Perfume dispenser

A perfume dispenser has compartments for separately storing a plurality of liquid perfumes each of a different fragrance, a selector device which enables any one liquid perfume or any combination of liquid perfumes to be selected for dispensing through an outlet of the dispenser and an actuating device operable to cause the release of a quantity of the selected liquid perfume or perfumes into a mixing chamber and from the chamber to said outlet. The actuating device includes a depressable cap which carries an outlet nozzle through which the selected perfume or combination of perfumers may be dispensed and a tubular member of resilient material is provided to conduct the selected perfume or combination of perfumes to the outlet nozzle this tubular member also providing a resilient force against which the cap is depressed when it is desired to actuate the dispenser to dispense the selected perfume or mixture of perfumes from the outlet nozzle.

The present invention relates to a perfume dispenser and more particularly 
to a perfume dispenser which enables any of a plurality of different 
liquid perfumes to be selected or to be selectively mixed prior to being 
dispensed, whereby a plurality of different perfume fragrances can be 
obtained from the dispenser, as desired. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
One such form of perfume dispenser is disclosed in my U.S. Pat. No. 
4,006,841 and comprises a holder for holding a plurality of perfume 
containers each containing a liquid perfume of a different fragrance, a 
selector device which, when the plurality of containers are located in the 
holder, enables liquid perfume from any one or from a combination or 
combinations of the containers to be selected for dispensing through an 
outlet of the dispenser and an actuating means operable to cause the 
release of a quantity of the selected liquid perfume or perfumes into a 
mixing chamber and from said chamber to said outlet. 
The present invention relates to a perfume dispenser in which the necessity 
for separate perfume containers removably attached to the dispenser is 
avoided and which may therefore be made as a more compact and integrated 
assembly. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
According to the invention, the perfume dispenser includes a depressable 
cap which carries an outlet nozzle through which a selected perfume may be 
dispensed and a tubular member of resilient material is provided to 
conduct the selected perfume essence or mixture of essence to the outlet 
nozzle, said tubular member also providing the resilient force against 
which the cap is depressed when it is desired to actuate the dispenser to 
dispense a perfume from the outlet nozzle. 
The liquid perfume essences may be under pressure within each compartment 
forming a liquid container or alternatively the assembly may be of the 
type in which the liquid perfume essence in each compartment forming a 
container is only pressurised when its outlet valve is depressed to 
dispense a quantity of the perfume essence contained therein.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring to the drawings and as seen particularly in FIGS. 1a and 1b, a 
perfume dispenser generally indicated at 1, comprises a body 2, a mid-part 
3 and a cap assembly 4. The body 2 has a plurality of internal 
longitudinal compartments, each forming a perfume container for containing 
a different liquid perfume essence under pressure and which are each 
provided with a pressure-operated outlet valve leading to a mixing chamber 
disposed in the mid-part 3. The outlet from the mixing chamber leads to an 
outlet nozzle 5 mounted in the cap assembly 4. This cap assembly is both 
rotatable and resiliently depressable and to this end is provided with a 
finger engaging recess 6 in its upper part by means of which the cap may 
be readily depressed to cause actuation of the pressure-operated valves of 
one or more of the perfume containers. An inner skirt of the cap 4 carries 
markings, such as a series of letters A to G which can selectively be made 
visible through an aperture 7 in the mid-part 3 by rotation of the cap 4. 
Each letter indicates a different perfume essence or combination of mixed 
essences, and hence a different fragrance available for dispensing from 
the outlet nozzle 5. 
Thus, if the body 2 has three perfume containers each containing liquid 
perfume essence under pressure and it is arranged to dispense any of these 
singly or in any possible combination, it is possible to select up to 
seven different fragrances, as represented by the different letters A to 
G, by appropriate rotation of the cap 4 which thus forms a selector 
device. The cap is then depressed to dispense the selected perfume 
fragrance as a mist or spray through the outlet nozzle 5. 
The construction and operation of the dispenser will now be described in 
greater detail with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. The various parts of the 
dispenser are made as moldings of suitable plastics materials, such as an 
acetyl resin copolymer and polyethylene or polypropylene. 
As can be seen, the dispenser is of generally cylindrical form and includes 
the cylindrical body 2 which is divided into three longitudinally 
extending compartments 2a,2b 2c, each forming a perfume container, by 
means of longitudinal radially direct partitions 10. The upper end of each 
compartment contains a valve housing 11 seated on locating projections 
(not shown) within the compartment and from which extends a tube 12 whose 
lower end reaches to the bottom of the compartment in order to enable the 
egress of liquid perfume essence from that compartment when desired. 
The cylindrical body extends above the upper end of the compartments to 
form an upstanding rim 2d which receives and surrounds the lower end of 
the mid-part 3. This generally cylindrical mid-part is provided with a 
peripheral slot 7 forming the aperture mentioned above as well as with 
three holes 13 in its base 14, through which project the outlet tubes 15 
of valve members (to be described) located in the valve housings 11. The 
mid-part 3 also accommodates a central mixing chamber 16 from which 
radially extend three equiangularly spaced flexible tubes 17 which are 
each connected at their outer end to a respective union member 18 which 
also fits over the upper end of the outlet tube 15 from the associated 
container. The tubes 17 must be flexible to allow movement of any one 
union 18 relative to the others as a valve member is actuated. 
The underside of the base 14 is formed with segment shaped projections 19 
(as shown in FIG. 2a) which are a close fit within the correspondingly 
shaped upper ends of the compartments 2a,2b, 2c and which also serve to 
locate the upper rim of the valve housings 11. Since these projections 19 
serve to seal the compartments forming the liquid perfume essence 
containers in a leak proof manner, an effective and reliable bond must be 
formed between the parts and this may be achieved by ultrasonic welding. 
The cylindrical cap assembly 4 is provided with an inner cylindrical skirt 
member 20 which is a snap fit within the cap by means of a flange 21 at 
its upper end engaging over a shallow bead (not shown) within the cap. The 
flange 21 includes an aperture 21a leading to a passage 22 which 
terminates at an axial boss 22a within the underside of the skirt member. 
When the skirt member is assembled to the cap 4, the aperture therein is 
aligned with an aperture in the cap and the stem 5a of the outlet nozzle 5 
is passed through the apertures and is a push fit within the passage 22 so 
that the nozzle 5 is located within the aperture in the cap 4 
substantially flush with the outer surface of the cap. 
The underside of the skirt member is also provided with a plurality of 
radially directed webs 23 projecting inwardly and which form actuating 
members whose lower edge can engage with the union members 18 to depress 
the latter and cause opening of the valve members located in the valve 
housing 11. Six such webs 23 are provided in this embodiment and are so 
spaced around the inner periphery of the skirt member 20 that the rotation 
of the cap assembly 4 to any of a plurality of predetermined positions 
defined by the letters A to G appearing in the aperture 7 positions a 
different one or combination of the actuating members 23 to engage with 
one or more of the union members 18. 
As can be seen from FIG. 3, when the cap assembly 4 is fitted to the 
mid-part 3, the latter is received within the annular gap between the 
inside of the cap and the outside of the skirt member 20. The letters A to 
G are carried on the lower part of the outer surface of the skirt member 
and are positioned so as to appear in the aperture 7 as the cap assembly 
is rotated, as mentioned above. The cap assembly 4 is locked on to the 
mid-part 3 by the snap action of interengaging beads (not shown) on the 
two parts. 
The valve members located in the valve housings 11 each comprise a valve 
body 24 including the outlet tube 15 and having a flange engaging with a 
spring 25 which normally holds the valve member closed. Pressure on a 
union member 18 depresses the valve body 24 against the spring 25 to allow 
liquid perfume essence under pressure within the container to be ejected 
through the outlet tube 15 and from thence to the mixing chamber 16. 
The outlet from the mixing chamber 16 is connected to the passage 22 and 
outlet nozzle 5 via a resilient tube 26 which fits within the boss 23. The 
tube 26 is dimensioned such that it is bowed when the cap assembly 4 is 
depressed and it thereby acts as a resilient member to return the cap 
assembly to its initial position when finger pressure on the cap assembly 
is released. 
The dispenser as described incorporates the three containers 2a,2b and 2c 
each containing a liquid perfume essence of a different fragrance which 
can be selectively dispensed from the dispenser. Also, any combination of 
the three basic essences can be dispensed, thereby giving an overall 
choice of seven different perfume fragrances which can be obtained from 
the dispenser. 
The manner in which the dispenser operates to achieve this result will now 
be described. Firstly, as described above, the user rotates the cap 
assembly 4 so as to bring opposite the aperture 7 that one of the letters 
A to G which correspond to the selected fragrance, which may be one of the 
basic perfume essences or a combination of such essences. However, let it 
be assumed that this is the perfume essence from container 2b. The 
rotation of the cap assembly to this position will bring the actuating 
member 23 corresponding to this selected fragrance over the union member 
18 connected to the outlet tube 15 of the pressure valve of container 2b. 
In this position, the remaining members 23 will not be located over either 
of the other union members 18. When the cap assembly 4 is depressed 
against the action of the resilient tube 26, the operative member 23 will 
bear down on the union member thereby depressing the pressure valve of 
container 2b to allow the perfume essence therein to be released through 
the tube 15, the mixing chamber 16 and outlet passage 22 and ejected from 
the nozzle 5 of the dispenser as a spray or mist. When the cap assembly is 
released, the pressure on the outlet valve of container 2b ceases and 
delivery of the perfume essence stops. If the cap assembly is now rotated 
to select another fragrance, e.g. that corresponding to the combination of 
the essences in containers 2a and 2b, the actuating members 23 
corresponding to this selection are brought over the union members 18 
connected to the outlet valves of the containers 2a and 2b. When the cap 
assembly 4 is depressed, these union members will be depressed to operate 
the valves of these containers to release the perfume essences therefrom 
into the mixing chamber 16 where they will combine and pass through the 
outlet passage 22 to the outlet nozzle 5 of the dispenser. Similarly, 
rotation of the cap assembly to any of the other positions causes 
operation of the outlet valve of each selected container either alone or 
in combination to dispense the selected fragrance from the dispenser. As 
soon as the pressure on the cap assembly 4 is released, the outlet valve 
of the container or containers which have been operative is automatically 
closed and the union members 18 are returned to their normal position. 
Where essences from two or more containers are mixed, since they are 
released into the mixing chamber at the same time, the fragrance resulting 
from the combination of these essences is virtually consistent. It will of 
course be appreciated that the three basic essences in the containers 
2a,2b and 2c must have fragrances which when combined together also 
produce acceptable perfume fragrances. 
In a modification, the nozzle 5 may be molded integrally with the inner 
cylindrical skirt member 20.