Dosing dispenser and reservoir
A dosing dispenser for dosing at least two components, wherein the dosing dispenser has a reservoir with at least two containers, which can be combined to form the reservoir and each of which can receive one component wherein each container has at least one engagement element at least in the area facing the bottom side of the container, the at least one engagement element having at least one projecting element and at least one corresponding recessed element, wherein the containers can be combined to form the reservoir by inserting the projecting elements of each container into the recessed elements of the respective other container.
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a dosing dispenser for dosing at least two components, wherein the dosing dispenser has a reservoir with at least two containers, which can be combined to form the reservoir and each of which can receive one component. The invention also relates to a reservoir for a dosing dispenser having at least two containers that can be combined to form the reservoir.
2. Description of the Related Art
Dosing dispensers for two or more components are known in the art in a wide variety of forms. The components to be dosed are located either in a reservoir divided into two compartments, or the two components are located in separate reservoirs, each of which is separately coupled to a dosing apparatus. U.S. Pat. No. 5,848,732 of the applicant discloses a reservoir that is partitioned into two separate accommodation compartments, where the two components can be mutually dosed at a fixed quantitative ratio. This United States patent also shows an embodiment with two separate reservoirs that are connected to the dosing apparatus. Since the two reservoirs are fixed only by coupling them to the dosing apparatus in the dosing dispenser, the reservoir is often observed to shift in the dosing dispenser, making it somewhat unstable.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,826,048 attempts to obviate this drawback by connecting the two reservoirs by a separate bridge. This bridge or shell is placed over the undersurface of the two reservoirs where it is fixed in an interference fit. This manner of connecting the two containers in the dosing dispenser has proven to be disadvantageous because the connecting bridge can fall off if the fit is not sufficiently accurate. A further drawback is that a plurality of different connecting bridges must be provided for different reservoir shapes and sizes. Furthermore, additional effort is required to exchange the reservoirs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThus, the object of the present invention is to provide a dosing dispenser with reservoir that obviates the described drawbacks. In particular, a dosing dispenser and reservoir are to be provided whose containers are configured separately but can be combined to form a reservoir in such a way that the containers are firmly and securely interconnected but can nevertheless be easily detached. Furthermore, production thereof is to be simplified and made more economical.
In one embodiment, the dosing dispenser for two or more components according to the invention has the following component parts. A reservoir with at least two containers is provided, in which the two components are disposed and which can be combined to form the reservoir. Furthermore, a pump unit may be provided for each container. The quantitative ratios of the two components may be adjustable by means of an adjusting element. In addition, a handle may be provided to actuate the pump units and a mixing nozzle to discharge the components.
According to one embodiment, the containers that can be combined to form the reservoir each have at least one engagement element in the area facing the bottom side of the container. Each engagement element comprises at least one projecting element and at least one corresponding recessed element. The engagement element of each container interacts with the engagement element of the other container so that the at least two containers can be combined to form the reservoir by inserting the projecting elements of each container into the recessed elements of the respectively other container. This configuration of the anchoring on the contact surfaces of the two containers with the aid of the protuberant, protruding or projecting element and the corresponding recessed element connects the containers to form a reservoir in a positive locking and stable manner. At the same time, the containers are nevertheless readily detachable.
Since, in one embodiment, the containers are fastened only in a partial area and not over the entire container length or height, they can easily be connected to form the reservoir. Because the interconnection is provided in the area of the reservoir that is most remote from the pump and dosing unit, the overall stability of the dosing dispenser is at the same time substantially increased. A shifting of the containers, e.g., due to lateral pressure, is inhibited because the containers and thus the reservoir are interconnected to form a unit not only by the dosing device but also by the engagement elements. This positive locking anchoring can also be described as a tongue and groove joint or a bayonet joint. Likewise, the protruding element could also be described as a latching projection.
In addition to affording the advantage of simple yet secure combinability of the two containers, there are other advantages as well. Because of the manner in which the engagement elements are arranged on the contact surfaces of the containers according to the invention, it is sufficient to produce only a single container type, which based on the opposite connection is then complemented in mirror image. For example, if only one indentation were provided on one container and only one protruding element on the other, two different containers and molds would have to be produced to manufacture the reservoir according to the invention and thus the dosing dispenser. This would increase the production costs considerably. However, because one complete engagement element comprises a protruding element and a corresponding recessed element is provided on each container, it is sufficient to provide only a single container type, two (or more) of which can be connected to form a reservoir. This significantly reduces the production costs for a dosing dispenser and a reservoir according to the invention.
In one embodiment, both the indentation and the fixation projection are undercut, so that the interconnection of the two containers becomes especially secure. However, even without an undercut in the fixation projection and the corresponding indentation, the two containers are more securely interconnected than if these elements were absent. It should be noted that the undercut is a preferred embodiment but not a necessity.
The engagement elements can assume different shapes. In one embodiment the projections and indentations assume a dovetail shape, which can also be described as a trapezoidal shape. It is also possible to provide a cylindrical bead and a like slot into which the cylindrical bead can be inserted. Furthermore, instead of the cylindrical bead, a spherical shape may be provided, which can again be inserted and anchored in a cylindrical indentation. Other shapes of protruding and recessed elements, including barb-type configurations, may also be provided. To be mentioned are T-shaped and L-shaped projections and indentations.
In one embodiment, the engagement elements are centered relative to the vertical axis of the container. Even an eccentric arrangement, however, does not impair the effect and function of the engagement elements according to the invention. Furthermore, at least the recessed elements—and in this case also the protruding elements—of the engagement element can extend over the entire container height. This would achieve an even more stable engagement of the two containers, i.e., it would further improve the stability of the anchoring.
In one embodiment, the reservoir according to the invention is made of a plastic material, which is can be formed by blow molding. Especially when the blow molding process is used, it is important that the reservoirs produced can be easily removed from the mold, without the mold having to be disassembled into many individual parts or long mold slides having to be provided to remove the reservoirs from the mold. This is ensured specifically by the configuration of the engagement elements according to the invention and the reservoirs per se. As a result the mold is compact and simple. In addition, the production cycle times are reduced. This, too, lowers the production costs for the reservoirs and thus for the dosing dispenser as a whole. This, however, is a prerequisite for the dosing dispenser to be used in a wide range of applications, e.g., in cosmetics.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSThe invention will now be explained and described in greater detail with reference to the drawings in which
The bottom views of
The embodiments illustrated in
Claims
1. A dosing dispenser for dosing at least two components, wherein the dosing dispenser has a reservoir with at least two containers, which can be combined to form the reservoir and each of which can receive one component wherein each container has at least one engagement element at least in the area facing the bottom side of the container, the at least one engagement element comprising at least one projecting element and at least one corresponding recessed element, wherein the containers can be combined to form the reservoir by inserting the projecting elements of each container into the recessed elements of the respective other container.
2. A reservoir for a dosing dispenser having at least two containers that can be combined to form the reservoir wherein each container has at least one engagement element at least in the area facing the bottom side of the container, comprising at least one projecting element and at least one corresponding recessed element so that the at least two containers can be combined to form the reservoir by inserting the projecting elements of each container into the recessed elements of the respectively other container.
3. The reservoir as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the projecting element and the corresponding recessed element are undercut.
4. The reservoir of claim 3, wherein the undercuts are at approximately a 60° angle.
5. The reservoir of claim 2, wherein the projecting element and the recessed element have a shape consisting of one of the set consisting of dovetail, cylindrical, T-shaped, and L-shaped.
6. The reservoir of claim 2, wherein the projecting element has approximately the shape of a sphere, and the recessed element has the shape of a cylinder.
7. The reservoir of claim 2, wherein the recessed element comprises an insertion area that has sloped walls.
8. The reservoir of claim 7, wherein the sloped walls of the insertion area are formed at approximately angles of 45°.
9. The reservoir of claim 2, wherein the engagement elements are formed on the contact surfaces of the containers.
10. The reservoir of claim 2, wherein the engagement elements are approximately formed in the center.
11. The reservoir of claim 2, wherein the containers are laterally reversed.
12. The reservoir of claim 2, wherein the reservoir is made of blow-molded plastic.
13. The reservoir of claim 2, wherein the reservoir comprises more than two containers.
14. The reservoir of claim 13, wherein the reservoir comprises more than three containers.
15. The reservoir of claim 2, wherein the engagement elements only take up a partial height of the respective container.
Type: Application
Filed: Jul 15, 2003
Publication Date: Jan 20, 2005
Inventor: Gerhard Brugger (Pflach)
Application Number: 10/620,836