Fluid reservoir assembly

• US 7,979,999 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2010
• Issued: 07/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Group One Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Group One Ltd.
• Inventors: Barto, Robert Murray Jr., Goldstein, Fredric
• Primary Examiner(s): BENNETT, GEORGE B
• Application Number:
  US12/949,171
• Publication Number:
  US 20110061255A1
• Time in Patent Office: 243 Days
• Field of Search: 33722-730, 401/121, 401/122, 401/126, 401/128, 401/129, 401/130
• US Class Current: 33/725
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/04 by dip members, e.g. dip-sticks
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/045 cleaning means therefor (e.g. dip-stick wipers)

Abstract

A bottle assembly has a bottle for storing a fluid, such as a cosmetic fluid. An applicator for applying the fluid is configured to be insertable and removable from the bottle along a path. A sealing body is configured to seal the bottle. The sealing body has a channel width movable between a first width and a second width. The first width is large enough to accommodate the applicator and the second width is smaller than the first width. The channel is resiliently biased toward the second width.

Claims

1. A fluid reservoir assembly, comprising:

a housing including a plurality of stops;

a stick insertable and removable from the housing along a path;

a support formed separately from the housing and received within the housing, wherein one of the support and the housing includes an inward projection and the other of the support and the housing includes a recess complementary to the projection, the projection being received in the recess;

a wiper received within the housing and supported by the support, the wiper resiliently biased toward the path; and

an actuator rotatably connected to the housing and configured to rotate relative to the housing between a first position and a second position without moving along the path, the actuator including a radially-outward projection, rotation of the actuator being limited by the plurality of stops, wherein rotation of the actuator from the first position to the second position causes the wiper to move away from the path without causing rotation of the wiper and the support relative to the housing, and wherein the actuator is formed separately from the housing and the support.

2. The fluid reservoir assembly of claim 1 wherein the plurality of stops are detents.

3. The fluid reservoir assembly of claim 1 wherein the stick is a dipstick.

4. The fluid reservoir assembly of claim 1 wherein the housing includes an opening for receiving the stick at one end, and wherein the opening is at the same end of the housing as the end to which the actuator is attached.

5. The fluid reservoir assembly of claim 1 wherein the actuator is a handle.

6. The fluid reservoir assembly of claim 5 wherein the handle is a rotatable guide.

7. A fluid reservoir assembly, comprising:

a housing having an opening;

a stick removably secured over the opening and extending into the housing;

a support formed separately from the housing and received within the housing;

a wiper mounted on the support within the housing, the wiper resiliently biased toward the stick; and

a rotatable actuator rotatably attached to an end of the housing, wherein rotation of the rotatable actuator relative to the housing causes the wiper to move in a direction away from the stick without causing rotation of the wiper and the support relative to the housing.

8. The fluid reservoir assembly of claim 7 wherein the rotatable actuator is formed separately from the housing and the support.

9. The fluid reservoir assembly of claim 7 wherein one of the housing and the support includes an inward projection and the other of the housing and the support includes a recess complementary to the projection, the projection received in the recess.

10. The fluid reservoir of claim 7 wherein the rotatable actuator includes a radially-outward projection.

11. The fluid reservoir of claim 7 wherein the opening to the housing is at the same end of the housing as the end to which the rotatable actuator is attached.

12. The fluid reservoir of claim 7 wherein the rotatable actuator is configured to rotate between a first position and a second position.

13. The fluid reservoir of claim 12 wherein the housing includes a plurality of stops, and wherein rotation of the rotatable actuator is limited by the plurality of stops.

14. The fluid reservoir of claim 12 wherein a face of the stick is in contact with the wiper when the rotatable actuator is in the first position, and wherein the face of the stick is not in contact with the wiper when the rotatable actuator is in the second position.

15. The fluid reservoir of claim 12 wherein the wiper is urged away from the stick upon rotation of the rotatable actuator from the first position to the second position.

16. The fluid reservoir of claim 7 wherein the stick is a mascara applicator.

17. The fluid reservoir of claim 7 wherein the wiper pivots toward and away from the stick.

18. The fluid reservoir of claim 7 wherein the wiper is a resilient orifice.

19. The fluid reservoir of claim 7 wherein the stick is a dipstick.

20. A fluid reservoir assembly, comprising:

a housing;

a stick configured to be insertable and removable from the housing along a path;

a support formed separately from the housing and received within the housing;

a wiper received within the housing and supported by the support, the wiper resiliently biased toward the path; and

a handle rotatably connected to the housing, wherein rotation of the handle relative to the housing causes the wiper to move away from the path without causing rotation of the wiper and the support relative to the housing.

21. The fluid reservoir assembly of claim 20 wherein the handle is formed separately from the housing and the support.

22. The fluid reservoir assembly of claim 21 wherein one of the housing and the support includes an inward projection and the other of the housing and the support includes a recess complementary to the projection, the projection received in the recess.

23. The fluid reservoir of claim 22 wherein the handle includes radially-outward projections.

24. The fluid reservoir of claim 21 wherein the handle is rotatably secured to one end of the housing.

25. The fluid reservoir of claim 20 wherein the housing includes a plurality of stops, and wherein rotation of the handle is limited by the plurality of stops.

26. The fluid reservoir of claim 20 wherein the handle is a rotatable guide.

27. A fluid reservoir assembly, comprising:

a housing;

a stick configured to be insertable and removable from the housing along a path;

a wiper disposed in the housing, the wiper resiliently biased toward the path;

a support disposed in the housing, the support supporting the wiper in the housing; and

wherein the wiper is selectively movable away from the path without rotating relative to the housing.

28. The fluid reservoir assembly of claim 27 wherein the support is prevented from rotating relative to the housing as the wiper is moved away from the path.

29. The fluid reservoir assembly of claim 27 wherein the wiper is configured to move in a direction generally transverse to the path.

30. The fluid reservoir assembly of claim 27 wherein the housing defines an outermost housing of the fluid reservoir assembly.

31. The fluid reservoir assembly of claim 30 wherein the fluid reservoir assembly is in communication with a fluid reservoir, and wherein a fluid is included in the fluid reservoir.

32. The fluid reservoir assembly of claim 27 wherein the stick is one of a dipstick and an applicator.

33. The fluid reservoir assembly of claim 27 wherein the wiper is a first of two wipers disposed in the housing generally opposite one another, the first and second wipers resiliently biased toward one another.

34. The fluid reservoir assembly of claim 27 wherein the support is a wiper support.

35. The fluid reservoir assembly of claim 34 wherein the wiper extends generally from the wiper support toward the path.

36. The fluid reservoir assembly of claim 27 wherein the support is formed separately from the housing.

37. The fluid reservoir assembly of claim 27 wherein the wiper is formed integrally with the support.

38. The fluid reservoir assembly of claim 27 wherein the wiper is urged away from the path by engagement with the stick.

39. The fluid reservoir assembly of claim 27 further including a rotatable handle rotatably engaged with the housing, wherein rotation of the rotatable handle relative to the housing urges the wiper away from the path without rotation of the wiper relative to the housing.

40. The fluid reservoir assembly of claim 39 wherein the rotatable handle is a rotatable guide.

41. The fluid reservoir assembly of claim 39 wherein the rotatable handle is rotatably engaged with the same end of the housing as the end defining an opening for receiving the stick.

42. The fluid reservoir assembly of claim 39 wherein the rotatable handle is formed separately from the housing and the support.

43. The fluid reservoir of claim 41 wherein the rotatable handle rotates without moving along the path.

44. The fluid reservoir of claim 27 wherein the wiper is a resilient orifice.

45. The fluid reservoir of claim 27 wherein the wiper is selectively movable away from the path without movement of the stick along the path.

46. A fluid reservoir assembly, comprising:

a housing having an opening;

a stick removably secured over the opening and extending into the housing;

a wiper disposed in the housing and resiliently biased toward the stick;

a block translatable relative to the wiper along a linear path to interact with the wiper; and

wherein the wiper is urged away from the stick by contact with the block along the linear path.

47. The fluid reservoir assembly of claim 46 wherein the block is formed separately from the housing.

48. The fluid reservoir assembly of claim 46 wherein the stick is a dipstick.

49. The fluid reservoir assembly of claim 46 wherein the block is formed separately from the stick.

50. The fluid reservoir assembly of claim 46 wherein the block contacts the wiper by relative movement between the block and the wiper along the linear path.

51. The fluid reservoir assembly of claim 50 wherein the block translates along the linear path without rotating relative to the wiper.

52. The fluid reservoir assembly of claim 51 wherein the housing is defined about an axis, and wherein, when the block moves along the linear path, the block moves in a direction parallel to the axis.

53. The fluid reservoir assembly of claim 46 wherein the block is releasably connectable to the stick.

54. The fluid reservoir assembly of claim 53 wherein the stick is movable relative to the block.

55. The fluid reservoir assembly of claim 46 wherein the block includes an inclined surface configured to contact the wiper.

56. A fluid reservoir assembly, comprising:

a housing;

a stick configured to be insertable and removable from the housing along a path;

a wiper disposed in the housing, the wiper resiliently biased toward the path and selectively movable away from the path;

a support formed separately from the housing and disposed in the housing, the support supporting the wiper in the housing; and

a handle connected to the housing, the handle formed separately from the housing and the support.

57. The fluid reservoir assembly of claim 56 wherein the handle is formed separately from the wiper.

58. The fluid reservoir assembly of claim 57 wherein the handle is formed separately from the stick.

59. The fluid reservoir assembly of claim 58 wherein the handle is rotatably connected to the housing.

60. The fluid reservoir assembly of claim 56 wherein the housing includes an inward projection and the support includes a recess complementary to the projection, the projection received in the recess of the support.

61. The fluid reservoir assembly of claim 56 wherein the handle includes a radially-outward projection.

62. The fluid reservoir assembly of claim 56 wherein the wiper is selectively movable away from the path without rotating relative to the housing.

63. The fluid reservoir assembly of claim 56 wherein the handle is a rotatable guide.

64. The fluid reservoir assembly of claim 56 wherein the stick is one of a dipstick and a mascara applicator.