Living Hinge Actuator
AssigneeAvon Products, Inc.
InventorSimon Nicholas Dutton
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention relates generally to a device for actuating a pump mechanism capable of expelling a flowable composition from a container reservoir. In particular, the actuation capability is derived from a living hinge which is constituted by an elastomeric region of the actuator. More specifically, the invention relates to a molded actuator having a button portion for pressing, a collar portion for securing to a container, and a living hinge portion formed of a material that is sufficiently pliable to allow movement of the button portion relative to the collar in a resilient manner.
Claims21
A pump actuator comprising:
- a button portion;
- a collar portion having a top end, a bottom end, and a continuous wall defining a lumen therein, the bottom end being optionally adapted to secure the actuator to a container comprising a pump in fluid communication with a reservoir containing a flowable material;
- and
- an elastomeric sleeve connecting said button portion to said collar portion;
- wherein said button portion, collar portion, and sleeve are formed from a single mold in a molded configuration in which the button portion is separated from the top end of said collar portion by said sleeve;
- wherein the actuator is capable of being configured in an assembled configuration wherein said sleeve collapses within said lumen to provide a living hinge;
- wherein said actuator, in the assembled configuration, is configured to be depressed by an actuating force applied from a user's fingers to said button portion to cause a valve of a pump to be opened, and said living hinge is sufficiently pliable to allow said button to be depressed within said lumen.
A package assembly for storing and discharging a flowable composition, wherein the assembly comprises:
- (a) a container comprising a reservoir for storing said composition;
- and an atmospheric pump mechanism for discharging said composition from said container;
- (b) an actuator for actuating said pump mechanism comprising a unitary structure formed from a single mold comprising an elastomeric material such that at least a portion of said actuator is sufficiently pliable to be deformed by force from a user's fingers such that the actuator may be depressed upon application of force from a user's fingers to activate said pump;
- and
- (c) optionally a flowable composition in said reservoir.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.