Abstract:
The present invention provides a flexible container for dispensing liquids capable of providing precise dosage of the liquid. The container comprises an upper liquid reservoir and a lower liquid reservoir separated by a gasket, a longitudinal tube extending through the gasket and comprising a slot, and a dispensing tip having a longitudinal sleeve extending therefrom that also comprises a slot and is disposed concentrically around the upper end of the longitudinal tube. Liquid may be transferred from the lower reservoir to the upper reservoir by the application of pressure on the lower reservoir while the two slots are aligned. In a preferred embodiment, the container is rendered child-resistant through the provision of a cap.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a dispenser for liquids, more specifically a dispenser particularly well suited for dispensing liquids which contain pharmaceutically active ingredients. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Containers with a reservoir in which a measured dose of liquid are filled are known in the art. Typically these containers have an upper reservoir into which the liquid is filled, and which contains markings to indicate the level of fluid to be dispensed, see for example U.S. Design Pat. Nos. 278,118 and 316,815. However, these containers are not designed for delivering variable accurate dosages. While this might be acceptable for products such as mouthwash, these containers are not well suited for dispensing pharmaceutical ingredients. 
     Despite the disclosures of the prior art there is an ongoing need to provide dispensers which deliver accurate dosages of liquids easily while also provides child resistant features. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides in a first embodiment a container for dispensing liquids, said container comprising: a lower reservoir and an upper reservoir separated by a gasket having an aperture therethrough; a longitudinal tube extending through said gasket, said tube having a lower end extending into said lower reservoir, an upper end extending into said upper reservoir, whereby when pressure is applied to said lower reservoir, liquid in said lower reservoir can travel through said tube and into said upper reservoir, said upper end of said tube having a longitudinal slot extending therethrough; and a dispensing tip having a longitudinal sleeve extending therefrom, said longitudinal sleeve having a helical aperture extending therethrough, said sleeve is disposed concentrically around said upper end of said tube such that it can rotate around said tube, whereby the maximum amount of liquid that can be maintained in said upper reservoir is controlled by said helical slit&#39;s position with respect to said longitudinal slot. 
     In a second embodiment the present invention provides a container for dispensing liquids, said container comprising a lower reservoir and an upper reservoir in fluid communication with each other and separated by a gasket having an aperture therethrough; a longitudinal tube extending through said gasket, said tube having a lower end extending into said lower reservoir, an upper end extending into said upper reservoir, whereby when pressure is applied to said lower reservoir, liquid in said lower reservoir can travel through said tube and into said upper reservoir, said upper end of said tube having a slot extending therethrough; a dispensing tip having a longitudinal sleeve extending therefrom, said longitudinal sleeve having a slot extending therethrough, said sleeve is disposed concentrically around said upper end of said tube such that said tube and sleeve can move relative to each other, whereby the maximum amount of liquid that can be maintained in said upper reservoir is controlled by changing the position of said slots relative to each other. 
     Another embodiment of the invention provides a container for dispensing liquids, said container comprising: a lower reservoir and an upper reservoir in fluid communication with each other; a means for delivering liquid from said lower reservoir to said upper reservoir upon the application of pressure to said lower reservoir; and a means for dosing and varying the maximum amount of liquid that can be maintained in said upper reservoir. 
     Yet another embodiment provides a container for dispensing liquids, said container comprising a lower reservoir and an upper reservoir in fluid communication with each other; a device that delivers liquid from said lower reservoir to said upper reservoir upon the application of pressure to said lower reservoir; and a dosing device that can and vary the maximum amount of liquid that can be maintained in said upper reservoir. 
     These embodiments as well as other features of the present invention will be understood upon reading the specification and accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the container with the upper reservoir empty. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the container with pressure applied to the wall of the lower reservoir of the container. 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the container with the upper reservoir filled to the desired level. 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the container in an inverted position. 
     FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the dispensing indicator of the upper reservoir. 
     FIG. 6 is and enlarged perspective view of the dispensing indicator of the upper reservoir. 
     FIG. 7 is an exploded elevational view of container. 
     FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the container. 
     FIG. 8A is a top view of the outer sleeve of the container. 
     FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view taken along line  9 — 9  of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 10 is a cross sectional view taken along line  10 — 10  of FIG.  9 . 
     FIG. 11 is a cross sectional view taken along line  11 — 11  of FIG.  9 . 
     FIG. 12 is a cross sectional view taken along line  12 — 12  of FIG.  2 . 
     FIG. 13 is a cross sectional view taken along line  13 — 13  of FIG.  3 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a resilient, flexible container which when the walls of the container are deformed, the contents of the container are forced up the longitudinal tube, or referred to as the fill tube, into the upper reservoir. When the pressure on the container walls is decreased the liquid in the upper reservoir drains back into the bottle until the desired dosage is selected. Upon the satisfactory filling of the upper reservoir, the user inverts the bottle, typically to a near vertical position. The lower end of the fill tube is no longer submerged in the contents of the container. The user then applies pressure on the container walls thereby forcing air into the straw such that sufficient pressure is developed to assist gravity in dispensing liquid out of the dispenser tip. 
     Referring now to the Figures, FIG. 1 depicts the container  5  with the upper reservoir  15  empty of liquid. As depicted in this drawing liquid will collect in the upper reservoir. A gasket  40  is formed which separates the lower reservoir  30  from the upper reservoir and prevents liquid from draining from the upper reservoir to the lower reservoir. The outer sleeve  70  contains an aperture  75  as well as drain notch  77 . The fill tube  100  is shown which passes from the lower reservoir through an opening in the gasket and into the upper reservoir. This permits liquid to be transferred from the lower to upper reservoirs. The dispensing tip  80  is shown with the dosage indicator  85 . The aperture in the inner sleeve  65  and the gasket  40  between the upper and lower reservoirs are also depicted. 
     FIG. 2 depicts pressure being applied to the lower reservoir  30  of the container by the arrows thereby forcing liquid up the fill tube  100  into the upper reservoir  15  to the desired dosage, numeral  26  as indicated by the dosage indicator  85 . The level of liquid in the upper reservoir is above the indicated dosage  85  so long as pressure is maintained on the lower reservoir. FIG. 3 demonstrates the liquid dosage in the upper reservoir at the desired dosage as determined by the dosage indicator  85  on the dispensing tip  80 . Any excess liquid which was transferred to the upper reservoir was returned to the lower reservoir when the pressure on the lower reservoir is removed. 
     FIG. 4 depicts the container in an inverted position in which the liquid in the upper reservoir is dispensed to the consumer by applying pressure on the walls of the lower container. The fill tube is positioned near the bottom of the container so that when inverted an air space is created. When force is applied to the lower reservoir  30 , higher pressure air is created which is forced into the upper reservoir through the fill tube  100 , thereby aiding in the dispensing of liquid from the upper reservoir  15  and dispensing tip  80 . 
     FIG. 5 depicts the dispensing tip  80  and the dosage indicator  85  positioned at the numeral  20 , which could designate the appropriate dosage for a child whose weight is 20 pounds. The helical aperture  75  on the outer sleeve  70  and the corresponding liquid level is apparent. The dotted line  65  indicates the aperture in the inner sleeve  60 . The base of the outer sleeve  50  and the gasket  40  are depicted in an arrangement which retains liquid in the upper reservoir  15 . 
     FIG. 6 demonstrates the counterclockwise rotation of the dispensing tip  85  to numeral  26  and the corresponding change in the height of the helical aperture  75  found in the outer sleeve. The dotted line depicts the aperture in the inner sleeve  65 . The drain  77  in the base  50  of the outer sleeve  70  is visible. The optional gasket is depicted as an additional piece in the assembly, however those with skill in the art will appreciated that the gasketmay be eliminated if its sealing function is incorporated into another element, such as the inner sleeve. 
     FIG. 7 depicts the various elements in an exploded front view with the cap  90 , with cap child resistant tab  95 , dispensing tip  80 , dosage indicator  85 , outer sleeve  70 , with helical aperture  75 , drain  77 , inner sleeve  60 , aperture  65 , base of outer sleeve  50 , a gasket  40 , the upper reservoir  15 , lower reservoir  30 , and fill tube  100 . The inner sleeve is preferably held in a stationary position which improves the liquid seal between the upper and lower reservoirs. 
     FIG. 8 is an exploded side view of the container with the cap  90 , with child resistant tab  95 , dispensing tip  80 , outer sleeve  70 , with helical aperture  75 , drain  77 , inner sleeve  60 , aperture  65 , inner sleeve drain  67 , outer sleeve base  50 , a gasket  40 , the upper reservoir  15 , lower reservoir  30 , and fill tube  100 . One with skill in the art will readily appreciate that an alignment of the inner sleeve drain  67  and outer sleeve drain  77  over each other will allow liquid to empty from the upper reservoir to the lower reservoir. FIG. 8A is a top view of the outer sleeve  70 , depicting the drain  77  in the base of the outer sleeve  50 . 
     FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view taken along line  9 — 9  of FIG.  1 . The fill tube  100 , the inner sleeve  60 , and the outer sleeve  70  are depicted. The outer sleeve aperture  75  is depicted by the counter clockwise rotation of the arrows terminating in the area marked by axis line  11 — 11 . The inner sleeve aperture  65  is also visible in the inner sleeve  60 . In FIG. 9, the inner sleeve drain  67  and the outer sleeve drain are not aligned over each other. In this arrangement, the liquid from the lower reservoir will fill the upper reservoir to the desired level. 
     FIG. 10 is a cross sectional view taken along line  10 — 10  of the FIG.  9 . The drain  77  in the outer sleeve  70  is visible, as is the base  50  of the outer sleeve. The gasket  40  is also depicted. The longitudinal fill tube  100  is in fluid communication with the inner sleeve  60 , thus providing liquid to the upper reservoir. FIG. 11 is a cross sectional view taken along the line  11 — 11  of FIG.  9 . The helical aperture  75  in the outer sleeve  70  is apparent. The inner sleeve  60 , the aperture  65  and the inner sleeve drain  67 , vertical arrow, are also depicted. When the drain from inner sleeve is in proper alignment with the drain in the upper sleeve (not shown) liquid is permitted to drain from the upper reservoir  15  through the gasket into the lower reservoir  30 . 
     FIG. 12 is a cross sectional view taken along line  12 — 12  of FIG.  2 . The liquid is being forced up the fill tube  100  filling the upper reservoir  15  with liquid. The liquid exits the outer sleeve helical opening  75  in the outer sleeve  70  thereby filling the reservoir. The inner sleeve drain  67  and the outer sleeve drain  77  (not depicted) are not in alignment thereby preventing liquid from draining through the outer sleeve base  50  through the gasket  40  into the lower reservoir. 
     FIG. 13 is a cross sectional view taken along line  13 — 13  of FIG.  3 . When pressure is no longer applied to the lower reservoir (not shown) the liquid level in the upper reservoir is permitted to empty down through the fill tube which in turn permits liquid in the upper reservoir to drain through outer sleeve helical aperture  75  in the and inner sleeve aperture  65 . This outer sleeve helical aperture acts as a weir to control the liquid level in the upper reservoir which will be administered to the patient. The other parts are as described in FIG.  12 . 
     The present invention provides several advantages over the containers of the prior art. The accuracy of the dosage of the present invention is better than those containers previously disclosed. In addition, the present invention provides the ability to drain the upper reservoir back into the lower reservoir through the proper alignment of openings in inner sleeve and outer sleeve. Containers previoulsy disclosed did not provide for the draining of liquid from the upper reservoir into the lower reservoir. Consequently, if the upper reservoir was filled beyond the desired level, the excess liquid would be discarded. This is acceptable for relatively inexpensive materials, however, it is economically undesirable to discard pharmaceutically active ingredients. 
     All of the parts described herein are preferably made of polymeric materials such that they are readily shaped, molded and fitted together. Suitable polymers include, but are not limited to polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terphthalate and the like. 
     The term child-resistant is understood to those with skill in the packaging arts. These packages require a level of cognitive skills such that most children can not gain access to the contents of the dispenser. Numerous child-resistant means are known in the art, including but not limited to alignment of tabs or flaps to open the container top, a plurality of grooves and channels which require the user to push down on the container top to engage the grooves, the requirement to push ears or tabs on the sides to that the top can be twisted off and the like other techniques for providing child resistant packages are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,788,098; 5,791,505; 5,803,203; 5,819,968 and 5,865,330. The preferred embodiment of the present invention are the use of tabs which must be aligned before the cap can be removed. 
     The present invention is particularly well suited to dispense solutions which contain a pharmaceutical agent. The present invention can be used to dispense any liquids, including solutions, dispersions and suspensions. Suitable pharmaceutically acceptable dispersants and suspending agents are well known in the art, see for example,  Remington Pharmaceutical Sciences,  15 th  Edition. Techniques for making such suspensions and dispersions are known to those with skill in the art, see for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,272,137; 5,374,659; 5,409,907; 5,621,005; and 5,658,919; the contents of which are incorporated by reference. In particular, the dispensing tip can be marked to provide the correct dosage of the product based upon the weight of the child. The weight can be expressed in any convenient unit such as pounds, kilograms and the like. 
     The present invention may be used to deliver many active medicaments that are well known in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 4,929,508 provides a suitable list of such medicaments and the relevant portions of the patent are hereby incorporated by reference. The form of the medicaments are not critical in the invention so long as they may be incorporated into a liquid. The original form of the pharmaceutically active ingredient before incorporation into the liquid may be solids, liquids, powders, pellets and the like. 
     Especially preferred medicaments to be delivered by the present invention include ibuprofen, acetaminophen, aspirin, pseudoephedrine, pseudoephedrine hydrochloride, chlorpheniramine maleate, dextromethorphan hydrobromide, diphenhydramine, loratadine, phenylpropanolamine and diphenydramine hydrochloride. 
     Commonly known pharmaceutically acceptable additives for orally-administered drugs such as sweeteners, colorings, flavoring agents, buffering agents and the like may be included in the formulations. Suitable sweeteners include sugar, sorbitol, saccharin, mannitol, glucose, aspartame and the like. Flavoring agents include peppermint, spearmint cinnamon, bubble gum, vanilla and the like. 
     All U.S. patents disclosed herein are hereby incorporated by reference as if set forth herein by their entirety.