Single finger dispensing article

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10919688-B2
Application number	US-201716343053-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 16, 2017
Priority date	Oct 20, 2016
Publication date	Feb 16, 2021
Grant date	Feb 16, 2021

Abstract

An article includes a can with a valve stem and a dispensing device attached to the valve stem where the dispensing device includes a hollow base, a hollow tube attached to the hollow base the hollow tube having one or more than one hole proximate to its exit end, a sleeve with a finger pad that slides over the hollow tube and an elastic connector attaching the sleeve to at least one of the hollow base and hollow tube, and a sealing gasket residing between the hollow tube and sleeve, wherein the dispensing device can reversibly move between a closed position where the sleeve seals the one or more than one hole in the hollow tube and an open position where the one or more than one hole in the hollow tube is unsealed by the sleeve and the elastic connector provides a restoring force to the sleeve when in the open position that directs the sleeve to a closed position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An article comprising a can ( 10 ) having opposing top ( 12 ) and bottom ( 14 ) ends with a valve stem ( 20 ) extending out from the top end and a dispensing device ( 100 ) attached to the valve stem, wherein the dispensing device comprises:
a. a hollow base ( 30 ) with opposing entrance ( 32 ) and exit ( 34 ) ends and defining a hollow base flow channel ( 36 ) extending all the way through the hollow base including through the entrance and exit ends with the entrance end removably attached to the valve stem of the can so as to provide fluid communication from the valve stem into the hollow base flow channel of the hollow base;
b. a hollow tube ( 40 ) with opposing entrance ( 42 ) and exit ( 44 ) ends and defining a hollow tube flow channel ( 46 ) extending all the way through the hollow tube including through the entrance end and through one or more than one hole ( 48 ) proximate to the exit end, wherein the hollow tube is affixed to the hollow base so that the entrance end of the hollow tube is proximate to the exit end of the hollow base so as to establish fluid communication between the hollow base flow channel and hollow tube flow channel and so the two flow channels become continuous;
c. a sleeve ( 50 ) with opposing lower ( 52 ) and dispensing ( 54 ) ends and a finger pad ( 58 ) proximate to the lower end, wherein the sleeve extends over and is able to slide over at least a portion of the hollow tube such that the dispensing end of the sleeve is proximate to the exit end of the hollow tube and wherein the sleeve defines a dispensing hole ( 56 ) proximate to the dispensing end;
d. an elastic connector ( 60 ) that attaches the sleeve to at least one of the hollow base and hollow tube proximate to the lower end of the sleeve such that when the sleeve slides along the hollow tube away from the hollow base the elastic connector provides a restoring force to slide the sleeve along the hollow tube back towards the hollow base; and
e. a sealing gasket ( 70 ) around the outside of the hollow tube between the hollow tube and sleeve and located between hole or holes ( 48 ), which are proximate to the exit end of the hollow tube, and the entrance end of the hollow tube;
wherein the dispensing device can reversibly move between an open position and a closed position by sliding the sleeve along the hollow tube, the closed position being characterized by the sleeve sealing the one or more than one hole in the hollow tube proximate to the exit end of the hollow tube and the open position being achieved by sliding the sleeve from the closed position along the hollow tube away from the hollow base so as to unseal the one or more than one hole through the hollow tube allowing fluid flow from the hollow tube flow channel out from the sleeve proximate to the dispensing end; and
wherein a single action of pressing a finger against the finger pad is able to slide the sleeve to an open position and to tilt the valve stem to dispense pressurized contents of the can through the hollow tube and wherein subsequent single finger action of releasing pressure on the finger pad results in both return of the valve stem to a closed position for the can and return of the sleeve to a closed position;
wherein the hollow tube has a tapered hollow tube section that narrows in outside diameter proximate to the exit end and has defined through the tapered hollow tube section a hole and wherein the sleeve has a tapered sleeve section that narrows in inside diameter proximate to the dispensing end and wherein the hollow tube tapered section and tapered sleeve section fit together when the dispensing device is in a closed position such that the sleeve seals the hole in the tapered hollow tube section thereby preventing fluid flow through the hole, and when the dispensing device is in an open position the sleeve is displaced from the hole in the tapered hollow tube section thereby allowing fluid flow through the hole.

2. The article of claim 1 , wherein the hollow tube comprises multiple pieces attached together.

3. The article of claim 2 , wherein the hollow tube comprises a first section that is attached to a tip section wherein the first section includes the entrance end of the hollow tube and the tip section includes the exit end of the hollow tube and the one or more than one hole proximate to the exit end of the hollow tube.

4. The article of claim 1 , wherein the hollow base and at least a portion of the hollow tube are a single piece.

5. The article of claim 1 , wherein the elastic connector is selected from one or more than one element selected from a group consisting of one or more than one elastomeric polymer band, a coiled band, and a spring.

6. The article of claim 1 , wherein the hollow tube extends co-linearly with respect to a valve stem of a can when attached to the valve stem and when in a closed position.

Assignees

• Ddp Specialty Electronic Materials Us Llc

Inventors

• Schroer Daniel R
• Black Marc S
• Schuette Chad V
• Siler Christopher J

Classifications

• B65D83/46

  Tilt valves (non-reclosable valves B65D83/50) · CPC title

• B65D83/303 Primary

  using extension tubes located in or at the nozzle outlets · CPC title