Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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REFILL DISPENSING BOTTLE
BACKGROUND
[0001] The present invention relates to refill dispensing bottles.
[0002] A refill dispensing bottle is a bottle from which a flowable substance
may be dispensed to
refill another container, such as a liquid hand soap pump bottle, a dish
liquid bottle, or a reservoir
of a dispenser built into a kitchen sink or counter. The flowable substance
may be, for example,
liquid hand soap or washing-up liquid. Typically, the refill dispensing bottle
is of larger volume
that the destination container, so that the container may be refilled with
flowable substance from
the same refill dispensing bottle several times.
[0003] When using a refill dispensing bottle to refill a container with a
relatively viscous
substance, such as a substance with a higher viscosity than water, it can take
several minutes for
a sufficient volume of the substance to be dispensed under gravity from the
refill dispensing
bottle to refill the container. During the whole of this time period, a user
holds the refill
dispensing bottle above the container in an inverted state with an opening of
the refill dispensing
bottle lowermost, meaning that they are not free to undertake other tasks
during the time period.
[0004] A need exists for a refill dispensing bottle configured to permit a
user to carry out other
tasks as the bottle is dispensing. There also is a need for a refill
dispensing bottle configured to
avoid, or minimize, undesired dispensing of a flowable substance from an
opening thereof.
BRIEF SUMMARY
[0005] An embodiment of the present invention provides a refill dispensing
bottle comprising: a
container defining a chamber storing a viscous flowable substance and having
an opening
through which the substance is dispensable from the chamber; and a dispenser
comprising a seal
sealing the opening, a substance flow passageway fluidly connecting the
chamber to an exterior
of the container through the seal, and a vent fluidly connecting the chamber
to the exterior of the
container through the seal in parallel with the substance flow passageway;
wherein a cross-
sectional area of the substance flow passageway, a cross-sectional area of the
vent, and a
viscosity of the substance are selected so that the substance at room
temperature and atmospheric
pressure is dispensed from the substance flow passageway at a rate of less
than 35 cc/sec and at
least 0.5 cc/sec with the bottle inverted and the vent unblocked.
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[0006] Optionally, the cross-sectional area of the substance flow passageway,
the cross-sectional
area of the vent, and the viscosity of the substance are selected so that the
substance at room
temperature and atmospheric pressure is dispensed from the substance flow
passageway at a rate
of at least 0.9 cc/sec with the bottle inverted and the vent unblocked,
optionally at least 1.8 cc/sec
with the bottle inverted and the vent unblocked.
[0007] Optionally, the cross-sectional area of the substance flow passageway,
the cross-sectional
area of the vent, and the viscosity of the substance are selected so that the
substance at room
temperature and atmospheric pressure is dispensed from the substance flow
passageway at a rate
of no more than 31 cc/sec with the bottle inverted and the vent unblocked,
further optionally no
more than 11 cc/sec with the bottle inverted and the vent unblocked, further
optionally no more
than 4.2 cc/sec with the bottle inverted and the vent unblocked.
[0008] Optionally, the cross-sectional area of the substance flow passageway,
the cross-sectional
area of the vent, and the viscosity of the substance are selected so that the
substance at room
temperature and atmospheric pressure is dispensed from the substance flow
passageway at a rate
of less than 0.1 cc/sec with the bottle inverted and the vent blocked,
optionally less than 0.01
cc/sec with the bottle inverted and the vent blocked, further optionally no
more than 0.001 cc/sec
with the bottle inverted and the vent blocked.
[0009] Optionally, the substance at room temperature and atmospheric pressure
is more viscous
than water.
[0010] Optionally, the vent comprises a first pipe extending from the seal
into the chamber.
[0011] Optionally, the vent comprises a second pipe extending from the seal
outside of the
container.
[0012] Optionally, an opening in the first pipe in the chamber is above a top
level of the
substance in the chamber when the refill dispensing bottle is inverted.
[0013] Optionally, the first pipe extends further from the seal into the
chamber than the
substance flow passageway.
[0014] Optionally, the dispenser is secured to the container, and/or the seal
is disposed inside a
portion of the container.
[0015] Another embodiment of the present invention provides a refill
dispensing bottle,
comprising: a container defining a chamber for storing a viscous flowable
substance and having
an opening through which the substance is dispensable from the chamber; and a
dispenser
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secured to the container and comprising a seal sealing the opening, a
substance flow passageway
fluidly connecting the chamber to an exterior of the container through the
seal, and a vent fluidly
connecting the chamber to the exterior of the container through the seal in
parallel with the
substance flow passageway.
[0016] Optionally, the seal is disposed inside a portion of the container.
[0017] A further embodiment of the present invention provides a refill
dispensing bottle,
comprising: a container defining a chamber for storing a viscous flowable
substance and having
an opening through which the substance is dispensable from the chamber; and a
dispenser
comprising a seal disposed inside a portion of the container and sealing the
opening, a substance
flow passageway fluidly connecting the chamber to an exterior of the container
through the seal,
and a vent fluidly connecting the chamber to the exterior of the container
through the seal in
parallel with the substance flow passageway.
[0018] Optionally, in the refill dispensing bottle of either of the above-
described other and
further embodiments of the present invention, the vent comprises a first pipe
extending from the
seal into the chamber. Optionally, the first pipe extends further from the
seal into the chamber
than the substance flow passageway.
[0019] Optionally, the vent comprises a second pipe extending from the seal
outside of the
container. Further optionally, the second pipe extends further from the seal
outside of the
container than the substance flow passageway.
[0020] Optionally, a part of the vent furthest from the seal outside of the
container is an open end
of the second pipe that is at a greater distance from the seal than any part
of the substance flow
passageway outside of the container, or an open end of the second pipe is
further from the seal
outside of the container than an open end of the substance flow passageway
outside of the
container.
[0021] Optionally, the refill dispensing bottle of either of the above-
described other and further
embodiments of the present invention comprises the substance in the chamber.
[0022] Optionally, the substance at room temperature and atmospheric pressure
is more viscous
than water.
[0023] Optionally, the substance at atmospheric pressure and room temperature
has a viscosity
of between 100 and 25,000 cps, optionally between 1,000 and 14,000 cps,
further optionally
between 3,000 and 7,000 cps.
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[0024] Optionally, an opening in the first pipe in the chamber is above a top
level of the
substance in the chamber when the refill dispensing bottle is inverted.
[0025] Optionally, in any one of the refill dispensing bottles of the above-
described
embodiments of the present invention, neither the substance flow passageway
nor the vent is
disposed within the other of the substance flow passageway and the vent.
[0026] Optionally, in any one of the refill dispensing bottles of the above-
described
embodiments of the present invention, the extent to which the first pipe
extends from the seal
into the chamber is adjustable, and/or the extent to which the second pipe
extends from the seal
outside of the container is adjustable.
[0027] Optionally, in any one of the refill dispensing bottles of the above-
described
embodiments of the present invention, the first pipe is unitary with the
second pipe.
[0028] Optionally, in any one of the refill dispensing bottles of the above-
described
embodiments of the present invention, the dispenser comprises an annular wall
extending from
the seal and surrounding a portion of, or all of, the second pipe. Further
optionally, the annular
wall and the seal together define a basin into which the substance flow
passageway opens.
[0029] Optionally, in any one of the refill dispensing bottles of the above-
described
embodiments of the present invention, the refill dispensing bottle is free of
any device for fully
or partially blocking the vent.
[0030] Optionally, in any one of the refill dispensing bottles of the above-
described
embodiments of the present invention, the seal is configured to fit into or
receive an opening of a
second container defining a second chamber with the chamber of the container
in fluid
communication with the second chamber via each of the substance flow
passageway and the
vent. Further optionally, the seal is configured to seal the opening of the
second container when
the seal is fitted into the opening of the second container or the opening of
the second container
is received in the seal.
[0031] Optionally, in the refill dispensing bottle of the further embodiment
of the present
invention, the dispenser is secured to the container.
[0032] Optionally, any one of the refill dispensing bottles of the above-
described embodiments
of the present invention comprises a cap movable relative to the seal between
a first position, at
which the cap isolates the substance flow passageway and the vent from the
exterior of the
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container, and a second position at which the substance flow passageway and
the vent are in
fluid communication with the exterior of the container.
[0033] A further embodiment of the present invention provides a combination of
a refill
dispensing bottle according to any one of the above described embodiments of
the present
invention, and a second container defining a second chamber, wherein the seal
is configured to
fit into or receive an opening of the second container with the chamber of the
container in fluid
communication with the second chamber via each of the substance flow
passageway and the
vent.
[0034] Optionally, the seal is configured to seal the opening of the second
container when the
seal is fitted into the opening of the second container or the opening of the
second container is
received in the seal.
[0035] Optionally, the combination comprises a stand for stably holding the
second container on
a surface when the seal is fitted into the opening of the second container or
the opening of the
second container is received in the opening.
[0036] Optionally, the dispensing of the flowable substance stops
automatically and without user
intervention when the flowable substance reaches a predetermined level in the
second chamber
of the second container.
[0037] Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become
apparent from the
detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the
detailed description
and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the
invention, are intended
for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of
the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0038] The present invention will become more fully understood from the
detailed description
and the accompanying drawings, wherein:
[0039] Figure 1 is a side view of a refill dispensing bottle in accordance
with an embodiment of
the present invention;
[0040] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the seal of the dispenser of the
refill dispensing bottle of
Figure 1;
[0041] Figure 3 is a perspective view of the refill dispensing bottle of
Figure 1 inverted and
being used to fill a second container;
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[0042] Figure 4 is a perspective view of a stand for stably supporting on a
surface the second
container shown in Figure 2; and
[0043] Figure 5 is a perspective view of a refill dispensing bottle in
accordance with an
embodiment of the present invention inverted and being used to fill a second
container while the
second container is supported by the stand shown in Figure 4.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0044] The following description of the preferred embodiment(s) is merely
exemplary in nature
and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses.
[0045] As used throughout, ranges are used as shorthand for describing each
and every value
that is within the range. Any value within the range can be selected as the
terminus of the range.
In addition, all references cited herein are hereby incorporated by referenced
in their entireties.
In the event of a conflict in a definition in the present disclosure and that
of a cited reference, the
present disclosure controls.
[0046] Figure 1 shows a refill dispensing bottle 1 of a first embodiment of
the present invention.
Broadly speaking, the bottle 1 comprises a container 200 and a dispenser 100.
The container 200
has a body portion 210 defining an internal chamber 220 within which is stored
a viscous
flowable substance. In this embodiment, the substance is liquid hand soap. In
variations to this
embodiment, the substance may instead be any one of washing-up liquid, a
liquid detergent, or
any other home care or personal care product. The substance may be, for
example, any one of a
liquid, a foam, a gel, an emulsion, and a sol. However, in all embodiments of
the present
invention, the substance is flowable at room temperature and atmospheric
pressure. Herein, by
"room temperature" it is meant a temperature of 20 to 25 degrees Celsius,
preferably 25 degrees
Celsius, and by "atmospheric pressure" it is meant a pressure of 101 kPa.
Preferably, at room
temperature and atmospheric pressure the substance is more viscous than water.
The substance
at atmospheric pressure and room temperature preferably has a viscosity of
between 100 and
25,000 cps, more preferably between 1,000 and 14,000 cps, and most preferably
between 3,000
and 7,000 cps.
[0047] The container 200 further has a narrowed neck portion 230 connected to
the body portion
210 and defining an opening 240 through which the substance is dispensable
from the chamber
220. The body portion 210 of the container 200 has a flat, or substantially
flat, base 250, upon
which the container 200 may stand on a surface when not in use.
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[0048] The dispenser 100 comprises a seal 110, a substance flow passageway 120
and a vent
130. The seal 110 is disposed inside the neck portion 230 of the container
200, and a plug 140 of
the seal 110 seals the opening 240. The seal 110 is an interference fit in the
opening 240 of the
neck portion 230, whereby the seal 110, and the dispenser 100 as a whole, is
secured to the
container 200. In some embodiments, the plug 140 of the seal 110 is removable
from the
opening 240 of the container 200 to unseal the opening 240. Moreover, in
variations to the
illustrated embodiments, the dispenser 100 may be secured to the container 200
by a mechanism
other than an interference fit. For example, in some embodiments, there may be
provided a
screw-thread on the dispenser 100 that cooperates with a screw-thread on the
container 200.
[0049] The substance flow passageway 120 comprises a first passageway that
extends through
the seal 110 between opposed interior and exterior sides of the seal 110, and
that fluidly connects
the chamber 220 of the container 200 to an exterior of the container 200
through the seal 110.
[0050] The vent 130 comprises a second passageway through the seal 110, a
first pipe 131
extending from the seal 110 into the chamber 220, and a second pipe 132,
unitary with the first
pipe 131, extending from the seal 110 outside of the container 200 and outside
of the bottle 1.
More specifically, the first pipe 131 defines a first lumen that opens into
the chamber 220 at a
first open end 133 of the first pipe 131, the second pipe 132 defines a second
lumen that opens to
the exterior of the container 200 at a second open end 134 of the second pipe
132, and the
lumens of the first and second pipes 131, 132 are in fluid communication with
each other
through the second passageway through the seal 110. In some embodiments, the
first and second
pipes 131, 132 are unitary with the seal 110. In other embodiments, the first
and second pipes
131, 132 are comprised in a single tube that is discrete from the seal 110 and
that extends
through the second passageway through the seal 110. The vent 130 fluidly
connects the chamber
220 to the exterior of the container 200, and thus to the exterior of the
bottle 1, through the seal
110 in parallel with the substance flow passageway 120.
[0051] It will be noted from at least Figure 1 that the first pipe 131 extends
further from the seal
110 into the chamber 220 than does the substance flow passageway 120, and that
the second pipe
132 extends further from the seal 110 outside of the container 200 than does
the substance flow
passageway 120. Indeed, in the illustrated embodiments, the substance flow
passageway 120
merely extends through the seal 100 between the first interior side of the
seal 110 that delimits
the chamber 220 and the second exterior side of the seal 110 at the exterior
of the container 200.
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The part of the vent 130 furthest from the seal 110 outside of the container
200 is the second
open end 134 of the second pipe 132, which second open end 134 is at a greater
distance from
the seal 110 than any part of the substance flow passageway 120 outside of the
container 200.
Specifically, the second open end 134 of the second pipe 132 is further from
the seal 110 outside
of the container than an open end of the substance flow passageway 120 outside
of the container
200. In a variation to the illustrated embodiments, the second open end 134 of
the second pipe
132 may be flush with the seal 110, or the second pipe 132 may be omitted
altogether so that the
vent 130 comprises just the second passageway through the seal 110 and the
first pipe 131
extending from the seal 110 into the chamber 220.
[0052] The volume of the substance provided in the chamber 220 of the
container 200, and the
distance between the seal 110 and the first open end 133 of the first pipe 131
(i.e. the length of
the first pipe 131 present in the chamber 220) preferably are selected so
that, when the refill
dispensing bottle 1 is inverted as shown in Figure 3, the first open end 133
of the first pipe 131 in
the chamber 220 is above a top level 215 of the substance in the chamber 220.
The reasons for
the first and second pipes 131, 132 extending to the extents shown in Figures
1 and 3 will be
explained below.
[0053] In variations to the illustrated embodiments, the extent to which the
first pipe 131 extends
from the seal 110 into the chamber 220 is adjustable. In some variations to
the illustrated
embodiments, the extent to which the second pipe 132 extends from the seal 110
outside of the
container 200 is adjustable. For example, in embodiments in which the first
and second pipes
131, 132 are comprised in a single tube that is discrete from the seal 110,
the single tube may be
movable relative to the seal 110 in the direction of the longitudinal axis of
the single tube,
thereby to vary the extent to which both the first and second pipes 131, 132
extend from the seal
110. Similarly, in embodiments in which the first pipe 131 is discrete from
the second pipe 132,
and the first and second pipes 131, 132 are discrete from the seal 110, each
of the first and
second pipes 131, 132 may be independently movable relative to the seal 110 in
the direction of
the longitudinal axis of the pipe in question. The second pipe 132 could be
movable relative to
the seal 110 to a position at which the second open end 134 of the second pipe
132 is flush with
the seal 110.
[0054] It will be noted that, in the illustrated embodiments, neither the
substance flow
passageway 120 nor the vent 130 is disposed within the other of the substance
flow passageway
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120 and the vent 130. In variations to the illustrated embodiments, the vent
130 may comprise a
tube that is disposed within, and in some embodiments is concentric with, the
substance flow
passageway 120.
[0055] In the illustrated embodiments, the refill dispensing bottle 1 is free
of any device for fully
or partially blocking the vent 130. In this context, "device" is intended not
to include the
flowable substance itself. However, in variations to the illustrated
embodiments, the bottle 1
may comprise a device, such as a valve or a clamp, which is selectively
operable by a user to
fully or partially block, the vent 130 and to fully or partially unblock the
vent 130.
[0056] With reference to Figure 2, the seal 110 of the dispenser 100 comprises
an annular flange
150 with an outside diameter that is greater than an inside diameter of the
opening 240 of the
container 200, to prevent the dispenser 100 from falling into the chamber 220.
Extending in a
first direction from the annular flange 150 is the plug 140 of the seal 110,
which plug 140 has an
outside diameter that is slightly greater than the inside diameter of the
opening 240 of the
container 200 so that, with the plug 140 disposed in the opening 240 of the
neck 230 of the
container 200, an interference fit is provided between the plug 140 and the
neck 230 to retain the
dispenser 100 in position relative to the container 200 and to seal the
opening 240 as discussed
above. Extending in a second direction, opposite to the first direction, from
the annular flange
150 is an outer portion 160 of the seal 110. The outer portion 160 of the seal
110 has a stepped
outside diameter. More specifically, the outer portion 160 has a first section
162 that is of a first
outside diameter that is less than that of the flange 150, and a second
section 164 between the
first section 162 and the flange 150 that is of a second outside diameter,
which second outside
diameter is less than that of the flange 150 but greater than that of the
first section 162. The
provision of the first and second sections 162, 164 of the outer portion 160
of the seal 110 means
that destination containers with openings of a range of different inside
diameters are securable to
the outer portion 160 of the seal 110, preferably by interference fit, while
the plug 140 of the seal
110 is secured to the container 200 as discussed above.
[0057] The dispenser 100 further comprises an annular wall 170 extending from
the distal end of
the outer portion 160 of the seal 110. The wall 170 surrounds respective
exterior openings of the
first and second passageways through the seal 110 and, when the second pipe
132 is present as
shown in Figure 1, the wall 170 also surrounds a portion of the second pipe
132. Together, the
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wall 170 and an end face 180 of the outer portion 160 of the seal 110 define a
basin 190 into
which the substance flow passageway 130 opens.
[0058] During use of the refill dispensing bottle 1 to fill or refill a
destination container, such as
the destination container 300 shown in Figures 3 and 5, the refill dispensing
bottle 1 of Figure 1
is inverted so that the opening 240 is disposed lowermost and below the
chamber 220. The outer
portion 160 of the seal 110 is then fitted into an opening in the destination
container 300.
Preferably there is provided an interference fit between the outer portion 160
of the seal 110 and
the portion of the destination container 300 defining the opening of the
destination container 300,
so as to secure the bottle 1 to the destination container 300, although other
mechanisms may
instead be provided. In any event, preferably the seal 110 is configured to
fit into or receive an
opening of the destination container 300 with the chamber 220 of the container
200 in fluid
communication with the second chamber of the destination container 300 via
each of the
substance flow passageway 120 and the vent 130.
[0059] At this stage, the combination of the refill dispensing bottle 1 and
the destination
container 300 may be unstable, since the refill dispensing bottle 1 may be of
much greater mass
than the destination container 300, meaning that the combination is top-heavy.
Accordingly, in
some embodiments of the present invention, there is further provided a stand
400 for stably
holding the destination container 300 on a surface when the seal 110 is fitted
into the opening of
the destination container 300. The example stand 400 shown in Figures 4 and 5
comprises a
piece of card, paperboard or plastic, folded into the shape of a triangular
prism with a receiving
opening 410 formed by two sides 402, 403 of the three sides of the prism. An
outer face of the
remaining side 401 of the triangular prism lies flat on a substantially
horizontal surface. A base
of the destination container 300 sits in contact with an inner face of the
remaining side 401 of the
triangular prism, while sides of the destination container 300 above the base
of the destination
container 300 are held between edges of the other two sides 402, 403 of the
prism, as shown in
Figure 5. The stand 400 may be collapsible for storage.
[0060] With the refill dispensing bottle 1 inverted so that the opening 240 is
disposed lowermost
and below the chamber 220, the flowable substance in the chamber 220 tends to
move towards
the seal 110 under the influence of gravity. In preferred embodiments of the
present invention,
as discussed above and as shown in Figure 3, the first open end 133 of the
first pipe 131 in the
chamber 220 is above a top level 215 of the substance in the chamber 220. This
causes the
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creation of a potential difference that encourages the flowable substance to
leave the chamber
220 through the substance flow passageway 120, and means that little or none
of the flowable
substance enters the vent 130 from the chamber 220, permitting air from the
second chamber of
the destination container 300 to travel via the vent 130 to the chamber 220 of
the container 200
of the bottle 1.
[0061] When the flowable substance reaches the seal 110, it enters the
substance flow
passageway 120 to pass through the seal 110. Since the entrance to the
substance flow
passageway 120 is at a far end of the chamber 220, all of the flowable
substance is dispensable
from the chamber 220 via the substance flow passageway 120 when the bottle 1
is inverted.
Movement of the flowable substance from the chamber 220 through the substance
flow
passageway 120 causes the creation of a slight vacuum in the chamber 220,
which draws air up
the vent 130 from the second chamber of the destination container 300 and into
the chamber 220.
Preferably, the body portion 210 of the container 200 is sufficiently rigid to
resist significant
collapse as the flowable substance leaves the chamber 220 through the
substance flow
passageway 120, so as to maintain the slight vacuum in the chamber 220.
Preferably, any (if
any) of the flowable substance present in the vent 130 is evacuated from the
first end 133 of the
first tube 131 by the rising air. When the vent 130 is clear of the flowable
substance, there is
then unrestricted air flow into the chamber 220 from the second chamber of the
destination
container 300, which allows the flow rate of the flowable substance from the
chamber 220 and
through the substance flow passageway 120 to reach a maximum. Accordingly, the
provision of
the vent 130 in parallel to the substance flow passageway 120 permits quicker
dispensing of the
flowable substance from the bottle 1 into the destination container 300 than a
comparable bottle
1 lacking the vent 130.
[0062] In the illustrated exemplary embodiments, a cross-sectional area of the
substance flow
passageway 120 and a cross-sectional area of the vent 130 are selected so
that, were water
(which has a viscosity of 1 cp) present in the chamber 220 rather than the
viscous flowable
substance, at room temperature and atmospheric pressure the water would
dispense from the
substance flow passageway 120 at a rate of 35 cc/sec with the bottle 1
inverted and the vent 130
unblocked. With the viscous flowable substance in the chamber 220 instead of
water, the cross-
sectional area of the substance flow passageway 120, the cross-sectional area
of the vent 130,
and the viscosity of the flowable substance are selected so that the substance
at room temperature
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and atmospheric pressure is dispensed from the substance flow passageway 120
at a rate of less
than 35 cc/sec and at least 0.5 cc/sec with the bottle 1 inverted and the vent
130 unblocked.
[0063] Preferably, the cross-sectional area of the substance flow passageway
120 and the cross-
sectional area of the vent 130 are selected so that, with the bottle 1
inverted and the vent 130
unblocked, different respective viscous flowable substances having the
viscosities shown in
Table 1, below, would be dispensed from the substance flow passageway 120 at
the associated
flow rate shown in Table 1:
Table 1
Viscosity (cp) Flow rate (cc/sec)
1 35
100 31
1,000 11
3,000 4.2
7,000 1.8
14,000 0.9
25,000 0.5
[0064] It will be seen that, when the viscosity of the substance is between
100 and 25,000 cps,
preferably the flow rate is between 0.5 and 31 cc/sec. When the viscosity of
the substance is
between 1,000 and 14,000 cps, preferably the flow rate is between 0.9 and 11
cc/sec. When the
viscosity of the substance is between 3,000 and 7,000 cps, preferably the flow
rate is between 1.8
and 4.2 cc/sec. Accordingly, preferably, when the bottle 1 is inverted prior
to dispensing, the
user is given sufficient time to correctly position the open end of the
substance flow passageway
120 outside of the container 200 above the opening of the destination
container 300 before the
flowable substance begins to be dispensed from the bottle 1, so that the
bottle 1 is configured to
avoid, or minimize, undesired dispensing of the flowable substance.
[0065] Preferably, one or both of the minimum and maximum cross-sectional
areas of one or
both of the substance flow passageway 120 and the vent 130, as well as the
viscosity of the
flowable substance, are selected so that the substance at room temperature and
atmospheric
pressure is dispensed from the substance flow passageway 120 at a rate of less
than 35 cc/sec and
at least 0.5 cc/sec with the bottle 1 inverted and the vent 130 unblocked.
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[0066] In some embodiments of the present invention, rheological parameters of
the flowable
substance are measured at atmospheric pressure and at 25 degrees Celsius in a
rotational
rheometer, such as ARG2 by TA Instruments, using Couette, cone-plate or other
geometry.
These parameters include: viscosity, shear rate (SR) and shear stress (SS),
the latter being a
product of the former two. Depending on how viscosity behaves as SR decreases,
the flowable
substance may follow one of the following two types of rheological behavior:
either its viscosity
levels off at a low-shear viscosity limit (LSVL), or goes to infinity. In the
former case the
flowable substance will be hereafter referred to as having LSVL. In the latter
case, the flowable
substance will be referred to as having yield stress (YS).
[0067] More specifically, LSVL should be measured at low enough SR so as to
have viscosity
independent of SR. YS should be defined by fitting SS(SR) data with the
Herschel-Bulkley
equation: SS=YS+K*SRAn, where YS, K and n are fitting parameters. With the
LSVL between
100 and 25,000 cps, optionally between 1,000 and 14,000 cps, further
optionally between 3,000
and 7,000 cps, and with the initial height of the flowable substance in the
container 200 being not
more than 15 cm from the open end of the substance flow passageway 120 outside
of the
container 200, preferably the flowable substance is dispensed from the
substance flow
passageway 120 at an initial rate of at least 0.5 cc/sec, optionally at least
0.9 cc/sec, further
optionally at least 1.8 cc/sec with the bottle 1 inverted and the vent 130
unblocked. In some
embodiments, if the flowable substance does not have LSVL and therefore is
considered as
having YS, its YS should not exceed 50 Pa and the height of the residual
flowable substance in
the container 200 should not drop below 5 cm from the open end of the
substance flow
passageway 120 outside of the container 200.
[0068] In a variation to the embodiment shown in Figure 3, in Figure 5 the
first open end 133 of
the first pipe 131 in the chamber 220 is below the top level 215 of the
substance in the chamber
220. Accordingly, before the maximum flow rate of the flowable substance
through the
substance flow passageway 120 is reached, flow of the flowable substance
through the substance
flow passageway 120 occurs at a lower rate, while air passing up the vent 130
breaks into
bubbles within the flowable substance in the chamber 220 after leaving the
first open end 133 of
the first pipe 131, until the first open end 133 of the first pipe 131 in the
chamber 220 protrudes
above the top level 215 of the substance in the chamber 220. Depending on the
nature of the
13
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flowable substance, such bubbling could cause foaming of the flowable
substance in the chamber
220, which may not be desirable.
[0069] The flow rate of the flowable substance through the substance flow
passageway 120
slowly reduces from the maximum flow rate as the volume of flowable substance
in the chamber
220 reduces. When the level of the flowable substance in the second chamber of
the destination
container 300 rises to block the second open end 134 of the second tube 132 of
the vent 130, air
is prevented from rising up the vent 130 to the chamber 220. The product flow
rate then reduces
significantly, as flowable substance in the second chamber of the destination
container 300
begins to be drawn up the vent 130. When the level of the flowable substance
in the vent 130
reaches the level of the flowable substance remaining in the chamber 220,
equilibrium is reached
and flow of the flowable substance stops. Accordingly, through selection of an
appropriate
distance between the second end 134 of the second tube 132 and the seal 110,
dispensing of the
flowable substance stops automatically and without user intervention when the
flowable
substance reaches a predetermined level in the second chamber of the
destination container 300.
Therefore, the risk of overfilling the destination container 300 is reduced or
avoided, and the user
is free to carry out other tasks while the bottle 1 is dispensing.
[0070] In the illustrated embodiments, the cross-sectional area of the
substance flow passageway
120, the cross-sectional area of the vent 130, and the viscosity of the
flowable substance are
selected so that the substance at room temperature and atmospheric pressure is
dispensed from
the substance flow passageway 120 at a rate of no more than 0.001 cc/sec with
the bottle 1
inverted and the vent 130 blocked. When dispensing of the flowable substance
to the
predetermined level in the second chamber of the destination container 300 is
complete, a user is
given sufficient time to remove the dispenser 100 from the destination
container 300 while the
bottle 1 is still inverted without a further quantity of the flowable
substance being dispensed
from the bottle 1. Accordingly, the bottle 1 is still further configured to
avoid, or minimize,
undesired dispensing of the flowable substance. In variations to the
illustrated embodiments, this
flow rate with the bottle 1 inverted and the vent 130 blocked may be less than
0.1 cc/sec, or less
than 0.01 cc/sec. These flow rates with the vent 130 blocked are measured with
there being no
leaks in the system, so that the only route for air into the chamber 220, as
the flowable substance
is dispensed though the substance flow passageway 120, is via the vent 130.
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[0071] Preferably, one or both of the minimum and maximum cross-sectional
areas of one or
both of the substance flow passageway 120 and the vent 130, as well as the
viscosity of the
flowable substance, are selected so that the substance at room temperature and
atmospheric
pressure is dispensed from the substance flow passageway 120 at a rate of less
than 0.1 cc/sec,
preferably less than 0.01 cc/sec, further preferably no more than 0.001
cc/sec, with the bottle 1
inverted and the vent 130 blocked. Again, these flow rates with the vent 130
blocked are
measured with there being no leaks in the system, so that the only route for
air into the chamber
220, as the flowable substance is dispensed though the substance flow
passageway 120, is via the
vent 130.
[0072] Following disconnection of the dispenser 100 from the destination
container 300, the
bottle 1 preferably is reverted to its storage orientation with the base 250
lowermost and the
opening 240 above the chamber 220. Any of the flowable substance within the
vent 130 and the
substance flow passage 120 returns to the chamber 220, and any of the flowable
substance on the
outside of the second tube 132 of the vent 130 moves under the influence of
gravity into the
basin 190 and subsequently into the substance flow passage 120.
[0073] Although not shown in the enclosed Figures, the bottle 1 may further
comprise a cap that
is movable relative to the seal 110 between a first position, at which the cap
isolates the
substance flow passageway 120 and the vent 130 from the exterior of the
container 200, and a
second position, at which the substance flow passageway 120 and the vent 130
are in fluid
communication with the exterior of the container 200. Such a cap preferably
has a mechanism
for securing the cap to the container 200. For example, the cap may have an
internal thread for
mating with a thread on an exterior of the neck 230 of the container 200.
Moreover, such a cap
preferably is sized to accommodate the second tube 132 of the vent 130 when
the cap is secured
to the container 200.
[0074] Such a cap may have a flat top so that, when the cap is secured to the
container, the bottle
1 may be placed with the flat top on a horizontal surface to store the bottle
1 in its inverted state.
The top of the cap may be wider than the rest of the cap and/or wider than the
neck 230 of the
container 200, to increase stability of the bottle 1 when so stored in its
inverted state.
Furthermore, the cap may have an angled rim usable to collect in the cap
excess flowable
substance from the exterior of a dip tube connected to a pump that is removed
from the
destination container 300 prior to securing the bottle 1 to the destination
container 300. The
CA 02917558 2016-01-06
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interior of the top of the cap may comprise geometry for supporting such a dip
tube, e.g.
geometry that fits snug with one or both of the inside diameter and the
outside diameter of the
dip tube.
[0075] In a variation to the illustrated embodiments, the substance flow
passageway 120 may
comprise a substance flow tube extending from the seal 110 in parallel to the
second tube 132 of
the vent 130. In such a variation, preferably the second open end 134 of the
second pipe 132 still
is at a greater distance from the seal 110 than any part of the substance flow
passageway 120
outside of the container 200.
[0076] In further variations to the illustrated embodiments, there may be
provided a plurality of
the substance flow passageways 120 through the seal 110 in parallel to the
vent 130.
16
