Drop dispenser which automatically stirs the contents of the dispenser when the cap is removed

• US 4,880,146 A
• Filed: 06/08/1988
• Issued: 11/14/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: J. S. Hudgins
• Original Assignee: J. S. Hudgins
• Inventors: Hudgins, J. S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaver, Kevin P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US07/203,939
• Time in Patent Office: 524 Days
• Field of Search: 222/182, 222/206, 222/207, 222/215, 222/212, 222/228, 222/229, 222/420, 222/421, 222/546, 222/562, 222/192, 366/244, 366/245, 366/247, 366/308, 366/130, 604/295, 604/296, 604/300, 604/212, 604/216, 604/903
• US Class Current: 222/192
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 23/04 Means for mixing or for promoting flow of contents hydro-dynamic means for influencing the flow of liquids F15D
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 47/18 for discharging drops; Droppers droppers in general B01L3/00; pipettes connected to container closures B01L3/0282
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 604/903 Medical container with material agitation means

Abstract

An improved drop dispenser comprised of a container having a threaded cap and a drop nozzle/impeller assembly positioned inside said container. The cap has a receiving orifice which receives and engages the end of drop nozzles so that when the cap is removed by unscrewing, the nozzle/impeller assembly is rotated to stir the contents of the container.

Claims

1. A drop dispenser comprising (i) a container having an externally threaded portion at its open end;

(ii) a nozzle/impeller assembly comprised of a drop nozzle rotatably connected to an impeller mixing means, said impeller mixing means being positioned inside said container and at least a portion of said drop nozzle extending beyond the open end of said container;

(iii) an opening through the drop nozzle providing communication between the inside and outside of said container; and

(iv) a cap having internal threads for threaded engagement with the external threads of said container, means within the cap receiving and engaging the end of said drop nozzle so that when said cap is unscrewed, the nozzle/impeller assembly is rotated and means for rotatably mounting the nozzle/impeller assembly in the container which prevents the axial removal of the assembly from the container when the cap is unscrewed.

2. A drop dispenser according to claim 1 wherein the end of said drop nozzle has an oval cross section and the means within the cap for receiving and engaging the end of said drop nozzle being an oval of internal cross-section permitting receipt of the end of said drop nozzle.

3. A drop dispenser according to claim 1 wherein said impeller mixing means comprises at least one mixing vane.

4. A drop dispenser according to claim 3 wherein said at least one mixing vane is a plurality of vanes attached to a shaft.

5. A drop dispenser according to claim 4 wherein at least one of the vanes contains a plurality of holes.

6. A drop dispenser according to claim 4 wherein the edges of said vanes extend substantially to, but short of, the internal sides of the container.

7. A drop dispenser according to claim 4 wherein the impeller mixing means occupies substantially the length of the container.

8. A drop dispenser according to claim 4 wherein the impeller mixing means is constructed of a thin flexible plastic material.

9. A drop dispenser according to claim 4 wherein the vanes are flat.

10. A drop dispenser according to claim 2 wherein the cap comprises a cap end section and a body section, said body section being provided with said internal threads and said cap end section containing the means receiving and engaging the end of said drop nozzle.

11. A drop dispenser according to claim 10 wherein the container comprises a main body section and a cylindrical neck section at its open end including said external threads.

12. A drop dispenser according to claim 11 wherein the nozzle of said nozzle/impeller assembly comprises a nose portion and a cylindrical rear body portion capable of fitting and rotating within the cylindrical neck section of said container.

13. A drop dispenser according to claim 12 wherein the impeller mixing means is fixed to the rear end of the nose portion of said drop nozzle.

14. A drop dispenser according to claim 11 wherein the cylindrical neck section contains about 2 to 8 external threads per 1/4-1/2 inch.