US 7,731,103 B2Granted

Flowable product dispensing toy and methods of using the same

AssigneeTropical Ventures, LLC

InventorAlan B. Amron

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A dispensing system for dispensing a viscous, flowable product such, for example, as a spin-art paint solution, comprises an axially extending container that defines an opening and an interior chamber for receiving and storing the flowable product. A discharge assembly is coupled to the container, the discharge assembly being dimensioned and arranged to spin, relative to the container, as it receives the flowable product from the interior chamber. The spinning motion of the discharge assembly, which may be accompanied by a linear movement of the container itself relative to a target surface, allows the user to cleanly and evenly distribute the flowable material onto a target substrate in an attractive, curvilinear deposit pattern. Optionally, the discharge assembly may be configured with a pivoting nozzle that can be moved from a position for obtaining a helical (curvilinear) deposit pattern to a position for obtaining a rectilinear deposit pattern.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A discharge assembly for dispensing a flowable material disposed within an interior chamber of an axially extending container, the discharge assembly comprising:

a first section defining an interior cavity, said first section further defining
an inlet opening defined in a part of said first section and dimensioned and arranged to establish fluid communication between the interior cavity and the interior chamber, and
an outlet opening defined in said first section and dimensioned and arranged to allow material flowing under pressure to exit said interior cavity as a stream as said first section moves;
and
a second section securable to the container and defining an axial conduit for transfer of flowing material from within said interior chamber to within said interior cavity;
the part of said first section defining said inlet opening being rotatably mounted on one of said axial conduit and an axial extension connected to said axial conduit, said first section being dimensioned and arranged to rotate about said one of said axial conduit and said axial extension connected to said axial conduit, relative to the second section and to a container to which said second section is secured, while receiving flowing material from the interior chamber and to discharge received material from the outlet opening as the first section moves to form a discharge pattern.

3 more elements

A method of dispensing a flowable product from a container having a discharge assembly, the discharge assembly including a first section defining an interior cavity, said first section further defining an inlet opening defined in said first section and dimensioned and arranged to establish fluid communication between the interior cavity and an interior chamber of the container, and an outlet opening defined in said first section and dimensioned and arranged to allow material flowing under pressure to exit said interior cavity as a stream as said first section moves, and the discharge assembly further including a second section securable to the container and defining an axial conduit for transfer of flowing material from within said interior chamber to within said interior cavity, the part of said first section defining said inlet opening being rotatably mounted on one of the axial conduit and an axial extension connected to the axial conduit, the first section being dimensioned and arranged to rotate about the one of the axial conduit and the axial extension connected to the axial conduit, said method comprising the steps of:

initiating a flow of flowable material from a chamber of a container containing a flowable material toward the discharge assembly;
rotating the discharge assembly, relative to the container, while the material is being discharged via the exit orifice;
and
positioning the exit orifice relative to a target, during said moving step, to thereby direct a discharge pattern at the target.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/237,424Filed 28 Sep 2005 · continuation in part
Priority: 19 Sep 2005
Published: US 2007/0063069 A129 Mar 2007
Granted: 8 Jun 2010
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

B05B 3/0429
Comprising a liquid driven rotor, e.g. a turbine: the rotating outlet elements being directly attached to the rotor or being an integral part thereof
B05C 17/005
Hand tools or apparatus using hand held tools, for applying liquids or other fluent materials to, for spreading applied liquids or other fluent…:…
B05C 17/00516
Details of the outlet element: shape or geometry of the outlet orifice or the outlet element
B05B 9/0855
With a liquid pump: the pump being motor-driven

Family

Application11/230,143Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 19 Sep 2005
US 2007/0068963 A1Pre-grant publication · published 29 Mar 2007
US 7,374,069 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 2007/0063069 A1Published application
US 7,731,103 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.