Dispensing – With casing or support – Body carried and/or operated type
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-30
2001-09-04
Kaufman, Joseph A. (Department: 3754)
Dispensing
With casing or support
Body carried and/or operated type
C222S181100, C222S212000, C222S494000, C224S148700
Reexamination Certificate
active
06283334
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to dispensers which contain and dispense a predetermined viscous liquid. More particularly, the invention relates to an improved dispenser which is adapted for wear on the body of an individual user.
Many professions and occupations require the use of hand cleaners or other skin care products on a frequent basis. For example, health care providers such as nurses must sanitize their hands after each patient. Often, the nurse must return to the nurses' station to perform this hand sanitizing, which can cause additional time pressure in an already busy schedule.
Similarly, the hands of an employee working in a printing, manufacturing or other such industry can become soiled at the work station. Frequent trips to the washroom for the purpose of hand cleaning are inefficient and unproductive. In other situations, such as in the case of a utility or similar outside worker, there may be no washroom facility available if the worker's hands become soiled.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention recognizes and addresses the foregoing disadvantages, and others, of the prior art. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel product dispenser that is wearable by a worker.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a wearable product dispenser that allows viscous liquid to be dispensed without removing the dispenser from a user's body.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a wearable product dispenser that includes a removable mounting element for facilitating substitution of one product container for another.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a wearable dispenser system in which multiple types of product dispensers can be used with a common mounting element.
Some of these objects are achieved by a viscous liquid dispenser comprising a product container having therein a quantity of a predetermined viscous liquid. A container opening is located at one end of the product container. The product container further includes a flexible sidewall, depression of which causes the viscous liquid to be forced through the container opening. A mounting element is located on the product container, and is oriented such that the product container will be inverted when worn on a user's body.
In many embodiments, the mounting element will comprise a mounting clip suitable for wear on the body. Such a mounting clip may be configured as a separate element having a base portion fixedly attached to the product container. Alternatively, the clip may be made integral with the product container in certain embodiments.
Where the mounting clip is a separate element, the product container may advantageously define a configured recess into which the base portion of the mounting clip is received. In some cases, the mounting clip may include a clip portion pivotally connected to the base portion. Alternatively, the mounting clip may comprise a clip portion integrally extending from the base portion.
In some exemplary embodiments, the mounting clip may be removably attached to the product container using any one of various interlocking arrangements. For example, an interlocking head-in-slot arrangement can be provided for this purpose. Such an arrangement can include at least one dovetail head received in a corresponding mortise slot. Alternatively, the mounting clip may be removably attached to the product container using an interlocking tongue-in-groove arrangement.
Other objects of the present invention are achieved by a wearable dispenser comprising a mounting clip having a base portion and a clip portion. The dispenser includes a product container having a product to be dispensed located therein. An interlocking arrangement is also provided, having first and second interlocking portions on the base portion of the mounting clip and on the product container, respectively. As a result, the mounting clip can be removably attached to the product container.
In some presently preferred embodiments, the product container contains a predetermined viscous liquid and is removably attached to the mounting clip in an inverted orientation. Depending on the desired usage, the viscous liquid may be selected from a group consisting of soap, waterless hand cleaner, waterless hand sanitizer or skin lotion. In other embodiments, the product container may be removably attached to the mounting clip in an upright orientation. The upright product container may contain a plurality of fabric wipes.
The interlocking arrangement may comprise a head-in-slot arrangement. For example, a first interlocking portion of the head-in-slot arrangement may include a plurality of mortise slots defined in the base portion of the mounting clip. The second interlocking portion may comprise a plurality of dovetail heads received in respective mortise slots. Often, head-slot combinations of the head-in-slot arrangement may be differently sized such that the mounting clip can be attached to the product container in only one orientation.
Additional objects of the present invention are achieved by a wearable dispenser system comprising a first product container having therein a predetermined viscous liquid. A second product container is also provided, having a plurality of fabric wipes therein. The first product container has a first pair of differently-sized attachment heads located thereon, with the second product container having a second pair of differently-sized attachment heads located thereon. The dispenser system includes a wearable mounting element having a base portion defining a pair of differently-sized slots for receipt of respective attachment heads therein. The first pair of differently-sized attachment heads are arranged such that the first product container will be attached to the mounting element in an inverted orientation. The second pair of differently-sized attachment heads are arranged such that the second product container will be attached to the mounting element in an upright orientation.
Still further objects of the present invention are achieved by a product container comprising a container body containing therein a product to be dispensed. The container body, having a flattened cross section, includes a pair of differently-sized attachment heads located on a side surface thereof. Each of the attachment heads is configured as a dovetail head for receipt in a complementary mortise slot.
Other objects, features and aspects of the present invention are achieved by various combinations and subcombinations of the disclosed elements, which are discussed in greater detail below.
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Lewis Richard P.
Mahaffey Cleary E.
Dority & Manning
Kaufman Joseph A.
Kimberly--Clark Worldwide, Inc.
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