Cosmetic dispenser

• US 7,651,292 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2005
• Issued: 01/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Conopco, Inc. (Unilever PLC)
• Original Assignee: Conopco, Inc. (Unilever PLC)
• Inventors: Tavares da Silva, Reginaldo Alexandre
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, HUYEN D
• Application Number:
  US11/184,489
• Publication Number:
  US 20060018702A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,652 Days
• Field of Search: 401/208, 401/209, 401212-214, 401/216
• US Class Current: 401/214
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 34/041 using a roller, a disc or a ball

Abstract

An improved housing for a roll-on has an inward end, an outward end and a side-wall having an interior surface extending from the inward to the outward ends, the outward end defining an aperture sufficiently narrow to retain the roller and permit a segment of the roller to extend outside the housing, and a spider mounted laterally within the housing on the interior surface of the side-wall at or adjacent to the inward end which spider is resiliently biased towards the roller and has a means for providing localised contact with the roller and providing a parallel spacing between the spider and roller. Especially desirably, the roller is a spherical ball.

Claims

1. A housing for a roller having an inward end, an outward end and a side-wall having an interior surface extending from the inward end to the outward end, the side-wall dimensioned to retain the roller and permit a segment of the roller to extend outside the housing,

and a spider mounted laterally within the housing on the interior surface of the side-wall at or adjacent to the inward end

said side-wall or said spider preventing the roller from falling through the inward end, wherein the roller has a surface that conveys a film of liquid from the inside to the outside of the housing and wherein the spider is resiliently biased towards and has a means for providing localised contact with and parallel spacing from the roller as well as controlling the depth of liquid film on the roller surface, and wherein the spider comprises at least one free spoke having an unattached end.

2. A housing according to claim 1 characterised in that the roller is a ball.

3. A housing according to claim 1 characterised in that the spider comprises at least 3 spokes.

4. A housing according to claim 3 in which the spokes have a triangular profile, having a concave top wall of similar radius to the ball, and an apex that is at or adjacent to the centre of the housing.

5. A housing according to claim 3 characterised in that the spokes have a wall and base wall having a T-shaped cross section.

6. A housing according to claim 1 characterised in that the spider comprises not greater than 12 spokes.

7. A housing according to claim 6 characterised in that the spider comprises from 3 to 9 spokes.

8. A housing according to claim 7 characterised in that the spider comprises 3, 4, 5 or 6 spokes.

9. A housing according to claim 1 characterised in that the spider is mounted on the interior of the side-wall at 2, 3 or 4 points.

10. A housing according to claim 1 characterised in that the spider has from 2 to 6 free spokes.

11. A housing according to claim 1 characterised in that the free spokes radiate from a hub attached to the side-wall via at least one fixed spoke.

12. A housing according to claim 11 characterised in that the free and fixed spokes are arranged symmetrically.

13. A housing according to claim 12 characterised in that the free and fixed spokes are arranged alternately.

14. A housing according to claim 1 characterised in that the spider has 1 or 2 free spokes per fixed spoke.

15. A housing according to claim 1 characterised in that the free spoke is mounted on the interior of the side-wall.

16. A housing according to claim 1 characterised in that a free spoke extends from 40 to 95% of the radius of the interior of the housing.

17. A housing according to claim 1 characterised in that the localised contact is provided by a pimple or boss that is part of the ball-facing surface of the spider or spokes.

18. A housing according to claim 17 characterised in that the pimple or boss is located remote from its point of attachment or mounting.

19. A housing according to claim 17 characterised in that the pimple or boss is hemispherical or cylindrical having a rounded top wall.

20. A housing according to claim 17 characterised in that the pimple or boss has a height of from 300 to 2000 □

m.

21. A housing according to claim 20 characterised in that the pimple or boss has a height of 350 to 750 μ

m.

22. A housing according to claim 1 characterised in that the localised contact means comprises the free spoke being bent towards the ball at its unattached end.

23. A housing according to claim 1 which is characterised by the interior surface of the side-wall having a lateral sealing shelf intermediate between the roller and the spider which can form a fluid tight seal with the ball when the latter is urged towards the inward end of the housing.

24. A housing according to claim 1 characterised in that the interior of its side-wall includes a circumferential groove intermediate between the inward and outward ends of the housing that can act as a secondary reservoir for fluid.

25. A housing according to claim 1 which is so adapted that the spacing between opposed surfaces of the spider and roller is less than the spacing between the ball and its housing, when fluid is being dispensed to an underarm from a dispenser in which the housing is mounted.

26. A housing according to claim 1 in which the ball is spherical.

27. A housing according to claim 1 characterised in that it comprises an annular bead dimensioned and positioned to form a snap-fit mounting with a corresponding bead on a bottle on which the housing is mounted.

28. A housing according to claim 1 characterised in that it comprises an annular sealing bead dimensioned and positioned to form a seal between the housing and a bottle on which the housing is mounted.

29. A fluid dispenser comprising a roller, and a housing and spider according to claim 1, said dispenser further comprising

a bottle attached to the housing at its inward end having an interior in fluid communication with the roller, and

a removable cap that when fitted over the housing is adapted to create a fluid-tight seal by urging the roller and the housing into contact.