US20180346175A1 - Dispenser - Google Patents
Dispenser Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20180346175A1 US20180346175A1 US15/535,877 US201515535877A US2018346175A1 US 20180346175 A1 US20180346175 A1 US 20180346175A1 US 201515535877 A US201515535877 A US 201515535877A US 2018346175 A1 US2018346175 A1 US 2018346175A1
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- reservoir
- outlet
- dispenser according
- closure
- configuration
- 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
- B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
- B67D—DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B67D3/00—Apparatus or devices for controlling flow of liquids under gravity from storage containers for dispensing purposes
- B67D3/0058—Details
- B67D3/0074—Safety or warning devices
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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
- B65D47/00—Closures with filling and discharging, or with discharging, devices
- B65D47/04—Closures with discharging devices other than pumps
- B65D47/20—Closures with discharging devices other than pumps comprising hand-operated members for controlling discharge
- B65D47/26—Closures with discharging devices other than pumps comprising hand-operated members for controlling discharge with slide valves, i.e. valves that open and close a passageway by sliding over a port, e.g. formed with slidable spouts
- B65D47/28—Closures with discharging devices other than pumps comprising hand-operated members for controlling discharge with slide valves, i.e. valves that open and close a passageway by sliding over a port, e.g. formed with slidable spouts having linear movement
- B65D47/283—Closures with discharging devices other than pumps comprising hand-operated members for controlling discharge with slide valves, i.e. valves that open and close a passageway by sliding over a port, e.g. formed with slidable spouts having linear movement between tubular parts
-
- 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
- B65D1/00—Containers having bodies formed in one piece, e.g. by casting metallic material, by moulding plastics, by blowing vitreous material, by throwing ceramic material, by moulding pulped fibrous material, by deep-drawing operations performed on sheet material
- B65D1/02—Bottles or similar containers with necks or like restricted apertures, designed for pouring contents
- B65D1/0223—Bottles or similar containers with necks or like restricted apertures, designed for pouring contents characterised by shape
-
- 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
- B65D1/00—Containers having bodies formed in one piece, e.g. by casting metallic material, by moulding plastics, by blowing vitreous material, by throwing ceramic material, by moulding pulped fibrous material, by deep-drawing operations performed on sheet material
- B65D1/32—Containers adapted to be temporarily deformed by external pressure to expel contents
- B65D1/323—Containers adapted to be temporarily deformed by external pressure to expel contents the container comprising internally a dip tube through which the contents pass
-
- 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
- B65D25/00—Details of other kinds or types of rigid or semi-rigid containers
- B65D25/38—Devices for discharging contents
-
- 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
- B65D43/00—Lids or covers for rigid or semi-rigid containers
- B65D43/02—Removable lids or covers
-
- 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
- B65D50/00—Closures with means for discouraging unauthorised opening or removal thereof, with or without indicating means, e.g. child-proof closures
- B65D50/02—Closures with means for discouraging unauthorised opening or removal thereof, with or without indicating means, e.g. child-proof closures openable or removable by the combination of plural actions
- B65D50/06—Closures with means for discouraging unauthorised opening or removal thereof, with or without indicating means, e.g. child-proof closures openable or removable by the combination of plural actions requiring the combination of different actions in succession
-
- 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
- B65D2501/00—Containers having bodies formed in one piece
- B65D2501/0009—Bottles or similar containers with necks or like restricted apertures designed for pouring contents
- B65D2501/0081—Bottles of non-circular cross-section
-
- 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
- B65D2547/00—Closures with filling and discharging, or with discharging, devices
- B65D2547/04—Closures with discharging devices other than pumps
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a dispenser for dispensing a liquid.
- the present invention relates to a dispenser for dispensing a dangerous liquid such as a poisonous or toxic liquid.
- Dispensers for dangerous liquids generally include a safety feature associated with the lid or cap of the dispenser which inhibits removal of the lid or cap by requiring a sequence of movements or simultaneous movements to be performed on the lid or cap in order to remove it. Typically the movements are difficult to perform, for example because two movements in transverse or naturally opposing or counterintuitive directions are required simultaneously.
- Such safety features are generally referred to as “childproof” or “child resistant” since they were developed in order to inhibit a child's access to dangerous contents within a bottle such as medicines whether in solid or liquid form.
- children may learn to remove such “child resistant” lids or caps and users having weak hand strength such as the aged or infirm may be unable to remove “child resistant” lids or caps. Perversely, this leads to some users leaving the lids or caps off the bottles or at least in an intermediate configuration which is not childproof and easy to remove thereby making the contents accessible to children or other persons who may not be aware of the dangerous nature of the contents of the bottle.
- a dispenser for dispensing a liquid comprising:
- Such a dispenser requires at least two separate activities in order to gain access to the contents of the dispenser. Furthermore, once the first activity, i.e. removal of the closure has been completed, access to the contents of the dispenser is still inhibited. Dispensing the contents requires a specific action deliberately to dispense the contents. Thus, inadvertent dispensing of contents may be reduced or avoided.
- the arrangement forms a valve assembly for controlling liquid communication between the reservoir and the outlet and operative to permit liquid communication between the reservoir and the outlet responsive to relative movement of the outlet with respect to the reservoir.
- a valve is a suitable arrangement for controlling the flow of a liquid.
- the arrangement may comprise a conduit including a first aperture in a wall of the conduit, the reservoir including a second aperture complementary to the first aperture, and wherein in the first configuration the conduit is disposed such that the wall occludes the second aperture and in the second configuration the first aperture opposes the second aperture to permit liquid communication therebetween.
- the reservoir and conduit are slideably movable with respect to each other between the first and second configuration.
- the reservoir includes a guide for guiding movement of the conduit between the first and second configuration and the guide may provide the wall in which the second aperture is provided.
- the guide is tubular and may extend into the reservoir.
- the guide extends along a side of the reservoir.
- an end of the conduit comprises the outlet.
- the arrangement may be constrained to be movable between the first and second configuration only while the closure is in the open position which reduces the likelihood of accidental dispensing or spillage of contents. Such accidents may be further reduced by the closure being configured to engage with the reservoir for removably retaining the closure in a closed outlet position.
- the outlet is mounted on a plug member insertable to an open end of the reservoir, the plug member comprising the arrangement and movable with respect to the reservoir from the first configuration to the second configuration.
- the closure and the reservoir comprise mutually cooperative engagement formations configured for removably retaining the closure in a closed outlet position.
- the closure may further comprise an occlusion member in its interior configured to occlude the outlet while the closure is in the closed position. In this way, further accidental spillage leakage of the content of the dispenser may be avoided or the likelihood reduced.
- a housing for the reservoir, the reservoir translatable with respect to the housing to bring the reservoir into liquid communication with the outlet.
- the closure is configured to engage with the housing for removably retaining the closure in a closed outlet position.
- the closure and the housing comprise mutually cooperative engagement formations configured for removably retaining the closure in a closed outlet position.
- the housing is configured to permit the closure, while the closure is in the open outlet position, to engage with the reservoir for urging the arrangement from the first configuration to the second configuration for bringing the reservoir into liquid communication with the outlet.
- the housing comprises an aperture configured to permit the closure to engage with the reservoir.
- the closure comprises an engagement member configured to engage with the reservoir for urging the arrangement into the second configuration.
- the engagement member is disposed in the interior of the closure.
- the engagement member is configured to occlude the outlet when the closure is in the closed position.
- the reservoir is configured to permit pressure to be exerted on a liquid in the reservoir to dispense liquid from the outlet.
- the housing is deformable to permit pressure to be exerted on a liquid in the reservoir.
- One or more embodiments may comprise a bias mechanism configured to bias the reservoir away from the second configuration.
- a bias mechanism configured to bias the reservoir away from the second configuration.
- the bias mechanism is fixed at one end to the closure.
- the housing comprises an end cap supporting the outlet and the arrangement.
- the end cap is removably attached to the housing.
- the mutually cooperative engagement formations comprise a détente arrangement movable between an engaged and disengaged position, wherein in the engaged position the closure is retained in the closed outlet position and in the disengaged position the closure is movable to the open outlet position.
- the mutually cooperative engagement formations are arranged to provide a “child resistant” release mechanism.
- the mutually cooperative engagement formations are arranged to provide a squeeze and pull release mechanism.
- FIG. 1 illustrates three views of a dispenser in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention, in which the first view (a) shows a dispenser with the lid attached in a closed position; the second view (b) shows the dispenser with the lid removed (open position) and a movable valve in an open position; and a third view (c) showing the movable valve in the closed position;
- FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective “exploded” view of a dispenser in accordance with the first embodiment
- FIG. 3 illustrates “wire frame” views of the first embodiment in which view (a) shows the dispenser with the lid on the reservoir, view (b) shows the lid removed and view (b) shows the lid removed and the valve pulled to its open position;
- FIG. 4 schematically illustrates crossectional views of (a) the valve in its closed configuration and (b) the valve in its open configuration, and (c) a perspective view showing the valve partway between its open and closed configurations;
- FIG. 5 shows various schematic illustrations of different shaped dispensers in accordance with the embodiments of the present invention.
- FIG. 6 shows yet further various schematic illustrations of different shaped dispensers in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.
- FIG. 7 schematically illustrates two views of a second embodiment of a dispenser in accordance with the present invention in which view (a) shows the dispenser with a lid on and view (b) shows the dispenser with the lid pulled off;
- FIG. 8 shows an exploded view of the second embodiment of the dispenser
- FIG. 9 shows a schematic representation of the lid of a dispenser being placed at its base in operation of the second embodiment of the dispenser in accordance with the present invention.
- FIG. 10 shows a first view (a) of a cross-section through an aperture in the conduit of a valve member of the second embodiment of the dispenser and the second view (b) of a cross-section through the centre of the second embodiment of the dispenser;
- FIG. 11 is a schematic illustration of a stopper arrangement suitable for a dispenser in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 12 is a schematic illustration of a further stopper arrangement suitable for a dispenser in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
- a dispenser 1 comprises a reservoir 2 and a cap or lid 3 , hereinafter a lid.
- the dispenser 1 also includes a valve member 4 movable to bring the reservoir into fluid communication with an outlet 5 .
- Valve member 4 comprises a lip 8 which provides a stop to inhibit the valve 4 being pushed too far into reservoir 2 . Additionally, it may also be used to provide a convenient feature which may be gripped between the user's fingers when pulling the valve 4 open.
- valve member 4 supports an outlet 5 which in the described embodiment forms a tapered spout for controlled delivery of a liquid. Also illustrated in FIGS. 1( b ) and 1( c ) is a transparent viewing window 6 through which the level of the contents in reservoir 2 may be viewed.
- a conduit member 7 of valve 4 is shown in FIG. 1( b ) and can be seen to extend from the valve member 4 into the interior of reservoir 2 .
- the conduit member 7 is in liquid communication with outlet 5 and since both the outlet 5 and conduit member 7 are mounted on a valve member 4 they move together such that any liquid entering into conduit member 7 may flow to outlet 5 .
- valve member 4 is made of a transparent material, e.g. a transparent plastics material
- conduit member 7 is made from an opaque material e.g. an opaque plastics material hence its visibility in FIG. 1 .
- an opaque plastics material hence its visibility in FIG. 1 .
- valve member 4 may be seen completely removed from reservoir 2 , the lid 3 also being separated from the valve member 4 .
- Conduit member 7 includes an aperture 10 towards the end of the conduit member 7 which is inserted into reservoir 2 .
- Conduit member 7 is also closed at the end inserted into reservoir 2 .
- Valve member 4 also includes an interior lip member 15 which may be engaged with a corresponding stop member 16 located around the upper periphery of reservoir 2 to inhibit valve member 4 from being drawn out of the reservoir 2 completely.
- Valve member 4 is slidable between its open and closed configurations in close cooperation with the interior sides 14 of reservoir 2 that extend beyond the storage cavity of reservoir 2 .
- slidable close cooperation is achieved by protruding tongue members 9 disposed at the sides of valve member 4 which slide within cooperatively disposed grooves 11 located on the interior sides 14 of reservoir 2 extending beyond the storage cavity 12 .
- the tongue members 9 do not run in corresponding grooves but engage with the interior sides 14 of the protruding part of the reservoir sidewalls.
- the tongue members 9 may be inclined so as to form a wedge thereby firmly engaging the valve member 4 with the reservoir 2 but allowing the valve member 4 to be drawn away from the reservoir 2 cavity into the valve member 4 open configuration.
- lid 3 is made of a deformable material such as a medium density plastics material such as polypropylene and the like, and also includes a cavity 17 which is shaped to accommodate protrusion 18 .
- a deformable material such as a medium density plastics material such as polypropylene and the like
- the wall of the lid encountering protrusion 18 deforms sufficiently for the lid to pass over protrusion 18 until protrusion 18 engages with cavity 17 to releasably couple the lid to the valve member 4 .
- the lid may be removed by simply squeezing the side walls 20 thereby causing the sidewalls 21 in the vicinity of cavity 17 to move outwards away from valve member 4 . Movement of sidewalls 21 away from valve member 4 release protrusion 18 from cavity 17 thereby permitting lid 3 to be removed.
- FIG. 4 a cross-section of dispenser 1 with valve member 4 in the closed position is illustrated in FIG. 4 ( a ) .
- the storage cavity 12 of reservoir 2 is formed of the sidewalls of the reservoir and a top wall 22 .
- Extending through top wall 22 is a tubular guide 24 in which conduit member 7 slides.
- Tubular guide 24 is closed at one end 26 and also includes a guide wall aperture 28 exposed to the interior of storage cavity 12 .
- valve member 4 may be pulled to open the valve into the valve member open position illustrated in cross-section in FIG. 4 ( b ) .
- aperture 10 in conduit member 7 is positioned opposite guide wall aperture 28 to provide a liquid communication path between the storage cavity 12 of reservoir 2 and the interior of conduit member 7 .
- liquid stored in reservoir 2 may flow through apertures 28 and 10 into the interior of conduit member 7 and subsequently to outlet 5 .
- the walls of reservoir 2 are made of a deformable material such as a deformable plastics material and therefore may be squeezed to apply pressure to liquid stored in cavity 12 thereby forcing the liquid through apertures 28 and 10 onward through the interior of conduit member 7 to outlet 5 for dispensing of the liquid.
- Such an arrangement comprises two safety features.
- the second safety feature is only accessible once the first or primary safety feature has been removed.
- a simple single direction operation i.e. pulling the valve member 4 away from the reservoir into the open position creates a liquid path between the reservoir cavity 12 and the outlet 5 so that liquid stored in the reservoir cavity 12 may be dispensed.
- a dispenser 50 comprises a housing 52 and a lid 54 attached to the housing 52 .
- the second embodiment incorporates a primary child resistance feature which requires squeezing of the sides 56 of lid 54 to release lid 54 from the housing 52 .
- a valve member 58 is disposed at one end of housing 52 and includes an outlet 60 .
- the valve member 58 also includes an engagement member 62 which cooperates with complementary engagement member 64 located on the interior of lid 54 to releasably couple lid 54 to the valve member 58 and thus housing 52 .
- Releasing lid 54 allows the lid to be pulled away from the housing 52 .
- the engagement members 62 and 64 may be a cavity and protrusion respectively or a protrusion and cavity respectively or indeed a combination of both.
- Housing 52 may be considered to be a “bottle body” and is open at one end to receive reservoir 68 which may be considered to be a “bottle insert”.
- Reservoir 68 is formed of a deformable material such as a plastics, for example polypropylene, so that one or more sides of the reservoir 68 may be squeezed together to expel liquid in the reservoir cavity out of the cavity.
- housing 52 is also made of a deformable material such as polypropylene so that it may be deformed, for example by pressing a region of the housing, button 66 , which is likely to produce the greatest squeezing effect on reservoir 68 when inserted in the housing 52 .
- housing 52 and reservoir 68 have transparent sections 67 and 69 respectively in order for a user to see the amount of liquid in the reservoir 68 .
- reservoir 68 includes a moulded spring 70 which in the described embodiment is attached to a neck 71 of reservoir 68 .
- Valve member 58 sometimes referred to as a “bottle nib” includes an engagement member 62 .
- Valve member 58 also includes a conduit member 74 which includes an aperture 76 .
- Moulded spring 70 is configured such that conduit 74 may be inserted through the helix forming the spring 70 so that the spring 70 may abut the top of the interior of valve 58 or some other feature against which the moulded spring 70 may abut.
- lid 54 includes engagement member 64 which is complementary to engagement member 62 for interengaging therewith.
- FIG. 9 of the accompanying drawings schematically illustrates the sequence for using a dispenser in accordance with the second embodiment of the invention.
- Lid 54 is released from housing 52 and valve member 58 to expose outlet 60 .
- Lid 54 is placed over the opposite end of housing 52 to valve member 58 .
- the end of housing 52 is shaped to accommodate the interior of lid 54 .
- FIG. 10( a ) The cross-section of dispenser 50 with lid 54 removed is illustrated in FIG. 10( a ) the cross-section being taken through a section of the dispenser exposing an aperture 76 formed in conduit 74 .
- reservoir 68 is enclosed in housing 52 .
- Housing 52 has an aperture 53 at an end opposite the valve member 58 .
- Valve member 58 is “press fitted” to housing 52 and comprises clips 59 to act as stops against the side walls of housing 52 .
- Housing 52 may also be slightly tapered so the insertion of the valve member 58 move the sides of the housing 52 apart against the bias of the deformable material in order to engage a push fit.
- the push fit may comprise a snap fit arrangement with mutually complementary inter-engagement members for attaching valve 58 firmly to housing 52 .
- Valve member 58 includes a conduit 74 which is in liquid communication with outlet 60 .
- Conduit 74 extends through moulded spring 70 , which is mounted to the edge of neck 72 , and continues through neck 72 of reservoir 68 into the storage cavity 71 .
- the end of conduit 74 extending into the storage cavity 71 is closed at an end wall and includes an aperture, 76 , in a side wall towards the closed end.
- helical spring 70 biases reservoir 68 towards the far end of the cavity 52 which acts as a stop member for the reservoir 68 .
- seal arrangement 78 , 80 and 81 Just below neck 72 of reservoir 68 is disposed a seal arrangement 78 , 80 and 81 .
- the seal arrangement is such that in the valve closed position liquid communication between the storage cavity 71 and aperture 76 is inhibited.
- a small section, 81 protrudes under the closed end of conduit 74 .
- Seal arrangement 78 , 80 and 81 forms a concentric ring comprised of region 81 protruding under the closed end of conduit 74 when the valve is closed and widening out in a circular cone-like configuration towards the interior of storage cavity 71 .
- the seal arrangement, at least in region 81 comprises a resiliently deformable material such as a rubber or silicone.
- the resiliently deformable region 81 is configured so that it is biased towards the closed end of conduit 74 but may be urged back towards the cavity when conduit 74 is inserted into the cavity such as when the valve is opened.
- conduit 74 has been urged into cavity 71 and region 81 can be seen to have been deformed by the movement of conduit 74 , from its closed to open position. Moving conduit 74 to the open position brings aperture 76 into liquid communication with storage cavity 71 thereby providing a liquid communication path from storage cavity 71 through the tubular interior of conduit 74 to outlet 60 .
- Conduit 74 is urged into storage cavity 71 by movement of reservoir 68 towards valve member 58 against the bias of moulded spring 70 . Movement of reservoir 68 from the valve closed position to the valve open position is achieved by the action of abutment member 82 .
- Abutment member 82 extends from the interior top of lid 54 into the interior cavity of lid 54 .
- abutment member 82 passes through aperture 53 in the end of housing 52 to abut an exterior end wall of reservoir 68 .
- conduit 74 deforms the seal arrangement in region 81 and enters storage cavity 70 .
- abutment member 82 may be cylindrical and configured to accommodate outlet 60 in its interior thereby to provide further protection against contents of the dispenser.
- FIG. 11 illustrates a seal arrangement suitable for outlet 5 of the dispenser in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 11 ( a ) shows the arrangement 100 in a closed configuration in which stopper 102 is engaged with the interior hollow tube of conduit 104 to inhibit liquid communication into conduit. Movement of the conduit 104 away from the stopper opens the outlet 100 as illustrated in FIG. 11 ( b ) and permits liquid, 106 , to flow around the stopper and into the hollow tube conduit 104 comments out of the outlet.
- FIG. 12 Another example of a seal arrangement suitable for the dispenser in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 12 .
- the arrangement, 110 comprises a conduit 114 having a hollow section engaging with the stopper 112 when shut. To open the outlet the conduit 114 is moved away such that liquid 106 the flow around stopper 112 and out of the outlet.
- any reference to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular element, feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment.
- the appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” or the phrase “in an embodiment” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.
- the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” “including,” “has,” “having” or any other variation thereof are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements is not necessarily limited to only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.
- the second embodiment of a dispenser in accordance with the present invention has been described with reference to a moulded helical spring.
- the spring need not be moulded but may be a conventional helical spring made of wire.
- the spring may be a leaf spring or some other resilient member configured to bias the reservoir 68 away from valve member 58 .
- polypropylene has been provided as an example of material for which the dispenser may be made, other plastics materials or other suitable material such as a resin may also be utilised.
- dispenser and valve arrangement are described with the valve arrangement being pulled away from the reservoir to open the valve the dispenser and valve may be modified so that the reservoir is movable to bring the valve to an open configuration.
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- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Ceramic Engineering (AREA)
- Containers And Packaging Bodies Having A Special Means To Remove Contents (AREA)
- Closures For Containers (AREA)
- Sink And Installation For Waste Water (AREA)
- Devices For Dispensing Beverages (AREA)
- Infusion, Injection, And Reservoir Apparatuses (AREA)
- Packging For Living Organisms, Food Or Medicinal Products That Are Sensitive To Environmental Conditiond (AREA)
Abstract
Description
- The present invention relates to a dispenser for dispensing a liquid. In particular, but not exclusively, the present invention relates to a dispenser for dispensing a dangerous liquid such as a poisonous or toxic liquid.
- Dispensers for dangerous liquids generally include a safety feature associated with the lid or cap of the dispenser which inhibits removal of the lid or cap by requiring a sequence of movements or simultaneous movements to be performed on the lid or cap in order to remove it. Typically the movements are difficult to perform, for example because two movements in transverse or naturally opposing or counterintuitive directions are required simultaneously. Such safety features are generally referred to as “childproof” or “child resistant” since they were developed in order to inhibit a child's access to dangerous contents within a bottle such as medicines whether in solid or liquid form. However, children may learn to remove such “child resistant” lids or caps and users having weak hand strength such as the aged or infirm may be unable to remove “child resistant” lids or caps. Perversely, this leads to some users leaving the lids or caps off the bottles or at least in an intermediate configuration which is not childproof and easy to remove thereby making the contents accessible to children or other persons who may not be aware of the dangerous nature of the contents of the bottle.
- A study from the US Centre For Disease Control and Prevention dated 3 Apr. 2014 reported that more than half (51.1%) of calls to poison centres due to E-cigarettes involved young children under the age of 5, and about 42% of the poison calls involved people aged 20 and older.
- Aspects and embodiments in accordance with the present invention were devised with the foregoing in mind.
- Viewed from a first aspect there is provided a dispenser for dispensing a liquid, comprising:
-
- an outlet for dispensing a liquid;
- a reservoir for liquid; and
- a closure configured to engage with the dispenser and movable between a closed position in which the outlet is enclosed and an open position in which the outlet is not enclosed;
- the dispenser further comprising an arrangement for controlling liquid communication between the reservoir and the outlet, the arrangement and reservoir movable with respect to each other between a first configuration in which the reservoir is not in liquid communication with the outlet and a second configuration in which the reservoir is in liquid communication with the outlet.
- Such a dispenser requires at least two separate activities in order to gain access to the contents of the dispenser. Furthermore, once the first activity, i.e. removal of the closure has been completed, access to the contents of the dispenser is still inhibited. Dispensing the contents requires a specific action deliberately to dispense the contents. Thus, inadvertent dispensing of contents may be reduced or avoided.
- In at least one embodiment the arrangement forms a valve assembly for controlling liquid communication between the reservoir and the outlet and operative to permit liquid communication between the reservoir and the outlet responsive to relative movement of the outlet with respect to the reservoir. A valve is a suitable arrangement for controlling the flow of a liquid.
- The arrangement may comprise a conduit including a first aperture in a wall of the conduit, the reservoir including a second aperture complementary to the first aperture, and wherein in the first configuration the conduit is disposed such that the wall occludes the second aperture and in the second configuration the first aperture opposes the second aperture to permit liquid communication therebetween. Suitably the reservoir and conduit are slideably movable with respect to each other between the first and second configuration.
- Synergistically, the reservoir includes a guide for guiding movement of the conduit between the first and second configuration and the guide may provide the wall in which the second aperture is provided.
- Typically, the guide is tubular and may extend into the reservoir. Suitably, the guide extends along a side of the reservoir.
- In at least one embodiment an end of the conduit comprises the outlet.
- The arrangement may be constrained to be movable between the first and second configuration only while the closure is in the open position which reduces the likelihood of accidental dispensing or spillage of contents. Such accidents may be further reduced by the closure being configured to engage with the reservoir for removably retaining the closure in a closed outlet position.
- In at least one embodiment, the outlet is mounted on a plug member insertable to an open end of the reservoir, the plug member comprising the arrangement and movable with respect to the reservoir from the first configuration to the second configuration.
- Suitably, the closure and the reservoir comprise mutually cooperative engagement formations configured for removably retaining the closure in a closed outlet position.
- The closure may further comprise an occlusion member in its interior configured to occlude the outlet while the closure is in the closed position. In this way, further accidental spillage leakage of the content of the dispenser may be avoided or the likelihood reduced.
- In at least one other embodiment there is provided a housing for the reservoir, the reservoir translatable with respect to the housing to bring the reservoir into liquid communication with the outlet. In such an embodiment, the closure is configured to engage with the housing for removably retaining the closure in a closed outlet position. Suitably, the closure and the housing comprise mutually cooperative engagement formations configured for removably retaining the closure in a closed outlet position.
- In the second embodiment the housing is configured to permit the closure, while the closure is in the open outlet position, to engage with the reservoir for urging the arrangement from the first configuration to the second configuration for bringing the reservoir into liquid communication with the outlet.
- Suitably, the housing comprises an aperture configured to permit the closure to engage with the reservoir. In a particular arrangement, the closure comprises an engagement member configured to engage with the reservoir for urging the arrangement into the second configuration. Typically, the engagement member is disposed in the interior of the closure.
- Synergistically, the engagement member is configured to occlude the outlet when the closure is in the closed position.
- In one or more embodiments the reservoir is configured to permit pressure to be exerted on a liquid in the reservoir to dispense liquid from the outlet. In certain embodiments the housing is deformable to permit pressure to be exerted on a liquid in the reservoir.
- One or more embodiments may comprise a bias mechanism configured to bias the reservoir away from the second configuration. Such an arrangement maintains the reservoir out of liquid communication with the outlet unless a positive pressure is applied to bring them into liquid communication thereby reducing the likelihood of leakage and or accidental dispensing of contents. Suitably, the bias mechanism is fixed at one end to the closure.
- In one or more embodiments the housing comprises an end cap supporting the outlet and the arrangement. Typically, the end cap is removably attached to the housing.
- In one or more embodiments, the mutually cooperative engagement formations comprise a détente arrangement movable between an engaged and disengaged position, wherein in the engaged position the closure is retained in the closed outlet position and in the disengaged position the closure is movable to the open outlet position. Suitably, the mutually cooperative engagement formations are arranged to provide a “child resistant” release mechanism. For example, the mutually cooperative engagement formations are arranged to provide a squeeze and pull release mechanism.
- One or more embodiments in accordance with the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
-
FIG. 1 illustrates three views of a dispenser in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention, in which the first view (a) shows a dispenser with the lid attached in a closed position; the second view (b) shows the dispenser with the lid removed (open position) and a movable valve in an open position; and a third view (c) showing the movable valve in the closed position; -
FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective “exploded” view of a dispenser in accordance with the first embodiment; -
FIG. 3 illustrates “wire frame” views of the first embodiment in which view (a) shows the dispenser with the lid on the reservoir, view (b) shows the lid removed and view (b) shows the lid removed and the valve pulled to its open position; -
FIG. 4 schematically illustrates crossectional views of (a) the valve in its closed configuration and (b) the valve in its open configuration, and (c) a perspective view showing the valve partway between its open and closed configurations; -
FIG. 5 shows various schematic illustrations of different shaped dispensers in accordance with the embodiments of the present invention; -
FIG. 6 shows yet further various schematic illustrations of different shaped dispensers in accordance with embodiments of the present invention; -
FIG. 7 schematically illustrates two views of a second embodiment of a dispenser in accordance with the present invention in which view (a) shows the dispenser with a lid on and view (b) shows the dispenser with the lid pulled off; -
FIG. 8 shows an exploded view of the second embodiment of the dispenser; -
FIG. 9 shows a schematic representation of the lid of a dispenser being placed at its base in operation of the second embodiment of the dispenser in accordance with the present invention; -
FIG. 10 shows a first view (a) of a cross-section through an aperture in the conduit of a valve member of the second embodiment of the dispenser and the second view (b) of a cross-section through the centre of the second embodiment of the dispenser; -
FIG. 11 is a schematic illustration of a stopper arrangement suitable for a dispenser in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and -
FIG. 12 is a schematic illustration of a further stopper arrangement suitable for a dispenser in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. - Referring now to
FIG. 1 a dispenser 1 comprises areservoir 2 and a cap or lid 3, hereinafter a lid. The dispenser 1 also includes avalve member 4 movable to bring the reservoir into fluid communication with anoutlet 5.Valve member 4 comprises alip 8 which provides a stop to inhibit thevalve 4 being pushed too far intoreservoir 2. Additionally, it may also be used to provide a convenient feature which may be gripped between the user's fingers when pulling thevalve 4 open. - As can be seen in
FIGS. 1(b) and 1(c) thevalve member 4 supports anoutlet 5 which in the described embodiment forms a tapered spout for controlled delivery of a liquid. Also illustrated inFIGS. 1(b) and 1(c) is atransparent viewing window 6 through which the level of the contents inreservoir 2 may be viewed. Aconduit member 7 ofvalve 4 is shown inFIG. 1(b) and can be seen to extend from thevalve member 4 into the interior ofreservoir 2. Theconduit member 7 is in liquid communication withoutlet 5 and since both theoutlet 5 andconduit member 7 are mounted on avalve member 4 they move together such that any liquid entering intoconduit member 7 may flow tooutlet 5. In the described embodiment the lower part ofvalve member 4 is made of a transparent material, e.g. a transparent plastics material, andconduit member 7 is made from an opaque material e.g. an opaque plastics material hence its visibility inFIG. 1 . Naturally, such a configuration is convenient for illustrative purposes but the person of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the function of the device is not dependent upon whether or not one or more parts are transparent or opaque and all parts may be opaque or indeed transparent or any combination thereof. - Referring now to
FIG. 2 , thevalve member 4 may be seen completely removed fromreservoir 2, the lid 3 also being separated from thevalve member 4.Conduit member 7 includes anaperture 10 towards the end of theconduit member 7 which is inserted intoreservoir 2.Conduit member 7 is also closed at the end inserted intoreservoir 2.Valve member 4 also includes aninterior lip member 15 which may be engaged with acorresponding stop member 16 located around the upper periphery ofreservoir 2 to inhibitvalve member 4 from being drawn out of thereservoir 2 completely. -
Valve member 4 is slidable between its open and closed configurations in close cooperation with the interior sides 14 ofreservoir 2 that extend beyond the storage cavity ofreservoir 2. In the described embodiment slidable close cooperation is achieved by protrudingtongue members 9 disposed at the sides ofvalve member 4 which slide within cooperativelydisposed grooves 11 located on the interior sides 14 ofreservoir 2 extending beyond thestorage cavity 12. Optionally, thetongue members 9 do not run in corresponding grooves but engage with the interior sides 14 of the protruding part of the reservoir sidewalls. For example, thetongue members 9 may be inclined so as to form a wedge thereby firmly engaging thevalve member 4 with thereservoir 2 but allowing thevalve member 4 to be drawn away from thereservoir 2 cavity into thevalve member 4 open configuration. - Referring to
FIG. 3 , lid 3 is made of a deformable material such as a medium density plastics material such as polypropylene and the like, and also includes acavity 17 which is shaped to accommodateprotrusion 18. When the lid 3 is pushed ontovalve member 4 the wall of thelid encountering protrusion 18 deforms sufficiently for the lid to pass overprotrusion 18 untilprotrusion 18 engages withcavity 17 to releasably couple the lid to thevalve member 4. The lid may be removed by simply squeezing theside walls 20 thereby causing thesidewalls 21 in the vicinity ofcavity 17 to move outwards away fromvalve member 4. Movement ofsidewalls 21 away fromvalve member 4release protrusion 18 fromcavity 17 thereby permitting lid 3 to be removed. - Turning now to
FIG. 4 , a cross-section of dispenser 1 withvalve member 4 in the closed position is illustrated inFIG. 4 (a) . Thestorage cavity 12 ofreservoir 2 is formed of the sidewalls of the reservoir and atop wall 22. Extending throughtop wall 22 is atubular guide 24 in whichconduit member 7 slides.Tubular guide 24 is closed at oneend 26 and also includes aguide wall aperture 28 exposed to the interior ofstorage cavity 12. As schematically illustrated inFIG. 4 (c) ,valve member 4 may be pulled to open the valve into the valve member open position illustrated in cross-section inFIG. 4 (b) . - In the
valve member 4open position aperture 10 inconduit member 7 is positioned oppositeguide wall aperture 28 to provide a liquid communication path between thestorage cavity 12 ofreservoir 2 and the interior ofconduit member 7. Thus, liquid stored inreservoir 2 may flow throughapertures conduit member 7 and subsequently tooutlet 5. In the described embodiment the walls ofreservoir 2 are made of a deformable material such as a deformable plastics material and therefore may be squeezed to apply pressure to liquid stored incavity 12 thereby forcing the liquid throughapertures conduit member 7 tooutlet 5 for dispensing of the liquid. - Such an arrangement comprises two safety features. The second safety feature is only accessible once the first or primary safety feature has been removed. A simple single direction operation, i.e. pulling the
valve member 4 away from the reservoir into the open position creates a liquid path between thereservoir cavity 12 and theoutlet 5 so that liquid stored in thereservoir cavity 12 may be dispensed. - Referring now to
FIG. 7(a) a second embodiment in accordance with the present invention is schematically illustrated in which adispenser 50 comprises ahousing 52 and alid 54 attached to thehousing 52. The second embodiment incorporates a primary child resistance feature which requires squeezing of thesides 56 oflid 54 to releaselid 54 from thehousing 52. - Referring now to
FIG. 7(b) avalve member 58 is disposed at one end ofhousing 52 and includes anoutlet 60. Thevalve member 58 also includes anengagement member 62 which cooperates withcomplementary engagement member 64 located on the interior oflid 54 to releasablycouple lid 54 to thevalve member 58 and thushousing 52. Releasinglid 54 allows the lid to be pulled away from thehousing 52. Theengagement members - An exploded view of the dispenser in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention is schematically illustrated in
FIG. 8 .Housing 52 may be considered to be a “bottle body” and is open at one end to receivereservoir 68 which may be considered to be a “bottle insert”.Reservoir 68 is formed of a deformable material such as a plastics, for example polypropylene, so that one or more sides of thereservoir 68 may be squeezed together to expel liquid in the reservoir cavity out of the cavity. Likewise,housing 52 is also made of a deformable material such as polypropylene so that it may be deformed, for example by pressing a region of the housing,button 66, which is likely to produce the greatest squeezing effect onreservoir 68 when inserted in thehousing 52. - In the described embodiment,
housing 52 andreservoir 68 havetransparent sections reservoir 68. Additionally,reservoir 68 includes a mouldedspring 70 which in the described embodiment is attached to aneck 71 ofreservoir 68.Valve member 58, sometimes referred to as a “bottle nib” includes anengagement member 62.Valve member 58 also includes aconduit member 74 which includes anaperture 76.Moulded spring 70 is configured such thatconduit 74 may be inserted through the helix forming thespring 70 so that thespring 70 may abut the top of the interior ofvalve 58 or some other feature against which the mouldedspring 70 may abut. As illustrated inFIG. 8 ,lid 54 includesengagement member 64 which is complementary toengagement member 62 for interengaging therewith. -
FIG. 9 of the accompanying drawings schematically illustrates the sequence for using a dispenser in accordance with the second embodiment of the invention.Lid 54 is released fromhousing 52 andvalve member 58 to exposeoutlet 60.Lid 54 is placed over the opposite end ofhousing 52 tovalve member 58. The end ofhousing 52 is shaped to accommodate the interior oflid 54. - The cross-section of
dispenser 50 withlid 54 removed is illustrated inFIG. 10(a) the cross-section being taken through a section of the dispenser exposing anaperture 76 formed inconduit 74. As can be seen fromFIG. 10(a) reservoir 68 is enclosed inhousing 52.Housing 52 has anaperture 53 at an end opposite thevalve member 58.Valve member 58 is “press fitted” tohousing 52 and comprisesclips 59 to act as stops against the side walls ofhousing 52.Housing 52 may also be slightly tapered so the insertion of thevalve member 58 move the sides of thehousing 52 apart against the bias of the deformable material in order to engage a push fit. Optionally, the push fit may comprise a snap fit arrangement with mutually complementary inter-engagement members for attachingvalve 58 firmly tohousing 52. - The
interior cavity 71 ofreservoir 68 is where liquid is stored.Valve member 58 includes aconduit 74 which is in liquid communication withoutlet 60.Conduit 74 extends through mouldedspring 70, which is mounted to the edge ofneck 72, and continues throughneck 72 ofreservoir 68 into thestorage cavity 71. The end ofconduit 74 extending into thestorage cavity 71 is closed at an end wall and includes an aperture, 76, in a side wall towards the closed end. In the valve closed configuration as illustrated inFIG. 10(a) helical spring 70biases reservoir 68 towards the far end of thecavity 52 which acts as a stop member for thereservoir 68. - Just below
neck 72 ofreservoir 68 is disposed aseal arrangement storage cavity 71 andaperture 76 is inhibited. As can be seen fromreference 80 of the seal arrangement a small section, 81, protrudes under the closed end ofconduit 74.Seal arrangement region 81 protruding under the closed end ofconduit 74 when the valve is closed and widening out in a circular cone-like configuration towards the interior ofstorage cavity 71. The seal arrangement, at least inregion 81, comprises a resiliently deformable material such as a rubber or silicone. The resilientlydeformable region 81 is configured so that it is biased towards the closed end ofconduit 74 but may be urged back towards the cavity whenconduit 74 is inserted into the cavity such as when the valve is opened. - Referring now to
FIG. 10(b) conduit 74 has been urged intocavity 71 andregion 81 can be seen to have been deformed by the movement ofconduit 74, from its closed to open position. Movingconduit 74 to the open position bringsaperture 76 into liquid communication withstorage cavity 71 thereby providing a liquid communication path fromstorage cavity 71 through the tubular interior ofconduit 74 tooutlet 60. -
Conduit 74 is urged intostorage cavity 71 by movement ofreservoir 68 towardsvalve member 58 against the bias of mouldedspring 70. Movement ofreservoir 68 from the valve closed position to the valve open position is achieved by the action ofabutment member 82.Abutment member 82 extends from the interior top oflid 54 into the interior cavity oflid 54. Whenlid 54 is placed over the non-outlet end ofhousing 52abutment member 82 passes throughaperture 53 in the end ofhousing 52 to abut an exterior end wall ofreservoir 68. Aslid 54 is urged over the end ofhousing 52reservoir 68 is moved against the bias ofhelical spring 70 such thatconduit 74 deforms the seal arrangement inregion 81 and entersstorage cavity 70. Removal oflid 54 from the end ofhousing 52 results inreservoir 68 being urged back and away fromvalve member 58 and with the bias of mouldedspring 70 such thatconduit 74 moves out of thestorage cavity 71. Thedeformable region 81 of the seal arrangement relaxes back to protrude under the closed end ofconduit 74 thereby inhibiting liquid communication betweenstorage cavity 71 andaperture 76 to close thevalve member 58. - In a particular
embodiment abutment member 82 may be cylindrical and configured to accommodateoutlet 60 in its interior thereby to provide further protection against contents of the dispenser. -
FIG. 11 illustrates a seal arrangement suitable foroutlet 5 of the dispenser in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention.FIG. 11 (a) shows thearrangement 100 in a closed configuration in whichstopper 102 is engaged with the interior hollow tube ofconduit 104 to inhibit liquid communication into conduit. Movement of theconduit 104 away from the stopper opens theoutlet 100 as illustrated inFIG. 11 (b) and permits liquid, 106, to flow around the stopper and into thehollow tube conduit 104 comments out of the outlet. Another example of a seal arrangement suitable for the dispenser in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention is illustrated inFIG. 12 . The arrangement, 110, comprises aconduit 114 having a hollow section engaging with thestopper 112 when shut. To open the outlet theconduit 114 is moved away such thatliquid 106 the flow aroundstopper 112 and out of the outlet. - As used herein any reference to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular element, feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” or the phrase “in an embodiment” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. As used herein, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” “including,” “has,” “having” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements is not necessarily limited to only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. Further, unless expressly stated to the contrary, “or” refers to an inclusive or and not to an exclusive or. For example, a condition A or B is satisfied by any one of the following: A is true (or present) and B is false (or not present), A is false (or not present) and B is true (or present), and both A and B are true (or present).
- In addition, use of the “a” or “an” are employed to describe elements and components of the invention. This is done merely for convenience and to give a general sense of the invention. This description should be read to include one or at least one and the singular also includes the plural unless it is obvious that it is meant otherwise.
- In view of the foregoing description it will be evident to a person skilled in the art that various modifications may be made within the scope of the invention. For example, the second embodiment of a dispenser in accordance with the present invention has been described with reference to a moulded helical spring. However, the spring need not be moulded but may be a conventional helical spring made of wire. Optionally, or additionally, the spring may be a leaf spring or some other resilient member configured to bias the
reservoir 68 away fromvalve member 58. Although polypropylene has been provided as an example of material for which the dispenser may be made, other plastics materials or other suitable material such as a resin may also be utilised. - Although the dispenser and valve arrangement are described with the valve arrangement being pulled away from the reservoir to open the valve the dispenser and valve may be modified so that the reservoir is movable to bring the valve to an open configuration.
- The scope of the present disclosure includes any novel feature or combination of features disclosed therein either explicitly or implicitly or any generalisation thereof irrespective of whether or not it relates to the claimed invention or mitigate against any or all of the problems addressed by the present invention. The applicant hereby gives notice that new claims may be formulated to such features during prosecution of this application or of any such further application derived therefrom. In particular, with reference to the appended claims, features from dependent claims may be combined with those of the independent claims and features from respective independent claims may be combined in any appropriate manner and not merely in specific combinations enumerated in the claims.
Claims (32)
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GB1422317.6 | 2014-12-15 | ||
GB1422317.6A GB2535687B (en) | 2014-12-15 | 2014-12-15 | A dispenser |
GB1521722.7A GB2545234B8 (en) | 2014-12-15 | 2015-12-09 | A dispenser |
GB1521722.7 | 2015-12-09 | ||
PCT/EP2015/079672 WO2016096772A1 (en) | 2014-12-15 | 2015-12-14 | A dispenser |
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US20180346175A1 true US20180346175A1 (en) | 2018-12-06 |
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US14/969,308 Active US9932139B2 (en) | 2014-12-15 | 2015-12-15 | Dispenser |
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EP (2) | EP3233652A1 (en) |
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US10271935B2 (en) * | 2016-01-25 | 2019-04-30 | Team Technologies, Inc. | Unit dose package with ball seal |
SG10201811165VA (en) * | 2018-12-13 | 2020-07-29 | Proof & Company Spirits Pte Ltd | Vessel assembly |
US10737875B1 (en) | 2020-01-23 | 2020-08-11 | Four Strong IP, LLC | Closure assembly for use with a container |
US11485548B1 (en) * | 2021-04-16 | 2022-11-01 | Innovative Product Brands, Inc. | Multi-use applicator and methods for its use |
CN113181708B (en) * | 2021-05-06 | 2022-07-26 | 焦作市合鑫机械有限公司 | Large-scale automatic cooling chemical industry equipment of production industrial chemicals |
EP4122836A1 (en) * | 2021-07-19 | 2023-01-25 | Kuei Yung Hsu | Bottle easy to carry and clean |
CN114873070A (en) * | 2022-05-12 | 2022-08-09 | 声海电子(深圳)有限公司 | Liquid releasing device |
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2015
- 2015-12-09 GB GB1521722.7A patent/GB2545234B8/en active Active
- 2015-12-14 WO PCT/EP2015/079671 patent/WO2016096771A1/en active Application Filing
- 2015-12-14 JP JP2017533505A patent/JP6713999B2/en active Active
- 2015-12-14 RU RU2017123080A patent/RU2737876C2/en active
- 2015-12-14 WO PCT/EP2015/079672 patent/WO2016096772A1/en active Application Filing
- 2015-12-14 KR KR1020177019727A patent/KR20170104482A/en unknown
- 2015-12-14 CN CN201580075707.1A patent/CN107249997B/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 2015-12-14 CA CA2974236A patent/CA2974236A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2015-12-14 JP JP2017533506A patent/JP2017538638A/en active Pending
- 2015-12-14 KR KR1020177019723A patent/KR20170096151A/en unknown
- 2015-12-14 US US15/535,877 patent/US20180346175A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2015-12-14 RU RU2017123286A patent/RU2719613C2/en active
- 2015-12-14 CN CN201580075702.9A patent/CN107249991A/en active Pending
- 2015-12-14 CA CA2972942A patent/CA2972942A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2015-12-14 EP EP15808641.3A patent/EP3233652A1/en active Pending
- 2015-12-14 EP EP15808642.1A patent/EP3233653B1/en active Active
- 2015-12-15 US US14/969,308 patent/US9932139B2/en active Active
- 2015-12-15 CN CN201521042526.2U patent/CN205221448U/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
-
2018
- 2018-03-30 HK HK18104359.7A patent/HK1244767A1/en unknown
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Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
CN107249997B (en) | 2019-08-16 |
CN107249997A (en) | 2017-10-13 |
CA2972942A1 (en) | 2016-06-23 |
WO2016096772A1 (en) | 2016-06-23 |
HK1244767A1 (en) | 2018-08-17 |
RU2719613C2 (en) | 2020-04-21 |
CA2974236A1 (en) | 2016-06-23 |
US20160167826A1 (en) | 2016-06-16 |
KR20170096151A (en) | 2017-08-23 |
JP6713999B2 (en) | 2020-06-24 |
RU2017123286A3 (en) | 2019-05-29 |
EP3233653B1 (en) | 2021-08-04 |
KR20170104482A (en) | 2017-09-15 |
GB2545234B (en) | 2018-12-12 |
RU2017123080A3 (en) | 2019-05-30 |
US9932139B2 (en) | 2018-04-03 |
WO2016096771A1 (en) | 2016-06-23 |
JP2018500247A (en) | 2018-01-11 |
CN107249991A (en) | 2017-10-13 |
EP3233653A1 (en) | 2017-10-25 |
GB201521722D0 (en) | 2016-01-20 |
EP3233652A1 (en) | 2017-10-25 |
RU2017123286A (en) | 2019-01-17 |
GB2545234A (en) | 2017-06-14 |
GB2545234B8 (en) | 2019-04-10 |
JP2017538638A (en) | 2017-12-28 |
CN205221448U (en) | 2016-05-11 |
RU2017123080A (en) | 2019-01-18 |
RU2737876C2 (en) | 2020-12-04 |
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