Method of producing foamed cleanser with suspended particles therein and a dispenser therefore
First Claim
1. A foaming component for use in association with a foam skin care dispenser, comprising:
- a microporous air sparging element having an upstream end and a downstream end defining a length thereof;
a mixing chamber adjacent the microporous air sparging element and on a first side of the microporous air sparging element and a first surface of the microporous air sparging element defining a portion of the mixing chamber and the mixing chamber having a foamable liquid inlet adjacent the upstream end of the microporous air sparging element;
an air chamber adjacent the microporous air sparging element and on a second side of the microporous air sparging element and a second surface of the microporous air sparging element defining a portion of the air chamber and the air chamber having an air inlet adjacent the upstream end of the microporous air sparging element;
a mixing chamber outlet downstream of the foamable liquid inlet in the mixing chamber wherein the mixing chamber outlet is spaced downstream from the foamable liquid inlet along at least a portion of the length of the air sparging element; and
user activated pump means for concurrently forcing a predetermined ratio of air and a foamable liquid through the air inlet and the foamable liquid inlet, respectively, the predetermined ratio having a greater proportion of air to foamable liquid, such that the foamable liquid is forced into the mixing chamber, and such that air is forced into the air chamber and through the microporous air sparging element to form a plurality of bubbles in the foamable liquid, whereby a density of the plurality of bubbles in the foamable liquid increases from the liquid inlet to the liquid outlet in the mixing chamber to form a foamed liquid that is dispensed to the user in shots from a nozzle positioned downstream of the mixing chamber outlet, wherein the foamable liquid includes a plurality of particles having a predetermined average diameter and at least one non-Newtonian thickener, the foamable liquid exhibiting viscosity at low shear rates that is sufficient to maintain particles suspended therein and has low viscosity when exposed to high shear rates,wherein the microporous air sparging element is generally a test tube shape and the mixing chamber is generally an elongate annular tube defining an annular gap being the difference in length between an outer radius of the test tube shape and an outer radius of the elongate annular tube, wherein a width of the annular gap is 1.5 to 8 times the average diameter of the plurality of particles.
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Accused Products
Abstract
One aspect of the invention is a foaming component for use in association with a foam dispenser. The foaming component includes an air sparging element, a mixing chamber, and an air chamber. The mixing chamber is on one side of the air sparging element and it defines a portion of the mixing chamber. The air chamber is on the other side of the air sparging element and it defines a portion of the air chamber. The air chamber has an air inlet. The mixing chamber has a liquid inlet and an outlet, and the outlet is down stream of the inlet. The foaming component also forms part of a new foam dispenser. The foaming component and the foam dispenser are for use in the production of foam with a plurality of particles suspended therein. Another aspect of the invention is a dispenser with a foaming component therein.
41 Citations
38 Claims
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1. A foaming component for use in association with a foam skin care dispenser, comprising:
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a microporous air sparging element having an upstream end and a downstream end defining a length thereof; a mixing chamber adjacent the microporous air sparging element and on a first side of the microporous air sparging element and a first surface of the microporous air sparging element defining a portion of the mixing chamber and the mixing chamber having a foamable liquid inlet adjacent the upstream end of the microporous air sparging element; an air chamber adjacent the microporous air sparging element and on a second side of the microporous air sparging element and a second surface of the microporous air sparging element defining a portion of the air chamber and the air chamber having an air inlet adjacent the upstream end of the microporous air sparging element; a mixing chamber outlet downstream of the foamable liquid inlet in the mixing chamber wherein the mixing chamber outlet is spaced downstream from the foamable liquid inlet along at least a portion of the length of the air sparging element; and user activated pump means for concurrently forcing a predetermined ratio of air and a foamable liquid through the air inlet and the foamable liquid inlet, respectively, the predetermined ratio having a greater proportion of air to foamable liquid, such that the foamable liquid is forced into the mixing chamber, and such that air is forced into the air chamber and through the microporous air sparging element to form a plurality of bubbles in the foamable liquid, whereby a density of the plurality of bubbles in the foamable liquid increases from the liquid inlet to the liquid outlet in the mixing chamber to form a foamed liquid that is dispensed to the user in shots from a nozzle positioned downstream of the mixing chamber outlet, wherein the foamable liquid includes a plurality of particles having a predetermined average diameter and at least one non-Newtonian thickener, the foamable liquid exhibiting viscosity at low shear rates that is sufficient to maintain particles suspended therein and has low viscosity when exposed to high shear rates, wherein the microporous air sparging element is generally a test tube shape and the mixing chamber is generally an elongate annular tube defining an annular gap being the difference in length between an outer radius of the test tube shape and an outer radius of the elongate annular tube, wherein a width of the annular gap is 1.5 to 8 times the average diameter of the plurality of particles. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A foam skin care dispenser for use in association with a foamable liquid, comprising:
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a housing at least one foamable liquid container positioned in the housing; a user activated pump device including a foamable liquid chamber and an air chamber and further including means for concurrently applying pressure to discharge foamable liquid from the foamable liquid chamber and air from the air chamber; a foaming component including; a microporous air sparging element having an upstream end and a downstream end defining a length thereof; a mixing chamber adjacent the microporous air sparging element and on a first side of the microporous air sparging element and a first surface of the microporous air sparging element defining a portion of the mixing chamber and the mixing chamber having a foamable liquid inlet adjacent the upstream end of the microporous air sparging element which inlet is in flow communication with the foamable liquid chamber; a foaming component air chamber adjacent the microporous air sparging element and on a second side of the microporous air sparging element and a second surface of the microporous air sparging element defining a portion of the air chamber and the air chamber having an air inlet adjacent the upstream end of the microporous air sparging element in communication with the air chamber; a mixing chamber outlet downstream of the foamable liquid inlet in the mixing chamber wherein the mixing chamber outlet is spaced downstream from the foamable liquid inlet along at least a portion of the length of the air sparging element; and the pump device being operable to concurrently pump a predetermined ratio of air and the foamable liquid into the foaming component air chamber and the mixing chamber respectively, the predetermined ratio having a greater proportion of air to foamable liquid, such that air is forced into the air chamber and through the microporous air sparging element forming a plurality of bubbles in the foamable liquid, whereby a density of the plurality of bubbles in the foamable liquid increases from the liquid inlet to the liquid outlet in the mixing chamber to form foam and so as to discharge shots of foam from an outlet of the dispenser to the user, wherein the foamable liquid includes a plurality of particles having a predetermined average diameter, the foamable liquid exhibiting viscosity at low shear rates that is sufficient to maintain particles suspended therein and has low viscosity when exposed to high shear rates, wherein the microporous air sparging element is generally a test tube shape and the mixing chamber is generally an elongate annular tube defining an annular gap being the difference in length between an outer radius of the test tube shape and an outer radius of the elongate annular tube, wherein a width of the annular gap is 1.5 to 8times the average diameter of the plurality of particles. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A method of making skin care foam including the steps of:
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introducing a predetermined quantity of air under pressure to a first side of and adjacent an upstream end of a microporous air sparging element; introducing, concurrently with the introduction of the air, a predetermined amount of a foamable liquid under pressure to a foamable liquid inlet of a mixing chamber, the mixing chamber being adjacent to the microporous air sparging element and on a second side of the microporous air sparging element and foamable liquid inlet being adjacent to the upstream end of the microporous air sparging element, such that a ratio of air to foamable liquid has a greater proportion of air to foamable liquid; forcing the air through the microporous sparging element into the mixing chamber to form a plurality of bubbles; mixing the plurality of bubbles and the foamable liquid in the mixing chamber thereby creating foam; and dispensing the foam to a user in shots through an outlet from the mixing chamber, the outlet being spaced downstream from the foamable liquid inlet, wherein the foamable liquid includes a plurality of particles having a predetermined average diameter, the foamable liquid exhibiting viscosity at low shear rates that is sufficient to maintain particles suspended therein and has low viscosity when exposed to high shear rates, and wherein the microporous air sparging element is generally a test tube shape and the mixing chamber is generally an elongate annular tube defining an annular gap being the difference in length between an outer radius of the test tube shape, wherein a width of the annular gap is 1.5 to 8 times the average diameter of the plurality of particles. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38)
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Specification