Lighted product dispenser

• US 7,690,533 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2006
• Issued: 04/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SOAP Labs LLC
• Original Assignee: SOAP Labs LLC
• Inventors: Stilley, Russell L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bomberg; Kenneth
• Application Number:
  US11/636,732
• Publication Number:
  US 20090166378A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,212 Days
• Field of Search: 222/39, 222/321.7, 222/78, 222/113, 222/192, 222/321.9, 222/321.8, 222/402.13, 222/153.11
• US Class Current: 222/113
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/00 Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means B05B3/00, B05B5/00, B05B7/00 take precedence; nozzles for baths with water or gas jets A61H33/00, e.g. A61H33/6063, A61H33/6021, A61H33/026 or A61H33/027; Nozzles specially adapted for fire-extinguishing A62C31/02; Nozzles for generating high velocity abrasive fluid jets B24C5/04; nozzles for jet-ink printing mechanisms B41J2/135; nozzles for filling containers B65B39/00; nozzles for liquid-dispensing, e.g. in vehicle service stations B67D7/42
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/002 designed to reduce the generation or the transmission of noise or to produce a particular sound; associated with noise monitoring means
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/0005 Components or details of single units wherein the flow is effected by a pump B05B11/1042
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/0037 Containers for several components B05B11/0078
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/10 Pump arrangements for transferring the contents from the container to a pump chamber by a sucking effect and forcing the contents out through the dispensing nozzle
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/1052 Actuation means locking means therefor B05B11/1059; the dispensing stroke being affected by the stored energy of a spring B05B11/109
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2203/10 Transponders
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 23/00 Details of bottles or jars not otherwise provided for closure-securing elements B65D45/00
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/00 Structural combinations of lighting devices with other articles, not otherwise provided for

Abstract

A container for dispensing liquids or gels, where the container includes a light module, a sound module, or both. When the contents of the container are dispensed by the user, light is automatically dispersed inside the container and into the contents to provide a desired visual effect for attraction of consumers to the product.

Claims

1. A product dispenser for dispensing a product by a user, comprising:

a container for containing the product, said container including an annular indented area around a bottom portion thereof;

a pump for dispensing the product from said container, said pump attached to a top of said container;

a light emitter for emitting light;

a light module for controlling the light emitter, said light module and said light emitter attached to a bottom of said container so that light is emitted into said container;

an electrical switch connected to said light module, said switch operable to electrically drive and activate said light emitter, said switch operates in response to pressure on said pump when dispensing the product to drive the light emitter for illuminating said container, said light emitter is activated by the user manually pressing the pump to dispense product; and

a heat shrinkable sleeve shrunk around at least a bottom portion of said container and shrunk into and around the annular indented area of said container to prevent axial movement of the heat shrinkable sleeve about an axial axis of said container, and said heat shrinkable sleeve shrunk around at least a portion of said light module to maintain said light module attached to said container.

2. The product dispenser of claim 1, wherein said container has a generally flat bottom, and wherein said light emitter is positioned to illuminate an interior of said container through the generally flat bottom of said container.

3. The product dispenser of claim 1, wherein said switch is pressure sensitive, with a pressure sensitivity that operates when said pump is pushed, but does not operate when subjected only to the weight of said product dispenser full of the product.

4. The product dispenser of claim 1, wherein said switch includes a body portion, and a movable portion that is responsive to pressure applied thereto, and where the body portion of said switch is carried by said container and thus fixed against movement with respect to said container.

5. The product dispenser of claim 1, wherein said heat shrinkable sleeve is constructed to obscure from view said light module.

6. The product dispenser of claim 5, wherein said heat shrinkable sleeve is opaque to thereby hide said light module from view.

7. The product dispenser of claim 6, wherein said light module is constructed of a material that allows light to be transmitted thorough a wall thereof into a bottom of the container of said product dispenser.

8. The product dispenser of claim 1, further including advertising concerning the product contained in said container, and said advertising is located on said heat shrinkable sleeve.

9. A method of making a product dispenser, comprising;

attaching a pump having a locked position and an unlocked position to a top of a container of the product dispenser, said product dispenser dispenses a product when pressure is applied to the pump when in the unlocked position, and said pump is constructed for not dispensing the product when in said locked position and when pressure is applied to said pump;

selecting said container having an annular indented area around a bottom portion thereof;

electrically connecting an emitter producing a sensory output to an electronic module so that when said electronic module is activated, said emitter is driven to produce a sensory output;

attaching a switch at a bottom of said electronic module in a position so that when said product dispenser is placed on a surface and said pump is depressed, said switch is activated to activate said electronic module;

placing the electronic module under said product dispenser filled with the product, and placing a heat shrinkable sleeve around at least a bottom portion of said container and around said electronic module;

shrinking the heat shrinkable sleeve around the product filled container and into an annular indented area located around a lower portion of said container, and shrinking the heat shrinkable sleeve around the electronic module to attach the electronic module to the bottom of said container of the product dispenser; and

shipping the product dispenser with the pump in said locked position so that a potential customer can experience the sensory output of said emitter in a retail store by pressing on the pump without dispensing the product.

10. The method of claim 9, further including selecting the switch that is pressure sensitive, with a pressure sensitive switch mechanism that operates when said pump is pushed, but does not operate when subjected only to the weight of said product dispenser full of the product.