GB2531771A - Improvements in or relating to lotion dispensers - Google Patents

Abstract

A skin lotion dispenser (1, Fig 1) comprises a refillable lotion housing 2 which includes an openable collar 3 at one end, wherein the collar incorporates a dispensing valve 8 through which lotion may be dispensed. Further, the collar includes a removable sponge 9 which surrounds the valve 8, the removable sponge adapted to spread dispensed lotion over an area of skin. Preferably, the sponge 9 may be annular and surrounds the valve. The valve may comprise a roller ball 8, whereby the roller ball is adapted to rotate within a part-spherical roller ball capture seat (7, Fig 2) as the roller ball is rolled over an area of skin.

Description

Improvements in and relating to lotion dispensers This invention relates to lotion dispensers, such as those dispensers typically used to dispense sun screen lotions over selected areas of skin.

A lotion dispenser is disclosed in W02014152679 which comprises a rigid housing for receiving a resilient liner adapted to hold liquid such as sun screen lotion. The lotion is dispensed from the liner by means of an actuator, such as by means of a moveable actuator acting as a pump to deliver quantities of the lotion to a resilient applicator sponge pad whereafter the lotion can be evenly spread over the skin's surface. The apparatus can be replenished with lotion once the liner has been emptied and is readily portable, although it will be appreciated that the use of a liner and associated moveable actuator collectively constitute a relatively complicated mechanism for storing and dispensing a required quantity of lotion. In addition, the liner itself is of the lay flat plastics type and hence the housing for the liner is of generally similar configuration, as is also the resilient applicator pad, being generally elongate and of width corresponding to the width of the housing and associated collapsible liner. A similarly shaped and sized closure cap fits over the applicator pad when the applicator is not in use. Whilst such an arrangement is generally satisfactory the number and typeof component parts increase the cost of manufacture as compared to, say, a squeezable resilient container having an openable end surrounded by a sponge pad of the type popular for dispensing shoe polish. The present invention is derived from the realisation that there is a need for a simpler method of ensuring that e.g. school children have daily access to lotions such as sun screen lotion while at school with access to a dispenser that is largely unobtrusive and can be easily replenished from day to day.

According to the invention there is provided a skin lotion dispenser comprising or including a refillable lotion housing having an openable collar at one end, the collar incorporating a dispensing valve through which lotion may be dispensed under gravity, the collar including a removable sponge surrounding the valve with which to spread dispensed lotion over an area of skin.

With this arrangement the dispenser can be made relatively small as compared to a normal sized dispenser or container having a supply of several weeks or several months of lotion and may be small enough to fit easily within a pocket or handbag, the housing being large enough to receive an anticipated quantity of lotion for use during a single day but not large enough to contain enough lotion to last for several days or weeks. Hence, the lotion dispenser according to the invention is suitable for cleaning and replenishment every day so that a user of the dispenser always has a ready supply of e.g. sun screen lotion without the need to carry an excessive supply of such lotion in a larger container.

Conveniently, the sponge surrounding the valve is removable via Velcro fasteners fixed to, respectively, one side of the sponge and the collar, which may typically be an annular sponge around the valve, such as a roller ball and associated part-spherical roller ball capture seat, allowing for rotation of the ball as it is rolled over an area of skin during which lotion is dispensed under gravity to the skin, being spread therearound by the removable sponge.

Since the sponge is removable it will therefore be apparent that it can be cleaned and dried or replaced by a spare such sponge as necessary.

The dispenser preferably includes a valve closure cap releasably mounted on the collar by means of an interference fit, such as through the use of a circular bead around the rim of the collar being receivable within a correspondingly shaped circular groove around the edge of the closure cap, or vice versa. In a refinement to this concept the closure cap itself may also be mountable in the same way on the housing, thereby forming, in essence, an extension to the housing for the purposes of providing a handle with which the dispenser may be easily operated by a user thereof.

Conveniently, the valve closure cap also includes a flattened end region by which the cap and hence the housing and associated collar may be stored upright on a flat surface, such as a desk, in which position lotion contained within the housing rests immediately above the valve and can be dispensed when required after removal of the closure cap.

The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a liquid dispenser according to the invention, in its closed condition, Figure 2 is an exploded view of the liquid dispenser of Figure 1, Figure 3 is a sectional perspective view of the dispenser of Figure 1 in its closed condition, and Figure 4 is a perspective view of the dispenser of Figure 1 in its open condition. Referring firstly to Figure 1 a liquid dispenser shown generally at 1 includes a spheroidal liquid container 2 and associated removable collar 3 enclosed at its otherwise open end by means of a spheroidal closure cap 4 which is a snap-fit on and around the collar 3. The collar 3 is attached to the container 2 by means of a screw thread and associated threaded bore 5 and around the widest point of the container 2 is a circular bead 6 by which the closure cap 4 can be removed from the position shown onto and around the container 2 in a manner to be described.

In Figure 2 it will be seen that the collar 3 includes a centrally disposed bore 7 for captively receiving a roller ball 8 together acting as a valve for allowing liquid in the container 2 to flow past the roller ball 8 when it is rolled over a skin surface. Below the ball 8 is an annular open cell sponge 9 which, in use, surrounds the roller ball 8 and is releasably secured to the collar 7 by Velcro strips 10. The lower end 4a of the closure cap 4 is flattened. The upper end 4b includes an inner groove 11 around its periphery engageable as a snap fit with a correspondingly shaped bead 12 around the lower periphery of the collar 3, the bead 12 being of identical size and shape as the bead 6 on the outside of the container 2.

Figure 3 shows a sectional perspective view of the dispenser 1 in its upright configuration with the flattened end 4a of the closure cap 4 resting on a flat surface, such as a desk or table. In this configuration it will be apparent that skin lotion contained within the container 2 and the part-toroidal recess 13 in the collar 3 is prevented from flowing downwards by virtue of the presence of the roller ball 8 but that, even if some of the lotion were to escape into the interior of the closure cap 4 or into the dispensing sponge 9 the presence of the closure cap 4 prevents or inhibits the lotion from leaking from the dispenser.

As shown in Figure 4, the closure cap 4 also serves another purpose in that when it has been removed from the collar 3 it can be repositioned over and around the container 2 by means of the bead 6 onto which it can be a snap or interference fit, in which position the closure cap 4 can also serve as a handle for the dispenser 1 which, due to its larger size than the container 2, therefore provides greater control of the applicator 1 by the hand of a user thereof.

The presence of the Velco strips 10 on, respectively, the collar 3 and the sponge 9 make the latter easily detachable for replacement or cleaning purposes. Thus, the invention also envisages the provision of a kit containing a dispenser according to the invention including a plurality of replacement sponges 9 and, if applicable, a supply of lotion in a larger container storable e.g. at home, such that daily amounts of lotion can be dispensed into the container 2 and a fresh or cleaned sponge 9 can be provided as required.

The use of a dispenser carrying only a relatively small amount of lotion to be dispensed therefore provides an elegantly simple solution to the problem otherwise of carrying a relatively large container and associated dispensing apparatus such as that shown in the prior art such that the dispenser according to the invention can be very compact and therefore suitable for being carried within a pocket or handbag etc. Of further benefit is the possibility of parents monitoring usage of the lotion on a regular basis rather than allowing the actual usage to be estimated with reference to how much lotion remains in an otherwise large or bulk container for the lotion.

Claims (4)

1. CLAIMS1. A skin lotion dispenser comprising or including a refillable lotion housing having an openable collar at one end, the collar incorporating a dispensing valve through which lotion may be dispensed, the collar including a removable sponge surrounding the valve with which to spread dispensed lotion over an area of skin.
2. 2 A skin lotion dispenser according to Claim 1 further characterised in that the sponge surrounding the valve is removable via Velcro fasteners fixed to, respectively, one side of the sponge and the collar.
3. 3. A skin lotion dispenser according to Claim 1 or 2 further characterised in that the sponge is annular and surrounds the valve
4. 4. A skin lotion dispenser according to any preceding Claim further characterised in that the valve comprises a roller ball and associated part-spherical roller ball capture seat, allowing for rotation of the ball as it is rolled over an area of skin, during which lotion is dispensed to a skin surface, being spread therearound by the removable sponge A skin lotion dispenser according to any preceding Claim further characterised in that it includes a valve closure cap releasably mounted on the collar by means of an interference fit.6 A skin lotion dispenser according to Claim 5 further characterised in that the closure cap is also mountable on the lotion housing through the use of a circular bead around the rim of the housing being receivable within a correspondingly shaped circular groove around the edge of the closure cap, or vice versa thereby forming, in essence, an extension to the housing for the purposes of providing a handle with which the dispenser may be easily operated by a user thereof.7 A skin lotion dispenser according to Claim 6 further characterised in that the valve closure cap also includes a flattened end region by which the cap and hence the housing and associated collar may be stored upright on a flat surface, such as a desk, in which position lotion contained within the housing rests immediately above the valve and can be dispensed when required after removal of the closure cap.8 A skin lotion dispenser substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings.9 A dispenser kit including a dispenser according to any proceeding claim and a plurality of removable sponges.