Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Michael McGreal
  • Patent number: 5954234
    Abstract: A multichamber container must have certain characteristics in order to uniformly dispense the contents of each chamber from the container. The outer wall of the container and the inner divider web walls must have certain characteristics. The inner divider web walls must be highly flexible while the outer container wall must be less flexible. The Deflective Force for the outer wall must be greater than the Deflective Force for the web walls. In addition, to alleviate the problem of suckback of air into the container chambers, the outer wall should exhibit a specific Retention Index. This is a measure of the outer wall to remain deflected after the removal of the deflecting force. The inner divider web wall will have a lower Retention Index than the outer wall. By the proper selection of outer wall and web walls, there can be uniform dispensing from the dispenser. The Stiffness of the outer wall also should be less than the Stiffness for the inner web divider walls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 21, 1999
    Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
    Inventors: Patrick Andre Connan, Robert Mack, Ramon Armando Mejia Mustafa
  • Patent number: 5941420
    Abstract: A multichamber container such as a multichamber tube or multichamber pump can deliver the contained products in varying arrays by the use of container shoulders of different channel configurations. The container body remains the same with chamber dividing walls extending from the container base to the container shoulder. The container shoulder attachment to the container walls and to the chamber dividing walls can remain essentially the same. Within the shoulder, channels direct the flow of each product so that it has a number of arrays from an A/B/A sandwich to axial arrays to semiconcentric arrays to fully concentric arrays. The channels that are a part of the shoulder will direct the product from each chamber to be dispensed in a single stream or multiple streams. Also, the streams can be shaped to many different shapes by the shape and the arrangement of the channels in the shoulder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 24, 1999
    Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
    Inventor: Patrick Andre Connan
  • Patent number: 5937554
    Abstract: A container has a label or decoration in the container and unattached to any interior surface. The label or decoration is in the form of a monolayer film or a laminate film with the decoration and other materials under a coating or within the laminate layers. A preferred mode is for the container to be a pump container having a constricted opening. The film will be of an elliptical to a rectangular shape. If rectangular the film will have rounded lower edges or a parabolic lower portion for ease of insertion into container openings. The container preferably will have grooves, projections or other techniques for stabilizing the film in the container. Monolayer films will have the decoration printed onto the surface and will have a protective coating over this surface. Laminate films can be of the same or dissimilar films with the printed surface between the laminate films. The useful adhesives for the films are those that are not affected by the product in the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 17, 1999
    Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
    Inventors: Peter Haugk, Teresa Pavlak, Donald Losier, Scott Docken, Rodney Prochaska, David Segner
  • Patent number: 5927550
    Abstract: The dual chamber tubular container is closed at one end by a crimp seal and at the other end has a dispensing opening with a dividing wall. This dividing wall is attached longitudinally to the tubular chamber sidewalls and extends from the crimp seal to the dispensing opening divider wall. The divider wall of the dispensing exit as offset from the crimp seal about 75.degree. to about 110.degree. C. and preferably about 90.degree.. This enhances the uniform dispensing of the two contained sub stances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 27, 1999
    Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
    Inventors: Robert John Mack, James C. McKinney, Patrick Andre Connan
  • Patent number: 5927499
    Abstract: The invention is directed to lightweight hydrostatic containers. The containers have thin walls and other surfaces that are maintained in tension by the liquid contained in the containers. The body portion is substantially circular and has a plurality of recesses. The recesses strengthen the container and provide points where the container can axially collapse. On the lower end the container has a base with an upwardly extending inner portion. This inner portion extends upwardly at least the vertical dimension of a spout of the container. A shoulder is on an upper end of the body portion, the shoulder supporting an axial spout. The hydrostatic containers preferably are packed in cartons in double squares. The cartons have sidewalls that do not extend above the body portion of the containers. The carton bottom wall has openings in alignment with the upwardly extending inner portion of each hydrostatic container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 27, 1999
    Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
    Inventor: Steen Vesborg
  • Patent number: 5924151
    Abstract: This invention relates to a device for providing a dose of a liquid or solid to a larger container. More particularly, this invention relates to a dispensing device for providing a dose of substances, such as solid or liquid detergents or bleaches to a wash tub. This is accomplished by the structure of the doser device which provides for an increase and decrease in the volume of the doser during use. In a preferred embodiment, the structure to increase and decrease the volume of the dispenser is one or more bellows which are a part of the surface of the doser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 20, 1999
    Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive
    Inventor: Patrick Andre Connan
  • Patent number: 5912561
    Abstract: Any voids in the divider walls of multichamber packages, and in particular, multichamber tubes, can be detected by applying a potential difference across the divider walls of the package. If there is a void, there will be an arcing of current from one electrode to another with a measurable difference in the potential difference between the electrodes. There also may be a visual and/or audible indication. This change in potential difference can be used to determine the integrity of the divider walls of the package. In a preferred mode, the electrodes also are the mandrel mold sections that are used for the compression molding of the shoulder and nozzle onto the body of a tube package. In this embodiment the integrity of the divider walls can be determined prior to the forming of the shoulder and nozzle onto the tube body or after the shoulder and nozzle is formed onto the tube body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 15, 1999
    Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
    Inventor: Robert Mack
  • Patent number: 5911228
    Abstract: The floss is comprised of one or more strands of a tensilized polytetrafluoroethylene. The polytetrafluoroethylene is tensilized by stretching with heating to increase the tensile strength and to decrease elongation. The floss is readily grippable since it has an irregular surface. The polytetrafluoroethylene is made to have an irregular surface by having a solid incorporated into the fiber structure. The solid has a diameter of from about submicron size up to about 125% of the thickness diameter of the fiber. The floss will have a coefficient of friction of more than about 0.08. There is an acceptable grippability without the need for a coating. In addition, the solid that is incorporated into the fiber can be a bioactive material for delivery of the bioactive material to the teeth and gums during flossing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 15, 1999
    Assignees: Colgate-Palmolive Co., Coltec Industrial Products, Inc.
    Inventors: John Curtis, Karen DePierro, David Delgado
  • Patent number: 5899360
    Abstract: The dispenser is a rigid type multi-chamber, refillable dispenser where only the substance containing chambers need to be discarded and replaced. At the point of the chambers interconnecting into the upper portion of the dispensers there is a cutter to break the seal on the chambers. In operation stabilized piston rods fit into each chamber and push against pistons having a deformable upper surface to expel the substance. The refill chambers have off-center exit openings whereby the distance to the dispenser nozzle exit is minimized. The push rods are stabilized by being of a size and shape to be proximate the walls of the chambers while actuating the pistons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 4, 1999
    Assignee: Colgate - Palmolive Company
    Inventors: Robert Mack, James C. McKinney, Kenneth R. Berger
  • Patent number: 5896615
    Abstract: The interdental brush has a quadrangular shaped handle portion with an angled brush head portion with a brush head cartridge attached at one end and a removable brush head holder at the other end. The brush head can fit in a contra-angle arrangement or co-directional arrangement to the angle of the handle and the brush head support. In addition, there is a positive grip handle with a projecting thumb finger grip. The removable brush head holder into which the brush head can fit provides a smaller interdental brush and one that can be used away from home.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 27, 1999
    Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
    Inventor: Issac Zaksenberg
  • Patent number: 5897263
    Abstract: The cosmetic container is comprised of three primary parts. These are a barrel, an elevator, and a cap. The elevator has a cosmetic support surface, anchoring recesses and a well. The barrel is open at the top and usually closed at the bottom, with an adjustment recess in a surface. The well of the elevator slideably fits into the adjustment recess, and preferably conforms to the peripheral shape of the barrel. The well functions as a device to raise the elevator upwardly to dispense product and as a reservoir for the product when it is in a liquid form during the filling of the barrel above the elevator. The well holds the amount of product that is needed for the space between about the top of the barrel and a disposable cover that is used to shape the top of the cosmetic. After the barrel is filled and the disposable cover and cap put in place, the container is inverted with the liquid product flowing from the elevator well to the space between about the top of the barrel and the disposable cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 27, 1999
    Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
    Inventor: Joseph Edward Fattori
  • Patent number: D407304
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 30, 1999
    Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
    Inventor: John C. Crawford
  • Patent number: D407316
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 30, 1999
    Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
    Inventor: Issac Zaksenberg
  • Patent number: D411684
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1999
    Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
    Inventor: Issac Zaksenberg
  • Patent number: D412121
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 20, 1999
    Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
    Inventor: John C. Crawford
  • Patent number: D412849
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 17, 1999
    Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
    Inventors: Orlando Fuquen, Adam Sherman, Daniel J. Durham
  • Patent number: D413066
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 24, 1999
    Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
    Inventors: Jon Zogg, Lionel Bernard Austin, Kevin Harrity
  • Patent number: D413268
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 31, 1999
    Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive
    Inventor: John C. Crawford
  • Patent number: D414103
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 21, 1999
    Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
    Inventor: John C. Crawford
  • Patent number: D414118
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 21, 1999
    Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company
    Inventor: John Clifford Crawford