Inverting bag co-dispenser

• US 5,699,935 A
• Filed: 01/18/1996
• Issued: 12/23/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Stahley, Robert E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaver, Kevin P.
• Application Number:
  US08/588,488
• Time in Patent Office: 705 Days
• Field of Search: 222/92, 222/94, 222/95, 222/105, 222/107, 222/137, 222/319, 222/320, 222/325, 222/326, 222/327, 222/386.5
• US Class Current: 222/94
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/325 Containers having parallel or coaxial compartments, provided with a piston or a movable bottom for discharging contents

Abstract

An inverting bag co-dispenser for dispensing a plurality of fluids simultaneously but separately through, a spout and, with a predetermined discharge volume ratio for each fluid. An upper portion defining a housing has a spout connected thereto. The housing has an outer wall and a plurality of side-by-side annular members supported internally to the outer wall. A plurality of fluid containing flexible bags are connected to and supported in the upper portion, one each of the bags being located inside one each of the side-by-side annular members and in fluid communication with the spout. The bags have closed bottoms, perimeters slidably fitting inside the annular members, and a bag wall thickness. A bottom portion has a base and an outer wall extending upwardly therefrom. The bottom portion also has a plurality of upright posts connected to the base and located inside the outer wall. The outer wall of the upper portion telescopingly engages the outer wall of the bottom portion such that one each of the plurality of posts is located axially aligned with one each of the plurality of flexible bags suspended from the upper portion. The plurality of posts are sized to cause the flexible bags to invert when the upper portion is pressed downward relative to the bottom portion to dispense fluid from the co-dispenser through the spout.

Claims

1. An inverting bag co-dispenser comprising:

.

a) an upper portion defining a housing and having a spout connected thereto, said housing having a plurality of side-by-side annular members supported therein, and

b) a bottom portion having a base and a plurality of upright posts connected to said base, said upper portion telescopingly engaged with said bottom portion such that one each of said plurality of upright posts is located axially aligned with one each of said plurality of side-by-side annular members, said plurality of upright posts being sized to invert a plurality of flexible bags capable of containing fluid and connected to said upper portion wherein one each of said bags is located inside one each of said plurality of side-by-side annular members in fluid communication with said spout, said plurality of flexible bags being inverted when said upper portion and said bottom portion are pressed together.

2. The inverting bag co-dispenser of claim 1 wherein each of said flexible bags has a bag wall thickness and each of said plurality of upright posts has an outer dimension which is less than an inner dimension of a mating annular member by more than four of said bag wall thicknesses.

3. The inverting bag co-dispenser of claim 1 wherein said plurality of flexible bags are replaceable in said co-dispenser.

4. The inverting bag co-dispenser of claim 3 wherein said plurality of flexible bags are interconnected to form a cartridge.

5. An inverting bag co-dispenser for dispensing a plurality of fluids simultaneously but separately through a spout with a predetermined discharge volume ratio for each fluid, said co-dispenser comprising:

a) an upper portion defining a housing and having a spout connected thereto and said housing having a plurality of side-by-side annular members supported therein;

b) a plurality of fluid-containing flexible bags connected to and suspended within said upper portion, one each of said bags being located inside one each of said plurality of side-by-side annular members and in fluid communication with said spout, each of said plurality of flexible bags having a closed bottom, a perimeter slidably fitting inside an annular member, and a bag wall thickness;

c) a bottom portion having a base and a plurality of upright posts connected to said base, said upper portion telescopingly engaged with said bottom portion such that one each of said plurality of upright posts is located axially aligned with one each of said plurality of flexible bags suspended inside one each of said plurality of side-by-side annular members, said plurality of upright posts being sized to cause said plurality of flexible bags to invert when said upper portion is pressed downward relative to said bottom portion to dispense fluid from said spout of said co-dispenser.

6. The inverting bag co-dispenser of claim 5 wherein each of said plurality of upright posts has a rounded top end and an outer dimension which is less than an inner dimension of a mating annular member by 0.75 mm more than four of said bag wall thickness.

7. The inverting bag co-dispenser of claim 5 wherein said plurality of flexible bags are interconnected to form a cartridge and said plurality of side-by-side annular members are removable such that an empty cartridge of flexible bags is replaceable in said upper portion with a full cartridge of flexible bags.

8. The inverting bag co-dispenser of claim 5 wherein said plurality of side-by-side annular members each have a common inner dimension so that said ratio of fluid dispensing is 1:

1.

9. The inverting bag co-dispenser of claim 5 wherein said plurality of flexible bags comprises a tri-laminated structure of polyethylene, metalized polyester, and polyethylene, having said bag wall thickness of 0.04 mm.

10. An inverting bag co-dispenser for dispensing two toothpaste components simultaneously but separately through a spout with a predetermined discharge volume ratio for each toothpaste component, said co-dispenser comprising:

a) an upper portion defining a housing and having a spout connected thereto, said housing having an outer wall and a pair of side-by-side annular members connected thereto internally to said outer wall;

b) a pair of toothpaste component-containing flexible bags connected to and suspended within said upper portion, one each of said pair of flexible bags being located inside one each of said pair of side-by-side annular members and in fluid communication with said spout, each of said pair of flexible bags having a closed bottom, a perimeter slidably fitting inside an annular member, and a bag wall thickness;

c) a bottom portion having a base, an outer wall extending upwardly therefrom, and a pair of upright posts connected to said base and located inside said outer wall, said outer wall of said upper portion telescopingly engaged with said outer wall of said bottom portion such that one each of said pair of posts is located axially aligned with one each of said pair of flexible bags suspended inside one each of said pair of side-by-side annular members, said pair of upright posts being sized to cause said pair of flexible bags to invert when said upper portion is pressed downward relative to said bottom portion to dispense toothpaste components from said spout of said co-dispenser.

11. The inverting bag co-dispenser of claim 10 wherein each of said pair of upright posts has a rounded end and an outer dimension which is less than an inner dimension of a mating annular member by 0.75 mm more than four of said bag wall thicknesses.

12. The inverting bag co-dispenser of claim 10, wherein said pair of side-by-side annular members each have a common inner dimension so that said ratio of toothpaste component dispensing is 1:

1.

13. The inverting bag co-dispenser of claim 10 wherein said pair of flexible bags comprises a tri-laminated structure of polyethylene, metalized polyester, and polyethylene, having said bag wall thickness of 0.04 mm.

14. The inverting bag co-dispenser of claim 10 wherein said pair of flexible bags are interconnected to form a cartridge and said pair of side-by-side annular members are removable such that an empty cartridge of flexible bags is replaceable in said upper portion with a full cartridge of flexible bags.