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US 8,261,946 B2Granted
Dispensing device
AssigneeMcNeil-PPC, Inc.
InventorBradford S. Grant
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention relates to a portable liquid dispensing device. The present invention further relates to a dispensing device equipped with a cover member that covers and protects the nozzle to inhibit inadvertent or unintentional actuation. In addition, a button may be provided in a manner that further contributes to inhibiting inadvertent or unintentional actuation. The liquid dispensing device may be provided with an optional key holder.
Claims55
A dispensing device for a material to be activated by a user, said device comprising:
- a container for storing an amount of the material;
- a material dispensing assembly coupled to said container for dispensing an amount of the material through an orifice;
- a cover coupled to said container, said cover comprising a member provided above and covering said material dispensing assembly and having a front wall and a back wall each having a width defining the width of said member and spaced apart from each other a distance defining the thickness of said member;
- wherein:
- said member width is greater than said member thickness;
- an opening extends completely through said member, through said front wall and said back wall;
- said dispensing device has an inactive position in which said orifice is covered by said front wall of said member to block dispensing of the material, and an active position in which said orifice is unblocked and the material is free to be dispensed from said orifice to a user;
- said member extends above and covers said material dispensing assembly to form a protective guard against inadvertent unblocking of said orifice and activation of said material dispensing assembly to dispense material;
- and
- the user activates said material dispensing assembly by inserting a finger into the opening in a direction from said back wall to said front wall, moving the finger axially to uncover said orifice, and applying axial pressure to move said material dispensing assembly axially to dispense material.
7 more elements
A dispensing device for a user, said device comprising:
- a container for storing an amount of material;
- a pump assembly within said container and having a pump head movable with respect to said container to dispense the material from said container;
- a cover member coupled to said container and having a front wall and a back wall spaced apart from each other;
- and
- a button slidable from a resting position to a dispensing position within an opening in said cover member to contact said pump head of said pump assembly to move said pump head to dispense the material from said container through a first aperture in said front wall of said cover member, wherein said cover member extends above said button to form a protective guard against inadvertent movement of said button to said dispensing position;
- wherein:
- an opening sized for insertion of a user's finger therethrough extends through said front wall and said back wall of said cover member for insertion of a user's finger through said cover member to move said button to dispense the material from the container through said first aperture in said front wall of said cover member;
- and
- said button is moved from being out of operative contact with said pump head in said resting position to being in operative contact with said pump head in said dispensing position.
6 more elements
A dispensing device for a user, said device comprising:
- a container for storing an amount of material;
- a pump assembly within said container and having a pump head movable with respect to said container to dispense the material from said container through a pump nozzle;
- a cover member coupled to said container and having a front wall, a back wall spaced apart from said front wall, a first aperture defined in said front wall, and an opening extending through said front wall and said back wall and sized for insertion of a user's finger therethrough;
- and
- a button slidable from a resting position to a dispensing position within the opening of said cover member to contact said pump head of said pump assembly to move said pump head to dispense the material from said container, said button having a second aperture facing said front wall of said cover member and movable into and out with alignment with said pump nozzle.
2 more elements
A dispensing device for dispensing a material desired by a user, said device comprising:
- a dispensing assembly comprising:
- a container for storing the material;
- and
- a material transport mechanism for drawing the material out of said container and dispensing the material through a nozzle;
- a button having an aperture;
- and
- a spring provided between said button and said nozzle;
- wherein:
- said button is separate from said nozzle and selectively axially movable between (i) a first position in which said button is out of operative engagement with said nozzle and said button aperture is out of fluid communication with said nozzle;
- and (ii) a second position in which said button is in operative engagement with said nozzle and said button aperture is in fluid communication with said nozzle;
- said spring biases said button toward said first position;
- and
- said button and said nozzle are movable together to a third position in which said nozzle dispenses the material.
10 more elements
A dispensing device for dispensing a material desired by a user, said device comprising:
- a cover having an aperture;
- a dispensing assembly coupled to said cover, said dispensing assembly comprising:
- a container for storing the material;
- and
- a material transport mechanism for drawing the material out of said container and dispensing the material through a nozzle;
- and
- a button separate from said nozzle and selectively axially movable between (i) a first position in which said button is out of operative engagement with said nozzle;
- and (ii) a second position in which said button is in operative engagement with said nozzle;
- wherein:
- said cover further comprises a front wall, a back wall spaced apart from said front wall, and an opening extending through said front wall and said back wall;
- said aperture is formed in said front wall of said cover;
- said opening is sized to allow a user to insert a finger into said opening;
- and
- said material transport mechanism is actuated by the user's finger being inserted into said opening and applying pressure to said material transport mechanism to dispense material through said aperture in said cover.
11 more elements
A portable dispenser for dispensing a material, said dispenser comprising:
- a container for storing the material;
- a material transport mechanism coupled to said container for dispensing the material from said container through a dispensing opening in said material transport mechanism, wherein said material transport mechanism is moveable from a first position to a second position;
- a housing coupled to said container, the housing enclosing said dispensing opening;
- a button provided between said housing and said dispensing opening and having an aperture through which the material passes when said material transport mechanism is activated by a user;
- and
- a spring provided between said button and said material transport mechanism;
- wherein:
- said housing covers said dispensing opening in said first position, and said housing does not cover said dispensing opening in said second position;
- said button aperture and said dispensing opening are movable into and out of fluid communication with each other;
- and
- said spring biases said button into a position in which said button aperture and said dispensing opening are out of fluid communication with each other.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.