extends into the opening to thereby seal the opening. In addition, the protrusion may be sized so as to extend into the compressible housing a sufficient distance to inhibit viscous liquids from different containers from mixing.
- The aforementioned needs may also be satisfied by an assembly for dispensing a plurality of viscous materials. In one embodiment, the assembly may comprise a container having a flexible housing with a partition formed therein so as to divide the interior of the housing into a plurality of reservoirs, the container having a neck portion with an opening formed in a first end, wherein the partition extends within the neck portion so as to define first and second apertures adjacent the opening, and wherein the flexible sidewall is compressible such that compressing the flexible sidewall produces a force that inwardly collapses the flexible housing to thereby extrude the viscous materials from the reservoirs through the opening via the first and second apertures. In addition, the assembly may further comprise a cap mounted to the neck portion so as to overlie the opening, wherein a third aperture is formed in the cap so as to communicate with the opening for extrusion of the vicious materials from the container.
- The aforementioned needs may also be satisfied by a container for dispensing a plurality of viscous materials. In one embodiment, the container may comprise a housing having a compressible skin and an interior chamber and a neck portion with an opening formed therein. In addition, the container may further comprise a common wall that is joined to the compressible skin in a manner so as to divide the interior chamber of the housing into at least two reservoirs, wherein the common wall extends within the neck portion so as to define at least two apertures interposed between the at least two reservoirs and the opening, and wherein the compressible skin is compressible such that compressing the compressible skin produces a force that inwardly collapses the housing to thereby express the viscous materials from the reservoirs through the opening via the first and second apertures.
- In one aspect, the container may still further comprise a manifold positioned within the neck portion in a manner so as to replace at least a portion of the common wall that extends within the neck portion, and wherein the manifold is positioned within the neck portion so as to be interposed between the opening and the common wall. In addition, the manifold may comprise a hollow interior region and a partition component that defines the at least two apertures, and wherein the partition component abuts the common wall, and the at least two apertures provide a communication path from the reservoirs to the opening. These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
- FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a spray bottle assembly.
- FIGS. 2A, 2B illustrate expanded views of the spray bottle assembly of FIG. 1.
- FIG. 3 illustrates a cut-away view of the spray bottle assembly of FIG. 1.
- FIGS. 4A-4C illustrate one embodiment of a container assembly.
- FIGS. 5A, 5B illustrate a bottom view of the container assembly.
- FIGS. 6A, 6B illustrate a cross-sectional view of the container assembly.
- FIG. 7A, 7B illustrate the container assembly with a manifold.
- These and other aspects, advantages, and novel features of the present teachings will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description. Reference will now be made to the drawings wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout. An improved spray bottle assembly having discrete reservoirs for dispensing one or more fluids or lotions will be described in greater detail herein below with reference to the drawings.
- FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a
spray bottle assembly 100 having abottle 102 with aneck portion 104 and first andsecond reservoirs bottle 102 comprises first and secondouter walls central portion 124 in a manner so as to define the first andsecond reservoirs spray bottle assembly 100 comprises a liquid sprayer, and the first andsecond reservoirs central portion 124, wherein thereservoirs spray bottle assembly 100, including its components, may be translucent or opaque and formed of a semi-rigid or flexible material, such as polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl-chloride (PVC), polyethylene-terephthalate (PET), etc. - Also, in various embodiments, differently sized manifold diameters can be used or incorporated to dispense various types of viscosity products depending, in one aspect, on the particular application. For example, it may be desirable to use a larger manifold diameter for a higher viscosity fluid product, such as a lotion, than for a lower viscosity fluid product, such as a liquid. In addition, each manifold may use or incorporate differently sized orifice pick-up tubes adapting to various types of generally available off-the-shelf components or stock components including mist sprayers, trigger sprayers, and pump dispensers. It should be appreciated that various types of mist sprayers that may be used include the Mark IV, V, VI, and the Sprayette IV manufactured by Calmer in Lee's Summit, Mont. Also, various types of trigger sprayers that may be used include the TS-800 also manufactured by Calmer, and various types of dispensing pumps that may be used include the D5, SD100, and P2000 also manufactured by Calmar. Furthermore, it should also be appreciated that other various types of off-the-shelf or stock component mist sprayers, trigger sprayers, and dispensers manufactured by other generally known manufacturers may also be used without departing from the scope of the present invention.
- In one aspect, the
bottle 102 comprises a cylindrical shape at a lower end 108 a with an elliptical cross-section that narrows to a circular cross-section at an upper end 108 b adjacent theneck portion 104. In addition, theneck portion 104 comprises upper andlower sections section 118 interposed therebetween. Thelower section 116 b of theneck portion 104 provides access to thereservoirs - In addition, the
spray bottle assembly 100 further comprises a manifold 128 positioned within thelower section 116 b of theneck portion 104 of thebottle 102. In one embodiment, the manifold 128 is cylindrical in shape with a circular cross-section and thelower section 116 a of theneck portion 104 comprises a similar shape that is preferably sized so as to correspondingly receive the manifold 128 in a secure manner. In addition, the manifold 128 further comprises first andsecond access tubes second reservoirs access tubes reservoirs access tubes access tubes reservoirs - In one embodiment, the
central portion 124 includes a plurality of interior walls orpartitions 126 that serve to divide thereservoirs neck portion 104 so as to be positioned adjacent to theinterior walls 126 to thereby impede fluid contained within thereservoirs first reservoir 110 to thesecond reservoir 112 and vice versa. In one aspect, theinterior walls 126 at least partially bisect thebottle 104 such that a first volume enclosed by thefirst reservoir 110 is substantially similar to a second volume enclosed by thesecond reservoir 112. In addition, theinterior walls 126 may comprise a first interior 136 a partition or wall adjacent to thefirst reservoir 110 that is spaced from the from a second interior partition orwall 136 b that is adjacent to thesecond reservoir 112 by a joiningmember 138 that is adapted to join the first and secondinterior walls member 138 and theinterior walls reservoirs - Moreover, the
spray bottle assembly 100 further comprises apump assembly 140 that threadably mounts to theneck portion 104 of thebottle 102. Thepump assembly 140 includes asingle intake tube 142 in fluid communication with the manifold 128 and a useractuatable pump mechanism 144 that creates a vacuum force to thereby extract fluid from thereservoirs pump assembly 140. During operation of thepump assembly 140, fluid contained within thereservoirs reservoirs pump mechanism 144 via the fluid communication between theaccess tubes intake tube 142. In one embodiment, thepump mechanism 144 comprises ahousing 150 that is threadably mounted to theneck portion 104 and aplunger 152 having aspray port 154, wherein operation of thepump assembly 144 comprises pushing theplunger 152 into thehousing 150 one or more times for expression of the fluid out of thespray port 154. Further scope and functionality of thepump assembly 140 including thepump mechanism 144 will be described in greater detail herein below. - FIGS. 2A, 2B illustrate an expanded view of the
spray bottle assembly 100 of FIG. 1. In one embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 2A, thebottle 102 further comprises anopening 160 at theupper section 116 a of theneck portion 104 that provides access to the interior region of the bulgingsection 118 and thereservoirs section 118 of the neck portion allows easy user access to thelower section 116 b of theneck portion 104 to thereby readily position the manifold 128 within thelower section 116 b. The manifold 128 is positioned within thelower section 116 b of theneck portion 104 such that thefirst access tube 130 is positioned within thefirst reservoir 110 and thesecond access tube 132 is positioned within thesecond reservoir 112. In one aspect, the diameter and volume of the manifold 128 is similar in proportion to the diameter and volume of thelower section 116 b of theneck portion 104 to thereby allow a pressed fit between the manifold 128 and thelower section 116 b when the manifold 128 is slideably positioned within thelower section 116 b. - Additionally, an
outer surface 162 of theupper section 116 a adjacent theopening 160 of theneck portion 104 is threaded so as to function as a threaded male connector. Theinterior surface 164 of thehousing 150 of thepump assembly 144 is threaded to function as a threaded female connector in a manner so as to mechanically communicate with the threadedouter surface 162 of theupper section 116 a. Thus, thehousing 150 of thepump assembly 144 can be securely and readily fastened to theneck portion 104 of thebottle 102. - In one aspect, the
access tubes input ports opening 160 in theneck portion 104 is preferably sized so as to provide a path for the manifold 128 to pass through the upper and bulgingsections lower section 116 b. During mounting of the manifold 128, theaccess tubes respective reservoirs upper apertures 176 a, 176 b formed adjacent thelower section 116 b of theneck portion 104. In one aspect, once the manifold 128 is securely mounted within thelower section 116 b of theneck portion 104, the manifold 128 functionally forms a seal against the joiningmember 138 and thelower section 116 a so as to inhibit mixing of fluids between thereservoirs - In one embodiment, the manifold128 comprises upper and lower ends 148 a, 148 b having substantially flat surface features. The manifold 128 defines a
common chamber 168 adjacent the upper end 148 a having first andsecond input ports lower end 148 b to which the first andsecond access tubes common chamber 168 may function as a mixing chamber, where fluid drawn from thereservoirs pump assembly 140. For example, prior to being expressed from thespray port 154, fluids from thereservoirs reservoirs common chamber 168 so as to provide a mixed spray, mist, or stream during operation of thepump assembly 140. - Moreover, the
pump assembly 144 attaches to the manifold 128 via theintake tube 142 in a manner so as to fluidly communication with thecommon chamber 168 of themanifold 128. As illustrated in FIG. 2, theintake tube 142 may comprise aprotrusion 156 that extends within thecommon chamber 168 of the manifold 128 when theintake tube 142 is mounted to themanifold 128. In one embodiment, the diameter of theprotrusion 156 is at least less than the diameter of theintake tube 142 so as to form aledge 178, where theprotrusion 156 joins theintake tube 142. In addition, the diameter of thecommon chamber 168 is similarly sized to the diameter of theprotrusion 156 so as to receive theprotrusion 156 until the upper surface 148 a of the manifold 128 abuts theledge 178. In one aspect, theprotrusion 156 is pressed to fit within thecommon chamber 168 so as to provide a secure attachment and to form a tight seal therebetween. - Advantageously, the
ledge 178 presses the manifold 128 against thecentral portion 124 and the joiningmember 138 during mounting of thehousing 150 of thepump assembly 140 to theupper section 116 a of thebottle 102. This allows thelower surface 148 b ofmanifold 128 to firmly seal against thelower section 116 b of theneck portion 104 so as to prevent fluid from intermixing between thereservoirs lower section 116 b of theneck portion 104 so as to firmly seal against theinterior walls 126 of thecentral portion 124 and the joiningmember 138 when thepump assembly 140 is securely attached to thebottle 102 via the threadedouter surface 162 of theneck portion 104 and the threadedhousing 150 of thepump assembly 140. - Additionally, the
protrusion 156 may be adapted to comprisesidewall apertures 158 a, 158 b. In one embodiment, a first sidewall aperture 158 a is adapted to communicate with thefirst input port 170 of the manifold 128, and asecond sidewall aperture 158 b is adapted to communicate with thesecond input port 172 of themanifold 128. Advantageously, thesidewall apertures 158 a, 158 b, allow fluid to flow through the manifold 128 from theinput ports intake tube 142 via thecommon chamber 168. - Alternatively, as illustrated in FIG. 2B, the
ledge 178 may be extended to form a washer structure having alower surface 190 with a larger surface area. As illustrated theextended ledge 178 is substantially perpendicular to theintake tube 142 and theprotrusion 156. In one aspect, when theprotrusion 156 is inserted into thecommon chamber 168, thelower surface 190 of the expandedledge 178 more evenly distributes the pressing force acting on the upper surface 148 a of the manifold 128 during tightening of thepump assembly 140 onto theupper section 116 a of thebottle 102. Advantageously, the expandedledge 178 more firmly presses the manifold into thelower section 116 b of theneck portion 104 so as to form a secure seal within theneck portion 104 therebetween. Also, the expandedledge 178 also prevents movement of the manifold 128 within theneck portion 104 so that the secure seal therein remains intact to thereby increase the reliability of the seal. - FIG. 3 illustrates a cut-away view of the
spray bottle assembly 100 of FIG. 1 so as to show the internal components of thepump assembly 140. In one embodiment, thepump assembly 140 is user actuated and is configured to create a vacuum force that extracts fluid from thereservoirs access tubes common chamber 168 and into thesingle intake tube 142 for expression out of thepump assembly 140 via thespray port 154. In one embodiment, thepump mechanism 144 of thepump assembly 140 comprises apiston 180, aspring 182 housed inside theintake tube 142, and acontoured trigger 184. Theintake tube 142 is cylindrical in shape with a circular cross-section and is sized so as to receive thespring 182. - In one aspect, during operation, a user actuates the
pump mechanism 144 by pushing down on thetrigger 184 thereby plunging thepiston 180 into theintake tube 142. The movingpiston 180 compresses thespring 182, so when the user subsequently releases thetrigger 184, the biasing force of thespring 182 pushes thepiston 180 upward and back out of theintake tube 142. The plunging actuation of thepiston 180, into and out of theintake tube 142, defines a pump cycle. The down-stroke of thepiston 180 plunging inward compresses the volume within theintake tube 142 forcing fluid out of thespray port 154. The up-stroke of thepiston 180 plunging outward from theintake tube 142 expands the volume of theintake tube 142, drawing fluid within theintake tube 142. In general, the fluid contained within thebottle 102 flows through thepump assembly 140 in one direction from thereservoirs access tubes common chamber 168 of the manifold 128 and further into theintake tube 142 of thepump assembly 140. - In addition, it should be appreciated that, in one embodiment as previously described with reference to FIG. 1, the
pump assembly 140 may comprise at least one of the generally available off-the-shelf components or stock components manufactured by Calmar in Lee's Summit, Mont. In one embodiment, one or more of these generally available off-the-shelf or stock components can be readily adapted to mount to the manifold 128 using friction-fit or generally known adhesives, such as epoxy or silicon based materials. Advantageously, off-the-shelf or stock components, such as the generally available spray nozzle, reduce manufacturing costs associated with thespray bottle assembly 100 of the present invention because a specially designed pump mechanism does not necessarily have to be constructed to gain the benefits of thespray bottle assembly 100 as described herein. Hence, from the foregoing, thespray bottle 100 of the present invention is an improvement over prior art spray bottles. - In another embodiment, the
spray bottle assembly 100 may comprise an aerosol sprayer. In this particular embodiment, thereservoirs reservoirs walls trigger 184 is depressed, the pressure differential between the interior and exterior of thebottle 102 forces the active ingredient out of thespray port 154. In general, gases are highly compressible and highly elastic, which makes them useful in storing and releasing energy similar in function to a spring. With reference to the aerosol sprayer, the energy used to compress the gas propellant in thebottle 102 is used to propel the active ingredient out of thebottle 102. - FIGS. 4A-4C illustrate one embodiment of a
container assembly 200 having acontainer 202 with aneck portion 204 and first andsecond reservoirs container 202 comprises at least one outer wall, sidewall, orskin 220 that is adapted to comprise at least oneinternal partition 224 in a manner so as to define the first andsecond reservoirs container 202 may also be referred to as a housing, containment section, etc. and thereservoirs - In one embodiment, the first and
second reservoirs container 202 comprise discrete containment compartments or sections that are separated or divided by theinternal partition 224, which may also be referred to as a common wall defined between the first andsecond reservoirs reservoirs - In one embodiment, the
internal partition 224 comprises at least one interior wall that is positioned within thecontainer 202 and is adapted to divide the interior of thecontainer 202 into at least tworeservoirs internal partition 224 is positioned within theneck portion 204 so as to impede material or products contained within thereservoirs first reservoir 210 to thesecond reservoir 212 and vice versa. In one aspect, as will be shown in greater detail herein below, theinterior partition 224 at least partially bisects thecontainer 202 such that a first volume enclosed by thefirst reservoir 210 is substantially similar to a second volume enclosed by thesecond reservoir 212. It should be appreciated by one skilled in the art that theinterior partition 224 may comprise a plurality interior walls that are securely attached together or distally spaced apart as previously described with reference to thebottle 102 of FIG. 1. - Additionally, in one embodiment, the
container assembly 200 comprises a squeezable or compressible “tottle” bottle, wherein theouter wall 220 of thecontainer 202 is readily flexible, bendable, or compressible in a manner so as to dispense, extrude, or express the contents of thereservoirs lower end 214 adjacent theneck portion 204 of thecontainer 202 comprises a circular cross-section that narrows to a substantially flat cross-section at anupper end 216 of thecontainer 102. Moreover, in one aspect, the at least oneouter wall 220 may be joined to theinternal partition 224 at theupper end 216 with aseam 222. Theseam 222 may comprise a fused seal that substantially seals theupper end 216 of thecontainer 202. - Moreover, in various embodiments, the
container 202, including its components, may be translucent or opaque and formed of a semi-rigid, flexible, or compressible material, such as polyethylene (PE). However, it should be appreciated by one skilled in the art that thecontainer assembly 200 including one or more of its components as described herein may comprise various other materials, such as various types of co-extrusion air barrier plastics, polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl-chloride (PVC), polyethylene-terephthalate (PET), etc., without departing from the scope of the present teachings. - As illustrated in FIG. 4A, the
container assembly 200 further comprises acap 230 mounted to thecontainer 202 at thelower end 214 thereof. In one embodiment, thecap 230 comprises alid portion 232 hinged to abase portion 234 with ahinge component 236. As further illustrated in FIG. 4A, thelid portion 232 of thecap 230 hingedly retracted in a closed position to thebase portion 234 of thecap 230. In addition, thebase portion 234 of thecap 230 comprises a threadedinterior sidewall 248, as illustrated in FIGS. 6A, 6B, that is adapted to threadably communicate with anouter sidewall 228 of theneck portion 204 of thecontainer 200 for mounting thereto. Moreover, it should be appreciated that thecap 230 may comprise various types of push-pull cap components, off-the-shelf cap components, or stock cap enclosures without departing from the scope of the present teachings. Advantageously, thecap 230 provides resistance to air contamination by gravity fed of the material or products contained with thereservoirs container 202. - In one embodiment, FIG. 4A further illustrates the
container assembly 200 in a first position with thelower end 214 of thecontainer 202 including thecap 230 positioned below theupper end 216 of thecontainer 202. In addition, thelid portion 232 of thecap 230 further comprises anouter surface 237 that is substantially flat to thereby allow thecontainer 202 to stand upright in the first position when thecap 230 is mounted to thecontainer 202 and when thecontainer assembly 200 is positioned on a substantially flat supporting surface, such as a shelf or table. In other words, theouter surface 237 of thecap 237 is substantially flat enough to communicate with a flat supporting surface such that thecontainer assembly 200 balances on the substantially flat supporting surface in the first position. Advantageously, the first position of thecontainer assembly 200 allows gravity to settle the contents of thereservoirs lower end 214 of thecontainer 202 such that the contents contained within thereservoirs cap 230 in a manner that will be described in greater detail herein below. - FIG. 4B illustrates the
container assembly 100 with thecap 230 detached from thecontainer 102. In one embodiment, theneck portion 204 of thecontainer 202 comprises a cylindrical shape with a circularlower end 226 and theouter sidewall 228 that is threaded so as to receive thebase portion 234 of thecap 230. Advantageously, thecap 230 is threadably mounted to theneck portion 204 of thecontainer 202 such that thecap 230 can be readily attached and detached to and from thecontainer 202. Additionally, as illustrated in FIG. 4B, the diameter or size of theneck portion 204 is at least less than the diameter or size of thecontainer 202 at thelower end 214 thereof so as to define aledge portion 268 interposed between theneck portion 204 and theouter wall 220 thecontainer 202. In one embodiment, theledge portion 268 joins theneck portion 204 to theouter sidewall 220 of thecontainer 202 at an angle as illustrated in FIGS. 6A, 6B. It should be appreciated by one skilled in the art that theledge portion 268 may be adapted to join theneck portion 204 to theouter sidewall 220 of thecontainer 202 at various angles including offset angles without departing form the scope of the present teachings. - As further illustrated in FIG. 4B, the
internal partition 224 of thecontainer 202 substantially bisects theneck portion 204 so as to define first andsecond outtake apertures internal partition 124 positioned therebetween. In one embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 4B, the first andsecond apertures neck portion 204 are semi-circular in shape and provide access to the first andsecond reservoirs container 202, respectively. Further scope and functionality of theneck portion 204 including theouttake apertures - FIG. 4C illustrates the
container assembly 200 withlid portion 232 of thecap 230 hingedly deployed in an open position from thebase portion 234 of thecap 230. In one embodiment, thecap 230 comprises anelongate aperture 250 having a raised profile that protrudes from asidewall 238 of thebase portion 234 of thecap 230 in a substantially perpendicular manner. In addition, theelongate aperture 250 is positioned substantially perpendicular to theinternal partition 224 of thecontainer 202 such that theelongate aperture 250 is in fluid communication with theouttake apertures neck portion 204 and provides access to thereservoirs container 202. Moreover, in one aspect, the threads on theouter sidewall 228 of theneck portion 204 are oriented such that theelongate aperture 250 of thecap 230 is positioned substantially perpendicular to theinternal partition 224 of thecontainer 202 when thecap 230 is securely fastened or mounted to theneck portion 204 of thecontainer 202. - As further illustrated in FIG. 4C, the
lid portion 232 of thecap 230 comprises a hollowinterior region 260 and astopper 262 that protrudes from asidewall 264 of thelid portion 232 in a substantially perpendicular manner. In one embodiment, thestopper 262 is adapted to communicate with theelongate aperture 250 of thebase portion 234 so as to plug therewith when thelid portion 232 is retracted to the closed position as illustrated in FIG. 6A. Advantageously, thestopper 262, when received by theelongate aperture 250 in the closed position, substantially prevents the contents of thereservoirs stopper 262 may be adapted to extend within theelongate aperture 250 so as plug therewith and abut theinternal partition 224 to thereby form at least a partial seal therewith so as to substantially prevent the contents of thereservoirs - In one embodiment, the flexible or
compressible sidewall 220 of thecontainer 202 is user actuatable such that “squeezing” or compressing thesidewall 220 produces a force that inwardly collapses thesidewall 220 to thereby extrude material, product, or viscous fluids from thereservoirs apertures cap 230. In one aspect, a plane of “squeeze” direction is defined substantially perpendicular to theouter sidewall 220 of thecontainer 202. As such, during “squeezing” or compressing of thecontainer 202, materials, products, or viscous fluids contained within thereservoirs reservoirs elongate aperture 250 of thecap 230 via the first andsecond outtake apertures neck portion 204. Advantageously, in one aspect, a plurality of contained materials, products, or viscous materials that are separately held in thereservoirs container 202 via theapertures neck portion 204 and theaperture 250 of thecap 230. - Furthermore, as illustrated in FIG. 4C, the
elongate aperture 250 is positioned, for example, towards the center of thebase portion 234 of thecap 230. This positioning allows a first ratio of extrusion to comprise approximately a 50/50 extrusion ratio, wherein the extrusion ratio is defined by the amount of contents expressed from each of thereservoirs container 202. In one embodiment, the position of theelongate aperture 250 may vary along thesidewall 238 of thebase portion 234 depending on the desired ratio of products extruded from thereservoirs container 202. - One example of this concept would be to orient the position of the
elongate aperture 250 approximately 25% more towards thefirst reservoir 210 than thesecond reservoir 212 such that the extrusion ratio is approximately 75% of the contents of thefirst reservoir 210 and 25% of the contents of thesecond reservoir 212. Therefore, it should be appreciated by one skilled in the art that the position of theelongate aperture 250 on thebase portion 234 of thecap 230 may be adapted to comprise a desired extrusion ratio without departing from the scope of the present teachings. Advantageously, the positional adaptability of theelongate aperture 250 along thebase portion 234 of thecap 230 makes it easier to adjust the amount of contents expressed from each of thereservoirs container 202. - FIG. 5A illustrates a bottom view of the
container assembly 200 with thecap 230 232 removed from theneck portion 204 of thecontainer 202. As illustrated in FIG. 5A, thecentral partition 224 of thecontainer 202 substantially bisects theneck portion 204 of thecontainer 202 so as to define theouttake apertures central partition 224 divides the interior of thecontainer 202 into at least two discrete sections or compartments comprising the first andsecond reservoirs reservoirs outtake apertures reservoirs reservoirs container 202. - FIG. 5B illustrates a bottom view of the
container assembly 200 with thelid portion 232 removed from thebase portion 234 of thecap 230. As illustrated in FIG. 5B, thebase portion 234 of thecap 230 is mounted to theneck portion 204 of thecontainer 202 such that thesidewall 238 of thebase portion 234 abuts thecentral partition 224 of thecontainer 202 and theelongate aperture 250 is substantially perpendicular to thecentral partition 224. This advantageously allows theelongate aperture 250 of thecap 250 access to thereservoirs container 202 via theouttake apertures neck portion 204. - FIG. 6A illustrates a cross-sectional view of the
container assembly 200 taken alonglines 6A-6A of FIG. 4A. As illustrated in FIG. 6A, the at least oneinternal partition 224 divides thecontainer 202 into at least tworeservoirs internal partition 224 is securely attached to theouter wall 220 of thecontainer 202 at theupper end 216 thereof so as to form theseam 222 with a fastening means, such as a fused seal using heat induction, epoxy, glue, etc. - As further illustrated in FIG. 6A, the
internal partition 224 runs along the height of thecontainer 202 such that alower end 258 of theinternal partition 224 is positioned within theneck portion 204 of thecontainer 202 and is substantially aligned withlower end 226 of theneck portion 204. Advantageously, theinternal partition 224 substantially bisects theneck portion 204 so as to define the first andsecond outtake apertures second reservoirs - FIG. 6A further illustrates a cross-sectional view of the
cap 230, which is attached to thecontainer 202 via a threaded interconnection between theinterior sidewall 248 of thebase portion 234 and theouter sidewall 228 of theneck portion 204. As further illustrated in FIG. 6A, thecap 230 is attached to thelower end 214 of thecontainer 202 so as to overlie thelower end 238 of theneck portion 204 such that theelongate aperture 250 of thebase portion 234 of thecap 230 is positioned over theouttake apertures - In one embodiment, the
hinge 236 is integrally formed as part of the lid andbase portions lid portion 232 is hingedly attached tobase portion 234 to thereby readily allow thelid portion 232 to be deployed and retracted between the open and closed positions. In addition, thelid portion 232 of thecap 230 is retracted into the closed configuration, as illustrated in FIG. 6A, such that thestopper 262 at least partially extends with theelongate aperture 250. It should be appreciated by one skilled in the art that thestopper 262 may be adapted to extend within theelongate aperture 250 so as to abut theinternal partition 224 without departing from the scope of the present teachings. - FIG. 6B illustrates a cross-sectional view of the
container assembly 200 with thecap 230 detached from theneck portion 204 and thelid portion 232 deployed from thecap 230 in the open position. As illustrated in FIG. 6B, thecap 230 can be detached from theneck portion 204 of thecontainer 202 by way of the threaded interconnection between theinterior sidewall 248 of thebase portion 234 and theouter sidewall 228 of theneck portion 204. Thelid portion 232 of thecap 230 can be deployed into the open position, as illustrated in FIG. 6B, by pivoting thelid portion 232 about thehinge 236 with respect to thebase portion 234. This advantageous configuration allows thecap 230 be readily detached from thecontainer 202 and further allows thelid portion 232 of thecap 230 to be readily deployed and retracted into open and closed positions, respectively. - FIG. 7A illustrates a perspective view of the
container assembly 200 with theneck portion 204 of thecontainer 202 adapted to receive a manifold 270 having anintegral partition 272. FIG. 7B illustrates an exploded view of thecontainer assembly 200 with the manifold 270 and thecap 230 detached from theneck portion 204 of thecontainer 202. In the following discussion, it should be appreciated that the scope of the previously describedcontainer assembly 200 including its components remain the same except for the indicated alternate components as described herein below with reference to FIGS. 7A, 7B. - In one embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 7A, the
container assembly 200 may optionally comprise a manifold 270 securely positioned within theneck portion 204 of thecontainer 202. The manifold 270 is cylindrical in shape with a circular cross-section and the interior of theneck portion 204 comprises a similar shape that is sized so as to correspondingly receive the manifold 270 therein in a secure manner. The manifold 270 may be securely fastened or attached to the interior sidewalls of theneck portion 204 via a friction-fit, heat induction fuse, epoxy, glue, etc. In addition, theinternal partition 224 of thecontainer 202 is adapted to abut the manifold 270 when the manifold 270 is positioned in theneck portion 204 of thecontainer 202. - In one embodiment, the manifold270 further comprises an
integral partition 272 that runs along the height and width of the manifold 270 in a manner so as to abut theinternal partition 224 of thecontainer 202 when the manifold 270 is positioned within theneck portion 204 of thecontainer 202. Theintegral partition 272 is positioned within the manifold 270 so as to bisect the interior of the manifold 270 to thereby define first andsecond outtake apertures second reservoirs outtake apertures reservoirs container 202. - Furthermore, as illustrated in FIG. 7A, the
integral partition 272 is positioned, for example, towards the center of themanifold 270. In addition, the contour of theintegral partition 272 is substantially rectangular in shape so as to define a first ratio of extrusion to comprise approximately a 50/50 extrusion ratio, wherein the extrusion ratio is defined by the amount of contents expressed from each of thereservoirs container 202. In one embodiment, the contour of theintegral partition 272 may vary in width depending on the desired ratio of products extruded from thereservoirs container 202. - One example of this concept would be to form the contour of the
integral partition 272 of the manifold 270 with approximately 25% more width above thefirst reservoir 210 than thesecond reservoir 212 such that the extrusion ratio is approximately 75% of the contents of thesecond reservoir 212 and 25% of the contents of thefirst reservoir 210. In this particular example, the cross-sectional area of thefirst outtake aperture 280 defined by the manifold 270 is at least less than the cross-sectional area of thesecond outtake aperture 282 defined by themanifold 270. Therefore, it should be appreciated by one skilled in the art that the contour of theintegral partition 272 of the manifold 270 may be adapted to comprise a desired extrusion ratio without departing from the scope of the present teachings. - Advantageously, the manifold270 including the
outtake apertures reservoirs container 202. Additionally, in one aspect, the adaptability of the contour of theintegral partition 272 makes it easier to adjust the amount of material or products expressed from each of thereservoirs container 202. Moreover, in various embodiments, differently sized manifold diameters can be used or incorporated to dispense various types of viscosity products depending, in one aspect, on the particular application. For example, it may be desirable to use a larger manifold diameter for a higher viscosity fluid product, such as a lotion, than for a lower viscosity fluid product, such as a liquid. In addition, the manifold 270 may be adapted to use or incorporate differently sized orifice pick-up tubes adapting to various types of generally available push-pull, off-the-shelf, or stock cap components. As such, it should also be appreciated that various types of push-pull, off-the-shelf, or stock cap components or enclosures manufactured by generally known manufacturers in the art may also be used without departing from the scope of the present teachings. - Although the above-disclosed embodiments of the present invention have shown, described, and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to the above-disclosed embodiments, it should be understood that various omissions, substitutions, and changes in the form of the detail of the devices, systems, and/or methods illustrated may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention. Consequently, the scope of the invention should not be limited to the foregoing description, but should be defined by the appended claims.
Claims (37)
1. A dispensing container for a plurality of viscous liquids, the container comprising:
a compressible housing that defines a plurality of chambers that contain the plurality of viscous materials, wherein the compressible housing has an opening at a first end, and wherein the plurality of different chambers are in fluid communication with the opening such that compression of the compressible housing results in a mix of the viscous materials being urged out of the opening; and
a cap assembly that is positioned over the opening, wherein the cap is movable between a closed and an open orientation, wherein the cap has a flat surface having an area sufficient to support the dispensing container in an upright orientation when the cap is positioned in the closed orientation.
2. The container of claim 1 , wherein the cap assembly includes a cap housing that mates onto the first end of the compressible housing and a cap that is pivotally connected to the housing, and wherein the housing includes an opening that is sized so as to be in fluid communication with each of the plurality of chambers.
3. The container of claim 2 , wherein the opening in the cap housing is sized so as to permit a pre-determined substantially constant ratio of the viscous liquids to be urged out of the opening when the compressible housing is compressed.
4. The container of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of chambers comprise two chambers that are divided by a common wall, and wherein the opening in the cap housing is elongate so as to extend in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane of the common wall and so that a substantially equal amount of viscous material from the two chambers emanate out of the opening when the compressible housing is compressed.
5. The container of claim 4 , wherein the chambers contain respectively peanut butter and jelly.
6. The container of claim 3 , wherein the cap member of the housing includes a protrusion that matches the contour of the opening in the cap housing such that when the cap is closed, the protrusion extends into the opening to thereby seal the opening.
7. The container of claim 6 , wherein the protrusion is sized so as to extend into the compressible housing a sufficient distance to inhibit viscous liquids from different containers from mixing.
8. An assembly for dispensing a plurality of viscous materials comprising:
a container having a flexible housing with a partition formed therein so as to divide the interior of the housing into a plurality of reservoirs, the container having a neck portion with an opening formed in a first end, wherein the partition extends within the neck portion so as to define first and second apertures adjacent the opening, and wherein the flexible sidewall is compressible such that compressing the flexible sidewall produces a force that inwardly collapses the flexible housing to thereby extrude the viscous materials from the reservoirs through the opening via the first and second apertures; and
a cap mounted to the neck portion so as to overlie the opening, wherein a third aperture is formed in the cap so as to communicate with the opening for extrusion of the vicious materials from the container.
9. The assembly of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of reservoirs comprise first and second reservoirs that each comprise at least one viscous material, and wherein the first and second reservoirs are in communication with the opening such that compression of the flexible housing results in a mix of the viscous materials being extruded from the opening.
10. The assembly of claim 8 , wherein the cap comprises a base portion and a lid portion attached to the base portion via a hinge such that the lid portion is movable between an open and closed position.
11. The assembly of claim 10 , wherein the lid portion comprises a flat outer surface having an area sufficient to support the assembly in an upright orientation when the cap is positioned in the closed position.
12. The assembly of claim 10 , wherein the base portion of the cap mates onto the neck portion via a threaded interconnection, and wherein the third aperture is formed in the base portion of the cap so as to overlie the opening in the neck portion when the cap is mated to the neck portion such that the third aperture is in communication with the reservoirs via the first and second apertures.
13. The assembly of claim 10 , wherein the lid portion of the cap comprises a protrusion that matches the contour of the third aperture formed in the cap such that when the lid portion of the cap is in the closed position, the protrusion extends within the third aperture to thereby seal the third aperture.
14. The assembly of claim 13 , wherein the protrusion is sized so as to extend into the flexible housing a sufficient distance to inhibit viscous materials from different reservoirs from mixing.
15. The assembly of claim 8 , wherein the opening of the neck portion is sized so as to be in communication with each of the plurality of reservoirs.
16. The assembly of claim 8 , wherein the third aperture formed in the cap is sized so as to permit a pre-determined substantially constant ratio of viscous materials to be extruded from the opening when the flexible housing is compressed.
17. The assembly of claim 8 , wherein the partition defines a common wall between the plurality of reservoirs, and wherein the third aperture formed in the cap is elongate so as to extend in a direction substantially perpendicular to the common wall and so that a substantially equal amount of viscous material from the plurality of reservoirs extrude from the opening when the flexible housing is compressed.
18. The assembly of claim 8 , wherein a first end of the container adjacent the neck portion comprises a circular cross-section that narrows to a substantially flat cross-section at a second end of the container opposite the neck portion.
19. The assembly of claim 8 , wherein the viscous materials comprise food products selected form the group consisting of peanut butter, jelly, margarine, honey, cheese, and refried beans.
20. The assembly of claim 8 , wherein the viscous materials comprise cosmetic products selected form the group consisting of lotion, shampoo, conditioner, and toothpaste.
21. A container for dispensing a plurality of viscous materials comprising:
a housing having a compressible skin and an interior chamber;
a neck portion with an opening formed therein; and
a common wall that is joined to the compressible skin in a manner so as to divide the interior chamber of the housing into at least two reservoirs, wherein the common wall extends within the neck portion so as to define at least two apertures interposed between the at least two reservoirs and the opening, and wherein the compressible skin is compressible such that compressing the compressible skin produces a force that inwardly collapses the housing to thereby express the viscous materials from the reservoirs through the opening via the first and second apertures.
22. The container of claim 21 , wherein the container further comprises a manifold positioned within the neck portion in a manner so as to replace at least a portion of the common wall that extends within the neck portion, and wherein the manifold is positioned within the neck portion so as to be interposed between the opening and the common wall.
23. The container of claim 22 , wherein the manifold comprises a hollow interior region and a partition component that defines the at least two apertures, and wherein the partition component abuts the common wall, and the at least two apertures provide a communication path from the reservoirs to the opening.
24. The container of claim 21 , wherein the at least two reservoirs comprise first and second reservoirs that each comprise at least one viscous material, and wherein the first and second reservoirs are in communication with the opening such that compression of the compressible skin of the housing results in a mix of the viscous materials being expressed from the opening via the at least two apertures.
25. The container of claim 24 , wherein the at least two apertures comprise first and second apertures, and wherein the first aperture is defined between the first reservoir and the opening, and the second aperture is defined between the second reservoir and the opening such that compression of the compressible skin of the housing results in a mix of the viscous materials being expressed from the first and second reservoirs to the opening via the first and second apertures.
26. The container of claim 21 , wherein the container further comprises a cap mounted to the neck portion so as to overlie the opening, wherein a third aperture is formed in the cap so as to communicate with the opening for expression of the vicious materials from the reservoirs.
27. The container of claim 26 , wherein the third aperture formed in the cap is sized so as to permit a pre-determined substantially constant ratio of viscous materials to be expressed from the opening when the compressible skin of the housing is compressed.
28. The container of claim 26 , wherein the cap comprises a base portion and a lid portion attached to the base portion via a hinge such that the lid portion is movable between an open and closed position.
29. The container of claim 28 , wherein the lid portion comprises a flat outer surface having an area sufficient to support the container in an upright orientation when the cap is oriented in the closed position.
30. The container of claim 28 , wherein the base portion of the cap mates onto the neck portion via a threaded interconnection, and wherein the third aperture is formed in the base portion of the cap so as to overlie the opening in the neck portion when the cap is mated to the neck portion such that the third aperture is in communication with the reservoirs via the at least two apertures.
31. The container of claim 28 , wherein the lid portion of the cap comprises a protrusion that matches the contour of the third aperture formed in the cap such that when the lid portion of the cap is in the closed position, the protrusion extends within the third aperture to thereby seal the third aperture.
32. The container of claim 31 , wherein the protrusion is sized so as to extend into the flexible housing a sufficient distance to inhibit viscous materials from different reservoirs from mixing.
33. The container of claim 21 , wherein the opening of the neck portion is sized so as to be in communication with each of the at least two reservoirs.
34. The container of claim 21 , wherein the common wall defines a partition between the at least two reservoirs, and wherein the third aperture formed in the cap is elongate so as to extend in a direction substantially perpendicular to the common wall and so that a substantially equal amount of viscous material is expressed from the reservoirs and through the opening when the compressible skin of the housing is compressed.
35. The container of claim 21 , wherein a first end of the housing adjacent the neck portion comprises a circular cross-section that narrows to a substantially flat cross-section at a second end of the housing opposite the neck portion.
36. The container of claim 21 , wherein the viscous materials comprise food products selected form the group consisting of peanut butter, jelly, margarine, honey, cheese, and refried beans.
37. The container of claim 21 , wherein the viscous materials comprise cosmetic products selected form the group consisting of lotion, shampoo, conditioner, and toothpaste.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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US10/638,074 US20040206775A1 (en) | 2003-04-18 | 2003-08-08 | Container with divided compartments |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
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US42004303A | 2003-04-18 | 2003-04-18 | |
US10/638,074 US20040206775A1 (en) | 2003-04-18 | 2003-08-08 | Container with divided compartments |
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US42004303A Continuation-In-Part | 2003-04-18 | 2003-04-18 |
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US10/638,074 Abandoned US20040206775A1 (en) | 2003-04-18 | 2003-08-08 | Container with divided compartments |
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US (1) | US20040206775A1 (en) |
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