WO2005095003A1

WO2005095003A1 - Atomiser

Info

Publication number: WO2005095003A1
Application number: PCT/GB2004/001389
Authority: WO
Inventors: Peter John Townsend
Original assignee: Promo International Limited
Priority date: 2004-03-27
Filing date: 2004-03-27
Publication date: 2005-10-13

Abstract

An atomiser is disclosed having a clear or translucent bottle and a spray head (10) fitted to the top of the bottle. The spray head (10) has a button (12) which, when depressed manually, produces or release an atomised spray of a liquid contained within the bottle. In the invention, the spray head (10) additionally incorporates a light source (24) positioned on its underside to illuminate the bottle and its contents and a battery (20) for energising the light source (24). An electrical circuit connecting the battery to the light source (24) includes switching means (18) for closing the circuit to energise the light source (24) under certain conditions, such as when the button (12) is depressed or the bottle is tilted or shaken.

Description

ATOMISER

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

It is common to dispense perfumes by the use of an atomiser. The atomiser comprises a clear or translucent bottle which contains the perfume and is fitted with a spray head which includes a button connected to a tube that extends into the bottle. As the button is depressed, a spray of perfume is produced, which allows the user to apply small but controlled quantities of the perfume. The bottle may be pressurised so that the atomiser produces a spray constantly while the button remains depressed or the depression of the button may itself perform a pumping action so that perfume is released in spurts and no perfume is sprayed if the button remains in a released or depressed position. The term ^λλspray head" is used herein to include any top that is fitted to a bottle, regardless of whether or not it incorporates a pumping mechanism.

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

It has already been proposed in DE 29622749 Ul, to provide a perfume bottle with a light display on one wall of the bottle. The display incorporates a light source mounted on a circuit board that is fitted within a recess in a side wall of the bottle. Electrical conductors are deposited on the side walls of the bottle which lead to contact pads on its mouth. The spray head is fitted with a battery connected to two contact pads which make contact with the pads on the bottle and complete a circuit to illuminate the display when the spray head is operated to produce an atomised spray.

The above described bottle has several disadvantages. First, the shape of the bottle must be modified both to provide a recess for receiving the display. Second, electrical conductors must be deposited on the surface of the bottle and the circuit board carrying the light source needs to be retained in a secure manner on the bottle to establish electrical contact with these conductors. Third, two sets of contact pads must make electrical contact before the display is illuminated and this requires the button to depressed fully and evenly and it does not operate if the contact surfaces have a film of dirt or corrosion on them which creates a high resistance. In other words, the prior art proposal is inconvenient and costly to implement and unreliable in operation.

With a view to mitigating the foregoing disadvantages, the present invention provides an atomiser having a clear or translucent bottle, a spray head fitted to the top of the bottle and having a button which, when depressed manually, is operative to produce or release an atomised spray of a liquid contained within the bottle, characterised in that the spray head additionally incorporates a light source positioned on the underside of the spray head to illuminate the bottle and its contents, a battery for energising the light source, an electrical circuit connecting the battery to the light source and switching means for closing the circuit to energise the light source.

The invention differs from DE 29622749 in at least two significant ways. First, it is the bottle and its contents that are illuminated not a display panel mounted on the bottle. Second, everything required to generate a light is incorporated within the spray head. As a result, the invention can be implemented without requiring any modification to the bottle.

The switching means for operating the light source preferably respond to the depression of the button used to produce a spray but they may alternatively or additionally comprise means, such as a mercury switch or a trembler switch, sensitive to tilting or shaking of the bottle. When one end of a bottle is illuminated, it generates a glow that is very eye-catching. If the body of the bottle has an etched surface, then the etched surface glows more brightly. Likewise, if the contents of the bottle are cloudy then the contents will also enhance the glow. Because the bottle glows when it is used as an atomiser, it draws attention to itself and thus promotes the product that it contains .

It is preferred for the spray head to have an opaque housing to conceal its contents. Because the spray head can be made outwardly to resemble conventional spray heads in shape and size, the surprise element of the bottle being illuminated when it is used adds to its attraction. The invention will now be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which : Figure 1 is a section through the spray head of an atomiser in accordance with a first aspect of the invention, and Figure 2 is a section through the spray head of an atomiser of a second embodiment of the invention.

In Figure 1, there is shown a spray head 10 for screwing on to a bottle containing a perfume or other liquid to be sprayed. The spray head 10 comprises a cap 26 to screwed on to the top of the bottle which carries a housing 16. A printed circuit board 22 located within the housing 16 supports on its upper side a pair of batteries or cells 20 which are conventional and used extensively in wrist watches. A pair of LED' s 24 projecting from the underside of the circuit board into the cap 26 are situated on opposite sides of a perfume feed pipe 28 to illuminate the liquid within the bottle when then are energised.

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

In the above described embodiment, light is emitted by the LED' s only when the button 12 is near the bottom of its stroke and the button 12 is close to the contacts of the switch. In other words, a- liquid spray needs to be produced before the bottle is illuminated. This however is not essential as it is possible to operate the LED' s before the button 12 is fully depressed, this being demonstrated by. the embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 2. Figure 2 shows a spray head 100 having an opening 110 which is fitted directly to the projecting upper end of the feed, pipe (not shown) in place of the actuating button or nozzle. The spray head is formed of an opaque outer shell 112 within which there is slidably received a transparent or translucent inner housing 114. The spray vent 116 is formed by a passage in the inner housing 114 which communicates with the opening 110. A small hole is also formed in the outer shell 112 to allow the spray to escape.

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

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

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

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

Claims

1. An atomiser having a clear or translucent bottle, a spray head fitted to the top of the bottle and having a button which, when depressed manually, is operative to produce or release an atomised spray of a liquid contained within the bottle, characterised in that the spray head additionally incorporates a light source positioned on the underside of the spray head to illuminate the bottle and its contents, a battery for energising the light source, an electrical circuit connecting the battery to the light source and switching means for closing the circuit to energise the light source.

2. An atomiser as claimed in claim 1, wherein the switching means for energising the light source are operated automatically in response to the depression of the button used to produce a spray.

3. An atomiser as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the switching means for energising the light source comprise means sensitive to tilting or shaking of the bottle.

4. An atomiser as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the spray head has an opaque housing to conceal its contents .

5. An atomiser as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the spray head further incorporates a timing circuit for maintaining the light source energised for a predetermined length of time after it has been energised by the switching means

6. An atomiser as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the spray head further incorporates a timing circuit is operative to switch off the light source after it has been energised for a predetermined length of time.