Toilet – Hair device – Comb
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-18
2002-01-01
Wilson, John J. (Department: 3732)
Toilet
Hair device
Comb
C132S115000, C132S112000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06334449
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates generally to delivery systems and more especially but not exclusively to delivery systems for use in applying hair and/or scalp compositions to the hair and/or scalp in a time-efficient, controlled and mess-free manner.
In a hair colouring treatment, it would be desirable to be able to control flow of a colouring fluid accurately and to be able to target the areas to be coloured by the colouring fluid precisely.
It would also be desirable to be able to minimise mess during application and manipulation, and to be able to achieve an even colour distribution throughout the areas to be coloured by the colouring fluid.
It is believed that these objectives would be more readily achievable if the delivery system was such as to enable the colouring fluid to be delivered at any orientation at any time during the hair colouring treatment.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,209,027 discloses a hair treatment device utilising two materials which need to be mixed just prior to use. One of the materials is held in an inner container which is placed bodily within an outer container holding the other material. To mix the two materials, the inner container is ruptured and then manipulated to discharge the first material into the second material. The outer container can itself then be placed bodily in a squeeze bottle having a flapper valve to control entry of air into the squeeze bottle. This arrangement allows the mixture of the first and second materials in the outer container to be completely emptied. However, this arrangement does not allow the mixture of the first and second materials to be delivered at any orientation while the outer container is being emptied.
JP(UM)-A-7-22951 discloses a bag-in-bottle container, which is capable of all orientation delivery of a hairdressing liquid through a spout or a comb attached to the spout, but the hairdressing liquid is not formed in situ.
According to the present invention, however, a delivery system comprises:
(a) a first container in which a first material is to be held;
(b) a second container in which a second material is to be held, the second container being capable of being put into fluid communication with the first container to enable the second material to be added to the first material to form a flowable composition in the first container; and
(c) user-actuable means for mechanically generating a pressure differential to allow all of the flowable composition which is discharged to be discharged from the first container at any orientation.
It will be appreciated that the present invention enables a two component hair colorant to be mixed in situ and then delivered at any orientation at any time during the hair colouring treatment.
Preferably, the first container is made at least in part of a transparent and/or resiliently deformable plastics material.
The first container may include a reservoir and an orifice in fluid communication with the reservoir, the orifice acting initially as an inlet for the second material and acting subsequently as an outlet for the flowable composition so that, in effect, the second material is added to the first material by decanting.
Preferably, the reservoir comprises an inner collapsible layer distinct from an outer deformable layer of the first container. It would be possible for the inner collapsible layer to peel away progressively from the outer deformable layer by delamination. Preferably, however, the inner collapsible layer comprises a flexible bag.
The orifice may extend through an insert which fits into a neck of the container—the insert may have an annular channel surrounding a tubular member defining the orifice, the annular channel being in air communication with a buffer zone between the inner collapsible layer and the outer deformable layer.
If the tubular member extends beyond the neck of the first container into the reservoir of the first container, the part of the tubular member within the reservoir may be in the form of a support tube which is secured to the insert and is open in cross-section providing an at least partially rigid channel through which the flowable composition can pass while the flexible bag collapses.
To restrain the flexible bag, during the mixing of the first and second materials, preferably by shaking, the support tube may be of sufficient length such that a free end of the support tube remote from the insert is close to but not in contact with a free end of the flexible bag remote from the neck of the first container.
The insert may be an interference fit with the neck of the first container and a removable cap may sealingly close the orifice in the insert until such time as the second container is to be put into fluid communication with the first container.
Preferably, an applicator is secured to the first container, to facilitate the discharge of the flowable composition from the first container, the applicator including a valve member of unitary construction operable to control both entry of air into the first container to a position outside the inner collapsible layer and exit of flowable composition from the first container from a position inside the first collapsible layer.
An outlet part of the valve member may comprise a quadrolobe valve, an inlet part of the valve member may comprise a flapper valve, and the flapper valve may be of annular shape surrounding the quadrolobe valve.
If the applicator is a spout having a single elongate passageway through which the flowable composition is to be dispensed, the quadrolobe valve may be a push fit in the elongate passageway in the spout, and the spout may itself be a direct or indirect (via the insert) push fit in the first container.
Preferably, an applicator of foam or sponge material is also provided, having a resiliently compressible porous structure from which the flowable composition is to be delivered, and may be in the form of a pad at or near one end of a carrier which is a detachable push fit on the spout.
To facilitate the targeting of specific areas, the pad may extend only partly around the circumference of the carrier.
Preferably, an applicator is provided having a plurality of elongate parting members projecting from a support, to which the flowable composition is to be delivered through a housing, and the housing may be locatable over the spout and be detachably securable to the first container.
The housing may have a guide tube which receives a free end of the spout when the housing is located over the spout.
It is possible for the elongate parting members to be flexible filaments, as in a brush-like construction, but it is preferred for each of the elongate parting members to be in the form of a substantially rigid tooth, giving a comb-like construction.
For ease of manufacture, particularly when moulding in a plastics material, the teeth may be arranged in at least one row. The teeth may but need not necessarily have generally triangular outlines of different transverse dimensions when viewed from an end of the at least one row. For ease of subsequent dispersal, the flowable composition may be delivered from the teeth, with a free end of each of the teeth having at least one outlet.
The elongate parting members and the support may be removably detachable from the housing. This allows the provision of a plurality of the supports, from which one is to be selected by a user, the elongate parting members of different supports being of different type. For example, a comb-like support with substantially rigid teeth may be replaced by a brush-like support with flexible filaments.
The elongate parting members and the support may be formed as a unit which is securable to the housing by securing means including a catch. The catch may be resiliently deflectable and engageable with an aperture extending through the housing such that the catch is releasable remotely from the elongate parting members. There may be a further catch operable as a pivot. The resiliently deflectable catch should be releasable by finger pressure—it may, however, be possible for the elongate parting members and the support
Allen Lesley
Burrowes Lee
Oder Reuben
Silber Andrew David
Doan Robyn Kieu
Murphy Stephen T.
Oney, Jr. Jack L.
Paul Andrew A.
The Proctor & Gamble Company
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