Abstract:
A universal adapter assembly system for container bottles using existing dispensing pumps or existing bottle caps includes a plurality of adapter members. Each adapter member is sized to receive and couple to a container bottle having a different sized bottle neck from which the dispensing pump or bottle cap is removed. The system also has a base member with a body sized to fit and releasably couple to each of the plurality of adapter members. The base member has a cap movable between an open position and a closed position relative to the base member body, the cap having an outer portion configured to support the container bottle in an upside down orientation on a supporting surface.

Description:
CLAIM FOR PRIORITY 
     The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/713,603, filed Oct. 14, 2012. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Field 
     The invention relates to bottles having caps or dispensing pumps (e.g., for lotion bottles) and more particularly to a universal bottle pump adaptor for use with container bottles of various sizes. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Bottles are used to dispense various consumer goods (e.g., hand lotion, shampoo, hand soap) using a pump actuated by the user to dispense the contents of the bottle. However, when the level of the contents in the bottle falls below a certain level, the pump is no longer able to dispense said contents. This is frustrating to users because the contents at the bottom of the bottle cannot be easily dispensed, and users resort to taking the pump out of the bottle and shaking the contents out of the bottle, or users throw out the bottle with the unused contents, which is wasteful. Additionally, sometimes existing caps on container bottles (e.g., lotion bottles, liquid soap bottles) are difficult to use or break, making it difficult for users to dispense the contents of the container bottle. 
     SUMMARY 
     Accordingly, there is a need for an improved system for dispensing substantially all of the contents in a bottle container that uses an existing cap or existing dispensing pump, that can be attached to such preexisting bottle containers, and that can be used with different size bottles. 
     In accordance with one embodiment, a universal adapter assembly system for container bottles is provided. The system comprises a plurality of adapter members, each adapter member sized to receive and couple to a container bottle having a different sized bottle neck from which an existing dispensing pump or existing bottle cap is removed. The system also comprises a base member having a body sized to fit each of the plurality of adapter members and releasably coupleable to each of the plurality of adapter members. The base member comprises a cap movable between an open position and a closed position relative to the body, the cap having an outer portion configured to support the container bottle in an upside down orientation on a supporting surface. 
     In accordance with another embodiment, a universal adapter assembly kit for container bottles is provided. The kit comprises a plurality of adapter members, each adapter member having a threaded opening of a different size for receiving and coupling to container bottles having a different sized bottle necks. The kit also comprises a base member having a body sized to fit and releasably couple to each of the plurality of adapter members. The kit also comprises a cap releasably coupleable to the base member body and movable between an open position and a closed position relative to the body. The cap has an outer portion configured to support the container bottle in an upside down orientation on a supporting surface. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic exploded view of one embodiment of an adapter assembly for use with bottle containers of different sizes. 
         FIG. 2A  is a schematic perspective top view of one embodiment of an adapter member of the adapter assembly, the adapter member coupleable to a bottle container. 
         FIG. 2B  is a schematic perspective view of one embodiment of a base member of the adapter assembly, the base member coupleable to the adapter member of  FIG. 2A . 
         FIG. 2C  is a schematic perspective view of the adapter member of  FIG. 2A  and the base member of  FIG. 2B  when assembled into the adapter assembly. 
         FIG. 3A  is a bottom view of the assembled adapter assembly. 
         FIG. 3B  are side views of the adapter assembly at different rotational orientations. 
         FIG. 3C  is a top view of the assembled adapter assembly. 
         FIG. 4A  is a bottom view of the base member of the adapter assembly. 
         FIG. 4B  are side views of the base member at different rotational orientations. 
         FIG. 4C  are side views of the base member at different rotational orientations with the cover partially open. 
         FIG. 4D  is a top view of the base member. 
         FIGS. 5A-5C  are schematic bottom, side and top views of one embodiment of an adapter member of the adapter assembly. 
         FIG. 6A-6C  are schematic bottom, side and top views of another embodiment of an adapter member of the adapter assembly. 
         FIG. 7A  is a schematic perspective top view of one embodiment of a base member of the adapter assembly without the cap cover. 
         FIG. 7B  is a schematic perspective side view of the base member of  FIG. 17A . 
         FIG. 8  is a schematic perspective top view of the cap cover for use with the base member of the adapter assembly. 
         FIG. 9A  is a schematic bottom perspective view of one embodiment of an adapter member of the adapter assembly. 
         FIG. 9B  is a schematic top planar view of the adapter member of  FIG. 9A . 
         FIG. 9C  is a cross-sectional view of the adapter member of  FIG. 9B  along plane A-A. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     As used herein, “substantially all” means greater than 70%, greater than 80%, greater than 85%, greater than 90%, greater than 95%, greater than 97% or greater than 99%. Similarly, as used herein “substantially the same” means within 10% or less, within 5% or less, within 3% or less, within 1% or less, within 0.5% or less, or within 0.2% or less. Also, “substantially planar” as used herein means a surface that is within 10% or less, within 5% or less, within 3% or less, within 1% or less, within 0.5% or less, or within 0.2% or less of being planar or defining a plane. 
       FIGS. 1-10C  show embodiments of an adapter system  100  for use with container bottles  400 A,  400 B of different sizes (e.g., that contain hand lotion, shampoo, hand soap or other dispensable materials). The adapter system  100  can include an adapter member  200 A,  200 B and a base member  300  to which the adapter member  200 A,  200 B can releasably couple. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the system  100  can include multiple adapter members  200 A,  200 B, each having a fastener  210  sized to fit and couple to a threaded bottle neck of a particular size. In the illustrated embodiment, two adapter members  200 A,  200 B are shown. However, in other embodiments, the adapter system  100  can have more than two adapter members. For example, the fastener  210  of the adapter member  200 A can be larger to fit and couple to a container bottle  400 A with a larger bottle neck  410 A, and the fastener  210  of the adapter member  200 B can be smaller to fit and couple to a smaller bottle neck  410 B. Advantageously, the outer dimensions of the adapter members  200 A,  200 B are substantially the same so that the multiple adapter members  200 A,  200 B can releasably couple to the same base member  300 . In the illustrated embodiment, the fastener  210  is a threaded portion that can releasably couple to a corresponding threaded portion of the bottle neck  410 A,  410 B of the container bottle  410 A,  410 B. However, in other embodiments, the fastener can be a clamp, snap, rubber compression ring, press-fit connector or other suitable fasteners that can removably couple the adapter member  200 A,  200 B to the bottle  400 A,  400 B. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 2A-2C , the adapter member  200 A,  200 B can have a body  202  with an opening  212  and a tapered wall  214  that can facilitate alignment of the bottle neck  410 A,  410 B of the container bottle  400 A,  400 B with the fastener  210 . In the illustrated embodiment, the fastener  210  is a threaded portion  216  with a diameter that can receive and threadably couple to the bottle neck  410 A,  410 B of the container bottle  400 A,  400 B. Advantageously, each of the multiple adapter members  200 A,  200 B can have a different sized opening to accommodate a different sized bottle neck. In the illustrated embodiment, the body  202  can have an outer wall surface  218  that is generally cylindrical and spaced from an inner wall surface  222  of the body  202 . The body  202  can also have a coupling mechanism  220  that can couple the adapter member  200 A,  200 B to the base member  300 . In the illustrated embodiment, the coupling mechanism  220  can include a pair of push tabs  220  on two sides of the body  202  (e.g., on opposite sides of the body  202 ), spaced apart from the inner wall portion  222  and actuatable (e.g., manually actuatable by a user pressing on the push tabs  220  with their fingers) to move the push tabs  220  toward the inner wall portion  222  from a default (e.g., unloaded) position. When the user removes their fingers from the push tabs  220 , the push tabs  220  can move away from the inner wall portion  222  toward their default position. The push tabs  220  can include a snap tab  220 A that can engage a portion of the base member  300  when the adapter member  200 A,  200 B is coupled to the base member  300 , as further discussed below. In another embodiment, the coupling mechanism  220  of the adapter member  200  can be other suitable types, such as a threaded portion that can threadably couple to the base member  300 . 
     With continued reference to  FIGS. 2A-2C , the base member  300  can have a body  302  that can removably couple to the adapter members  200 A,  200 B. In the illustrated embodiment, the body  302  can have a top opening  310  to receive the body  202  of the adapter member  200 A,  200 B and a pair of side openings  312  to receive the push tabs  220  therein. The body  302  can have a recessed portion  320  (e.g., undercut) on an inner surface  332  of the body  302  near each of the side openings  312 , where the recessed portion  320  is sized to receive and engage the snap tabs  220 A of the push tabs  220  in order to couple (e.g., hold together) the adapter member  200  to the base member  300 . When the push tabs  220  are actuated (e.g., manually pushed) by the user, the snap tabs  220 A can disengage and clear the recessed portion  320  to allow the adapter member  200  to be removed from the base member  300 . The body  302  can also have a hinge  350  to which a cap or cover  360  can be coupled so that the cap  360  can be moved between an open position, to allow material to pass through a port  230  (see  FIG. 3C ) in the bottom of the body  202  of the adapter member  200 , and a closed position, where the port  230  of the adapter member  200  is closed by a plug  365  of the cap  360 . In another embodiment, the hinge  350  can be a living hinge. In still another embodiment, the body  302  and cover  360  can be a single (e.g., monolithic) piece. Other suitable mechanisms for the hinge can be used and are contemplated in the instant application. The cap  360  can have an outer portion  368  that can support the adapter assembly  100  when coupled to the container bottle  400 A,  400 B in an upside down orientation. In one embodiment, the cap  360  can have a substantially planar outer surface with a diameter greater than a diameter of the body  302 . The planar outer surface  368  of the cap  360  advantageously provides a stable base so that when the adapter assembly  100  is coupled to the container bottle  400 A,  400 B, the bottle  400 A,  400 B can be turned upside down and supported on a surface (e.g., table, counter) via the outer surface  368 . 
     With reference to  FIGS. 7A-7B , the body  302  of the base member  300  can have an undercut portion  355  on a side of the body  302  (e.g., on an opposite side from the hinge  350 ) that can couple to a snap  366  on the cap  360  (see  FIG. 8 ). The cap  360  can have a clamp member (e.g. c-shaped clamp) that can movably couple (e.g. releasably couple) to the hinge  350  of the body  302 . Other suitable mechanisms for coupling the cap  360  to the body  302  can be used. As noted above, in other embodiments, the cap  360  and body  302  can be a single (monolithic) piece. 
       FIGS. 9A-9C  show other views of one embodiment of the adapter member  200 A,  200 B. In one embodiment, the port  230  in the body  202  can have a diameter of between about 2 mm and about 4 mm, inclusive of any dimensions therebetween. In another embodiment, the diameter of the port  230  can be about 3.5 mm. However, the diameter can have other suitable dimensions, such as about 3.6 mm. Other suitable dimensions are possible. The push tabs  220  can be spaced from the inner wall surface  222  of the body  202  by a distance  224  of between about 2 mm and about 10 mm, inclusive of dimensions therebetween. In another embodiment, said distance  224  can be about 5 mm or about 6 mm or about 7 mm, or any dimension in between these. Other suitable dimensions are possible. 
     In some embodiments, the adapter system  100  can be made of a plastic material and made using methods known in the art (e.g., molding such as injection molding, cast molding). In such molding operations, a tool can be used to form the different features of the components of the system  100  (e.g., to mold the push tabs  220  and snap tabs  220 A). However, the adapter system  100  can be made of other suitable materials (e.g., metal). 
     In use, once the user is unable to dispense the contents of a bottle container with its associated pump (e.g., because the level of the contents in the bottle is too low for the pump to pull the contents out of the bottle), the user can remove the pump from the container and attach one of the adapter members  200 A,  200 B that fits the bottle neck of the container bottle. The user can then couple the base member  300  to the adapter member  200 A,  200 B to provide the assembled adapter system  100 . The user can then turn the bottle container upside down and rest the bottle on the cap  360  to allow gravity to bring the contents of the bottle toward the cap  360 . When ready to use, the user can open the cap  360  and squeeze or shake the bottle to dispense the contents. When finished, the user can move the cap  360  to the closed position and place the container in the upside down position again. 
     Of course, the foregoing description is of certain features, aspects and advantages of the present invention, to which various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Thus, for example, those skill in the art will recognize that the invention can be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or a group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other objects or advantages as may be taught or suggested herein. In addition, while a number of variations of the invention have been shown and described in detail, other modifications and methods of use, which are within the scope of this invention, will be readily apparent to those of skill in the art based upon this disclosure. It is contemplated that various combinations or sub-combinations of the specific features and aspects between and among the different embodiments may be made and still fall within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that various features and aspects of the disclosed embodiments can be combined with or substituted for one another in order to form varying modes of the discussed devices, systems and methods (e.g., by excluding features or steps from certain embodiments, or adding features or steps from one embodiment of a system or method to another embodiment of a system or method).