Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
13ACKGROUND OF TEIE INVEN'rION
The present invention relates to dispensers and more
particularly, to applicator ball type, roll-on dispensers
for dispensing powders and fluids, such as deodorants, anti-
perspirants, talcs, and the like. s
U.S~ Pat. No. 2,749,566 discloses an applicator ball
type, roll-on dispenser. The ball is rotably supported in
the open, dispensing end of the dispenser, so that as it
is rotated on the skin of the user it picks up material to
be dispensed from inside the-container and deposits the
material on the skin. ~owever, when the dispenser is
i~e~s~,th~ material continues to be deposited on and
around the ball, even i~ the dispenser is not being used~
Thus, the excess material not applied to the ski~ is wasted
or otherwise falls out o~ the dispenser. Therefore, the
nee~ exists ~or means to regulate material dispension,
which means would allow dispension only when the ball is
rolled against the user's skin and in relation to the pres-
s~re bein~ applied to the ball.
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An object of this inven-tion is to provide a dispenser
of this type with means or controL of the amouDt of material
being dispensed.
Another object o~ this invention is to provide a dis-
penser of this type which i5 particularly suited to dispens-
ing powders.
~ nother object of this invention is to provide a dis-
penser of this type which is particularly sulted to dispens-
ing low viscosity fluids.
SUMMARY OF TH~ INV~TION
Tn accordance with the present invention, these objects
are achieved by providing a dispenser ha~ing an open end,
an applicator disposed in.the open end, means for. rotata~ly
supporting the applicator and limiting its inward movement
i~to tha conta~ner, which means contact an inner minor.
portion o~ the applicator, and an a~nular member surrounding
~n outer minor portion o the applicator to limit th~ out~
ward movement of the applicator away from the open end of
the container. A variably porous membrane made from
~0 an open celled foam or sponge material is interposed
between the applicator and the portion of the container
adapted to hold the materiaL to be dispensed. ~he porosit~
of the mem~rane varies with the degree o~ its deformatlo~
... . . . .
such that the membrane substantially prevents material flow
through in its undeformed condition and permits material flow
through in a deformed condition. The means for rotatably
supporting the applicator permits its inward movement against
the membrane, whereby the applicator bears against and deforms
the membrane when it is pressed inwardly to allow a controlled
amount of material to be dispensed through the membrane.
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The present invention wi]l be more fully appreciated
by reference to the following detailed description of a
preferred.embodiment thereof and by reference to the accGm-
panying drawings.
BRIEF ~ESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
.
Fig.. 1 is.a paxtial, l.ongitudinal sectional vi~1 o~ the
dispensing end of a preferred embodiment o the dispenser
of this.invention.
Fig. 2 is a sectional view ~aken along lines 2-2 o
Fig. 1.
Fig.. 3 is a partiaL, longitudinal sectional view similar
' to Fig. 1 but showing the dispenser Ln its inverted opera-
tion position and showing the deformation of the porous
membrane by the applicato.r ball.
; Fig. 4::is a partial, longitudinal sectional view of
~: another preferred embodiment of a dispenser of this inven-
tion.
`: : ~ ' ': : DETAI~ED DESCRIPTION OF TEE INVENTION
: Referring now to Fig. 1, reference num~raL 10 indicates
generally a dispenser, which includes a container 12, an
applicator 14, and.an annular applicator retaining~ring 16.
Container 12, typically formed of glass~, styrene or::the
F like, carries at its open end an outwardly extending flange
20 and.external threads 22. Applicator 14 is preferably
a round ball, but it may also~;be elliptical, cylindrical,
or of any shape which will allow it to rotate in ring 16.
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For easa o, description, i~ will herainafter be referred
to as a ball. Ring 16 is preferably ~or~ed or a relatively
resiLient material, such as polyethylene, and carrles at
its lower end an inwardly ex.ending ~lange 24. Flange 24
engages flange 20 to secure ring 16 to the end of container
1~. Ring 16 is provided at its upper end with an annular
be~ring portion 26, which surrounds an outer minor portion
o~ ball 14 an~ which ~unctions to retain ball 14 against
movement outwardly from container 12. Ring 16 is further
provided with three radially inwardly extending lugs 28
(best seen in Fig. 2j formin~ bearing sur~aces,- which
engage an inner minor portion o~ ball 14 and whlch function
to rotatably support ball 14 at the open end of container 12.
Lugs 28 could also be molded directLy to container 1~. A
portion o~ the inner sur~ace of ring 16 is recessed to
pro~ide a reservoir space 30, which improves the dispensin~
action o dispensor 10. U.S. Pat. No. 2,749,566 discloses
the device described in detail thus far, the disclosure of
which patent may be referred to for additional information.
The present invention cont~mplates the insertion o~ a
variabLy porous membran~ 18 between ball 14 and th~ portion
of container 12 adapted to hold t~ material to be dispensed
To facilitate this insertion, membrane 18 is preferably
provided with a bead 3Z around its periphery which engages
a groove 34 formed in ring 16. Bead 32, groove 34, and
rlange 20 cooperate to retain membrane 18 in the position
shown in Fig. L. Membrane 18 may be made Irom any material
which will have a relatively low poroslty ln it undeformed
condition, as sho~n in Fig. 1, yet which will beccme rela-
tively porous ln its deformed (i.e., stretched and/or bent)
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condition, ~s shown in Fig. 3. One suitable class of
available materials are those having an open cellular
structure, such as open-celled foamed polyurethane, PVC,
or rubber.
In such an open~celled foam or sponge membrane, where
the membrane is in its undefined condit.ion, the intercon-
necting pores offer a suf~icien~ degree o~ friction or
resistance to flow therethrough of the material to be dis
pensed to prevent an unintended dispension. When ball 14
presses upon and deforms the membrane, the resultant
stretching thereof opens the pores sufficiently to permit
a controlled flow of material through the membrane and out
of the container, which depends upon the degree of deforma-
tion of the membrane.
Another suitable type of material from which the
membrane may be made is one having a resilient or solid
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rubber-like structure, which has been subjected to a
mechanical piercing, slitting or equivaIent perforating
operation. Such a membrane pre~ents material flowthrough
ln its unde~ormed condition, but when deformed by ball 14,
th~ membrane stretches to permit the material to flow
through the opened, pierced or sIit loci. Ball 14 has
some ~reedom o~ movement i~-the inward direction (toward
the inside of container 12 and against membrane 18) and,
therefore, lugs 28 are designed to be deformable, either
~, by being made of a very resilient material or by having
as narrow a width as possible. Alternatively, lugs 28 can
be recessed somewhat from ball 14 and the spring action of
membrane 18 will perform the ~unction of rotatably support-
ing ball 14, lugs 28 acting only as a limit stap.
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To use the dispenser of the present invention, it
is inverted, as shown in Fig. 3, so that the contents of
container 12 ~low against membrane 18. Initially, no
substantial flow of material through membrane 18 occurs
because the membrane is not deformed and, therefore, its
holes or passages or pores are not open. HoweveL~, when
ball 14 is pressed inwardly agains~ membrane, 18 (as seen
in Fig. 3), the passages o~ the membrane are opened and
there is materiaL flow through the membrane and into the
spaces between ball 1~ and ring 16, including reservoir 30.,
Should dispenser 10 now be righted and the pressure on ball,l4
be removed, the material which has flowed through membrane
18 will remain above the membrane 18 and in contact with
ball 14 because the passages through membrane 18 are closed.
Ball 14 can therefore dispense some of the material upon
rotation, since some material is retained in contact with
ball 14. This action is particularly desirable when the
', material to be dispensed is a powder because without
; me.~brane 18, the powder would fall back into container 12
'~ 20 when the dispenser was righted. The valving action of
! mQ~brane 18 is also use~ul when the material to be dispensecl
i5` a low viscosity Liquid. Should such a low viscosity
liquid be placedin a dispenser disclosed by the above
referrecl to U.S. Pat., No. 2,749,566 and the dispenser be
inve~tecl, the liquid would run out. With the present
dispenser, however, the va-lve action of membrane 13 would
prevent such flow or control it, depending upon the
pressure on ball 14.
In another embodiment o the present invention shown
in Fig. 4, lugs ~'8 are,replaced with a continuous annulax
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bearlng surfac~ or flange 3~. In this embodiment, when
dispenser lO is inverted and ball 14 is pressed inwardly,
the material to be dispensed from container 12 10ws through
membrane 18 and fills the spaces between membrane 18 and
ball 14, but cannot ~ill reservoir 30 because ball 14 is
pressed against flange 36. Release of pressure on ball 14
closes the passage through memhxane 18 and allows material
flow into reservoir 30. If ball 14 is now pressed inwardly
again and rotated for dispensing, the only material avail-
able for dispensing is that material in reservoir 30, since
ball 14 riding on flange 36 prevents further flow. Selec-
tion of the size of reservoir 30 will therefore allow selec-
tion of a controlled quantity of material to be dispensed
for each cycle of no-pressure and pressure on ball 14.
' The action of membrane 18 can be determined by several
factors. Typically, a thickness- of 0.005 to 0.50 is
; cont~mplated for the membrane when it is incorporated into
a dispenser of the antiperspirant type, with 25 to 150
holes, passages or pores per linear inch. Naturally, the
thickness o~ the membrane is inversely related to the
amount of flow~which will occur for a given amount of de-
formation. Membrane 18 can also perform a filtering ~unc-
tion with respect to particle size, as~ well as acting as
a moistu:re seal. Selection of membrane material and
thickness will also affect the amount of pressure required
to depress the applicator ball.
The surface of ball 14 may be textured to facili~ate
its dispensing function, as shown in Fi~. 4. This texturing
is particularLy desirable-when the material to be dispensed
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is a Einely divided powder. Texiurization may take th~
form o~ protuberances or indentations, such as ridges,
bumps, ~rooves, dimpLes, waves and the like. The depth
o such texturization as well as its frequency may be
adjusted in conormity with the material to be dispensed.
While the in~enkion has been described in specific
embodiments thereoE, it should be understood that it is
not to be so limited or obvious modiications wiLl occur
to those skilled in the art without depa;ting rom the
spirit and scope of tne invention as set forth in the
appended claims.
