Axially aligned, commonly joined dual dispensers

Details Axially aligned, commonly joined dual dispensers Axially aligned, commonly joined dual dispensers

1999-04-14

2001-08-21

Huson, Gregory L. (Department: 3751)

Coating implements with material supply

Plural exposed tools each with individual supply

C401S017000, C401S018000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06276853

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to liquid dispensers for a plurality of liquids.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Dual liquid dispensers for a plurality of liquids, such as fragrances, are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,803,268 of Levy describes a double ended perfume bottle. However, in Levy '268 the two liquid dispensers are permanently attached, in that a smaller bottle sits entirely within a larger bottle. In addition, the dispensing ends face away from each other at the opposite ends of the barrel, which requires the necessity for two leakproof caps, one at each end of the barrel.
Therefore, in Levy '268, the two dispensers are not closed by a common cap therebetween, and the dispensing ends do not face each other.
In another embodiment for a dual fragrance container of Carolina Herrera known as “212”, two fragrance spray bottles with globed bottoms face inside a common cap, but the dispensing spray nozzles are not axially aligned within the common cap. In fact, the spray nozzles are obliquely placed within the common cap, away from the axis of the cylindrical cap.
Other dual liquid dispensers disclose two dispensers laid in a side by side relationship, wherein the two dispensers are commonly joined along common longitudinally extending edges.
Among such side by side dual dispensers include U.S. Pat. No. 4,133,445 of Mandelbaum for a pill dispenser, U.S. Pat. No. 4,174,035 of Wiegner for a two component container, U.S. Pat. No. 4,196,808 of Pardo for a closure interlock and packaging system, U.S. Pat. No. 4,377,234 of Kaplan for a multiple compartment banding sleeve, U.S. Pat. No. 4,614,267 of Larkin for a dual compartmented container, U.S. Pat. No. 4,690,276 of Sussman for a container for cosmetic sundries, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,158,191 and 5,316,159, both of Douglas et al for dual bottle containers, and Pat. No. Des. 385,184 of Binter for a multiple part container with a common cap.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,856,138 of Markawa discloses like Levy '268 one container inside another, but they have the same dispensing end. However, such placement configuration requires that a portion of each dispenser be flattened to accommodate the side by side placement.
Other prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 4,300,681 of Klygis et al for a cap for holding a plurality of beverage bottles in a side by side relationship, U.S. Pat. No. 4,170,082 of Freedman for joinable square plates having round holes for holding cylindrical containers therefrom and U.S. Pat. No. 5,314,067 of Strock for sleeves for holding beverage bottles in an end to end linearly extending configuration.
However, the prior art does not disclose an easily assembled, axially aligned, commonly joined dual dispenser for a plurality of liquids.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an easily assembled, axially aligned, commonly joined dual dispenser for a plurality of liquids.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a common cap for a plurality of liquid dispensers.
It is yet another object of the present invention to store a pair of dispensing bottles in a linear head-to-head arrangement within a single, common cap.
It is a further object of the present invention to nest a pair of fragrance bottles within a cap having a plurality of colored indicia indicative of each fragrance within each respective fragrance bottle.
It is another object of the present invention to produce a single bottle cap from a plurality of pieces.
It is yet still another object of the present invention to provide a snap joint for a common cap for a plurality of dispensers wherein the joint is friction retentive.
It is another object of the present invention to improve over the disadvantages of the prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In keeping with these objects and others which may become apparent, the present invention includes a system for axially storing a pair of liquid dispenser bottles within a common cap. The bottles may be inserted within respective docking sleeves in a linear head-to-head arrangement. Each docking sleeve includes a pair of hollow nesting portions into which each dispenser bottle is inserted.
The liquid dispensers can dispense liquid from a variety of ways, such as through a roller ball nozzle, a spray nozzle, pump or other pouring arrangement.
While a single bottle cap may be produced for the pair of dispenser bottles, wherein nesting portions are provided at opposite ends of the single bottle cap, in the preferred embodiment, the single bottle cap is actually a pair of separate bottle caps which attach together to form a single bottle cap. Such a configuration is actually simpler to manufacture than manufacturing a single sleeve with two separate nesting portions being inserted therein. In this preferred embodiment the tops of two separate bottle caps are removed, exposing a pair of top edges which mate together to form a single bottle cap with a common, seamed edge.
While the two cap portions can be joined by a threaded means, such as male threaded portion being inserted into a female threaded portion, in the preferred embodiment the fit is a snap fit, since it is not necessary to repeatedly loosen and tighten the two pieces of the bottle cap once it is assembled together.
Therefore the snap fit can include a protecting flanged boss in one bottle cap portion and a female receptacle in the other bottle cap portion. The flanged boss may be a projecting tab or a an annular ring, or other suitable configuration. In addition, the snap fit may be at least one latch member, projecting upwards and insertable within a recess having at least one undercut to receive the latch member therein.
Therefore, when two different types of fragrances are provided in the two dispenser bottles, the common cap between the two dispenser bottles can be made of two separate colors to designate the two types of fragrances in the respective pair of bottle dispensers. In case the perfume or other liquids are indistinguishable from each other, the two dispenser bottles could be color coordinated with their respective colored cap portions, by having a similar color dot or annular ring imprinted upon a portion of the exterior of each dispenser bottle.


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