Atomizer with a bellows-shaped container body

• US 6,648,244 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2001
• Issued: 11/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lung-You Yu
• Original Assignee: Lung-You Yu
• Inventors: Yu, Lung-You
• Primary Examiner(s): Ganey, Steven J.
• Application Number:
  US10/025,720
• Publication Number:
  US 20030111551A1
• Time in Patent Office: 700 Days
• Field of Search: 239/320, 239/323, 239/333, 222/95, 222/107, 222/386.5
• US Class Current: 239/323
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/026 Membranes separating the content remaining in the container from the atmospheric air to compensate underpressure inside the container

Abstract

An atomizer includes a flexible container body and a nozzle head unit. The container body includes a bellows-shaped surrounding wall, a bottom wall having an outer periphery that is formed integrally with a bottom end of the surrounding wall so as to define a closed bottom end of the container body, and a liquid-containing chamber defined within the surrounding wall and above the bottom wall and adapted to be filled with liquid. The nozzle head unit is attached to a top end of the surrounding wall, and can be operated so as to contract the container body, thereby discharging the liquid from the container body via the nozzle head unit.

Claims

1. An atomizer for containing a liquid, said atomizer comprising:

a flexible container body including

a bellows-shaped surrounding wall having a plurality of foldable layers, a top end, and a bottom end,

a bottom wall having an outer periphery that is formed integrally with said bottom end of said surrounding wall so as to define a closed bottom end of said container body,

a liquid-containing chamber defined within said surrounding wall and above said bottom wall and adapted to be filled with the liquid, and

a mounting member disposed on said top end of said surrounding wall; and

a nozzle head unit attached to said mounting member of said container body and adapted to be operated to discharge the liquid from said chamber therethrough in such a manner that said foldable layers are folded from said bottom end of said surrounding wall to said top end of said surrounding wall;

wherein said foldable layers of said surrounding wall cooperatively define a helical slot in an outer surface of said surrounding wall, and wherein said bottom wall includes an outwardly and upwardly inclined top surface which has a central portion that is formed with a groove, and which is adapted to guide the liquid to flow inward on said inclined top surface and into said groove, said nozzle head unit including a vertical straw that is disposed within said chamber and that is aligned with said groove such that a lower end of said straw can move into said groove when said surrounding wall contracts, said lower end of said straw being disposed adjacent to a lower end of said groove when said surrounding wall contracts completely.

2. An atomizer for containing a liquid, said atomizer comprising:

a flexible container body including

a bellows-shaped surrounding wall having a plurality of foldable layers, a top end, and a bottom end,

a bottom wall having an outer periphery that is formed integrally with said bottom end of said surrounding wall so as to define a closed bottom end of said container body,

a liquid-containing chamber defined within said surrounding wall and above said bottom wall and adapted to be filled with the liquid, and

a mounting member disposed on said top end of said surrounding wall; and

a nozzle head unit attached to said mounting member of said container body and adapted to be operated to discharge the liquid from said chamber therethrough in such a manner that said foldable layers are folded from said bottom end of said surrounding wall to said top end of said surrounding wall;

wherein said foldable layers of said surrounding wall cooperatively define a helical slot in an outer surface of said surrounding wall, and wherein said foldable layers have inner and outer diameters that increase downwardly and gradually from said top end of said surrounding wall to said bottom end of said surrounding wall.

3. The atomizer as claimed in claim 2, wherein said bottom wall includes an outwardly and upwardly inclined top surface which has a central portion that is formed with a groove, and which is adapted to guide the liquid to flow inward on said inclined top surface and into said groove, said nozzle head unit including a vertical straw that is disposed within said chamber and that is aligned with said groove such that a lower end of said straw can move into said groove when said surrounding wall contracts, said lower end of said straw being disposed adjacent to a lower end of said groove when said surrounding wall contracts completely.

4. An atomizer for containing a liquid, said atomizer comprising:

a flexible container body including

a bellows-shaped surrounding wall having a plurality of foldable layers, a top end, and a bottom end,

a bottom wall having an outer periphery that is formed integrally with said bottom end of said surrounding wall so as to define a closed bottom end of said container body,

a liquid-containing chamber defined within said surrounding wall and above said bottom wall and adapted to be filled with the liquid, and

a mounting member disposed on said top end of said surrounding wall; and

a nozzle head unit attached to said mounting member of said container body and adapted to be operated to discharge the liquid from said chamber therethrough in such a manner that said foldable layers are folded from said bottom end of said surrounding wall to said top end of said surrounding wall;

wherein said foldable layers of said surrounding wall cooperatively define a helical slot in an outer surface of said surrounding wall, and wherein said mounting member is constructed as an externally threaded neck that is formed integrally with said top end of said surrounding wall and that engages threadably said nozzle head unit, said atomizer further including;

a housing, within which said container body is disposed, said housing being shaped as a vertical tube, which has an open bottom end and a top end opening, through which said mounting member extends; and

a bottom cover sleeved fixedly on said bottom end of said housing so as to confine said container body with said housing.

5. The atomizer as claimed in claim 4, wherein said housing is made of a transparent material, and has an inner surface that is formed with a plurality of vertical slots, and an outer surface that is formed with a rib assembly, said rib assembly intersecting said vertical slots in said inner surface of said housing, whereby, when light is directed onto said housing, said rib assembly and said vertical slots can refract the light.

6. The atomizer as claimed in claim 5, wherein said rib assembly is constructed as a helical rib.