Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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SPRAY DISPENSERS
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to spray dispensers, and more particularly to aerosol
spray
dispensers for personal care products.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Spray dispensers containing personal care products that are applied topically
are often
referred to as "body sprays" These body sprays may be used to spray individual
selected areas
of the body, such as the underarm or foot, or may be used to spray large areas
of the body. Such
body sprays are generally portable, and include an aerosol canister fitted
with an actuator
mechanism and spray nozzle at the top of the canister that the user operates
to apply the product
to the user's skin, The personal care product may include a wide variety of
cosmetic and/or skin
l5 care ingredients including, for example, fragrances, deodorant agents,
antiperspirant agents,
botanicals, and moisturizers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one embodiment, the present invention features a spray dispenser for an
aerosol
personal care composition, including: (a) a housing having an upper end, a
bottom end and a
sidewall, wherein the housing defines an interior compartment for holding a
replaceable aerosol
canister and has a bottom opening at the bottom end dimensioned to receive the
replaceable
aerosol canister; (b) a spray actuator assembly mounted at the upper end of
the housing, wherein
said spray actuator assembly comprises a spray nozzle and a manually
depressible actuator
button; (c) a closure mounted to the bottom opening of the housing, wherein
the closure is
openable and closable, thereby permitting insertion, retention and removal of
the replaceable
aerosol canister within or from the housing; and (d) a viewing window in the
sidewall of the
housing to permit a user to view a marking on the replaceable aerosol
canister.
In another embodiment, the present inventiun features a spray dispenser for an
aerosol
personal care composition, including: (a) a housing having an upper end, a
bottom end and a
sidewall, wherein the housing defines an interior compartment for holding a
replaceable aerosol
canister and has a bottom opening at the bottom end dimensioned to receive the
replaceable
aerosol canister; (b) a spray actuator assembly mounted at the upper end of
the housing,
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wherein said spray actuator assembly comprises a spray nozzle and a manually
depressible
actuator button; (c) a closure mounted to the bottom opening of the housing by
a hinge, wherein
the closure is pivotable about the hinge between open and closed positions,
thereby permitting
insertion, retention and removal of the replaceable aerosol canister within or
from the housing,
the closure including an internally facing surface and an externally facing
surface; and (d) a
latch mechanism configured to maintain the closure in its closed position, the
latch mechanism
comprising a latch portion configured to engage a region of the housing
defming the bottom
opening, a latch actuator positioned to allow a user to move the latch portion
out of engagement
with the housing, and a spring mechanism configured to bias the latch portion
toward its
engaged position.
The present invention also features a spray dispenser for an aerosol personal
care
composition, including: (a) a housing having an upper end, a bottom end and a
sidewall, wherein
the housing defines an interior compartment for holding a replaceable aerosol
canister and has a
bottom opening at the bottom end dimensioned to receive the replaceable
aerosol canister; (b) a
spray actuator assembly mounted at the upper end of the housing, the spray
actuator assembly
including a spray nozzle, a manually depressible actuator button, and an
actuator lock
configured to prevent accidental actuation, the actuator lock being movable
between a locked
position and an unlocked position by radial movement of a locking member; and
(c) a closure
mounted to the bottom opening of the housing by a hinge, movable between open
and closed
positions, thereby permitting insertion, retention and removal of the
replaceable aerosol canister
within or from the housing.
In yet another embodiment, the present invention includes a body spray system
or
product line that comprises a plurality (i.e., two or more, preferably three
to ten) of replaceable
body spray aerosol canisters that have different contents, such as, for
example, different
fragrances and/or performance or aesthetic characteristics (e.g., deodorant,
moisturizing,
freshening, soothing, earthy, citrus, floral, musk, etc.) and/or different
external markings (e.g.,
words, colors, designs, etc.) on the canisters. The plurality of different
replaceable body spray
aerosol canisters may be packaged together or separately. However, where
separately packaged,
the plurality of different canisters will preferably be displayed at a retail
establishment adjacent
each other. The term adjacent, as used herein to describe retail placement,
means within about
30 cm, preferably within about 15 cm, most preferably within about 10 cm. In a
further
embodiment, the body spray system includes a reusable spray dispenser and a
plurality of
repiaceable body spray aerosol canisters as described above. It is preferred
that the reusable
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spray dispenser will be packaged with at least one of the replaceable aerosol
canisters, and
typically with a plurality of replaceable aerosol canisters. It is prefenred
that the reusable spray
dispenser (optionally including any aerosol canister packaged with it) will be
displayed at a
retail establishment adjacent (as previously defined) a plurality of different
replaceable body
spray aerosol canisters.
The spray dispensers discussed herein may exhibit one or more of the following
advantages. Preferred dispensers are compact and portable, and generally
aesthetically pieasing.
Some dispensers are configured to allow cartridges to be easily removed and
replaced by the
consumer. In some implementations, the consumer can easily view which type of
cartridge is
contained in the dispenser housing. The dispenser may, in some cases, include
an actuator lock
to prevent inadvertent actuation, for example when the dispenser is in a
pocket, sportsbag or
backpack.
The details of one or more embodiments of the invention are set forth in the
accompa-
nying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and
advantages of the
invention will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the
claims.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
FIG I is a perspective view of a dispenser.
FIG 2 is a front view of the dispenser of FIG 1.
FIC~ 2A is a cross-sectional view of the dispenser with a canister in place,
taken along
line A-A in FIG. 2.
FIG. 3 is a side view of the dispenser.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the dispenser, showing a canister exploded
from the
dispenser.
FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the door of the dispenser.
FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the lower portion of the
dispenser.
FIG. 7 is an enlarged bottom view of the dispenser.
FiCx 8 is an enlarged perspective view of a the door of the dispenser with the
leaf spring
removed.
FIC'z 9 is an enlarged perspective view of an upper portion of the dispenser.
FICx 10 is an enlarged perspective view of the actuator button and actuator
lock (the
spray actuator assembly with the outer shell removed).
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FIG. 1 t is a highly enlarged partial perspective view showing engagement of
corresponding portions of the actuator lock and actuator button.
FIG. 12 is a radial cross-sectional view of the assembly shown in FIG 10,
taken through
the upper portion of the actuator button, showing the actuator in its unlocked
position.
FIG. 13 is similar to FICx 12, but shows the actuator in its locked position.
FIG. 14 is a perspective view of an atternative door assembly.
FIC! 14A is a cross-sectional view of the door assembly of FIG. 14, taken
along line A-A.
FIGS. 15-15B are perspective views illustrating assembly steps for a closure
assembly.
FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the upper portion of an alternative housing.
FIGS. 17-17A are front views showing a portion of the actuator lock in two
positions
relative to the upper portion of the housing shown in FIG 16.
FIGS. 18-18A are enlarged partial cross-sectional views, showing the
actuator/nozzle
member in contact with the stem of the canister.
Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring to FIG. 1, spray dispenser 10 includes a housing 12 having an upper
end 11, a
lower end 13 and a sidewall 15. Housing 12 defines an interior compartment
dimensioned to
hold a replaceable aerosol canister 30, shown in FIG 4 and described below.
The housing 12 is
small and compact, allowing it to be easily carried by the user in a pocket,
briefcase, sportsbag,
backpack or handbag, while also being of sufficient size to hold a canister
having a desired
volume. For example, referring to FIG. 3, the dispenser 10 may have an overall
length L of
about 5 to 15 cm, preferably about 8 to 12 cm), and a maximum diameter D of
about 1.3 to
about 4.5 cm), more preferably about 2 to about 4 cm, most preferably about
2.5 to about 3.5
cm. In some implementations, the canister contained within the housing may
have a volume of
about 0.1 to 5 ounces (about 3 to 150 ml), preferably about 0.5 to 1.5 ounces
(about 15 to 45
ml). In a preferred embodiment, the spray dispenser 10 is sized so that its
entire length will fit in
a user's hand, or in a user's pocket or small handbag. In this embodiment, it
is preferred that the
length be less than about 12 cm.
Housing 12, near the upper end I1 thereof, includes a spray actuator assembly
18 (F1G.
10). Spray actuator assembly 18, which will be discussed in detail below,
includes an outer shell
17, a spray nozzle 16, an outlet 14 in outer shell 17 for the spray nozzle,
and a manually
depressible actuator button 20 exposed at the surface of the dispenser to
allow the user to
depress the button and deliver a spray of liquid particles from the nozzle.
The spray actuator
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assembly also includes an actuator lock, discussed below, having a handle
portion 22 which is
exposed, through an elongated opening 23 in the outer shell 17, for
manipulation by the user in a
radial direction between locked and open positions.
The housing includes a viewing window 27 in sidewall 15 through which a user
of the
5 dispenser roay view the type of replaceable aerosol canister (described
below) that is positioned
within the housing. The viewing window may be an open cut-out 29 in the
sidewall. The open
cut-out may be as little as 5% of the housing sidewall or it may be as large
as 90% of the
housing sidewall. Preferably the cut-out will be about 10% to about 50% of the
housing
sidewall. More preferably, the viewing window is a transparent element 24 of
the sidewall, as
shown in FIGS. 1-4. The transparent element 24 may be the entire housing
sidewall (i.e., 100%
of the housing sidewall; e.g., where the entire housing sidewall is molded
entirely of transparent
plastic) or the transparent element may occupy as little as 5% of the housing
sidewall.
Preferably, the transparent element will be about 10% to about 50% of the
housing sidewall.
While the transparent element may be molded into the sidewall housing, more
typically it will
be a separate piece affixed or mounted to a similarly dimensioned cut-out 29.
The term
transparent is intended to include optical clarity ranging from clear to
translucent, provided that
the clarity is sufficient to permit a user to visually discern identifiable
markings on a canister
contained within the spray dispenser. Most preferably, transparent means
optical clarity
sufficient to enable a user to discem at least 12 point black letters (Times
New Roman typeface
font) on white paper pressed against the transparent element.
The viewing window is a particularly advantageous feature when the dispenser
is part of
a product line that includes a plurality (i.e., two or more, preferably three
to ten) of replaceable
body spray aerosol canisters that have different contents, such as, for
example, different
fragrances and/or performance or aesthetic characteristics (e.g., deodorant,
moisturizing,
freshening, earthy, citrus, floral, etc.) and/or different external markings
(e.g., words, colors,
designs, etc.) on the canisters. Thus, while the viewing window may be any
desired size or
shape, preferably it should be of sufficient size and shape to enable the user
to see external
markings (e.g., descriptive or identification markings) on the canister.
Typically, the viewing
window will have an area (i.e., a projected area) of about 1 cm2 to about 30
cm 2, more typically
about 3 cm2 to about 25 cmZ.
A closure assembly 25 (FIG. 5) is mounted at the lower end 13 of the housing,
which
closure is adapted to be easily openable by a user to permit the user to
easily insert or remove a
replaceable aerosol canister 30 through a bottom opening 32 at the bottom end
of the housing
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(see FIGS. 2A and 4). The closure assembly preferably comprises a door 26
mounted to the
housing by a hinge 28. The door has an inwardly facing surface 31 (Fig. 5) and
an extemally
facing surface 33 (Fig. 7) (when viewed in the closed position). The door 26
includes a latching
mechanism, the operation of which will be discussed below. Because the door is
attached to the
housing, there is no need for the user to hold the closure assembly in one
hand while inserting
the canister, as would be the case with a twist-on door. Of course, it is
contemplated that the
preferred door-type closure described above could be replaced with a different
type of closure
such as a twist-on cap or press-fit cap, provided that such a cap is equipped
with a sufficient
retention mechanism to keep it in place during storage and use.
The spray dispenser is used in conjunction with a replaceable body spray
aerosol canister
30, including a can 21, a dip tube (not shown), a valve (not shown) and a stem
133. The spray
dispenser uses a mechanical break-up feature to achieve a hollow cone pattern
with a spread or
diameter of about 3.8 to about 6.4 em measured 15.2 cm from the nozzle. A
replaceable aerosol
canister (as used herein) does not include a spray nozzle or actuator
mechanism. Thus, the
replaceable canister will not deliver its contents until inserted into a
reusable spray dispenser as
described herein.
The replaceable aerosol canister includes a personal care composition. The
personal care
composition is formulated to be safe for topical application to human skin,
and generally is
suitable for spraying on clothing without damage to fabrics. The personal care
composition may
include a wide variety of cosmetic and/or skin care ingredients including, for
example,
fragrances, deodorant agents, antiperspirant agents, botanicals, vitamins,
essential oils, skin
conditioning ingredients, and other active and inactive ingredients suitable
for topical
application to skin. Suitable antiperspirant agents include aluminum salts,
such as, for example,
aluminum chlorohydrate. A suitable deodorant active is any agent that
inhibits, suppresses,
masks or neutralizes malodor. These may include (1) antimicrobial or
bactericidal agents which
kill the bacteria responsible for malodor production, (2) agents which inhibit
or suppress or
interfere with the bacterial enzymatic pathway that produces malodor, and (3)
agents which
mask or absorb or neutralize malodor. Fragrances are not considered deodorant
active
ingredients within the meaning of this application. Examples of deodorant
actives include
triclosan, triclocarban, usnic acid salts, zinc phenolsulfonate, b-chloro-D-
alanine, D-cycloserine,
aminooxyacetic acid, cyclodextrin, sodium bicarbonate.
Preferably, the replaceable aerosol canister is part of a system or product
line that
comprises a plurality (i.e., two or more, preferably three to ten) of
replaceable aerosol canisters
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that have different personal care compositions, such as, for example,
different fragrances and/or
performance or aesthetic characteristics (e.g., deodorant, moisturizing,
freshening, soothing,
earthy, citrus, floral, musk, etc.) and/or different external markings (e.g.,
words, colors, designs,
etc.) on the canisters.
Various preferred features of the dispenser 10 will be discussed below.
Leaf Spring
As shown in FIC~ 5, the closure assembly 25 includes a resilient member such
as a leaf
spring 34, mounted on an internally facing surface 31 of door 26 so that the
resilient member is
biased (or pressed) against the canister when the canister is inserted and the
door is closed,
thereby biasing the canister 30 against the actuator assembly 18, iimiting
movement of the
canister during transport and use of the dispenser, and resisting the force
created when the user
depresses the actuator button. The resilient member also assists in springing
open the door 26
when unlatched by the user, as described below. When a leaf spring is used, as
shown, the leaf
spring may be a plastic molded component that is formed integrally with door
26. The force
generated by the resilient member is preferably sufficient to resist the
actuation force of the
actuator button when it is depressed by a user, which is generally in the
range of 2 to 8 pounds
(0.9 to 3.6 kg). It is also generally preferred that the force generated by
the resilient member be
sufficiently low so that the door can be closed relatively easily. For
example, in some
embodiments it is preferred that the closure force for the door, with a
canister in the holder, be
less than 5 kg, more preferably about 1 kg to about 3.5 kg. Naturally, of
course, the resilient
member may include any other suitable type of resilient material such as a
resilient plastic or
foam piece, coil spring, etc.
The geometry and physical characteristics of the leaf spring can be selected
to provide
the spray holder with desired characteristics. For example, making the leaf
spring thicker
(assuming other factors are kept the same) will tend to make the spring
stiffer and thus make the
door more difficult to close and reduce the overall deflection of the leaf
spring during spray
actuation. Conversely, making the leaf spring thinner will tend to reduce the
stiffness of the leaf
spring, making it easier to close the door and increasing the overall
deflection of the leaf spring
during spray actuation. If a low door closure force is desired, but it is also
desired to prevent full
deflection of the leaf spring during spray actuation, positive stops 37 may be
provided on the
internally-facing surface 31 of the door, e.g., as shown in FIGS. 14 and 14A.
When the canister
is deflected downwards, it will come to rest on stops 37 prior to the leaf
spring bottoming out.
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Door Latch Mechanism
The closure assembly 25 includes a latch mechanism that holds the door 26
securely
closed and allows the door to be easily opened and closed by a user by
operation of a latch
actuator 38 (FIGS. 6 and 7). Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, the latch mechanism
includes a latch
40 that moves forward and back in the plane of the door. When the latch is in
its extended
position, as shown in FIG. 6, it engages a rim 42 of a lower portion 44 of the
housing 12,
preventing the door from opening. Referring to FIG. 8, latch 40 is biased
towards its extended
position by integrally formed springs 46a and 46b. Springs 46a and 46b include
relatively thin
curved arms 48, molded into the at-rest extended position, and disc portions
50 which are
configured to slide along radially extending planar surfaces 52.
To open the door, the user pushes the latch actuator 38, which is preferably
located on an
externally facing surface 33 of the door, in the direction of the arrow 53
(FIG. 7), i.e., towards
the hinge 28 (arrow A, FIG. 6). This causes the arms 48 to straighten out,
sliding the disc
portions 50 outwardly along the surfaces 52 and thereby pulling latch 40 to
its retracted position.
When latch 40 is retracted it no longer engages rim 42 of the housing,
allowing the closure
assembly 25 to swing open. Opening of the door is aided by the compression
force of the leaf
spring (if a canister is within the holder), and also by a torsion spring 19
associated with hinge
28.
When the user pushes the door closed, the latch 40 is pushed to its retracted
position by
the interaction of the rim 42 with the angled top surface 43 of latch 40. The
angled surface 43
helps to force the latch into the open position when the door is being closed.
The angled surface
43 contacts the rim 42, compressing the springs 46a and 46b of the latch
mecbanism and
pushing the latch 40 into the closure assembly. As soon as the latch 40 passes
the rim 42 it
springs back into its normal, extended position, due to the biasing force of
springs 46a and 46b.
There is no need for the user to move the latch actuator 38 when closing the
door.
Assembling the Closure Assenrbl}l
The closure assembly rnay be manufactured in any desired manner. In some
embodiments, the parts of the closure assembly may be snap fit together. For
example, the parts
may be assembled as illustrated by the series of FIGS. 1 S-15B, in which a
latch portion 102 is
first assembled into a door shell 100 which includes the leaf spring (FIGS. 15
and 15A, and then
a cover 106 is snap fit into the door shell 100 (FIG 1513) by inserting prongs
106 carried by an
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inward-facing surface 105 of the cover 106 into receiving openings 108 in the
door shell 100.
Prongs 106 are configured to deflect and spring back upon insertion so that
the prongs will be
permanently retained in the openings. Cover 106 includes an opening 110
through which the
latch actuator 38 extends when the closure assembly is fully assembled.
The closure assembly may be assembled in any other desired manner, for example
using
adhesives or heat or ultrasonic welding.
Actuator Assembly
Referring to FIG. 10, the spray actuator assembly l8 is shown with the outer
shell 18
removed. The spray actuator assembly 18 includes an actuator/nozzle member 49,
and a locking
member S l. The actuator/nozzle member 49 includes a manually depressible
actuator button 20
and a spray nozzle 16, discussed above. Member 49 also defines a pair of
notches 54 which are
configured to locate and prevent rotational motion of the actuator/nozzle
member 49.
The locking member 51 is mounted to pivot with respect to the actuator/nozzle
member
49. The actuator assembly is fixed in the housing 12, with the actuator button
20 protruding
outwardly. The pivoting motion of the locking member is in a plane that is
generally
perpendicular to the long axis of the canister, about a pivot point 57 (Fig.
12). Rotational
movement of the locking member is guided by the pivot 57 and an opcning 23 in
the outer shell
17 of the spray actuator assembly 18.
The locking member is pivoted by the user moving the handle portion 22,
discussed
above, back and forth radially. Moving the handle 22 along opening 23 in the
direction of arrow
56 (FIG 9) moves the locking member 51 to the locked position, shown in FIGS.
1 I and 13. In
this position, a protrusion 58 on the upper surface of the locking member
engages a
eorresponding protrusion 60 on the lower surface of the rim of actuator button
20. This
engagement prevents the actuator button 20 from being pressed down, thereby
preventing
actuation of the spray dispenser. Moving the handle portion in the opposite
direction (away
from arrow 56) causes the protrusion 58 to move into a hollow region of the
actuator button,
where it does not engage any corresponding portion of the button. As a result,
in this position
the actuator is unlocked and the actuator button can be depressed to actuate
the spray.
If desired, positive stops may be provided for the two positions of the handle
portion 22,
to give the user a tactile signal that locking/unlocking has been completed,
and to prevent
inadvertent locking and unlocking. For example, as shown in FTGS. 16 and 17-
17A, the housing
12 may include an upper portion 120, at its upper end 11, that has a flexible
tab 122 configured
to flex up and down (arrow A). Tab 122 includes a arcuate rib 124 that extends
upward, toward
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locking member 51 of the spray actuator assembly 18 (omitted for clarity in
FIG. 16). As shown
in FIGS. l 7-17A, the locking member 51 includes a pair of arcuate grooves
126, having a radius
of curvature that is substantially the same as that of the arcuate rib 124.
These grooves are
positioned so that when the locking member 51 is in its locked position, the
rib 124 engages one
5 of the grooves 126, and when the locking member 51 is in its unlocked
position the rib 124
engages the other groove 126. When the handle 22 is moved by the user between
the two
positions, the camming action of the curved surfaces of the rib and groove
causes the tab 122 to
deflect downward, releasing the rib from the groove in which it was engaged.
The actuator/nozzle member 49 also includes a lower surface that is configured
to
10 engage the stem of the canister. Referring to FIGS. 2A and 18, the lower
surface includes a
tapered frustro-conical portion 62 that engages the rim of stem 133. This
tapered surface
provides a good seal with the stem, preventing undesirable leaking of the
aerosol composition
into the interior of the housing. As shown in FIG. 18A, in some embodiments
the frustro-conical
portion 62 may include a thin layer of an elastomeric material 64, providing a
resilient gasket
between the rim of the stem and the lower surface of member 49.
Other Embodiments
A number of embodiments of the invention have been described. Nevertheless, it
will be
understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the
spirit and scope
of the invention. For example, the features described herein may be used in
any desired
combination. For example, the actuator lock and window may be used with other
types of doors
(e.g., twist-on) or with a disposable dispenser that lacks a door entirely.
Accordingly, other
embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.
"!fie dimensions and values disclosed herein are not to be understood as being
strictly
limited to the exact numerical values recited. Instead, unless otherwise
specified, each such
dimension is intended to mean both the recited value and a functionally
equivalent range
surrounding that value. For example, a dimension disclosed as "40 mm" is
intended to mean
"about 40 mm".
All documents cited in the Detailed Description are, in relevant part,
incorporated herein
by reference; the citation of any document is not to be construed as an
admission that it is prior
art with respect to the present invention. To the extent that any meaning or
definition of a term
in this document conflicts with any meaning or definition of the same term in
a document
incorporated by reference, the meaning or definition assigned to that term in
this document shall
govem.
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While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated
and
described, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other
changes and
modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the
invention. It is
therefore intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes and
modifications that are
S within the scope of this invention.
