Abstract:
A dispensing device for substances including personal care, cosmetics, and medicinal substances dispenses a metered amount by actuation of a push button which indirectly contacts an advancable shaft, thereby driving a piston to push the substance from a reservoir into an applicator. The device can be operated in one hand of a person and is devoid of any twist or rotation mechanism.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention is directed to a dispensing device, and in particular to a device which is operable by a push button action so as to dispense a predetermined amount of a desired substance such as a cosmetic, lotion, cream, or medicinal. More specifically, the present invention relates to dispensing metered amounts of the substance through the utilization of a push cap which indirectly drives a shaft connected to a piston slidably engaging a substance-containing reservoir to dispense the substance through an applicator. A tandem set of ratchet springs in conjunction with a constant pitched shaft provides a metered amount of the substance to the applicator when a push button is pressed. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   Numerous devices exist for the dispensing of cosmetic substances from a holder. Such devices usually consist of an outer tubular shell or housing, a cap and a moveable mechanism for displacement of the cosmetic substance. The mechanisms are conventionally based on a twist or rotation of a tubular housing to dispense the product. Such a mechanism is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 6,474,891 which discloses a make-up pen which dispenses a cosmetic lotion/cream by rotating a rotational cap. 
   These rotational mechanisms have the inherent drawback, however, of requiring the use of both hands of the person applying the cosmetic, one to hold the housing and the other to impart rotation of the mechanism. The devices further have the drawback of requiring the user to rotate the device a plurality of times in order to obtain the desired or required amount of product to be dispensed. 
   Other devices relate to mechanical pencils in which the lead is generally advanced by pressing a shaft which at one end projects from the top end of the pencil and at the other end is connected to a toothed shaft which advances the lead. Such a mechanism is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 2,771,858 to Cribbs which relates to a mechanical pencil having a barrel in which is axially shiftable a push rod terminating in a button projecting beyond one end of the barrel, the push rod being operably engaged by means of a pawl with a rack, and the barrel carrying a holding pawl which prevents retrograde movement of the rack. On each depression of the push button, the rack is advanced a predetermined number of steps and carried by the rack is a lead which is correspondingly advanced on each advancing movement of the rack. Associated with the rack is a means for rotating the same at the option of a user, through a sufficient number of degrees to disengage the same from the pawls, and when the rack is so rotated, a spring means associated therewith returns it to its original position, so that a new lead can be inserted. 
   Another device relates to mechanical pens or cosmetic dispensers such as lipstick wherein a wheel is utilized to drive and advance a cylinder or sleeve containing lipstick and the like. Such a device is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 6,394,270 wherein a lipstick case includes a tubular housing, a connecting sleeve fitted within the tubular housing and having an upper end extending out of the tubular housing, a cap engageable with an upper end of the connecting sleeve, a core movably mounted within the connecting sleeve and having a chamber for receiving a lipstick, the core having a downwardly extending member, a supporting bracket disposed within the tubular housing and provided with two vertical members, a hand wheel rotatably arranged between the two vertical members and formed with two gears at two sides thereof, and a toothed rack fixedly mounted on an inner side of the downwardly extending member of the core and meshed with one of the gears of the hand wheel. Such wheel-type dispensers can inadvertently advance the contents of the container resulting in contamination of a hand bag or the like, unless a safety lock is utilized. 
   It would therefore, be desirable to provide a dispensing device which can be actuated by a push button action which through indirect contact with a shaft advances the same to provide a predetermined amount of a desired substance. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention provides a dispensing device. The dispensing device can be actuated by depression of a slidable push button which, through a housing having a peripheral contact with an advancable shaft, operatively dispenses a predetermined amount of a desired substance. The shaft has a piston at one end located within a reservoir to drive forward the substance into an applicator whereby it is dispensed. The use of a slidable push button forms an aesthetically pleasing design and due to the indirect contact, there is no contact with the top of the shaft. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a cross sectional side view of a dispensing device according to the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a plan view of the outside of the upper housing of the dispensing device. 
       FIG. 2A  is cross-sectional view of the bottom segment of the upper housing. 
       FIG. 2B  is a cross section of  FIG. 2A  taken through line C—C. 
       FIG. 3  is a cross section of the plunger of the present invention. 
       FIG. 4  is an enlarged sectional view of the center toothed shaft of the present invention. 
       FIG. 5  is an exploded view of the piston head of the dispensing device of the present invention. 
       FIG. 6  is a sectional view of the applicator. 
       FIG. 6A  is a perspective view of the applicator shown in  FIG. 6  including a brush. 
       FIG. 6B  is a perspective view of the applicator shown in  FIG. 6  including a sponge. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   In an embodiment of the present invention as shown in  FIG. 1 , there is illustrated a dispensing device  10 . Throughout this description, for ease of referral; any item or component located on the left side of  FIG. 1  or with respect to any component located to the left of an element of the dispensing device will be indicated as being a lower component. Similarly, components located to the right of any indicated element will be indicated as an upper component. 
   Dispensing device  10  has an outer cylinder  18  preferably of an essentially consistent diameter along a major length of the device and includes an upper portion  12  having housing  20 , a center reservoir portion  14  and a lower cap portion  16  having applicator  90  therein. The lower cap portion  16 , as well as the upper portion  12 , at the extremities thereof, preferably taper inwardly to form slightly elongated and rounded ends. Important aspects of the present invention are that upper housing  20  is slidable in a forward or downward longitudinal direction and that the upper end thereof forms an integral push button  22  which does not directly contact the upper end or terminal portion of advancable center toothed shaft  60 . In other words, as will be more fully discussed hereinbelow, while a downward push on push button  22  will advance flow of a substance through the applicator, push button  22  is free of any contact with the top portion of shaft  60 . The top portion of the shaft can be defined as the generally flat surface thereof or the upper approximate 5% or 10% of its total length. Located below push button  22 , is an accordion-pleated flexible plastic sleeve portion  24  which is capable of expanding and contracting as the push button is pressed and released. 
   The various components of the dispensing device can be made from rubber, plastic, or less desirably metal. Preferably, the various components or parts are made of plastic. For example, housing  20  containing push button  22  can be made of one or more semi-rigid plastics which have some flexibility such as polybutylene, polyesters such as polyethylene terephthalate, various grades of polyethylene such as low or high density polyethylene, ethylene-ethyl acrylate, ethylene-vinyl acetate, polypropylene and the like with polypropylene being preferred for its chemical resistance, flexibility and durability. The flexible pleated sleeve portion  24  is naturally made of one or more soft, flexible plastics such as silicone rubber, polypropylene, low density and ultra-low density polyethylene, and polybutylene with silicone being preferred. Reservoir portion  14 , and lower cap portion  16  are desirably made of one or more semi-flexible materials such as polyester, polyethylene, polybutylene, ethylene-ethyl acrylate, or ethylene-vinyl acetate, and the like with polypropylene being preferred. Applicator  90  is made of a flexible material such as a polyester elastomer. The center toothed shaft  60  will generally be made from a metal such as stainless steel, aluminum, or brass, with aluminum being preferred due to its durability and machinability. 
   In  FIG. 2 , there is shown slidable upper housing  20  which is essentially an oblong cylinder with a top segment  29   a  and a bottom segment  29   b . The top segment  29   a  is tapered or rounded at its end and forms push button  22 . Positioned below the top segment  29   a  is a collar  30  which defines an undercut area  32  ( FIG. 2B ) which serves to hold accordion-pleated flexible plastic sleeve  24  in place. Extending below collar  30  and radially inwardly offset there from is the bottom segment  29   b . On the end of surface  34  of the bottom segment are a plurality of evenly spaced fingers  36  which form grooves  38  ( FIG. 2A ) there between and serve to prevent housing  20  from being disconnected from device  10 . Generally, the number of fingers  36  will vary with about four being preferred. Fingers  36  surround and form an annulus about central aperture  39  which permits plunger  40  and center shaft  60  to extend there through. 
   Plunger  40  is depicted in  FIG. 3  in cross section. The plunger  40  is an elongate cylinder having an outer surface  42 . The plunger  40  has a shoulder  44  which extends radially outward to form rim  48 . On the outer surface  42  of the plunger  40  are equally spaced splines  46 . Splines  46  matingly engage grooves  38  of the housing  20  so as to provide alignment of these two parts or components of the dispensing device and to prevent excessive rotation of the pleated sleeve. 
   In  FIG. 4  there is shown an elongated center toothed shaft  60 . Shaft  60  is provided within the upper portion  12  of dispensing device  10 . Shaft  60  is essentially cylindrical and extends along a major length of upper portion  12  and is provided with an array of teeth  62  which are evenly spaced longitudinally along the shaft  60  such as at a distance of about 0.45 mm. However, it is to be understood that the distance between the teeth can be fixed at any other length and such a distance constitutes the advancement of the shaft with each push on push button  22  as more fully described herein below. Shaft  60  terminates at its lower end in projection  66  which engages piston head  70 . Teeth  62  are generally pitched at an angle to facilitate forward shaft advancement and retard backward motion. 
   Piston head  70 , as depicted in  FIG. 5 , is constituted by a cylindrical wall  72  having at its front and back two external peripheral lips  73   a ,  73   b  which form piston aperture  74  therein. Piston head  70  has a central recess  76  which matingly receives shaft projection  66  so that piston head  70  moves in unison with the shaft  60  as an assembly. 
   Substance reservoir  14  is formed by a portion of outer cylinder  18  and slidably receives piston head  70 . 
   In lower portion  16  of the dispensing device  10 , there is provided, as shown in  FIG. 6 , an applicator  90  for application of the substance. Applicator housing  91  can generally have any desired shape with usually a neck down or a progressively narrower portion proceeding from the upper portion of the applicator to the forward tip  93  thereof so as to dispense the substance contained in reservoir  14  in a small amount and/or area. Alternatively, the applicator  90  is provided at its tip  93  with a plurality of openings or orifices  95  for ejection of the substance. Numerous other configurations of the tip  93  or applicator opening can exist so that the substance can be applied in any desired shape or configuration. Moreover, the applicator tip  93  can be in the form of a brush or a sponge. 
   A means for advancement of the center toothed shaft  60  so as to drive the piston head  70  is depicted, generally, in FIG.  1 . The internal mechanism with regard to the advancement of shaft  60  can generally be any structure known to the art and to the literature such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,771,858 to Cribbs which is hereby fully incorporated by reference. To dispense a predetermined quantity of a substance contained in center reservoir  14 , finger or other pressure is applied to slidable push button  22  which compresses accordion-pleated sleeve  24 . Upper housing  20  slidably engages plunger  40  after an initial free play or longitudinal travel length, such as about 0.25 inches, defined by the distance between upper housing shoulder  27  and plunger upper end or terminal surface  41 . Thus, in a normal position as shown in  FIG. 1 , upper housing  20  exists in a retracted or rest state wherein a free play distance exists between housing shoulder  27  and the upper end of plunger  40 . Upon pressing push button  22 , the free play distance is gradually shortened until housing shoulder  27  contacts top surface  41  of plunger  40  where upon the plunger commences to move downwardly in unison with push button  22 . The plunger movement distance is controlled by the distance between plunger rim  48  and internal flange  86  which is connected to or integral with the central housing of the dispensing device. This distance is generally set approximately the length of one tooth of central shaft  60 , such as about 0.02 inch. 
   Dispensing of a substance in reservoir  14  through applicator  90  thus occurs in the following manner. Push button  22  is depressed whereby housing  20  will travel downwardly until shoulder  27  contacts plunger  40  which through ratchet drive spring  80  ( FIG. 1 ) engages shaft  60  to produce a longitudinal forward movement of the shaft and thus drive piston head  70  into center reservoir  14  to discharge a substance through applicator  90 . The forward advancement of shaft  60  continues until, as noted above, plunger rim  48  contacts internal flange  86  which is usually a distance of one shaft tooth. Upon release of push button  22 , compression spring  82  retracts plunger  40  whereas housing spring  25  retracts housing  20 , but the toothed center shaft  60  is held by ratchet holding spring  84  ( FIG. 1 ) so as to retain the shaft in its advanced position. Spring  84  is connected to the dispensing device housing so that it does not advance or retract. 
   As apparent from the above description, push button  22  is free of any contact with the top end of shaft  60 . In other words, upon depression of push button  22 , it does not contact the top end of shaft  60  but rather housing  20  through shoulder  27  subsequently contacts plunger  40  which advances the same. Thus, push button  22  is free of direct contact with the upper end of central shaft  60  but encloses the same so that it is not exposed. Another advantage of the present invention is that the dispensing device  10  dispenses substance without any rotary action of the upper portion  12  of the dispensing device  10  which would otherwise require two hands to operate the same. Dispensing device  10  is also free of any wheel type engagement with center shaft  60  which normally requires an exact rotation of the wheel to apply a desired amount of substance to an object such as a human body. Rather, push button  22  need only be depressed a desired number of times to apply a suitable amount of substance. 
   The dispensing device  10  of the present invention has application in various cosmetic, personal care and medicinal applications wherein the substance is desirable a flowable liquid, a semi-solid or a solid such as a powder. 
   Examples of cosmetic applications include foundation make-ups, blush, lotions, astringents, toners, emollients, lip sticks, eyeliners, brow liners, nail polish and polish removers, under eye covers, mascaras, eye shadows, and the like. 
   Examples of various personal care items include shampoos such as 2-in-1 shampoos, baby shampoos, conditioning shampoos, bodifying shampoos, temporary hair color shampoos, 3-in-1 shampoos, anti-dandruff shampoos, and hair color maintenance shampoos; skin cleansers including anti-bacterial washes, moisturizing washes, bath and shower gels, facial and foot scrubs; creams and lotions, including skin whiteners, self tanning lotions, sunscreen lotions, barrier lotions, moisturizers, hair styling creams, Vitamin C creams, liquid talc products and antibacterial lotions, shaving preparations, and other moisturizing lotions and creams; skin and hair gels, for example facial masks, body masks, hydroalcoholic gels; hair gels; body gels, sunscreen gels, and the like, as well as other personal care applications such as permanent hair color, toothpaste and the like. 
   Examples of medicinal applications include topical formulations in the form of creams, lotions, ointments, or gels including antibacterials, antifungals, anesthetics, analgesics, antiseptics/disinfectants, and the like. 
   While in accordance with the patent statutes the best mode and preferred embodiment have been set forth, the scope of the invention is not limited thereto, but rather by the scope of the attached claims.