Abstract: A collapsible pump chamber is provided which includes several functional elements of a pump device. For example, the collapsible pump chamber may be a bellows which includes a functional element of an outlet vane, a functional element of a biasing feature, and a functional element of a spin chamber. Consequently, a functional element of all of the downstream functions are incorporated into the bellows. This can significantly reduce costs; due to reduced tooling, and assembly, for example. Dunnage means is provided for occupying volume within the collapsible pump chamber to improve pump priming. The dunnage means may be free floating or associated with the inlet valve. A process for severing the functional element of the outlet valve, the functional element of the biasing feature, and the functional element of a spin chamber from the collapsible pump chamber during assembly.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for stacking and conveying product units. The product units are conveyed on a conveyor from a loading station to an unloading station. The conveyor has a number of paddles extending therefrom where adjacent paddles define receptacles between them for holding the product units. The invention allows the products to be reoriented while being conveyed from the loading station to the unloading station so that the products arrive at the unloading station with the desired orientation. This eliminates separate steps and apparatuses for conveying and reorienting. The present invention does this by first loading at least one product unit into the product receptacles and conveying the product units along the longitudinal axis of the conveyor. The paddles are then reoriented along a generally helical line while the products are being conveyed from the loading station to the unloading station. The paddles are reoriented to a desired angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the conveyor.

Abstract: In accordance with the present invention there is provided a dispensing package containing a plurality of objects. The objects are three-dimensional and have a pair of opposing faces connected by peripheral edges. The package includes a container having a top, a bottom and a body, all of which form an interior chamber containing the objects. The objects are stacked within the container in face to face relation, with the body of the container surrounding the peripheral edges of the objects. The stacked objects thereby define an uppermost object, adjacent to said top of the container, and a lowermost object, adjacent to the bottom of the container. The package further includes an interleaving dispenser. This dispenser is made from a bendable member having alternating horizontal and vertical panels connected to each other. The member is disposed within the package with the horizontal panels parallel to the top and bottom of the container.

Abstract: An extruded scrim having a diamond-mesh pattern is used to construct a personal cleansing implement. The diamond-mesh material is produced from a hydrophobic flexible polymer. The implement comprises a piece of tubular scrim having a longitudinal axis. The tubular scrim is stretched transversely to the longitudinal axis and is gathered parallel to the longitudinal axis to form circumferential pleats. In one embodiment the stretched and gathered tubular scrim is heat set in its expanded and pleated condition. A second piece of tubular scrim is placed inside the pleated and expanded scrim tubing. One end of the second piece is inverted over the outside of the pleats and connected to the other end to envelop the pleated and expanded scrim tubing. In another embodiment the pleats are not heat set and remain resilient. This embodiment has a means for confining the circumferential pleats from axial expansion. A band of material is looped through the scrim tubing and around its outer surface.

Abstract: The present invention provides a manually operated dispensing system for dispensing a liquid product in atomized or foam form. More particularly, the present invention provides an improved manually operated pump to for use in such dispensing systems which incorporates at least one collapsible bellows as a pump chamber. The use of a bellows as the air chamber in an air/liquid pump mechanism allows the pressure/volume profile of the air supply to be tailored to supply the desired air/liquid ratio throughout the travel of the pump mechanism. The shape of the air bellows is preferably selected to provide an is initially large volume reduction in the air chamber as the bellows collapses to provide a rapid rise in air pressure available for dispensing. In a preferred embodiment, dual bellows are utilized (one for liquid, one for air) in a concentric arrangement to allow the pressure/volume profile for each to be tailored to achieve the desired spray or foam characteristics.

Abstract: A method for scaling a flexible inner bag inside a squeezebottle so that the flexible inner bag will invert in order to dispense viscous fluids. The method is particularly useful in single-piece squeezebottles which have a small ratio of discharge opening cross-section to body cross-section. In practicing the present invention, a flexible inner bag has heat-activated adhesive stripes applied to the upper half of its exterior. The flexible inner bag is inserted into a squeezebottle through the discharge opening and then expanded inside the squeezebottle by compressed air. After the flexible inner bag is fully expanded, and with pressure applied to the inside of the flexible inner bag, heat is applied either to the inside of the bag or to the outside of the squeezebottle by hot air, steam, radiation, or induction heating of metal particles in the adhesive. The adhesive is heat-activated and the upper half of the flexible inner bag is thereby attached to the inner side wall of the squeezebottle.

Abstract: A collapsible pump chamber is provided which includes several functional elements of a pump device. For example, the collapsible pump chamber may be a bellows which includes a functional element of an outlet valve, a functional element of a biasing feature, and a functional element of a spin chamber. Consequently, a functional element of all of the downstream functions are incorporated into the bellows. This can significantly reduce costs due to reduced tooling and assembly, for example. In contrast, there are no upstream components incorporated into the bellows which enables the upstream or inlet end of the bellows to be wide open. This wide open upstream end of the bellows makes molding easier.

Abstract: A foam dispensing system for a foamable liquid has a means for producing a spray of droplets in which the spray of droplets has key parameters of: the number averaged mean diameter and the mean axial droplet velocity. The foam dispensing system also has a foaming nozzle connected to the means for producing a spray of droplets that is placed in fluid communication with the spray of droplets. The foaming nozzle has a screen which has a plurality of screen openings having a mesh range from 30 to 60 openings per linear inch. Key parameters of the screen are: the percent open area is from about 35% to 60% and the screen openings are larger than the number average mean diameter of the spray of droplets. When the mean axial droplet velocity is at least 8 m/s, the spray of droplets is transformed into a foamed spray as the droplets pass through the plurality of screen openings.

Abstract: A process for forming, handling, affixing, and inverting a thin plastic half bag to a continuous inner side wall of an outer plastic container. A non-metallic mandrel is used as a tool for thermoforming a half bag over the top of the mandrel. The top of the mandrel with bag attached is inserted into an open end of the outer plastic container. A continuous stripe of heat-activated adhesive containing metal particles is bonded to the exterior of the half bag at the open end of the half bag. When the half bag is inserted, the stripe of adhesive is positioned near the midpoint of the container. A magnetic induction field generated near the container midpoint heats the metal particles in the heat-activated adhesive, thereby activating the adhesive. When the adhesive has been heated, compressed air is blown from the mandrel to press the bag and adhesive against the inner side wall of the outer container to cause bonding between them.

Abstract: An antiperspirant gel stick composition incorporating a gelling agent, including a primary gellant selected from the group consisting of 12-hydroxystearic acid, esters of 12-hydroxystearic acid, amides of 12-hydroxystearic acid, and mixtures thereof and a secondary gellant selected from the group consisting of n-acyl amino acid amide derivatives. The antiperspirant gel stick compositions further incorporate a liquid base material including a non-polar, volatile oil and a relatively polar, non-volatile co-solvent. The combination of the gelling agent and the co-solvent permit the utilization of relatively high levels of a non-polar volatile oils which provide a dry feel.

Abstract: A process for forming, handling, circumferentially sealing, and inverting a thin plastic half bag to an inwardly tapered, continuous inner side wall of an outer plastic container. A non-metallic mandrel is used as a tool for thermoforming a half bag over the top of the mandrel. The top of the mandrel with bag attached is inserted into an open end of the outer plastic container. A continuous metal ring connected at the circumference of the mandrel, positioned near the open end of the half bag, wedges the bag against the tapered inner side wall of the container near the midpoint of the container to form a sealing interface therebetween. A magnetic induction field generated near the container heats the metal ring on the mandrel. Heat is conducted to the sealing interface to weld the bag to the container. After the field is removed and the metal ring cools, the mandrel with metal ring is withdrawn from the thin plastic bag.

Abstract: A personal cleansing implement comprises a tubular piece of diamond-mesh scrim, which is stretched to expand the diamond mesh, gathered to form circumferential pleats, heat set in an expanded and pleated condition, and folded into a stack of layers to form a resilient batt. A softer layer of hydrophobic knitted material lies against the top surface of the batt with its outer edge wrapped around the perimeter of the batt and against the bottom surface of the batt. The softer knitted layer is connected to the batt by a connecting means at the outer edge to form a dual textured cleansing implement made of hydrophobic materials and having high open area to enhance rinsing and drying. Thread stitching or thermobonding are the preferred connecting means. A tether loop is connected to the implement for hanging it from a support during drying. The softer knitted layer preferably has at least one aperture therethrough.

Abstract: A package suitable for storing and dispensing potentially dangerous material, which is resistant to opening by children yet readily openable by adults. The package is preferably a bottle which has a body and a finish portion. The finish portion has a threaded outer end for mating with a closure. A resiliently deformable cantilevered beam is connected to the finish portion between the threaded outer end and the body of the bottle. The beam is angled outward and downward from the finish portion. The beam has a substantially vertical locking surface and a pushtab spaced along the beam. The angle of the beam is such that the pushtab may be depressed substantially radially toward the finish portion. The locking surface is located between the finish portion and the pushtab so that depression of the pushtab results in a greater beam deflection and lower deflection force at the pushtab than at the locking surface. A bottle closure has threads for rotatably securing the closure to the finish portion of the bottle.

Abstract: A spray orifice selector system for a spray package. The spray orifice selector, containing at least two spray orifices, is movably secured to a container housing a liquid. The selector provides fluid communication between the container and each of the spray orifices individually as the selector is moved from one detented position to another. A thumb wheel rotates the selector about a push button actuator connected to a spray pump. The spray pump is located between the selector and container. The push button does not rotate relative to the container, and it has a contoured shape which indicates the direction of spray to a user. Therefore, the user grips the pump the same way for each spray. The user may continue to grip the pump with one hand and select a different spray orifice by rotating the thumb wheel with the other hand, thereby avoiding the need to regrip the container when a different spray orifice is selected.

Abstract: Disclosed are liquid deodorant compositions characterized by the presence of water and zinc phenolsulfonate at a weight ratio of at least about 1:3, most preferably about 3:1; most preferably 3:1; low levels of irritation causing polyhydric alcohols; relatively low monohydric alcohol levels; and the presence of nonionic emulsifiers. Also disclosed is a method for treating or preventing human malodor.

Abstract: A package for multiple articles such as trigger sprayers. The articles are placed adjacent each other and secured against an upright backing member. The backing member has an aperture formed by cutting and folding a flap of the backing member material. The aperture serves as a finger hole for carrying the package while the flap serves as a spacer for separating the adjacent articles. In one embodiment a shrinkband is wrapped around the articles and the backing member to secure the articles to the backing member with the uppermost edge of the shrinkband remaining below the finger hole. In an alternative embodiment a shrinkwrap encases the articles and backing member to secure the articles to the backing member. An access hole may be cut in the shrinkwrap around the finger hole in the backing member if use of the finger hole for handling the package is desired.

Abstract: The present invention relates to aerosol spray packages having a plurality of spray settings each having been optimized in terms of flow rate, particle size and spray pattern for a particular use. These spray characteristics are created by individual selection of the flow rate and nozzle parameters for each setting. Selecting the spray is easy and convenient to use.

Abstract: An inner receptacle having a single integral piece flexible bag including a thin walled portion and a rigid fitment portion. The fitment portion includes a flange which is larger in diameter than the flexible bag to provide a mechanism to attach the inner receptacle to a bottle. The fitment portion also provides a finger grasping portion. The inner receptacle may be utilized in, for example, a squeeze pump package, a trigger or finger pump package, or a mechanical pump package. The inner receptacle also includes a mechanism for enabling substantially all of the product therein to be dispensed. One such mechanism is provided by a perforated diptube. Another such mechanism is provided by the combination of a resiliently deformable upper half and a collapsible lower half to cause the flexible bag to invert upon itself.

Abstract: Foam dispensing nozzles and manually actuable foam dispensers for producing and dispensing improved foams made from a foamable liquid and gas. The foam dispensing nozzles include a velocity decreasing structure so that the average foam velocity through the foam refining apparatus does not exceed a certain value.