U.S. patent number 3,713,464 [Application Number 05/120,494] was granted by the patent office on 1973-01-30 for pressurized dispensing package system.
Invention is credited to Louis V. Nigro.
United States Patent |
3,713,464 |
Nigro |
January 30, 1973 |
PRESSURIZED DISPENSING PACKAGE SYSTEM
Abstract
A pressurized dispensing package system includes two dispensing
packages, each package including a projecting discharge passage
structure. An actuator assembly maintained on one of the discharge
passage structures includes an inner member having a cylindrical
surface and an outer member having a mating inner cylindrical
surface. The outer member also defines a discharge conduit and a
refilling conduit, the refilling conduit extending in a direction
generally parallel to the axis of the discharge passage structure
and including a configured valving surface adapted to mate with a
correspondingly configured complementary surface of the other
package. The outer structure is rotatable on the inner structure
between a dispensing position in which the discharge conduit is
aligned with a transfer passage in the inner structure and a
refilling position in which the refilling conduit is aligned with
the transfer passage.
Inventors: |
Nigro; Louis V. (Saugus,
MA) |
Family
ID: |
22390658 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/120,494 |
Filed: |
March 3, 1971 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
141/20; 141/84;
222/402.16; 141/349 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D
83/425 (20130101); B65D 83/207 (20130101); B65D
83/205 (20130101); B65D 83/7532 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65D
83/14 (20060101); B65D 83/16 (20060101); B65b
003/04 (); B65b 031/00 (); B67c 003/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;222/402.16,182
;141/3,20,348,349,18,84,98,351-354 ;285/130 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Bell, Jr.; Houston S.
Assistant Examiner: Schmidt; Frederick R.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. In combination:
a first pressurized dispensing package having a projecting
discharge passage structure terminating in a discharge port;
a second pressurized dispensing package having a projecting
discharge passage structure terminating in a discharge port;
and
two transfer structures adapted to be connected together for
providing communication between said discharge ports, each said
transfer structure being mounted on the discharge passage structure
of its corresponding package and including a discharge port
coupling portion and means defining a discharge conduit and a
refill conduit with said discharge port coupling portion being
mounted on the discharge passage structure of its corresponding
package, each said transfer structure being movable between a first
position wherein its discharge conduit communicates with the
coupled discharge port of its package and a second position wherein
its refill conduit communicates with the coupled discharge port of
its package,
each said transfer structure further including sealing means for
sealing the one of said conduits not in communication with its
discharge port, and a mating surface for mating engagement with the
cooperating mating surface of the other transfer structure, each
said refill conduit terminating in a refill port and said refill
ports being in sealed alignment when said mating surfaces are in
mating engagement with one another so that material may be
transferred from one package to the other through said discharge
passage structures and said refill conduits.
2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said sealing means include
first and second valving surfaces defined by said transfer
structure, said surfaces being relatively movable in face-to-face
engagement.
3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said valving surfaces are at
least in part cylindrical and said transfer structure is rotatable
relative to said one package between said positions.
4. The combination of claim 1 wherein one of said transfer
structures includes an upstanding wall portion disposed about its
mating surface, said upstanding wall portion defining a recess for
receiving the mating surface of the other transfer structure, and
interlock means on each of said transfer structures for engagement
with one another as said mating surfaces are moved into engagement
for limiting the transfer structures permitted to be coupled
together.
5. The combination of claim 1 wherein each said transfer structure
comprises a sleeve that has a cylindrical wall and said discharge
and refill conduits are circumferentially spaced about said
cylindrical wall, each said discharge conduit extending generally
radially and each said refill conduit extending generally axially
of said cylindrical wall.
6. The combination of claim 2 wherein each said transfer structure
includes a button mounted on said discharge passage structure and
said refill conduit is defined in part by said button.
7. The combination of claim 4 wherein said interlock means
coordinate the positioning of said refill conduit of said transfer
structure on said first package in communication with said refill
conduit of said transfer structure on said second package.
8. In combination with a pressurized dispensing package of the type
including a container, and a projecting discharge passage structure
and terminating in a discharge port at an outwardly-facing
cylindrical surface, that improvement comprising a cylindrical
button member mounted on said discharge passage structure,
a sleeve including an inwardly-facing cylindrical valving surface
rotatably mounted on said button member with said valving surface
of said sleeve in face-to-face engagement with the cylindrical
surface of said button member,
said sleeve including a dispensing conduit extending through the
wall of said sleeve from said sleeve valving surface to a
radially-outwardly facing surface of said sleeve, and a refilling
conduit extending axially of said sleeve from said sleeve valving
surface to an axially-outwardly facing surface of said sleeve, each
of said conduits being arranged for selective alignment with said
port, and latching means for latching said conduits in alignment
with said port.
9. The improvement of claim 8 wherein said refilling conduit is
defined at least in part by a radially-inwardly facing groove in
said sleeve valving surface and a cooperating portion of said
button member.
10. The improvement of claim 8 wherein said sleeve includes an
transverse wall abutting an end surface of said button member and
said refilling conduit extends through said transverse wall.
11. The improvement of claim 10 wherein said sleeve includes an
upwardly-facing recess on the side of said transverse wall opposite
said button member, said transverse wall defining the base of said
recess and said refilling conduit terminating in a port at said
base.
12. The improvement of claim 11 wherein said recess is adapted to
receive the end surface of a cooperating transfer structure and
includes interlock means for engaging a cooperating interlock
surface of structure inserted in said recess.
13. The device of claim 11 including a cover hingedly secured to
the upper portion of said sleeve and arranged for closing said
recess.
14. The device of claim 8 including a support cap mounted on said
container, cooperating portions of said cap and button member
preventing relative rotation of said button member and said cap,
and cooperating portions of said cap and said sleeve including
indicia for indicating the position of said sleeve relative to said
button member.
15. A pressurized dispensing package adapted to be refilled from a
second pressurized dispensing package comprising:
a container adapted to hold material to be dispensed under
pressure,
structure defining a discharge passage for material from said
container,
a valve assembly for controlling the flow of material through said
discharge passage,
and an actuator assembly mounted on said container in communication
with said discharge passage structure, said actuator assembly
including a button member having structure defining a transfer
passage extending through said button with a port at each end, said
button member being mounted on said discharge passage structure
with said one port in communication with said discharge passage
structure,
and transfer structure mounted on said button member, said transfer
structure including means defining a discharge conduit and a refill
conduit separate from said discharge conduit, said refill conduit
having a transfer port, a transverse surface at the outlet end of
said refill conduit, a seal surface surrounding said transfer port,
offset from the surface of said transverse surface and uniquely
configured to provide a surface for cooperation with the
correspondingly configured complementary surface of said second
package,
said transfer structure being movable between a first position
wherein said discharge conduit communicates with said transfer
passage and a second position in which said refill conduit
communicates with said transfer passage, said button structure and
said transfer structure including sealing means for sealing the one
of said discharge and refill conduits not in communication with
said transfer passage from said transfer passage.
16. The combination of claim 4 and further including a cover
hingedly secured to the upper portion of said one transfer
structure and arranged for closing said recess.
Description
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
This invention relates to pressurized dispensing packages and more
particularly to systems that permit the refilling of such
pressurized dispensing packages.
Pressurized containers are used for dispensing a wide variety of
products including insecticides, deodorants, antiperspirants,
shaving preparations, dessert toppings, etc. Conventional
pressurized dispensing packages are filled by the manufacturer and
are discarded by the consumer after those contents have been
dispensed. A relatively large size pressurized dispensing package
reduces the cost to the user but such large containers are
cumbersome and inconvenient and small size pressurized dispensing
packages, while convenient to store and use, are relatively
expensive in terms of material dispensed. It has been proposed that
the use of pressurized dispensing packages of relatively small size
might be extended by arrangements that permit the user to easily
and safely refill one relatively small container refilled from a
larger sized pressurized dispensing package, thus providing the
consumer with greater convenience and reducing his overall cost.
Such a system, in addition to making more economical the use of
small pressurized dispensing packages, would also increase the
flexibility and convenience with which various products packaged in
this manner can be used.
It is a principal object of one aspect of the present invention to
provide a system including at least two pressurized dispensing
packages that may be brought together for refilling of one from the
other and in which at least one of the dispensers is manually
adjustable by the consumer between clearly indicated dispensing and
refilling configurations and prevents accidental discharge when in
neither its dispensing and refilling configuration. Other objects
include providing simple and inexpensive pressurized dispensing
package refilling systems which employ transfer structures which
are rotatably adjustable between the two configurations.
The invention features, in a pressurized dispensing package system
including at least two pressurized dispensing packages, each of
which includes a projecting discharge passage structure, and a
transfer structure for sealingly connecting the passages of the two
packages, that improvement wherein the discharge passage of at
least one of the packages terminates at an outlet port and the
transfer structure defines a discharge conduit and a refilling
conduit mounted on the one package for movement relative to the
outlet port between a first position wherein the discharge conduit
communicates with the port and a second position wherein the
refilling conduit communicates with the port, the conduit not in
communication with the port being sealed therefrom. In preferred
embodiments in which the outlet port of each device is at a
cylindrical, outwardly-facing valving surface, the transfer
structure of each device includes a sleeve member defining an
inwardly-facing cylindrical valving surface mounted a cooperating
button member with the valving surfaces in face-to-face
relationship, the sleeve also defining a radially-extending
discharge passage and an axially-extending refilling passage. In
such preferred embodiments, the refilling passages terminate at
ports in axially-facing surfaces of the respective sleeves, that
are adapted to mate with one another in sealing relation. At least
one sleeve may include a hinged cover overlying the refilling
passage port.
The invention thus provides a convenient, reliable and economical
system enabling the user to refill a small (daughter) pressurized
dispensing package from a larger (mother) dispensing package. The
daughter package may be of a size suitable for carrying in a purse,
for example, and need not be discarded when the material initially
loaded into it has been dispensed. Rather, the daughter container
may be readily refilled from the mother package simply through
moving the actuator components from dispensing position to refill
position and urging the two packages together, thus concurrently
actuating the valve assemblies of both mother and daughter
packages.
Other objects, features and advantages will appear from the
following detailed description of particular embodiments of the
invention, taken together with the attached drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view, partially in section, of
components of a pressurized dispensing package constructed in
accordance with the invention;
FIG. 2 is an elevational view, partially in section, of the
assembly of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3--3 of FIG. 2
illustrating the assembly in its dispensing configuration;
FIG. 4 is a top view of the assembly of FIG. 1 with the cover
open;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a complementary assembly of a
complementary pressurized dispensing package constructed in
accordance with the invention;
FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the assembly of FIG. 1 and the
complementary refilling assembly in juxtaposed, spaced
relation;
FIG. 7 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 3 illustrating the
assembly in its refill configuration; and
FIG. 8 is a plan view, similar to FIG. 4 of a modified embodiment
of the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF PARTICULAR EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in FIGS. 1-4, a
pressurized dispensing package of the user or daughter type
generally designated 10, comprising a cylindrical container 12
having a reduced neck portion 14 at its upper end, the central
opening of which is closed by a valve assembly 15 including a
tubular valve stem 16 extending upwardly from valve cup 18. Stem 16
defines a passage for a discharge of material from container
12.
An actuator assembly including a transfer button 20 is mounted on
stem 16. Button 20 includes an axial socket 22, a mixing chamber
portion 24, and a transfer passage 26 which extends radially from
chamber 24 to the outer surface of button 20. The upper end of stem
16 is received in socket 22. A latch ridge 27 projects outwardly
from surface 30 immediately below and in alignment with the outlet
port 28 of passage 26. At the lower end of button 20 there is
provided a radially extending flange 32 with three
circumferentially spaced radial orientation slots disposed
therein.
A collar structure 38 is mounted on package 10, inwardly facing
annular rib 40 at the base of the skirt wall 42 of collar 38 being
snapped over the rim of valve cup 18. Three depending webs 34
extend downwardly from the top wall 37 of collar 38, and in
assembled relation with button 20 projecting through central
opening 36 in the top wall of collar 38, webs 34 are disposed in
cooperating slots 33 in flange 32 of button 20. In this position,
an indicator, in the form of arrow 39, molded in the surface of top
wall 37, is aligned with outlet port 28 of transfer passage 26.
Cylindrical sleeve 44 has a radially extending flange at its base
and defines a socket which receives the upper end of button 20,
with the top of button 20 abutting intermediate transverse wall 50
of sleeve 44. Formed in sleeve 44 is a dispensing passage structure
52 which includes a discharge orifice 53 and a coaxial
frusto-conical nozzle surface 54, extending radially through the
cylindrical wall 56 of the sleeve below transverse wall 50 in
position for alignment with transfer passage 26. On the interior
surface of the socket in sleeve 44 is a recess 55 which receives
ridge 27. A refill passage 58 extends axially from socket in sleeve
44 through transverse wall 50. The lower end of refill passage 58
is a channel in the inner wall of the socket and extends to a point
opposite orifice 53 of the dispensing passage structure. Groove 59
cooperates with the outer surface 30 of button 20 to define a lower
portion of the refill passage.
The portion of sleeve 44 above wall 50 defines a cylindrical recess
48, the top of which is closed by a hinged cover 47. A vertical
keyway 49, extending parallel to the axis of sleeve 44, is provided
in the inner cylindrical wall of recess 48, as shown in FIG. 4.
Passage 60 opens into a port 62 which is located below the upper
surface of wall 50. Surrounding port 62 is a radially extending
annular land surface 64 and surrounding land surface 64 is a
frusto-conical guide surface 66.
Indicating markings D (for dispensing) and R (for refilling) are
provided on top of flange 46 in radial alignment with dispensing
passage 52 and refilling passage 58, respectively.
For normal dispensing operation, sleeve 44 is positioned so that
the letter D is aligned with the arrow 39. In that position,
dispensing port 52 is in line with transfer passage 26. On
depression of the sleeve and button assembly, valve stem 16 is
moved axially to open the valve and contents of container 12 are
dispensed through stem 16, chamber 24, passage 26 and orifice 53 in
conventional manner.
When the contents of container 12 have been dispensed, the daughter
package may be refilled from a larger mother package having a
cooperating actuator assembly as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. The mother
package is generally designated 10' and includes a transfer button
structure 20' mounted on stem 16', as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. The
mother container is substantially larger than the daughter
container, a typical container having a height of about eight
inches and a diameter of about 2 1/2 inches, in contrast with a
daughter container which may have a height of 2 inches and a
diameter of one inch, for example. The mother actuator assembly
includes a collar 38' and a control sleeve 44'. The sleeve 44' of
package 10' differs from the sleeve 44 of daughter package 10,
principally in the configuration structure above the transverse
wall 50'. It includes a similar dispensing passage structure 52'
and a similar refill passage structure 58'. However, the surface
above transverse wall 50 is open and an annular ridge surrounds
port 62' of the refill passage 58'. The protruding portion includes
a flat surface 64' and a frustoconical surface 66' of similar
dimensions to corresponding surfaces 64 and 66 of the daughter
package. Also, a key 49' projects from the outer cylindrical wall
of the sleeve 44'. In this embodiment key 49' extends substantially
the entire height of sleeve 44' and is in radial alignment with
opening 62'. The outside diameter of sleeve 44' is slightly less
than the inner diameter of recess 48 of sleeve 44 so that the upper
surface or outer surfaces of walls 50 and 50' may be brought
together in juxtaposed relation in a close slip fit with surfaces
64 and 66 engaging corresponding surfaces 64' and 66' in sealing
relation.
For refilling, sleeve 44 is rotated 180.degree. relative to button
20 respectively until ridge 27 snaps into groove 59. In this
position, transfer passage 26 is in communication with groove 59
and dispensing orifice structure 52 is located 180.degree. away
from the outlet of passage 26 and thus sealed therefrom by the
abutting cylindrical surfaces of sleeve 44 and button 20, as shown
in FIG. 7. Sleeve 44' of the mother container is similarly rotated.
When both sleeves have been so positioned and cover 47 opened, the
daughter container is inverted and sleeve 44' is inserted into
recess 48 at the top of sleeve 44 with key 49' in keyway 49. The
recess surfaces 64 and 66 engage corresponding surfaces 64' and
66'. As the daughter container is pushed down on the mother
container 10', the mating surfaces provide a seal of the two
dispensing refill passages 58, 58'. As the containers are pressed
further together, the two valves are opened permitting flow from
mother container 10' into daughter container 10 along the path
through stem 16', chamber 24', transfer passage 26', refill passage
58', refill passage 58, transfer passage 26, chamber 24, and stem
16 to the interior of daughter container package 10 in a material
transfer operation. The two containers then may be separated and
each sleeve rotated 180.degree. to the dispensing position where
the respective ridges 27, 27' latch, and cover 47 is closed.
Other embodiments of the invention will be obvious to those skilled
in the art. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, two or more keys or
keyways 49" may be provided in the wall of recess 48 and the
configuration of sealing surfaces 64 and 66 may be changed, both in
shape and in orientation with respect to the keyway or keyways.
Also color coding may be employed. Thus ready discrimination
between different products as afforded so that the user may easily
and safely refill a relatively small daughter package from a larger
mother package. As still other embodiments will be apparent to
those skilled in the art, it is not intended that the invention be
limited to the disclosed embodiments or to details thereof and
departures may be made therefrom within the spirit and scope of the
invention as defined in the claims.
* * * * *