Heated dispenser

• US 6,978,912 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2003
• Issued: 12/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Conair LLC (Conair Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Conair Corporation
• Inventors: Carlucci, Vito J., Taylor, Roy Harold
• Primary Examiner(s): Kaufman, Joseph A.
• Application Number:
  US10/633,370
• Publication Number:
  US 20040065683A1
• Time in Patent Office: 879 Days
• Field of Search: 222/146.2, 222/146.3, 222/146.5, 222/402.1, 222/402.13
• US Class Current: 222/146.3
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 27/02 Lathering the body; Producing lather shaving-brushes A46B
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/72 with heating or cooling devices , e.g. heat-exchangers

Abstract

A dispenser is provided that heats and dispenses a gel or lotion prior to the gel turning into lather. The dispenser can be selectively engaged with different sized and/or shaped cans.

Claims

1. An apparatus for heating and dispensing a gel from any one of a plurality of cans having different sized stems, the apparatus comprising:

a housing having a recess therein;

a coupling assembly selectively engageable with each of the plurality of cans for disposing at least a portion of each of the plurality of cans in said recess;

a heater assembly having a heater and a heating chamber in thermal communication with said heater; and

an intake assembly in fluid communication with said heating chamber, wherein said intake assembly is selectively movable to engage with the different sized stems of the plurality of cans for supplying the gel to said heating chamber.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said housing has an upper portion and a lower portion, wherein said recess is formed in said lower portion, and wherein said lower portion is selectively movable with respect to said upper portion.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said upper portion has a substantially elongated shape and sold lower portion has a substantially circular shape.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said coupling assembly has a movable fastener that selectively engages with each of the plurality of cans.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said movable fastener is a circumferential flange disposed about a periphery of said recess.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said heater assembly further comprises a heat sink, and wherein said heating chamber is formed in said heat sink.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said heating chamber is a channel having a non-linear shape.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said heat sink has a first portion, wherein said heater is disposed adjacent to said first portion, and wherein said heating chamber is substantially disposed in said first portion.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an actuator and an exhaust valve, said exhaust valve being in selective fluid communication with said heating chamber, wherein depressing said actuator causes gel disposed in said heating chamber to dispense through said exhaust valve.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said heating chamber has a maximum volume, and wherein actuating said actuator causes a volume of gel substantially equal to said maximum volume to be dispensed through said exhaust valve.