Moisture-sensitive pod dispenser and method
AssigneeSplash Innovations, LLC
InventorsMark Diker, Peter Steed, Stuart Harvey Lee, Michael Anthony Bambino, Jochen Rainer Schaepers
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention relates to dispensers for dispensing moisture-sensitive pods and methods of use therewith, and especially dispensers and methods for dispensing moisture-sensitive pods comprising personal care formulation.
Claims30
A dispenser for dispensing a plurality of moisture-sensitive pods containing personal care liquid or gel formulations, the dispenser comprising:
- a dispenser body comprising one or more water resistant walls and having an interior compartment configured to hold the plurality of moisture-sensitive pods therein;
- a dispenser outlet configured to dispense a moisture-sensitive pod from the interior compartment;
- and
- a valve disposed in between the interior compartment and the dispenser outlet, the valve serving as a moisture-inhibiting barrier and comprising one or more flexible panels,
- wherein the valve is configured to:
- (i) inhibit passage therethrough of the plurality of moisture-sensitive pods from the interior compartment to the dispenser outlet, and
- (ii) permit passage of a first moisture-sensitive pod from among the plurality of moisture-sensitive pods held in the interior compartment towards the dispenser outlet, upon acceleration of the first moisture-sensitive pod to exert a first force exceeding a predetermined level on the one or more flexible panels, thereby pushing the first moisture-sensitive pod through the one or more panels towards the dispenser outlet.
The dispenser according to any preceding claim, wherein the one or more flexible panels of the valve comprise an elastic modulus that is sufficiently high to resist passage of the plurality of the pods therethrough until the predetermined level of force is applied to the one or more panels of the valve to open the valve, and to return the one or more flexible panels to a closed state that inhibits the passage of the plurality of pods therethrough once the predetermined level of force on the one or more panels is released.
The dispenser according to any preceding claim, wherein the one or more flexible panels of the valve are biased towards a closed state of the valve that inhibits passage of the plurality of moisture-sensitive pods therethrough, and wherein application of the predetermined level of force on the one or more panels causes the one or more panels to bend and/or flex to temporarily transition the valve to an open state to permit passage of the first moisture-sensitive pod therethrough, the one or more flexible panels returning to the closed state upon release of the predetermined level of force.
The dispenser according to any preceding claim, wherein the first moisture-sensitive pod is accelerated to apply the predetermined level of pressure to the one or more panels by any one or more of shaking, agitating, tapping, flicking, whipping, and jiggling the dispenser by movement of a user's arm or wrist, so as to accelerate the first moisture sensitive pod in a direction towards the one or more panels of the valve.
The dispenser according to any preceding claim, further comprising a receiving chamber disposed between the valve and the dispenser outlet, the receiving chamber being configured to receive the first moisture-sensitive pod therein and maintain the pod in a substantially moisture-free environment until the first moisture-sensitive pod is dispensed through the dispenser outlet.
The dispenser according to any preceding claim, wherein the receiving chamber is sized and shaped to receive a single moisture-sensitive pod therein, and to exclude any further moisture-sensitive pod from occupying the receiving chamber.
The dispenser according to any preceding claim, wherein the receiving chamber is disposed with respect to the one or more flexible panels of the valve such that the presence of the first moisture-sensitive pod in the receiving chamber inhibits passage of the second moisture-sensitive pod through the valve, until the first moisture-sensitive pod has been dispensed through the dispenser outlet and out of the receiving chamber.
The dispenser according to any preceding claim, wherein the receiving chamber is disposed with respect to the one or more flexible panels of the valve, such that the presence of the first moisture-sensitive pod in the receiving chamber (i) physically blocks the one or more panels of the valve from bending and/or flexing to open the valve, and/or (ii) size-restricts further moisture-sensitive pods from occupying the chamber.
The dispenser according to any preceding claim, further comprising a pod funnel positioned upstream of the valve, and the pod funnel having funnel walls that are capable of receiving the first moisture-sensitive pod from the interior compartment and guiding and aligning the first moisture-sensitive pod to a predetermined position over the valve.
The dispenser according to any preceding claim, wherein the interior compartment optionally comprises a removable refill cartridge configured to hold the plurality of moisture-sensitive pods, that is made of an environmentally friendly material.
The dispenser according to any preceding claim, wherein the dispenser body comprises one or more water resistant walls forming a removable cover configured to at least partly surround the interior compartment, the removable cover being configured to be received by a base comprising the dispensing outlet.
The dispenser according to any preceding claim, wherein the valve comprises a plurality of inwardly extending panels that are affixed at a first end thereof to one or more interior walls of the dispenser, and having second free ends that converge at center region of the valve to form a valve aperture.
The dispenser according to any preceding claim, wherein the dispenser body comprises:
- first and second interior compartments each configured to hold a first plurality and a second plurality of moisture-sensitive pods therein, respectively;
- one or more dispenser outlets configured to dispense moisture-sensitive pods from the first interior compartment and the second interior department;
- a first valve disposed in between the first interior compartment and the one or more dispenser outlets, and a second valve disposed in between the second interior compartment and the one or more dispenser outlets, the first and second valves each comprising one or more flexible panels,
- wherein the first valve is configured to:
- (i) inhibit passage therethrough of the plurality of moisture-sensitive pods from the first interior compartment to the one or more dispenser outlets, and
- (ii) permit passage of a first moisture-sensitive pod from among the plurality of moisture-sensitive pods held in the first interior compartment towards the one or more dispenser outlets, upon acceleration of the first moisture-sensitive pod to exert a first force exceeding a first predetermined level on the one or more flexible panels, thereby pushing the first moisture-sensitive pod through the one or more panels towards the one or more dispenser outlets, and
- wherein the second valve is configured to:
- (iii) inhibit passage therethrough of the plurality of moisture-sensitive pods from the second interior compartment to the one or more dispenser outlets, and
- (ii) permit passage of a second moisture-sensitive pod from among the plurality of moisture-sensitive pods held in the second interior compartment towards the one or more dispenser outlets, upon acceleration of the second moisture-sensitive pod to exert a second first force exceeding a second predetermined level on the one or more flexible panels, thereby pushing the second moisture-sensitive pod through the one or more panels towards the one or more dispenser outlets.
A method of dispensing a moisture-sensitive pod containing a personal care liquid or gel formulation, the method comprising:
- providing a dispenser comprising:
- a dispenser body comprising one or more water resistant walls and having an interior compartment configured to hold the plurality of moisture-sensitive pods therein;
- a dispenser outlet configured to dispense a moisture-sensitive pod from the interior compartment;
- and
- a valve disposed in between the interior compartment and the dispenser outlet, the valve serving as a moisture-sensitive barrier and comprising one or more flexible panels,
- wherein the valve is configured to:
- (i) inhibit passage therethrough of the plurality of moisture-sensitive pods from the interior compartment to the dispenser outlet, and
- (ii) permit passage of a first moisture-sensitive pod from among the plurality of moisture-sensitive pods held in the interior compartment towards the dispenser outlet, upon acceleration of the first moisture-sensitive pod to exert a first force exceeding a predetermined level on the one or more flexible panels, thereby pushing the first moisture-sensitive pod through the one or more panels towards the dispenser outlet;
- performing an operation to move the dispenser such that the first moisture-sensitive pod is accelerated at the first force that exceeds the predetermined level to push the first moisture-sensitive pod through the one or more panels;
- and
- receiving the first moisture-sensitive pod from the dispenser outlet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.