Abstract:
In one embodiment a fluid dispensing apparatus includes a first dispensing bottle configured to dispense a first liquid, a second dispensing bottle, configured to dispense a second liquid, an exterior casing. The first dispensing bottle may include a first hollow, tubular internal chamber, a first moveable piston slid ably housed within the first internal chamber, a first nozzle housing, and a first nozzle collar mounted on a top end of the first internal chamber and supporting the first nozzle housing. The first nozzle housing may include a first inlet, a first pump assembly, and a first dispensing nozzle. The second dispensing bottle may include a second hollow, tubular internal chamber, a second moveable piston slidably housed within the second internal chamber, a second nozzle housing, and a second nozzle collar mounted on a top end of the second internal chamber and supporting the second nozzle housing. The second nozzle housing may include a second inlet, a second pump assembly, and a second dispensing nozzle. The exterior casing may house the first and second internal chambers. The exterior casing may include an upper opening and a sleeve disposed thereon. The sleeve may have inner contours complementary to the first and second nozzle housings such that the first and second nozzle housings at least partially protrude through the sleeve.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/155,619 entitled DUAL-CHAMBERED BOTTLES FOR STORING AND DISPENSING OF FLUID AND SEMI-FLUID MATERIALS filed on May 1, 2015, which is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    The present disclosure relates generally to dual-chambered bottles for storing and dispensing fluid and/or semi-fluid materials. In particular, dual-chambered bottles for alternate dispensing and simultaneous dispensing of are described. 
         [0003]    Fluid and semi-fluid products (e.g., lotions, cosmetics, serums, balms, creams, oils, pastes, gels, soaps, etc.) are often packaged in bottles with a pump for metered dispending of the product. Known bottles are not entirely satisfactory for the range of applications in which they are employed. For example, existing fluid and/or semi-fluid product bottles are single chambered and allow storage of only a single product type. Some products, however, have increased, improved, and/or more desirable activity when used in combination and/or in sequence with another product. In addition, conventional single-chambered bottled products require carrying of multiple bottles during travel. 
         [0004]    Thus, there exists a need for bottles for storing and dispensing fluid and/or semi-fluid materials that improve upon and advance the design of known dispensing bottles. Examples of new and useful dispensing bottles relevant to the needs existing in the field are discussed below. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    In one embodiment a fluid dispensing apparatus comprises a first dispensing bottle configured to dispense a first liquid, a second dispensing bottle configured to dispense a second liquid, an exterior casing. The first dispensing bottle may comprise a first hollow, tubular internal chamber, a first moveable piston slidably housed within the first internal chamber, a first nozzle housing, and a first nozzle collar mounted on a top end of the first internal chamber and supporting the first nozzle housing. The first nozzle housing may comprise a first inlet, a first pump assembly, and a first dispensing nozzle. The second dispensing bottle may comprise a second hollow, tubular internal chamber, a second moveable piston slidably housed within the second internal chamber, a second nozzle housing, and a second nozzle collar mounted on a top end of the second internal chamber and supporting the second nozzle housing. The second nozzle housing may comprise a second inlet, a second pump assembly, and a second dispensing nozzle. The exterior casing may house the first and second internal chambers. The exterior casing may comprise an upper opening and a sleeve disposed thereon. The sleeve may have inner contours complementary to the first and second nozzle housings such that the first and second nozzle housings at least partially protrude through the sleeve. 
         [0006]    In another embodiment, a fluid dispensing apparatus may comprise a first dispensing bottle configured to dispense a first liquid, a second dispensing bottle configured to dispense a second liquid, and an exterior casing. The first sing bottle may comprise a first hollow, tubular internal chamber, a first moveable piston slidably housed within the first internal chamber, a first portion of a shared nozzle housing, and a first nozzle collar mounted to a top end of the first internal chamber and connected to the first portion of the shared nozzle housing. The first portion of the shared nozzle housing may comprise a first inlet, a first pump assembly, and a first dispensing nozzle. The second dispensing bottle may comprise a second hollow, tubular internal chamber, a second moveable piston slidably housed within the second internal chamber, a second portion of the shared nozzle housing, and a second nozzle collar mounted to a top end of the second internal chamber and connected to the second portion of the shared nozzle housing. The second portion of the shared nozzle housing may comprise a second inlet, a second pump assembly, and a second dispensing nozzle. The exterior casing may house the first and second internal chambers. The exterior casing may comprise an upper opening and a sleeve disposed thereon. The sleeve may have inner contours complementary to the shared nozzle housing such that the shared nozzle housing at least partially protrudes through the sleeve. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a dual-chambered dispensing bottle. 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a vertical cross-sectional view of the first embodiment of the dual-chambered dispensing bottle. 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  a top plan view of the first embodiment of the dual-chambered dispensing bottle. 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  is a bottom plan view of the first embodiment of the dual-chambered dispensing bottle. 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the first embodiment of the dual-chambered dispensing bottle, showing the lid in place on the bottle. 
           [0012]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the first embodiment of the dual-chambered dispensing bottle, showing one of the chambers being removed for refilling. 
           [0013]      FIG. 7A  is a perspective view of the chamber after being removed from the dual-chambered dispensing bottle. 
           [0014]      FIG. 7B  is a perspective view of the chamber of  FIG. 7B , showing the nozzle housing and removed from the chamber to allow refilling of the chamber. 
           [0015]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a dual-chambered dispensing bottle, including a shared nozzle housing. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0016]    The disclosed dual-chambered dispensing bottles will become better understood through review of the following detailed description in conjunction with the figures. The detailed description and figures provide merely examples of the various inventions described herein. Those skilled in the art will understand that the disclosed examples may be varied, modified, and altered without departing from the scope of the inventions described herein. Many variations are contemplated for different applications and design considerations; however, for the sake of brevity, each and every contemplated variation is not individually described in the following detailed description. 
         [0017]    Throughout the following detailed description, a variety of dual-chambered dispensing bottle examples are provided. Related features in the examples may be identical, similar, or dissimilar in different examples. For the sake of brevity, related features will not be redundantly explained in each example. Instead, the use of related feature names will cue the reader that the feature with a related feature name may be similar to the related feature in an example explained previously. Features specific to a given example will be described in that particular example. The reader should understand that a given feature need not be the same or similar to the specific portrayal of a related feature in any given figure or example. 
         [0018]    With reference to  FIG. 1  a first example of a dual-chambered dispensing bottle, bottle  100 , will now be described. Bottle  100  functions to dispense two fluid and/or semi-fluid materials (e.g., lotions, cosmetics, serums, balms, creams, oils, pastes, gels, soaps, etc.) from separate chambers within the bottle. Additionally or alternatively, bottle  100  can be used to alternately dispense one material, and then the second material. Further, bottle  100  can used for storage and transportation of the two separate materials. 
         [0019]    Bottle  100  addresses many of the shortcomings existing with conventional fluid dispensing bottles. For example, bottle  100  allows for storage, transportation, and dispensing of more than one material (i.e., fluid and/or semi-fluid material) from a single container. In another example, for materials that are intended to be used in combination or in sequence, both materials are packaged and stored together for convenient combined and/or sequenced use. 
         [0020]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , bottle  100  includes an exterior casing  102 , a first nozzle  106   a , and a second nozzle  106   b.  Exterior casing  102  is configured to house more than one internal chamber. In the present example, the exterior casing houses two internal chambers  110   a,    110   b . The first internal chamber  110   a  is in fluid communication with nozzle  106   a.  The second internal chamber  110   b  is in fluid communication with nozzle  106   b.  Nozzles  106   a  and  106   b  are separately actuatable (i.e., their nozzle housings are non-attached). As can be appreciated, however, because nozzle housings  126   a  and  126   b  are located adjacent each other, a user may simultaneously depress both nozzle housings if desired. 
         [0021]    In the illustrated embodiment, nozzles  106   a  and  106   b  are located on opposing sides of the bottle anal are faced outwardly from the bottle in opposing directions. In other embodiments, nozzles  106   a  and  106   b  may be located proximal each other. 
         [0022]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , nozzle housings  126   a  and  126   b  may be seated within and vertically actuatable/moveable within a sleeve  140 . Sleeve  140  may be mounted on an upper opening of exterior casing  102 . Sleeve  140  may have inner contours complimentary to first and second nozzle housings  126   a,    126   b.  Thus, first and second nozzle housings  120   a,    126   b  may at least partially protrude through sleeve  140 . 
         [0023]    In the illustrated embodiment, sleeve  140  may include three stepped portions  142 ,  144 , and  146  Stepped portion  142  may be attachable to the upper opening of external casing  102 . Stepped portion  144  may include flanges  148  that are configured to engage with complimentary flanges in lid  108  (shown in  FIG. 5 ) for releasable snap-fitting of the lid to the sleeve. Sleeve  140  may be complimentarily configured to the nozzle housings and limit lateral movement of the nozzle housings. 
         [0024]    Still referring to  FIG. 1 , nozzle housing  126   a  may have a sloped top surface  138   a . Specifically, the top surface may be raised in the region of head  130   a  relative to tail  128   a  (i.e., the tail is lower than the head). More specifically, the top surface may be generally downwardly sloped at a lesser degree in the region of the head  130   a  and may be downwardly sloped at a greater degree in the region of tail  128   a.    
         [0025]    Similarly, nozzle housing  126   b  may have a sloped top surface  138   b.  Top surface  138   b  may be raised in the region of head  130   b  relative to tail  128   b.  Top surface  138   b  may be generally downwardly sloped at a lesser degree in the region of the head  130   b  and may be downwardly sloped at a greater degree in the region of tail  128   b.    
         [0026]    As described above, nozzles  106   a  and  106   b  may be separately actuatable (i.e., nozzle housing are non-attached). Furthermore, nozzles  106   a  and  106   b  may be located on opposing sides of the bottle, facing outwardly from the bottle in opposing directions. As shown in  FIG. 1  nozzle openings  134   a  and  134   b  are disposed on outer faces  136   a  and  136   b  of heals  134   a  and  134   b , respectively. Therefore, in use, fluid and/or sera fluid material can be dispensed in opposing directions. Alternatively, fluid and/or semi-fluid material can be dispensed from the first nozzle in a first direction, and the bottle can be rotated 180 degrees and fluid and/or semi-fluid material from the second nozzle can also be dispensed in the first direction. 
         [0027]    Turning now to  FIG. 2 , each of chambers  110   a  and  110   b  may include an airless pump assemblies  112   a  and  112   b,  respectively. Airless pump assemblies  112   a  and  112   b  may include inlets  114   a  and  114   b  and outlets. Flow of fluid and/or semi-fluid material through pump assemblies  112   a  and  112   b  may be regulated through check valves  118   a  and  118   b.  Outlets  116   a  and  116   b  may be fluidly coupled to vertical tube members  120   a  and  120   b  (continuous with horizontal tube members  122   a  and  122   b ) of nozzles  106   a  and  106   b.    
         [0028]    Nozzle housings  126   a  and  126   b  may be configured to slide downwards from an expanded position to a compressed position in response to pressure applied by a user, thereby actuating the respective pump assembly  112   a  and  112   b.  Pump assemblies  112   a  and  112   b  may each include a respective spring. Each spring may bias the respective nozzle housing  126   a,    126   b  into an expanded position. 
         [0029]    Moveable pistons  124   a  and  124   b  may be slidably disposed in the bottom of internal chambers  110   a  and  110   b,  respectively, and are each configured to move toward the pump assemblies, via vacuum, as a volume of fluid and; or semi-fluid material s decreased within the internal chamber. Thus, voids in the chambers are avoided as the chambers empty of fluid. In this regard, the pump assemblies may be considered airless. 
         [0030]    Nozzle housings  124   a  and  124   b  are disposed over nozzles  106   a  and  106   b , respectively. The nozzle housings are each configured to be actuatable to draw fluid through the pump assemblies for dispensing of fluid and/or semi fluid material through the nozzle. 
         [0031]    Turning now to  FIG. 3 , a top plan view of bottle  100  is shown. As shown, bottle  100  may include a gap  150  between nozzle housings  126   a  and  126   b.  Gap  150  has an S-shape that is defined by inner edges of nozzle housings  126   a  and  126   b ). Gap  150  (i.e., the space between inner edges of the nozzle housings) may be supported by an S-shaped wall  132  of stepped portion  146  in sleeve  140 . As described above, stepped portion  146  supports the nozzle housings and limits lateral movement of the nozzle housings. S-shaped wall  152  specifically limits lateral movement of the inner edges of the nozzle housing towards each other and allows a width of gap  150  to be maintained. Accordingly, during use, a user can easily actuate one of the nozzle housing without unintentionally actuating the other nozzle housing. 
         [0032]    1. As depicted in  FIG. 3 , the nozzle housings may each have a curved tear drop shape comprised of tails ( 128   a  and  128   b ) and heads ( 130   a  and  130   b ). The nozzle housings may be aligned and complimentarily configured such that the opposing heads and tails are adjacent to each other. Specifically, head  130   a  may be aligned with and complimentarily configured to fit within a convex curvature  132   h  of tail  128   b . Similarly, head  130   b  may be aligned with and complimentarily configured to fit within a convex curvature  132   a  of tail  128   a.  Thus, in combination, the nozzle housing may form a “yin-yang” configuration. Thus, first and second nozzle housings  126   a,    126   b  are shaped to be free of rotational symmetry when viewed from above such that the orientation of the first and second dispensing nozzles  106   a,    106   b  relative to each other and the exterior casing  102  is predetermined. 
         [0033]      FIG. 4  shows an opposing bottom plan view of bottle  100 . As can be seen in  FIG. 4 , external casing  102  may have an oval shaped-cross section, while internal chambers  124   a  and  124   b  each may have a circular shaped-cross section. This configuration has the advantage that the circular shaped outer walls  154   a  and  154   b  of internal chambers  124   a  and  124   b  are complimentarily shaped to curved inner walls  156   a  and  156   b  (at opposing ends of the oval shape). It will be appreciated that in alternate examples, the external casing and/or the internal chambers can have a different shape (e.g., irregular, square, rectangular, triangular, hexagonal etc.). 
         [0034]    Turning now to  FIG. 5 , dual-chambered dispensing bottle  100  is shown including, lid  108  covering dual nozzle top  104 . Lid  108  may cover nozzle housings  124   a  and  124   b  when attached to bottle  100  (e.g., snap-fit attachment) in order to prevent actuation of the nozzles (i.e., actuation of the nozzle housings). Lid  108  can be removed to allow a Laser to actuate the nozzle housings. 
         [0035]    As shown in  FIG. 6 , internal chambers  110   a,    110   b  may be removed. In one embodiment, after being removed, as shown in  FIG. 7A , the internal chamber may be replaced with a new internal chamber. 
         [0036]    In another embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 7B , the internal chamber may be refilled and then replaced. As can be seen in  FIG. 7B , nozzle collar  162  may be removably mounted to on the top end of internal chamber  110   b,  via. For example threaded connection  160 . 
         [0037]    Turning attention to  FIG. 8 , a second example of a second example of a dual-chambered dispensing bottle, bottle  200 , will now be described. Bottle  200  includes many similar or identical features to bottle  100 . Thus, for the sake of brevity, each feature of bottle  200  will not be redundantly explained. Rather, key distinctions between bottle  200  and bottle  100  will be described in detail and the reader should reference the discussion above for features substantially similar between the two dual-chamber dispensing chambers. 
         [0038]    As can be seen in  FIG. 8 , bottle  200  includes an exterior casing  202 , a shared nozzle housing  204  having a first nozzle  206   a  and a second nozzle  206   b,  and a lid  208 . Exterior casing  202  is configured to house more than one internal chamber. In the present example, the exterior casing houses two internal chambers, one of the internal chambers being in fluid communication with nozzle  206   a  and the other being in fluid communication with nozzle  206   b.  Nozzles  206   a  and  206   b  are simultaneously actuatable (i.e., attached) and are located proximal to each other on same side of the bottle and are faced outwardly from the bottle in substantially similar directions. In other examples, the bottle can include more than two internal chambers and a corresponding number of nozzles (e.g. a three chambered bottle having three nozzles, a four chambered bottle having four nozzles, etc.). 
         [0039]    It will be further appreciated that bottle  100  can be manufactured in a variety of sizes and colorations. Bottle  100  can be color-cod and/or labeled as desired. In embodiment, the bottles may each have a transparent outer casing comprises of clear plastic, while the internal chambers may be colored and comprised of a colored plastic material. Having differing colorations to the internal chambers and/or nozzle housings can have the advantage of helping the user to easily differentiate between the two different materials stored in the chambers. 
         [0040]    In one specific example, the internal chamber and/or nozzle housing can have a white coloration to indicate a “day-use” material, while the other internal chamber and/or nozzle housing can have a black coloration to indicate a “night-use” material. In another specific example, the internal chamber and/or nozzle can have a yellow coloration to indicate a “sun blocking” material, while the other internal chamber and/or nozzle housing can have a blue coloration to indicate a “after sun cooling” material. It will be appreciated that the internal chambers, external casing, and/or nozzle housings can have any desired coloration or combination of colorations and/or include printed material. 
         [0041]    The disclosure above encompasses multiple dist inventions with independent utility. While each of these inventions has been disclosed in a particular form, the specific embodiments disclosed and illustrated above are not to be considered in a limiting sense as numerous variations are possible. The subject matter of the inventions includes all novel and non-obvious combinations and subcombinations of the various elements, features, functions and/or properties disclosed above and inherent to those skilled in the art pertaining to such inventions. Where the disclosure or subsequently filed claims recite “a” element, “a first” element, or any such equivalent term, the disclosure or claims should be understood to incorporate one or more such elements, neither requiring nor excluding two or more such elements. 
         [0042]    Applicant(s) reserves the right to submit claims directed to combinations and subcombinations of the disclosed inventions that are believed to be novel and non-obvious. Inventions embodied in other combinations and subcombinations of features, functions, elements and/or properties may be claimed through amendment of those claims or presentation of new claims in the present application or in a related application. Such amended or new claims, whether they are directed to the same invention or a different invention and whether they are different, broader, narrower or equal in scope to the original claims, are to be considered within the subject matter of the inventions described herein.