FLOW-THROUGH DISPENSER WITH HELICAL ACTUATION

• US 20100054844A1
• Filed: 08/28/2008
• Published: 03/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HCT Asia Ltd.
• Original Assignee: HCT Asia Ltd.
• Inventors: Thorpe, Timothy
• Granted Patent: US 8,550,738 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 401/172
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 33/02 with dispensing means, e.g. sprinkling means
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 34/042 using a brush or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 40/06 Casings wherein movement of the lipstick or like solid is a screwing movement

Abstract

A dispenser includes a flow-through gasket and a lower valve having a reservoir for containing a product. The flow-through gasket has at least aperture to provide a product delivery passage when the dispenser is selectively rotatable along a helical guide slot to a raised position. When the dispenser is selectively rotatable along the helical guide slot to a retracted position, the dispenser is in a stored state. In some examples, the flow-through gasket may be made of a material having elastomeric properties.

Claims

1. A cosmetic dispenser comprising:

a lower valve having a reservoir for containing a product, the lower valve having at least one aperture;

a flow-through gasket disposed at a mouth of the lower valve, the flow-through gasket comprising at least one aperture;

an upper valve coupled to the lower valve and to the flow-through gasket, the upper valve having at least one aperture;

the lower valve, the flow-through gasket, and the upper valve being selectively rotatable in a spiral motion between;

i) an upward position for the dispenser to deliver the product, and

ii) a downward position to store the dispenser; and

an applicator coupled to the upper valve for applying the product.

2. The cosmetic dispenser of claim 1, wherein the flow-through gasket comprises:

a substantially disk-shaped body with a top raised center section on a top side and a bottom raised center section on a bottom side;

the at least one aperture being located on the substantially disk-shaped body and being alignable with the at least one aperture of the lower valve and with the at least one aperture of the upper valve to define a delivery passageway for the product;

a first circular ring surrounding the at least one aperture on the bottom side of the substantially disk-shaped body, the first circular ring to couple the flow-through gasket to the lower valve;

a second circular ring surrounding the at least one aperture on the top side of the substantially disk-shaped body, the second circular ring to couple the flow-through gasket to the upper valve; and

an outer perimeter comprising a plurality of flat sides and a plurality of semicircular sides alternating on the substantially disk-shaped body, the plurality of semicircular sides to hold the flow-through gasket in place when actuation occurs.

3. The cosmetic dispenser of claim 1, wherein the flow-through gasket comprises a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) material.

4. The cosmetic dispenser of claim 1, wherein the at least one aperture in the flow-through gasket comprises a substantially circular-shaped, a substantially square-shaped, or a substantially oval-shaped.

5. The cosmetic dispenser of claim 1, wherein the upper valve comprises at least one pipe for product delivery.

6. The cosmetic dispenser of claim 1, wherein the reservoir comprises a refillable bottle, such that the refillable bottle may be removed to refill the bottle with product.

7. The cosmetic dispenser of claim 1, wherein the spiral rotation between the upward and downward positions comprises an actuation of at least about 15 degrees to at most about 300 degrees.

8. The cosmetic dispenser of claim 1, wherein the flow-through gasket moves vertically as selectively rotated in a spiral motion between upward and downward positions.

9. The cosmetic dispenser of claim 1, wherein the flow-through gasket rotates as the lower valve is rotated in a spiral motion between upward and downward positions.

10. The cosmetic dispenser of claim 1, wherein the upper valve and the lower valve being selectively rotatable in a spiral motion to an upward position comprises the applicator being selectively raised to deliver the product.

11. The cosmetic dispenser of claim 1, wherein the upper valve and the lower valve being selectively rotatable to a downward position comprises the applicator being selectively retractable for ease of storage.

12. The cosmetic dispenser of claim 1, further comprising:

a helical guide slot located on a collar of the dispenser; and

an upper guide pin located on the upper valve and a lower guide pin on the lower valve, the upper and lower guide pins being selectively rotatable along the helical guide slot.

13. The cosmetic dispenser of claim 12, wherein a user selectively rotates the collar which selectively moves the upper and lower guide pins along the helical guide slot causing the upper valve, the flow-through gasket, and the lower valve being selectively moveable between:

i) an upward position along the helical guide slot for the dispenser to deliver the product, and

ii) a downward position along the helical guide slot to store the dispenser.

14. A dispenser comprising:

a lower valve having a reservoir for containing a product;

an upper valve coupled to the lower valve, the upper valve and the lower valve being selectively moveable between a raised position and a retracted position;

an applicator coupled to the upper valve for applying the product; and

a flow-through gasket interposed between the lower valve and the upper valve, the flow-through gasket comprising at least one aperture and comprising an elastomer material.

15. The dispenser of claim 14, wherein the raised position defines a use position to deliver product and the retracted position defines a non-use position to store the dispenser.

16. The dispenser of claim 14, wherein in the raised position, the at least one aperture in the upper valve selectively aligns with at least one aperture in the flow-through gasket and with at least one aperture in the lower valve to create a delivery passageway, and in the retracted position, the at least one aperture in the upper valve does not align such that the delivery passageway is closed to prevent product leakage.

17. The dispenser of claim 14, further comprising a spiral motion between the raised and retracted positions.

18. The dispenser of claim 14, further comprising:

a helical guide slot located on a collar of the dispenser;

a L-shaped configuration located on a sleeve covered by the collar; and

an upper guide pin located on the upper valve and a lower guide pin on the lower valve, the upper and lower guide pins being selectively movable along the helical guide slot in a spiral motion; and

wherein the upper guide pin being selectively movable along the helical guide slot and the L-shaped configuration.

19. The cosmetic dispenser of claim 18, wherein a user selectively rotates the collar which selectively moves the upper and the lower guide pins along the helical guide slot causing the upper valve, the flow-through gasket, and the lower valve being selectively moveable between:

an upward position along the helical guide slot for the dispenser to deliver the product, and a downward position along the helical guide slot to store the dispenser.

20. The dispenser of claim 14, wherein in the raised position, the applicator, the upper valve, the flow-through gasket, and the lower valve being selectively raised to deliver product, and in the retracted position, the applicator, the upper valve, the flow-through gasket, and the lower valve being selectively retracted to store the dispenser.

21. The dispenser of claim 14, wherein the flow-through gasket moves vertically as rotated in the upward and downward positions.

22. The dispenser of claim 14, wherein the flow-through gasket comprises:

a substantially disk-shaped body with a top raised center section and a bottom raised center section;

a first circular ring surrounding the at least one aperture on a bottom side of the substantially disk-shaped body; and

a second circular ring surrounding the at least one aperture on a top side of the substantially disk-shaped body.

23. The dispenser of claim 14, wherein an outer perimeter of the flow-through gasket comprises a plurality of flat sides and a plurality of semicircular sides, alternating on the substantially disk-shaped body.

24. A dispenser with a helical guide slot comprising:

a lower valve having a reservoir for containing a product, the lower valve having at least one aperture;

a flow-through gasket disposed at a mouth of the lower valve, the flow-through gasket comprising at least one aperture;

an upper valve coupled to the lower valve and to the flow-through gasket;

the lower valve and the upper valve being selectively rotatable to an upward position along the helical guide slot for the dispenser to deliver the product;

the lower valve and the upper valve being selectively retractable to a downward position along the helical guide slot to store the dispenser; and

an applicator coupled to the upper valve for applying the product.

25. The dispenser of claim 24, further comprising a cam path that slants upward to compress the flow-through gasket at a top when the upper valve and the lower valve being selectively rotatable in a spiral motion to an upward position to raise an applicator.

26. The dispenser of claim 24, further comprising a cam path that slants downward to compress the flow-through gasket at a bottom when the upper valve and the lower valve being selectively rotatable in a spiral motion to a downward position to retract an applicator.