Packaging and docking system for non-contact chemical dispensing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11401084-B2
Application number	US-202016782559-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 5, 2020
Priority date	Feb 5, 2019
Publication date	Aug 2, 2022
Grant date	Aug 2, 2022

Abstract

A chemical dispensing system can include a docking stating that receives a reservoir containing chemical to be dispensed. The reservoir may have one or more retention tabs which are movable from a first position in which each tab extends radially across at least a portion of the bore to a second position in which each tab is offset relative to the bore. A user can engage the reservoir with the docking station, causing the one or more retention tabs on the reservoir to engage with one or more corresponding retention tab receiving regions. This can cause each retention tab to move from the first position to the second position, thereby dispensing chemical from the bore through a discharge aperture of the docking station. In this way, the contents of the reservoir may be dispensed without the user coming into physical content with the chemical in the reservoir.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A chemical dispensing system comprising:
a reservoir defining a bore configured to contain a chemical, the reservoir having a bottom end through which the chemical is dispensed,
at least one retention tab adjacent the bottom end of the reservoir, the at least one retention tab being movable from a first position in which the tab extends radially across at least a portion of the bore to a second position in which the tab is offset relative to the bore; and
a docking station having a discharge aperture and at least one retention tab receiving region,
wherein the docking station is configured to receive the reservoir with the at least one retention tab engaging the at least one retention tab receiving region, thereby causing the at least one retention tab to move from the first position to the second position and dispense the chemical from the bore through the discharge aperture of the docking station, and
wherein the at least one retention tab receiving region of the docking station comprises an annular cavity bounded by an inner sidewall and an outer sidewall, the inner sidewall being configured to push against the at least one retention tab as the reservoir is inserted in the docketing station and cause the tab to move from the first position to the second position.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the reservoir has a top end and at least one sidewall connecting the top end to the bottom end, and
the second position to which the at least one retention tab is configured to move comprises the tab extending parallel to the at least one sidewall.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the discharge aperture is defined by the inner sidewall, and the reservoir defines a vertically elongated body having a cross-sectional size substantially equal to a cross-sectional size of the discharge aperture.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the reservoir comprises external threading adjacent the bottom end, the docketing station comprises complementary threading for screwably receiving the external threading of the reservoir, and the annular cavity is positioned below the complementary threading.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein reservoir defines a retention tab receiving space adjacent the bottom end sized greater than or equal to a thickness of the retention tab, such that the at least one retention tab can fold into the retention tab receiving space when moved to the second position.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one retention tab is attached to the reservoir via a hinge and is configured to rotate about the hinge upwardly into the bore as it moves from the first position to the second position.

7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a retention tab assembly carrying the at least one retention tab, wherein the retention tab assembly is secured to a bottom edge of the reservoir.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one retention tab comprises a plurality of retention tabs arrayed about a perimeter of the bore.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the reservoir further comprises a rupturable film enclosing the bottom end.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the reservoir contains the chemical, and the chemical is one of a solid bock, solid pucks, and solid granules.

11. A chemical dispensing reservoir comprising:
a reservoir defining a bore configured to contain a chemical, the reservoir having a bottom end through which the chemical is dispensed, and
at least one retention tab adjacent the bottom end of the reservoir, the at least one retention tab being movable from a first position in which the tab extends radially across at least a portion of the bore to a second position in which the tab is offset relative to the bore,
wherein the at least one retention tab comprises a plurality of retention tabs arrayed about a perimeter of the bore and the reservoir further comprises external threading adjacent the bottom end.

12. The reservoir of claim 11 , wherein:
the reservoir has a top end and at least one sidewall connecting the top end to the bottom end, and
the second position to which the at least one retention tab is configured to move comprises the tab extending parallel to the at least one sidewall.

13. The reservoir of claim 11 , wherein reservoir defines a retention tab receiving space adjacent the bottom end sized greater than or equal to a thickness of the retention tab, such that the at least one retention tab can fold into the retention tab receiving space when moved to the second position.

14. The reservoir of claim 11 , wherein the at least one retention tab is attached to the reservoir via a hinge and is configured to rotate about the hinge upwardly into the bore as it moves from the first position to the second position.

15. The reservoir of claim 11 , further comprising a retention ring carrying the at least one retention tab, wherein the retention ring is secured to a bottom edge of the reservoir.

16. A method of dispensing chemical comprising:
inserting a reservoir having a bore containing chemical that is held in the bore by at least one retention tab extending radially across at least a portion of the bore into a docking station, the docking station having at least one retention tab receiving region, and
engaging the at least one retention tab with the at least one retention tab receiving region, thereby causing the at least one retention tab to move to a position that is offset relative to the bore, causing chemical to dispense from the bore through a discharge aperture of the docking station,
wherein the at least one retention tab is attached to the reservoir via a hinge, and engaging the at least one retention tab with the at least one retention tab receiving region comprises rotating the at least one retention tab up into the bore.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein:
inserting the reservoir into the docking station comprises screwing the reservoir into the docketing station, and
engaging the at least one retention tab with the at least one retention tab receiving region comprises engaging an annular cavity bounded by an inner sidewall and an outer sidewall and located below a threaded section of the docking station, causing the inner sidewall to push against the at least one retention tab as the reservoir is inserted in the docketing station.

18. A chemical dispensing reservoir comprising:
a reservoir defining a bore configured to contain a chemical, the reservoir having a bottom end through which the chemical is dispensed, and
at least one retention tab adjacent the bottom end of the reservoir, the at least one retention tab being movable from a first position in which the tab extends radially across at least a portion of the bore to a second position in which the tab is offset relative to the bore,
wherein reservoir defines a retention tab receiving space adjacent the bottom end sized greater than or equal to a thickness of the retention tab, such that the at least one retention tab can fold into the retention tab receiving space when moved to the second position.

19. The reservoir of claim 18 , wherein:
the reservoir has a top end and at least one sidewall connecting the top end to the bottom end, and
the second position to which the at least one retention tab is configured to move comprises the tab extending parallel to the at least one sidewall.

20. The reservoir of claim 18 , wherein the at least one retention tab is attached to the reservoir via a hinge and is configured to rotate about the hinge upwardly into the bor

Assignees

• Ecolab Usa Inc

Inventors

• Lee Amy Louise
• Dobizl Kenneth Thomas

Classifications

• B65D47/36

  Closures with frangible parts adapted to be pierced, torn or removed, to provide discharge openings (caps with pierceable membranes B65D41/20, B65D41/50; arrangements of closures with protective outer cap-like covers or of two or more co-operating closures B65D51/18) · CPC title

• B67D7/0288 Primary

  Container connection means (for dispensing beverages on draught B67D1/0829) · CPC title

• D06F39/02

  Devices for adding soap or other washing agents · CPC title

• B65D83/04

  for dispensing annular, disc-shaped, spherical or like small articles, e.g. tablets or pills · CPC title

• B65D47/103 Primary

  Membranes with a tearing element · CPC title