Applicator for Automatically Dispensing Self-Adhesive Products

• US 20110017406A1
• Filed: 03/12/2010
• Published: 01/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SC Johnson & Son Incorporated
• Original Assignee: SC Johnson & Son Incorporated
• Inventors: Demar, David, Charriez, Roland, Zach, Steven A., Klinkhammer, Michael E., Kristiansen, Keith C., Van Dyk, Thomas, Duennes, Mark D., Butler, Jeffrey E. JR., Schultz, Jeffrey A., Anastasiadis, John, Jaichandra, Doraiswami, Kiely, John, Wortley, Russell B., Rice, William J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,814,456 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 156/538
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/0022 moved by a reciprocable plunger
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 17/003 Colloidal solutions, e.g. gels; Thixotropic solutions or pastes
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 17/0056 Lavatory cleansing blocks
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 17/041 Compositions releasably affixed on a substrate or incorporated into a dispensing means
• CPC Class Codes: E03D 2009/024 using a solid substance
• CPC Class Codes: E03D 9/005 Devices adding disinfecting or deodorising agents to the bowl
• CPC Class Codes: E03D 9/022 consisting of solid substances introduced in the bowl or the supply line
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/17 Surface bonding means and/or assemblymeans with work feeding or handling means

Abstract

A device employed by a user for applying a self-adhesive product to a surface may include an outer housing configured for gripping by a single hand of the user, the outer housing having a distal end, and a volume of self-adhesive product disposed within the outer housing. An automatic dispensing mechanism is disposed within the outer housing and operatively coupled to the outer housing and the volume of self-adhesive product, the automatic dispensing mechanism configured to advance at least a portion of the volume of self-adhesive product through the outer housing distal end in response to a manual actuation force applied to the outer housing.

Claims

1. A device employed by a user for applying a self-adhesive product to a surface, the device comprising:

an outer housing configured for gripping by a single hand of the user, the outer housing having a distal end;

a volume of self-adhesive product disposed within the outer housing; and

an automatic dispensing mechanism disposed within the outer housing and operatively coupled to the outer housing and the volume of self-adhesive product, the automatic dispensing mechanism configured to advance at least a portion of the volume of self-adhesive product through the outer housing distal end in response to a manual actuation force applied to the outer housing.

2. The device of claim 1, in which the outer housing defines a longitudinal axis, and in which the manual actuation force includes at least a force component parallel to the outer housing longitudinal axis.

3. The device of claim 1, further comprising an inner housing slidably disposed within the outer housing for holding the volume of self-adhesive product and having a dispensing end positioned distally from the outer housing distal end and defining a discharge orifice through which the self-adhesive product is advanced.

4. The device of claim 3, in which the automatic dispensing mechanism comprises a guide rod extending through the inner housing and having a proximal end coupled to the outer housing, and a plunger disposed in the inner housing and coupled to the guide rod, wherein movement of the outer housing in a distal direction relative to the inner housing advances the plunger through the inner housing to a distal position.

5. The device of claim 4, further including a spring disposed between the outer housing and the inner housing and defining a spring force, the spring configured to hold the outer housing at an initial position relative to the inner housing, wherein the actuation force is greater than the spring force to drive the outer housing to an actuated position relative to the inner housing, thereby moving the plunger to the distal position.

6. The device of claim 5, in which a retention force holds the plunger in the distal position as the outer housing travels from the actuated position to the initial position, the retention force comprising at least one of:

a friction fit between the plunger and an interior surface of the inner housing creating a friction force; and

the self-adhesive product having a viscosity sufficient to create a vacuum force between the plunger and the self-adhesive product.

7. The device of claim 5, further comprising a stop formed at a distal end of the inner housing, wherein the stop is configured to limit distal travel of the outer housing thereby to define the actuated position of the outer housing.

8. The device of claim 4, in which the guide rod includes a plurality of ratchet segments, each ratchet segment having a cam surface and a stop surface, and in which the plunger includes arms biased toward a lock position, in which the arms engage the stop surface, but movable to a deflected position, in which the arms are slidable over the cam surface.

9. The device of claim 4, in which a proximal end of the outer housing includes an aperture sized to releasably engage the guide rod, and in which the guide rod includes a head positioned proximally of the aperture, wherein the aperture is configured to release the guide rod in response to an unloading force applied to the rod head.

10. The device of claim 1, in which the self-adhesive product is a cleaning product.

11. A device employed by a user for applying a self-adhesive product to a surface, the device comprising:

an inner housing including a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end defining a discharge outlet;

an outer housing sized to slidably receive the inner housing proximal end and configured for gripping by a single hand of the user, the outer housing defining a longitudinal axis and having a proximal end and a distal end;

a guide rod having a proximal end coupled to the outer housing proximal end and a distal end extending through the inner housing;

a plunger coupled to the guide rod distal end, wherein movement of the outer housing in a distal direction relative to the inner housing advances the plunger through the inner housing to a distal position;

a volume of self-adhesive product disposed in the inner housing and in contact with the plunger so that at least a portion of the volume of self-adhesive product is advanced through the outer housing distal end in response to a manual actuation force applied to the outer housing.

12. The device of claim 11, in which the outer housing defines a longitudinal axis, and in which the manual actuation force includes at least a force component parallel to the outer housing longitudinal axis.

13. The device of claim 11, further including a spring disposed between the outer housing and the inner housing and defining a spring force, the spring configured to hold the outer housing at an initial position relative to the inner housing, wherein the actuation force is greater than the spring force to drive the outer housing to an actuated position relative to the inner housing, thereby moving the plunger to the distal position.

14. The device of claim 11, in which the guide rod includes a plurality of ratchet segments, each ratchet segment having a cam surface and a stop surface, and in which the plunger includes arms biased toward a lock position, in which the arms engage the stop surface, but movable to a deflected position, in which the arms are slidable over the cam surface.

15. The device of claim 11, in which a proximal end of the outer housing includes an aperture sized to releasably engage the guide rod, and in which the guide rod includes a head positioned proximally of the aperture, wherein the aperture is configured to release the guide rod in response to an unloading force applied to the rod head.

16. The device of claim 11, in which the self-adhesive product is a cleaning product.

17. A device employed by a user for applying a self-adhesive product to a surface, the device comprising:

an inner housing for holding the self-adhesive product;

a linking member coupled to the inner housing; and

an outer housing configured for gripping by a single hand of the user and sized to slidably receive the inner housing, the outer housing further including a coupling releasably engaging a proximal end of the linking member, the coupling being configured to release the proximal end of the linking member in response to a manual unloading force applied by the user;

wherein at least one of the outer housing coupling and the linking member proximal end is positioned for engagement by a thumb of the single hand of the user to apply the unloading force.

18. The device of claim 17, in which the linking member comprises a guide rod.

19. The device of claim 18, in which the coupling comprises an aperture formed in a proximal end of the outer housing sized to releasably engage the guide rod and the guide rod includes a head positioned proximally of the aperture for engagement by the thumb.

20. The device of claim 17, in which the self-adhesive product is a cleaning product.