Apparatus for use with multiple coupleable accessories

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12569867-B2
Application number	US-202318481317-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 5, 2023
Priority date	Nov 3, 2022
Publication date	Mar 10, 2026
Grant date	Mar 10, 2026

Abstract

An apparatus to which multiple dispensing accessories having different connections can be coupled. The different connections enable a variety of dispensing or spraying mechanisms to be coupled. Also, an apparatus that can be coupled to both a concentrate delivering accessory and to a fluid dispensing accessory. Such an apparatus allows a user to provide a concentrate to a fluid in a container or bottle via a first or concentrate delivering accessory, and then utilize a second accessory, such as a dispensing or spray head, to dispense the mixture of the fluid and concentrate from the bottle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An apparatus for dispensing a fluid, the apparatus comprising:
a body defining a chamber in which a fluid can be placed, the body including a neck portion having a collar with an outer surface, the outer surface of the neck portion including a first coupling mechanism formed thereon and a second coupling mechanism formed thereon, the second coupling mechanism being structurally different than the first coupling mechanism, each of the first coupling mechanism and the second coupling mechanism including one or more projections that extend outwardly from the collar; and a spray head removably coupled to the body, wherein the spray head includes a coupling portion that engages with only one of the first coupling mechanism or the second coupling mechanism on the neck portion of the body to couple the spray head to the body, and one of the first coupling mechanism or the second coupling mechanism includes threads.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first coupling mechanism includes a first quantity of projections and the second coupling mechanism includes a second quantity of projections, the second quantity of projections being different than the first quantity of projections.

3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the first quantity of projections is three and the second quantity of projections is one.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first coupling mechanism includes multiple threads formed on the collar, and the second coupling mechanism includes at least one projection.

5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the at least one projection is spaced apart from the multiple threads.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first coupling mechanism includes a first set of threads and a second set of threads, and the second set of threads is spaced apart from the first set of threads such that the first set of threads and the second set of threads are discontinuous from each other.

7 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the first set of threads is on an opposite side of the collar from the second set of threads.

8 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the first set of threads has a first end and a second end, the second set of threads has a third end and a fourth end, the first end is spaced apart from the fourth end, and the second end is spaced apart from the third end.

9 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein a first gap is formed between the first end of the first set of threads and the fourth end of the second set of threads, a second gap is formed between second end of the first set of threads and the third end of the second set of threads, and the second coupling mechanism is located in one of the first gap or the second gap.

10 . An apparatus for dispensing a fluid, the apparatus comprising:
a body defining a chamber in which a fluid can be placed, the body including a neck portion having a collar with an outer surface, the outer surface of the neck portion including a first coupling mechanism formed thereon and a second coupling mechanism formed thereon, the first coupling mechanism including a first set of threads and a second set of threads, the second set of threads being discontinuous from and spaced apart from the first set of threads, the second coupling mechanism including a plurality of projections; and a spray head removably coupled to the body, wherein the spray head includes a coupling portion that engages with one of the first or second sets of threads or the plurality of projections to couple the spray head to the body so that the spray head can dispense the fluid from the body.

11 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the second coupling mechanism is spaced apart from and located between the first set of threads and the second set of threads.

12 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the first set of threads and the second set of threads are on opposite sides of the collar from each other.

13 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of projections is a first plurality of projections, the second coupling mechanism includes a second plurality of projections separate from the first plurality of projections, and a spray head engaging the first plurality of projections also engages the second plurality of projections.

14 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the first plurality of projections is located between the first set of threads and the second set of threads on a first side of the collar, and the second plurality of projections is located between the first set of threads and the second set of threads on a second side of the collar opposite the first side of the collar.

15 . An apparatus for dispensing a fluid, the apparatus comprising:
a body defining a chamber in which a fluid can be placed, the body including a neck portion having a collar with an outer surface, the outer surface of the neck portion including a first coupling mechanism formed thereon and a second coupling mechanism formed thereon, the second coupling mechanism being structurally different than the first coupling mechanism, the first coupling mechanism includes a first set of threads and a second set of threads, and the second set of threads is spaced apart from the first set of threads such that the first set of threads and the second set of threads are discontinuous from each other; and a spray head removably coupled to the body, wherein the spray head includes a coupling portion that engages with only one of the first coupling mechanism or the second coupling mechanism on the neck portion of the body to couple the spray head to the body, and one of the first coupling mechanism or the second coupling mechanism includes threads.

16 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the first set of threads has a first end and a second end, the second set of threads has a third end and a fourth end, the first end is spaced apart from the fourth end, and the second end is spaced apart from the third end, and wherein a first gap is formed between the first end of the first set of threads and the fourth end of the second set of threads, a second gap is formed between second end of the first set of threads and the third end of the second set of threads, and the second coupling mechanism is located in one of the first gap or the second gap.

17 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein
the neck portion having a set of projections formed thereon, the set of projections being spaced apart from and separate from the first set of threads and the second set of threads.

18 . The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the set of projections is a first set of projections, and the neck portion has a second set of projections formed thereon spaced apart from the second set of threads.

19 . The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein each of the first set of projections and the second set of projections is located between the first set of threads and the second set of threads.

20 . The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the first set of projections is on an opposite side of the neck portion from the second set of projections, and the first set of threads is on an opposite side of the neck portion from the second set of threads.

Assignees

• Clorox Co

Inventors

• Ma Benjamin
• Mcmullen Jacob

Classifications

• B05B11/001

  Snap-on-twist-off type connections · CPC title

• B05B11/0008 Primary

  Sealing or attachment arrangements between sprayer and container (between pump and container B05B11/1043) · CPC title