Dispenser for concentrated cleaning solution

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10046346-B2
Application number	US-201615258500-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 7, 2016
Priority date	Dec 18, 2015
Publication date	Aug 14, 2018
Grant date	Aug 14, 2018

Abstract

A dispenser includes a housing, a cartridge, and a pump assembly. The housing has a first liquid disposed therein, and the cartridge has a second liquid disposed therein. The pump assembly includes a tube. The first liquid is drawn from the housing into the tube through a first inlet in the tube when the pump assembly is actuated, and the second liquid is drawn from the cartridge into the tube through a second inlet in the tube when the pump assembly is actuated. The first and second liquids are combined within the tube to form a mixture.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A dispenser, comprising:
a housing having a first liquid disposed therein;
a cartridge having a second liquid disposed therein, wherein the cartridge is positioned within the housing; and
a pump assembly comprising a tube, wherein the tube comprises a first inlet and a second inlet, wherein the tube extends through the cartridge;
wherein the first liquid is drawn from the housing into the tube through the first inlet in the tube when the pump assembly is actuated, wherein the second liquid is drawn from the cartridge into the tube through the second inlet in the tube when the pump assembly is actuated, and wherein the first and second liquids are combined within the tube to form a mixture.

2. The dispenser of claim 1 , further comprising a valve coupled to the tube that allows the first liquid to pass therethrough in a first direction but prevents the second liquid from passing therethrough in a second, opposing direction.

3. The dispenser of claim 2 , wherein the first inlet is an axial opening, wherein the second inlet is a radial opening, and wherein the first inlet is positioned below the second inlet.

4. The dispenser of claim 3 , wherein the first inlet and the second inlet are sized such that a ratio of the first liquid to the second liquid in the mixture is from about 7:1 to about 50:1.

5. The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the first liquid comprises water, surfactant, or a combination thereof, and wherein the second liquid comprises a concentrated cleaning solution, a fragrance, an anti-bacterial liquid, a moisturizer, or a combination thereof.

6. The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein more than half of the second liquid comprises a surfactant, a glycol ether, or a combination thereof.

7. The dispenser of claim 6 , wherein less than 10% of the mixture comprises the surfactant, the glycol ether, or the combination thereof.

8. The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the second liquid comprises water, sodium linear alkylbenzene sulfonate, sodium oxide, a non-ionic surfactant, propylene glycol n-butyl ether, dipropylene glycol monobutyl ether, an emulsifier, a denatured alcohol, and a fragrance.

9. A method for using a dispenser, comprising:
pouring a first liquid into a housing;
coupling a cartridge to a pump assembly comprising a tube comprising a first inlet and a second inlet, wherein the cartridge has a second liquid disposed therein and wherein the cartridge is positioned within the housing; and
inserting the tube of the pump assembly into the housing to place the first inlet of the tube in contact with the first liquid in the housing, wherein the second inlet of the tube is in contact with the second liquid in the cartridge and wherein the tube extends through the cartridge.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
actuating the pump assembly, thereby causing:
the first liquid to be drawn from the housing into the tube through the first inlet in the tube; and
the second liquid to be drawn from the cartridge into the tube through the second inlet in the tube, such that the first liquid and the second liquid are combined inside the tube.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising pouring the second liquid into the cartridge prior to inserting the tube of the pump assembly into the housing.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the cartridge is coupled to the tube, and wherein the cartridge is inserted into the housing when the tube is inserted into the housing.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
removing the cartridge and the tube from the housing;
pouring an additional amount of the first liquid into the housing; and
re-inserting the cartridge and the tube into the housing after the additional amount of the first liquid has been poured into the housing.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
removing the cartridge and the tube from the housing;
pouring an additional amount of the second liquid into the cartridge; and
re-inserting the cartridge and the tube into the housing after the additional amount of the second liquid has been poured into the cartridge.

15. The method of claim 9 , wherein the pump assembly comprises a valve coupled to the tube that allows the first liquid to pass therethrough in a first direction but prevents the second liquid from passing therethrough in a second, opposing direction.

16. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first inlet and the second inlet are sized such that a ratio of the first liquid to the second liquid in the mixture is from about 7:1 to about 50:1.

17. The method of claim 9 , wherein more than half of the second liquid comprises a surfactant, a glycol ether, or a combination thereof, and wherein less than 10% of the mixture comprises the surfactant, the glycol ether, or the combination thereof.

18. The method of claim 9 , wherein the second liquid comprises water, sodium linear alkylbenzene sulfonate, sodium oxide, a non-ionic surfactant, propylene glycol n-butyl ether, dipropylene glycol monobutyl ether, an emulsifier, a denatured alcohol, and a fragrance.

Assignees

• Colgate Palmolive Co

Inventors

• Knorr Joseph R
• Amoafo Michael

Classifications

• B05B11/1081

  Arrangements for pumping several liquids or other fluent materials from several containers, e.g. for mixing them at the moment of pumping · CPC title

• B05B11/1057

  Triggers, i.e. actuation means consisting of a single lever having one end rotating or pivoting around an axis or a hinge fixedly attached to the container, and another end directly actuated by the user · CPC title

• B05B15/30 Primary

  Dip tubes · CPC title

• B05B11/0054

  Cartridges, i.e. containers specially designed for easy attachment to or easy removal from the rest of the sprayer (attachment arrangements between pump and container B05B11/1043) · CPC title

• B05B7/30 Primary

  the first liquid or other fluent material being fed by gravity, or sucked into the carrying fluid · CPC title