EYE DROP DISPENSER WITH LIQUID METERING DEVICE

• US 3,756,478 A
• Filed: 02/03/1971
• Issued: 09/04/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: David L. Podell, Howard I. Podell
• Original Assignee: David L. Podell, Howard I. Podell
• Inventors: Podell, David L., Podell, Howard I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coleman, Samuel F.
• Application Number:
  US05/112,147
• Time in Patent Office: 944 Days
• Field of Search: 222/420,211,215 128/233
• US Class Current: 222/420
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 47/18 for discharging drops; Droppers droppers in general B01L3/00; pipettes connected to container closures B01L3/0282

Abstract

A liquid dispensing device for use in connection with a dispenser of the squeeze-bottle type for dispensing a measured quantity of eye drops and administering the drops directly to the eye through an angled tube enabling the squeeze-bottle to be held in an upright position during application of the drops while the head is held in an essentially normal upright position. A limited amount of liquid is dispensed by virtue of a metering device which includes a delivery tube with an internal passage having a diameter small enough to retain a limited quantity of liquid adjacent the terminal end of the internal passage when the squeeze-bottle is in the upright position, and a vent in the tube adjacent the terminal end for permitting the limited quantity of liquid to enter the internal passage when the squeeze-bottle is inverted.

Claims

1. A liquid metering device in a liquid dispenser of the type including a resilient squeeze-bottle with a closed top and a dispensing conduit passing through the top for dispensing liquid from the interior of the squeeze-bottle when the squeeze-bottle is in an upright position, the metering device enabling only a limited amount of liquid to be dispensed through the dispensing conduit, said metering device comprising:

a delivery tube including a tube portion within the squeezebottle and having a tube wall and an internal passage communicating with the dispensing conduit, said tube portion having an open terminal end;

the terminal end of the tube portion being located above the normal level of the liquid in the squeeze-bottle when the squeeze-bottle is in said upright position; and

a vent for interconnecting the internal passage with the interior of the squeeze-bottle at a location spaced from the terminal end of the tube portion a distance sufficient to enable a limited quantity of liquid to pass into the internal passage at least between the terminal end and the vent upon inverting the squeeze-bottle;

said internal passage including means for retaining the limited amount of liquid within the internal passage upon return of the squeeze-bottle to the upright position.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein the means for retaining the limited amount of liquid within the internal passage comprises a prescribed internal diameter small enough to retain the limited amount of liquid adjacent the terminal end of the tube portion.

3. The invention of claim 2 wherein the vent comprises an aperture in the tube wall spaced from said terminal end of the tube portion for extending between the internal passage and the interior of the squeeze-bottle.

4. The invention of claim 3 wherein the aperture is spaced from said terminal end of the tube portion a distance sufficient to accommodate said limited quantity of liquid within the internal passage entirely between the terminal end of the tube portion and the aperture.

5. The invention of claim 4 wherein said aperture is above the terminal end of the tube portion when the squeeze-bottle is in an upright position.

6. The invention of claim 5 wherein said aperture has a cross-sectional area smaller than the cross-sectional area of the internal passage at the terminal end of the tube portion.

7. The invention of claim 4 wherein said aperture is spaced from the terminal end of the tube portion a distance less than that which ordinarily would be sufficient to accommodate said limited quantity of liquid within the internal passage entirely between the terminal end of the tube portion and the aperture.

8. The invention of claim 3 wherein said aperture is below the terminal end of the tube portion when the squeeze-bottle is in an upright position.

9. The invention of claim 8 wherein the tube portion is U-shaped.

10. The invention of claim 1 wherein the vent comprises an aperture in the tube wall spaced from said terminal end of the tube portion for extending between the internal passage and the interior of the squeeze-bottle, said aperture being located below the terminal end of the tube portion when the squeeze-bottle is in an upright position.

11. The invention of claim 10 wherein the tube portion is U-shaped.

12. The invention of claim 2 wherein the vent comprises an enlarged portion of the internal passage extending between the terminal end of the tube portion and the prescribed internal diameter of the internal passage, said enlarged portion having a diameter greater than said prescribed internal diameter.

13. The invention of claim 12 wherein the tube portion includes a bell-shaped configuration adjacent said terminal end and said enlarged portion of the internal passage is located within the portion of bell-shaped configuration.

14. The invention of claim 1 wherein the delivery tube includes a first leg oriented in the upright direction for passing through the top of the squeeze-bottle and a second leg angled with respect to the first leg to extend at an angle to the upright direction, and a dispensing outlet in the second leg.

15. The invention of claim 14 wherein the second leg is generally perpendicular to the first leg.

16. A liquid dispenser comprising:

a resilient squeeze-bottle having a closed top and a dispensing conduit passing through the top for dispensing liquid from the interior of the squeeze-bottle;

a delivery tube having an internal passage communicating with the dispensing conduit, said internal passage terminating at an open terminal end located above the normal level of The liquid in the interior of the squeeze-bottle when the squeeze-bottle is in said upright position; and

a vent interconnecting the internal passage with the interior of the squeeze-bottle at a location spaced from the terminal end a distance sufficient to enable a limited quantity of liquid to pass into the internal passage at least between the terminal end and the vent upon inverting the bottle;

said internal passage including means for retaining the limited amount of liquid within the internal passage upon return of the squeeze-bottle to the upright position.

17. The invention of claim 16 wherein the means for retaining the limited amount of liquid within the internal passage comprises a prescribed internal diameter small enough to retain the limited amount of liquid adjacent the terminal end.

18. The invention of claim 17 wherein the vent comprises an aperture extending between the internal passage at a location spaced from said terminal end and the interior of the squeeze-bottle.

19. The invention of claim 17 wherein the dispensing conduit terminates externally of the squeeze-bottle at a dispensing outlet oriented to discharge liquid in a direction transverse to the upright direction when the squeeze-bottle is in an upright position.

20. The invention of claim 19 wherein the delivery tube includes a first leg oriented in the upright direction for passing through the top of the squeeze-bottle and a second leg angled with respect to the first leg to extend at an angle to the upright direction, and a dispensing outlet in the second leg.

21. The invention of claim 20 wherein the second leg is generally perpendicular to the first leg.

22. The invention of claim 20 including a cover removably engaged with the squeeze-bottle and establishing an enclosure at the top of the squeeze-bottle, said delivery tube including an external portion extending externally of the top of the squeeze-bottle and enclosed within said enclosure.

23. A dispenser for dispensing a limited amount of liquid for direct application to the eye, said dispenser comprising:

a resiliently depressible squeeze-bottle including a top and a reservoir for containing said liquid below the top when the container is in an upright position;

a dispensing conduit having a first portion extending upwardly through the top and a second portion including a dispensing outlet for directing dispensed liquid transverse to the upwardly extending portion, said first portion including a terminal end above the surface of the liquid in the reservoir when the squeeze-bottle is in the upright position; and

said dispensing conduit including means at the terminal end of the first portion for enabling only a limited amount of liquid to be dispensed to said outlet upon depression of the squeeze-bottle when the squeeze-bottle is in the upright position.

24. The invention of claim 23 wherein the dispenser includes a delivery tube passing through the top of the squeeze-bottle, said delivery tube having a first leg oriented in the upright direction and a second leg angled with respect to the first leg, said first portion of the dispensing conduit being located in the first leg of the tube and said second portion of the dispensing conduit being located in the second leg of the delivery tube.

25. A dispensing device for dispensing a limited amount of liquid from a resiliently depressible squeeze-bottle for direct application to the eye, the squeeze-bottle including a top and a reservoir for containing the liquid below the top when the container is in an upright position, said dispensing device comprising:

a dispensing conduit having a first portion for extending upwardly through the top of the squeeze-bottle, and a second portion including a dispensing outlet for directing dispensed liquid in a direction transverse to the first portion, said first portion including a terminal end;

means for locating the terminal end of the first portion of the dispensing conduit above the surface of The liquid in the reservoir when the squeeze-bottle is in the upright position; and

said dispensing conduit including means at the terminal end of the first portion for enabling only a limited amount of liquid to be dispensed to said outlet upon depression of the squeeze-bottle when the squeeze-bottle is in the upright position.

26. The invention of claim 25 wherein the dispensing device includes a delivery tube for passing through the top of the squeeze-bottle, said delivery tube having a first leg oriented in the upright direction and a second leg angled with respect to the first leg, said first portion of the dispensing conduit being located in the first leg of the tube and said second portion of the dispensing conduit being located in the second leg of the delivery tube.

27. A liquid metering device for use in a liquid dispenser of the type including a resilient squeeze-bottle to enable only a limited amount of liquid to be dispensed, said metering device comprising:

a delivery tube including a dispensing conduit, a tube portion having a tube wall, and an internal passage communicating with the dispensing conduit, said tube portion having an open terminal end;

means for affixing the delivery tube in the squeeze-bottle so as to enable the terminal end of the tube portion to be located within the squeeze-bottle; and

a vent extending into the internal passage at a location spaced from the terminal end of the tube portion a distance sufficient to enable a limited quantity of liquid to pass into the internal passage at least between the terminal end and the vent;

said internal passage including capillary means located adjacent the open terminal end of the tube portion for retaining the limited amount of liquid within the internal passage for subsequent dispensing.

28. The invention of claim 27 wherein the vent comprises an aperture in the tube wall spaced from said terminal end of the tube portion.

29. The invention of claim 28 wherein the aperture is spaced from said terminal end of the tube portion a distance sufficient to accommodate said limited quantity of liquid within the internal passage entirely between the terminal end of the tube portion and the aperture.

30. The invention of claim 29 wherein said aperture has a cross-sectional area smaller than the cross-sectional area of the internal passage at the terminal end of the tube portion.

31. The invention of claim 29 wherein said aperture is spaced from the terminal end of the tube portion a distance less than that which ordinarily would be sufficient to accommodate said limited quantity of liquid within the internal passage entirely between the terminal end of the tube portion and the aperture.

32. The invention of claim 28 wherein the tube portion is U-shaped.

33. The invention of claim 27 wherein the vent comprises an enlarged portion of the internal passage extending between the terminal end of the tube portion and the prescribed internal diameter of the internal passage, said enlarged portion having a diameter greater than said prescribed internal diameter.

34. The invention of claim 33 wherein the tube portion includes a bell-shaped configuration adjacent said terminal end and said enlarged portion of the internal passage is located within the portion of bell-shaped configuration.

35. The invention of claim 27 wherein the delivery tube includes a first leg, a second leg angled with respect to the first leg, and a dispensing outlet in the second leg.

36. The invention of claim 35 wherein the second leg is generally perpendicular to the first leg.

37. The invention of claim 27 wherein the vent comprises an aperture in the tube wall spaced from the terminal end of the tube portion and the tube portion is U-shaped.