Dispensing – With discharge assistant – With material supply container and discharge assistant with...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-05
2001-06-26
Derakshani, Philippe (Department: 3754)
Dispensing
With discharge assistant
With material supply container and discharge assistant with...
C222S382000, C222S383100, C222S464200, C015S104930
Reexamination Certificate
active
06250511
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention generally relates to spray bottle systems for dispensing cleaning, sanitizing or disinfectant fluids, and more particularly, to a recharge insert for use with such systems.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
Due to regulations curtailing the use of aerosol dispensers for chemical reagents that discharge foaming or pressurized gases or hydrocarbons into the atmosphere, the use of spray bottles that are manually pumped has become widespread. The typical spray bottle dispenser consists of a plastic container holding fluid with chemical reagent dissolved therein, which is sealed by a threaded cap mounting a sprayhead from which a downtube projects and extends downwardly into the body of the container. When the user operates a trigger on the sprayhead, the contents of the downtube are pumped up into the sprayhead and sprayed out from a directional orifice or nozzle.
Many vendors sell separately bottles of fluid for refilling the spray dispenser bottle, or for transferring the sprayhead thereto when the contents of the first-purchased dispenser bottle are used up, so that the sprayhead and bottle can be reused. Often, the refill bottles contain a large volume of fluid so that the original dispenser bottle can be refilled several times before another refill bottle needs to be purchased.
This widely used type of spray dispenser system has several problems which the present invention seeks to improve. One problem is that the refill bottles take up a lot of volume which incurs additional shipping costs, storage costs, and demand for shelf space. Another problem is that a refill bottle must be sold for the specific types of fluid it is intended to refill. Thus, if a vendor sells different formulations of the same cleaner (ordinary cleaning, high strength) or different types of cleaners under the same product name (lemon-scented, disinfecting, kitchen/bath tile cleaner), then a refill bottle must be sold for each grade and type of fluid.
A further problem is that pouring fluid from the refill bottle can incur spills or require potentially hazardous handling of caustic or toxic fluids. On the other hand, if the fluids must be made in very dilute concentrations for public safety in handling, then the cleaning ability or effectiveness of the product may be compromised. The refill bottles themselves are discarded after use, thus adding to plastic pollution and landfill waste.
There have been various proposals for providing a rechargeable insert holding chemical in concentrated form which can be used with a spray dispenser system. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,655,096, 3,966,089, 4,088,246, and 5,421,483 show a capsule or cartridge holding concentrated material which is secured in the neck of the bottle and released by threading the sealing cap or a ringnut against it to puncture its bottom walls against a sharp element or to squeeze the concentrate out. These types of puncturable or burst able cartridge systems are costly to fabricate, complicated to operate, and potentially hazardous if a problem occurs and the user must open the container and reposition or remove a failed cartridge.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,529,216 shows another rechargeable spray dispenser system in which an elongated insert having one or more concentrate-containing compartments is inserted in the bottle, and a sharp end of the downtube is used to puncture through upper and/or lower sealing membranes in order to release the concentrate into the diluent fluid (water) filled into the bottle. However, this type of recharge insert must be purchased with a sharp downtube, and cannot be used with an existing or currently marketed spray dispenser bottle that has a blunt downtube. Moreover, the sealing walls must be punctured by the user manipulating the downtube while the container is open, thereby presenting a risk that concentrate will be ejected under the pressure applied to the sealing walls back at the user.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
In the present invention, a recharge insert, for use with a spray dispenser device having a container body, a sprayhead mounted with a sealing cap, and an elongated downtube which is inserted into the container body during use, is comprised of a matrix material impregnated with a non-aqueous chemical composition that is dry-to-the-touch and becomes dissolved in solution with a diluent fluid such as water. The recharge insert is formed in an elongated cylindrical shape with a center opening for mounting on the downtube. The matrix material has an outer surface which is porous to fluid filled into the container body so that the fluid can penetrate into the matrix material and dissolve the chemical composition impregnated therein.
In a preferred embodiment, the matrix material is a synthetic, binder-free, nonwoven substrate that is formed as a sleeve or tube with an opening along its center axis for inserting the downtube there through. Alternatively, the insert sleeve or tube can be formed with a side slit to open and wrap it around the downtube. The matrix substrate can be made of synthetic fibers that are bonded together without a chemical binder, such as by heat bonding, ultrasonic bonding, stitching, or mechanical or hydraulic entanglement, or an open-celled foam material. The cleaning, sanitizing or disinfectant chemical composition is impregnated in the matrix by coating or spraying the matrix material with a non aqueous treatment solution. The matrix material has a desired porosity to allow fluid to penetrate through the material and dissolve the chemical composition impregnated therein.
When the spray bottle is filled with water, sealed, and shaken, the chemical composition becomes dissolved in solution, thereby creating a cleaning, sanitizing or disinfectant solution that will remain stable and fully active. Other embodiments have various means for holding the insert in its retaining position clear of the intake end of the tube, so as not to block the flow of fluid therein.
Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be explained in the following detailed description of the invention having reference to the appended drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4418846 (1983-12-01), Pong et al.
patent: 4530450 (1985-07-01), Nandagirl
patent: 5091102 (1992-02-01), Sheridan
patent: 5529216 (1996-06-01), Klima et al.
Derakshani Philippe
Sommer Evelyn M.
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