Product Dispensing Systems

Description

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a U.S. National Stage entry under 35 USC § 371 of PCT Application Serial No. PCT/US24/11481, filed Jan. 12, 2024, which claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/480,101, filed Jan. 16, 2023, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference into this disclosure as if set forth fully herein.

FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to product dispensing systems. More particularly, but not exclusively, the present disclosure relates to product dispensing systems configured to receive a replaceable product member.

BACKGROUND

Unless otherwise indicated herein, the materials described herein are not prior art to the claims in the present application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.

Single use packaging containers and other consumer product containers may lead to increases in the amount of waste provided to landfills and, in turn, the amount of waste which ultimately finds its way into waterways and other natural features. In order to reduce such waste, there is an increasing need to provide reusable packaging containers and related consumer product containers.

The subject matter claimed herein is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages or that operate only in environments such as those described above. Rather, this background is only provided to illustrate one example technology area where some implementations described herein may be practiced.

SUMMARY

This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential characteristics of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

In one embodiment, a system includes a guide member; an outer sleeve member; a follower member configured to be axially displaced upon rotation of the outer sleeve member relative to the guide member; and an engaging member configured to receive a dispensable material. The follower member is configured to releasably receive and engage with the engaging member in an arrangement preventing axial displacement of the engaging member from the follower member and rotation of the engaging member relative to the follower member.

Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by the practice of the invention. The features and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instruments and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. These and other features of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims or may be learned by the practice of the invention as set forth hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To further clarify the above and other advantages and features of the present invention, a more particular description of the invention will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is appreciated that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope. The invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a product dispensing system;

FIG. 2 is a section view of the product dispensing system illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a guide member of the product dispensing system illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an engaging member of the product dispensing system illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an alternative perspective view of the engaging member illustrated in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a follower member of the product dispensing system illustrated in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment follower member that may be used in the product dispensing system illustrated in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Reference will now be made to the drawings to describe various aspects of example embodiments of the invention. It is to be understood that the drawings are diagrammatic and schematic representations of such example embodiments, and are not limiting of the present invention, nor are they necessarily drawn to scale.

The present disclosure generally relates to product dispensing systems. More particularly, but not exclusively, the present disclosure relates to product dispensing systems configured to receive a replaceable product member. It will be appreciated that embodiments disclosed herein may be employed in a variety of fields and/or operating environments where the functionality disclosed herein may be useful. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should not be construed to be limited to the exemplary implementations and operating environments disclosed herein.

With general reference to FIGS. 1-6 for example, there is illustrated an example embodiment of a product dispensing system 10. The system 10 includes an outer cover 12 and a guide member 14 coupled with a base portion 16. The system 10 also includes a dispensable material 18 which is coupled to an engaging member 20, although forms in which the dispensable material 18 is absent are also contemplated. The engaging member 20 is further configured and structured to releasably engage with a follower member 22, and an outer sleeve 24 is engaged with the guide member 14 and includes elongated slots 26 formed in an inner surface thereof which may be in the form of one or more helical grooves for example. The outer sleeve 24 is rotatable relative to the guide member 14, and in response to rotation of the outer sleeve 24, the follower member 22, and the engaging member 20 when releasably engaged therewith, is/are axially movable relative to the outer sleeve 24, further details of which will be provided below.

Turning more specifically to the guide member 14, it includes a pair of oppositely positioned elongated slots 26 (only one of which is illustrated in FIG. 3). The elongated slots 26 each include an upper transverse portion 28 and a lower transverse portion 30.

The engaging member 20 includes a body portion 32 defining a receptacle 34 configured to receive the dispensable material 18. In one aspect, the dispensable material 18 may be poured or molded into the receptacle 34 and extend beyond the body portion 32. The body portion 32 and/or the receptacle 34 may be configured to facilitate engagement with the dispensable material 18. For example, as illustrated and best seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, a number of apertures 36 may be formed in the body portion 32 and a number of ridges 38 (only a few of which have been identified for the sake of clarity) may be positioned around the receptacle 34 in order to provide engagement with the dispensable material 18 as the dispensable material is poured into or fills the apertures 36 and/or is otherwise positioned between the ridges 38. In one form for example, these features may resist or prevent rotation of the dispensable material 18 relative to the engaging member 20 and/or otherwise retain the dispensable material in the engaging member 20. While not previously discussed, it should be appreciated that the dispensable material 18 may be a solid or semi-solid material (although variations are possible) such as lipstick, lip balm, face balm, or sunscreen, just to name a few possibilities.

The engaging member 20 further includes an engagement portion 40 which is spaced from the body portion 32 by a recess or groove 42 positioned therebetween. The engagement portion 40 includes a first linear portion 44 positioned opposite of a second linear portion 46, and a recess or indentation 48 is positioned between the first linear portion 44 and the second linear portion 46.

The follower member 22 includes a pair of oppositely positioned tabs or projections 50 and 52. The tabs 50 and 52 are configured to be positioned through the elongated slots 26 of the guide member 14 and in engagement with the elongated slots 26 of the outer sleeve 24. In this arrangement, the elongated slots 26 of the guide member 14 prevent rotation of the follower member 22 such that rotation of the outer sleeve 24 axially moves the follower member 22 along the elongated slots 26 of the outer sleeve 24. Engagement of the tabs 50 and 52 with the upper transverse portion 28 of the elongated slots 26 limits axial movement of the follower member 22 in a first direction, and engagement of the tabs 50 and 52 with the lower transverse portion 30 of the elongated slots 26 limits axial movement of the follower member 22 in a second direction.

The follower member 22 includes an engagement portion 54 which is configured to receive and engage with the engagement portion 40 of the engaging member 20. The engagement portion 54 includes a first linear portion 56 positioned opposite of a second linear portion 58 with the first and second linear portions 56 and 58 generally corresponding to the linear portions 44 and 46 of the engagement portion 40 of the engaging member 20. Similarly, when the engagement portion 40 of the engaging member 20 is positioned in the engagement portion 54 of the follower member 22, a keyed arrangement where the linear portions prevent rotation of these components relative to one another is provided.

The engagement portion 54 also includes a lip 60 which extends over a recess or groove 62 configured to receive a portion of the engagement portion 40 of the engaging member 20. The follower member 22 further includes a biasing member 64 which is configured to normally displace a locking member 66 toward the engagement portion 40 of the engaging member 20 when positioned therein. More specifically, the biasing member 64 may be configured to position the locking member 66 in the recess or indentation 48 of the engaging member 20 in order to releasably engage the engaging member 20 and the follower member 22 with one another. In this arrangement, the biasing member 64, the locking member 66, the recess or indentation 48, and the groove 62 which receives a portion of the engagement portion 40 of the engaging member 20 couple the engaging member 20 and the follower member 22 in a releasable fashion where the engaging member 20 is not axially displaceable from the follower member 22 and rotation between the engaging member 20 and the follower member 22 is prevented. However, upon the application of sufficient lateral force, the force of the biasing member 64 may be overcome such that the engaging member 20 may be removed from the follower member 22 as the locking member 66 is displaced from the recess or indentation 48.

In the form illustrated in FIGS. 1-6 for example, the biasing member 64 may be retained in a passageway formed in the follower member 22 with a securing member 68. In one form for example, the securing member 68 may be an externally threaded member configured to engage with an internally threaded portion of the passageway formed in the follower member 22. In this form, the securing member 68 may be dimensioned at one end thereof in an arrangement which prevents displacement of the locking member 66 therefrom.

An alternative embodiment follower member 122 which may be used in lieu of the follower member 22 is illustrated in FIG. 7. The follower member 122 is substantially similar to the follower member 22, provided however that the follower member 122 includes a blind hole which may receive a biasing member and a locking member positioned on top of the biasing member. The biasing member may then be compressed, and the opening of the blind hole may be coined or deformed to trap the locking member and the biasing member in the blind hole.

While not previously discussed, in some aspects the engaging member 20 may be a replaceable component that is provided with the dispensable material 18. For example, the engaging member 20 including the dispensable material 18 may be engaged with the follower member 22 and the system 10 may be used to dispense the dispensable material 18. When the dispensable material 18 is emptied for example, the engaging member 20 may be removed from the follower member 22 and replaced with another engaging member 20 including a new or full dispensable material 18.

Unless specific arrangements described herein are mutually exclusive with one another, the various implementations described herein can be combined to enhance system functionality or to produce complementary functions. Likewise, aspects of the implementations may be implemented in standalone arrangements. Thus, the above description has been given by way of example only and modification in detail may be made within the scope of the present invention.

With respect to the use of substantially any plural or singular terms herein, those having skill in the art can translate from the plural to the singular or from the singular to the plural as is appropriate to the context or application. The various singular/plural permutations may be expressly set forth herein for sake of clarity. A reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless specifically stated, but rather “one or more.” Moreover, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether such disclosure is explicitly recited in the above description.

In general, terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of the appended claims) are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term “including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term “includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,” etc.). Furthermore, in those instances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, and C, etc.” is used, in general, such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, and C” would include but not be limited to systems that include A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, or A, B, and C together, etc.). Also, a phrase presenting two or more alternative terms, whether in the description, claims, or drawings, should be understood to include one of the terms, either of the terms, or both terms. For example, the phrase “A or B” will be understood to include the possibilities of “A” or “B” or “A and B.”

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.