WO1999042016A1

WO1999042016A1 - Applicator for dispensing material

Info

Publication number: WO1999042016A1
Application number: PCT/US1999/001033
Authority: WO
Inventors: Robert T. Wright; Christopher P. Orem
Original assignee: Binney and Smith Inc
Current assignee: Binney and Smith Inc
Priority date: 1998-02-20
Filing date: 1999-01-15
Publication date: 1999-08-26
Anticipated expiration: 2000-08-20
Also published as: CA2237861A1; AU2234499A

Abstract

An applicator is provided for dispensing material. The applicator includes a hollow member (110) having first (111) and second ends (112), a material disposed within the hollow member, a knob (130) rotatably attached to the first end of the hollow member, and a carriage structure (150) which threadably engages a threaded shaft portion (138) of the knob and carries the material. When the knob is rotated, the carriage structure linearly advances or retracts the material relative to the second end of the hollow member. The applicator also includes a cap (160) which is removably attachable to both the second end of the hollow member and to the knob. In one embodiment of the applicator, the cap includes a wide base portion. In another embodiment of the applicator, the knob includes a wide base portion. In either embodiment, the wide base portion enables the hollow member to be placed in a substantially vertical position upon an external object in a stable manner.

Description

- 1 -

APPLICATOR FOR DISPENSING MATERIAL

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to applicators for dispensing material and, more particularly, to an applicator which dispenses a material in an extendible and retractable manner.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Various applicators for dispensing adhesive material are known in the art. One such applicator includes a stick of adhesive material which is extendibly and retractably disposed within a barrel and a cap which is removably attached to the barrel to permit selective exposure and concealment of the adhesive stick. Such applicators, however, suffer from noted deficiencies including, for example, a propensity to misplace or lose the cap once it has been removed from the barrel and an inability to place the barrel in a substantially vertical yet stable position upon an external surface. In addition, once the cap of such applicators has been misplaced or lost, the adhesive stick is susceptible to drying and/or hardening, and will become unusable.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, a general object of the present invention is to provide an applicator which overcomes the above-identified deficiencies of the prior art.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an applicator having a removable cap which is less susceptible to misplacement and loss. - 2 -

A related object of the present invention is to provide an applicator having a removable cap which may be installed onto or within a knob of the applicator to alleviate its misplacement and loss.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an applicator which may be placed in a substantially vertical yet stable position upon an external surface.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide an applicator having the foregoing characteristics which is relatively simple and economical in construction, and which lends itself to reliable operation and use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with these and other objects of the present invention, an applicator is provided for dispensing material. The inventive applicator includes a hollow member having first and second ends, a material disposed within the hollow member, a knob rotatably attached to the first end of the hollow member, and a carriage structure which threadably engages a threaded shaft portion of the knob and carries the material. When the knob is rotated, the carriage structure linearly advances or retracts the material relative to the second end of the hollow member. The inventive applicator also includes a cap which is removably attachable to both the second end of the hollow member and to the knob.

In one embodiment of the applicator, the cap includes a wide base portion. In another embodiment of the applicator, the knob includes a wide base portion. In either embodiment, the wide base portion of the cap or the knob enables the applicator to be placed in a substantially vertical position upon an external object in a stable manner.

These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent upon reading the following detailed description of the illustrated embodiments, and upon reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of an applicator constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view;

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view, showing the cap of the applicator removed to expose the material in the applicator and the cap is installed onto the knob of the applicator;

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of the cap; FIG. 8 is an enlarged perspective view of the knob;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the applicator;

FIG. 10 is a side elevational view of the applicator in FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a top plan view of the applicator in FIG. 9;

FIG. 12 is a bottom plan view of the applicator in FIG. 9;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the applicator in FIG. 9, showing a cap of the applicator removed and further showing the removed cap installed within a knob of the applicator;

FIG. 14 is an exploded perspective view of the applicator in FIG. 9; and

FIG. 15 is an inverted perspective view of the knob and cap of the applicator in FIG. 9.

While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative constructions, certain illustrated embodiments thereof has been shown in the drawings and will be described in detail below. It should be understood, however, that there is no intention to limit the present invention to the disclosed structural forms. On the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents that fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS Turning now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIGS. 1-8, a first embodiment of an applicator embodying the present invention is generally designated by reference numeral 100. The applicator 100 comprises a hollow, tube- shaped, member or barrel 110 having opposed first and second ends 111 and 112 and a material 1-20 disposed within the hollow member 110. The applicator 100 further includes a knob 130 which is rotatably attached to the first end 111 of the hollow member 110 and a carriage structure 150 which carries the material 120. In one embodiment the material 120 may be an adhesive material and thus, the applicator is a glue stick applicator. In other embodiments, the material may be paint, lipstick, and lip balm.

As shown in FIG. 6, the knob 130 includes an end portion 132, a retaining portion 137 and a shaft portion 138. Specifically, the generally cylindrical end portion 132 projects outwardly from the first end 111 of the hollow member 110. The intermediate retaining portion 137 engages a slot 113 formed near the first end 111 of the hollow member 110 to rotatably attach the knob 130 thereto. The threaded shaft portion 138 threadably engages the carriage structure 150 and pliantly projects at least partially through the material 120. Thus, when the knob 130 is rotated during usage of the applicator

100, the carriage structure 150 and the supported 120 move linearly with respect to the second end 112 of the hollow member 110. In order to save material, the end portion 132 of the knob 130 may also have a void 133 formed therein, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 8.

In keeping with an important aspect of the present invention, the applicator 100 also includes a cap 160 which is removably attachable to either end thereof. More specifically, the cap 160 is removably attachable to either the second end 112 of the hollow member 110, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4, or to the end portion 132 of the knob 130, as, shown in FIG. 5. To this end, the cap

160 includes a generally central aperture 172, as shown in FIG. 7, which is sized to removably receive both the second end 112 of the hollow member 110 and the end portion 132 of the knob 130. Thus, when the applicator 100 is in usage, the cap 160 may be conveniently installed around the end portion 132 of the knob 130, as shown in FIG. 6, to expose the material 120. Conversely, when the applicator 100 is not in usage, the cap 160 may be conveniently installed around the second end 112 of the hollow member 110 to prevent the drying of the material 120. In either event, the cap 160 of the inventive applicator 100 is less susceptible to misplacement and loss .

In order to prevent relative rotational movement between the cap 160 and the knob 130 when these two components are removably joined together, the aperture 172 of the cap 160 includes a pair of opposed protuberances 174, as shown in FIG. 7, which interact with linear slots 134 disposed around the outer periphery of the knob 130. Specifically, when the cap 160 is installed onto the end portion 132 of the knob 130, the opposed protuberances 174 of the cap 160 are tightly received by opposed linear - 7 - slots 134 of the knob 130. Due to this construction, the cap 160 may be conveniently installed onto the end portion 132 of the knob 130 and then rotated in conjunction therewith to advance or retract the material 120 relative to the second end 112 of the hollow member 110.

The aperture 172 of the cap 160 is also provided with a generally circular ridge 176, as shown in FIG. 7. The ridge 176 interacts with a generally circular ridge 116 formed near the second end 112 of the hollow member 110, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, to provide a convenient snap- fit interface between the cap 160 and the hollow member 110. Thus, when the cap 160 is installed onto the second end 112 of the hollow member 110, the generally circular ridge 176 of the cap 160 engages the generally circular ridge 116 of the hollow member 110 to keep the cap 160 attached to the second end 112 of the hollow member 110. Of course, the cap 160 may be removed from the second end 112 of the hollow member 110 simply by applying a sufficient pulling force thereto.

In keeping with an another important aspect of the present invention, the cap 160 is also provided with a wide base portion 162. The base portion 162 enables the applicator 100 to be placed in a substantially vertical position upon an external surface, such as a desk or the like, when the cap 160 is attached to either end of the applicator 100. The cap 160 also includes a narrow neck portion 166, opposite the wide base portion 162, and an intermediate portion 164 between the base portion 162 and the neck portion 166. In the illustrated embodiment, the wide base portion 162 of the cap 160 has a generally cylindrical outer configuration and the intermediate portion 164 of the cap 160 has a generally conic outer configuration. The generally central aperture 172 of the cap 160 extends inwardly from the narrow neck portion 166. On account of this construction, the applicator 100 may be stably placed in a substantially vertical position when the cap 160 is installed onto either the second end 112 of the member 110, as shown in FIG. 1, or onto the end portion 132 of the knob 130, as shown in FIG. 5. In the embodiments, the knob may have other shapes or configurations and the base portion is wider than the member 110 to provide stability in the vertical position.

Referring to FIG. 2, the width 168 of the member 110 and the width 170 of the base portion 162 may have the dimensions indicated below. The applicator may be available in two sizes. One applicator may contain .29 weight ounces (8 grams) of material and the second applicator may contain .88 weight ounces (25 grams) of material .

Parameter Range (inches) Preferred (inches)

.29 ounces .88 ounce (8 grams) (25 grams)

168 .5 - 1.5 .78 1.06

170 1.0 - 3.0 1.50 1.88

The ratio of the width 168 of the member 110 to the width 170 of the base portion 162 is in the range of 1:1.5 to 1 : 4 and the preferred ratio is approximately 1:2.

The cap 160 also includes a plurality of interior ribs 178 which provide additional structural rigidity thereto. As shown in FIGS. 3, 5 and 7, these ribs 178 extend between the generally central aperture 172 of the cap 160 and both the wide base portion 162 and the intermediate conical portion 164 of the cap 160. A plurality of spaced-apart grooves or notches 179 are also formed in and around the outer periphery of the cap 160, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 5-7, so that the cap 160 may be more easily gripped and rotated.

As shown in FIG. 6, the carriage structure 150 includes a platform surface 152, a threaded slot 153 and a side wall 154. The generally circular platform surface 152 supports the lower end of the material 120. The interior threaded slot 153 formed through the platform surface 152 threadably receives the threaded shaft portion 138 of the knob 130. The upstanding side wall 154 partially surrounds the lower end of the material 120. In order to prevent relative rotation between the carriage structure 150 and the hollow member 110 during operation of the knob 130, a pair of opposed slots 155 are formed in the upstanding side wall 154 which interact with a pair of longitudinal ridges 115 formed on an interior surface 114 of the hollow member 110. Thus, when the knob 130 is turned in either a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction, the slots 155 of the carriage structure 150 interact with the longitudinal ridges 115 of the hollow member 110 to prevent the carriage structure 150 and the supported material 120 from rotating with respect to hollow member 110.

Although other materials are permissible and would certainly fall within the scope and spirit of the present invention, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the hollow member 110, the knob 130, the carriage - 10 - structure 150, and the cap 160 of this first embodiment of the applicator 100 may all be formed of plastic material, such as polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene, or the like. In addition, the material 120 may be formed of a viscous and pliable substance. The material 120 may be an adhesive, paint, lipstick, lip balm, or the like.

A second embodiment of the inventive applicator 200 is shown in FIGS. 9-15. In this embodiment, the applicator 200 comprises a hollow, tube-shaped, member or barrel 210 having opposed first and second ends 211 and 212, a material 220 disposed within the hollow member 210, a knob 230 rotatably attached to the first end 211 of the hollow member 210, and a carriage structure 250 which carries the material 220. Like the first embodiment, the knob 230 includes a threaded shaft portion 238 which projects into the hollow member 210, threadably engages the carriage structure 250, and projects at least partially through the material 220. The knob 230 also includes an intermediate retaining portion 237 which engages a slot 213 formed near the first end 211 of the hollow member 210 to rotatably attached the knob 230 thereto. Thus, when the knob 230 is rotated, the carriage structure 250 and the supported material 220 move linearly with respect to the second end 212 of the hollow member 210.

In keeping with an important aspect of the present invention, the second embodiment of the applicator 200 also includes a cap 260 which is removably attachable to either end thereof. In the illustrated embodiment, the cap 260 has a generally cylindrical outer configuration and is removably attachable to either the second end 212 - 11 - of the hollow member 210, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, or within the knob 230, as shown in FIG. 13. The knob 230 includes a generally central aperture 242, as shown in FIG. 15, which is sized to removably receive the cap 260. Thus, when the applicator 200 is being used, the cap 260 may be conveniently installed within the generally central aperture 242 of the knob 230, as shown in FIG. 13, to expose the material 220. On the other hand, when the applicator 200 is not being used, a generally central opening 262 of the cap 260 may be conveniently installed around the second end 212 of the hollow member 210, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, to prevent the drying of the material 220. In this way, the cap 260 of the inventive applicator 200 is less susceptible to misplacement and loss.

In order to prevent relative rotational movement between the knob 230 and the cap 260 when these two components are removably joined together, the generally central aperture 242 of the knob 230 includes a pair of opposed protuberances 244, as shown in FIG. 15. The protuberances 244 interact with linear slots 264 disposed around the outer periphery of the cap 260. When the cap 260 is installed within the aperture 242 of the knob 230, the opposed protuberances 244 of the knob 230 are tightly received by opposed linear slots 264 of the cap 260. Once the cap 260 has been installed within the generally central aperture 242 of the knob 230, the cap 260 and knob 230 may then be rotated as a unit to advance or retract the material 220 with respect to the second end 212 of the member 210.

The central opening 262 of the cap 260 is also - 12 - provided with a generally circular ridge 263, as shown in FIG. 15. The ridge 263 interacts with a generally circular ridge 216 formed near the second end 212 of the member 210, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, to provide a convenient snap-fit interface between the cap 260 and the member 210. Thus, when the cap 260 is installed onto the second end 212 of the member 210, the generally circular ridge 263 of the cap 260 engages the generally circular ridge 216 of the member 210 to keep the cap 260 attached to the second end 212 of^ the member 210. The cap 260 may be removed from the second end 212 of the hollow member 210 simply by applying a sufficient pulling force thereto.

In keeping with an another important aspect of the present invention, the knob 230 is also provided with a wide base portion 232. The base portion 232 enables the applicator 200 to be placed in a substantially vertical position upon an external surface, such as a desk or the like, when the cap 260 is attached to either end of the applicator 200. The knob 230 also includes a narrow neck portion 236, opposite the wide base portion 232, and an intermediate portion 234 between the base portion 232 and the neck portion 236. In the illustrated embodiment, the wide base portion 232 of the knob 230 has a generally cylindrical outer configuration. The intermediate portion 234 of the knob 230 has a generally conic outer configuration. The generally central aperture 242 of the knob 230 extends inwardly from the wide base portion 232. Thus, the applicator 200 may be stably placed in a substantially vertical position when the cap 260 is installed onto either the second end 212 of the hollow member 210, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, or within the generally central aperture 242 of the knob 230, as shown - 13 - in FIG. 13. In other embodiments, the knob may have other shapes or configurations and the base portion is wider than the member 210 to provide stability in the vertical position . Referring to FIG. 10, the width 246 of the member 210 and the width 247 of the base portion 232 may have the dimensions indicated below. The applicator may be available in two sizes. One applicator may contain .29 weight ounces (8 grams) of material and the second applicator may contain .88 weight ounces (25 grams) of material .

Parameter Range (inches) Preferred (inches)

.29 ounces .88 ounce (8 grams) (25 grams)

246 .5 - 1.5 .78 1.06

247 1.0 - 3.0 1.50 1.88

The ratio of the width 246 of the member 210 to the width 247 of the base portion 232 is in the range of 1:1.5 to 1:4 and the preferred ratio is approximately 1:2.

The knob 230 also includes a plurality of interior ribs 248 which provide additional structural rigidity thereto. As shown in FIG. 15, these ribs 248 extend between the generally central aperture 242 of the knob 230 and both the wide base portion 232 and the intermediate conical portion 234 of the knob 230. A plurality of spaced-apart grooves or notches 249 are also formed in and around the outer periphery of the knob 230 so that the knob 230 may be more easily gripped and rotated.

As best shown in FIG. 14, the carriage structure 250 - 14 - includes a platform surface 252, a threaded slot 253 and a side wall 254. The generally circular platform surface 252 supports the lower end of the material 220. The interior threaded slot 253 formed through the platform surface 252 threadably receives the threaded shaft portion 238 of the knob 230. The upstanding side wall 254 partially surrounds the lower end of the material 220. In order to prevent relative rotation between the carriage structure 250 and the member 210 during operation of the knob 230, a pair of opposed slots 255 are formed in the upstanding side wall 254 which interact with a pair of longitudinal ridges 215 formed on an interior surface 214 of the member 210. Thus, when the knob 230 is turned in either a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction, the slots 255 of the carriage structure 250 interact with the longitudinal ridges 215 of the member 210 to prevent the carriage structure 250 and the supported material 220 from rotating with respect to member 210.

Although other materials are permissible and would certainly fall within the scope and spirit of the present invention, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the member 210, the knob 230, the carriage structure 250, and the cap 260 of this second embodiment of the applicator 200 may all be formed of plastic material, such as polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene, or the like. In addition, the material 220 may be formed of a viscous and pliable substance. The material 220 may be an adhesive, paint, lipstick, lip balm, or the like.

While the present invention has been described and disclosed in connection with certain illustrated embodiments, it will be understood, of course, that there - 15 - is no intention to limit the invention to the disclosed structural forms. On the contrary, the intention is to cover to cover all modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents that fall within the scope and spirit of the present invention as defined by the following claims .

Claims

Γûá 16 -WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. An applicator comprising: a hollow member having a first end, a second end, and an interior surface; a material disposed within the hollow member; a knob rotatably attached to the first end of the hollow member, the knob including a threaded shaft portion; a carriage structure threadably engaging the threaded shaft portion of the knob and carrying the material, the carriage structure linearly moving the material relative to the second end of the hollow member when the knob is rotated; and a cap removably attachable to both the second end of the hollow member and to the knob.

2. The invention as in claim 1 wherein the cap or the knob includes a wide base portion, the wide base portion enabling the applicator to be placed in a substantially vertical position upon an external object in a stable manner.

3. The invention as in claim 1 wherein the material is an adhesive material.

4. The invention as in claim 1 wherein the carriage structure includes a slot which interacts with a longitudinal ridge formed on the interior surface of the hollow member to prevent relative rotation between the carriage structure and the hollow member when the knob is rotated . ^Γûá 17 -

5. The invention as in claim 2 wherein the cap includes the wide base portion.

6. The invention as in claim 5 wherein the wide base portion of the cap has a generally cylindrical outer configuration .

7. The invention as in claim 6 wherein the cap includes a narrow neck portion.

8. The invention as in claim 7 wherein the cap further includes an intermediate portion between the wide base portion and the narrow neck portion.

9. The invention as in claim 8 wherein the intermediate portion of the cap has a generally conical outer configuration.

10. The invention as in claim 8 wherein the knob includes an end portion which projects outwardly from the first end of the hollow member.

11. The invention as in claim 10 wherein the end portion of the knob has a generally cylindrical outer configuration .

12. The invention as in claim 10 wherein the end portion of the knob includes a plurality of linear slots disposed around its outer periphery.

13. The invention as in claim 5 wherein the cap includes an aperture. - 18 -

14. The invention as in claim 13 wherein the aperture of the cap is sized to removably receive the second end of the hollow member.

15. The invention as in claim 13 wherein the aperture of the cap is sized to removably receive a portion of the knob.

16. The invention as in claim 12 wherein the cap includes an aperture, the aperture includes a protuberance which interacts with the linear slots of the knob to prevent relative rotational movement between the cap and the knob when the cap is removably attached thereto .

17. The invention as in claim 2 wherein the knob includes the wide base portion.

18. The invention as in claim 17 wherein the wide base portion of the knob has a generally cylindrical outer configuration.

19. The invention as in claim 18 wherein the knob includes a narrow neck portion.

20. The invention as in claim 19 wherein the knob further includes an intermediate portion between the wide base portion and the narrow neck portion.

21. The invention as in claim 20 wherein the intermediate portion of the knob has a generally conical outer configuration. - 19 -

22. The invention as in claim 17 wherein the cap has a generally cylindrical outer configuration.

23. The invention as in claim 21 wherein the cap includes a plurality of linear slots disposed around its outer periphery.

24. The invention as in claim 21 wherein the cap includes an opening which is sized to removably receive the second end of the hollow member.

25. The invention as in claim 17 wherein the knob includes an aperture.

26. The invention as in claim 25 wherein the aperture of the knob is sized to removably receive the cap .

27. The invention as in claim 25 wherein the knob includes an aperture, the aperture includes a protuberance which interacts with the linear slots of the cap to prevent relative rotational movement between the cap and the knob when the cap is removably attached thereto .

28. An applicator comprising: a hollow member having a first end, a second end, and an interior surface; a material disposed within the hollow member; and a cap removably attachable to both the first end and the second end; wherein the cap or the second end includes a wide - 20 - base portion, the wide base portion enabling the applicator to be placed in a substantially vertical position upon an external object in a stable manner.

29. The invention as in claim 28 wherein the material is an adhesive.

30. The invention as in claim 28 wherein a knob is rotatably attached to the first end of the hollow member, the knob including a threaded shaft portion; a carriage structure threadably engaging the threaded shaft portion of the knob and carrying the material, the carriage structure linearly moving the material relative to the second end of the hollow member when the knob is rotated.

31. An applicator comprising: a hollow member having a first end, a second end, and an interior surface; an adhesive material disposed within the hollow member; and a cap removably attachable to both the first end and the second end of the hollow member.

32. the invention as in claim 31 wherein a knob rotatably attached to the first end of the hollow member, the knob including a threaded shaft portion; a carriage structure threadably engaging the threaded shaft portion of the knob and carrying the material, the carriage structure lineraly moving the material relative to the second end of the hollow member -21- when the knob is rotated.

33. The invention as in claim 32 wherein the cap or knob includes a wide base portion, the wide base portion enabling the applicator to be placed in a substantially vertical position upon an external object in a stable manner .