Sealed container puncturer and spray dispensing device

• US 5,503,302 A
• Filed: 01/25/1995
• Issued: 04/02/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Primary Delivery Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Primary Delivery Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: DeJonge, Stuart W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kashnikow, Andres
• Assistant Examiner(s): Derakshani, Philippe
• Application Number:
  US08/377,922
• Time in Patent Office: 433 Days
• Field of Search: 222/82, 222/83, 222/183, 222/153.07, 222/323, 222/324, 222/321.6-321.9, 222/382, 222/182, 222/153.13
• US Class Current: 222/82
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/0027 Means for neutralising the actuation of the sprayer pump locking means B05B11/1059; Means for preventing access to the sprayer actuation means
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/0038 Inner container disposed in an outer shell or outer casing
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/0054 Cartridges, i.e. containers specially designed for easy attachment to or easy removal from the rest of the sprayer attachment arrangements between pump and container B05B11/1043
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/1047 the pump being preassembled as an independent unit before being mounted on the container
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 51/002 Closures to be pierced by an extracting-device for the contents and fixed on the container by separate retaining means
• CPC Class Codes: B67B 7/28 and associated with receptacle hodlers

Abstract

The present invention is a spray dispenser device for receiving, puncturing and spray dispensing liquid from a sealed container. It includes an upper housing having a top, bottom, side walls, top opening, bottom opening and a vertical central axis of rotation. The top opening is for receiving and holding a spray mechanism, e.g. a pump, and the bottom opening is for a dip tube and piercing element. A lower housing is rotatably connected to and below the upper housing. It has a top, a bottom and side walls and has at least one top orifice. It is adapted to receive a container having a puncturable top seal. A container is placed within the bottom of the lower housing; the upper housing and lower housing are rotated relative to one another from a first position wherein the dip tube and piercing element are located away from the bottom of the lower housing, to a second position wherein they are closer to the bottom of the lower housing, the piercing element punctures the puncturable top seal and the dip tube enters the container through the puncture, for subsequent spray dispensing therefrom.

Claims

1. A combination sealed container puncturer and spray dispenser device for receiving, puncturing and spray dispensing liquid from a sealed container, which comprises:

(a) an upper housing having a top, a bottom and side walls and having a top opening and a bottom opening, and having a vertical central axis of rotation, said top opening and said bottom opening being in vertical alignment so as to create a spray mechanism passage through said top opening of said upper housing for receiving a spray mechanism, said bottom opening of said upper housing further having sufficient opening to receive a spray mechanism dip tube and a puncturing means, said sidewalls of said upper housing having threads thereon for attachment to and vertical screwing together with a lower housing;

(b) a lower housing rotatably connected to and below said upper housing, said lower housing having a top, a bottom and sidewalls and having a top orifice, and being adapted to receive a container having a puncturable top seal, said sidewalls having threads thereon which are complementary to and functionally connected to said threads of said upper housing; and

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(c) a spray mechanism located within said top opening of said upper housing extending downwardly therefrom, a dip tube connected to said spray mechanism and extending downwardly therefrom and puncturing means connected to at least one of said upper housing, said spray mechanism and said dip tube;

whereby said upper housing and lower housing are adapted to be rotated relative to one another from first position to a second position, said first position being wherein said dip tube and puncturing means are located at first distances from the bottom of said lower housing, and said second position being wherein said dip tube and puncturing means are located at second distance from the bottom of said lower housing and close thereto than said first distances, such that a user may insert a container with a puncturable top seal, connect said upper housing at said lower housing in said first position, and subsequently, while said device is in its first position, rotate said upper and lower housings relative to one another so as to puncture said top seal of said container and so as to insert the dip tube of said spray mechanism into said container for spray dispensing.

2. The device of claim 1 further including a spray mechanism pull tab collar inserted onto said pump mechanism so as to incapacitate said spray mechanism until it is removed therefrom.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein said upper lower housings include external gripping means.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein said spray mechanism is a pump.

5. The device of claim 1 further including stops located on said threads of said upper housing and said lower housing, said stops being positioned so as to maintain said upper housing and said lower housing and having a predetermined force threshold necessary to be overcome to permit rotation of said upper housing relative to said lower housing from said first position to said second position.

6. The device of claim 2 further including stops located on said threads of said upper housing and said lower housing, said stops being positioned so as to maintain said upper housing and said lower housing and having a predetermined force threshold necessary to be overcome to permit rotation of said upper housing relative to said lower housing from said first position to said second position.

7. The device of claim 3 further including stops located on said threads of said upper housing and said lower housing, said stops being positioned so as to maintain said upper housing and said lower housing and having a predetermined force threshold necessary to be overcome to permit rotation of said upper housing relative to said lower housing from said first position to said second position.

8. The device of claim 4 further including stops located on said threads of said upper housing and said lower housing, said stops being positioned so as to maintain said upper housing and said lower housing and having a predetermined force threshold necessary to be overcome to permit rotation of said upper housing relative to said lower housing from said first position to said second position.

9. The device of claim 1 which further includes locking means located on at least one of said upper housing and said lower housing to prevent movement from said second position to said first position after said upper housing and said lower housing have been rotated relative to one another to move from said first position to said second position.

10. The device of claim 1 which further includes an overcap attached to said upper housing and covering said spray mechanism, said overcap being removably attached to at least one of said upper housing and said lower housing.

11. The device of claim 10 wherein said overcap is attached to said upper housing and is rotatable therewith.

12. The device of claim 11 wherein said spray mechanism includes a removable, tamper-evident pull tab attached thereto such that said spray mechanism is inoperable until said pull tab has been removed,

13. The device of claim 10 wherein said upper and lower housings include external gripping means.

14. The device of claim 10, wherein said spray mechanism is a pump.

15. The device of claim 10 further including stops located on said threads of said upper housing and said lower housing, said stops being positioned so as to maintain said upper housing and said lower housing and having a predetermined force threshold necessary to be overcome to permit rotation of said upper housing relative to said lower housing from said first position to said second position.

16. The device of claim 11 wherein said upper and lower housings include external gripping means.

17. The device of claim 11, wherein said spray mechanism is a pump.

18. The device of claim 11 further including stops located on said threads of said upper housing and said lower housing, said stops being positioned so as to maintain said upper housing and said lower housing and having a predetermined force threshold necessary to be overcome to permit rotation of said upper housing relative to said lower housing from said first position to said second position.