COSMETIC DISPENSER

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a dispenser for dispensing

cosmetic substances.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Hotel rooms are typically supplied with various cosmetic

products such as body lotions, soaps, shampoos, etc. The cosmetics

are typically packaged within individual containers that are provided as

a complimentary item by the hotel proprietor. For sanitary reasons the

containers must be discarded when the seal is broken, even if a bottle

still contains lotion, shampoo, etc. The hotel supplies a new set of

cosmetic bottles after each room occupancy.

The discarded unused cosmetic products represents a waste

that increases the cost of operating the hotel. Additionally, the

separate bottles increase the cost of maintaining the rooms and the

waste storage space in general.

There has been marketed soap dispensers that are mounted to

the wall of hotel rooms. The dispensers typically have a pump which

ejects a volume of cosmetic product when a pump tip is depressed by

the hotel patron. The dispenser is replenished by removing a cover

and pouring the cosmetic product into a dispenser reservoir.

Removing the cover and pouring the cosmetics can be a time

consuming operation, particularly when repeated in a number of rooms

within a hotel. The additional time required to fill the dispensers

increase labor cost and the operating expense of the hotel.

Additionally, the dispensers tips tend to accumulate dirt which must

be cleaned by the hotel personnel, further increasing the operating

expense.

Other types of prior art cosmetics dispensers include disposable

containers which overcome at least some of the shortcomings of the

aforementioned reservoir dispensers.

Generally speaking disposable container dispensers fall into two

categories - a rigid or semi rigid container connected to a separate

pump mechanism and a flexible container having a flexible neck which

forms part of the dispenser pump mechanism.

Typical prior art cosmetics dispensers are disclosed in patent

specifications GB 1434095, US 52731 86, US 48861 92, US

5242083, AU-A-81 740/91 , US 4778085, US 4324349 and DE

3333569 A1 .

GB 1434095 describes a cream soap dispenser with hollow

body which receives an inverted container having a screw threaded

neck which is received in a screw threaded socket in the base of the

housing. A displaceable plug is located in the neck of the container

and is displaced by a spike when the container is screwed into the

socket thereby allowing liquid soap to flow into an internal soap

chamber in the base of the housing. The soap chamber is in fluid

communication with a lever actuated piston pump and nozzle

assembly formed integrally with the housing. The pump and nozzle

have separate check valves for filling the pump cylinder.

US 52731 86 describes a portable hand held dispenser for one

handed dispensing of controlled quantities of a concentrated liquid

detergent into a container of water to produce a diluted cleaning liquid

of predetermined strength. This apparatus comprises a body with a

rack and pinion operated piston pump and a removable cartridge

having a flexible pouch therein to contain concentrated detergent. The

body has a hollow needle connected to the pump to pierce a

membrane in an output nozzle of the cartridge.

US 48861 92 is concerned with a soap dispenser having a wall

mounted bracket with a lever and piston device to actuate a flexible

dispensing nozzle. The dispensing nozzle is connected to a tank which

may be filled directly with liquid soap or the tank may receive a

disposable cartridge. A plurality of ribs with cutting edges extend

upwardly from the base to pierce a sealed cap on the cartridge as it is

inserted to release liquid soap into the tank.

US 5242083 discloses a liquid dispensing system having a

housing which supports therein a disposable flexible pouch. A pivoted

actuating arm compresses a flexible peristaltic pumping tube formed

integrally with the pouch. A mechanical check valve arrangement

coacts with the actuating arm to open a flat or "duck bill" nozzle at

the end of the tube and thereafter to create a suck back to prevent

drips.

AU-A-81 740/91 describes a similar system to that of US

5242083 except that the flexible peristaltic tube pump is formed as an

attachment to the flexible pouch. A mechanical check valve is

provided in the tip of the pump nozzle to avoid drainage of the pouch

contents. US 4778085 is directed to a peristaltic dispensing nozzle

connected to an exposed rigid or semi-rigid bottle supported on top of

a dispenser housing. The dispensing nozzle is screw threadably

connected to a threaded neck of the bottle.

US 432439 describes a liquid dispenser supported in an

inverted position by a screw threaded connection between the neck of

a flexible bottle and a socket in the top of a support base. An air

chamber is formed between a dispensing nozzle and the interior of the

bottle to avoid leakage after dispensing a quantity of liquid by

manually squeezing the flexible bottle.

DE 3333569 A1 discloses a liquid dispenser having a flexible

bottle squeezable between a projection on an actuator and a projection

on the interior wall of the dispenser housing. A two way check valve

system permits dispensing of liquid under actuator pressure by a first

check valve. A second check vale located within the first check valve v

permits ingress of air to equalise pressures and both the first and

second check valves prevent leakage under gravitational pressure.

While most of the prior art systems are generally satisfactory for

their intended purpose, they all suffer from one or more

disadvantages.

It would be desirable to provide a cosmetic dispenser which is

more cost efficient and sanitary than dispensers of the prior art and

which is otherwise easier to refill and simpler and more reliable in use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a

cosmetics dispenser comprising:-

a housing having a base member and a cover member pivotally

attached thereto to define a hollow interior;

one or more cosmetic cartridges removable securable in an

inverted position within said hollow interior, said one or more cosmetic

cartridges each having a reciprocable piston pump sealingly engaged in

a neck of a respective cartridge, said pump in use being actuable by

depression of a hollow dispensing nozzle connected to a piston of said

pump.

Suitably said cover member and said base member are

releasably securable in a closed position by a latch member.

Preferably the latch member is hidden when the cover member

is closed and an unobtrusive access is provided for release of said

latch member.

The one or more cartridges may be releasably securable in said

base member.

Alternatively the one or more cartridges may be releasably

securable in said cover member.

Suitably said one or more cartridges are secured in said housing

by resiliently deformable latch fingers associated with said housing.

Preferably said one or more cartridges are secured in said

housing by resiliently deformable spring latch fingers releasably

engagable with corresponding contours on a surface of said one or

more cartridges.

The dispenser may comprise a nozzle hood associated with a

respective nozzle, said nozzle hood being slidably engagable with said

housing.

The nozzle hood may be captively engaged with said housing

when said cover member is closed and releasable when said cover

member is open.

Suitably the nozzle hood includes a nozzle aperture in a lower

face to receivably locate a free end of a respective nozzle, said pump

in use being actuable by depression of said nozzle hood.

Preferably said nozzle hood includes a forwardly facing recess

surrounding said nozzle aperture to direct, in use, a cosmetics

substance onto a user's fingers in the direction of the user's palm.

Preferably said one or more cartridges each include an air vent

located in a normally upper region thereof.

The air vent may include a removable sealing member.

The removable sealing member may be adhesively secured to a

respective cartridge.

The removable sealing member may comprise a hollow

protrusion extending outwardly of a wall of a respective cartridge.

Suitably the piston pump is integrally formed with a screw

threaded closure sealingly engagable with a screw threaded neck on a

respective cartridge.

If required the piston pump may comprise a cylindrical body

sealingly engagable with the neck of a respective cartridge.

Preferably the piston pump does not include operative air vents

communicating between a normally lower region of the pump body

and the interior of a respective cartridge.

Most preferably the piston pump is in fluid communication with

the interior of a respective cartridge only via a check valve located in a

normally upper portion of said pump body.

Suitably the piston pump comprises a conventional dispenser

pump for a top dispensing container said dispenser pump characterised

in that air vents provided in the pump body adjacent one end remote

from a check valve located at an opposite end are fluidically sealed.

If required the air vents may be fluidically sealed by an

elastomeric seal located between the pump body and an interior wall

of a respective container.

Suitably the dispenser pump is further characterised by the

removal of a feeder tube spigot adjacent the check valve.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The objects and advantages of the present invention will

become more readily apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art after

reviewing the following detailed description and accompanying

drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cosmetic dispenser of the

present invention;

Figure 2 is a front view of the dispenser with a cover rotated to

an open position;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional side view taken at line 3-3 of Fig.1 ;

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional top view taken at line 4-4 of Fig. 1 ;

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view showing a latch of the

cover;

Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional view showing a pivot joint of

the cover.

Figure 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional side view of the

dispenser pump in a retracted position.

Figure 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional side view of the

dispenser pump in an extended position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to the drawings more particularly by reference

numbers, Figure 1 shows a cosmetic dispenser 1 0 of the present

invention. The dispenser 10 is typically mounted to a wall 1 2, such as

a bathroom wall of a hotel or motel room. Although use within a hotel

room is described, it is to be understood that the dispenser 1 0 of the

present invention may be used in any structure. The dispenser 10

discharges a volume of a cosmetic substance 1 4 on the hand of an

end user. The cosmetic substance 14 may be a body lotion, shampoo,

soap or any other similar product. The dispenser 10 may contain three

separate outlets 1 6, 1 8 and 20 that eject three different cosmetic

substances such as a soap, a shampoo and a body lotion. Although

three separate outlets are shown and described, it is to be understood

that the dispenser 1 0 may have any number of outlets.

As shown in Figures 2-4, the dispenser 10 has a plurality of

cosmetic cartridges 22 located within an inner cavity 24 of a cabinet

26. Each cartridge 22 contains a cosmetic substance. The cartridges

22 are constructed from a transparent, or at least a translucent

plastics material which allows a user to see the amount of cosmetic

substance that is within the cartridge 22. Located at one end of each

cartridge 22 is a pump 28 which is described in detail with reference

to Figures 7 and 8. The pump 28 has a tip 30 which discharges a

cosmetic substance when the tip 30 is depressed. Pump 28 does not

have breather ports so that cosmetics do not leak from the inverted

cartridge. The top of the cartridge 22 has a vent 6 that allows air to

flow therein as the liquid volume diminishes. Other than vent 6 the

cartridge is otherwise sealed to prevent the cosmetic substance from

spilling when the cartridge is being replaced. The cartridge 22,

cosmetic substance 1 4 and pump 28 are typically provided as a single

disposable unit.

The cartridges 22 are attached to the cabinet 26 by a plurality

of resilient latch fingers 32. The fingers 32 are deflected to apply a

biassing force that holds the cartridges 22 firmly in position. The

cosmetic cartridges 22 can be removed by merely pulling the

cartridges 22 away from the fingers 32. The resilient fingers 32

deflect to allow for the easy removal of the cartridges 22.

The nozzles 30 of cartridges 22 are supported in respective

hoods 34 slidably located adjacent the base of the cabinet 26. The

hoods 34 each have a shouldered opening 36 that allow the free ends

of nozzle 30 of the pumps 28 to extend therethrough and terminate

substantially flush with an outer wall surface 7 of hoods 34. A collar

9 surrounding each nozzle 30 engages against a shouldered projection

1 1 surrounding opening 36. The hoods 34 preferably have an outer

collar 38 that is supported by lower lip features 40 and 42 of the

cabinet 26 when cover 48 is closed. Each hood 34 is slidably located

in the cabinet base 50 by a T-shaped tab 44 that slides along a

corresponding slot 46 of the base 50. A hood 34 can be removed

from the base 50 by sliding the tab 44 up and out of the slot 46. The

tabs 44 and slots 46 further support and align the hoods 34 within the

cabinet 26.

The cabinet 26 comprises an outer cover 48 that is pivotally

connected to a base 50. The base 50 typically has apertures (not

shown) that allow the cabinet 26 to be mounted to the wall 1 2 by

screws or the like or otherwise by strips of double sided adhesive

tape. The cover 48 can be rotated between closed position and an

open position to conceal and expose the cartridges 22, respectively.

As shown in Fig. 1 , the cover 48 has a plurality of discreet viewing

apertures 52 that allow a user to view the level of cosmetic substance

14 within each cartridge 22 as the cartridge nears depletion.

Figure 5 shows a latch 54 of the cover 38 that can be inserted

into a corresponding slot 56 of the cabinet 26 to secure the cover 48

in the closed position. The latch 54 has a resilient finger 58 which

can be deflected to allow the cover 48 to be rotated to the open

position. Finger 58 is accessible for release by inserting a small pin¬

like object via an unobtrusive aperture 5.

Figure 6 shows a pivot joint 60 for the cabinet 26. There are

typically two cabinet pivot joints 60 in the dispenser 1 0. The cover

48 has a tab 62 that extends into a slot 64 of the base 48 and is

captured by two base fingers 66. The cabinet cover 48 is preferably

constructed from resilient plastics material which will deflect when the

cover 48 is rotated to the open position or over-rotated to disengage

cover 48 for removal.

For a cosmetic dispensing system employing disposable

cartridges to be commercially viable, it is essential that the cost of the

cartridge is kept to a minimum. Most of the prior art cosmetic

dispensers employ a specially designed or fabricated pump and nozzle

to suit a particular dispenser system. This adds substantially to cost.

In the present invention, it has been found surprisingly that with

suitable modifications a commonly available dispenser pump normally

employed with upright hand held dispensers can be used effectively in

an inverted position without leakage as might otherwise be expected.

Such dispenser pumps are normally employed with containers of

window or other surface cleaners and screw threadably engage with

the threaded neck of a glass or plastic bottle with the pump body

located in the neck of the bottle. The pump has a spray nozzle at its

upper end with one or more fine orifices to generate a fine mist.

The pump is actuated by downward thumb or finger pressure on

the top of the nozzle body to produce a mist spray at right angles to

the axial direction of reciprocating pump motion. The pump cylinder

includes an inlet port at its lower end to which a flexible tube is

attached to provide a supply of non viscous liquid from the bottom of

the bottle.

To avoid the formation of a vacuum within the bottle as the

liquid level diminishes, vent ports are provided near the top of the

pump cylinder to allow ingress of air into an annular cavity between

the inside wall of the bottle neck and the outer wall of the pump body.

A check valve comprising a normally gravitationally seated metal

sphere prevents drainage of fluid from the feeder tube between pump

strokes or between uses to avoid the necessity of re-priming the pump

each time.

When such a spray container is inverted however, the check

valve is unseated allowing liquid to flow into the pump chamber from

the feeder tube as well as via the vent ports. Liquid collecting in the

pump chamber on the upper side of the pump piston then leaks from

the container via the piston rod aperture in the valve cap.

While at first blush, there would be no reason to contemplate

the use of such a pump system in an inverted dispenser of viscous

cosmetic liquids, the present invention demonstrates the manner in

which such a readily available and inexpensive "off-the-shelf" system

can be so employed.

Figures 7 and 8 show a dispensing pump system according to

the invention in a retracted dispensing position and an extended rest

position.

In FIG 7, the dispenser pump 70 is frictionally engaged within

the neck of cartridge 22 and is retained therein by screw threaded

engagement between cap 71 and the threaded end 72 of cartridge 22.

A fluid tight seal is effected between pump 70 and cap 71 by

the tight frictional engagement between the outer wall 73 of pump

body 74 and the inner wall surface of cartridge neck 75. The lower

region 76 has a tight frictional engagement with a mounting flange 77

integrally formed with cap 71 and a resilient rubber band 78 encircling

air vents 79 is compressed between wall 73 of pump body 74 and the

inner wall surface of cartridge neck 75.

It can be seen therefore that there is a tight fluidic seal between

the interior of cartridge 22 and pump body 74 which prevents any

leakage of liquid from the pump to when in an inverted position.

Pump 70 comprises a double acting piston 80 of a soft resilient

plastics material with an upwardly extending flange 81 and a

downwardly extending flange 82. Dispensing nozzle 30 is slidably

supported in base 82 of pump 70 and includes a hollow tubular

portion 83 with inlet ports 84 at the upper end of the tubular portion

83. On the upper end of tubular portion 83 is a tapered head 85

which located one end of a helical coil spring 86, the upper end of

which abuts against a shoulder 87 in inlet nozzle 88.

A check valve in the form of a spherical steel ball 89 is located

for free movement in a chamber 90 having a tapered inlet orifice 91 .

The conventional dispenser pump 70 is further modified by removal of

flange 92 (shown in phantom) which normally locates a feeder tube

employed in a conventional top mounted pump dispenser bottle.

Similarly the spray nozzle (not shown) is removed from its frictional

engagement with the free end of nozzle 30, collar 9 acting in use to

support the spray nozzle and also to act as a limiter for the stroke of

the pump to avoid damage to piston 80.

At the base of tapered head 85 is a flange 93, the upper

shoulder of which supports coil spring 86 and the lower edge 94 of

which forms a fluidic seal with the inner wall 95 of a frusto conical

aperture 96 in piston 80.

A narrow cylindrical neck 97 is formed in the region of inlet

ports 84 between the lower edge 94 of flange 93 and a shouldered

abutment 98 formed on tubular portion 83.

As can be seen from Figures 7 and 8, piston 80 is supported on

shouldered abutment 98 during an upward dispensing stroke by a

shouldered projection 99 at the base of frusto conical aperture 96.

During an upward dispensing stroke, inlet ports 84 are exposed

and check valve 89 moves to a closed position thus forcing liquid into

inlet ports 84 via tubular portion 83 to nozzle 30.

As upward pressure on nozzle 30 is released, the biassing

influence of spring 86 moves tubular portion downwardly. As the

frictional engagement of the piston 80 with the inner wall of pump 70

is greater than the frictional engagement between cylindrical neck 97

and frusto conical aperture 96, a limited amount of lost motion occurs

between piston 80 and tubular portion 83.

As the lower edge 94 of flange 93 engages against the inner

wall 95 of frusto conical aperture 96, inlet ports 84 are thus fluidically

sealed from the inner region of pump 70 on the upper side of piston

80 and piston 80 moves to the position shown in Figure 8 under the

biassing influence of spring 86 acting on tubular portion 83.

As piston 80 begins to move downwardly, reduced pressure

within the pump 70 above the piston 80 causes check valve 89 to

open and the liquid cosmetic substance in the cartridge 22 enters the

pump body. Air compressed on the lower side of piston 80 is expelled

via a slight clearance between tubular portion 83 and pump base 82

without any leakage of cosmetic substance which would otherwise

occur if air vents 79 were not sealed.

When the piston reaches a rest position as shown in Figure 8 a

lower flange 100 locates in a recessed socket 101 which limits the

travel of piston 80 and supports it against the pressure of spring 84

urging the sealing engagement between the lower edge 94 of flange

93 and the frusto conical wall 95 of central piston aperture 96.

In the unlikely event of a breach, in the rest position, of the

primary seal between edge 94 and wall 95, the inlet ports 84 are

located above a secondary seal between the lower edge of wall 95

and cylindrical neck 97 whereby any leakage will flow to nozzle 30

rather than into the lower region of the pump body.

It will be readily apparent to a person skilled in the art that with

appropriate modifications as described, a commonly available and

inexpensive dispensing pump, otherwise quite unsuitable for use in an

inverted position with a viscous cosmetic liquid, surprisingly can

provide a reliable dispensing system with superior sealing against

leakage.

In operation, a user presses upwardly on hoods 34 to discharge

a finite volume of cosmetic substance onto the user's hand. As

shown in Fig. 2, the hoods 34 each have a forwardly directed recess

68 surrounding the free end of- a respective nozzle 30 to direct the

substance gently to the user's hand toward the palm region without

splash or splatter thereby maintaining the nozzles 30 and hoods 34

free from contamination. Hotel personnel can periodically inspect the

dispenser 30 via the apertures 32 to determine the level of cosmetic

substance 1 4 within each cartridge 22. When the level of a cosmetic

substance has fallen below the aperture 52, the dispenser can be

replenished by opening the cover 48, pulling the depleted cartridge 22

out to the cabinet 26, and snapping a new full cartridge 22 back into

the finger 32.

Cartridges 22 include a removable seal (not shown) for air vent

6 to prevent spillage or leakage during filling, transportation and

storage of filled cartridges. Typically the seal may comprise a

removable adhesive tape or a frangible protrusion formed during a

blow moulding process. Preferably the seal is formed by a small thin

walled nipple which may be cut or torn from the cartridge when it has

been inverted. The air vent makes such a cartridge difficult to refill via

the cartridge filler neck due to leakage in the upright position or via the

small air vent aperture due to the viscosity of the cosmetic liquids.

Sanitation standards are thus maintained by reducing the temptation

to try to refill the otherwise disposable container. Similarly there is no

temptation to steal the cartridge due to the risk of leakage from the air

vent 6. The hood 34 may also be removed, cleaned and re-attached

to the cabinet 26 if required. The dispenser 10 of the present

invention provides a sanitary and cost efficient means for dispensing

cosmetic substances.

Similarly, while certain preferred embodiments have been

described with reference to the accompanying drawings, it should be

understood that many modifications or variations may be made to the

invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof .

For example, instead of locating the cartridges 22 and their

attendant nozzle hoods 34 in the base 50 of cabinet 10, the cartridges

and hoods may be mounted in the pivotal cover 48.