Dispensing container

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10144025-B2
Application number	US-201315102722-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 11, 2013
Priority date	Dec 11, 2013
Publication date	Dec 4, 2018
Grant date	Dec 4, 2018

Abstract

A container comprising a body portion and a neck portion, the neck portion having a pump dispenser thereon, the pump dispenser comprising a pump mechanism, a dip tube on one end of the pump mechanism, a pump outlet on another end of the pump mechanism, the dip tube extending downwardly from the pump mechanism into the body portion, the body portion containing a first liquid, the dip tube having a central bore along which the first liquid is pumped from the body portion when the pump mechanism is actuated, and a reservoir containing a second liquid, the reservoir communicating with the dip tube and adapted to introduce the second liquid into the first liquid within the pump mechanism or dip tube under the action of first liquid flowing through the dip tube.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A container comprising a body portion and a neck portion, the neck portion having a pump dispenser thereon, the pump dispenser comprising a pump mechanism, a dip tube on one end of the pump mechanism, a pump outlet on another end of the pump mechanism, the dip tube extending downwardly from the pump mechanism into the body portion, the body portion containing a first liquid, the dip tube having a central bore along which the first liquid is pumped from the body portion when the pump mechanism is actuated, and a reservoir containing a second liquid, the reservoir communicating with the dip tube and adapted to introduce the second liquid into the first liquid within the pump mechanism or dip tube under the action of first liquid flowing through the dip tube;
wherein the reservoir is provided in a dropper coupled directly to the dip tube, wherein the dropper comprises a vial sealed at one end and a capillary tube extending from the other end of the vial, an end of the capillary tube remote from the vial connecting with the dip tube via an orifice, the dropper being downwardly oriented such that the first liquid is gravity fed from the reservoir to the dip tube.

2. The container according to claim 1 , wherein the second liquid comprises a fragrance oil, and wherein the first liquid is selected from liquid hand soaps, hand and body lotions, shampoos and body cleansing gels.

3. The container according to claim 1 , wherein the second liquid in the reservoir is visible from an exterior of the container.

4. The container according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the vial and the capillary tube is transparent.

5. The container according to claim 4 wherein at least a portion of the dip tube adjacent to the orifice is transparent and is visible from an exterior of the container.

6. The container according to claim 1 wherein the dropper is downwardly oriented towards the orifice or is upwardly oriented with the orifice adjacent to a liquid flow path through the pump mechanism or dip tube.

7. The container according to claim 1 , wherein the dip tube comprises an upper end portion and a lower end portion, wherein the dropper is integral with the upper end portion of the dip tube.

8. The container according to claim 7 , wherein the upper end portion of the dip tube comprises a tubular portion which is fitted at an upper portion to the pump mechanism and at a lower portion to an elongate tubular lower end part of the dip tube.

9. A container comprising a body portion and a neck portion, the neck portion having a pump dispenser thereon, the pump dispenser comprising a pump mechanism, a dip tube on one end of the pump mechanism, a pump outlet on another end of the pump mechanism, the dip tube extending downwardly from the pump mechanism into the body portion, the body portion containing a first liquid, the dip tube having a central bore along which the first liquid is pumped from the body portion when the pump mechanism is actuated, and a reservoir containing a second liquid, the reservoir communicating with the dip tube and adapted to introduce the second liquid into the first liquid within the pump mechanism or dip tube under the action of first liquid flowing through the dip tube, wherein the reservoir is provided in a flexible bulb fitted to the dip tube, and wherein the flexible bulb defines a basin between a flexible outer bulb wall and a central tubular element which is fitted to the dip tube.

10. The container according to claim 9 , wherein an upper edge of the outer bulb wall is fitted to an upper end of the central tubular element and a lower edge of the outer bulb wall is fitted to a lower end of the central tubular element.

11. The container according to claim 10 , wherein the upper end of the central tubular element is fitted to the pump mechanism and the lower end of the central tubular element is fitted to an upper end of an elongate tubular lower end part of the dip tube.

12. The container according to claim 9 , wherein at least one capillary orifice communicates the reservoir with the dip tube, and wherein the at least one capillary orifice is provided in a lower end of the central tubular element which communicates the basin to the central tube of the central tubular element and thereby connects the basin with the dip tube.

13. The container according to claim 1 , wherein the reservoir is a vial and further comprising a straw with a one-way valve which communicates between the reservoir and the dip tube.

14. The container according to claim 13 , wherein the straw extends downwardly into the reservoir and has an upper end adjacent to a liquid flow path through the pump mechanism or dip tube.

15. A method of dispensing of a liquid from a container, the method comprising the steps of:
a. providing a dispensing container including a pump mechanism and a dip tube extending downwardly from the pump mechanism into a first liquid to be dispensed from the container, wherein a reservoir is provided in a dropper coupled directly to the dip tube, wherein the dropper comprises a vial sealed at one end and a capillary tube extending from the other end of the vial, an end of the capillary tube remote from the vial connecting with the dip tube via an orifice, the dropper being downwardly oriented such that the first liquid is gravity fed from the reservoir to the dip tube;
b. operating the pump mechanism to cause the first liquid to flow upwardly through the dip tube and out of an upper end of the pump mechanism; and
c. introducing a second liquid into the first liquid within the pump mechanism or dip tube under the action of first liquid flowing through the dip tube, the second liquid being contained in the reservoir communicating with the dip tube.

16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the second liquid comprises a fragrance oil and wherein the first liquid is selected from liquid hand soaps, hand and body lotions, shampoos and body cleansing gels.

Assignees

• Colgate Palmolive Co

Inventors

• Arvanitidoou Evangelia
• Dillon Rensl
• Frisch Kathleen
• Jimenez Eduardo
• Darcy-Siegel Joann
• Lee David K
• Duncan Kelly Gail
• Kolb Matthew Lee

Classifications

• B05B15/30

  Dip tubes · CPC title

• B05B11/1081 Primary

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

• A47K5/1211 Primary

  using pressure on soap, e.g. with piston (A47K5/1201 takes precedence; using squeeze bottles or the like A47K5/122) · CPC title

• B05B11/1001

  Piston pumps (B05B11/1087, B05B11/1088, B05B11/109 take precedence) · CPC title

• B05B11/3001

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic