BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Technical Field

The invention relates to a portable refillable liquid dispenser accessory, in particular to a liquid-filling delivery tube adaptor.

Description of Related Art

Refillable liquid receptacles for perfume or other liquids available on the market can be filled with liquid after running out of the liquid therein. A mouth of a reserve bottle, which is filled with the liquid, may be equipped with a liquid-filling delivery tube. The liquid in the reserve bottle may enter the refillable liquid bottle via the delivery tube by manipulating the reserve bottle. However, some reserve bottles have a disadvantage that the delivery tubes are short and small or a reserve bottle pump for the liquid is small in stroke, so when the portable refillable liquid bottle is recharged, the reserve bottles are susceptible to leakage or it is difficult to refill the refillable liquid dispenser, which wastes resources or is impractical.

One objective is thus to provide a liquid-filling delivery tube adaptor for a portable refillable liquid dispenser that has good sealing property, compact structure, and is applicable to reserve bottles with various delivery tubes.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore provided in accordance with a preferred embodiment, an adaptor for a portable refillable fluid dispenser, the adaptor comprising:

a jacket comprising an upper compartment;

an adaptor sealing element having a sealing-element channel passing therethrough , a column having a column channel passing therethrough in essentially leak-free fluid communication with the sealing-element channel,

wherein the adaptor is configured to allow extension of the column from a resting position into the upper compartment, up to a desired predetermined extended position, and restoration of the column from the desired position to the resting position.

Furthermore and in accordance with another preferred embodiment, the adaptor further comprising a resilient element configured to restore the column from an extended position to the resting position.

Furthermore and in accordance with another preferred embodiment, the adaptor further comprising:

a sleeve having a lower rim;

a lower compartment and an upper rim provided in said jacket wherein the sleeve is held fast within the lower compartment and wherein the upper rim shared between the lower compartment and the upper compartment and defining a nozzle opening within the jacket; a column base and a column nozzle provided to the column and wherein the resilient element is held within the sleeve, and between the upper rim and the column base and wherein the column base is held within the sleeve, and between the resilient element and the sealing element and wherein the sealing element is held between the column base and the lower rim and the nozzle opening is sized to allow the column nozzle of the pushed column to extend therethrough into the upper compartment, and the distance between the upper rim and the column base determining the desired position.

Furthermore and in accordance with another preferred embodiment, the adaptor further comprising a flexible fold coupling between the column and the jacket, wherein the flexible fold allows the column to extend into the upper compartment, and limiting said extension beyond a desired predetermined position.

Furthermore and in accordance with another preferred embodiment, the adaptor wherein the column comprises a port into which said seal is installed.

Furthermore and in accordance with another preferred embodiment, the adaptor the jacket further comprises:

a lower compartment having a lower rim and an upper rim, wherein said upper rim is shared between the lower compartment and the upper compartment and defining a nozzle opening;

a column base and a column nozzle is provided in the column wherein the column base is held within the lower compartment between the lower rim and the upper rim, and wherein said nozzle opening is sized to allow the column nozzle of the pushed column to extend therethrough into the upper compartment, and the distance between the upper rim and the column base determining the desired position.

Furthermore and in accordance with another preferred embodiment, the adaptor wherein the jacket further comprises:

a lower compartment and an upper rim wherein the upper rim is shared between the lower compartment and the upper compartment defining a nozzle opening within the jacket; a column base, a column nozzle, and a column extension provided to the column wherein the column extension is capable of jutting out of the jacket when the extension is not pushed;

a port into which said seal is installed is provided to the extension,

wherein the nozzle opening is sized to allow the column nozzle of the pushed column to extend therethrough into the upper compartment, and the distance between the upper rim and the column base determines the desired position.

Furthermore and in accordance with another preferred embodiment, the adaptor further comprising a sleeve having a lower rim, wherein the lower rim defines an extension opening and is held fast within the lower compartment;

wherein the column base is held within the sleeve positioned between the upper rim and the lower rim;

and wherein the extension opening is sized to allow the column extension when not pushed to extend therethrough out of the jacket.

It is therefore also provided in accordance with yet another preferred embodiment a kit comprising:

an adaptor as disclosed herein before;

a reserve bottle comprising a delivering mechanism having a delivery tube, and a refillable dispenser comprising a refill mechanism and a dispensing mechanism, wherein the adaptor is configured to cooperate with the delivery tube and the refill mechanism to allow essentially leak-less transfer of fluid from the reserve bottle to the refillable dispenser.

Furthermore and in accordance with another preferred embodiment, the adaptor wherein the reserve bottle comprises fluid, and wherein the extension of the column is sufficiently long to allow displacement of the refill mechanism, such that when the adaptor and the reserve bottle are pushed against each other and the dispenser is pushed onto the adaptor, fluid passes from the reserve bottle to the dispenser.

Furthermore and in accordance with another preferred embodiment, the adaptor the sealing element comprises a ring having an outer diameter and an inner diameter, and the delivery tube has an outer diameter larger than the inner diameter of the ring and smaller than or equal to the outer diameter of the ring. Furthermore and in accordance with another preferred embodiment, the adaptor the column comprises a nozzle with an outer diameter and the refill mechanism comprises a port, and wherein the port has a dispenser sealing ring with an inner diameter and an outer diameter, and wherein the outer diameter of the nozzle is larger than the inner diameter of the dispenser ring and smaller or equal to the outer diameter of the dispenser ring.

B RIEF D ES C RIPTI ON O F THE DRAW IN GS

Exemplary embodiments are described in the following section with respect to the drawings.

The same reference numbers are used to designate the same or related features on different drawings. The drawings are generally not drawn to scale. The invention is herein described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings. With specific reference now to the drawings in detail, it is stressed that the particulars shown are by way of example and for purposes of merely illustrative discussion of preferred embodiments, and are presented in the cause of providing what is believed to be the most useful and readily understood description of principles and conceptual aspects of the invention. In this regard, no attempt is made to show structural details in more detail than is necessary for a fundamental understanding of the invention, the description taken with the drawings making apparent to those skilled in the art how the several forms of the invention may be embodied in practice.

Fig. la depicts a section through a refillable receptacle exemplified as a refillable spray-bottle;

Fig. lb is an enlarged view of the bottom portion of the spray-bottle shown in Fig. la; Fig. 2 schematically illustrates a reserve bottle;

Fig. 3a shows a refill mechanism in refillable receptacle and an adjacent tube of a reserve bottle;

Fig 3b shows the tube and refill mechanism of Figure 3a pushed together;

Fig. 4a shows in sectional view an adaptor embodiment in a resting position;

Fig. 4b shows the adaptor presented in Fig. 4a, in a pushed position.

Fig. 5 shows an adaptor embodiment coupled to a refill cartridge and a reserve bottle;

Fig. 6 is an exploded view of the adaptor in Fig. 5 ;

Fig. 7 depicts another adaptor embodiment, which comprises resilient means, and Fig. 8 shows an adaptor comprising a fold. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description is of the best presently contemplated modes of carrying out the present invention. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles in accordance with the present invention. The scope of the present invention is best defined by the appended claims. For clarity, non-essential elements may have been omitted from some of the drawings. As used herein, an element or step recited in the singular and proceeded with the word "a" or "an" should be understood as not excluding plural elements or steps, unless such exclusion is explicitly recited.

Further reference will now be made to the drawings, wherein exemplary embodiments of the present claimed invention are illustrated.

According to one aspect, an adaptor for a portable refiUable liquid bottle is provided.

Reference is now made to Fig. la which shows a section through an exemplary refiUable receptacle, a refiUable spray-bottle, acting as a cartridge, with a refill mechanism, and Figure lb, showing an expanded view of the refill mechanism.

The fluid cartridge 100 includes a fluid chamber 120, an applicator 140 in an upper portion 101 and a filling mechanism 110 in a bottom portion 102. The bottom portion 102 has a bottom 125 with an invagination 128, forming a space in which the filling mechanism 110 is held.

The filling mechanism 110 is configured to enable the supply of fluid to be replenished when necessary. As shown in Figure lb, a holder 114 has a channel 112 in communication with the exterior of the dispenser and configured to communicate with chamber 120 when the filling mechanism is manipulated as will be shown below. The holder 114 is assembled together with a flexible seal-ring 119b such as an O-ring and a spring 116, and inserted into an invagination 128 at the bottom portion. A further seal 119a is then installed into a filling port 127 of holder 114 and sealing ring 119c is installed onto the holder 114 to complete the filling mechanism 110.

Reference is now made to Fig. 2 which is a schematic representation of a reserve bottle 200. The bottle 200 includes a fluid reservoir 220 and a delivery mechanism 210. The fluid reservoir 220 provides an auxiliary supply of fluid 122 which is normally larger than is convenient to store within a fluid cartridge. The fluid reservoir 220 may be used to replenish the fluid supply carried by the cartridge 100, for example, such as required when the chamber 120 is empty The fluid 122 may be drawn from the fluid reservoir 220 by the delivery mechanism 210 which is coupled with the refill mechanism of a fluid cartridge such as in the spray bottle described hereinabove in relation to Fig. la.

The delivery mechanism 210 of the bottle 200 comprises a delivery tube 212 and a pump 214. The first end 216 of the delivery tube 212 is typically in fluid communication with the fluid reservoir 220 and the second end 218 of the delivery tube 212 may be configured to be allowed to push against the filling mechanism and to open the refill mechanism as will be further shown and explained below.

The pump 214 is configured to draw fluid 122 through the delivery tube 212. Accordingly, when the bottle 200 is coupled to the fluid cartridge 100, a fluid such as ink or cosmetic liquid 122, as an example, may be drawn from the reservoir 220 and into the chamber 120. Typically, the pump 214 includes a springed mechanism or the like adapted to pump liquid.

Figures 3a and 3b show introduction of the delivery tube 212 to a similar dispenser 100'. End 218 of tube 212 and refill mechanism 110 are pushed against each other as shown in Figure 3b, which causes activation of pump 214 and dispensation of fluid 122 from the bottle 200 as well as displacement of the refill mechanism, such that the channel 112 of the holder 114 is in communication with the chamber 120'.

Preferably, during filling of the dispenser 100', leakage of fluid at the area of contact of the end 218 of the tube 212 with the filling mechanism 110 is minimal. This may be achieved, for example, by the end 218 of the tube 212 having an external diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of the port 127, and the sealing ring 119a being for example of an elastomeric material, so that the following occur: 1. The delivery tube tip 218 is pushed against, or is inserted into the sealing ring and thus sealing the tube tip 218; 2. The tube tip is snugly held in or against the port 217 so that it is stably held in the dispenser 100' while refilling.

However, reserve bottles and refillable cartridges come in various shapes and sizes, in particular their delivery tubes and refill mechanisms may greatly vary. Therefore, in general, there is a mismatch of the parts such that coupling a delivery tube to a refill mechanism is not convenient, efficient and/or leak-proof.

Accordingly, an adaptor of a portable refillable liquid dispenser is provided to enable a leak proof refilling of various dispensers by various refill bottles.

An adaptor for a portable refillable fluid dispenser is provided, the adaptor comprising:

a jacket comprising an upper chamber;

a sealing element having a sealing element channel passing therethrough, a column having a column channel passing therethrough in essentially leak-free fluid communication with the sealing element channel,

a coupling between the column and the jacket,

the coupling configured to allow pushing the column from a resting position into the upper chamber, up to a desired extent, and restoring the column to the resting position.

Two adaptor embodiments are shown in figures 4a, 4b and 5. Cylindrical adaptors 1000 and 2000, each comprise three major parts: a jacket 1010/2010, a hollow liquid guiding column 1020/2020, and a sealing ring 1030/2030 respectively. Figure 5 also shows refill cartridge 100 and reserve bottle 200. The adaptor 1000 shown in Figure 4a cooperates with a refill cartridge and a reserve bottle (for example hereinbelow cartridge 100 and bottle 200) similarly to the cooperation shown in Figure 5.

The jacket 1010 is made of two compartments: lower compartment 1015a and upper compartment 1015b; lower compartment 1015a has lower wall 1011a surrounding cavity 1016a, upper compartment 1015b has upper wall 1011b surrounding cavity 1016b. Jacket 1010 also comprises a lower rim 1070a and an upper rim 1070b, each extending from lower wall 1011a into the jacket 1010. Lower rim 1070a defines tube opening 1013a of lower compartment 1015a, and upper rim 1070b defines nozzle opening 1013b shared by lower compartment 1015a and upper compartment 1051b. The jacket 1010 also has a dispenser access hole 1013c through which the bottom portion 102 of the cartridge 100 (not shown in the figure) is introduced into the jacket 1010.

The liquid guiding column 1020 comprises a base 1024 and above the base 1024 is connected a nozzle 1025. The base 1024 has a diameter larger than the diameters of the tube opening 1013a and the nozzle opening 1013b, but smaller than the inner diameter of the lower compartment 1015a, and the nozzle 1025 has a diameter smaller than the diameter of the nozzle opening 1013b, such that the column is held within the lower compartment 1015a and the nozzle 1025 can be pushed up out of the lower compartment 1015a from resting position 1029a, Figure 4a, and a desired extent into the upper compartment 1015b to position 1029b, Figure 4b. The positions are indicated by a dash line. The desired extent is determined by the distance between the base 1024 and the upper rim 1070b.

The column 1020 has a hole 1026 passing therethrough and continuous with a hole 1040 of seal ring 1030 positioned between the column 1020 and the lower rim 1070. The column 1020 is held in the cavity 1016a in between upper rim 1070a and lower rim 1070b, but is capable of sliding up in the lower compartment 1015a when end 218 of delivery tube 212 is pushed from below the column 1020. However, as a safety feature, the liquid guiding column 1020 is down when the end 218 is not pushing the column. Thus, when the adaptor 1000 is pushed against a reserve bottle 200 and then a refillable dispenser bottom 102 is fully inserted into the jacket 1010, liquid can be transferred from the reserve bottle 200 to the cartridge 100, whereas when the reserve bottle 200 is no longer in contact with the adaptor 1000, even when the adaptor 1000 is coupled to the dispenser cartridge 100, liquid cannot unintentionally escape from the cartridge 100.

In some embodiments the nozzle 1025 of the column 1020 or the displacement of the pushed nozzle 1025 should be sufficiently long to allow displacement of the refill mechanism 110 or parts thereof, such that when the adaptor 1000 and the reserve bottle 200 are pushed against each other and the dispenser is pushed onto the adaptor 1000, liquid passes from the reserve bottle to the cartridge 100. In particular to the dispenser shown in Figures 3a and 3b, if the nozzle 1025 or its displacement is too short, channel outlet 113 from holder 114 will not be in communication with the liquid chamber 120 and the refilling will fail. In preferred embodiments, the nozzle 1025 or its displacement will not be substantially longer than required to allow the refilling to be performed, i.e. such that the coupling between the adaptor 1000 and the dispenser will be snug (if the nozzle is too long it might bend; and the bottom 125 of the cartridge 100 will not contact and be supported by the jacket 1010. The outer diameter of the nozzle 1025 should be substantially larger than the diameter of the channel 112 of the refill mechanism 110, and should be smaller or equal to the outer diameter of port 127 or seal 119a (the parts of the cartridge are not shown in Figure 4a and 4b).

The outer diameter of the adaptor seal 1030 should be larger than the diameter of the tube opening 1013a, and smaller or equal to the inner diameter of the lower compartment 1015a. Preferably, the diameter of the tube opening 1013a is larger than the outer diameter of the tube end of the reserve bottle to which it is coupled, to allow contact of the tube end with the seal 1030. Preferably, the seal 1030 is a ring having an inner diameter and an outer diameter. The outer diameter of the tube end is larger than the inner diameter and smaller than the outer diameter of the ring.

As mentioned herein before, adaptor 1000 may be coupled to a reserve bottle and a dispenser. To fulfill the purpose of a firm and effective coupling, various additional features of the adaptor 1000 preferably match features on a dispenser and a bottle. For example, on the cartridge and the bottle, upper compartment 1015b is preferably sized to hold the dispenser bottom 102 in place. In particular, the diameter of access hole 1013c is slightly larger than the diameter of the dispenser bottom 102 and/or the height of the upper compartment 1015b is at least 10% of the height of the cartridge 100, more preferably at least 20%.

The jacket 1010 or at least the rim 1070a or 1070b is sufficiently flexible to allow forcing the column 1020 inside the cavity 1016a. In some embodiments the jacket is made of a material that softens at an elevated temperature so as to allow more easily putting the column into the cavity 1016a. Preferably, the diameter of the base 1024 is only slightly larger than the diameter of hole 1013a or 1013b to allow introduction of the column 1020 with minimal warping of the jacket 1010 and use of force.

In some embodiments, a kit comprising an adaptor and a dispenser is provided. The adaptor may be designed to fit various commercially available reserve bottles. Some kits may comprise more various adaptors of different sizes and shapes, each configured to fit onto a commercially available reserve bottle (for example a common perfume bottle). Some kits may provide a custom reserve bottle and matching adaptor, as well as additional different adaptors, thereby allowing maximum flexibility of refilling the refillable cartridge from either the custom bottle or a commercial bottle, according to need.

Turning now in details to the adaptor 2000 shown in Figures 5 and 6. The adaptor 2000 shares most of the features of the adaptor 1000 shown in Figure 4. However, the column 2020 additionally comprises a cylindrical column extension 2023 that juts out of the lower compartment 2011 a, at least when the extension 1023 is not pushed against a tube end. The extension comprises a port 2027 into which seal 2030 is installed. Note that whereas in adaptor 1000 the outer diameter of the adaptor seal 2030 should be larger than the diameter of the tube opening 1013a, in the adaptor 2000, the outer diameter of the adaptor seal 2030 should be about equal to the diameter of the port 2027 so as to allow the seal 2030 to be installed into cylindrical port 2027 and firmly held therein.

To assemble the adaptor, the column 2020 is held inside a sleeve 2050, and the sleeve 2050 with the held column 2020 is inserted into the lower compartment 2011a: The sleeve 2050 has a rim 2052 extending inwards and the column has a base 2024 with a diameter larger than the rim 2052 and smaller than the inner diameter of the sleeve 2050. The compartment 2011a has an upper rim 2070b extending inwards to hold the column 2020 but does not have a bottom rim extending inwards; the compartment 2011a has an inner diameter that is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the sleeve 2050, so that the sleeve 2050 is held fast in the lower compartment 2011a. The upper rim 2070b has a diameter larger than the diameter of nozzle 2025 to let the nozzle 2025 open into upper compartment 2011b, and smaller than the diameter of base 2024 to keep column 2020 inside the lower compartment 2011 a.

In preferred embodiments having the structure such as kit 2000 described above, the diameter of the extension 2023 is larger than the outer diameter of the tube end 218 of the reserve bottle 200 to which it is coupled, to allow contact of the tube end 218 with the seal 2030.

Some embodiments further comprise a resilient element; such an embodiment 3000 shown in Figure 7. The adaptor 3000 is resembles the adaptors 1000 and 2000 described above, but additionally comprises spring 3060 positioned between the upper rim 3070b and the base 3024 of the column 3020. The resilient element may help to return the column to resting position and prevent accidental leak of fluid during filling manipulations.

As in the adaptor embodiment 1000 shown in Figures 4a and 4b in the embodiments 2000 and 3000, the distance between the upper rim and the column base determines the desired position.

Yet another embodiment 4000 is depicted in Figure 8 that further comprises a flexible or resilient fold 4082. The jacket 4010 comprises a horizontal part 4080a and a vertical part 4080b. In this embodiment 4000, the column 4020 and the jacket 4010 are one-piece, the column 4020 being connected to the horizontal part 4080a. In pushing the column 4020 upwards, the flexible fold 4082 changes shape to allow the column 4020 to rise. The flexible fold 4082 is preferably part of the horizontal part 4080a of the jacket 4010 to best allow the fold to change shape to accommodate the rising of the column 4020 relative to the jacket 4010. The fold 4082 is preferably configured, i.e. sufficiently long, to allow a desired extension of the column 4020 and limit any further extension. In some embodiments, the jacket and column are fixed or fused to each other. In others, they are prepared as one piece from a mold, e.g., by mold injection or vacuum forming. The jacket may be made of the same flexible material that the column is made of, or from a different material.

In some embodiments, a nozzle may be part of the refill mechanism of the dispenser and a matching female part may be part of the adaptor, to achieve similar cooperation.

Although the embodiments described above are generally cylindrical, other embodiments are not cylindrical, or some kits may comprise some components that are cylindrical and some that are not. Such embodiments have basically the same structure and function mutatis mutandis in the same way as well.