Sustainable dispensing package having a telescopic actuator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11547198-B2
Application number	US-202117195711-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 9, 2021
Priority date	Mar 19, 2020
Publication date	Jan 10, 2023
Grant date	Jan 10, 2023

Abstract

A dispensing package for a spreadable personal care product and its respective methods for dispensing the product. The dispensing package comprises a reusable dispenser, a replaceable cartridge and optionally a top cap. The reusable dispenser comprises a tubular body and a telescopic actuator. The telescopic actuator comprises a hand wheel, a leading screw, a tubular screw and an elevator. The replaceable cartridge comprises a push plate. The telescopic actuator is able to engage with the push plate of the replaceable cartridge to deliver the personal care product such that a top surface of the elevator telescopes with a bottom surface of the push plate of the replaceable cartridge.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A dispensing package for a spreadable personal care product comprising:
a reusable dispenser, a replaceable cartridge and optionally a top cap;
wherein the reusable dispenser comprises:
a longitudinal axis;
a tubular body having an open top and an open bottom,
wherein the tubular body comprises an upper top portion and a lower bottom portion,
wherein the tubular body has a coupling sleeve disposed inside the lower bottom portion forming a central opening coaxial to the longitudinal axis; and
a telescopic actuator axially oriented within the tubular body and mounted through the open bottom of the tubular body into the coupling sleeve;
wherein the telescopic actuator comprises:

a hand wheel having an inner surface and a perimeter wall, wherein the perimeter wall extends around the lower bottom portion of the tubular body;
a central shaft connected to the hand wheel,
wherein the central shaft extends from the inner surface of the hand wheel into the coupling sleeve along the longitudinal axis;
wherein the central shaft comprises an upper end, wherein the central shaft comprises a leading screw located at the upper end of the central shaft,
wherein the leading screw comprises an upper end, wherein the leading screw comprises first and second opposed outer threads located at or adjacent to the upper end of the leading screw;
a tubular screw having an open top and an open bottom defining a threaded cavity having double start inner threads;
wherein the tubular screw comprises an upper end;
wherein the tubular screw comprises first and second opposed outer threads located at or adjacent to the upper end of the tubular screw; and
an elevator having a closed top and an open bottom defining a threaded cavity having double start inner threads, wherein the closed top of the elevator has a top surface;

wherein the leading screw is permanently and threadedly engaged with the tubular screw by engaging the first and second opposed outer threads of the leading screw with the double start inner threads of the tubular screw;
wherein the double start inner threads of the tubular screw extend from the open top of the tubular screw to a distal position of the open bottom of the tubular screw, preferably until two opposed lower thread stops of the tubular screw; such that the leading screw and the tubular screw do not detach;
wherein the tubular screw is permanently and threadedly engaged with the elevator by engaging the first and second opposed outer threads of the tubular screw with the double start inner threads of the elevator;
wherein the double start inner threads of the elevator extend from the closed top of the elevator to a distal position of the open bottom of the elevator, such that the tubular screw and the elevator do not detach;
wherein the replaceable cartridge comprises: a tubular chamber for holding the personal care product, wherein the tubular chamber includes an open top and an open bottom;
wherein the replaceable cartridge comprises a push plate disposed inside the tubular chamber at or adjacent to the open bottom of the tubular chamber, wherein the push plate comprises a bottom surface;
wherein the replaceable cartridge is slidingly mounted through the open top of the tubular body;
wherein the telescopic actuator is able to engage with the push plate of the replaceable cartridge to deliver the personal care product such that the top surface of the elevator telescopes with the bottom surface of the push plate of the replaceable cartridge; and
whereby when the hand wheel is turned in a predetermined direction, the leading screw rotates and the top surface of the elevator advances upwardly, which advances the push plate upwardly and pushes the personal care product out towards the open top of the tubular body.

2. The dispensing package according to claim 1 , wherein upon rotation of the leading screw by turning the hand wheel in the predetermined direction, the leading screw and the tubular screw rotates together in unison such that the elevator is translated out from the tubular screw.

3. The dispensing package according to claim 1 , wherein the coupling sleeve has an inner surface from which a plurality of vertical ridges protrude and extend from the inner surface of the coupling sleeve along a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis, wherein each region between two neighboring vertical ridges defines a vertical guide groove;
wherein the elevator having an outer surface comprises one or more vertical guides protruding from the outer surface of the elevator and extending along a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis;
wherein each of the one or more vertical guides of the elevator is positioned within a respective vertical groove between two neighboring vertical ridges; and
wherein the elevator is translated out from the tubular screw by being guided by the one or more vertical guides in engagement with the respective vertical guide grooves.

4. The dispensing package according to claim 1 , wherein upon rotation of the leading screw by turning the hand wheel in a further predetermined direction, the leading screw and the elevator rotates together in unison such that the tubular screw is translated out from the leading screw.

5. The dispensing package according to claim 1 , wherein the tubular screw additionally comprise an annular ring protruding from an outer surface of the tubular screw and located at the lower end of the tubular screw, wherein the tubular screw comprises two or more spokes, alternatively four spokes being positioned at right angles from each other, protruding from an outer surface of the annular ring in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis at the lower end of the tubular screw;
whereby when the elevator has been translated out from the tubular screw, each vertical guide rides on the adjacent vertical ridge; and
whereby upon engagement of the spokes of the tubular screw with the vertical guide grooves, upon further rotation of the leading screw, the tubular screw translates out from the leading screw.

6. The dispensing package according to claim 1 , wherein the top edge of each vertical ridge of the coupling sleeve comprises a lower level portion and an upper level portion; wherein the bottom edge of each vertical guide rides onto a top edge of the respective adjacent vertical ridge from the lower level portion to the upper level portion of the top edge of each vertical ridge such that each spoke of the tubular screw engages with an adjacent vertical guide groove before the bottom edge of each vertical guide reaches the upper level portion of the top edge of each vertical ridge.

7. The dispensing package according to claim 1 , wherein the telescopic actuator has a first minimum height (H 1 ) at an initial position,
wherein the replaceable cartridge has a height (Hr) measured in a direction parallel along the longitudinal axis from the top surface of the push plate to the open top of the replaceable cartridge,
wherein the dispensing package includes a compacting ratio between the first minimum height (H 1 ) of the telescopic actuator and the height (Hr) of the replaceable cartridge ranging from about 5:3 to about 2:1.

8. The dispensing package according to claim 7 , wherein the compacting ratio between the first minimum height (H 1 ) of the telescopic actuator and the height (Hr) of the replaceable cartridge ranging from about 5:3 to about 3:1.

9. The dispensing package according to claim 1 , wherein the push plate comprise first, second and third layers, wherein the first layer is positioned towards the open top of the replaceable cartridge, wherein the third layer is positioned towards the open bottom of the replaceable cartridge, wherei

Assignees

• Procter & Gamble

Inventors

• Thulin Nathaniel David
• Cataudella Matthew Corey
• Messenger Mitchell Edwin
• Grubbs Nathan Daniel

Classifications

• A45D40/04 Primary

  effected by a screw · CPC title

• A45D40/16

  Refill sticks; Moulding devices for producing sticks · CPC title

• A45D2034/005

  with a cartridge · CPC title

• A45D40/14 Primary

  Casings with ejector for waste stick or the like · CPC title

• A45D2200/05

  Details of containers · CPC title